Overwhelmed From Creation to Salvation
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
From creation to salvation, God demonstrates His overwhelming … by:
Establishing a plan to save creation from the beginning
Using unremarkable and unexpected individuals
Leading His children in incredible acts of faith
Providing a secure and unshakeable promise
From creation to salvation, God demonstrates overwhelming authority by …
I. Establishing His Clear Plan from the Beginning (vv. 10-26)
I. Establishing His Clear Plan from the Beginning (vv. 10-26)
A. All of Scripture aligns
From our beginning in Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 12:4, we have covered about 2,000 years.
From Abraham to Jesus we cover a period of about 2,000 years
From Jesus to present day we cover a period of about 2,000 years
So according to Scripture, how old is the earth? About 6,000 years.
Why do we have to go through all these boring genealogies?
Because studying the genealogies of Scripture tells us everything in God’s Word is true.
From Genesis chapters 5, 10, and 11, we are presented with a timeline bringing us from Adam to Abraham, the founder of the nation of Israel.
In Matthew 1, we see a timeline taking us from Abraham to Jesus
In Luke 3, we see a timeline taking us from Mary back to Adam
In the books of the Chronicles, we see additional members of those genealogies to fill in some of the gaps.
Side Note: If you study this in depth, you will discover there are some small areas, or people, or dates which seem to be in contradiction. You will find that depending on the period of time, or the author, or God’s purpose, there is an explanation for all of these ‘problem passages.’ For those that can’t be explained, we’ll have to wait until we get to heaven.
Doesn’t that discount the reliability of Scripture?
As your pastor, I will always err on the side of God said it, so it must be true. I don’t have to defend the Word of God on my authority. God has been defending and affirming His Word since the dawn of creation. For those who don’t believe the authority of the Bible, the burden of proof lies with them.
Why did I feel like Genesis was an excellent place to start?
We started in Genesis because it is the beginning and it answers some of life’s greatest questions: (e.g., who am I?, where did I come from?, why am I here?, where am I going?, what’s my purpose?, etc.)
More importantly, we started in Genesis because if we believe God’s Word is true here, we will believe it throughout the rest of Scripture:
If we believe Genesis, when we get to the New Testament we will believe the words and life of Jesus.
If we believe Genesis, when we get to Revelation we will believe the ultimate consequences of sin and the ultimate victory that God declared from the beginning.
Churches or individuals who choose to not accept the authority of God’s Word in Genesis will choose to not accept other portions of Scripture they don’t like.
We started in Genesis to understand God’s plan from the beginning
B. God’s plan from the beginning
God created His image-bearers with free will, knowing from the beginning they would sin against Him.
When we went through Genesis 1, we talked about how there were four options when God created the world:
No world
Amoral world
A world where decisions were programmed by God (robot-like existence)
A world with free will (because God desired His creation to love Him)
After humanity sinned against God, God in His grace proclaimed there would one day come a Seed, Jesus Christ, who would conquer sin and death.
God’s plan was to use His image-bearers to bring about a way for salvation.
C. God uses His image-bearers to usher in and proclaim the message of salvation:
Usher in salvation:
Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
Proclaim salvation:
26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
16 “In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
In other words, God says His plan from the beginning has always been to leave witnesses, both in creation and those who bear His image, to testify of who He is and what He has done.
From creation to salvation, God demonstrates overwhelming strength by …
II. Using Unremarkable and Unexpected Individuals to Accomplish His Purpose (vv. 27-32)
II. Using Unremarkable and Unexpected Individuals to Accomplish His Purpose (vv. 27-32)
A. God demonstrates His overwhelming strength through our weaknesses
God chooses a family in turmoil
God chooses a family living in the most pagan place at the time: Ur of the Chaldeans
2 Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.
God chooses a man and a woman who are infertile
If I was God and I wanted to create a nation who would represent Me, I wouldn’t choose a pagan man and a pagan woman who are infertile!
B. Isn’t this what God always does though?
God is always choosing individuals who are unremarkable and unexpected
God chose Moses, a stutterer, to be His spokesman and leader among His people.
God chose Esther, an orphan, to be queen and used her to save His people from destruction.
God chose Paul, the greatest enemy of Christ, to be arguably the greatest evangelist the world has ever seen.
God chose you, in your weakness, to be the best representative for Him that you can be.
Why doesn’t God just remove our weaknesses?
Paul answers this question in 2 Corinthians 12:
9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
In other words, God says His power is accomplished or completed in human weakness. God uses weak individuals to testify that it is by His power, not ours, that His plan is accomplished.
Knowing God works perfectly through our weaknesses doesn’t mean we aren’t still called to live by faith.
From creation to salvation, God demonstrates overwhelming faithfulness by …
III. Guiding His Children in Incredible Acts of Faith (12:1)
III. Guiding His Children in Incredible Acts of Faith (12:1)
A. Leave everything behind
Abram is called to leave his country, his homeland, and his own house without even knowing the destination.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
B. Other instances of incredible faith
Adam and Eve, after being banished from the garden, continuing to have children.
Noah and his family building the ark, boarding it, and continuing to have children.
Sarah being able to conceive a child in her old age.
Abraham taking his only son and offering him to God.
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Isaiah 46:9-11 (NASB95)
9 “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; 11 … Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.
10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
God rarely shows us the entire path. He typically shows us only the next step and asks to follow because He is faithful and because He has an overwhelming love for His creation.
From creation to salvation, God demonstrates overwhelming love by …
IV. Providing a Secure and Unshakeable Promise (vv. 2-4)
IV. Providing a Secure and Unshakeable Promise (vv. 2-4)
A. Everything we have read in Genesis so far leads up to these three powerful verses.
Notice how many times we read I will, I will, I will, I will
In other words, God declares this has nothing to do with you Abraham! I said it will happen and I will bring it to pass.
What does God promise?
I will give you a land - the nation of Israel
Moses leads Israel to the land
Under Joshua the people enter the land
Israel has never taken over all the land they were supposed to take over.
One day Jesus is coming back to rule in reign from the nation of Israel.
I will make you a great nation
Later in Genesis, God tells Abraham he will make his descendants like the stars in the heavens and the sand on the seashore (Gen. 22:17)
Remember though, Sarai (Sarah) is barren. She can’t have kids.
I will make your name great
Remember the Tower of Babel last week? What did the people want? To make a name for themselves.
God says it is by His power alone that an individual and a people can be made great
You will be a blessing
Through your descendants, I will be glorified and people will come to know who I am.
Throughout the OT, when the nation of Israel followed God, He blessed them to let all other nations know He is God
When the nation of Israel disobeyed God, He cursed them to let all other nations know the God Israel served is the most powerful God in the world.
No matter what, Israel would be a blessing to the nations around them.
I will bless you
I will pour out abundance on you and your descendants Abram. So much so, that those who bless you, I will bless. Those who don’t bless you, I won’t bless.
As a Christian, this is biblical support for why I will always support the nation of Israel, because I want to support who God supports.
In you all the families of the earth will be blessed
From Adam, and Seth, and Noah, and Shem, and all the names in unremarkable and unexpected names in between, who do we arrive at?
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God, who has such an overwhelming love for the whole world, for every nation, that He offered Himself up as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable before God, so that no one would perish but all would come to repentance and be redeemed in right relationship to God!
Matthew 28:19 (NASB95)
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations
Conclusion
Conclusion