Preaching on Science and Faith

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From Enrichment Journal, Fall 2012

 On Sunday, Centerpointe begins a yearlong series called “The Story”, which is the Bible condensed to 31 chapters with transition passages to bring clarity. I am very excited about taking our people through the Bible because it changes lives.

Preaching is a passion of mine, but it is not always easy, especially when you are not an expert on the subject matter you are covering. For example, the very first verse in the Bible says “God created…”, which I believe. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me; but not to everyone. Once I say, “I believe”, I am immediately confronted with preaching creationism in a world that teaches evolution and often shows disdain for people who think otherwise.

I’m not a scientist. It was never my strong point. (It wasn’t even my mediocre point), so I can’t get caught up in arguing young earth vs. day-age creation vs. old earth or big bang vs. intelligent design. This is not an excuse for lack of study or being ill prepared, but I will certainly not be able to answer every creation question in 30-45 minutes in a way that makes sense to everyone. I will tell you that I will preach what the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” I don’t need to know how or how long it took. 

I think a larger issue is whether science and faith have a place at the same table of truth discovery. I believe they do, as long as both are willing to learn from one another. However, if you make assumptions and draw quick conclusions, you close yourself to the amazing handiwork of God.

See, here is what I believe. The deeper you dig the closer you get to God. So dig, explore and discover. After all, God created the universe and he enjoys you finding out about his creation because.

For those who are wired for study in the sciences, I did come across a great resource. In the fall of 2012, The Enrichment Journal (A journal for pastors and church leaders) dedicated the theme to the co-existence of faith and science. The articles are fascinating and educational. You can find it at Enrichment Journal. In it, there are many other resources listed for further study.

In the meantime, I still get to preach God’s incredible word on Sunday and I can’t wait to talk about God’s story of redemption. If you want to hear it, go to our website  http://www.fairoaks.cc/media/sermon-archive. It should be very interesting.