Series: Chaos to Covenant
Title: “How did the universe begin?"
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2 NIV Father and Spirit created
Hebrews 11:3 created out of nothing
Romans 5:20 where sin increased, grace increased all the more
2 Timothy 2:13 if we're faithless, he is faithful
John 1:1-14 Father and Son created
Colossians 1:15-17 Son of God created
Hebrews 1:1-3 Son of God created
Acts 2:36-39 (Invitation)
Bottom line: The universe begins with God speaking it into existence from nothing.
INTRODUCTION
CONTEXT
SERMON OUTLINE
CONCLUSION
NOTES
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
OUTLINES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
MAIN REFERENCES USED
INTRODUCTION
"TWO MAPS, ONE JOURNEY by David Helms
I vividly recall taking family vacations. My father was a schoolteacher, and summertime meant extended driving trips.
We began at home in Chicago and drove to South Dakota and Mount Rushmore — across to Cheyenne- up to Yellowstone - down through the Rockies — and into Silverton, where we would camp for an extended time.
In the months leading up to those trips, Dad would always post a large map of the United States on our refrigerator door.
This map contained the grand view of the entire journey. For on it, with indelible ink, Dad would trace our path. However, he never traced it out all at once. You see, all seven of us kids would set aside money from our newspaper routes in an effort to help pay for the gasoline for the trip. So, as the funds for gas accumulated, the indelible ink indicating how far we could go extended across the map. It was always a great day when the ink made its way back to the beginning, because we knew then that we had collected enough money to pay for the entire trip.
A funny thing, though: We never brought this map on the trip. The "grand view map" was too general. For the actual trip we needed a more detailed map, so we took along our Rand McNally Road Atlas, complete with all fifty states! I loved that map because it contained inset maps of large cities and all kinds of information the refrigerator map didn't have.
The creation account in Genesis 1, like the map on my family's refrigerator, is the grand view in which mankind is seen as the pinnacle, but only within the context of all of creation.
Chapter 2, on the other hand, is like one page of the Rand McNally map, which shows in full detail what the pinnacle (mankind) is really like.
In one breath, chapter 1 spoke of the creation of man in the image of God as male and female. Now, however, beginning in
2:4, the writer focuses our attention specifically on humankind.
He wants us to camp here for an extended time.
This is exciting, because chapter 2 deals directly with one of life's big questions: "Who are we, really?"" -David Helms, pp. 49-50
Imagine you are a cartoon. You live in a 2D world--height and width. Let's say you can think like you do now. You have the same questions about life and eternity. You live in a animated world that is real. Eventually, you realize that there's order in your cartoon world. You see clues in the consistency of things, the order of things, the purposefulness of things and the beauty of things. This leads to more questions. Eventually, the cartoonist begins to reveal more to you through other characters. And at some point you realize that there is a creator of the cartoon world in which you live. In fact, the great cartoonist exists and created you on purpose for a purpose.
If you found yourself in this situation, how would you respond? How would you feel about the great cartoonist? Would you be grateful that he created you when he didn't to? Or would you complain about he color of your costume? Would you be in awe that there exists a being so powerful that at the stroke of a pen, he could create life? Or would you complain about the story plot of your life?
My hope is that as we listen to God through His Story in Genesis, we will wrestle with these questions in 3D+. Because this is like the world in which we live. There's a creator and he is God. His name is Jesus and he created you on purpose for a purpose. My hope is that you will come to understand and believe this to the degree that it moves you to gratitude and worship. Not just when we sing a song but 24//7. That it will shape the way that you live and the choices that you make and the narratives you choose to believe and the people you hang out with.
Let's look at Genesis and ask ourselves 2 questions as we do:
God, what are you saying to me today?
God, what do you want me to do about what you're saying to me today?
CONTEXT
Genesis (beginning) is a book of beginnings.
It's primeval history (universal world history) of the world (universe) made up of 5 stories with the same structure. (1-11)
The Fall
Cain
Sons of God marrying daughters of man
The Flood
Tower of Babel
They all follow this 4-fold pattern:
Sin: the sin is described
Speech: There is a speech by God announcing the penalty for the sin
Grace: God brings grace to the situation to ease the misery due to sin
Punishment: God punishes the sin
Patriarchal history (12-50) or the history of Israel's founding fathers. It continues to reveal the many graces of God based on the gracious promise God made to and through Abraham in Genesis 12:3.
"Genesis is about grace." Sin, then grace. Sin, then grace.
Grace is often times defined as an acronym
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense
Grace is undeserved favor.
Genesis is also about God's fidelity.
God is faithful even when we're not.
God keeps his promises even when the people the promises are for threaten the fulfillment of the promises.
"If we are faithless, he remains faithful--for he cannot deny himself." 2 Timothy 2:13
People are wonderful and awful.
The bulk of Genesis affirms our terrible sinfulness.
Therefore, salvation had to come by faith (we certainly didn't deserve it or could earn it)
Genesis 15:6 Moses writes, "Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness."
"There's only one way fallen humanity can be saved--the Genesis way--by faith. There has never been another way." -Hughes
Who wrote Genesis? According the Old and New Testaments, Moses c. 15th century BC. Jesus confirms this.
Kind of cool:
Genesis 1:1 is 7 words.
1:2 is 14 words.
And the chapter ends with 3 verses of 7 Hebrew words (21 words).
SERMON
I. Primeval history (1-11)--God and the world
A. God and the beginning
Bereshith Elohim Bara is the Hebrew for this phrase, "In the beginning God..."
"In the beginning" of our universe - Hebrew bereshith
God was there in the beginning before time and space existed. The beginning of universal history.
