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43-Talks/APPRECIATING MARVELS OF GOD’S CREATION - #114.md

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+---
+type: Talk
+title: 'APPRECIATING MARVELS OF GOD’S CREATION - #114'
+tags: []
+---
+Note to the speaker:
+Reason with the audience on how the marvels of creation reveal an intelligent Creator and his qualities. Help the audience to appreciate man’s insignificance and how he can come to know the Creator’s loving purpose
+
+Florida:
+2000 dots/tile
+
+Okinawa:
+Auditorium 22 tiles across
+Tile is 90 rows across.
+22 tiles across, 28 tiles long, 616 total
+8.8m across. 
+40cm square
+
+## Marvels of Creation—An Appropriate Topic for Bible Talk
+
+**(3 minutes)**
+
+**Opening Illustration**
+
+Imagine, if you will, a classroom—perhaps your old classroom. There are various scientific instruments laid across the counters, and a blackboard up front. Your teacher walks up to the blackboard and draws a line right down the middle, from top to bottom. On the left, he writes **"Evolution"**, and on the right, he writes **"Creation"**. He then loudly says, "Today, we will be having a debate on the theory of evolution versus the theory of creation. All arguments must be backed up with reasoning and evidence. Why don't you start us off?"—pointing to none other than you. What are you going to do? What are you going to say? Which side are you going to pick? What evidence do you have to back up your claim?
+
+Well, hopefully, we won't ever run into this specific issue, but the question still stands. Should we believe in **Evolution**, or should we believe in **Creation**? Why? Does it even matter? In truth, the evolution versus creation controversy is still a vital issue. As such, that will be the topic of discussion for this morning. By the end of the next half hour, we should be well equipped by the Scriptures to decide which side to take, to answer the questions involved in this debate, and show why we made that choice.
+
+**Why Important?**
+
+Let's first talk about why it's important. Looking at the world around us, what do we see today? Simply put, **many reject belief in God and act accordingly**. How so? Let's take a look at our first scripture, found at Psalms 14:1:
+
+> _The foolish one says in his heart: “There is no Jehovah.” Their actions are corrupt, and their dealings are detestable; No one is doing good._
+
+Pause for effect (2sec)
+
+Do we not see that today? The general attitude of the world around us is a selfish, corrupt, me-first way of thinking. There is no sense of accountability, and morality is at an all-time low. Why? Just as the scripture stated, the foolish state that "There is no Jehovah," or the foolish believe there is no higher power to hold them accountable, and no greater purpose to serve, than to selfishly look out for their own advantage. **Schoolbooks and popular magazines present evolution as fact**, adding to this selfishness.
+
+What does the Bible have to say on the matter? As it happens, **Bible writers and Bible characters commented on the issue of creation**, so this topic is an appropriate one to discuss from the Bible today. Actually, if we turn just a few pages over, Psalms 19:1 says:
+
+> _"The heavens are declaring the glory of God; The skies above proclaim the work of his hands."_
+
+So, let's take a look at these things, and see how they declare the glory of God. What we're going to do is spend the next few minutes going through many examples of creation, in big-to-small order, and seeing what we can learn from each. **The more we know about the physical world we live in, the more we are impressed**, and the more we can see that the complexity, ingenuity, and interconnectedness of creation absolutely points to a highly intelligent Creator.
+
+---
+
+## Marvels of Creation Reflect an Intelligent Creator
+
+**(10 minutes)**
+
+### The Universe
+
+Our first, and largest, point of discussion: **The Universe**. The universe is really, really big. According to Mario Livio, an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, talking about the estimated size of the observable universe:
+
+"While estimates among different experts vary, an acceptable range is between **100 billion and 200 billion galaxies**."
+
+That number is hard to put meaning to, so let's illustrate it.
