Beginnings: Why Are We Here?

Introduction

Good morning and welcome!

And Happy New Year by the way!

This morning as we start a new year, we are also going to be starting a new sermon series.

And while the messages will be our own, God showed me the overall concept of what we will be looking at through some resources by a man named Dr. Mark Moore who wrote a study called “Core 52” that is designed to break down several passages of the Bible.

And the idea we will be looking at is “Beginnings,” both “new beginnings” as well as what I would call a “do-over.”

Remember when we were kids, mistakes were magically fixed with a “do-over?”

Did you know that also, as adults, God knows we still need “do-overs?”

Good thing the Bible begins with a book called “Genesis.” It is not merely the beginning—it tells the story of “new-beginnings.”

Generation after generation—Adam, Noah, and Abraham—God gave second chances.

So for the next few weeks we will be looking at different passages in Genesis, starting with chapter 1.

So, if you would like, start turning in your Bibles to .

Now you are familiar with , you will know that from we find the story of how God created the Universe and everything in it.

And it really doesn’t get any more “new” or “beginning” than that.

And this morning, before we start looking at “do-overs” we are going to be looking at one of the most basic questions that we have a tendency to ask, and that question is “why are we here?”

Have you ever wondered, why in the world God created us in the first place or what your purpose is?

Have you ever wondered, why in the world God created us in the first place or what your purpose is?

You probably have, as most every person that belongs to most every religion—even those who have no religion have asked.

And it’s not a question that

And it would be really easy to give some sort of half in—half out of context answer to that question from a few passages of Scripture scattered here and there.

But we all know that those answers never satisfy us, especially in times when things are not going so well for us.

We are asking that question and we are constantly searching for the answer to that.

And even though we cannot fully answer the entirety of the question for all times and all situations, we can get a glimpse into the mind and heart of God by going back to when God created it all.

And this week, that is what we are going to do.

Because before we can understand the “why” behind why God gives us so many “do-overs” we need to get a little better grasp on some of the “why” behind why God created us to begin with.

So, if you have found in your Bibles I’d invite you to stand with me as we read, just a few verses about the beginning of it all . . .

Scripture Focus

Genesis 1:1–10 NIV - Anglicised

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky”. And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land”, and the gathered waters he called “seas”. And God saw that it was good.

God Created

Now, I just read a few verses of the creation account that got us through the creation of the heavens, earth, land, and sea.

Now, I just read a few verses of the creation account that got us through the creation of the heavens, earth, land, and sea.

We have not been created yet.

But we do see the beginnings of all things.

And just to point out verse 1 again, it reads . . . .

Genesis 1:1 NIV - Anglicised

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

Now I point that out because even though we don’t realize it that one verse is one of the key things that separate Christianity and Judaism from all other religions and all other worldviews.

Now, to be fair, many other religions and worldviews claim that God created the earth and us, that part is not unique. The part that is unique is the phrase in the beginning.

That means in the beginning of everything.

Before anything existed, the one thing/person was God.

And out of nothingness God created all that is around us.

Other religions and other worldviews claim that God (or the gods) came to being from the universe which already was in existence.

This is how some reconcile the “Big Bang Theory.”

However, what set us apart is that we believe God created out of absolute nothing.

We don’t understand how God did it, we choose to believe by faith that what is in the Bible is true and that God did it.

And if you want to take it a step further you could even say that because nothing was there, God created out of Himself—which is a bit of a stretch but not out of the realm of possibility.

All we do know is that before all of this there was God and then God spoke it all into existence.

Everything. Every little bit of it.

And the reason that is so important is because that is a foundational pillar of our belief and what separates our God from all of the false gods.

Think about it this way.

Every other religion says that something was already there and that their gods did their creative work from what was there.

Well, how did it get there?

They will say “Big Bang.”

Then we ask, what caused the bang and where did the stuff that “banged” come from?

They have no answer.

So, there is the fallacy in that—BUT let’s give them the benefit of the doubt for just a minute.

The universe is here and their god rose up from the universe and then began creating from the substance in the universe.

Okay, big deal. We do the same thing, don’t we?

