Introduction: In attempting to see / get the Big Picture by viewing the entire Bible in the course of a year we will be encountering God “progressively.” We are introduced to God in the opening verse of the Bible. He is the creator. As such He is also the Ruler of His creation. In creating man in His image and likeness God established a relationship with humanity unlike any other relationship in all the universe and Adam and Eve rebelled against God which had a disastrous effect upon their relationship and upon Creation. God as the Ruler determined and declared that they would have to be removed from the Garden of Eden and that pain would be their lot in life. He however, did not remove them from their relationship with Him. Even as He was in the middle of disciplining them He graciously made coverings for them. And we saw that their discipline was designed to bring them to God not push them away. The problem that they would face as we do today is sin. The effects of the Fall are tremendous but in this first act of God’s grace after the fall we begin a progression towards the ultimate fulfillment of His grace in the Cross of Christ. This morning we will make progress towards knowing and understanding that God makes promises and keeps them. We call these promises covenants. You see in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, we have promises made by God and in the Greek Scriptures, the New Testament, we have promises kept. As we move through a few chapters of Genesis this morning we get a view of God promise making and keeping through His deeds. Even when sin and the effects it has upon humanity is so pronounced.
Essential Impact: God intervenes in His kingdom.
Because God is active in promise making and intervening in His Kingdom…
Main 1: Trust God’s plan. Know that His ways are good and perfect.
A. Sin is prominent from the outset. Adam and Eve have two sons and one of them, Cain murders his brother, Abel.
B. God comes. His question to Cain is similar to God’s question to Adam when Adam was hiding from God. Here though, God asks Cain where Abel is. Cain outright lies and God knows it. And yet God shows “grace” to Cain by marking him with a sign to make sure that nobody murders Cain.
C. Then sin increases again as the sons of God procreate with the daughters of man. If you are wondering what is going on here in Scripture I would invite you to the One Year Web Site this week. It will be discussed in a separate post.
D. God comes again and speaks and declares that His judgment upon this outcropping will come in time, 120 years to be exact.
ILLUSTRATION: Biblical: “In the day you eat it you shall surely die.” Death did enter the world for Adam and Eve and all humanity it just wasn’t immediate physical death. : This isn’t a lynching but more like a delayed sentencing.
E. The Flood wipes everything clean. One righteous man and his family survive. Noah 6.8 finds favor in God’s eyes. God calls Noah to build an Ark and rescue the animals. And it rains. Then God comes again and He remembers Noah and the waters clear up.
F. Sin doesn’t take long to root again and Ham sins. This time God doesn’t speak but Noah does and declares a curse upon Ham’s son Canaan.
G. Sin increases more and Nimrod and his citizens build a huge city and a tower to do exactly what Eve and Adam did in their rebellion…to be like god…make a name for ourselves at the Tower of Babel.
H. God comes and confuses the people and scatters them across the face of the earth.
APPLICATION: 1. Noah is the one bright star in this mess of sin that trusts in God’s plan. Nowhere is there even a hint of Noah questioning the plan and authority of God. Even in the sin of Ham Noah’s drunkenness is not at issue. To be sure it precipitates Ham’s transgression but it also precipitates Shem and Japheth’s righteousness. When sin is swirling and rearing its ugly head in your world or in your life personally do you turn to God and trust Him to accomplish His plans. We sing the song “In heavenly armor we’ll enter the land…the Battle belongs to the Lord.”
2. God repeatedly comes in these chapters. He enters into His creation; into His Kingdom. It has been a long time since God has come, I’m referring to Jesus, but in God’s ultimate display of grace at the cross where Jesus dies to pay the penalty for sin does He need to come again? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for your sin? If not let me ask, what are you trusting in? God gave Noah instructions for the Ark. Noah built it just as God said. Noah trusted God not his own ability.
Main 2: Remember that God makes and keeps His promises.
A. Adam’s promise: Given the responsibility of caring for the Garden, Adam’s sin terminates the perfect paradise and God institutes another set of circumstances. This time not as pleasant as the first; pain in labor and pain in labor.
B. Noah’s promise 6.3: The delay of God’s judgment upon the ungodly as they have increased and do continually what is right in their own eyes.
C. Noah’s promise 9.1ff = Rainbow plus: After the Flood water receded God once again dictates a certain set of circumstances. The repopulations of the earth is reaffirmed. The animals are once again placed underneath the fear of mankind. God will not destroy the earth again with water and He sets His bow in the clouds as a reminder.
D. Abram’s promise coming in 12.1-3: Forecasting just a little…for next week read the remainder of Genesis. Whereas the promises and covenants have been general and universal in nature, Eden, Adam, and Noah’s now with Abram/Abraham the covenant becomes specific and personal.