+
+Take a look at the floor. If we imagined that each row of string on a carpet tile was an entire galaxy in itself, assuming the maximum number of 200 billion, we would need about 3.6 million kingdom hall auditoriums to match the number of rows per estimated galaxies in the observable universe. Now, to further complicate things, Pamela Gay, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute says this:
+
+"We see at most **3% of the universe**."
+
+So all those rows we just imagined on the many kingdom hall floors, you'd have to multiply that by over 30 times to get close to the estimated amount of galaxies in the universe as a whole. That scale is simply beyond our comprehension, and that is the point.
+
+However, despite the unfathomable size of the universe, everything is held in order and balance; it's all organized. Let's take a look at our next scripture to shed some more light on that statement; please turn to Isaiah 40:26:
+
+> _"Lift up your eyes to heaven and see. Who has created these things? It is the One who brings out their army by number; He calls them all by name. Because of his vast dynamic energy and his awe-inspiring power, Not one of them is missing."_
+
+The scripture states that the Creator and Organizer of our massive universe is none other than **Jehovah God** himself. It refers to the many stars and other features of the heavens as an army, whom Jehovah God knows each by name and has a place for each and every one. Can you give every row on the floor we talked about earlier a name and remember where it goes? Yea, me either, but Jehovah does just that.
+
+So, question time: Could the massive system that is the universe, in all its many intricate moving parts and powerful components, have come about by **sheer chance**, or was it created and is constantly being maintained? Consider this: If you or I, a human, tried to create a system even a fraction of the size of the scale of the universe, and tried to keep it from diving into chaos, do you think we could? One quick look at the existing systems humans have put in place on just our planet, and their slew of problems, should give you the answer. It's impossible that the universe came about by chance. It took tremendous power and wisdom to create and to maintain. Power and wisdom that can only be found in **Jehovah God** himself.
+
+### Our Sun
+
+Our next point of discussion: **Our Sun**. A little bit closer to home than the grand scale of the universe, but still quite big.
+
+Image of the Sun
+
+The sun is 93 million miles (~150 million km) away from our planet. This Kingdom Hall Auditorium is about 9m from left to right side, so that would be a little over 17 billion Kingdom Hall Auditoriums from us to the sun. And yet, despite its ridiculous distance, we rely on the sun for light, heat, and energy.
+If the Earth was a little bit farther, everything would **freeze**, but if the Earth was a little bit closer, everything would **burn**. Either way, the earth would be unable to support life.
+
+But the Earth is right in the **perfect** spot where not only can we survive, but we can also enjoy many different climates, with variable seasons in each one. One may think, "The sun is truly extraordinary to be able to support such a diverse array of life and climates," but in fact, the sun is a perfectly **average star**. There are many other stars which dwarf the sun in both size and energy, making the sun look like a candle in comparison, and yet it's perfect for us.
+
+Do you think our Sun, and the Earth's distance from it came about by chance? Let's again turn our Bibles to Isaiah, this time looking in chapter 42:5:
+
+> _This is what the true God, Jehovah, says, The Creator of the heavens and the Grand One who stretched them out, The One who spread out the earth and its produce, The One who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk on it:_
+
+According to the scripture, who created the heavens and stretched them out? And who spread out the Earth and its produce? None other than again, **Jehovah God**, who is the only being to possess both the wisdom and the power to do something like this.
+
+### The Earth
+
+Let's look at our last celestial example, the very thing you and I live on, the **Earth**. The Earth is unique. In all our studies of the cosmos, the Earth is the only planet that we have found that **supports life**.
+
+Image of Earth from space
+
+Notice what the Psalmist had to say if you'll turn with me to Psalms 104:24-27:
+
+> 24 How many your works are, O Jehovah! You have made all of them in wisdom. The earth is full of what you have made.
+> 
+> 25 There is the sea, so great and wide, Teeming with countless living things, both small and great.
+> 
+> 26 There the ships travel, And Le·viʹa·than, which you formed to play in it.
+> 
+> 27 All of them wait for you To give them their food in its season.
