Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Is God green? Psalm 24:1 Kingdom Principles in a Political World: Sermon 07 September 7th, 2008 “Global warming is too serious for the world any longer to ignore its danger or split into opposing factions on it” Tony Blair. “The warnings about global warming have been extremely clear for a long time. We are facing a global climate crisis. It is deepening. We are entering a period of consequences” Al Gore. “With all of the hysteria, all of the fear, all of the phony science, could it be that man-made global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people? It sure sounds like it” James M. Inhofe. “Global warming – at least the modern nightmare vision – is a myth. I am sure of it and so are a growing number of scientists. But what is really worrying is that the world's politicians and policy makers are not” David Bellamy.   A hot topic of this election is environmentalism. So what are we to make of this concern about global warming? Who’s right, who’s wrong? Does Scripture address the issue? I don’t know. I’m not a scientist but then neither is Al Gore. While I majored in Theology, Al Gore majored in Political Science. But let me stick my neck out and make some introductory observations as we get started this morning: 1) The same data that a few years ago was being used to predict a global winter is now being used to predict global warming. 2) There is wide disagreement even among scientists on what the future holds and whether global warming is truly taking place. 3) “Science” which is now predicting how the world will end, is completely wrong on how the world began. Since they’ve denied scientific facts of origin, are they also now denying scientific facts of termination?   4) Much of what is being passed off as science is intellectual intimidation. For example, one cannot work for The Weather Channel unless they believe in Global Warming, though the original creator of The Weather Channel, John Coleman, calls it “the greatest scam in history.” 5) Emotional arguments rather than facts are being used to promote the Global Warming viewpoint. While movies like Waterworld or The Day after Tomorrow are Hollywood hits, they’re not scientifically accurate. 6) Many in Western Civilization who already enjoy modern conveniences want to regulate those in Third World economically impoverished cultures, thus potentially keeping them in poverty. Third worlders are often living without conveniences like indoor plumbing, cars or even electricity that we already enjoy and take for granted. Al Gore himself illustrates this. His Tennessee home uses enough electricity for 20 average American homes. He also owns a 4000 square foot home in Virginia and a third home in Carthage, Tennessee. So his total consumption isn’t known. Then, he receives $20,000 a year in royalties from Pasminco Zinc, which operates a zinc concession on his property. Tennessee has cited the company for adding large quantities of barium, iron and zinc to the nearby Caney Fork River. And recently, after extensive “green” remodeling, Al Gore’s home energy usage increased by 10%! While Scripture doesn’t say anything specifically about Global Warming, it does have much to say about Environmentalism? This morning we want to ask the question: Is God green? Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD'S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Since God always takes care of His property, the answer is “Yes.” In recent years Bible believers have begun warming to the goals of the environmental movement. Prominent Evangelicals like Chuck Colson and James Dobson signed the "Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility" which states that: “Because clean air, pure water and adequate resources are crucial to public health and civic order, government has an obligation to protect its citizens from the effects of environmental degradation.” But while environmentalists and Christians share the same goals on many issues, we must also recognize the fundamentally unbiblical premises that many ecological activists believe in. These premises often lead environmentalists to embrace policies that God’s Word suggests that Christians should not support. Believers must carefully distinguish mankind's responsibilities as responsible stewards of God's creation and unbiblical policies promoted by environmental activists. So what’s a Biblical worldview on environmentalism? Is God green? This morning we want to develop a Biblical worldview of environmentalism. If you’re taking notes… 1. We need to remember that God created this world. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). When Rachel Saint, veteran missionary to the Auca Indians in the jungles of Ecuador, brought some of those primitive Aucas to the United States, she took them to New York City and to the top of the Empire State Building. But the Aucas, who thought that the elevator was just a little room, were not used to being on top of a high structure without climbing it. They had no idea of where they were so when they stepped out of the elevator and onto the observation deck, they were very interested in the pigeons and pigeon droppings. But they had no interest in the fantastic view. Because of their limited perspective, they could not comprehend the panorama before them. An unfortunate outcome of the predominance of evolutionary thought is that it often hinders us from reading Genesis 1 from the viewpoint God intended. We’re so bogged down trying to reconcile the creation account with Science, we totally miss why it was given to us at the very beginning of God’s revelation. We “miss the view” God intended to give us. The intention of Genesis 1 is to make God visible to us in His works. We only know God, who is Himself invisible, through His works. That’s the reason God placed the fabric of heaven and earth before our eyes. In it He reveals Himself to us. The creation account points us to the Creator Who alone is worthy of our worship, enjoyment, and obedience. God’s purpose was that in thinking about the creation account and in observing the world around us, we would focus on the greatness of God who brought it all into being through the word of His power. Rom. 1:20, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made… In those first 33 verses of our Bibles, God is referred to by name 35 times. Clearly, God is the great subject. Creation is His handiwork, here to tell us of Him. Thus, we can enjoy creation as a marvelous source of revelation, compatible with and expounded upon by the more specific revelation of His written Word.  