Summary: This morning I want to begin with a word association. The word I want you to think about is the word “chaos.” When you hear the word “chaos” what other word or words instantly come to mind?<br> The two words that most commonly come to people’s minds when they hear or think about the word “chaos” are the words “confusion” and “disorganization.” Where chaos is, there is incredible, unbelievable confusion. Chaos is the exact opposite of organization. Where absolute chaos exists, there is zero organization.<br> Perhaps some of us would describe some situations that involved us the past few days as truly chaotic! It is quite possible that you have been in some situations the past few days in which confusion reigned supreme! Everything you experienced for at least a few moments, everything you saw for at least a few moments was nothing but confusion. The sound level, the movements, the scene all screamed, “Nobody is in charge here! Nothing is under control here! There is no order! The only thing in existence at this moment is mass confusion! Everything and everybody is out of control!”<br> Most people do not like true chaos. Do you?<br> <br> * Let’s begin by doing some reflecting. (This is personal reflecting–I genuinely want you to think about your own life.)<br> <br> * In the past twelve months, when you think about this year of 2003 month by month, how many times of chaos do you recall in your personal life?<br> <br> * How many times do you recall when your life was “out of control”?<br> * Or, how many times do you recall when your life was totally disorganized?<br> * Do you associate those chaotic moments with neutral experiences (neither good nor bad), with wonderful experiences (you truly wish you could experience that moment all over again), or with horrible experiences (you hope you never have to live through anything like that again)?<br> * Do you really enjoy moments of total confusion when there is no semblance of organization?<br> <br> <br> * As you consider the twelve months ahead, how much of that chaos do you plan to occur in your life in the year 2004?<br> <br> * Do you say to yourself, “I really thrive on all that uncertainty! I want as much chaos in my life as possible!”<br> * Or, do you say to yourself, “When the year 2004 ends, I would be thrilled to look back over the past twelve months of my life and not recall one single moment of chaos!”<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> * For just a few moments, I want you to think about God and chaos.<br> <br> * Let’s begin by reading Genesis 1:1, 2.<br><br> In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.<br> * Allow me to call your attention to what I consider to be a powerful contrast in the first chapter of Genesis.<br> <br> * It is a brief chapter that contains only 31 verses.<br> * In those 31 verses we have presented to us three major things.<br> <br> * The first is what things were like when God was totally absent.<br> * The second is the creative activity of God which transformed complete chaos to organized life.<br> * The third is what things were like when God was totally present.<br> <br> <br> * When God was totally absent, there was chaos.<br> * As God increasingly became present, chaos disappeared and order appeared.<br> * When God was totally present, chaos completely disappeared, and God Himself looked at what he had made and declared it to be very good.<br> <br> <br> * In chapter three, as the presence of God diminishes, situations become increasing chaotic.<br> <br> * Isn’t that fascinating?<br> * God and chaos are enemies–where one is, the other cannot be.<br>
