Title: God creates the environment
Speaker: Pastor John Joske
Date: March 2026
Location: Gold Coast, Australia
“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
From the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem, this episode explores how God has always designed environments where people can flourish. Drawing on Genesis, Ezekiel, and Revelation, the message traces the original paradise through to the prophetic future, where a healed, restored, and abundant world awaits, and challenges us to consider where we are placing ourselves right now.
The church is presented as God’s purpose-built environment for today, a community of gifts, roles, and relationships where faith grows and people are sustained. Just as Adam struggled outside the garden, those who step away from this environment find life considerably harder without the provision and support God has put in place.
The choice remains unchanged across thousands of years: remain in God’s environment and prosper, or step outside it and face the consequences alone. Life and death. Blessing and cursing. The path forward is clear.
3 Key Takeaways
- God intentionally designs environments for people to thrive, from Eden to the millennial kingdom described in Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22, and that same design principle applies to the church today.
- The church is God’s present-day environment, equipped with distinct gifts and roles so every member can grow, serve, and be supported on their faith journey.
- The same choice God placed before Adam and Israel stands today: position yourself inside God’s environment or outside it. The outcome of each path has never changed.
Reference Scriptures
- Genesis 2:7-10
- Ezekiel 47:7-12
- Revelation 22:1-7, 12-16
- Ephesians 4:11-16
- 1 Corinthians 16:15
- 1 Timothy 4:13-16
- Romans 12:1-21
- Deuteronomy 30:19-20
- Proverbs 11:30