Who is Man, that God is mindful of Him! Psalm 8:1-8 by Cooper Abrams

Introduction:    Barack Obama recently stated "Whatever we once were, we're no longer a Christian nation. At least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, and a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation and a nation of nonbelievers"! Obama, who professes to be a Christian, does not seem to regard America as a Christian nation any longer. His statement was made for political reasons, but there is something wrong of America's understand of who is a Christian.

           A 148-page study, released on February 26, 2008, by the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, they found 78.4% of Americans say they are Christians, about 5% belong to other faith traditions and 16.1% are unaffiliated with any particular religion. The study was conducted for more than a year with interviews taking place from May 8 to August 13, 2007. The interviews were in English and Spanish with a representative sample from more than 35,000 adults.

           Isn't this an amazing fact. 78.4 percent of American's claim they are Christians, yet about half the nation, according to the polls support a man who is clearly a racist and liberal for the presidency of the United States. An man who claims to be a Christian himself, yet was a member of a church for over 22 years whose pastor cursed America and spewed forth racial hatred weekly from his pulpit. America has for the last fifty years trying to overcome racial prejudice. Why would any person who calls them selves a Christian support such a man who supports racism. Most people also are not aware that many Baptists voted twice for the Bill Clinton and helped put him in the White House, fully knowing of his adultery and lies that made a mockery of the presidency and Christian principles. Survey's say that 64% of Democrats are say they are Christian, yet the Democratic party stands solidly for abortion, gay and lesbian rights, supports the ACLU and removing prayer from our school and any public mention of the name of Jesus Christ or the God of the Bible.

           Let's not forget the Republicans. Although their party platform supports life instead of abortion, many Republicans are comfortable with abortion, support gay and lesbian rights, the anti Jesus Christ and God agenda of the liberals.

           There seems to be a serious misunderstanding of what is a Christian. I think it is pretty clear the reason is that a lot of people who claim to be Christians have little or no understanding of who is God and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not because we cannot know who our God and Creator is, but because many professing Christians do not seem to be concerned about who God is nor have any regard for who He is. True Christian love and fear God and love Him and His word. They respect God and stand in awe of His greatest. Yet, many professing Christians live their lives with little regard for God, for the sacrifice and suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered for every sin that a man commits. Yet, we many have little regard for His suffering.

           I believe that is why professing Christians are having so little influence in our society. We are to be witnesses to the greatness of God and of His wonderful Being and His salvation. We are to tell the world of who our God and Creator is and by our lives reflect his mercy and grace. We are to show forth the godly principles that will make our lives of value, live the life God intended for us and be productive in letting the Lord use us. By living by God's principles we can have peace and joy in our lives.

           Jesus said that those who believe God and are saved are the salt of the earth, yet many who call themselves Christians have no savor and as Jesus said are fit for little more than to be thrown out and trodden under our feet.

           God's children are to tell the world about the Lord Jesus Christ and of the great salvation that is possible through belief in Him. I think Christians need to take a flesh look at who is God and our Creator and get a realistic view of who He is and in turn who we are. Christians are to tell the world of His greatest, love, justice and power.

           The Bible never attempts to prove the existence of God. It begins in Genesis 1:1 with the emphatic statement "In the beginning, God.....created the heavens and the earth." The Genesis 1:1 simply states the fact that God is our Creator. When we honestly look at Creation there is no need to ask the question does God exist? God's handiwork of the Universe emphatically proclaims that He exists and is our Creator and God. When Moses ask God who was he to tell the Children of Israel who had sent him to deliver them...God simply replied, Tell the I AM sent you.

           What does the name God mean? I looked it up in several dictionaries. Mostly the definition given is, "Supreme Being (the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions." Did you note the definition uses the word "conceived as ......" Even when defining God in our English dictionaries man seeks to case a shadow over who He is and to cause doubt as to His existence. Our God and Creator is not "conceived" as being the perfect, omnipotent and omniscient Creator of the Universe....He is the Creator and there is no other! In the many dictionaries I consulted could not find even one that came close to expressing who is God.

