Introducing the Creator (Genesis 1:1)
To listen to (part of) the sermon of Graham Nicholls preaching on Sunday evening 21st January 2018 use the player above.
Unfortunately the recording was interrupted after the first point so we’ve included a summary below
Summary
- Only the Bible can answer the big questions about origins but it’s not a scientific explanation!
- Moses writes Genesis in context where the nations around had many creation myths
- “In the beginning, God…”
- Although the Bible, (and the world around us) give evidence for the existence of God, Genesis starts us off basic fundamental statement that God was there in the beginning
- Compare Heb 11:3 2 Tim 1:9; Psalm 90:2
- God creates space and time. He is not a part of it
- God owns the world – it is his story to write
- God is our teacher about origins because he was there
- “Created the heavens and earth”
- God made everything
- Described in chapter 1 in terms of days of creation then zooming in on the creation of man and woman in Chapter 2
- Sunday through Tuesday separating: light and darkness, sky and earth, sea and land
- Wednesday through Friday filling: stars and planets, fish and birds , livestock and humans
- The 7 days are either identical to our days (one spin of the earth) or analogous. Either way this is some kind of historical description
- We can believe this because God tells us, but it helps that there is ample evidence in the world for a creator and presently evolution is in a bit of a crisis because of lack of evidence for origin of life or the big leaps from one species to another or the existence of DNA…
- There is not a natural cause for your existence – the world is not God. do not worship the world
- God made it good (v31)
- Summary stands back able to say it is all good
- Although the world is fallen from perfect goodness. God is still good and there is a good and right way for things to work. His ways, his laws, are good and good for you.
- You are not a product of chance. Your life has real meaning
- Christ was there making this good world and he is there at the end restoring and perfecting the new one
Series: Genesis (2018)