God Matters
One of the most complex notions humanity must wrestle with is this; Does God matter or not? Either God exists and matters beyond what we can fully comprehend or there is no god and any contemplation of the divine should have no bearing on how we live. Deciding if you believe in God, or considering the possibility of God is something that takes a lot of time because the implications are so great. All of human history teaches us that what you believe about God will determine how you view yourself and others in the world around you.
We at The Journey believe that God does matter. In a general sense we mean that just by looking at creation we can’t seem to shake the concept of a creator, we don’t believe anyone can. From the complexities of the human circulatory system to the endless sea of stars in the sky each night, the thought of this reality being a cosmic coincidence is something we cannot accept. The belief that there is a Creator gives reason for all things in all times and in all places, and this understanding is what gives everything purpose. If there is no purpose, if this reality is just the result of a meaningless series of events that formed from nothing, then there would be no logical reason for anything to matter at all, it would all be pointless.
We also believe that God matters in a specific sense. While nature alone is enough to convince every person of a creator it is the Bible that teaches us who this creator is and who we are in relation to Him. We all desire to know why things are the way that they are and the Bible was purposed to answers these questions. In Scripture we learn why God created all things, how His creation became corrupted, and that God is doing/has done something to restore/redeem this fallen reality. The Bible instills hope that every person, circumstance and created thing points to the fact that God is of the highest importance. He matters most of all.
The wonder of God’s redemptive plan as revealed in scripture overwhelms believers with purpose, shaping our lives to praise and serve Him. It is specifically what God has done/is doing/will do that gives us meaning. When the apostle Paul reflects on 11 chapters of teaching on God’s redemptive plan for His people in the book of Romans he proclaims that this knowledge is to result in praise to God, it is the purpose of all that we are and all that is.
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
(Romans 11:33-36 ESV)
Believing that God matters means that everything matters. We are committed to the glory of God at The Journey because it is God who is the giver of meaning, which makes Him what matters most.
Related Core Value sermon: Core Values (Part 1) God's Glory - (Cody Parman)