1

God saw that it was very good

2

[Genesis 1:31]

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening,

and there was morning--the sixth day.

3

Today, our planet is experiencing great difficulties due to environmental problems.

There are serious problems in the sky, the earth and the sea.

4

In spring, we cannot go without a mask.

Because of the yellow dust, immaculate yellow dust covers the sky.

It is enough to refrain from going out when the yellow dust is badly coming.

5

The car provided us with a convenient life.

However, as the number of vehicles has increased so much,

exhaust and fine dust from vehicles now harm people's health.

6

The sea is also polluted with various trash and oil, and the fish are killed.

The number of malformed fish contaminated with heavy metals is also increasing.

In the Pacific Ocean, there is a huge garbage island formed by the garbage

that people have rushed out.

7

Long ago, the valley water flowing down from the mountain

had no problem drinking right away.

But now the valley water flowing down from the mountain cannot drink anymore.

It is because the atmosphere and the soil are polluted and we cannot

know what substances are in the water.

8

In the old days, when it rained, no one worried about getting wet.

But now when it rains, people do not want to get wet with the rain.

Because the rain is acidified, it is not good for your health if you hit it directly.

9

It is said that the temperature is rising worldwide due to global warming.

These climate changes will increase the number of countries with water shortage.

What is truly serious is that by 2025, half of the world's population

will suffer from water shortages.

10

So, did this planet originally look like this?

It was not.

When God first created this world, it was so beautiful and full of everything that God saw.

11

In Genesis chapter 1, where the record of creation of heaven and earth was revealed, the earth was perfect so that God wrote in the Bible that he was good to see every day for six days.

12

God created Adam on the sixth day and commanded Adam to rule over the whole world.

God has told human beings to maintain and manage this world

to the purpose God has created. We call this ‘culture command.’

「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."」 (Gen 1:28)

13

However, after Adam and Eve sinned and sin entered the earth,

the world began to change from before.

People began to break God's order to fulfill their desires.

14

People's desire to have more was never ending. It destroyed and damaged nature.

The sea and the river began to be polluted. They did indiscreet things toward nature

by selfishness that they were only comfortable with themselves.

15

The environment destroyed by human greed has begun to give a great deal of pain to humans.

Abnormal weather conditions, diseases and water shortages.

The whole world needs to be concerned about future food.

Many countries are already in great difficulty due to water shortages and poverty.

16

Then what should we do? We believe in Jesus and are saved.

We who are saved are those who have the responsibility to keep

what God commanded Adam before he sinned.

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There must be an endeavor to use the environment of this earth that God has created

and given us specifically, in accordance with God's pleasure.

We must strive to maintain it with a constant interest in the environment.

Let's work together to make a good world for

God to see through the practice of environmental protection that we can do from now on.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)