APPLICATION: 1. Genesis 3.15 the seed of the Gospel begins in the curse of the serpent. The door of redemption has been open. As we have peaked inside we see more of why it is that God must take action to restore us to Himself. Left to ourselves in the corruption of sin we become murderers, arrogant idol worshipers, with all sorts of perversions. We need salvation from somewhere outside of ourselves and God demonstrates that He makes and keeps His promises.
Conclusion: God has intervened in His Kingdom and He has moved towards fallen humans for His own glory by demonstrating His grace in kindness. The emphasis in these chapters of Genesis has definetly leaned to show us the prevelance of sin and its effect. Still God's grace and judgement shown through His intervention gives us hope. We will see throughout the remainder of this year a more specific and intentional movement as God makes and keeps His promise.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Schedule Change
The schedule has changed from a previous post.
September 13th: Creation: Genesis 1-2
September 20th: Fall: Genesis 3
September 27th: Flood: Genesis 4-11
October 4th: Covenant: Genesis 12-50
October 11th: The Exodus and The Law: Exodus
October 18th: Worship/Sacrifice: Leviticus 1-17
October 25th: Worship/Sanctification: Leviticus 18-27
September 13th: Creation: Genesis 1-2
September 20th: Fall: Genesis 3
September 27th: Flood: Genesis 4-11
October 4th: Covenant: Genesis 12-50
October 11th: The Exodus and The Law: Exodus
October 18th: Worship/Sacrifice: Leviticus 1-17
October 25th: Worship/Sanctification: Leviticus 18-27
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A word on "WORK"
In last weeks sermon, see the notes below, under the Main 1 heading in the application section I made the remark, "On more than one occasion I have invited you to check what your favorite radio or t.v. preachers have to say. And I also invite you to check what I say against God’s declared determined word."
The remark was made to encourage people to turn to the revealed Word of God and not take any one's word for it. In the context it was in reference to Eve's dialogue with the serpent and taking his word for it.
Later during the message I made a few unwritten comments about what Adam and Eve forfeited and lost when they rebelled against God making a special note of their now broken relationship with the Lord God. In my off the sermon note remarks I mentioned that they were in a perfect paradise with no disease, no etcetera and not having to work...all of it was lost. Paradise lost.
After fellowship time was winding down someone came up to me with a question about something I had said. I wasn't sure what to expect. They asked about Genesis 2.15. So I looked it up immediately and read it out loud. And was cut to the quick for my "off the sermon note comment" that they didn't have to work. I should have done my preparation more thoroughly.
BLESS GOD for this person's inquiry. They did exactly what I challenged them to do by turning to the Word of God and not just taking my word for it. Amen and Amen.
Now I did a little follow up word study and here's what I found.
Genesis 2:15 "Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it." [NASB] The NIV uses, "to work it and take care of it."
The Hebrew word used for "cultivate" and "work" has the meaning of "to serve." Man has been created to serve not to be served. And so here in the garden Adam is to make efforts to keep the garden in order growing and producing. Even in Eden plants do not look after themselves. Victor Hamilton in his commentary makes the following observation. "The point is made clear here that physical labor is not the consequence of sin. Work enters the picture before sin does, and if man had never sinned he still would be working."
Genesis 3.17-19 Now the work of Adam to produce food will involve "toil and pain." It will be physically strenuous and the only respite comes when man dies.
The remark was made to encourage people to turn to the revealed Word of God and not take any one's word for it. In the context it was in reference to Eve's dialogue with the serpent and taking his word for it.
Later during the message I made a few unwritten comments about what Adam and Eve forfeited and lost when they rebelled against God making a special note of their now broken relationship with the Lord God. In my off the sermon note remarks I mentioned that they were in a perfect paradise with no disease, no etcetera and not having to work...all of it was lost. Paradise lost.
After fellowship time was winding down someone came up to me with a question about something I had said. I wasn't sure what to expect. They asked about Genesis 2.15. So I looked it up immediately and read it out loud. And was cut to the quick for my "off the sermon note comment" that they didn't have to work. I should have done my preparation more thoroughly.
BLESS GOD for this person's inquiry. They did exactly what I challenged them to do by turning to the Word of God and not just taking my word for it. Amen and Amen.
Now I did a little follow up word study and here's what I found.
Genesis 2:15 "Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it." [NASB] The NIV uses, "to work it and take care of it."
