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God has written His Creative signature across this world. The Heavens and the Earth are crying out in testimony to HIM. This morning, I want you to check out the signature of God across our world. If you look closely with me you will see that there is no way that this world could have come into existence in any way but by the finger of God.

What do I mean? Just for starters, look at just one of the disciplines of science ORNITHOLOGY. The study of birds is an evolutionary quandary. Did they evolve first or second in the rise of animals? The absolutely unique way they adapt to the air as “flying[1] wedges” that swim through the air as effortlessly as fish fly through the sea is almost unbelievable. But for just a moment indulge me in listening to the Designer dependent creatures we call birds. Birds cry out the need for an Intelligent Designer, and cry against chance.

Check Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

First among the awesome fingerprints of God upon birds are their shapes and forms. When Jesus drew the attention of His listeners to the sparrows He was pointing at Himself. For even the lowliest or most common of the bird family are more advanced aerodynamically than our fiercest and most advanced, fighter warplanes. A bird has been well described by scientists as a “living wedge”.  If you could sail alongside a bird in flight and noticed its form as it flew you would be witnessing from beak to the last tail feather, an absolute study in complete streamlining. In all the world of biology no creature is more perfectly equipped to resist the laws of gravity than birds. A bird can float through the air like the down of a milkweed pod and yet weigh in at as much as twenty pounds! How? Consider that nearly every part of a bird’s framework, anatomy, and even some quills are hollow and air filled. A bird has a much higher body temperature than the mammals and so this trapped air is heated and much like the power of the hot air balloons that float around the skies of Tulsa from time to time, the bird with air trapped at a higher than atmospheric point is buoyant!

Now think of water birds that can float atop water like oil because of this hollow air filled design. How can they sink to the bottom and feed off the materials they need for life? There is probably no more vivid signature of God upon any bird than there is upon the bird ideally fitted to live by Pacific mountain streams. May I introduce you this morning to the Pacific Ouzel.

Out West where the streams run fast, the waters are cold and run white with the foam of waterfalls, if you were to watch closely you would find God’s witness to creation, the Ouzel. Of all the birds catalogued and studied in ornithology, none are more buoyant than the ouzel. Like grease poured into water it floats above even in the roughest waves at the base of waterfalls. Looking closely the ouzel actually floats above the water in contrast to the partially submerged bodies of ducks and geese.

Now, train your binoculars upon one floating ouzel out there by a rock in the stream. Watch carefully and try to figure out where he went because in a flash he disappears. Straight down to the bottom like an oversized lead sinker on a boy’s fishing line the ouzel hits the bottom. And if you could see as the scientists have with underwater cameras, you would see the ouzel calmly walking along the bottom feeding on its favorite delicacies as firmly as if it were made of lead. How is this possible to be the most buoyant bird and yet walk firmly through the current of a stream on the bottom?

Watch now, with its beak filled to the brim with what it desires it wades out of the water onto the stream bank, swallows the feast and shakes itself off and in moments is back floating above the water like smoke. All this happens only because of the Designer installed equipment the ouzel carries. Strong muscles surround its body so that at will it can completely expel the trapped air and cause its weight to be sufficient to sink to the bottom and walk about. Now to float like a cork or sink like a stone, at will is an impossible ability to evolve by chance. No human could conceive, design or even modify such an apparatus as this lowly member of the class of Genesis 1:21b! Yet in the beginning, God in a moment of Creation, designed the magnificent Pacific Ouzel and countless other marvels like it which float about this Earth declaring the Glory of God their Creator!

Please turn with me now to Job 12:7-9

“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8 Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. 9 Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this, (NKJV)

Right? Isn’t that what the Pacific Ouzel cries out? The signature of God’s creative genius.

Now for our Scripture reading this morning, would you turn back two books to Nehemiah 9.

