The Glory of God
Many of you know that in years past, for vacation, my family would go up to my parent's cabin in Wisconsin. It's just this side of a shack but now has indoor plumbing and running water - and sometimes even hot water... It's way up North of Green Bay out in the woods. Years back, before Erin and I had kids - we took the canoe out to the middle of the lake well after midnight. We laid down at either end of the canoe and just looked up into the night sky.
Sitting on the water, you could look out and just about see the horizon on both sides fringed by pine trees. Without city light to obscure the view, you could look out into the endless sky. You could see thousands of individual stars; we watched multiple 'shooting stars' fly across the entirety of the sky. We could even track satellites all the way across, without binoculars, it was so dark and clear!
And as I laid there looking up into the vastness taking up almost my entire field of view, I felt like I could almost float off into space. It was stunning, and a little humbling realizing just how small I truly am in this infinite universe. But then I wondered, 'how can anyone look out into this immense creation and NOT believe there is a Creator?
Which brings me to my first point...
I. Creation gives evidence of God
Now notice I didn't say 'proof' but evidence. Evidence refers to information or facts that help us to establish the truth or existence of something. 'Proof is the final verdict that removes all doubts whereas evidence only leads one in the direction of a fact.' It seems God is less concerned with 'proof' as He is with evidence - and then people can choose to accept the truth or not.
The Bible starts with, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." There's no explanation of 'where He came from' or how He created anything... Scripture starts out by acknowledging the existence of God and His supreme power and just hits the ground running with the story. The Bible doesn't seek to prove the existence of God, but simply presumes His existence because it's His story. The Bible provides lots of evidence of God and His work. And His creation provides clear evidence.
King David understood that evidence all the way back before we had today's modern scientific instruments to explore the cosmos. He wrote in Psalms 19:1-9 (NIV)...
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (2) Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. (3) There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. (4) Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, (5) which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
(6) It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. (7) The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (8) The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. (9) The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
There are two separate thoughts that David linked together in this passage. First, he talked about God's creation as a testimony to God, but then he talked about God's character and how those things are related. I want to start on that first part and then move to the second. First, David may not have understood the equation of E=mc2 - but he clearly understood that God created...
A. A precise universe
David knew that they could tell time, and seasons and even navigation by the sun, moon, and stars. He knew he could count on the sun to rise each day and the seasons for planting and harvesting came and went in a regular and predictable manner. He knew that was God's design.
I mentioned E=mc2, the equation discovered by Albert Einstein where energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. Now, I'm not a physicist and don't completely understand how he came to that understanding - but it is true, every time. I don't understand the 'how', but what about the 'why' - why does it work that way every time? Why does it work with a seemingly unrelated number of 186,000 miles per second, the speed of light? - Because God created a precise universe with precise laws.
Atomic clocks are designed to measure the precise length of a second. The International System of Units defines the second as "the time it takes a Caesium-133 atom in a precisely defined state to oscillate exactly: 9 billion, 192 million, 631 thousand, 770 times". Today's most accurate Strontium atomic clock would take around 30 billion years to lose even one second. Why do atomic clocks work? The laws of nature are precise and true because God designed it that way.
Astrophysicists say that the mass of the universe is exactly the size it needs to be in order to have created all the elements we have. If it was smaller by even a slight percentage, you don't have the right conditions to form Carbon - which is essential for life. If it was slightly larger, you wouldn't have Hydrogen - which is essential for life. Our precise universe was carefully designed by God.
Of course creation has become corrupted and everything decays and falls apart because of the fall of man and sin. But we can even see in the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics - even things 'fall apart' in an ordered fashion. We can even see that in the consistent half life of atomic particles that decay at a constant rate.
James shared this truth in James 1:17 (NIV)...
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Our universe was organized and runs precisely because God is organized and precise. And this brings us to the second point from that first passage from Psalms - God's creation reflects God's character. Because God's creation is accurate and true - we can trust that...
B. God's commands are true
Because God's creation is accurate and precise - we can fully trust God's Words! At the beginning, God completely understood things that even now the smartest of scientists are just starting to get a glimmer of understanding. Modern men like to think that we've 'evolved' in our understanding and are beyond 'old fashioned' morality. But God's so called 'old fashioned' truths have a 100% track record of success. David again wrote, in Psalms 111:7-8 (NIV)...