The Hebrew word used for "cultivate" and "work" has the meaning of "to serve." Man has been created to serve not to be served. And so here in the garden Adam is to make efforts to keep the garden in order growing and producing. Even in Eden plants do not look after themselves. Victor Hamilton in his commentary makes the following observation. "The point is made clear here that physical labor is not the consequence of sin. Work enters the picture before sin does, and if man had never sinned he still would be working."
Genesis 3.17-19 Now the work of Adam to produce food will involve "toil and pain." It will be physically strenuous and the only respite comes when man dies.
September 20, 2009....OY: The Fall
Introduction: The Bible is a collection of Books about God. We should then expect that each portion of it in some way speaks to us concerning God; His nature, character, being. To be certain there is diversity in the ways in which this is accomplished. Sometimes it is done through story / narrative or poetry or prose but make no mistake, behind each and every page of Holy Scripture is God.
Last week we saw that God revealed Himself through His creative activity. In so doing, in Genesis 1 + 2 we looked into how knowing God as Creator and Ruler informs our worship of Him, our relationships with Him and others and our relationship with His world.
This week as we turn to Genesis 3 and the Fall of mankind what we see revealed about God is His absolute authority. In particular…
Essential Impact: God’s declarations are determined.
Main 1: Comprehend the seriousness of God’s commands.
a. After God placed Adam, the first created man, into the Garden, God placed a prohibition upon eating from one certain tree in the garden. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was off limits. Its fruit was not to be eaten.
b. Then God fashioned a women out of one of Adams ribs and Adam was very excited about her. Creation was complete and the happy couple was ready to live happily ever after…
c. …enter the serpent. This creature was more crafty than any other and who’s to say that before the Fall of humanity that Adam and Eve couldn’t talk with creation. {Illustration of the future: Isaiah 65.17-25} We just don’t know and we don’t need to. And so the serpent addresses Eve and they begin to dialogue. The serpent begins to tempt Eve.
d. But what is she being tempted towards? The fruit? A bigger and better Garden? A new mate? No, no, and no. She is being tempted to rebel against the authority of God. Now to be fair, we have no record that God spoke to her directly about the prohibition on the fruit of the tree and so we assume that either Adam told her or God did speak to them both at some subsequent time but we have no record of how she got the information. But from the dialogue with the serpent she certainly knew the content of the prohibition.
e. The serpent twists things right from the beginning and keeps the pressure on until she is in full rebellion and usurps the authority of God in her life. Then she turns to her husband and demonstrates her “new authority” and he capitulates and rebels as well.
Application:
1. The twisted words of the serpent = “any tree” which is a lie. God’s declarations are determined and we need to handle them with seriousness. Do not trivialize what is said by God. If you have troubles remembering what God said about something don’t just guess. Go back and look it up. Be certain to check and double check like the noble Bareans. On more than one occasion I have invited you to check what your favorite radio or t.v. preachers have to say. And I also invite you to check what I say against God’s declared determined word. {those who have asked me personally about the sinfulness of same gender relationships in light of recent events…people want to know}
2. Respond accurately. Eve’s answer includes the truth but there is just a little bit extra that gives ground to the temptation. Where this addition came from is uncertain. Did Adam add it when he spoke to Eve about the prohibition or did she begin to exercise her “self” in this dialogue? It’s almost as if she was saying, “I can make this prohibition even stronger and show this crafty serpent how much I really am sold out for God.” Well bless her heart isn’t she super spiritual?
3. Be on guard for your own reasoning. Even in a perfect situation Eve was tempted to use her natural observations to move away from God. When she saw that the fruit was delicious and nutritious and able to make one wise she rebelled against God and in effect questioned God’s authority and good intent towards her.
4. Speak up before it’s too late. Adam was silent for whatever reason he didn’t reiterate God’s prohibition. He was right there and he was silent. SYATP is a good opportunity to make a statement this Wednesday. Eve spoke up but did so of her own accord not relying on God’s declared word. So when you speak up do so fully gripped by His word.
Main 2: Live under God’s pronouncements and provisions.
a. God comes to be with Adam and Eve and asks for them. Why? Because He doesn’t know where they are? No, because Adam needs to know where he is.
b. Adam evaluates honestly his condition. He was afraid and he hid from God because of his nakedness. God pushes a bit further and gives us the reason for Adams condition. Adam did what God had told him not to do. Disobedience is serious. And then the rationalizations start.
c. Adam blames Eve…but it’s true. Eve blames the serpent…but it’s true. Then God turns to the serpent and begins His pronouncements of judgment.
d. the serpent is cursed…and the door of redemption opens.
e. Eve will have pain. She will desire Adam. He will rule.
f. Adam will have to work the ground to survive.
g. God makes them better coverings.