He has always existed. He never began or was born.
He will always exist. He lives forever.
Elohim = God or gods; not plural for number here but intensity i.e. Most God you can get
Genesis, the OT, and the Bible are all about God, his creation and his glory.
The Bible assumes God's existence. Never debates it. Says the fool believes there is no God in Proverbs.
It's one thing to doubt or question whether he exists or not
It's another to ignore the many evidences of his existence and conclude he doesn't exist; too much evidence from nature
B. God and the universe (1:1): "God created the heavens and the earth."
"God created the heavens..."
Heavens = skies
Heaven 1: as we think about it
Space
Our sky as we think about it
Earth = land (they would have understood it as the ground)
We see from the rest of the chapter that God spoke things into existence.
God created out of love for us and his son
Us - we now exist
Him - he now has a bride (not that he needed one)
God created from nothing - Hebrew bara; this reminds me of an old joke:
An atheist scientist came to God and said, “We’ve figured out how to make a man without you.” God said, “OK, let me see you do it.” So the atheist bent down to the ground and scooped up a handful. But God stopped him and said, “Oh, no you don’t. Get your own dirt!”
Primary or absolute creation is from nothing (what only God can do)
Secondary or relative creation is from something (what we can do)
God or Elohim (gods in Hebrew) is plural as a literary device to intensify the word. This isn't just a god. This is the God of gods.
God is the point of the Bible.
God is pre-existent. He existed before our universe did because he's eternal and uncreated. Before time and space, there was God.
God is powerful. He created out of nothing.
God is personal. He personally spoke creation into existence. He personally walked in the garden with Adam.
C. God and the earth (1:2): "Now the earth (land) was formless (wild) and empty (waste), darkness was over the surface of the deep (abyss = chaotic darkness), and the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) was hovering (overshadowing) over the waters."
The world starts out as a dark, chaotic, wild wasteland without form. God will form it, frame it, fill it and then finish it.
Here he begins to form it through his Spirit. The triune God is at work here.
Have you ever been at sea, miles out, at night? Maybe on a cruise ship or a deep sea fishing trip so far out that you can't see any lights or land? It's creepy and a little scary.
God creates/works as a triune God
Father--Genesis 1:1; 26
Son--John 1:1-2; Gen 1:26
Holy Spirit--Genesis 1:2; 26
The Spirit working chaos to order is seen when the Holy Spirit "overshadows" Mary making her pregnant with Jesus in the virgin birth (new creation). The Holy Spirit comes down like a dove onto Jesus at his baptism in the waters (symbolizing chaos and judgment). The Spirit raises Jesus from the dead, bringing him back to life. (Bethencourt) This is the first of many examples of the Holy Spirit doing this kind of work.
II. Patriarchal history (12-50)--God and Abraham's family
CONCLUSION
Bottom line: The universe begins with God speaking it into existence from nothing.
God deserves our worship. Therefore, we should worship him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.
God creates out of love. Love creates and connects relationally.
God wants us to worship him with our lips and our lives. (Hebrews 13:15-16)
Invitation
““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” Acts 2:36-39 NIV
Bottom line:
What is God saying to me right now?
What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper.
What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.
[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.
Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don’t have to get too specific to give him praise.
Pray
NOTES
Truths to note
God existed and exists eternally
God exists in plural unity as the Holy Trinity
God was in the beginning
God was before anything existed in our universe and the universe itself
God created everything that exists in the universe and the universe itself
God creates something from nothing Latin ex nihilo
An atheist scientist came to God and said, “We’ve figured out how to make a man without you.” God said, “OK, let me see you do it.” So the atheist bent down to the ground and scooped up a handful. But God stopped him and said, “Oh, no you don’t. Get your own dirt!”
God creates with words. He spoke creation into existence. His words still have power.
God creates purposefully for his glory and our good.
God starts with light to display his creation and provide an essential ingredient for life.
God only creates things that are good. Together it was all very good and will be again.
God is a God of order and moves from chaos to order.
Elohim (gods) intensifies God's divine majesty, when used as a noun. When used as a verb, it's singular for there is only one true God.
God created all things. "Heavens and earth"
God created an "open" universe, not a "closed" one where he never interacts
Notes from Bible Project Videos
1-11 God and the world
12:3 Hinge verse
12-50 God and Abraham's family
Disorder --> Order
Adam = human
Humanity created to:
Reflect God's character (image)
Represent God's rule (reign)
Harness creation's potential and create beauty and order
"Blessing" is a key word here
Choice: Tree of knowledge of good and evil
Trust God's definition of good and evil, or
Seize autonomy and define good and evil for themselves?
Serpent (against God) tells a different story. He lies when he tells them that if they eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they will be like God. Because they already are like God (made in his image).
Heavens and earth aka skies and land
Formless and empty aka wild and waste
Deep abyss = dark, chaotic ocean
Days 1-3 God splits apart and forms this disordered waste into 3 ordered realms:
Realm: Time. God splits darkness and light on Day 1.
Realm: Sky & Seas. God splits the waters into water canopy or clouds (or both) and sea on Day 2.
Realm: Land. God brings land out of water and includes vegetation on it on Day 3.
Days 4-6 God
Day 4 brings lights--sun, moon and stars to reflect his light in space.
Day 5 brings creations to fill the sky and sea
Day 6 brings land animals and humanity to fill the land.
First poem in the Bible (1:27) celebrates God's creation where he completed the skies, land and inhabitants. God completes and rests and dwells in this sacred space he treats as a temple. The world or at least the garden of Eden is his temple.
Notes from Bethencourt
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