Great Chapters of the Bible

Scripture: II Peter 3:3-7

C.I.: Genesis 1

Today we are going to begin a new series of lessons (title). Where a good case could be made for every chapter to be considered “great,” we only have time during September for 4 chapters (2 O.T. & 2 N.T.). Today we begin with the Bible's first chapter!

•  “In the beginning…,” (Genesis 1)

•  Laying Out the Creative Plan (4 things are required to create anything; from a pan of brownies, a quilt, to a house).

•  The “Creative Plan” = ( v. 1 ), “In the beginning [time] God created [force] the heavens [space] and the earth [matter] .”
a. When God inspired Moses to write Genesis the people of God were a nomadic group of former slaves who were wandering throughout the wilderness of Sinai.
1) It was not written for PhDs in various applied sciences. – They want to discuss“external evidences”; (Mt. St. Helen's lava dome, R.R. trestle becoming coal, etc.).
2) This chapter defines; who we are, how we got here, and even how “here” got “here”!

b. Let's take this “creative plan” (Gen. 1:1) and discuss from the scriptures how we can know these things are true.
1) Skeptics will not be convinced, “You're using the Bible to prove the Bible!”
2) Clearly, at the end of the day, we all need to be able to answer, “What is more reasonable to believe; that an infinitely powerful, all-knowing being created the universe, or that in the beginning there was
nothing which exploded & this marvelously complex, infinitely intricate universe happened?”

B. Time (the first thing God created)

1. People scoff when we speak of a “recent creation” (6,000 years). But what does God say?!
a. Does the Bible teach that the “days of creation” are literal 24 hour days, or are they vast eons of time?
1) God uses normal terminology, ( vs. 5, 8, 13 ), “…and there was evening and morning, day ___.”
2) If we are to assume that a “day” represents a large unit of time, what does “evening…” represent?!

b. “But what about that thing where ‘…a day = 1,000 years and 1,000 years = a day?' ”
1) This is not about what we can learn about time but rather what we can know about God!
2) ( II Pt. 3:8-10 ), “Do not let this one fact escape your notice, that with the Lord one day… The Lord is not slow about His promise… But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the elements will be destroyed….”.”
3) Since God exists outside of time and can move/stay in any direction of time. For while we are “trapped in time,” God can spend “1,000 years in one day, or….” So, this verse is NOT talking about creation.

c. God puts “time in its place” in the 10 Commandments.
1) ( Ex. 20:8, 11 ), Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy … for in 6 days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the 7 th day, therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day….”
2) If the creation “days” represent vast units of time, then what does the Sabbath day represent??!

d. What about a long “Gap” between creation & man? ( Lk. 11:50-51 ), “…that the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world will be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah….”
1) Abel = Genesis 4 (close to “foundation” ), Zechariah = II Chronicles (end of the Jewish O.T.).
2) Thus, Abel lived close enough to the world's founding that Jesus could use this to illustrate His point!

f. So, we can know for certain that God believes in a 6 day creation!

C. Energy (the force behind the creation was not an impersonal “Big Bang,” but was the hand of God!)

1. ( Rom. 1:19-20 ), “…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
a. Verse 19 deals with the “Ontological Argument for the Existence of God.”
1) Stated, “Virtually all men, at all times, have the concept of some sort of divine being.”
2) Voltaire (Enlightenment philosopher), “If god did not exist we would have to invent him.”
3) To deny what we know to be innately true is foolish, ( Psa. 14:1 ), “The fool has said in his…”

b. Verse 20 deals with the “Cosmological argument for the existence of God”
1) Stated, “Everything created [effect] was caused by something. The cause is always greater than the effect. The ‘first cause' is God.”
2) Therefore spiritual reality for the existence of God is evidenced by His physical creation.


2. That God is the “force” behind the creation gives the Christian hope in time of need!
a. This is true in meeting the greatest need that mankind has . . ..
1) ( Jn. 1:3, 12-13 ), “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. … As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, not of the will of the flesh ( Mk. 10:26-27 ) , nor the will of man ( Matt. 7:21 ) , but of God.”
2) The only force in the universe that can save someone for all eternity is that same power that created the universe in the first place – Jesus!

D. Space & Matter (the “stuff” of the creation)

1. The scriptures frequently use the immensity of the creation (i.e. universe) to point us to the power of God.
a. The very size of the creation speaks of the greatness of God.
1) ( Psa. 19:1 ), “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and their expanse [space] is declaring the work of His hands.”
2) ( Psa. 8:3-4 ), “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man, that You take thought of him? And the son of man, that you care…?”

2. When it comes to “Matter” Jesus frequently showed His power over His creation.
a. All these things so the people would believe in Him.
1) His very first miracle, ( Jn. 2:7-11 ), “Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing 20-30 gallons each. Jesus said, ‘Fill the water pots with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, ‘Draw some out now, and take it to the steward.' And they took it to him. And when the steward tasted the water which had become wine, he called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk
freely, then that which is poorer; but you have kept the good wine until now.' This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”
2) Calming the sea, ( Matt. 8:26-27 ), “Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm. And the men marveled saying, ‘What kind of man is this, that even the wind...?'”

b. So, even “space” and “matter” are declaring not only God's existence, but also His greatness!

E. Yet Genesis 1 is about More Than the Physical Creation

1. ( Gen. 1:26-27 ), “Then God said, ‘Let Us create man in Our own image, according to Our likeness…' … in the image of God
He created him; male and female He created them.”
a. That man is created “in God's image” means that we are not merely physical beings like all the animals.
1) Being created in His image means that we are also spiritual beings, ( Jn. 4:24 ), “God is spirit.”
2) This fact sets Genesis 1 apart from all of the other chapters in the Bible.

b. Here we learn not only the nature of the creation, but also the purpose behind God's creation of mankind.
1) God created man so that He could love someone outside of Himself and also to be with us!
2) ( Gen. 3:8-9 ), “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees in the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?'”
3) Because of sin mankind separated himself from God, ( Isa. 59:1-2 ).
2. Yet in spite of our sin, God still loves us and desires to be with us!
a. So He did the most amazing thing.
1) ( Jn. 1:14 ), “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
2) Not only in this life, and not only for that generation; but for all mankind and for every generation, Jesus still loves us and still wants to be with us!

b. The only question we need to ask is, “How much do I love Him & how badly do I want to live in His presence?”
1) Since He is spirit, are you willing to place your faith in someone you cannot see, ( II Cor. 4:18; 5:7 )?
2) Are we willing to accept that our adversary, the devil, has taken the wonderful things God has created and twisted them into something destructive our souls, ( Eph. 2:1-3 )?
3) Are you willing to turn away from these things and the sin they brought into your life and to now live for God, ( II Pt. 3:9 ).
4) Because of this spiritual death caused by sin, are you willing to be buried with Christ through baptism that He might raise you to talk a new life, ( Rom. 6:3-4; I Pt. 3:21 ).