Who’s your favourite artist? Maybe we should break it down to segments of art. Music, Poetry, Writing, Painting, Decorating, Fashion, Dance, etc.
Bands/Artists you may know: U2? Ed Sheeran? Adele? Sting? Paul McCartny?
Bands/Artists I know but you may not know: Foy Vance? Snarky Puppy? Christian McBride?

We hear this a lot about those who create art…they are ‘creatives’.

  • we lump them together
  • we appreciate them for their art
  • but don’t always really appreciate them for how they get to that art
  • then, we separate creatives and non-creatives
    • they can, we can’t
    • we think outside the box, they don’t

How many times have many of us said, I’m not creative, I don’t have a creative bone in my body. I can’t play music, draw, paint, take good photos, write lyrics, etc. So we leave the imagination to the right brainer; we leave the creativity to the artist.

(Artist: Wes Peel)

Of course, we must hounour our artists, that is for sure, but more than honour them, we must let them inspire us to be creative in our right!

The last two weeks, in our THIS IS US series, we’ve walked through two very important aspects of who we are. CALLING & CHARACTER. Today we move to this truth: We are Created to be Creative.

CALLING is about purpose
CHARACTER is about journey and formation
CREATIVITY is about mission, action & impact

We are all artists in our own way…being creative with the lives we’re called to live and the work we’re called to do. But how does this fit into our series…how does fit into our faith?

Paul’s words in Ephesians 2, specifically verse 10, speaks to this so well.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

These words are screaming and shouting creativity, creation, and imagination.

This verse can really stand on it’s own, and has for many who have come across it. However, no verse really stands alone. In the previous 9 verses, Paul is setting us up to really understand and take in the depth of what we read in verse 10. Here’s a paraphrase of 2:1-9…

  • you were dead in your sins…
  • you used to live another kind of life…
  • you used to follow the ways of the world…
  • you used to listen to another ruler…
  • you used to follow your foolish temptations…
    • (Reminds us of last week’s conversation about new life, new creation and re-birth.)
  • BUT… (you gotta love the BUTs of the Bible)
  • Because of God’s great love & mercy…
  • We’ve been made alive in Christ…
  • How? By grace…thru faith…
  • Raised up in Christ
  • This change, this salvation, this new life, is God’s gift to us…nothing we can do to earn it…or buy it…it’s provided by Him

This is all in the lead up to verse 10…these words really set us up to understand what salvation is intended for…and here it is…

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

– – – – – – – –

We are God’s Masterpiece

  • The word for masterpiece can literally be translated as a poem, a work of art, handiwork, creation, workmanship, a sculpture, a musical score.
  • This is both who we are and who God’s sees us as.
  • We are literally works of art in the eyes of God
    • He is the artist, we are his creation
    • We are created…in the image of God
  • So when we talk about new creation, and new life, and rebirth, we are essentially saying that Jesus has MADE us new.

How amazing is it to know that not only did God make us (physically, biologically), but can also re-make us (character, insides, heart, soul, values).

You’ve seen someone who’s been re-made. By that I mean someone who used to act totally different, and now reflects a totally new image. Who comes to mind first? The beauty of this is that no matter what we did in our past, we can move away from that and be new. We don’t have to hide from it, we can acknowledge it, confess it, say bye to it, and move on.

Hear this loud and clear: I am God’s work of art. Pray this: And I invite him to continue to work on and in me, like a potter works on clay, because I totally trust that what he’s doing makes me better.

Here’s the second and possibly cooler part of this verse…

He has created us, in Jesus, so we can do good things

We are works of art who are called to create works of art!!!

In Genesis 1 we read this about the writer’s description of creation…

  • God makes the earth
  • God makes the sea
  • God makes the sky
  • God makes the sun
  • God makes the animals
  • God makes the vegetation
  • God creates man & woman

And what does each day end with? IT WAS GOOD!

(whatever you believe about old earth & new earth, 6000 years or millions of years, the writer of Genesis has one agenda, for us to know that God is and was behind everything that we see.)

When he created all of it he says, IT WAS GOOD!

In the first 4 days of God’s creation, he makes things we actually take for granted, don’t we? Earth, sky, light, night, etc. Be honest, you don’t appreciate the stars, the sky, bodies of water, nearly enough. And even to those forgotten things, God says, GOOD.

And when he’s done he takes a break, showing us that even though creativity may come easier to others, it’s still work, and it’s still hard, and it’s still important to take a break. This is why artists are taken for granted, because it is their unappreciated gift.

Now, back to Ephesians 2:10…

Just like God said at the end of his creative work, this is good. Jesus wants us to say of our created work, this is good.

Paul talks about it in reverse: Don’t create and then say it’s good, know that all that you do as God’s creation has the potential, first and foremost to be good and accomplish good. Because Jesus created us to do good things!

It’s our calling, as followers of Jesus to create and do good.

“To create is to reflect the image of God. To create is an act of worship.” (E. McManus)

“Whether we realize it or not, everything we do, everything we create is an expression of how alive our souls and hearts are”

It is an expression of what Jesus is doing in us.

The best of piece of art we are constantly working on – the most important works of art we will ever give ourselves to – are the lives we live. Which means that what we do in the present…with our lives…will last into God’s future.

So…If you’re an artist or not, may we take the role & responsibility of creating very seriously. This is our calling.

I mean, Paul, in Ephesians 2:10, goes as far to say that God prepared this in advanced for us to do.

THIS. IS. US. 

This has to be who we are, what we are about, how the world sees you, and us.

– – – – – – – –

What can and must we be creative with…or what must we be doing good with? EVERYTHING

May you be creative in…

  • your peace making efforts
  • your parenting
  • your neighbouring
  • your relationships
  • your work (actual day job)
  • your influence
  • your leading
  • your building
  • loving, caring, sharing,

“Without Imagination, our faith is merely a legacy to protect…but it’s so much more than that…it’s a story to tell, and live, and share.” (Aaron Niequist)

God’s work in us is a springboard to launch us into the continuing story of Jesus.

In order to do that we must continue to be creative in our telling, in our acting, in our living, in our doing, as we play out the story of God in everything we do.

– – – – – – –

small(er) group questions:

First up. Who’s a creative? Who’s not? Or who thinks they are and who thinks they’re not?

What can we learn from our artists? How can creativity help any of us in our jobs, roles, relationships?

Let’s dive into Ephesians 2 for a bit:
– What are your thoughts about 2:1-3?
– What changes in 2:4-8?
– How about the landing of this text in 2:10?

Talk about these words…
“we are God’s masterpiece”
“created in Christ Jesus to do good things”

Why and how does doing good require creative?

What areas of our life are we in desperate need of creativity?

Final thoughts & Prayer.