The Word and the World

Intro

Illustration: Cracker Barrel Didn’t Understand The story

A few weeks ago, Cracker Barrel got in trouble. In the minds of the executives, they launched an appealing new brand update. They were shocked when the internet exploded with outrage. The executives didn’t get it. They had spent millions of dollars and countless hours crafting this, why did people hate it?

The problem wasn’t that their team didn’t understand graphic design, it was that they didn’t understand the story of Cracker Barrel. For hundreds of thousands of people that story was about going back to a different time. A slower time where you sit around in rocking chairs on the porch with grandpa before going inside for a hearty breakfast of biscuits and gravy that grandma always makes just right.

The executives failed the rebranding because they failed to understand Cracker Barrel’s big story.

The Jewish Leader’s Didn’t Understand the Story

Something similar happened in Jesus’ day with the Jewish leaders. In John 5 we see that they began persecuting Jesus!

Persecuting the Messiah is a lot worse than messing up a logo. But how did these religious leaders end up here? Jesus tells them in verse 39.

John 5:39 HCSB

39 You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me.

The Jewish leaders read the Scriptures- the Old Testament, but they didn’t understand what they were about. They didn’t understand the story of Scripture, a story all about Jesus.

Do You Understand the Story?

What about you? Do you understand that story? When you think about the Old Testament, does the story of Jesus leap off the page and fill you with joy?

For many of us, it’s not always easy to see how the whole Bible fits together. Sometimes we’re even tempted to set the Old Testament aside. And maybe you’re here today looking at Christianity from the outside, wondering what it’s all about.

Here’s the good news: God invites you not only to understand His story but to be part of it — a story centered on the good news of Jesus.

That’s why today’s message also marks the start of something new for us as a church family. Over the next year, we’re going to journey together through The Story of Scripture: Christ Revealed from Creation to New Creation.

From Genesis to Revelation, we’ll see how every page whispers His name and points us to Jesus. And my prayer is that by the end of this year, you’ll not only know the Bible better — you’ll love Jesus more deeply as you see more and more how His story shapes your story.

Prayer (30 sec)

Heavenly Father we thank you for Jesus and the life and light he brings. We pray that you will draw us in to Your story and that you shape us so that our stories become all about Jesus. Amen.

What is the Story?

Before we dive into Genesis, I want to give you a simple framework for seeing the story of Scripture. Think of it like a timeline you can draw in your mind—or on paper. Every part of the Bible fits somewhere on this timeline, and it shows not only what God has done but how the different parts of the Bible connect to one another and where we fit in to that story.

Here’s the story in seven stages:

Creation ⬇️ – God creates the world as His good, ordered home, placing humanity at the center.

Rebellion ❌ – Humanity rejects God; sin enters, and the world is broken. These first two stages are found at the beginning of Genesis.

Promise ➡️ – God calls Abraham and forms Israel, setting in motion His plan to rescue the world. From Genesis 12 onward, the Old Testament unfolds this promise, pointing forward to Christ.

Christ ✝️ – Jesus, the Messiah, fulfills God’s promises, defeats sin, and opens the way to eternal life. The Gospels tell this part of the story.

Mission ⬅️ – The Church, empowered by the Spirit, carries God’s message and points all nations to Jesus. Acts and the NT letters show us how this mission is lived, and this is where we currently live in the story.

Judgment ❌ – God decisively deals with sin, Satan, and death and all people are held to account. The final judgment is most clearly seen in Revelation, though glimpses appear throughout Scripture.

New Creation ⬇️ – God renews the world, restores His people, and dwells with us forever.

So that’s the big story of Scripture in seven stages — and notice the thread that runs through all of them: Jesus. From the very beginning, Creation shows His power and purpose; Rebellion highlights the need for a Savior; Promise points forward to Him; Christ fulfills the promise; Mission proclaims Him; Judgment shows how Jesus defeats sin; and New Creation is life restored in Him.

1. God Creates the World

Today, we’re going to start at the very beginning — the first two stages of the story: Creation and Rebellion. Let’s open our Bibles to Genesis 1 and watch as God’s great story begins.

Genesis 1:1 HCSB

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

The Triune God Creating (Genesis 1)

There are lot of ways the story of the Bible could have begun.

With Moses, the author of Genesis explaining how this truth was revealed to him.

With humanity searching for answers.

But instead, it begins simply and profoundly: “In the beginning, God created…” Right from the start, we see this : God is the good Creator who deserves our worship, glory, and respect.

