Untitled Sermon

If we want to know anything we must start with God

I like to read books. However, if the beginning of the book is not good I most likely will not finish it. I need something that grabs my attention and causes me to want more. Have you ever read a book or watched a movie that the beginning was boring and the entire movie just seemed to go on forever? I think many of you may have the same opinion of the Bible. However, look closely at the first words of the Bible in .

“In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth.” Now, you might be asking, “Whats so special about that?” This is the most incredible beginning to any story ever written! Practically it is telling us, if we want to do this right and if we want to know the answers to anything we must first start with God! In the beginning God created EVERYTHING! Which means the beginning to the answers to all of our questions starts with God. The start of all things and the answer to all questions are found in God.

Tonight, I want to briefly answer the question “Is all that the world was meant to be?” I am going to answer this in three concepts I want you to learn.

God is Good and produces goodness

The first concept is that God is good and because of that what he creates is goodness. In your small group time I encourage you to read through Genesis chapter one. Count how many times it says something that God created was good. I’ll give you a hint… every time God created something it was declared to be good. The oceans, the trees, the birds, the plants.. everything we see here is described as good.

What really blows my mind now that I am a Christian is not so much that God created everything but HOW he created everything. Look with me at verse 2. The earth was without form. Meaning God took nothing and made it something. God took something that was not and made it something that is. God in his mighty power created all that is in existence from non existence! How amazing is that!? This really causes our brains to hurt but when we think about it long enough and we get past the head ache of trying to understand it we find ourselves like the angels worshipping God because there is truly no one like him!

From nothing God made everything and he called it good.

So, what does it mean that is was good? A good way to explain this is to say that when God created everything he created everything to be what everything was supposed to be. God created trees to be perfectly tree like. He created the oceans and their waves to ebb and flow exactly the way they are supposed to. He created animals to coexist together. He created vegetables and fruits to grow to their most sweetest potential. Guys, goodness means that God created everything exactly how he intended it to be.

Goodness means peace. Everything was created to reflect God’s intention. And what was God’s glorious intention when he created everything? For everything to be in perfect relationship with him and to bring him infinite amounts of glory.

God’s goodness means God is relational

The second concept I want you to remember is that God’s goodness means that God is relational. Relational with who? Well, his creation. Specifically and most significantly with us.. his most special creation. Look with me at verse 26… after God had created everything animal, plant, sun, moon and stars he looked at its greatness and said..”This is good.” But, something was missing. Do you know what that is? YOU. You were missing. God looked around and said, “Let us make man!” In other words, God’s creation was incomplete without me and you.

God created each of us to be in relationship with him. This is the greatest expression of his goodness. Think about that for a minute…The creator of all things created you for no other reason than to be in a relationship with him. This is like getting invited to the coolest of cool kids lunch table! And in a way it is. By creating us God has invited us to his table to fellowship with him. He created us to live with him and walk with him. He created us to talk to him and to listen to him. This is how God expresses his goodness, by allowing us to be in relationship with him.

What’s Paul saying? Plants and animals, mountains and trees tell us a lot about God.

Guys, don’t miss this. God created you in order that you might know him. You see, we come to the end of Genesis chapter one and we see that when God created man for relationship with him it was only then that God “saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Some of you in this room may have your entire life planned out and set. You are going to college or the work force.. you are going to make money… have a family… and you might be so passionate about the life that you are pursuing that you says, “I was made for this!” I don’t want to be the one who crushes your hopes and dreams but that is certainly not what you were created for. You might think that those accomplishments makes you look important…big…and spectacular. However, if you put your purpose in a man sized box you will live a man sized life. God created you for so much more. He created you so that you may have a full and abundant relationship with him. It is only by having this relationship that we truly experience God’s goodness.

God’s goodness was not found simply in his blessing that we find in . God’s goodness is not found in the stuff you have or don’t have. God’s goodness is not found in the hight of your status as a person. No, God’s goodness in Genesis chapter one was fully realized in his relationship with his creation.. God’s goodness is fully understood in his relationship with us… Guy, God made you to know him. Can I ask you a question? Do you know him?