           Although most of the world worships false gods of their own imagination, God tells us in His word that intuitively we know there is God. (Note I left out the definite article "a") He is not a God, but God. There is no other. Romans 1:20 explains "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

           Often I have been asked about why God would send the native in the jungle to hell who had never heard of Jesus Christ or God. I read to them Romans 1:18-23. God says all men are without excuse and that He has shown and revealed Himself to them and they know He exist and understand the Godhead. That means they willingly, knowing they are wrong, do evil and practice sin and worship false Gods. They are without excuse. Think! God has gone to great lengths to reveal Himself to every man ever born on earth. Christ died for the sins of the world as 1 John 2:2 plainly states.

           In other words, God has taken the initiative to reveal Himself to every person born on earth. We call this Natural Revelation. God reveals Himself to us through the Creation. From seeing God's handiwork we get an understanding of Him. Genesis 1:1 says that God created the Heavens and the Earth, yet most of the world denies the existence of our God and Creator. It is shocking to know that many professing Christian believe the universe is millions or billions of years old. Many accept evolution as the creator!

           Let us take a moment to consider "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" ( Psa. 8:1, 8)

           O Lord our Lord, is O Yahweh (or Jehovah) our Adown, which is a shorten form of Adonai, and signifies ownership or master ship and indicates the truth that God is the owner of each member of the human family, and that He consequently claims the unrestricted obedience of all. This verse and verse 8 states that God is our master and owns us and that means we are responsible to Him.

I. Let us do what the Psalmist did and let us consider the heavens.

           "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained" (Psalms 8:3)

           Astronomers tell us that our Universe is a vast place. In fact it is so huge that it cannot be measured. Astronomical distances are too large to measure in miles or kilometers, so they means distance in light years. When science thinks they have figured it out some new discovery comes along and they have to revise their figures and always the new figures are larger much larger.

           One light year is the distance that light travels in one year or 365 days. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. That means that in one year a beam of light will travel 5.87 million million miles. A million million miles is 1 plus 12 zeros, or 1 trillion. That means in one year light would travel 5.87 trillion light years.

           Most of us are familiar with our galaxy called the Milky Way. It is measured at 100,000 light years in diameter. So that is 100,000 x 5.87 trillion light years across. We Southerners would say that is a "fer" piece."

           Are you are beginning to get the picture? Well, let's look further. With the naked eye we can see two other galaxies in our galaxy, the Clouds of Magellan and Andromeda. Science estimates that Andromeda is 1.5 million light years away. Its light emission is measured at 2,500 million times more than our sun.

           Scientist says they have discovered in that region of space several hundred thousand million galaxies and estimate that total number of observable stars is to 1025 power, or 1 followed by 25 zeros. No human could live long enough to count the stars, so lets see if a computer could? Most of the newer fast computers can do 10,000 million calculations per second. That is really fast!

           However, at this speed it would require 30 million years of non stop counting to count the stars. But that too is a problem. Most computers will not last 30 million years!

           Are you beginning to get some concept of the immensity of the Universe? Some might criticize me for using so much information about science and our universe. May I say to you....I am referring to the hand work of my God and Savior! Yes, I am thrilled at looking at spiritual truths, but this is another truth about God...that shows us His greatest and power and I am thrilled when I see what He has made. God not only made spiritual truths He made the material truths or laws also. How many of you are familiar with the science of physics? Physics is the science of matter, motion, time and space. Physics deals with the material laws of the Universe....Guess what Physics is really about? The handy work of our Almighty God and Creator!

           Well, God made it! He simply spoke the universe into existence. When He said, "Let there be light, there was light and it was good!" Clearly if He made it, then Plainly He is greater than His creation. This gives us some small insight into who God is.

           Our galaxy is called the Milky Way and it is a spiral galaxy. A galaxy is one that contains a prominent central bulge at its core and luminous arms of gas , dust, and young stars that wind out from the central nucleus in a spiral formation.

           Our earth is located in a very precise place in our spiral galaxy. If the earth was further out or closer to the nucleus life would not be possible. Between the spirals of our galaxy is open space. The earth is located on a spiral and in a precise place on the edge of that a spiral and that means we can see out into the universe. If we were not located in this precise location we could not see into the universe. The view from the earth would be blocked by gases and debris in space. This simply means God put us in such a place we could see out into His creation the Universe and get a perspective of how large is His creation.