+
+So the Earth doesn't just support life, all of the factors come together to let life **thrive** on it, where it can be found in abundance. We have seasons, many different foods, a constant water cycle, an atmosphere that protects us. We can go on and on about the many things we have to enjoy here. In the book _The Blue Planet_, written by Louise B. Young, who was an American physicist and geologist, he stated:
+
+> _"The more we explore the black expanses of space, the more we recognize that our own earth is an exceptional planet—the Garden of Eden of the solar system. There is no other piece of matter within a hundred billion miles that is so richly endowed with variety and beauty . . . A few decades ago the imagination of man endowed the planet Mars with intelligent beings . . . Now the truth is known. If any life exists there, it is microscopic . . . suddenly we are aware that the earth is a very special place. In some ways it may even be unique in the universe.”
+
+Pause for 3 sec
+
+What do you think: Can our perfect home planet, The Earth, have come about by chance? Could all the factors involved that make this planet not only a place we can survive on, but a place we can thrive on, have come about by chance? Of course not. Just from the three examples we have discussed thus far, we can clearly see that there is an **intelligent, and powerful Creator** behind these things. There is no possible way things of such magnitude and precision could come about by chance. The very first verse in the Bible puts it plainly, Genesis 1:1:
+
+> _In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth._
+
+---
+
+## Creation Around Us Reflects the Creator’s Qualities
+
+**(10 minutes)**
+
+The things we've discussed this morning so far are truly awe-inspiring, but what's the point of discussing them? Is this just a scientific lecture? Well, no, not quite. Maybe a little bit, actually. But we can use the creation we see around us as a type of **mirror**, that reflects the qualities of the one who created them, **Jehovah God**. Are we not moved to consider what the Creator’s qualities are and what his will for us is? We need to learn more from creation than facts that may awe us; we should learn what creation reveals about the Creator. Jehovah's principal attributes are reflected in his works. So, let's discuss these attributes.
+
+### Power
+
+First up, **Power**. Let's turn in our Bibles to Jeremiah 10:12:
+
+> _He is the Maker of the earth by his power, The One who established the productive land by his wisdom And who stretched out the heavens by his understanding._
+
+The greatest source of power we know about in our physical world are stars. Stars are massive entities that produce great amounts of power through nuclear fusion. The process involves taking several atoms of one element and fusing them together into a single atom of a different element, releasing large amounts of energy. Walk outside at about 3:00 PM in mid-July, and as you sit there with sweat pouring down your face, remember that the sun is 150 million km away and still pushing out that much power. And also keep in mind, the sun isn't even that big of a star—it's just average—so think there are plenty of other stars out there, pushing out at least the same levels of energy, if not more so. Lotta power, right?
+
+Power is also evident in things we see here on Earth. Think about the **tremendous power of hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis**, and other natural disasters that can wipe out entire cities in just a few minutes. Think of the small things that we often pay no mind to, like little trickles of water from a river, that given enough time can cut paths the size of the Grand Canyon. We also have various creatures, like the mighty elephant that can topple trees with ease, or the blue whale, the largest organism on this planet that feeds on creatures we can't even see.
+
+Do you think Jehovah, the one who created all these things, has power? I'd say so.
+
+### Justice
+
+Next up, **Justice**. Have you ever felt something wasn't fair? Or experienced any sort of inequality? Living in this world, I have no doubt we all have. Even a child who is still learning has an **innate sense of justice**, and will very quickly inform you if they feel something is not fair to them. Who gave us this sense of justice? Again, let's let the Bible answer that for us, at Deuteronomy 32:4, talking about Jehovah God:
+
+> _The Rock, perfect is his activity, For all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness who is never unjust; Righteous and upright is he._
+> 
+
+Image of a bee pollinating a flower
+
+We see justice in both ourselves and in the natural world. Animals may not understand the concept of justice, but we can still learn from their actions. Take for example the bee and the flower. All a bee wants is nectar, which the flower gladly provides, but in return the flower gets pollinated from the bee going from flower to flower. Does the bee get the nectar and run? No. We see an equally, mutually beneficial service provided to both species, yet neither really know or understand how. Do you think such a system came about by chance, or was it created, or designed, by someone with a powerful sense of justice? What do you think?