Application:
1. Humanity fell and what they thought they were going to get…ultimate self autonomy / another authority / to be like God with all the perks and privileges…they got none of it and in so rebelling they lost everything they had especially fellowship with God. Watch anything in your life that has the word “self” attached to it. {Illustration: Self-image and being created in the image of God or being conformed to the image of Christ. Genesis 1.26ff + Romans 8.29}
2. Jesus Christ, the second, Adam as explained in 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 5 came to defeat death. It entered the world through Adam and was conquered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He came to pay the penalty for our sin whose wage is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Come to Him today.
Main 3: Respect the King / Creator[Ruler]
a. God then acts and removes Adam and Eve from the garden. He declares that they might stretch out their hand again. Their self-will and eat from another tree. The more they exercise their rebellion and authority the more they become gods in their own eyes. So God stretches out His hand and tosses them out. And then He places a guard in front so as to bar them entrance.
b. “Being Like God” – on the lips of the serpent and in the lips of God have two very different implications and outcomes. The twisted intent of the serpent is for Eve to question God’s good intention and thereby create in her a doubt that would lead to her “overthrow” His authority. In God’s lips the tone is more of a declarative tone in that Adam and Eve were never meant for this kind of existence and so they have violated their created intent. The role they were made for.
c. God’s better coverings: His grace preceded His judgment upon them.
APPLICATION:
1. As King and Ruler God has every right to make declaration and determination concerning His creation. We are not the authority. Adam was given by God the responsibility to rule over, as a steward, the creation. The point being God is still King and Ruler. We are not. He deserves the respect and honor and glory. We do not. He alone is worthy. We are not. When you hear any input to the contrary, regardless the source, reject it and respect the King.
2. If you are a follower of Christ and things don’t seem to be going the way you planned look at the “you” in the plan. He is King and Ruler it ought to be His plan. If you are respecting Him His way is perfect.
3. Looking at Adam and Eve and their removal from the garden we can conclude that this was their punishment. But does that really align with what we know of God as King, as Ruler, as Creator. He created Adam and Eve and it was good. Even in their falleness God compassionately makes them coverings. As they are now removed from the garden and paradise is lost. This hardship was designed to bring them to God not away from Him. Disobedience and rebellion have their consequences and God does not save us from them all. The Lord disciplines those He loves.
Conclusion: In the next 50 weeks there will be no one chapter messages. Together we have seen God in His creative activity revealing His nature as King / Creator / Ruler. Today, as King and Ruler of His “Kingdom” creation we have noted His grace and judgment because of Adam’s sin. Adam and Eve enjoyed an intimate and unbroken relationship with God but now that relationship is terribly distorted…and it will take an act of God to restore it. The door to redemption has been opened.
Last week we saw that God revealed Himself through His creative activity. In so doing, in Genesis 1 + 2 we looked into how knowing God as Creator and Ruler informs our worship of Him, our relationships with Him and others and our relationship with His world.
This week as we turn to Genesis 3 and the Fall of mankind what we see revealed about God is His absolute authority. In particular…
Essential Impact: God’s declarations are determined.
Main 1: Comprehend the seriousness of God’s commands.
a. After God placed Adam, the first created man, into the Garden, God placed a prohibition upon eating from one certain tree in the garden. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was off limits. Its fruit was not to be eaten.
b. Then God fashioned a women out of one of Adams ribs and Adam was very excited about her. Creation was complete and the happy couple was ready to live happily ever after…
c. …enter the serpent. This creature was more crafty than any other and who’s to say that before the Fall of humanity that Adam and Eve couldn’t talk with creation. {Illustration of the future: Isaiah 65.17-25} We just don’t know and we don’t need to. And so the serpent addresses Eve and they begin to dialogue. The serpent begins to tempt Eve.
d. But what is she being tempted towards? The fruit? A bigger and better Garden? A new mate? No, no, and no. She is being tempted to rebel against the authority of God. Now to be fair, we have no record that God spoke to her directly about the prohibition on the fruit of the tree and so we assume that either Adam told her or God did speak to them both at some subsequent time but we have no record of how she got the information. But from the dialogue with the serpent she certainly knew the content of the prohibition.
e. The serpent twists things right from the beginning and keeps the pressure on until she is in full rebellion and usurps the authority of God in her life. Then she turns to her husband and demonstrates her “new authority” and he capitulates and rebels as well.