           Our planet has a sun that is a star which is exactly the right size and the earth's distance is in a narrow band out from the sun where life can exist. Even a little closer or further out their would be no life on earth possible. Is their life on Mars? NO! There is water there, but no life. God made life and put it where He desires which is the special planet He made for His life the earth.

           The earth has a moon whose size and position is unique to all the planets. Its size effects the earth, its tilt toward the sun, its obit, which causes weather and climate. A smaller or larger moon would mean not life possible on earth as we know it.

           IS THERE LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS...NO! How do we know. First the possibility of another earth, in our exact location in a spiral galaxy, with our exact size sun, our exact size moon, in our moon's exact orbit, our planet exactly perfect distance from our sun, and all the other thousands of details of our little earth are beyond calculation. By the way ... that scientist on the TV who says there are so many galaxies and stars in the universe that surely there must be other worlds like ours is knowingly or unknowingly misleading you. There are too many variables in our world to be duplicated in the Universe. Further, the stars, moon and heavenly bodies was not created until the fourth day of creation. Yes, in our Creator's mind and purpose the earth is the center of the Universe!

           Remember what Romans 1:20 tells us.....God reveals to us Himself through the Creation. It says it shows us the Godhead. That is a reference to God as our Creator and also our Jesus Christ.

           Therefore God says that man has no excuse for not knowing that God is there and that He is our Creator. I have a book in my library I read many years ago titled "The God who is there and He is not Silent." The title states a indisputable truth....God is not silent.....He is revealing Himself to us all if we will listen and see. All any man need do is open his eyes to see the greatest and magnificence of Almighty God.

           The truth that God is not silent deals with another aspect of God's revelation and that is His written word. You see, you can look at Creation and know there this universe, earth and all life is the handwork of a Designer and a Creator. But you do not personally know who He is.

           Further, natural revelation does not tell us how we can personally know God and have a relationship with Him. It tells us a great deal about Him, but not His essence or His being. It does not tell us about any of our Creator's plans, or His will for us and His plan of salvation. Yet, we all know that if something is designed and created it has a purpose. We can look a Creation and know we have a Creator, and that should cause a sensible man to ask the questions "Why?" Why was I created and why am I here? Who is God who created me and the earth. It shows mankind that he did not create himself and that we have a Creator...and having a Creator means that we are responsible to Him.

           The devil, preying on the ignorance of men, tells us we are the result of a biological accident the result of random chance called evolution. Yet, science shows us emphatically that we are wonderfully is our Creator and how He made us and the Universe.

           The Psalmist says, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Psalms 139:14)

           We can see the greatness of God in the vastness of space He has created. We can see His magnificence also in the smallest things of His creation.

II. We can see God in the infinitely small things of His creation.

           Molecular biology has recently revealed the greatness of God's creation which is life itself. In a simple cell there is a intricate group of molecular machines that makes the cell function and reproduce. It is the functioning of the mechanics of the life God created.

           The smallest and most simple cell is intricate beyond our imagination. In every living cell is an intricate group of biological machines precisely created to carry out the functions of that cell. In each cell has DNA, or deoxyribonucleic (de oxy-ribon-nu-cal-ic) acid, which is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person's body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus. Each human cell contains around 3 billion parts of information that is needed to form a living cell. Can you even begin to grasp the magnitude of this truth?

           Inside DNA is a strain or helix on which the information is stored which can produce every component of a living cell. Science can take one strain of DNA and clone the life form. This is called the process of transition. Briefly it works this way. A particular molecular machine attaches itself to the DNA and begins to unwind a section of the DNA helix or strand. This exposes the information stored in the design of the DNA to produce a particular protein molecule the cell need to live and reproduce.

           Next another molecular machine copies the information the other machine has exposed which is called "messenger RNA" (Ribonucleic acid) The molecular machine then takes the RNA through a special port in the wall of the cell to the cell's nucleus. The RNA is then attached to a molecular factory in to core of the cell called a Ribosome. Ribosomes take RNA information and from nucleic (amino) acid makes a protein that some part of the cell needs.

