Psalms 8:4
Chuck Smith explores the true nature of man in relation to God, emphasizing the importance of starting with God to understand man's place in creation.
Chuck Smith explores the profound question 'What is man?' by emphasizing that a true understanding of humanity begins with God. He highlights that God is mindful of us, having created us with purpose and dignity, and that our worth is not defined by our achievements but by our relationship with the Creator. Smith contrasts the view of man as a mere accident of evolution with the biblical perspective that we are made in God's image, crowned with glory and honor. He urges listeners to recognize their place in creation, acknowledging God's supremacy and our responsibility as stewards of His creation.
Text
"WHAT IS MAN?"
Intro: One day this past summer I had breakfast in New York, ate lunch at home and
dinner in Hawaii. Flying over the U.S. on a clear day, aware of impact of man
upon this planet. Saw cities, smoke from factories, glen Canyon and Hoover Dams.
The earth has developed to what it is because of man, not cats.
I. A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF MAN MUST BEGIN WITH GOD.
"O LORD OUR LORD"
A. LORD all caps indicates the name of our God. Heb. Yaweh or Jehovah. "I AM"
or "the Becoming One."
1. The name expresses His desired relationship to you. To become to you
whatever you my need.
2. Jehovah-Jireh; Jehovah-Rapha; Shalom.
B. Lord is title "adonai" master.
1. This expresses our proper relationship to Him.
2. To properly understand man, must see him in this perspective.
a. If I start with man I will exalt man.
b. When I start with God, man shrinks to proper place in
creation. I worship creator.
C. "You have set your glory above the heavens."
1. David spent many nights sleeping under the stars.
2. "The heavens declare the glory of God."
3. "When I consider the heavens.
4. Man glories in his accomplishment of flying to the moon and dreams of
visiting planets beyond.
5. When I consider the heavens, what is man?
II. WHAT IS MAN?
A. That God is mindful of Him.
1. Never think of God as detached from His creation.
a. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, 1/2 cent.
b. Not one of them falls without your Father's awareness.
2. God thinks about me!
B. God visited him.
1. "In the beginning was the Word... and the Word was made flesh..."
2. "Great is the mystery of Godliness, He was manifested in the flesh."
C. "For thou hast made him."
1. For years some of the brainiest men have been trying to convince us that
we the product of a series of fortunate occurrences of accidental
circumstances, on an earth that was randomly formed by a big bang.
2. You are here by accident and will probably leave by accident.
3. They tell you that God was created by man in his own image, rather than
the reverse.
4. Man is thus reduced to an illogical entity without a rational base.
a. That is dehumanizing and humiliating.
b. I am no more than an accident living on a puddle in the middle
of a muddle.
D. "Made Him a little lower than the angels."
1. Here we see man in his true order.
a. God, angels, man, animals, plants.
b. A little lower than the angels far superior to little higher that
the ape.
c. So an ape can be taught to do tricks.
1. That's a long way from designing a circuit or operating
on the cornea of the eye.
E. "Crowned him with glory and honor."
1. We see that God has made us the highest order of observable creatures on
the earth.
2. He has endowed us with inventive genius so we have created hydrogen
bombs and placed them on ICBMs and can annihilate an enemy anywhere
in the world.
3. We now seek to create weapons more sophisticated and selective, just
kill men, not destroy their buildings.
4. Somewhere man has fallen from the image of God.
Sermon Outline
- A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF MAN MUST BEGIN WITH GOD points: - The name of God expresses His desired relationship to us - The title 'Lord' expresses our proper relationship to Him - God's glory is above the heavens
- WHAT IS MAN? points: - God is mindful of man - God visited man - Man is made by God - Man is a little lower than the angels - Man is crowned with glory and honor
Key Quotes
“The earth has developed to what it is because of man, not cats.” — Chuck Smith
“For years some of the brainiest men have been trying to convince us that we the product of a series of fortunate occurrences of accidental circumstances, on an earth that was randomly formed by a big bang.” — Chuck Smith
“Man is thus reduced to an illogical entity without a rational base.” — Chuck Smith
Application Points
- We must recognize our proper relationship to God as our creator and worship Him.
- We must view man in his true order, as God, angels, man, animals, and plants.
- We must avoid viewing man as an accident and instead see him as a being made by God, crowned with glory and honor.