Application:
1. The twisted words of the serpent = “any tree” which is a lie. God’s declarations are determined and we need to handle them with seriousness. Do not trivialize what is said by God. If you have troubles remembering what God said about something don’t just guess. Go back and look it up. Be certain to check and double check like the noble Bareans. On more than one occasion I have invited you to check what your favorite radio or t.v. preachers have to say. And I also invite you to check what I say against God’s declared determined word. {those who have asked me personally about the sinfulness of same gender relationships in light of recent events…people want to know}
2. Respond accurately. Eve’s answer includes the truth but there is just a little bit extra that gives ground to the temptation. Where this addition came from is uncertain. Did Adam add it when he spoke to Eve about the prohibition or did she begin to exercise her “self” in this dialogue? It’s almost as if she was saying, “I can make this prohibition even stronger and show this crafty serpent how much I really am sold out for God.” Well bless her heart isn’t she super spiritual?
3. Be on guard for your own reasoning. Even in a perfect situation Eve was tempted to use her natural observations to move away from God. When she saw that the fruit was delicious and nutritious and able to make one wise she rebelled against God and in effect questioned God’s authority and good intent towards her.
4. Speak up before it’s too late. Adam was silent for whatever reason he didn’t reiterate God’s prohibition. He was right there and he was silent. SYATP is a good opportunity to make a statement this Wednesday. Eve spoke up but did so of her own accord not relying on God’s declared word. So when you speak up do so fully gripped by His word.
Main 2: Live under God’s pronouncements and provisions.
a. God comes to be with Adam and Eve and asks for them. Why? Because He doesn’t know where they are? No, because Adam needs to know where he is.
b. Adam evaluates honestly his condition. He was afraid and he hid from God because of his nakedness. God pushes a bit further and gives us the reason for Adams condition. Adam did what God had told him not to do. Disobedience is serious. And then the rationalizations start.
c. Adam blames Eve…but it’s true. Eve blames the serpent…but it’s true. Then God turns to the serpent and begins His pronouncements of judgment.
d. the serpent is cursed…and the door of redemption opens.
e. Eve will have pain. She will desire Adam. He will rule.
f. Adam will have to work the ground to survive.
g. God makes them better coverings.
Application:
1. Humanity fell and what they thought they were going to get…ultimate self autonomy / another authority / to be like God with all the perks and privileges…they got none of it and in so rebelling they lost everything they had especially fellowship with God. Watch anything in your life that has the word “self” attached to it. {Illustration: Self-image and being created in the image of God or being conformed to the image of Christ. Genesis 1.26ff + Romans 8.29}
2. Jesus Christ, the second, Adam as explained in 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 5 came to defeat death. It entered the world through Adam and was conquered by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He came to pay the penalty for our sin whose wage is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Come to Him today.
Main 3: Respect the King / Creator[Ruler]
a. God then acts and removes Adam and Eve from the garden. He declares that they might stretch out their hand again. Their self-will and eat from another tree. The more they exercise their rebellion and authority the more they become gods in their own eyes. So God stretches out His hand and tosses them out. And then He places a guard in front so as to bar them entrance.
b. “Being Like God” – on the lips of the serpent and in the lips of God have two very different implications and outcomes. The twisted intent of the serpent is for Eve to question God’s good intention and thereby create in her a doubt that would lead to her “overthrow” His authority. In God’s lips the tone is more of a declarative tone in that Adam and Eve were never meant for this kind of existence and so they have violated their created intent. The role they were made for.
c. God’s better coverings: His grace preceded His judgment upon them.
APPLICATION:
1. As King and Ruler God has every right to make declaration and determination concerning His creation. We are not the authority. Adam was given by God the responsibility to rule over, as a steward, the creation. The point being God is still King and Ruler. We are not. He deserves the respect and honor and glory. We do not. He alone is worthy. We are not. When you hear any input to the contrary, regardless the source, reject it and respect the King.
2. If you are a follower of Christ and things don’t seem to be going the way you planned look at the “you” in the plan. He is King and Ruler it ought to be His plan. If you are respecting Him His way is perfect.
3. Looking at Adam and Eve and their removal from the garden we can conclude that this was their punishment. But does that really align with what we know of God as King, as Ruler, as Creator. He created Adam and Eve and it was good. Even in their falleness God compassionately makes them coverings. As they are now removed from the garden and paradise is lost. This hardship was designed to bring them to God not away from Him. Disobedience and rebellion have their consequences and God does not save us from them all. The Lord disciplines those He loves.
Conclusion: In the next 50 weeks there will be no one chapter messages. Together we have seen God in His creative activity revealing His nature as King / Creator / Ruler. Today, as King and Ruler of His “Kingdom” creation we have noted His grace and judgment because of Adam’s sin. Adam and Eve enjoyed an intimate and unbroken relationship with God but now that relationship is terribly distorted…and it will take an act of God to restore it. The door to redemption has been opened.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
September 13th, 2009.....OY: "Creation"
We begin at the beginning, Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 1.
