In the beginning God... Pt. 1
In the beginning • Sermon • Submitted
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· 15 viewsThis sermon discusses the first four divine attributes of God we see on display in the creation account.
Notes
Transcript
Opening Comments:
Opening Comments:
Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word in the very beginning of your Bible Genesis 1:1.
As you know, I have been preparing and announcing for several months that we were going to make our way to the book of Luke for our next exposition. But, Jen and I had the privilege to attend the Answers in Genesis Pastors and Leaders Conference in KY recently at their Ark Encounter park. Where they have a life sized replica of Noah’s Ark. It is a sight to behold and I think it should be on every believer’s list of places to visit before you die. It really makes the Bible come alive.
While we were there, they kept talking about the importance of teaching the book of Genesis to our churches, particularly to the next generation of believers (Millennials and Gen Z and Gen Alpha).
I have not been able to, since attending the conference, get off my mind just how important the study of the first 11 chapters of Genesis are to Christians and how important they are as a pastor to be sure those who attend Heritage Winchester have a firm grip on them. Literally every single fundamental truth found in the scriptures has its roots in these first eleven chapters.
So, for the next several weeks we’re going to take our time examining what the Bible says took place “In the Beginning.” For today, we’re just going to examine one verse and really, just one phrase of one verse but then we will quickly make our way through an overview of Gen 1:1-2:3. We wil read one verse at the start, but, keep your Bibles open as we proceed throughout the sermon.
This is the Word of the Lord, may it speak to us.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Introduction:
Introduction:
The opening lines of scripture declare an astounding truth: The earth and the universe did not come about through chance or some accident that randomly occured.
It does not declare that the earth and heavens originated out of nowhere. To say that it did is to presume upon scripture.
It does not declare that some particle, force, energy, proton, neutron, electron, atom, chemical or gas just appeared out of nothing to create an explosion. To declare such is to take the theories of men and try and shove them into scripture.
The Bible, from the very outset declares the earth, heavens and all that they contain were created by a Sovereign Intelligence and Power who has revealed Himself to be the Supreme Person of the Universe, to be ELOHIM, GOD ALMIGHTY, the supreme Lord and majesty of everyone and everything. The Bible very clearly states that the universe has been deliberately and personally created by God Himself.
The Bible plainly declares:
“In the beginning God...”
All of the stress and focus is upon God. He was there at the beginning and existed before the universe was ever created. At the dawn of time He acted and created.
There are eight truths about God that we learn from the creation account that we are given that runs from Genesis 1:1-2:3 and before we can dive into the events of creation we first must examine the God of creation because they set the stage for all of the scripture and will help us grasp the Gospel more firmly.
Let’s observe four of them from the pages before us this morning.
1.) God is.
1.) God is.
That is to say that God actually exists and all that is contained in the universe came from Him.
This is the entire point of the creation account: to stress to mankind that God is the Sovereign Lord and Creator of the universe.
A quick glance through Gen 1:1-2:3 clearly shows that God is the subject of creation and the focus is all upon Him. The Bible without doubt declares that God (ELOHIM) is God alone
Immediately, before anything else is discussed or mentioned, the Bible loudly declares that God exists. Over and over again the account of creation mentions God.
Genesis 1 tells us:
God created four times (vv. 1, 21, 27a, 27b)
• God said ten times (vv. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29)
• God saw seven times (vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31)
• God called three times (vv. 5, 8, 10)
• God made three times (vv. 7, 16, 25)
• God divided two times (vv. 4, 7)
• God blessed two times (vv. 22, 28)
• God set one time (v. 17)
• God moved one time (v. 2)
God is also seen witnessing the fulfillment of His will fourteen times. God saw His creative act …
• “that it was good,” seven times (vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31)
• that “it was so,” six times (vv. 7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30)
• that “there was,” one time (v. 3)
Scripture forcefully makes the point that GOD IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. That He is the Omnipotent (all powerful) and Omniscient (all knowing) Authority behind all creation.
6 You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
2.) God created the universe by His Word.
2.) God created the universe by His Word.
Look down at your Bibles again, you will notice, that at the beginning of each creative day you’ll find two words “God said.” (v.3,6,9,11, 14,20,24,26, 28,29)
God is so powerful, that he created everything by His Word. He simply spoke and things came into being. His word alone was the process, method, manner, means, and the way God created everything.
God carried out his will by simply speaking and when he spoke it was immediately accomplished. Everything was created instantaneously by the power of God’s Word.
Genesis isn’t the only place in the Bible that speaks of the power of God’s Word.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
I want you to understand something, God didn’t have to speak in order to create, but he did speak. This tells us that God holds his word in the Highest regard and he gives it utmost importance.
