Genesis 1:26-31 ²⁶ Then 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.” ²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “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.” ²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground– everything that has the breath of life in it– I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning– the sixth day.

1. Context—connects to vs. 26-27—We are the image bearers of God; therefore we are His stewards over this world and all its resources

II.  The world is God’s blessing to us (vs. 28a); Enjoy it; be thankful for it

III.   Be fruitful and multiply

1. 1. Our God-given role is to have families
   2. There are exceptions (some are called to be celibate), but there is no greater blessing or responsibility than to raise a family (Psalm 127:3-4)
      1. Stay-at-home mom is the most honorable profession in all of history!
   3. Forced child-control is an ungodly thing
      1. We are no where near overpopulating the world
      2. All humans can fit into the state of Texas

IV.    Subdue the earth; have dominion over it

1. 1. The world is God’s ‘gift’ to humans; we have the right to use it
   2. Cultivation of the land—something very spiritual about farming
   3. Domestication of the animals
   4. Harnessing of the earth’s resources

V.   God’s blessing is also coupled with responsibility

1. 1. Be kind to your animals
   2. Be kind to the environment
   3. Don’t be wasteful
   4. Avoid the 2 Extremes
      1. I’ll never recycle because environmentalists are just a bunch of liberal whacks
      2. I’ll spend all my time/energy/resources fighting for the environment because the trees are my brothers; that’s why I hug them

VI.   Eschatological Significance

1. 1. Heaven is not our final destination; rather a renewed earth; Revelation 21 depicts the ‘heavenly Jerusalem’ coming out of heaven to the earth
      1. “It is the anticipation of the time when God will fill the earth with his glory, transform the old heavens and earth into the new, and raise his children from the dead to populate and rule over the redeemed world he has made” (NT Wright- Bishop of Durham for the Church of England and New Testament scholar)
   2. We are stewards until Christ returns; we are to care for this world- the environment, the animals, and our fellow man as best we can