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1.31-2.1
Essential Impact: God reveals Himself through His creative activity.
Main 1: Slow down and look for God in Creation.
“In the beginning God…”
1. God Exists: Four very significant, noteworthy, momentous, meaningful words that show us that God exists. Prior to anything else that there is He was. He has always been. He had no beginning and He will have no end. He is eternal. {Psalm 90.2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.}
Both of my sons have asked me, on numerous occasions, “Who made God?” The answer is no one made God. He has always been. I know that is hard for them to understand…but I also know that all of the adults in the room understand it fully. [Right] I do know it’s true and that’s as much as any of us can appreciate. The Bible does not answer all of our questions. No one ever said it had to.
2. Understanding “eternal”: The idea that someone or something is eternal is difficult to grasp. So the idea gets filed under one of two categories. One: romantic [i.e. star crossed lovers in a movie who finally end up in each others embrace and profess the love for all eternity. Nope. Two: impossible [i.e. nothing last forever] Nope. God is eternal and it is a matter of faith but not some kind of “throw my hands up in the air and call it good faith” but rather a faith in God and that He has always been and always will be.
Two illustrations:
i. the never ending library where you pick up the only book and turn to the fist page and that page represents one day…now the thing about this library is that every time you turn a page another book is added to the library…in both directions. A limited illustration but at least it is one we can fathom.
ii. space travel at the speed of light. If you travel at the speed of light you would circle the earth 7 times in one second. You would be past the moon in 2 seconds. Past Mars in four mintes. Past Pluto in 5 hours. At the speed of light, you will reach the closest star in 4.3 years, which means each second of those years you travel 186,000 miles —a total distance equivalent to 25,284,000,000,000 miles.
The band of stars you see in the night sky is part of a gigantic family of stars called the Milky Way Galaxy. Traveling at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to cross it from one side to the other. There are an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the Universe, many comprising billions of stars. Galaxies come in clusters and super-clusters. There are about twenty galaxies in our cluster, and thousands of galaxies in our super-cluster. At the speed of light, you will reach the next closest galaxy in 2,000,000 years …and the next closest cluster of galaxies in 20,000,000 years. At this point you have only begun to travel the Universe.
Main 2: Appreciate that God is the ruler of creation.
“God…created the heavens and the earth…”
1. Created = the activity of God
2. He created it. He owns it. He rules it.
illustration of Missionary in Papua New Guinea. As he walked around the village he would ask whose paddle is that or whose canoe is that? The tribesman would always answer, “that is so and so’s paddle.” The missionary asked, “How do you know?” They would answer, “Because so and so made it.” Taking it a step further the missionary asked, “Would it be ok if I broke this paddle.” The emphatic response came, “Only if you want trouble with the creator.” Finally the missionary asked, “Would it be ok if the creator broke it?” The tribesman thought for a moment and replied, “I guess that would be ok, he made it.” Creation is God’s doing and He is the owner and so He rules His creation.
3. Creation takes:
i. Power (-all): no raw materials, no blueprints
{Psalm 147.5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.}
ii. Knowledge (-all) no how to books, no architect
{Job 38.4-7 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?}
iii. Presence (-all) no shop or studio
{Jeremiah 23.23-24 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD, “And not a God far off? “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.}
{Jeremiah 51.15 It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.}
4. Creation was good
a. lights [camera; action] Day 1
b. earth, water, expanse Day 2
c. land + plants Day 3 = kinds
d. Sun, Moon and Stars Day 4 = Order
e. sea life + birds Day 5 = kinds
f. beasts + Man Day 6 =kinds
- perfection reflects a perfect Creator
- intimate details reflects a creative Creator
- Mankind
~ in His image
~ companions [Adam and Eve]
~ the Garden
g. for His glory {Revelation 4.11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”}
h. mankind was His friend
i. Creation was complete and good {Genesis 1.31}
Application:
1. Knowing God as He has revealed Himself to be
2. …informs our worship
3. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with Him
4. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with His world
5. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with each other.
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1.31-2.1
Essential Impact: God reveals Himself through His creative activity.
Main 1: Slow down and look for God in Creation.