Not only is it what God used to create in the beginning but it is what God uses to make people into a new creation today.
If a person is to be born again into a new man before God it has to be by and through the Word of God. A person has to hear the Word of God and place his faith in the Word of God in order to be made into a new creature in Christ.
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
and John declares in the new testament that Jesus was the very word of God who created all things.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
When you put those two ideas together, you have the Gospel. A person hears of Jesus from God’s word (the Bible) and places their faith in the Word of God (Jesus) in order to be saved from sin, death and hell.
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
3.) God is the supreme intelligence of the universe.
3.) God is the supreme intelligence of the universe.
To speak and to create requires intelligence. A person has to be able to think in order to form words and make things.
The very fact that God spoke and made things shows that he is an intelligent being.
Just how intelligent is God though?
God is so intelligent he can think thoughts within His mind and then He can think the thought through and plan minute details that are necessary to create and to bring into existence.
The day by day account of creation tells us of the intelligence of God.
⇒ God thought of light and planned all the details for the creation of light.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
⇒ God thought of the firmament or atmosphere surrounding the earth, and He planned all the details for the creation of the atmosphere.
6 Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
⇒ God thought of dry land, and He planned all the details for the creation of dry land.
9 Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.
⇒ God thought of vegetation, and He planned all the details for the creation of vegetation.
11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.
⇒ God thought of the heavenly bodies—the sun and the moon and the stars—and He planned all the details for the creation of the heavenly bodies.
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.
⇒ God thought of sea and water creatures and of birds, and He planned all the details for the creation of sea and water creatures and of birds.
20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
⇒ God thought of earth animals and of man, and He planned all the details for the creation of earth animals and of man.
24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
All that is in the universe exists because God himself, the supreme intelligence of the universe, thought and planned and spoke everything into being.
From this we know that God has supreme knowledge. There is nothing that escapes His attention. He knows everything there is to know about us. That means he knows all about our hurt, suffering, pain, loneliness, emptiness, trials and temptations, problems, difficulties. He knows it all and therefore knows how to meet every single need that could ever arise.
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
4 Does He not see my ways, And count all my steps?
3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
4.) God is the God of goodness, grace and order.
4.) God is the God of goodness, grace and order.
We can see this in the purpose for which God created man and in the seven days of creation themselves.
A.) Goodness and Grace -
The pinnacle of God’s creative work is mankind. Mankind was created so that God could shower his goodness and grace upon a creature who could freely choose to love and fellowship with Him. While it is true that God created the earth for his benefit (scripture clearly teaches this) but it is also true that God created the universe for God’s benefit. God desires for man to experience all the splendor of His eternal glory throughout the entirety of the universe.
B.) Order-
Before God created man, He had to create a place for man and make provision for that man. HE had to create everything that would sustain that man’s life. This is the reason that God created in a sequence. Each day of creation was based on what was created the day before and each act of creation was necessary before the next creative act was to be made. God created in an orderly fashion each day he created exactly what needed to be created that day.
God always acts in an orderly way because He is the God of order. God has inter-connected and inter-related everything in creation. Everything created on the six days of creation was essential to man’s life.
Man could not have survived on earth if any of the creative acts had been omitted or if some catastrophe destroyed what was created on any of the days. All of creation is inter-connected; everything is needed to sustain life upon earth. Each day met some great need of man.
We need to understand that the world in which we live is not the same as it was when God created it it has been corrupted and marred by sin. Because of that we cannot experience all of God’s goodness and grace the same way in which man did before the fall. But, we do still experience it in some form:
All of mankind experinces a taste of God’s goodness and common grace through what beauty does remain in this world.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
In addition, all those who come to Christ in faith experience the goodness and grace of God found in Christ in a special way through the forgiveness of sin and abundant life.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
And we will one day experinece all of God’s goodness and grace found in redemtion when God one day creates a new heaven and earth for his children. One that has never been marred by sin.
1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
These are just the first four attributes of God we see on the beginning page of scripture. Already we have basqued in God’s glory together this morning. But, before I close this morning, I want you to know that God is real and he loves you. So much so that in his divine intelligence he created a way for you to escape the death and corruption brought upon this world through sin. He so desires to shed his goodness, mercy and grace upon you that he devised a plan to send Jesus into this world to die in your place and pay your sin debt. So that, you can now have eternal life in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. God robed in flesh.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
I invite you to place your faith in Christ this morning if you have never done so. To the believer, I invite you to spend the next few moments thanking God for who he tells us He is in His word.
Next week we will cover the next four attributes of God we see in his creation account.