Please listen to the worship filled longest prayer in the Bible starting midway thru v. 5 Stand up and bless the Lord your God . . . v. 6 You alone [are] the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. (NKJV)

At Tulsa Bible Church our doctrinal statement affirms:

  • Thus we teach the literal, grammatical, historical interpretation of Scripture, which affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal 24-hour days (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 31:17).
  • We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9).

That is why we began this Creation Series five weeks ago.

First, we looked at – “In the Beginning God ”

God the Eternal, the Infinite and Sufficient One steps into the Universe that began at His command to exist. He states the origin, purpose and destiny of all the Cosmos and we humans who ever lived in 7 Hebrew words that translate into 10 English words.

Second, we looked at “God created the Heavens

At a moment in Creation’s Week God says there were stars visible in the sky over Earth.  Why?

To show God’s power Genesis 1:14-16     Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 “and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. [He made] the stars also. (NKJV)

One of those twinkling dots was the Andromeda galaxy. This swirl of 100 billion stars is 2 million light years away. An object 10 quintillion miles away and 2 million years away was visible instantly!

To show God’s glory.

  • Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. (NKJV)
  • Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (NKJV)

The spaces out there seem limitless, The sheer number of stars, galaxies and swirling energy seems beyond our comprehension, Yet He has named each star and they are obediently following their Creator.

And the One who made the Heavens awaits meeting with you!

God made all of the Universe:

  • Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. (NKJV)

God stretched out, unrolled and spread the Heavens for His glory!

  • Isaiah 40:22 [It is] He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants [are] like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. (NKJV)

Worship the Creator

  • Psalm 95:3-7 For the LORD [is] the great God, And the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand [are] the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills [are] His also. 5 The sea [is] His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry [land.] 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 7 For He [is] our God, And we [are] the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: (NKJV)
  • Psalm 96:4-5 For the LORD [is] great and greatly to be praised; He [is] to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples [are] idols, But the LORD made the heavens. (NKJV)
  • Psalm 113:4-6 The LORD [is] high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. 5 Who [is] like the LORD our God, Who dwells on high, 6 Who humbles Himself to behold [The things that are] in the heavens and in the earth? (NKJV)

Chances for Finding a Life Supporting Planet

Each of these 23 parameters cannot exceed certain limits without disturbing a planet’s capacity to support life. Not to mention …About a dozen more parameters, such as atmospheric transparency, pressure, and temperature gradient, other greenhouse gases, location of different gases and minerals, and mantle and core constituents and structures, currently are being researched for their sensitivity in supporting life.

Thus, with considerable security, we can draw the conclusion that much fewer than a trillionth of a trillionth of a percent of all stars could possibly possess, without divine intervention, a planet-capable of sustaining advanced life. Considering that the observable universe contains less than a trillion galaxies, each averaging a hundred billion stars, we can see that not even one planet would be expected, by natural processes alone, to possess the necessary conditions to sustain life.

These factors would seem to indicate that the galaxy, the sun, the earth, and the moon, in addition to the universe, have undergone divine design. If divine design is essential to explain the properties of simpler systems such as the universe, our galaxy, and the solar system, how much more necessary is God’s involvement to explaining systems as complex as organisms, including human beings?

Psalm 147:4-18 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great [is] our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding [is] infinite. 8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. 9 He gives to the beast its food, [And] to the young ravens that cry. 16 He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; 17 He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold? 18 He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, [and] the waters flow. (NKJV)

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the number of stars in the planetary system: if more than one: tidal interactions would disrupt planetary orbits; if less than one: heat produced would be insufficient for life.

