Subject Three

THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE—MAN

Scripture: Gen. 2

1. Man is the highest one among all the creatures
   First speak about who is the highest one among all creatures in the universe. Begin with the lifeless matters, then proceed to the living creatures—from vegetable life to animal life, from the lowest to the highest. Finally talk about man.
   1. First say that the living creatures are higher than lifeless matter and that the conscious animal life is higher than the unconscious vegetable life. Among the animals, man is the highest. Compare the life which comes from seed, from eggs, and from birth. Compare the life which comes from a short period of pregnancy, from a long period of pregnancy, and from man’s birth. From this prove that man is the highest among all creatures.
   2. Then say that man’s wisdom, intelligence, and behavior also prove that man is the highest creature. Tigers, leopards, and lions, however fierce they may be, cannot conquer man.
   3. Finally, say that man has a spirit. The reason man has wisdom, intelligence, and good behavior is that man has a spirit. Man’s spirit not only causes man to have wisdom, intelligence, and good behavior, but it is also the very organ that desires God, seeks after God, and worships God. No other creature has a spirit; therefore, no other creature can desire God or worship Him.
      The proof that man has a spirit:
      1. Man has a sense of guilt when he does something wrong.
      2. Man has an inclination to seek after God and to worship Him.
2. Man is the center of all the creatures
   It is true that in preaching the gospel you need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit; but those who have studied the Bible all acknowledge that the Bible is very logical. Therefore, you also need to present the gospel in a logical way.
   1. Based upon man being the highest creature, prove that man is the center of creation. In any organization the highest one is also its center. Man is the highest among all the creatures; therefore, man is the center of all the creatures.
   2. Based on the order and the ways of God’s creation, prove that man is the center of all the creatures:
      1. In His creation, God created man after he had made all things.
      2. The way God created man was different from the way He created other creatures. When God created the others, He just said, “Let the earth bring forth...and it was so.” The Bible does not mention how He made them. But in creating man, the Bible says that first He made the body, then the spirit, and finally man became a living soul. From the way God created man, prove that man is the center of all the creatures.
3. The parts of man
   Man is composed of three parts: the spirit, the soul, and the body. Man has these three parts; therefore, man has a spirit.
   (Note: If you did not start with the universe, but with man alone, you need to speak about the origin of man first.)
   1. If a man dies, we say that he is gone. The body is still there, but the spirit is gone.
   2. The existence within man of an inclination to worship God is a proof that man has a spirit. With every race there is an inclination to worship God.
4. The meaning of man (why man was created)
   1. God’s image: man is the image of God. How honorable this is! How can man sin and do such base things?
   2. God’s vessel: man is God’s vessel, made to contain God. Today man always has an empty feeling because he does not have God inside of him. For instance, as a Coke bottle should be filled with Coca-cola, and an electric lamp should be filled with light, so man also should be filled with God. This is the best way to touch people’s feeling. Gospel preaching should be serious and yet relaxed. In a simple and effective way, explain that man is for God; therefore, the meaning of man is to be for God. Actually these are two aspects of one thing, but for the listeners you need to speak from these two aspects.
5. Man’s position—man’s original position
   1. Man was to live in the presence of God.
   2. Man was over all creatures to rule them.
   3. Man was sinless.