The unfolding story of Scripture will reveal that God is one being in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. John begins his Gospel by pulling back the curtain on creation itself:

John 1:1–3 HCSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created

Jesus — the eternal Word — is not a distant observer but the active agent of creation. The Father speaks, the Spirit hovers, and the Son brings it all into existence.

Illustration: Consider this: every star, every ocean, every mountain, and every living creature exists because of Jesus. We marvel at the mystery and majesty of life — but the story of Scripture invites us to marvel even more at the Creator who made it all.

b. Creation of Life, Order, and Purpose

As we continue reading the story of creation we see that God doesn’t just make things—He gives light, life, and structure, bringing order out of chaos. In verse 2, the earth is formless and empty. Then in the following verses (3–31), God first creates form on days 1–3 and then fills that form on days 4–6:

Form Fullness

Day 1: Light and dark Day 4: Lights of day and night

Day 2: Sea and Sky Day 5: Creatures of sea and air

Day 3: Fertile Earth Day 6: Creatures of the land

Illustration: Like a great artist, God begins with a blank canvas. First, He sketches the shapes and outlines — giving structure and boundaries. That’s the form. Then, with bold strokes, He adds color, detail, and life until the canvas comes alive — that’s the fullness.

God paints creation with both order and abundance. What begins “formless and empty” becomes a masterpiece, designed for His glory and our joy

c. Humanity and God’s Image

God’s masterpiece reaches its peak: humanity. Verse 26 tells us that we are made in God’s image and likeness.

What exactly does image & likeness mean? Two ways we see this in Adam:

Child of God: In the genealogy in Genesis 5 guess how it describes Adam’s son. “Adam fathered a son in his image and according to his likeness (Gen 5:3). Being made in the image of God means we are created as children of God for a relationship with him.

Priest-King: Adam was called to represent God as a priest and rule His creation as a king, exercising God’s authority on His behalf.

Takeaway: Being made in God’s image means being created to live in relationship with God, reflect His glory, and represent Him in the world.

2. Sin Breaks the World (4:00)

Transition: Creation ends with everything good, especially humans made in God’s image. In Genesis 2-3 the story zooms in on the relationship of the first man and woman with God. It shows life as it was meant to be: sinless, full, and in fellowship with God — until sin breaks the world.

Adam’s Purpose and God’s Command

Adam was created for a purpose. God had richly blessed him with everything he needed, but He also gave Adam one rule:

Genesis 2:17 HCSB

17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

God’s command wasn’t a restriction but a pathway to life.

Illustration: Imagine a parent giving a child the keys to a brand-new car with one warning: “Don’t drive off the cliff.” Adam had everything for life — yet one choice carried eternal consequences.

Adam’s Rebellion and Its Consequences

Sadly, Adam did not obey God. He rebelled, and that rebellion didn’t just affect him personally. Adam was representing all humanity. His decision plunged the entire human race into sin and brought death and brokenness into God’s good creation.

You may be wondering “why should Adam represent me? But I think the real question is: “does he represent you?” When we look honestly at our own hearts, don’t we see the same tendency to go our own way, reject God’s rule, and pursue life apart from Him?

Paul’s Explanation: Sin and Death Spread- Romans 5:12

Paul explains this cosmic consequence in Romans 5:12:

Romans 5:12 HCSB

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.

Illustration: Think of it like a toxic chemical spill in a river. One small leak upstream poisons everything downstream. Adam’s sin was like that. One act of rebellion introduced a deadly toxin into the human story, spreading sin and death to all humanity — and even all of creation.

Takeaway / Bridge to the Next Point

The story of Adam shows both the seriousness of sin and our desperate need for a Savior — someone who will succeed where Adam failed. The unfolding story of the Bible and our lives continues this pattern of failure. We can’t rescue ourselves, we can’t make our way to God.

Are we trapped in our sin? Or will God make away to rescue and redeem his sinful people and this fallen world?

3. Jesus Restores the World

Transition:

This bleak reality is where the opening chapters of Genesis leave us. We’ve seen the first stage of the story in Genesis 1–2: God’s good creation. We’ve seen the second stage, Rebellion, in Genesis 3.

The Pentateuch Points Forward:

From here, the story unfolds across the Pentateuch and the entire Old Testament, each book showing God’s faithful plan to rescue and redeem His people. In Genesis 12, God calls Abraham and begins forming a people through whom the world will be blessed. In Exodus, He rescues His people from slavery, revealing His power and faithfulness. In Leviticus, God sets up a priesthood and sacrificial system to teach holiness and point forward to the true Savior. In Numbers, He sustains His people in the wilderness, shaping them into a kingdom ready for His glory. And in Deuteronomy, God renews His covenant preparing His people to enter the Promised Land and fulfill His promises.

