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The sun is 93 million miles away from the earth. 93 million miles is a long way. (The ideas in the first part of this sermon (about the magnitude of the universe) were inspired and informed by a talk called "Significant Insignificance" by Louie Giglio on a DVD called "Indescribable". Carl Sagan was quoted in this talk, and part of that quote is also borrowed for this sermon.)
If there were a highway that stretched from the earth to the sun, we could drive from Los Angeles to New York, and then drive from Los Angeles to New York again, then from Los Angeles to New York again, then again, then again, then again, then again…something like 37,000 times. 93 million miles is a long way.
Light-which I'm sure you know moves pretty fast-takes about 8 minutes to travel from the sun to the earth. Go outside when the sun is bright; put your hand over your eyes; turn your head so that you aren't looking directly at the sun; and look up. The light that hits your eye at that moment left the surface of the sun 8 minutes earlier.
The sun-our sun-is just one star in the Milky Way Galaxy. There are billions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Our sun is one of them. There are billions of stars in the Milky Way, but most of the Milky Way is empty space. There are billions of stars in the Milky Way-and none of them are any where near each other. Most of the Milky Way is empty space, and it keeps on expanding.
Roughly speaking, the Milky Way Galaxy-the galaxy we live in-is about 100,000 light years across. What that means is that light, which takes 8 minutes to travel the 93 million miles from the sun to the earth, would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of the Milky Way to the other. Light-traveling at 186,000 miles/second-takes 8 minutes to travel the 93 million miles between the sun and the earth. Eight minutes is nothing. Light-traveling at 186,000 miles/second-takes 100,000 years to travel from one end of the Milky Way to the other.
Is your head starting to hurt yet? Hang in there, because we aren't quite done yet.
Look at this quarter. It's an inch or so across-bigger than a nickel, smaller than an old-fashioned silver dollar. Now look around this room. Start back at the main doors, then let your eyes move around the room until you get back to the doors.
Look at this quarter again. It's not very big compared to the size of this room. Now, close your eyes, and imagine this quarter compared to the size of the state of Michigan. Now, stretch your imagination, and in your mind's eye look at this quarter compared to the size of the entire continental United States…from southern California to Maine, from the Florida Keys to the northwest corner of Washington State. Now, open your eyes, get a good look at this quarter, and in your mind's eye look at this quarter compared to the entire continent of North America.
The Milky Way Galaxy, the galaxy we live in, compared to the universe is like a quarter compared to the entire continent of North America.
The Milky Way Galaxy, the galaxy we live in-not the solar system we live in, the galaxy we live in-compared to the universe is like a quarter compared to the entire continent of North America.
It takes light-traveling 186,000 miles/second-eight minutes to travel from the sun to the earth.
It takes light-traveling 186,000 miles/second-100,000 years to travel from one end of the Milky Way to the other. Around the top of the back of this quarter are the words "United States of America." If this quarter were the Milky Way Galaxy, it would take 100,000 years for light to travel from the "U" in United, all the way across the outspread wings of the eagle, to the last "a" in America.
Compared to the universe, the Milky Way Galaxy-the galaxy we live in-is like a quarter compared to the entire continent of North America.
According to the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:12), when God looks out on this universe that he created, it's like he can hold up his hand with his finger and thumb spread apart and say, "There it is. There is my universe."
God is big-really, really big.
Of course, it isn't just that God is big in terms of physical dimension. It isn't just that God can hold up his hand with his finger and thumb outstretched and say, "There it is. There's my universe."
It's that God is big-really, really big-in terms of any dimension we can possibly imagine…size, glory, wisdom, knowledge, compassion, complexity, mystery, love.
So…by the way…if you think you have a hurt that is too big for God to heal, think again…if you think you have a sin that is too big for God to forgive, think again…if you think you have a doubt that is too big for God to overcome, think again…God is really, really big.
That is point one. God is big-really, really big-bigger than you and I can possibly comprehend fully.
There are three points to this sermon. The first point is that God is big-really, really big.
I suppose you might guess the second point of this sermon: you and I are small-really, really small. Well, that's true of course, but it is not the second point of this sermon. I'm going to assume that it is fairly obvious, once we have established that God is big, that you and I are small.
In Psalm 8, David wrote, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
David could only see that part of the heavens that was displayed above his head and visible to his eyes, and yet he had to wonder, "How is it, God, that we could be important to you?"
Carl Sagan was a world-famous astronomer in the last part of the 20th century. Informed not only by what he could see with his eyes but also by what he could see with the benefit of the latest technology, Sagan observed, "The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena."
Sagan's observation is really not so different from David's: you and I are small-really, really small. But that is not the second point of this sermon.
The second point of this three-point sermon is that, though you are small-really, really small-you are important to God-really, really important to God.
This is not at all obvious.
It was not at all obvious to the famous astronomer Carl Sagan. He looked out at the vastness of this universe, and he concluded: "Our planet is a lonely speck in the great, enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."
David, the famous Israelite king, looked out at the vastness of the heavens and concluded something different, something not at all obvious: "You (God) made him (humankind) a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor."
Who do you think is speaking the truth?
David was no famous astronomer. He didn't have a Ph.D. He didn't know about solar systems and galaxies and light years. But he was a man after God's own heart, and all the Bible backs him up. Personally, I'll put my money on him.
