The Beginning

In The Beginning

Have you ever seen the Antique Roadshow? Or American Pickers? I love those shows. If you watch very long you begin to understand that an objects provenance, or beginnings are important. One guy brought in two small ceramic bowl type things. He openly admitted he was not sure what they were, but he and a friend decided they were “egg coddlers.” These are small dishes to hold a baked or boiled egg. The expert took the dishes, looked at the mark, and said, “no, they are not egg coddlers.” She continued to tell him that these were in fact “bulb planters.” Small bowls to start a bulb, like a tulip, hyacinth or something. And they are not just any old bulb bowls, they were by a specific artist. Because the expert knew who the creator was, she was able to place high value on the items. Knowing who the creator, artist, or originator of an item is important to know giving value. Not only did it help to place the value, knowing the creator, revealed the original purpose for the objects.

The beginning matters.

What we believe about the beginning impacts how we live our life.

How we interact with others and with our world.

Understanding our beginning gives us purpose.

Our beginning starts with GOD. In the beginning, God….

As Ken Mathews puts it: “If we possessed a Bible without Genesis, we would have a ‘house of cards’ without foundation or mortar. We cannot insure the continuing fruit of our spiritual heritage if we do not give place to its roots.

What does this mean? It is our world view. Moses, the writer of Genesis, is setting forth a world view centered on God. When we talk about Creation we have a tendency to get bogged down in the why and how. “Is it an actual 7 days, the big Bang??” “Young earth, old earth,” we get stuck here, in the weeds missing the big picture. The point isn’t to explain the “how” of the beginning. There is an element of mystery here. I am OK with the mystery. I am not sure I want to serve a God that I can explain everything about Him. This is what makes Him God.

Our focus is on the WHO not the WHY of creation.

Like we said at the beginning, the artist/creator often determines the value of an object. They give the object purpose.

Believing God created everything enables us to understand the purpose of His Creation. We know the creator.

Let’s look at it from Moses’s vantage point.

He is living in a culture that has many stories of creation with many gods. Moses, however, is laying out the foundation of THE GOD. Of the one single true God.

As the creator, God has authority over his creation. This authority is what allows him to speak truth direction to us. The local myths had stories of gods fighting and one winning dominion, but THE GOD, Our God did not win anything. He created it.

A retired pastor I know used to tell a joke, it cracked him up every time. A man challenged Jesus. He said with science he can now create a man from dirt. The dirt holds all the particulars he needed. Jesus agreed. The man looked at Jesus and said, give me some dirt. Jesus looked at him and said, “make your own.”

The Psalmist ascribes creation to God: , Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded, and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

The creator understands the purpose of the created. He forms the object to fulfill its purpose. This gives the creator authority. They have the authority to speak about their creation.

Isaiah a prophet, spoke about the Lord’s plan for man. Before he spoke though gave the authority to God.

God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is he who says, I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.

Basically, Isaiah says, the Lord, he created everything, and he SAYS…I have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.

In the beginning he created the Heavens and the Earth

It is no accident that God is the subject of the first sentence of the Bible, for this word dominates the whole chapter and catches the eye at every point of the page: it is used some thirty-five times in as many verses of the story.

If you write in your Bible, circle or highlight the word God as you read. With a glance, you will see that the focus of the passage is God. The passage, indeed the Book, is about him first of all; to read it with any other primary interest (which is all too possible) is to misread it.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”

And evening passed, and morning came, marking the first day.

Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. God called the space “sky.”

As we read notice other repeated passages. What is the author conveying to us? Notice the phrase, “And that is what happened.” God said, let there be…and that is what happened.” One of the other creation myths had the gods reciting magic incantations to create the earth.[1] The writer is emphasizing that the one true God, spoke it and it happened.

And evening passed, and morning came, marking the second day.

Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” PAUSE, ASK THE CONGREGATION TO SAY OUT LOUD,

And that is what happened. God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation – every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.”

PAUSE And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation – all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

And evening passed, and morning came, marking the third day.

Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” PAUSE And that is what happened. God made two great lights – the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night.

Notice the author did not name them Sun and Moon. This was intentional. In many of the surrounding cultures, the Sun and Moon were the names of gods. By stating simply that God created the two lights, the focus is on the created. Many in this day believed the stars were gods controlling human destiny. The author however, makes the star almost an afterthought…Oh and

He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

God made them, He set them in the sky and HE gave them their purpose, to light the day and the night.

And evening passed, and morning came, marking the fourth day.

Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” So, God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water,

Once again, we see the author focusing on WHO created. Another creation myth had the creator had to subdue or fight the sea creature/monster to earn the right to rule.

Moses is emphasizing that God created everything. You will notice that the phrase, “God created” is only used three times: the heavens and the earth, the sea creature, and man.

This emphasis is important in understand the theology that God is the source of all these things. He did not earn the right to rule; he created them.

Continuing with our reading,

and every sort of bird – each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”

And evening passed, and morning came, marking the fifth day.

Then God said, “Let the earth animals produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind – livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

Let’s pause here for a moment. God creates humankind. On the same day He creates the animals, he creates humankind, man. What is distinctive about this creation of man?

· Humans, male and female are created in the image of God. This is vitally important for us to understand. We all carry the image of the creator God within our being. This is gives us immense value.