The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. (8) They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
Just as the unchanging laws of nature were established by God - God's commands and laws do not change or 'evolve' as morality changes to suit man's views and desires. God has revealed His character through His creation, and God...
II. Wants His work to be seen!
God put things in place and wanted them to be seen to testify to Him! God is not necessarily 'anti science' - but we have to look at things as being created by Him, otherwise, they will not make sense and we'll come to incorrect conclusions.
For instance - mankind has clearly observed for millennia the basic differences between men and women. Modern science has even revealed on a genetic level, through our DNA, that men and women are different. Now, people reject God's clear truth. It's even now controversial to say that there are two genders - and that you can't switch between the two. Despite the fact that never in the history of the world has a man given birth - people today will threaten you with violence if you don't agree that. They insist that a man can give birth.
We have national leaders who cannot define what a woman is - despite the fact that for all of history, even children have known the difference between a boy and a girl. 'Now preacher, you're talking politics...' No - I'm talking about God's truth clearly evident in His creation. I'm not saying this out of hate or judgment – and people can live however they choose - but we have to speak truth, whether it's popular in the mainstream or not. The Apostle Paul wrote this in Romans 1:18-25 (NIV)...
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, (19) since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. (20) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
(21) For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22) Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools (23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
(24) Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. (25) They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen.
Does that sound like our modern society? Many like to think we're so much smarter than ancient man, but there's nothing new under the sun. And God has seen it all. But the truth is - God wants the truth revealed in His creation to be seen! And specifically, God wants it to be seen...
A. By you!
Even though God is the Creator of the entire Universe - God wants a personal relationship with you! God revealed His truth in creation not just for the scholarly or scientists - He revealed Himself for you! This was written to God's people in the Old Testament, but it can apply to us as well...
Isaiah 40:21-28 (NIV)
Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? (22) He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. (23) He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
(24) No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (25) "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. (26) Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
(27) Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? (28) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
I've read several articles that some scientists suggest, based on changes in the behavior of subatomic particles - they believe that we may be living in a very complex simulation. It appears, that based on quantum physics - photons behave differently and take on differing states of matter depending on whether they are being watched or not. And I had to quote this next statement, "99.999% of physicists would say that the measurement brings the observable into reality, and at that point the particle decides whether to be a wave or a particle."
In a video game, the entire 'world' only exists as data - but as you move and change your view, that information is only then 'rendered' into a picture you can understand. It would take too much computational power to keep the entire 'video world' in view, therefore - the information changes as you view it. That's what physicists are suggesting our world is actually like based on their new findings. Because of the endless power needed to keep everything in our universe in a state which we could observe - they suggest that what we observe to be reality changes based on our observation of it.
Now, I am not remotely qualified to debate quantum physics with an actual scientist. If they say 'particles decide whether to be a wave or a particle depending on our observation of them' - I can't really argue. However, I do want to throw something out... If their findings are accurate and they one day prove 'this' is all a simulation - I can answer their question as to WHO created it. I've always said, "This life is not all there is!"
Their argument is that photons change because otherwise it would take too much energy to maintain a constant state. But I know the Creator of this universe - and endless power is not an issue for Him. What IF God has left clues in quantum physics of His creation of reality - not because of a lack of energy - but because He wants to be seen! Science is a human way for us to look into the mysteries of God! And, because 'the Heavens declare the glory of God!' - these scientific discoveries actually support King David's words in the Psalms!
The Bible says that God wants His works to be seen, by you, for the purpose, so that then…
B. You can testify!
I want us to jump back and look again at the first passage we read...
Psalms 19:1-4a (NIV)
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (2) Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. (3) There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. (4) Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
David says that the 'voice' of the Heavens goes out into all the earth. We are made in the image of God and are the most special part of God's creation! We need to declare the glory of God! We need to use our voice to proclaim the work of His hands!
So What?
I know this message was a little heavy on the intellectual side - I don't usually touch on quantum physics in a message. But God's truth touches all of life's disciplines and has a very real impact on our everyday lives. What we believe about God and His character greatly affects how we view morality and our relationships with others, and Him.
The world doesn't understand their Creator and has come to some very different conclusions about what's true and how to live. It's our job to live and proclaim God's truth in the way we treat others and how we show them the love of God. The world may consider us their enemy for speaking God's truth - but they're not our enemy, they're our mission. Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
God's ultimate truth is found in His Son, The way to the Father - Jesus Christ! And we can confidently proclaim Jesus as The Savior of the world! So let's do that, in love and truth!