“In the beginning God…”
1. God Exists: Four very significant, noteworthy, momentous, meaningful words that show us that God exists. Prior to anything else that there is He was. He has always been. He had no beginning and He will have no end. He is eternal. {Psalm 90.2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.}
Both of my sons have asked me, on numerous occasions, “Who made God?” The answer is no one made God. He has always been. I know that is hard for them to understand…but I also know that all of the adults in the room understand it fully. [Right] I do know it’s true and that’s as much as any of us can appreciate. The Bible does not answer all of our questions. No one ever said it had to.
2. Understanding “eternal”: The idea that someone or something is eternal is difficult to grasp. So the idea gets filed under one of two categories. One: romantic [i.e. star crossed lovers in a movie who finally end up in each others embrace and profess the love for all eternity. Nope. Two: impossible [i.e. nothing last forever] Nope. God is eternal and it is a matter of faith but not some kind of “throw my hands up in the air and call it good faith” but rather a faith in God and that He has always been and always will be.
Two illustrations:
i. the never ending library where you pick up the only book and turn to the fist page and that page represents one day…now the thing about this library is that every time you turn a page another book is added to the library…in both directions. A limited illustration but at least it is one we can fathom.
ii. space travel at the speed of light. If you travel at the speed of light you would circle the earth 7 times in one second. You would be past the moon in 2 seconds. Past Mars in four mintes. Past Pluto in 5 hours. At the speed of light, you will reach the closest star in 4.3 years, which means each second of those years you travel 186,000 miles —a total distance equivalent to 25,284,000,000,000 miles.
The band of stars you see in the night sky is part of a gigantic family of stars called the Milky Way Galaxy. Traveling at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to cross it from one side to the other. There are an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the Universe, many comprising billions of stars. Galaxies come in clusters and super-clusters. There are about twenty galaxies in our cluster, and thousands of galaxies in our super-cluster. At the speed of light, you will reach the next closest galaxy in 2,000,000 years …and the next closest cluster of galaxies in 20,000,000 years. At this point you have only begun to travel the Universe.
Main 2: Appreciate that God is the ruler of creation.
“God…created the heavens and the earth…”
1. Created = the activity of God
2. He created it. He owns it. He rules it.
illustration of Missionary in Papua New Guinea. As he walked around the village he would ask whose paddle is that or whose canoe is that? The tribesman would always answer, “that is so and so’s paddle.” The missionary asked, “How do you know?” They would answer, “Because so and so made it.” Taking it a step further the missionary asked, “Would it be ok if I broke this paddle.” The emphatic response came, “Only if you want trouble with the creator.” Finally the missionary asked, “Would it be ok if the creator broke it?” The tribesman thought for a moment and replied, “I guess that would be ok, he made it.” Creation is God’s doing and He is the owner and so He rules His creation.
3. Creation takes:
i. Power (-all): no raw materials, no blueprints
{Psalm 147.5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.}
ii. Knowledge (-all) no how to books, no architect
{Job 38.4-7 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?}
iii. Presence (-all) no shop or studio
{Jeremiah 23.23-24 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the LORD, “And not a God far off? “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.}
{Jeremiah 51.15 It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.}
4. Creation was good
a. lights [camera; action] Day 1
b. earth, water, expanse Day 2
c. land + plants Day 3 = kinds
d. Sun, Moon and Stars Day 4 = Order
e. sea life + birds Day 5 = kinds
f. beasts + Man Day 6 =kinds
- perfection reflects a perfect Creator
- intimate details reflects a creative Creator
- Mankind
~ in His image
~ companions [Adam and Eve]
~ the Garden
g. for His glory {Revelation 4.11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”}
h. mankind was His friend
i. Creation was complete and good {Genesis 1.31}
Application:
1. Knowing God as He has revealed Himself to be
2. …informs our worship
3. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with Him
4. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with His world
5. …leads us to consider / contemplate our relationship with each other.
"Puzzle" Introduction
Introduction: Aunt Joanie was an avid puzzler. She loved to work on puzzles. I know that some of you enjoy doing puzzles. Has anyone here ever put one of those mammoth puzzles together without having the box for a picture? How long would it take to do something like that? Do you think it is possible? Doing puzzles is made possible by knowing what it was meant to look like. You need to know what you’re aiming for.
The Bible can be like a puzzle in the same sense. In order to understand any individual part of the Bible if you grasp the whole picture you will know how the smaller parts fit together. They will become less confusing and more readily understood. That is one of our aims in this series…to gain a Biblical overview. Granted it will take a year but if you do the math it isn’t too serious a time commitment. 52 sermons = “52 hours” which is about 2 and 1/6th days time.
