Creation Evangelism

Introduction:

For VBS this year we are having a carnival to kick things off tonight.

First morning, Monday, beginning at 9 am, talking about creation from Genesis 1 and 2.

Second morning, Tuesday, talking about mankind’s view of the beginning and how that contrasts with the Biblical worldview.

Third morning, Wednesday, talking about God’s handiwork and focusing on several animals to see how special they are and how they could not just come about by chance.

Last morning, Thursday, talking about dinosaurs and how they support the Biblical worldview. Even make mention of two creatures from the Bible, Job, behemoth and leviathan that are described in detail that mankind says were not around during the time of man.

Saturday we have a youth fishing tournament where we get into creation and enjoy it.

Thesis: What does this have to do with the gospel?

For instances:

Take us through the gospel with a thrill ride, rollercoaster ride, highs and lows.

A perfect world- Genesis 1:1-2:3

Genesis 1:1- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

In 6 days (7th day he rested) God made the creation out of nothing.

Genesis 1:31- God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

High point in our ride

Sin enters the World- Genesis 3:1-13

Genesis 2:15-17- The LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Genesis 3:1- Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Genesis 3:6: When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

The Fall of man was a major event that caused everything to change. Sin entered the world. Sin is when we don’t obey God’s commands. The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve were the first to sin, but all of us sin. When we sin, we are disobeying God.

Low point in our ride

A Broken World- Genesis 3:14-19

Since God is perfect, He has to punish sin. God punishes the woman, man and serpent

Woman

Genesis 3:16- I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.

Women will have pain when giving birth to children.

Women will desire to rule over their husbands. This is a breakdown in the role of authority. Mankind wants to rebel against authority whether it be human authority or God’s authority.

Man

Genesis 3:17-19- Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

The ground is cursed. Thorns and thistles, weeds, bad stuff in nature came about. God placed a curse on the plants. The curse made the world a broken place that would now have volcano eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and other disasters.

Work became hard. Before the Fall work was a blessing but now it is difficult and frustrating.

Most seriously, this is the point where death came about. Because of man’s disobedience, God banished man from the garden so he wouldn’t be able to eat from the Tree of Life, and God said that man would die. The animals would all die too. A fact of the corrupt world.

Serpent

A) Genesis 3:14- Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

B) This does directly apply to serpents (have some snakes this week) but it also applies in a general way to all animals. Before the Fall, all animals and people ate only plants and got along with each other. After the Fall, animals would turn against each other, eat each other and would need ways to protect themselves. God gave each animal some form of protection.

C) Stinky odor of the skunk, ink spray of an octopus, breakaway arm of starfish, hard shell of a turtle, poisonous spins of sea urchin, bad taste of monarch butterfly, etc.