Let There Be Space ... Series

Alpha and Omega, Part 2

“Let there be space …”

Genesis 1:6-8

Introduction

- We’ve begun the year with “one purpose”: Knowing there is a God!

-- Just as a building requires a builder, a creation must have a Creator

- There is an irrational logic trying to prove something happened from nothing

-- Even scientists will tell us to follow the science, but ignore their own rules

- Remember last week, scientist & philosopher Herbert Spencer: Everything that exists, exists in one of these five categories: time, force, action, space, and matter. (key scientific phrase) Nothing exists outside of those categories.”

-- However, everything we have seen falls into one of these five categories!

-- Simple: “Even if it all started with a bang, what created the bang’s elements?”

- This truth, that there IS a God, will frame our year around the word: GROW

-- It will be our fuel to dive deeper, and explore opportunities to mature in faith

- Continue our series, “Alpha and Omega”; examine beginning to end

-- Study two critical questions: How did we get here? How does it end?

- Last week’s big ideas:

1. Understanding creation IS critical for all of us

-- God created, based on His power and authority, and set our foundations in place

-- IMP: If we have no Creator, we have no Redeemer – only Creator can redeem!

-- To redeem means to “restore to something’s original condition” …

2. Creation causes us to marvel at who God is; to see His authority

3. When we recognize what God has done, we must stand in AWE of who He is

-- He did not overcomplicate this, in order that you and I could comprehend this!

-- God has a mind, a will, and emotions -- He communicates and reveals Himself

-- Psalm 33:8 encourages our response, “Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.”

- Let’s look at our passage for today (v6-8 specifically); Read Genesis 1:1-8 / Pray

Point 1 – God said, “Let there be a space between the waters”

- At the beginning of Day 2, bible reports the Earth is covered in water (the deep)

-- The Earth, in the very beginning, was nothing; even without form / shape

- Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters”

-- Don’t miss the obvious: He speaks, and the universe responds, ultimate authority

-- Space, vault, or firmament in Hebrew: “raqia”; extended surface; an expanse

- Remember from last week the foundation is water (ref Genesis 1:2)

-- Hebrew phrase “tohu wa boho”; tohu wa is wasteland; boho is empty

-- And by His word, he removes all things between to create a place for creation

-- Consider this: What was only water, is now a space to thrive

- By His design, there is an area created between two things we know existed:

-- 1. The water (or seas) below (the foundation of the Earth)

-- 2. The water above (refers to the clouds, the atmosphere, etc.)

- IMP: This is what we know as Earth’s breathable atmosphere

-- But don’t miss this: God hasn’t created land yet! Just a space, a blank canvas

We need to chat here …

- We saw in Genesis 1:1 that God created the “Heavens” and the “Earth”

-- So, first He created the heavens and the Earth

-- Hebrew: shamayim; heaven or sky Hebrew: erets; earth or land

- Question: What was there before there was a Heaven and an Earth?

-- Answer: John 1:1 says, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

- HUGE: If we don’t put this at forefront, we miss the purpose of Jesus Christ

-- Jesus did not die just to save you from your sins; but to redeem God’s creation

- There was a time when there was perfection, and a Savior wasn’t needed; Gen 1

-- IMP: Today, we live in the time when a Savior is required because of OUR sin

- On Day 1 when God engaged His Spirit it moved upon the void (v2)

-- And now, He has formed the foundation for the space that we inhabit

-- Must settle this: This is not an evolutionary process -- one word spoke it all

- So what? Why have we drawn this out for us to see?

-- Simple, so that when we defend the faith, we will be able to answer clearly

- Romans 1:20, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. (Here’s the why) So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”