· Created on purpose with purpose. From the beginning God had a purpose for mankind. To rule and reign over the earth. He has completed this amazing masterpiece and he tells we humans to subdue it, take care of it, govern it. He is placing value on work. I think sometimes I have this misplaced view of Eden that it was all sitting around enjoying nature. From the beginning God gives purpose through work.

· He tells them to be fruitful and multiple.

Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” PAUSE And that is what happened.

31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

And evening passed, and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Why choose this passage, this message for our first message at the church? Because, this is our faith. Understanding that God created you. He created you in His image. You bear the image of God. He declared you good. Understanding our origin, our creation gives us value. Filled us with purpose. If we look closely we will see that’s what he did in creation. Took the earth formless and empty/void and filled it.

God created you. He created you in His image. You bear the image of God. He declared you good. Understanding our origin, our creation gives us value. Filled us with purpose. If we look closely we will see that’s what he did in creation. Took the earth formless and empty/void and filled it.

Then he declared:

“it was good”

This declaration was a type of Benediction. A benediction is to speak a good word; a blessing. “And God saw that it was good.” Over and over, benediction.

God created out of nothing, something, he then filled it with purpose.

Form Full

Full

Day 1 The Separation of light and darkness

The Separation of light and darkness

Day 4 The creation of the lights to rule the day and the night.

The creation of the lights to rule the day and the night.

Day 2 The separation of the waters to form the sky and sea

The separation of the waters to form the sky and sea

Day 5 The creation of the birds and fish to fill the sky and the sea

The creation of the birds and fish to fill the sky and the sea

Day 3 The Separation of the sea from the dry land and creation of plants

The Separation of the sea from the dry land and creation of plants

Day 6 The creation of the animals and humans to fill the land and eat the plants[2]

The creation of the animals and humans to fill the land and eat the plants[2]

Do you ever feel empty, void? Instead of peace it may seem as if chaos reigns everywhere. If you are like me, there are nights I lie down, and my thoughts are racing. Instead of sleeping I find my mind filling with every bad scenario possible.

Often times now, creation does not seem good. We’ve seen examples of the fallenness of creation this year already. The senseless shooting at the school in Florida killing seventeen students and teachers. The random package bombs in Austin killing two and injuring more.

Where is the hope?

We may have trouble sleeping at night thinking about these atrocities that are becoming all too common place. We have all been touched over and over and over by these evil, senseless acts. Instead of slowing down, it seems as if they are picking up speed. Whether it be a work day like 9-11, or going to church like in Sutherland Springs, Texas, or attending a Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegas...they continue. It is heartbreaking to see communities walk through these things time and time again. The questions are real, the pain is always fresh, and words can’t describe the feelings.

The answer is one of hope. Hope that there is more to this life than all this darkness. Hope in the goodness that comes out in the middle of evil...like the coach, Aaron Fies, who gave his life by using his body to protect his students in Florida. This is so heroic and amazing and yet...so sad. It also reminds me of the love of another who gave His body as a sacrifice for us all.

I think of David calling out to the Lord in the Psalms saying, “How long Lord?” will it be like this? My mind goes to Martin Luther Kings’s same question about the violence and deep issues facing our country then and still today, and the answer both he and David came to in their prayers was the same...” not long”.

I find there is hope in no matter how long for two reasons.

First, we can be used for great change and second, because at some point the answer will be “No More”! No more pain, no more sorrow, no more tears, no more evil, no more tragedy, no more death, no more tragic good-byes. I can’t wait for that day!

The hope is Jesus. He was in the beginning

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

and he is here now, and he is in the end. He provides a way for us to see the renewal of creation.

He is the one who fills the void that resides in us. Why is it important to understand the WHO of creation? Because Jesus was there.

He is God.

He was in the beginning.

t is Jesus who provides the purpose for me today. The answer when I try and understand why.

It is Jesus who provides the purpose for me today. The answer when I try and understand why.

God created us to glorify Him to fill the formless places with the Hope of what is to come. He is coming again. In this time of instability, of what seems like hopelessness, we can have peace, hope, because we know that the GOD who created the universe is in control. He wants to live in relationship with His creation. AND he wants his creation to live in relationship with one another. That is why we have this new church. Not only to share the love of God but to live in relationship with one another.

If you are wondering how to have relationship with God, it is easy. Today, recognize Jesus is Lord. This is recognition that Jesus died for you and provided a way for you to know him by accepting your sins as his. He gave the ultimate sacrifice of his life for you. However, he is not dead. He rose from the dead, conquered death. He will fill the void in your life today. Our lives are meant to be in community. We are going to ask in a few minutes if you would like to ask Jesus to fill your heart and life.

If you are here today and already have a relationship with Jesus, but have found that you are more characterized by worry than hope. Take a moment to think about the creator of the universe. The one who spoke the world into existence. He’s got you.

As part of our community we would like to pray and stand with you. For those who today want to begin their relationship with Jesus, we ask that you come forward for prayer. Along with you, I ask that those who realize they want to live with more hope, please come forward too.

Someone is here at the front to pray with you.

This week make some time to see God in creation. Where do you see Him? If you decided today to live in relationship with Jesus, this week think about what that means. Take a walk or sit in nature. See God. Reflect on the fact that the God of the universe created you, lives in you and gives you a purpose and a hope.

[1] David Wilkinson, The Message of Creation: Encountering the Lord of the Universe, The Bible speaks today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 21.

[2] Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 1, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1967), 50.