+
+### Wisdom
+
+Now, let's talk about **wisdom**.
+
+Look at life here on Earth. How many different types of creatures can you name? 100? Maybe 200 if you really thought about it? In an article written in 2011 by BBC News, almost 15 years ago, the amount of species on our planet is estimated to be at about **8.7 million different species**. Every single one of these species are unique, with their own instinctual behaviors, that all contribute to a much bigger ecosystem, both regional and global. And let's not forget about ourselves, for we too are Jehovah's creation. Imagine building a computer, from dust, that can learn every language, control every biological function without a manual, and experience every human emotion. We call that the human brain. Where do you think we got our wisdom from? The Bible answers that, if we turn to Proverbs 2:6:
+
+> _For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; From his mouth come knowledge and discernment._
+
+Do you think Jehovah, the one who created both humanity and the creatures on our planet, has wisdom? Absolutely. We have ample reason to laud and to thank our **wise Creator** for the wisdom he has given us.
+
+### Love
+
+Lastly, we will talk about Jehovah's final, and often favorite principal attribute, **Love**. Most of us probably know this scripture by heart, but if you would turn with me to 1 John 4:8, and then we'll read it:
+
+> _Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love._
+
+Have you ever seen a mother bear defend her cubs? Or what about a bird sitting on her eggs for weeks until they hatch? What about us as humans, and the lengths we go to for our children, or the people we love? Love is not something foreign to us, and yet all the love we can see and show still pales in comparison to the love shown by and given to us by Jehovah God. Remember, It was Jehovah who gave his firstborn son as a sacrifice so that humanity has a hope for the future. **Love is the greatest quality of Jehovah God.**
+
+Do you think we can see God's qualities reflected in creation? When we look at the power and energy of the stars, or the wisdom imbued in everything around us, or the love shown by the many creatures that we share this planet with, can we really conclude that it all came about by chance, or by accident? No, that's illogical. The things we have discussed thus far do not, and cannot happen by sheer accident.
+
+---
+
+## Creation Can Teach Us Important Lessons
+
+**(4 minutes)**
+
+**Job**
+
+Creation also has very practical and important lessons we can learn, that will result in betterment for ourselves. Let's turn to Job 12:7-10:
+
+> _However, ask, please, the animals, and they will instruct you; Also the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you. Or give consideration to the earth, and it will instruct you; And the fish of the sea will declare it to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of Jehovah has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing And the spirit of every human._
+
+Here, Jehovah God used his creations to teach Job lessons with practical value. In the 38th chapter of Job, and several after, Jehovah brings to light many examples of things he had created, and the power and wisdom behind them. Jehovah didn't give Job a textbook and tell him to read up; he pointed his attention to the sky and the sea and said, 'Now, where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth?' It reminds us that compared to Him, we are insignificant, and thus the need for humility.
+
+**David**
+
+King David of Israel also noticed this, in Psalms 8:3, 4 which says:
+
+> _When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, The moon and the stars that you have prepared, What is mortal man that you keep him in mind, And a son of man that you take care of him?_
+
+We can learn from these accounts. Compared to Jehovah, what power or wisdom do we have? What can we hope to accomplish in opposition to Jehovah? Absolutely nothing, and as such, humility is in order. But we can also take courage, for when others, perhaps world leaders or armed forces stand in opposition to those who serve Jehovah, what power and wisdom do they possess? Again, absolutely nothing. If we are on Jehovah's side, we have **nothing to fear**.