Every step along the way points forward, time and again, to Jesus—the One who will succeed where humanity failed and bring redemption to the world.

The First Promise:

But before all that, in the midst of God’s judgment of Adam, Eve, and Serpent, we see the very first promise of a Savior who will defeat sin and death.

In Genesis 3:15, God proclaims His judgment on the serpent, Satan:

Genesis 3:15 HCSB

15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

God promises that a descendant of Eve will crush the serpent’s head, while the serpent strikes him in return. Even here, God is pointing forward to Jesus. God has a rescue plan, and as the story unfolds we see that just as sin and death entered the world through one representative, a new representative, Jesus, would bring life.

Jesus would live as the perfect image of God—the true Son of God. He would serve as the perfect priest and king representing God in the world. He would die on the cross, bearing the punishment for sin- feeling the serpents strike even as he crushed the devil, sin, and death itself. And on the third day he would be raised to life opening the way for restoration and new life for all who believe in Him.

Conclusion

Here in Genesis the story of Scripture has just begun. As we follow that story we will continue to get a fuller and clearer view of our need for God’s rescue, the majesty of God, and the wonder of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Yet this is not just a story about something that happened long ago. God is inviting each of us into His story—into the rescue, the redemption, and the restoration found in Jesus—so that His grace and glory shape our story.

Invitation

As we sing this song of response, Blessed Assurance, I want to invite you to ask yourself: Where does your story fit in this grand narrative? Are you living in the hope, joy, and life that Jesus brings through His rescue and restoration? Or are you still carrying the weight of sin and brokenness?

If you’ve never placed your trust in Jesus, today is a wonderful day to join His story of salvation by placing your faith in Him. And if you already follow Jesus, this is a chance to rest in His assurance, letting His grace and glory shape your story even more fully.

Let’s stand and lift our voices together in Blessed Assurance!

Notes

1. Commentary Recommendations

Tyndale Old Testament Commentary, Kidner or Steinman. This series has an older volume by Kidner (1967) and an update by Steinman(2019). Both are good scholarly introductory level commentaries but Steinman's is more thorough and up to date.

Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Allen Ross. A strong mid level commentary.

Opening Up Genesis, Kurt Strassner. This is the most approachable and the most conservative commentary on the list. It’s less concerned with breaking down the Hebrew or arguing scholarly debates and more focused on taking Genesis at its word and applying it.

2. Quotes Referenced

Seven-Stage Story of Scripture

My seven-stage summary of the story of scripture is modified from Christopher J. H. Wright, How to Preach & Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth (Zondervan, 2016), 34–36.

I made two changes: 1. His framework has six stages but I added judgment to make it more symmetrical and account for this prominent part of the biblical story that he had not included.

2. I flipped the arrow for mission to point back to the cross to highlight how the mission of the church was fundamentally about sharing the Gospel of Jesus.

Trinity in Creation

Called to be God’s People summarizes a trinitarian reading of Genesis 1.

Called to Be God’s People: An Introduction to the Old Testament Creation

Indeed, the creation account answers who God is. He is the only one uncreated. Before the created world or anything else came into existence, He existed. Genesis assumes this truth without feeling the need to explain it. He is the single creator without competition. Yet, within this singularity, the Genesis account reveals a plurality. The first words of Genesis declare, “In the beginning God created …” (

Image of God

I drew the idea of image being image-son and priest-king from Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants, Second Edition (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 666.

Creation Form and Fullness

I drew my description of Form and Fullness in creation from Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 1, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1967), 50.

3. Links to articles

For more information on the grand story of Scripture: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-story-and-message-of-the-bible/

For answers about Genesis from a traditional Christian perspective visit: https://answersingenesis.org/

4. Scriptures References

Jesus teaches the OT is about him: John 5:39 and surrounding verses for context. See also Luke Luke 24:27.

Genesis 1 tells the story of God creating our universe and Genesis 2-3 zoom in on the creation of Adam and Eve. I summarized these three chapters but recommend reading them straight through. Be sure to slow down and reflect on God’s promise in Genesis 3:15.

John 1:1-3 illustrates Jesus’ role in creation.

Genesis 5:1-3 directly connects Adam being made in the image and likeness of God with sonship.

Romans 5:12 and surrounding verses show the connection between Adam and Jesus.