A little girl asked her father, “How did the human race appear?” The father answered, “God made Adam and Eve, they had children and so all mankind was made.” Two days later the girl asked her mother the same question. The mother answered, “Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.” The little girl, now very confused, went back to her father and said, “Dad how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Mom said they developed from monkeys?” The father replied, “Well, Honey, it’s very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your mother told you about hers.” When we focus on God as the Creator, we’re revealing what family we’re part of. The Apostles' Creed begins with these simple, yet majestic words: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” God created all that we see around us: the sun, stars, moon and the planets. Scientists estimate there are 400 billion stars in the Milky Way and that there are more than 100 billion galaxies, each with at least 100 billion stars. Imagine that! And God hung each one in space and calls each one by name, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name” (Ps. 147:4). No wonder the Bible says, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork” (Ps. 19:1 ESV). a) God’s primary posture toward creation is affection, not apathy. Remember the proverbial, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” But do you know why duck crossed the road? It was the chicken's day off. Does God love chickens? Matthew 10:29 (p. 688). If God cares when a sparrow dies, don’t you think that He cares about chickens? Absolutely! And shouldn’t we…to some level? Shouldn’t we care about the things God cares about? That means then that we need to care about God’s creation, if we are going to have the heart of God. Scripture is clear. God cares about His creation. Don’t all of us care about the things we’ve created? Some of you are talented with tools. If you make a table or chair, don’t you want to see it taken care of? If you work hours making a nice meal, don’t you want to see everyone enjoy it and appreciate it? We’ve worked hard on a garden this year. A few weeks ago I looked out and our huge golden retriever, Dakota, was standing in the middle of it. I was not a happy camper. It struck me as I was preparing this that Noah could have built a much smaller boat if God didn’t care for His creation. Pre-flood humans were vegetarians. Plant life would have come back. So why rescue the animals? God has great affection for His creation. God’s primary posture toward creation is affection, not apathy. b) God’s primary posture toward Creation is pleasure, not production. In Proverbs 8 wisdom is symbolized as a woman (Men, if you learn that wisdom is a woman, it will save you a lot of trouble.) Look at v. 1 (p. 454), then down to vss. 27-31. Did you catch those two words in vss. 30 and 31, “rejoicing” and “delighting”? God rejoices…God delights in His creation! One of the funniest animals, that also stumps evolutionists because he messes up their theories, is the platypus. Study a platypus or a monkey and try to argue that God doesn’t have a sense of humor. Have you ever made something just for fun? It doesn’t do anything. It’s just fun. It’s just enjoyable. Most of the time I read books which are ministry related but when I’m on vacation, I read for pleasure. I love to read the latest by John Grisham. There’s nothing pragmatic with those books. It’s just enjoyable. God didn’t have to create this world. He certainly doesn’t need it but His primary posture toward Creation is pleasure, not production. c) God’s primary posture toward Creation is celebration, not consumption. Seven times in the first chapter of Genesis, we find this phrase, “God saw that it was good.” God was celebrating His creation! Luke 12:27-28 (p. 737). King Solomon ain’t got nuthin’ on the flowers. What do we do with flowers? We admire and smell them. Painters paint them, photographers take pictures of them. Every family vacation Charity takes picture after picture of flowers. But you don’t eat flowers. They’re not consumable. They’re just a source of beauty. Much of God’s creation is like that. We celebrate its beauty and we don’t use it other than appreciating it. God has created everything. He accepts it and appreciates it, because it just is. It just intuitively speaks of appreciation. God’s primary posture toward Creation is celebration, not consumption. 2. Most people, including Christians, have an evolutionary view of the world. I don’t have a green thumb, though with Mike Weimer’s expert advice, we did end up with a pretty substantial garden this year. For many years when it came to plants and landscaping, my philosophy was evolutionary, “Be tough or die!” It was a “survival of the fittest” mentality. Survival of the fittest is really survival of the most powerful. We demonstrate an evolutionary worldview… a) When we see God’s creation as something to exploit. Why do we have labor laws? Why did unions develop? Man, because of his sin nature, is an exploiter. If he can be cruel to his fellowman, he will be, Ex. 5:6-14 (p. 43). The boss is angry at his wife so he yells at his assistant who then threatens his top sales person, who turns around and insults her receptionist who goes home and punishes her son who in a fit of rage…kicks the cat. Get the picture? Wouldn’t the boss be better off going straight to the receptionist’s house and kicking that cat himself? Our sin nature is exploitive. School began last week. As we all know, bullying is rampant, particularly in middle school. Four out of five middle school students admitted that they act like bullies at least once a month. A study found that 80% of bullies said their behavior included physical aggression, social ridicule, teasing, name-calling and issuing threats within the previous month. It’s an exploitation mentality. Why do people toss trash out their car windows? An exploitation mentality. Why is there a problem with pollution? An exploitation mentality. The CDC estimates that over 4.5 million people die each year from air pollution diseases. 