Psalm 148:1-6 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! 4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. 6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. (NKJV)

Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: (NKJV)

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the mass of our sun: if greater: luminosity of star would change too quickly; star would bum too rapidly; if less: range of distances appropriate for life would be too narrow; tidal forces would disrupt the rotational period for a planet of the right distance; UV radiation would be inadequate for plants to make sugars and oxygen

Psalm 74:16-17 The day [is] Yours, the night also [is] Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. 17 You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter. (NKJV)

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the distance the earth would be from the sun: if farther: planet would be too cool for a stable water cycle; if closer: planet would be too warm for a stable water cycle

Psalm 115:15-16 [May] you [be] blessed by the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, [even] the heavens, [are] the LORD’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men. (NKJV)

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the gravity level on the earth’s surface (escape velocity): if stronger: planet’s atmosphere would retain too much ammonia and methane; if weaker: planet’s atmosphere would lose too much water

Isaiah 51:13 And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When [he has] prepared to destroy. And where [is] the fury of the oppressor? (NKJV)

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the color of our sun: if redder: photosynthetic response would be insufficient; if bluer: photosynthetic response would be insufficient

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the brightness (luminosity) of our sun: if it increases too soon, it would develop runaway greenhouse effect; if it increases too late: it would develop runaway glaciations.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the tilt of the earth on its axis: if greater, the surface temperature differences would be too great; if less, the surface temperature differences would be too great .

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the time it would take the earth to rotate: if longer, the diurnal temperature differences would be too great; if shorter, the atmospheric wind velocities would be too great.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the strength of the magnetic fields around the earth: if stronger, the electromagnetic storms would be too severe; if weaker, the ozone shield and life on the land would be inadequately protected from hard stellar and solar radiation.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the thickness needed in the earth’s crust: if thicker,  too much oxygen would be transferred from the atmosphere to the crust; if thinner, volcanic and tectonic activity would be too great.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen in the atmosphere: if larger, advanced life functions would proceed too quickly; if smaller, advanced life functions would proceed too slowly.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere: if greater, the runaway greenhouse effect would develop; if less, the plants would be unable to maintain efficient photosynthesis.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere: if greater, runaway greenhouse effect would develop; if less, rainfall would be too meager for advanced life on the land.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the rate of atmospheric lightning discharge: if greater, too much fire destruction would occur; if less, too little nitrogen would be fixed in the atmosphere.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere: if greater, the plants and hydrocarbons would bum up too easily; if less, the advanced animals would have too little to breathe.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the distribution of the continents around the earth: if too much in the southern hemisphere, the seasonal temperature differences would be too severe for advanced life.

God perfectly ordained at the moment of creation the gravitational pull of the moon on the earth: if greater, the tidal effects on the oceans, atmosphere, and rotational period would be too severe; if less, orbital obliquity changes would cause climatic instabilities; movement of nutrients and life from the oceans to the continents and continents to the oceans would be insufficient; the magnetic field would be too weak.

So what does all this anthropic design mean? WE ARE UNIQUE! We are here because of God’s Sovereign plan. That means you are eternally and incredibly valuable to God, so much so that He designed you for His glory!

Why don’t we close with Psalm 139  God has made us in such a special way. Each of us is unique in all the universe. Like snowflakes no two of us match exactly another. The Lord alone knows us entirely.

Psalm 139 expresses this truth.

Look at it with me:

  • God knows our LOCATION at all times [Psalm 139:2a]
  • God knows our MEDITATION at all times [Psalm 139:2b]
  • God knows our DESTINATION at all times [Psalm 139:3a]
  • God knows our INTENTION at all times [Psalm 139:3b]
  • God knows our CONVERSATION at all times [Psalm 139:4]
  • God knows our EVERYTHING at all times.  This amazing and unique identity we have that God knows and understands overwhelmed the Psalmist in Psalm 139:6

[1] Adapted from Rimmer, Modern Science and the Genesis Record, pp. 219-222.

 

Slides


Check Out All The Sermons In The Series

You can find all the sermons and short clips from this series, Genesis here.

You can find all the sermons and short clips from this series, Paradise Lost – From Creation To The Fall here.

Looking To Study The Bible Like Dr. Barnett?

Dr. Barnett has curated an Amazon page with a large collection of resources he uses in his study of God’s Word. You can check it out here.