Sermon Tone Analysis

Announcements

Please take the time to look over the online bulletin and the online events calendar that you can find at southcharlottebaptist.org/hub.

Those ladies planning to attend the Mountain Retreat in November will have a meeting this coming Sunday morning right after the service.

All Staff Meeting this Sunday night.

Children’s Fellowship on Friday night, October 28, from 4:30-7 PM.

If you have questions, please see Mrs. Manzoni.

Why is it important?

I’ve not addressed that question recently.

One day we won’t need another Heaven song.

This morning, as Silas and I were making our way to school, we were listening to a ladies trio and they sang a medley of songs that talk about going home to Heaven.

One of the songs in the medley stated, One day we won’t need another Heaven song.

And, the thought came to me that the difference in a persons life is made by what they do with the truth.

History is repeating itself.

I read the following in a news article from Todd Starnes:

A Maryland public school district saw a 582% increase in students who identify as gender nonconforming in just two years, according to internal data.

The data show that in the 2019-2020 school year 35 students expressed gender nonconformity to a school counselor.

Four of the students were in elementary school, 19 were in middle school, and 12 were in high school.

Just two years later in the 2021-2022 school year, a startling 239 students expressed gender nonconformity: 18 of them were in elementary school.

129 were in middle school, and 92 of them were high school students.

Some of what we will look at tonight, and in the following weeks, will be God’s truth as it relates specifically to these types of situations.

Turn to Genesis chapter 1.

What we believe about “MAN.”

We believe:

that man was created by a direct act of God and not by any evolutionary process;

that man was created in God’s own image and in a state of innocency;

that through his transgression sin entered into the world, and death by sin—not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is conscious and eternal separation from God;

that consequently, his posterity inherit a corrupt nature, being born in sin and under its condemnation, and, as soon as they become capable of moral action, become actual transgressors.

(Genesis 3:6-19; Romans 5:12; Psalms 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9)

We believe that man was created by a direct act of God and not by any evolutionary process;

Some truths to consider that are contained within this part of our doctrinal statement:

God created - out of nothing!

The Latin phrase ex nihilo is used to signify that God’s creation was out of nothing.

It has been said - and I believe - that, if an individual does not accept the first 11 chapters of Genesis than they will be at a loss for accepting the rest of the truths of God’s Word.

If you do not accept the truths contained within the first 11 chapters of Genesis than you must create “truth” to fill the void left.

Those who deny the existence of a personal God, distinct from the world, must of course deny the doctrine of a creation ex nihilo and consequently of the creation of man.

If we cannot accept Moses’ account of Creation, then we cannot - and will not - accept the word of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Himself put the books of Moses on an equal plane with His own words.

John 5:45–47 (KJV 1900)

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

While this is not a treatise on evolution, I will state that we do not believe in either evolution or theistic evolution (which is the belief that God used evolution to create or to complete His creation).

You must either accept by faith Genesis 1:1 or evolution.

You cannot have it both ways.

What Evolutionists Say:

“[Creation] will present a parallel to the theory of evolution itself, a theory universally accepted not because it can be proved by logically coherent evidence to be true, but because the only alternative, special creation (Genesis 1:1), is clearly incredible.”

- Professor D. M. S. Watson

Professor Dotson lived from 1886-1973 and was a Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy

“Evolution is unproved and unprovable.

We believe it because the only alternative is special creation (Genesis 1:1), and that is unthinkable.”

- Sir Arthur Keith

Sir Arthur Keith lived from 1866-1955 and was a British anatomist and anthropologist, and was a proponent of scientific racism.

“It is clear that the doctrine of evolution is directly antagonistic to that of Creation…Evolution, if consistently accepted, makes it impossible to believe the Bible.” - Thomas Huxley

Thomas Huxley lived from 1825-1895 and was an English biologist and anthropologist specializing in comparative anatomy.

He has become known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

To reject God’s Word - which includes Genesis chapter 1-2 - necessitates that the unbeliever theorize some system of origins such as evolution.

It should not be surprising that many people accept the idea of evolution.

If they were to accept Creation, then they would also need to accept the fact of their own soul’s lost condition and their future destiny in Hell.

When an individual rejects the Bible as God’s Word, he opens himself to the belief in “fables.”

The tragic end is a life of hopelessness and despair.

God created man - Adam & Eve - on the 6th day of creation.

Turn to and read Genesis 1:23-2:1.

God created only two genders - male and female.

Genesis 1:27 (KJV 1900)

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

We live in a crazy world.

I googled the question, How many genders are there?, and came across an article entitled:

Here's Your Comprehensive Gender Identity List, As Defined By...Experts

Gender is a term that relates to how we feel about ourselves, the way we choose to express our gender through makeup, dresses, high heels, athletic shorts, sneakers, and more...Our society has convinced us that there are just two options for gender identity, "male" and "female”...

Some of you have heard of the Genderbread Person.

If you were to go to the Genderbread Person website, you would find this statement:

Breaking a complicated concept into bite-sized, digestible pieces.

The topic of Gender is not a complicated concept - as the world would like to have us think.

Instead, it is a very simple, Biblical truth.

You would also find a place to sign up to receive an update whenever the Genderbread Person is improved.

We believe that man was created by a direct act of God and not by any evolutionary process;

Next...

We believe that man was created in God’s own image and in a state of innocency;

Mankind has been created in God’s image.

Genesis 1:26 (KJV 1900)

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...

What does it mean that mankind has been created in God’s image?

“God’s fingerprints are all over us!” - Unknown

As I studied in preparation for this message I came to realize that there has been a lot of debate about what it means that mankind has been created in God’s image.

Throughout the years, there have been a variety of answers put forward and, at different times in history, it seems that there has always been one predominant understanding that has taken center stage.

Throughout my life - and even in my ministry up to this point - if someone asked me what it meant that we were made in the image and likeness of God I would have answered simply that, as God is three in one - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (the Trinity) - I would explain that mankind also is three in one - we have a body, soul, and spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV 1900)

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Hebrew word translated by image occurs 17 times in the Old Testament; on 10 occasions it means a physical image; on 2 it compares man's existence to a shadow; and the other 5 are the Genesis references to man being (in) the image of God (1:26, 27; 5:3; 9:6).

- Ian Hart

With that being said, I believe that we could/can get so bogged down in the discussion of the technicalities that we completely ignore the practicality of having been created in the image of God.

Being created in the image of God sets mankind apart from animals.

Although Adam and Eve were the last of God’s creation, in order of importance they were first.

They were - as many have said - the crowning glory of God’s creation.

Because of this, God has a high regard for the sanctity of human life.

God bases the institution of capital punishment upon the fact that mankind was made in His image.

As one writer stated:

How ironic that the same people who legislate for a woman’s right to kill her unborn child will also picket outside a prison on the night of an execution with signs reading, Thou shalt not kill.

Mankind was made for fellowship with his Creator.

We see this fact in Genesis 3:8