In the very first chapter of Genesis, where it tells about God creating the universe, it says that God created light…and God saw that it was good. It says that God created the earth with dry land and with seas…and God saw that it was good. It says that God created the stars and the moon, day and night, seasons…and God saw that it was good. It says that God created fish and birds and animals and plants…and all that was good too. Then, Scripture gets around to saying that God created humankind-male and female-in his image, and, finally, God looked at his creation and saw that it was very good.
You were not put here on this little blue ball in the vast expanse of the universe by accident, but by design. You are important to God.
The prophet Isaiah, in the same chapter where he presents the picture of God measuring off the whole universe according to the breadth of his finger and thumb, goes on to write that God "sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers." (Isaiah 40:22) It was obvious to Isaiah, too, that you and I are small-really, really small.
But then Isaiah goes on to write just a few verses later: God "gives strength to the weary and increases the power to the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:29-31)
You are not ignored here on this little blue ball in the vast expanse of the universe. You are important to God.
In the first book of the New Testament, Matthew records these words of Jesus: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or stow away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26)
And again: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)
You are not anonymous here on this little blue ball in the vast expanse of the universe. You are important to God.
Take another look at verse 5 of Psalm 8. The NIV translates the Hebrew to say, "You (God) have made him (humankind) a little lower than the heavenly beings." Actually, the Hebrew word translated here "the heavenly beings" is the same word that in other places refers to God himself. This verse could be translated, "You (God) have made him (humankind) a little lower than God." Some translators are bold enough to do this. Some translators, such as the NIV, humbly note that the Hebrew here is somewhat ambiguous and so conclude that the verse was intended to say that God made humankind a little lower than the angels; after all, let's not get carried away.
I'm not so sure. The angels may have been created by God to be supernatural beings who reside with him in the heavenly realms, but it is humankind that God created in his image so that they might be adopted as his children.
Some theologians have concluded that this is precisely why Lucifer rebelled against God and became his enemy. He was jealous that God would look upon us scrawny, limited, weak, foolish human beings as material to build a family, as possible brothers and sisters to his Son. The angels are servants to God's Son. God's Son called us friends. Satan was jealous that God would give us really, really small human beings a more special place in creation than the angels.
Think about it. Would Satan work so hard to counter the purposes of God in humanity if humanity were not so important to God?
Think about it. Would the Son of God himself come to earth to free humanity from the clutches of Satan if humanity were not so important to God?
The angels may have been created by God to be supernatural beings who reside with him in the heavenly realms, but it is humankind that the only Son of God, Jesus Christ, gave his life to save.
Think about that. If God is big-really, really big-so is the Son of God. If God the Father spoke creation into existence, God the Son was the word that he spoke. The Book of Colossians teaches that all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, were created through Christ and for Christ. (Colossians 1:16)
You are important enough to the Father that he sent his Son to enter into creation, to be born as a human baby to a young woman in a little town in a backwater nation on this little blue ball of a planet which barely registers as a speck in the vastness of the universe, for you.
You are not left to figure things out on your own here on this little blue ball in the vastness of creation. You are important to God.
First point: God is big-really, really big.
Second point: You, who are small-really, really small-are important to God.
Third point: You are invited to know-really know-God. God is the one who invites you to know him, and God has done everything necessary to make it possible for you to know him.
On the last night of his life on this earth, Jesus said to his followers: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." And he went on to explain to them-to assure them-that in him they have seen the Father, in him they have come to know the Father.
There are two pieces of this truth that I want you to hear.
First, on the cross, Jesus bore the burden of everything-EVERYTHING-about this creation, about you, about me-that keeps us apart from God. Because Christ bore that burden, God looks upon you who are in Christ and sees the beautiful person that he created you to be. Because Christ bore that burden, everything that is not beautiful about you who are in Christ is nailed to the cross. Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, God reaches out to you who are in Christ and draws you near to him, in such a way that nothing-NOTHING-in all of creation can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Second, in Jesus, God gave us himself in a way that we can see and touch and at least begin to comprehend. God knows that our little brains can't comprehend the vastness of the universe, let alone the vastness of the One who holds the universe in the palm of his hand. So God came to us; God sent his Son-the One through whom and by whom all creation came into being, to us. In Jesus, you are invited to know the Father. In Jesus, you are invited to know the Father…not just know of the Father, but know the Father.
Some look out on the vastness of the universe and conclude with Carl Sagan that there is no one out there who notices us.
Some look out on the vastness of the universe and conclude that perhaps there is someone out there, but there is no way that we can know anything about that someone. We are left to our own best guesses, and your guess is as good as mine.
And some look at Jesus and give thanks that the God who holds the universe in his hand revealed himself to us in the fullness of his Son, so that we are not left guessing.
Jesus doesn't give us a way to know everything there is to know about God. The mystery of God is not gone. But God is not only mystery. Through Jesus we can truly know God and enter into relationship with him.
Jesus says to you and to me, "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me."
In Jesus, you and I are shown the character of the Father.
In Jesus, you and I are shown the love of the Father.
In Jesus, you and I are shown the compassion of the Father.
In Jesus, you and I are shown the transforming, life-giving power of the Father.
In Jesus, you and I are shown the awesome humility of the Father.
In Jesus, you and I are invited to know the Father.
Looking out on the vastness of creation, one can hardly help but wonder how there could be a God who knows us and cares for us. Through the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ, the God who knows us and cares for us invites us to answer that wonder with faith.
God is big-really, really big.
You, who are small-really, really small-are important to God-really, really important.
In and through Jesus, you are invited to know the God who knows you.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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