One of the first questions we need to answer to gain this overview is “why?” Why do we have the Bible or why does the Bible exist? The Bible exists because God breathed it into existence. The Holy Spirit inspired individuals to record the very Word of God. Why did God do this? He did this in order to reveal Himself specifically. He has revealed Himself generally by what we see…creation. His specifically reveals Himself, His nature, His character, His very being in the pages of His Word. Why would He do this? He does this for His own glory. To be known as God…because He is God.
So then another question that leads us directly into His Word is “how?” How did God reveal Himself in the pages of His Word? It is a question of context. Did He reveal Himself as a really Big Fish in a Sea community? No. Did He reveal Himself as the Principal of a school where the student learns and is tested about Him? No. He revealed Himself as the Ruler of a Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the context of the revelation of His glory. [That is the box]
One final question before we take our first step into this year long journey through God’s Word. Is there a main/central figure in this Kingdom? Yes. God is the central figure. The Bible is not a collection of Books about us or creation or the devil or spiritual growth. The Bible is a collection of Books about God. And the most specific way in which He reveals Himself is when He comes in human flesh…God reveals Himself most specifically in the person of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke 24.13-32 when Jesus meets up with two disciples on there way to Emmaus He begins to explain throughout all of God’s Word the things concerning Himself. {Luke 24.27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.} [That is the picture on the box]
The Bible can be like a puzzle in the same sense. In order to understand any individual part of the Bible if you grasp the whole picture you will know how the smaller parts fit together. They will become less confusing and more readily understood. That is one of our aims in this series…to gain a Biblical overview. Granted it will take a year but if you do the math it isn’t too serious a time commitment. 52 sermons = “52 hours” which is about 2 and 1/6th days time.
One of the first questions we need to answer to gain this overview is “why?” Why do we have the Bible or why does the Bible exist? The Bible exists because God breathed it into existence. The Holy Spirit inspired individuals to record the very Word of God. Why did God do this? He did this in order to reveal Himself specifically. He has revealed Himself generally by what we see…creation. His specifically reveals Himself, His nature, His character, His very being in the pages of His Word. Why would He do this? He does this for His own glory. To be known as God…because He is God.
So then another question that leads us directly into His Word is “how?” How did God reveal Himself in the pages of His Word? It is a question of context. Did He reveal Himself as a really Big Fish in a Sea community? No. Did He reveal Himself as the Principal of a school where the student learns and is tested about Him? No. He revealed Himself as the Ruler of a Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the context of the revelation of His glory. [That is the box]
One final question before we take our first step into this year long journey through God’s Word. Is there a main/central figure in this Kingdom? Yes. God is the central figure. The Bible is not a collection of Books about us or creation or the devil or spiritual growth. The Bible is a collection of Books about God. And the most specific way in which He reveals Himself is when He comes in human flesh…God reveals Himself most specifically in the person of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke 24.13-32 when Jesus meets up with two disciples on there way to Emmaus He begins to explain throughout all of God’s Word the things concerning Himself. {Luke 24.27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.} [That is the picture on the box]
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Be Encouraged
On September 13th we will begin a year long progression through the entire Bible. It may seem like a daunting task and to be certain it will be on a number of different fronts.
With only 52 weeks in a year and 66 Books in the Bible we cannot do a book a week and finish and so, our approach will have to be different. We will take a “bird’s eye view.” Sometimes we will soar high like an eagle and get an expansive view. At other times we will get a ducks view, in a sense, hovering closer to the ground and hopping from one pond to the next. And still at other times we’ll get the robin pecking for the worm view and be on the ground.
A word of encouragement for this daunting task.
52 weeks equals 52 sermons
If each sermon were an hour long that would be 52 hours.
[Now I realize it seems like the sermon is always more than an hour but it usually lands between 35 and 45 minutes.]
Doing the math with 24 hours in a day the entire sermon series end for end would only occupy 2 and 1/6th days. Not a huge time commitment when you think about it.
Please continue to pray for our congregation during this time and for those who will visit.
With only 52 weeks in a year and 66 Books in the Bible we cannot do a book a week and finish and so, our approach will have to be different. We will take a “bird’s eye view.” Sometimes we will soar high like an eagle and get an expansive view. At other times we will get a ducks view, in a sense, hovering closer to the ground and hopping from one pond to the next. And still at other times we’ll get the robin pecking for the worm view and be on the ground.
A word of encouragement for this daunting task.
52 weeks equals 52 sermons
If each sermon were an hour long that would be 52 hours.
[Now I realize it seems like the sermon is always more than an hour but it usually lands between 35 and 45 minutes.]
Doing the math with 24 hours in a day the entire sermon series end for end would only occupy 2 and 1/6th days. Not a huge time commitment when you think about it.
Please continue to pray for our congregation during this time and for those who will visit.
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