70% of the rivers in China are polluted. The definition of pollution meaning that they are unfit for human contact. At the recent Olympics athletes wore face masks as they arrived in Beijing. Every day in America there’s enough garbage created to fill 63,000 dump trucks. In a year’s time they’d stretch halfway to the moon. During the holiday season we create an extra 5 million tons, 4 of those tons are shopping bags and wrapping paper. Most of us don’t give all of the garbage we produce a second thought. We don’t seriously consider ways to cut back. Human nature is driven by greed and selfishness. Our tendency is to exploit, not conserve. We also demonstrate an evolutionary worldview… b) When we see God’s creation as something we are entitled to. Many conservatives who are incensed about governmental entitlements, have that same attitude toward God’s creation. We think that it’s ours and that we can do with it as we please. Yet ancient Israel was instructed, “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants” (Lev. 25:23).  We are merely tenants on God’s planet. Isn’t that exactly what Psalm 24 tells us? “The earth is the LORD'S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”   We’ve distorted that and act as if creation and nature were created by God solely for the benefit and Adam and Eve…and their offspring. This idea that nature is there simply to provide gratification for humans is just another manifestation of our distorted anthropocentric theology. We are not the center of the world, God is. Creation was spoken into existence for His pleasure and to bring glory to Him. It’s merely on loan to us. We’re stewards of creation and are to use it to magnify the Lord and to bring glory to His name. God wants us to use and enjoy nature, to feast on its fruits (Gen. 1:29-30). But it’s not ours, it’s God’s. Now that doesn’t meant we have to be vegans or can’t hunt, but we must realize that it’s God’s creation that we utilizing. Then, we have an evolutionary worldview… c) When we see God’s creation as something we are to exalt. In his book, Earth in the Balance, Al Gore writes, “Refusing to accept the earth as our sacred mother, these Christians  have become a dangerous threat to the survival of humanity. They are the blight on the environment and to believe in Bible prophecy is unforgivable.” The earth is not our mother or our father. It’s this earth worship that motivated, Paul Watson, one of the founders of Greenpeace to declare, “I got the impression that instead of going out to shoot birds, I should go out and shoot the kids who shoot birds.” For earth worshipers an individual human life has no more intrinsic value than any other creature. Human suffering from drought and famine like that of Ethiopia is tragic, but the destruction of other creatures and habitat is even more tragic. Prince Phillip, the founder of the World Wildlife Fund, stated, “If I were reincarnated, I would wish to be returned to Earth as a killer virus to lower human population levels.” John Davis, editor of Earth First! Journal, states, "Human beings, as a species, have no more value than slugs." These aren’t isolated opinions, they typify the movement as a whole. Patrick Moore, one of the founders of Greenpeace, left the organization because earth worshipers were dominating it. He writes that, “In the name of 'deep ecology' many environmentalists have taken a sharp turn to the ultra-left…the human species is characterized as a 'cancer' on the face of the earth. The extremists perpetuate the belief that all human activity is negative whereas the rest of nature is good…This aspect of environmental extremism leads to disdain and disrespect for fellow humans and the belief that it would be 'good' if a disease such as AIDS were to wipe out most of the population.” We are not to exploit the earth, we are not entitled to it but neither are we to exalt it or worship it. 3. We must have a Biblical worldview of creation. It's often said that Christians don't care for the environment precisely because they’re so focused on end times. If God is going to come and destroy all of this anyway, why invest our energies in preserving it? A frequently cited yet erroneous example is James Watt, an evangelical believer and former Secretary of the Interior during the Reagan administration. According to the account, Watt told Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, “After the last tree is felled, Christ will come back.” To many minds, this succinct quote effectively sums up the attitudes of evangelicals, except for one crucial fact: James Watt didn't say that. This oft-repeated quote comes from a journalist who never bothered to confirm it. It never happened! Do you want to know what James Watt actually said? The only time he gave public testimony about the relationship between his Christian beliefs and care for the environment was in February 1981, in response to Oregon Democrat Jim Weaver, before a House subcommittee on the environment. Mr. Weaver: “I believe very strongly that we should not…use up all the oil that took nature a billion years to make in one century. We ought to leave a few drops of it for our children, their children. They are going to need it…I wonder if you agree, also, in the general statement that we should leave some of our resources—I am now talking about scenic areas or preservation, but scenic resources for our children? Not just gobble them up all at once?” Secretary James Watt responded: “Absolutely. That is the delicate balance the Secretary of the Interior must have, to be a steward for the natural resources for this generation as well as future generations. I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns, whatever it is we have to manage with a skill to leave the resources needed for future generations.” Now that’s more like it. So what does it mean to have a Biblical worldview of creation  a) We must remember that we are stewards. Because God is the Creator and since we are the pinnacle of His creation, He’s entrusted this world to us. We must hold then to what has been termed "creation care." God commanded our first parents, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Gen. 1:28). “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).  