Cornerstone Community Church
Culture Shock Week 2
Speaker: Pastor Nate Herrlin
THE CHURCH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The Question:
How are followers of Christ to think, act, and respond to the controversial issue of the environment?
God is not subject to your laws and preferences, you are subject to His.
What does God say about the environment?
THE EARTH BELONGS TO GOD.
Psalms 24:1-2 NIV
Psalms 89:11 NIV
Exodus 19:5 NIV
Implication:
We are to HONOR God’s creation. Genesis 1:1
GOD APPOINTED MANKIND “DOMINION” OVER THE EARTH.
Psalms 115:16 NIV
Implication:
We are the earth’s VICE-REGENTS. Genesis 1:28, 2:15
Genesis 1:28 NIV
We are not owners, we are managers of the earth & God expects us to take
good care of it.
THE EARTH/NATURE HAS INTRINSIC VALUE AND REFLECTS THE CHARACTER AND BEAUTY OF THE CREATOR.
Psalms 19:1-2 NIV
Implication:
We must explore not EXPLOIT.
Romans 1:19-20 NIV
Implication:
We must explore not EXPLOIT; enjoy not WORSHIP the earth.
Romans 1:19-21
MANKIND IS PLACED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CREATED HIERARCHY AND IS UNIQUELY RESPONSIBLE TO GOD (ABOVE) AND FOR THE ANIMALS, PLANTS AND RESOURCES (BELOW).
All living things have value, but not all living things have equal value.
Implication:
We are to use not ABUSE animals, plants, and resources to glorify God.
GOD COMMANDS ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TO PROTECT THE LAND, ANIMALS, AND VEGETATION FOR THE COMMON GOOD.
Deuteronomy 25:4 NIV
Proverbs 12:10 NIV
Deuteronomy 20:19 NIV
Implication:
Consumption and productivity must be governed by the boundaries of CONSERVATION.
1. Part of fully following Jesus includes taking good care of the place He’s given us to live.
2. Part of leading people to Jesus is getting closer to them like Jesus did with us.
CHRIST’S REDEMPTIVE WORK INCLUDES THE EARTH.
Romans 8:19-21 NIV
Implication:
We must treat the earth with the same PRIORITY God does.
Revelation 21:1-4
8 verifiable issues(on which we can all agree.)
1. Clean air
2. Clean water
3. Balanced land use
4. Preservation of beauty
5.Productivity and progress with constraints for conservation
6.Waste minimization
7.Limits for nonbiodegradable plastics
8.Recycling
3 root causes of our
poor environmental stewardship.
1. GREED
2. IGNORANCE
3. CARELESSNESS
Deuteronomy 25:4 NIV
Deuteronomy 25:4 NIV
Deuteronomy 25:4 NIV
Next Steps...
Brainstorm new habits I can build to prioritize the 8 issues we can all
agree on. (Clean air, clean water, balanced land use, preservation of beauty, productivity & progress with constraints for conservation, waste minimization, limits for non-biodegradable plastics, and recycling).
Put into practice at least one of the “4 E’s” (Explore, Educate, Engage,
Empower). Which one/ones?
Share things I learned today with a friend.
Attend a home group to discuss this further.
Other