Think about everything humanity has invented since the beginning of time.

We call it “inventing” or “creating” but in reality we are only using what is already there and thinking of different ways to put the parts together and to use it for different things.

And some of those things are amazing and wondrous.

But the reality is, we didn’t create anything.

And these false gods who are supposedly this great, in reality, are no better than any of us are.

All they are really getting credit for was changing what is already there.

Which goes back to the original question. How did the stuff they used get there?

There is no answer, except for God put it there.

Now, why does this matter in relation to our sermon question: Why are We Here?

It matters because God didn’t just manipulate what was already here, God created everything that is here.

God personally created every living soul . . .

Genesis 1:26–27 NIV - Anglicised

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:

Notice it says that God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him.

This means that God’s fingerprints and God’s touch is on everything.

This means that God consciously created all of us with love and care.

Why are we here? Because God loves us enough to put us here.

Not because God needed us.

Not because God was lonely.

Not because God was bored.

We are an expression of God’s love.

We were created to enter into a relationship with God.

And in the beginning that relationship was perfect.

So perfect that God walked in the Garden of Eden, interacting and communing face to face with us.

Problems only came when sin came.

As sin crept in and began to destroy the perfection that God created with so much love, death, hurt, disease was introduced.

And those things drove a wedge between us and God.

A wedge that can only be removed by Jesus.

A wedge that breaks God’s heart to the point, as Peter points out, God will do whatever it takes to help us make it back to Him.

He calls and calls, but instead of answering Him we ignore Him and make up lies about how He is not real.

We try to explain away creation with ideas and theories that when you really look at them make no sense whatsoever.

But God continues to call.

That knot we get in our stomach—that is God reaching out to us.

And not just God the Father either.

The Spirit in Creation

Point 2

Take a look at verse two just for a minute . . .

Genesis 1:2 NIV - Anglicised

2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Notice who it is hovering over the waters?

The Spirit of God—The Holy Spirit.

Point 2

He was right there with the Father, active in creating.

The Hebrew for “hovering” here really means “quaking or quivering”—trembling.

The Spirit wasn’t just hanging out He was churning and turning the land, the air, and the water, forming and molding this giant ball we call earth.

Making sure everything was right for what will be God’s greatest creation—us.

Which is exactly what the Holy Spirit does in our lives as well.

Just like in creation, in our lives the Spirit will bring order from disorder.

When our lives are in chaos, He brings peace.

When we are unbalanced, He brings balance.

He pushes and prods us toward God and toward a restored relationship with God.

He opens our eyes to the reality of life and the reality of eternity.

He is who helps answer the burning question, why am I here? What is my purpose?

Jesus in Creation

Point 3

However, we believe in the Holy Trinity, do we not?

Not just the Father and Spirit, but also the Son?

So, where is the Son in all of this?

Where is Jesus when all of this is going on?

Verses three and four tells us . . .

Genesis 1:3–4 NIV - Anglicised

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:3-

Now, on the surface just looking at that, what’s the big deal?

Where is Jesus in all of this?

Let’s look at what Jesus himself said . ..

John 8:12 NIV - Anglicised

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:

God speaking here in Genesis, is Jesus creating light from darkness.

This is why the Pharisees were so upset with him when he made these claims in the New Testament.

They knew exactly what Jesus was talking about.

Look what Paul says in Colossians . . .

Colossians 1:16–17 NIV - Anglicised

16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:

And finally, ....

John 1:1–5 NIV - Anglicised

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 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John 1:

So, why are we here?

Because Jesus shed his light on us.

Jesus gave us life.

And Jesus also came and lived as us, giving His life so that we may again enter into eternal life, with Him, with the Father, and with the Spirit.

Altar Call

Why are we here?

Altar Call

Because God wants us here.

Because God loves us.

Because God created us.

God wants us to not only realize that, but also realize what it means to be in a true and lasting relationship with Him.

And not a temporary one while we are here on the earth.

But an eternal one that lasts forever and ever.

So, what do we need this morning?

What is weighing on us?

What is holding us back? Holding us down?

Come and take care of that today.

The altar is open, will you come?