In The Beginning - Creation (Section 1 Overveiw Outline) Series

“IN THE BEGINNING”

Views Of Creation

INTRODUCTION:

A. New explanations sometimes cause misunderstandings, fears, etc.

B. Two things to think about:

1. We must be careful when the Bible and Science cross paths. The Bible is accepted by and based on faith which can be supported by fact, whereas, science is supposed to

be based on fact alone.

2. New things can often be strange things. We must examine new ideas critically to see whether they be so. Study to show thyself approved.

C. Justification for Teaching

I. VIEWS OF CREATION (Overview of Major Ideas)

A. GOD CREATED

1. Absolutely & Directly

a. Young Earth -- less than 10,000 yrs. old -- created 6,000 yrs ago

b. Old Earth -- millions to billions of yrs old

(1) Day-Age Theory -- Each creative day was an age of time

(2) Gap Theory Gen. 1:1-2

2. Indirectly --Theistic Evolution--- God used processes described as evolution

B. NO GOD INVOLVED --Evolutionary View (Modern):

1. Big Bang 18-20 Billion yrs ago -- Matter of universe the size of a period

2. Cooling Planet

3. Evolutionary thought with Charles Darwin and others

II. ALPHA -- THE BEGINNING (Forever before)

A. The Eternal God Deut. 33:27

B. The Eternal Son John 1:1-3

C. The Eternal Spirit Heb 9:14

D. Other Scriptures: Ps 90:2; Ps 93:2; Rev. 1:8

III. THE ETERNAL PLAN

A. Belongs to the Lord -- Deut 29:29

B. Known from the beginning to the end -- Isa 46:10; Acts 15:18

C. Purposed in Christ Eph 3:1-12

1. The Revelation to Paul

a. Revelation Defined

b. Mystery Defined

c. What is the Mystery?

d. How long has this mystery existed? “from the beginning of the world”

e. Who holds -- reveals the mystery? God “who created all things by Jesus Christ”

2. II Tim 1:8-10 His purpose

3. Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life,”

4. Other Scriptures

D. God created the material universe to be inhabited with intelligent, free moral agents, . . .

IV. THE CREATION --The Father willed it. The Son planned, programmed and was the architect of it. He was the agent and purpose of it. The Spirit is the executor. The Spirit carried it out. He made it appear. (Ray Stedman)

A. Created by Christ Col. 1:13-19; (Remember John 1:1-3)

B. Created by the Word of God Heb 11:3 atoms -- not seen?

1. Through faith we understand

2. Faith gives understanding to the invisible world -- David Guzik

a. How were the worlds . . . framed by the word of God?

b. We did not see this act of creation; we only know of it by faith

c. This text does not say that God created the world with faith; since God sees and knows all things, "faith" in a human sense is superfluous to Him.

d. Most scientists at the time Hebrews was written believed the universe was created out of existing matter, not out of nothing, not out of the invisible

C. Possible Creative Order:

1. Third Heaven -- God's Abode

2. Angels -- Lucifer

3. Second Heaven -- Space, stars, etc.

4. First Heaven and Earth

5. Pre-Adam "Man"?

6. Hell ? Matt 25:41 “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

7. Man

D. Gen. 1:1 Heaven

1. Heavens--more than one

2. Three Heavens

3. Old Heaven(s) II Peter 3:

4. New Heaven(s) Rev. 21:1

E. Angels Created Beings

1. Angels (means messenger) --at first -- in third Heaven Ps. 148:1-5

a. Multitude of Angels Rev. 5:11

b. Orders

c. Activities, Etc.

d. Free moral agents

2. Angels named

a. Michael -- Archangel (chief)

b. Gabriel -- Messenger Dan. 8:16; Dan. 9:21; Luke 1:19

c. Abaddon -- Satan?

d. Lucifer ? -- "the anointed cherub" Ezek. 28:14 [No name given here.]

3. Lucifer? -- According to Ezekiel

4. Lucifer -- According to Isaiah Only occurrence of the word “Lucifer.”

F. Earth Gen. 1:1“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

If you believe Genesis 1:1, you really have no problem believing the rest of the Bible.

G. A paradise state is created on Earth and populated with Pre-Adam Man ? Genesis 1:1

1. Not in the image of God

2. Did not have dominion

(We are not given the details of the creation of the old world and pre-Adam "man".)

3. Pre-Adam Civilization is destroyed.

H. Restoration of the Solar System, Plants and Animals, etc. are re-Created

I. Man Created in the Image of God

V. SOME OF THE BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EARTH’S HISTORY

A. Fossils? -- 3 billion yrs old -- bacteria

1. Man

a. What about “Lucy”?

b. What about Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus,

Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons?

c. Modern human species evolved perhaps as early as 200,000 yrs ago. (Sci. says)

2. Plant fossils

a. Buried deep in the earth.