+
+**Paul & Human Body**
+
+Another example the scriptures use is the **human body**. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul used the human body, and its various parts and features to illustrate the **unity** required by the Christian Congregation. Let's take a look at that passage, 1 Corinthians 12:14-18:
+
+> _14 For, indeed, the body is made up not of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am no part of the body,” that does not make it no part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am no part of the body,” that does not make it no part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If it were all hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged each of the body members just as he pleased._
+
+All the members of the congregation are not the same. We each have different abilities, interests, jobs, and many other unique things. But the point Paul was making was that we use these different things we have to all **work together**, and create a loving, upbuilding, encouraging congregation, where one member is not greater or more important than any other member, just as parts of our body are not greater or more important than any other part.
+
+**Jesus & Birds**
+
+What about something that may hit closer to home? Please turn with me to Matthew 6:26-30:
+
+> _26 Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? 27 Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? 28 Also, why are you anxious about clothing? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29 but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith?_
+
+These words are from Jesus, in his well-known "Sermon on the Mount." He brings attention to the birds and the flowers, and how they do not have jobs, they do not fret over income and expenses, nor are they worried about what tomorrow will bring. Yet, Jehovah takes care of the birds and the flowers, just as he does all creation. How much more so would he want to take care of his faithful worshipers? We can take this lesson in anxiousness to heart. **Jehovah will take care of us**, even if, from our perspective, circumstances seem dire.
+
+**Main Point**
+
+After considering just a few of the many lessons creation can teach us, we come to a logical conclusion. Jehovah God, the creator, is **all-powerful, all-wise, always just, always loving, and the one who gave us life**. Please turn with me to Romans 1:20, 21, 28. This is speaking about Jehovah God, it states:
+
+> _20 For his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable. 21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their senseless hearts became darkened. 28 Just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to an disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting._
+
+It comes down to a plain and simple statement. **Those who refuse to see God's power, wisdom, justice, and love reflected in creation and gratefully worship him are inexcusable in his eyes.**
+
+---
+
+## Do You Show Appreciation for Jehovah’s Creation?
+
+**(3 minutes)**
+
+SLOWWWWW
+
+**Jehovah Deserves Praise**
+
+So this brings us to our last question. **Do we show appreciation for Jehovah's Creation? To whom do we express it?** Revelation 4:11 states:
+
+> _“You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they came into existence and were created.”_
+
+Jehovah is the creator, it makes sense that we should express our appreciation to him, but how? Think about this: If the heavens, Earth, and all other creation, **without speech, voice, or words**, praise Jehovah God, how much more so should humans, who have tongues and powers of speech, do so? Jehovah’s purpose in creating the earth and its marvels was for man to **live on it, care for it, enjoy it, and appreciatively praise him for it**.
+
+**Example**
+
+Let's go back to that classroom we talked about at the start of our discussion this morning. It still has that blackboard, with a big "Evolution vs Creation'' written across the top. The teacher and the students are awaiting your answer. But now, you are ready. You have the facts. You are armed with information. That same question is being asked of us today, by the world we live in.
+
+We as humanity are the only creatures here on Earth that have the capability to go beyond our instinctive wisdom, and **choose how we want to live our lives**. And as free moral agents, we can choose to meet God’s requirements for eternal life, including showing our appreciation for the creation around us, or we can choose to allow ourselves to be guided by Satan’s deceptions, misled into a course resulting in unending death.
+
+**Final Ending**
+
+So how long will you have the privilege of living so as to enjoy Jehovah’s marvels of creation? **The choice is yours.** Please, turn with me to one final scripture, found at Deuteronomy 30:19:
+
+> _I take the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you today that I have put life and death before you, the blessing and the curse; and you must choose life so that you may live, you and your descendants,_
+
+Pause for effect....
+
+Jehovah is well aware that the choice we make will affect our future. This is a choice that nobody can make for us, not even Him! So follow his advice, and **choose life**, so that we may live for all eternity, appreciating the marvels of creation forever!