           Next the strain of RNA is taken from this molecular factory to another molecular machine which folds into it precise shape needed so it can function and then another molecular machine transports to the exact place in the cell the protein is needed. These molecular or bacterial machines are called flagellum. Each flagellum has a flagellar motor that propels it inside the cell. These bacterial cells are propelled by miniature rotary engines called flagellar motors that rotate at speeds up to 100,000 rpm. Each motor of the flagellum has many distinct mechanical parts, made of proteins, including rotors, stators, O-rings, bushings, U-joints, and drive shafts. In other words the flagellum has an electrical motor that function exactly the same components as any electric motor. It is baffling evolutionary science who can't seem to explain how the flagellum "evolved." Remove any part of this little molecular machine and it does not function...that means it could not have evolved!

           Revelation 4:11 takes on a more profound meaning when we consider the greatest of God's creation. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Revelation 4:11)

I. God reveals Himself and His plans to us through the Bible.

           God has gone to great lengths that we might know all these things and so much more about Him and ourselves. The Bible has about 40 human authors, who wrote during a period spanning 1,600 years.

           The Bible has one divine Author--God our Creator. The Bible makes this claim (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Many evidences support this claim:

(1)The unity of the Bible
(2) The indestructibility of the Bible
(3) The harmony of the Bible
(4) The universal appeal of the Bible
(5) The perennial value of the Bible as being as relevant today was it was 2500 years ago.
(6) The fulfilled prophecies of the Bible
(7) The findings of archaeology concerning the Bible

           All of this and more demonstrates the Bible to be of divine origin. It is God's Book....given to mankind to tell us Who God is.

           If you wanted to know about someone the best person to ask is the person them self. God plainly says where to look.

           "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

           Yet, many men criticize the Bible saying it was written by men. However, once again lets let God speak for Himself.

           "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21)

           The word translated from the Greek text into our English Bibles is a word that means not only foretelling the future or prophecy, but refers to the whole of the message of the Bible, God's word.

III. Who is God?

           God tells us in John 4:24 that He is Spirit. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

           God says His essence is "spirit." He exists outside of the universe, but He is in every atom of His creation. Speaking of Jesus Christ God's word says, "And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:17) The word consist is the word sunistao (soon-is-tah'-o) and means to be "set together." It means He is the power of the Universe.

           One of the most important forces in the Universe is gravity. It holds everything together. Isaac Newton was credited with discovering and exploring gravity. The force of gravity is the same on every object no matter what its size or what it is made of. Gravity is the very force that holds the universe together.

           THINK WITH ME! Can't we understand God and learn of Him from His handy work? He is great and magnificence beyond our imagination!

Conclusion:

           What an amazing truth it is that our Creator, who spoke the Universe into existence would be mindful of a mere man? "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalms 8:4)
"What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?" (Job 7:17)
"LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!" (Psalms 144:3)

1. What should all this mean to you and I. It is the power of Jesus Christ that is holding everything together....yet the world ignores Him, degrades Him, belittles Him, and denies His existence.

2. God has made both natural and spiritual laws to order the universe and even our lives, yet most men live destructive lives, flaunting God's laws. They love their sin and refuse to come to the light least their evil ways be exposed. (John 3:19-20)

3. The question is vital to every man, woman, boy and girl. Do you know your Creator Jesus Christ. Will you believe the overwhelming evidence from natural and from God's word the Bible and bow to Him in repentance of your sins and callousness to Him and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

           Almighty God is mindful of you. He knows even the number of hairs on your head. He knows you heart and your every thought. Why would He be mindful of you and I? I cannot explain this more than tell you....He says He is and He went to that Old Rugged cross and paid for your sins so you could believe and have everlasting life with Him in eternity. Not greater expression of love could He show us than to die in our place and offer us His grace and salvation.

4. Why would any man not accept God's offer of forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven with Him? Why would not every person want to experience the blessings of living the life God created them for?

5. God's message is clear this morning. His word tells us of heaven and He also warns us of the existence of hell, prepared for the devil and his angels. God, Himself came to earth, took upon Himself our sins. His suffering for you and I are beyond our comprehension, yet He did that because He loves each of us whom He created.

6. What will you do with Jesus this morning? If you are not a child of God and have never truly believed and received Him as your Lord and Savior..you can right now and be reconciled to your wonderful God and Creator.

7. If you are a Christian have you become complacent in your devotion and commitment to God, because you have lost the respect and reality of who our God truly is.



8-16-2008

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