“God and His Creation”
SERMON Title: God and His Creation
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:1-27 (ESV)
Introduction:
Child: “Mom, where did I come from?”
Mom: “… Let me tell you about the birds and bees; God created man and woman when…; Reproduction happens like…”
Child: “... Oh, hmm. My friend Nick is from Indiana.”
Sometimes, we may subconsciously answer questions with a certain frame of mind the asker is not curious about. When we think about Genesis 1 and the story of creation, we may answer questions rooted in frames of reference touching on ideas of evolution, scientific evidence, astronomical principles, etc. Even after multiple attempts to explain this chapter, Genesis 1 remains heavily debated and struggles in being accepted wholly and satisfactorily under one interpretation. Though Genesis 1 has been questioned as being written with a perspective of a historical narrative or a poetic account, ultimately, the Book of Genesis was written to reveal who God is and what He has and continues to do.
This morning, as we dive into exploring Genesis 1, we will look at:
The Doctrine of Creation: how God created the world.
What do we learn about God from this text?
What do we learn about the created world from this text?
Overview:
The Doctrine of Creation:
Genesis written as a historical narrative:
Many examples in the Bible (e.g.,: 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, Luke, etc.).
Straightforward language and account of events.
Genesis written as a poetic account:
Other books in the Bible include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, etc.
The evident symmetry and pattern through: repetition, refrains, parallelism, metaphors, similes.
Our response:
We ought to have a charitable view of others who hold different views.
Spirit of charity, love, and humility.
Our stance stemming from an issue of conviction rather than as a core doctrinal issue.
We ought to bring our ideas under God’s work.
To let God’s Word form and shape the way we think.
What we learn about God:
God is personal:
God desires an intimate relationship with us, and this comes through investing time and energy into Him.
Our relationship with Him grows when we choose to walk closely with Him through sharing our words, our thoughts, and interactions over time.
God is powerful:
God speaks and the world comes into being. It is solely God’s presence and role at the beginning in the story of creation.
God is sovereign and His power displays this. Unless you truly grasp this, you will live in a way that betrays your lack of trust in His sovereignty and provision over your life.
Application:
What do we learn about the created world?
We see the goodness of creation.
Our motivation is to enjoy the goodness of this world that God has made for us. (1 Timothy 4:4)
Our lives are not meant only to be lived under suffering and persecution. Even with Jesus’ first miracle, He helps His people enjoy creation. (John 2)
We see the created world is limited.
The fallen, created world points more clearly to our God who we cherish and enjoy for His power and sovereignty displayed to us.
There is one power in Genesis 1. One God and He has made everything else.
Sermon reflection questions:
After listening to the sermon, what perspective do you have in understanding the creation story described in Genesis 1? What are some parts to Scripture that remain confusing or unrealistic to you? How have you tried to answer these questions?
Who or what do you worship? What defines or drives you in life? How did this thing or person become what you worship as you live? Do you see how your life is good or bad because of worshiping this thing or person?
How has it been going in terms of finding and setting time aside for God? Share with 1 partner the difficulties or the thankfulness you have had in your relationship with God recently.
