Beginnings - Creation

When we were kids, mistakes were magically fixed with a “do-over.” As adults, God knows we still need “do-overs.” Good thing the Bible begins with a book called “Genesis.” It is not merely the beginning—it tells the story of “new-beginnings.” Generation after generation—Adam, Noah, and Abraham—God gave second chances. Perhaps it’s time for a reboot for you, your church, or your community! Scripture: Genesis 1:1-3

The most basic question of life is this: Why are we here? It’s foundational for virtually every religion and philosophy. It’s a universal question. I don’t even need to ask if you’ve asked that question. We all have…we all do! And let’s not kid ourselves, it’s not easy to answer. Just because we’re in church doesn’t mean we can smugly quote a scripture and pretend this answers the question that all of us continue to wrestle with. The pain of life makes any easy answers seem insufficient. If you have experienced pain, you know the problem.

Why are we here?

God Created

God created the world. Most people would agree with that. However, it was actually a rare idea when it was first recorded. You see, every other religion of the ancient near east assumed that matter was eternal, and the gods arose out of matter. So, gods were part of creation, not the cause of it. Judaism shot a thunderbolt through philosophy by this simple statement in Genesis 1:1. Suddenly, God is the creator, not just a manipulator of material. Let me say that again, God is the creator, not just the manipulator of the material.

You know why this matters even if you don’t know how you know this matters. Whatever we create we care about. Have you ever created anything? A poem, painting, business, team, garden, table, or Thanksgiving dinner. What is the last thing you created? To you, this may not look like much. But I love it! In fact, (this is embarrassing) after I finished it, I kept going back to look at it, to touch it, to ask my wife if she noticed it…AGAIN. I took a picture of it and posted it on Instagram. Why? Because it has my fingerprints on it. We all know this—when your fingerprints are on it your heart is in it. You know why? Because we’re like God. No, seriously, God embedded his creative instinct in me, you as well. That’s why we are all so insatiably creative. Whether it is art, architecture, poetry, welding, music, or interior design, we just love to make stuff and we love the stuff we make. Our creations are extensions of ourselves.

Verse 1 states that God created the world ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium