God's Word makes Things Happen

Creator God

A. In the Beginning God created

1. A lot of debate over how the world was created

2. Debate among Christians about the creation

a. 6 literal days

b. others over a much longer period of time

c. I don’t know, nor do I think it really matters

d. there was no day and night as we know it until day four when God crated the sun, moon and stars

e. Bible tells us a thousand years is like a day and a day is like a thousand years

f. you believe it happened in 6 days - great - how did it happen, Who did it

g. you believe it took longer - great - how did it happen, Who did it

h. The real issue about creation is how did it happen, who did it - the answer is God

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

B. This world is God’s creation

1. it was formless, empty and darkness covered deep waters

2. As hard as we may try to intellectually understand, it just boggles the mind

a. we get formless, empty and darkness

b. what about the deep, or deep sea, or deep water - where did that come from

c. expression of how empty and nothing existed

d. matter is not eternal - it began when God spoke everything into existence

e. Romans 4:17b Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

f. God doesn’t give us a complete explanation that will eliminate all of our questions

1) if He did we couldn’t comprehend it

2) How are we to understand all that is involved in God’s activity

3) We can only comprehend God’s work from the completed project

4) we see the universe and by faith believe God did it

g. Hebrews 11:3 (NLT) By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

h. by faith we believe God spoke and created the universe out of nothing

C. See Triune God at work in creation

1. Thirty-two times in Genesis 1 God is called Elohim

a. Hebrew word that emphasizes His majesty and power

b. It is a plural noun that is used in connection with singular verbs and adjectives

c. three Persons, One God

2. God exists in three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit

a. three Persons equal in attributes and yet individual and distinct in their offices and ministries working together to accomplish the divine will

b. God’s divine plan of salvation involves all three: We are chosen by the Father, purchased by the Son and sealed by the Holy Spirit all for the glory of God (Eph 1: 3-14)

3. Creation is attributed to the Father

a. Acts 4:24 (NLT) — When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—

b. 2 Kings 19:15 (NLT) — And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth.

4. Creation is attributed to the Son

a. God said, God spoke, The Word of God went forth

b. Jesus is described as the Word of God

c. John 1:1–3 (NLT) — 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

d. God’s Word is creative

e. For the Hebrew mind, God’s speaking and God’s doing were one and the same.

1) God did not first command there be light and then do it

2) His Word is creative, and the saying was itself the making

f. The Word of God is active

g. Colossians 1:16 (NLT) — for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

h. The Word of God is active

1) Genesis 1:1-5 is paired with the baptism of Jesus and the coming of the Kingdom of God

2) the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us

3) Jesus answer to John the Baptist inquiry are you to one - the blind see, the lame walk, the leopard cleansed

4) God’s Word was active accomplishing His divine will and plan

5. Creation is attributed to the Holy Spirit

a. The Spirit of God was hovering

b. Some translations say wind of God - Hebrew word refers to breeze, wind, breath or spirit

c. Psalm 104:30 (NLT) — When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth.

d. word hovering was used in Deut 32:11 where Moses described “an eagle…[hovering] over its young

e. have this image of a mother bird over her young, even over her eggs so they hatch

f. Dr. Roger Hahn suggests this shows the ministry of the Holy Spirit as an incubator

g. The Holy Spirit is hovering over, incubating the creation of the world but not only its creation but its existence

h. The Spirit of God was actively maintaining the creative substance called earth, doing everything needed to prepare it for God’s next stage in its development

i. The Holy Spirit’s incubating work is not complete, its on going

1)the Holy Spirit incubated the ministry of Jesus

2) the Kingdom of God has come but it yet it hasn’t as there is more to come

3) The Holy Spirit incubated the ministry of the early church and continues to hover over and incubate the work of God in the world today

God is at work in His Creation

A. Let There be Light

1. Genesis 1:3 (NLT) —Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

2. What was this light?

a. Sun, moon and stars were not created until day 4

b. The Light was the glory of God himself, the presence of God

c. John 1:4–5 (NLT) — 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

d. Revelation 22:5 (NLT) — And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

e. God didn’t need the light but He was preparing for us

1) we need the sun and the moon

2) we need the presence of God even more

3. Darkness gave way to light when God separated them

1) darkness always gives way to light when light comes

2) This is the way God created our world

3) Jesus referred to himself as the light of the world.

4) John 8:12 (NLT) —Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

4. Everything God was doing, He was doing for us

B. Creation - God’s Temple

1. Isaiah 66:1 (NLT) —This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place?

a. God is the divine regulator, organizer

b. He has put everything in the right spot

c. He created things to work a certain way

d. His plan includes us, the world was created for us and we were made for our Creator

2. God created a magnificent Temple and now invites us in

3. God speaks into the darkness of our lives and brings new light, a transformation into our very being

4. The Holy Spirit is still incubating, still working that we will come to God allowing Him to deliver us from darkness

C. The Great Divide

1. God organized everything putting it in its place

a. divided the earth from the sky

b. the land from the sea

c. land animals from water animals and sky animals

d. humans from the animal world

e. light from darkness

2. Unlike the animals we have a choice.

a. Will we live in darkness or in light?

b. Will we live in God’s presence or absent from him?

3. Regardless of which you choose the Holy Spirit is hovering over you, incubating you to come into His marvelous light

4. To acknowledge the Word and come into the light of His presence

5. From the beginning of time God has been planning this

6. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) — Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

7. the Holy Spirit is at work, God’s Word is true so a life of light is ours for the asking and accepting

8. God wants to bring about a transformation, to bring new light into our world

D. A New Light not only spiritually but physically

1.We live in a dark world

a. Pandemic, lawlessness, chaos, political unrest our own personal struggles

b. put it all together and our world is not so bright

2. We wonder where is God

a. What is He doing?

b. Why doesn’t He do something?

c. We don’t understand

3. God is still at work in the darkness, His Word is still active, The Holy Spirit is still hovering, incubating, working

4. We’re probably not going to comprehend how God is working until the project is completed but rest assured He is working

5. God created this world out of nothing, think of what He can do with what he has created

a. created world but formed Adam from the dust He created

b. formed Adam but built Eve from what He had formed

c. God can form whatever He wants to out of what He has created

6. If God can do that, and He did, He can bring light into our darkness.

7. When God finished He said it is good.

8. So in the dark place, look to the Light, He is working for your good and whatever He does will be good

9. When God speaks - something good happens

E. The Holy Spirit is incubating, working in your life, so follow Him and discover what He can and will create in your life