This word “work” is abad and means to dress, to serve or to cultivate. This word “care” is shamar and means to protect, to preserve, attend to or watch over.”  We are to care for the earth wisely. Wanton pollution and needlessly wasted resources do not represent love for our neighbors or respect for God's creation. We need to remember that God created this world and we are to protect His interests. Creation has its limits and we must conserve it. Nature is bountiful, but not unbounded. As we have been repeatedly reminded, there are limits to fossil fuels. Even the fuels for nuclear power are seriously limited. These facts should not surprise us. The Creation is a limited thing, a provisional thing. b) We must remember that we are to live simply. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” Christians who realize that they’re stewards don’t want to despoil the earth of its resources. Part of being human is learning to live (and consume) within limits. Sadly, Christians have by and large been co-opted by consumer culture. We must learn to live with a theology of limits. We don’t need everything that we desire. And we must see Creation as God’s provision. That prevents us from treating it as mere raw material. If the gift of Creation were simply a commodity, we could consume it the way we consume a gift box of chocolates. But because it carries promise, it must be conserved and used wisely. All of us need to learn to live with less and also to be content more.   c) We must remember that we are separate from the creation. “God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:26-27). We are the only part of creation that is made in the image of God. That makes us distinctly different. This motif is confirmed in the second account of creation found in Genesis 2, which emphasizes the idea of stewardship. Man, as the imago Dei, is not to use the things of this world in ways that demean their value or violate the natural moral law. As theologian Germain Grisez points out, humans “are responsible for [nature] but not to it, as if it shared in the dignity and fundamental rights which they themselves enjoy as persons made in God’s image.” That's because we are separate. That means too that not all life is of equal value. We believe in what Arthur Lovejoy has called “the great chain of being.” We believe there’s a hierarchy in God’s creation. This chain of being places us above the animals and vegetation. We are not the human animal! Remember Jesus said that we are worth more than animals (Luke 12:24). d) We must remember that we are to be Spirit-led. Gal. 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Most of us have never thought of that passage as related to God’s creation. God loves His world and we should to. We should have joy in His creation. Enjoy its beauty. Seek to have peace with creation. We’re not conquistadors, exploiting nature. Have patience with the natural process. Creation has a timetable and rhythm. You can’t hurry it. Be kind and good toward creation. Immanuel Kant observed, “If man is not to stifle human feelings, he must practice kindness toward animals, for he who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of man by his treatment of animals.” Proverbs 12:10 echoes that, “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal.” We must be faithful in our stewardship of this world. While this world is out of control, we’re to be Spirit-controlled. That must affect our relation to creation. Conclusion: Christians and environmentalists do share many goals. Both oppose the dumping of toxic waste in rivers and streams, the senseless slaughter of species like the American buffalo or other abuses of the environment. But we do so for very different reasons; one with an understanding of the importance of good stewardship of the earth God has given mankind dominion over, the other from a belief that condemns virtually all human activity as intrinsically evil. Christians must make sure that when we work with environmentalists we’re not misled into supporting policies that violate God's vision of stewardship. Beginning with Adam and Eve, God’s people have sought to be stewards of creation for His glory. Every age presents new challenges and opportunities. Our era is no exception. Given human addiction to action and crises, our response to climate change alarmism requires godly wisdom, humility and prudence. Here are steps though each of us can take:   1. Pray for wisdom and humility as you examine these issues. Be aware of your own temptations: exploitation, entitlement and alarmism. 2. Study what Scripture has to say about Creation-care. Our natural environment and responsibility to steward it are addressed in God’s Word. 3. Read up on environmental stewardship. Look for ways to live simpler and be a better steward of God’s world. We are stewards of God’s creation and will one day be held accountable on how we used it. We must seek to respond to creation both Biblically and theologically. Part of our obedience to God the Creator means being careful, responsible stewards of the earth and its resources. Much of the environmental issues being debated in our country today are being polarized by extremists on both sides. As stewards over the earth, we are to use its resources in a responsible manner, but it is sin to waste, destroy, and exploit the earth with no regard to the impact we’re making. God is green. He’s concerned about environmental issues and we must be to!