Lessons From Nothing
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INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
1. God created something out of nothing.
1. God created something out of nothing.
2. We carried nothing into this world and will carry nothing out.
2. We carried nothing into this world and will carry nothing out.
3. Without Christ, we can do nothing.
3. Without Christ, we can do nothing.
BODY:
BODY:
1. GOD CREATED SOMETHING FROM NOTHING!
1. GOD CREATED SOMETHING FROM NOTHING!
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
A.God spoke everything into existence.
A.God spoke everything into existence.
1. Before he spoke there was nothing.
1. Before he spoke there was nothing.
B. God is the something that has always existed.
B. God is the something that has always existed.
1. Evolutionists must believe something always existed.
1. Evolutionists must believe something always existed.
A. A rule of nature is that something cannot come from nothing.
A. A rule of nature is that something cannot come from nothing.
1. If there is nothing, it will continue to be nothing.
1. If there is nothing, it will continue to be nothing.
A. Therefore, the evolutionist has to say that dead matter has always existed.
1. And from dead matter came living matter.
B. This poses another problem with the rules of nature.
B. This poses another problem with the rules of nature.
1. Something dead cannot produce something that is alive.
1. Something dead cannot produce something that is alive.
2. Questions to ask the evolutionist.
2. Questions to ask the evolutionist.
A. If nothing cannot come from nothing, then where did the dead matter that always existed come from?
A. If nothing cannot come from nothing, then where did the dead matter that always existed come from?
B. How did something that is dead create something that is alive?
B. How did something that is dead create something that is alive?
3. What evolution cannot answer, God does.
3. What evolution cannot answer, God does.
A. God has away existed.
A. God has away existed.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
4. God is alive.
4. God is alive.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
5. God is able to create life.
5. God is able to create life.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
2. WE CARRIED NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD AND WILL CARRY NOTHING OUT!
2. WE CARRIED NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD AND WILL CARRY NOTHING OUT!
A. We can become too attached to this world.
A. We can become too attached to this world.
23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
1. Paul realized that this world is not his home but a temporary dwelling place.
1. Paul realized that this world is not his home but a temporary dwelling place.
A. We sing a song, “This world is not my home; I’m just a passing through.”
A. We sing a song, “This world is not my home; I’m just a passing through.”
1. This concept is exactly right.
1. This concept is exactly right.
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
2. Our citizenship is in heaven.
2. Our citizenship is in heaven.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
3. We should be seeking for the city to come whose builder is God.
3. We should be seeking for the city to come whose builder is God.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
B. It can be easy to get caught up in the things of this world.
B. It can be easy to get caught up in the things of this world.
15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
1. Remember the rich fool.
1. Remember the rich fool.
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’
18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
A. No matter how much we have, it does no good if we are dead.
A. No matter how much we have, it does no good if we are dead.
B. He built bigger barns, but what good were they?
B. He built bigger barns, but what good were they?
C. He had much, but what good to him was it?
C. He had much, but what good to him was it?
D. No matter how much we have when we are alive, we cannot take it with us when we are dead.
D. No matter how much we have when we are alive, we cannot take it with us when we are dead.
2. How about the young rich ruler?
2. How about the young rich ruler?
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’
19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
A. “He went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Matt. 19:22).
A. “He went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Matt. 19:22).
3. These two had a problem: they could not take their wealth with them to heaven.
3. These two had a problem: they could not take their wealth with them to heaven.
3. WITHOUT CHRIST, WE CAN DO NOTHING.
3. WITHOUT CHRIST, WE CAN DO NOTHING.
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
A. Anything we do apart from Christ profits nothing.
A. Anything we do apart from Christ profits nothing.
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
1. Even if we had all the money in the world, we could not buy heaven.
1. Even if we had all the money in the world, we could not buy heaven.
37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
A. We are helpless to save ourselves.
A. We are helpless to save ourselves.
1. Even when we are obedient, we are still unprofitable servants.
1. Even when we are obedient, we are still unprofitable servants.
10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”
A. We owe a debt that we cannot ever pay.
A. We owe a debt that we cannot ever pay.
1. Sin is our debt and we all have sinned
1. Sin is our debt and we all have sinned
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
2. Because of that sin, we have earned the wage of death.
2. Because of that sin, we have earned the wage of death.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. But Christ paid that debt and redeemed us.
3. But Christ paid that debt and redeemed us.
28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
B. It is only through Christ that we can do all things.
B. It is only through Christ that we can do all things.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
CONCLUSION:
CONCLUSION:
1. Lessons from nothing:
1. Lessons from nothing:
A. God created us from nothing.
A. God created us from nothing.
B. We brought nothing into this world and can take nothing out.
B. We brought nothing into this world and can take nothing out.
C. Without Christ, we can do nothing.
C. Without Christ, we can do nothing.
D. Therefore, we owe Christ nothing less than everything.
D. Therefore, we owe Christ nothing less than everything.