New Year, Same Great God!

According to the news the world was supposed to end with the Mayan Calendar. So what happened? The world didn’t come to an end did it?

Did you believe what the world was telling you? So, did you know what the Bible said about the same thing?

Matthew Chapter 24 and look at verse 36 in particular.

You know there are many different ideas out there on God and the end of the world. There are many different ideas on even the Bible. This year I have challenged you to read through the Bible in a year, why?

Because we need a straight path don’t we, we need something to guide us?

God’s Word should be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path right? Where is that found? Psalm 119:105

What does the Bible say about when the world is going to end? Well this year we are going to read what the Bible has to say and what God has for our lives.

This past week we started reading in the Bible, in Matthew, Acts, Psalms and Genesis. I want to look at only one of those verses with you today. Amazing…out of all those verses, I only chose one.

Although before going to that verse I just say that I was encouraged by Psalm 1. Even when Pastors make decisions we sometimes second guess things and for me Psalm 1 was a nice confirmation to the idea of going through the Bible in a year together. Please open your Bible to Psalm 1 with me for just a moment.

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Point 1: Readers of the Word are stable and prosperous.

Now let’s go to the verse I feel the Lord wanted me to center the message on this morning.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.

Now you might not know it but even reading this verse there are problems with our understanding of it. Let me tell you why. We have preconceived ideas on what we read.

Has anyone heard of a word called presupposition?

A presupposition (or ps) is an implicit assumption about the world or background belief relating to an utterance whose truth is taken for granted in discourse. Examples of presuppositions include:

• Jane no longer writes fiction. Presupposition: Jane once wrote fiction.

• Have you stopped eating meat? Presupposition: you had once eaten meat.

• Have you talked to Dale? Presupposition: Dale exists.

What is the presupposition of Genesis 1:1?

Each and every Sunday each of us brings something with us. What we bring depends on where we have been and who we have been with. We also bring thoughts that have been influenced by others. When we interact and learn from others, it influences what we believe to be true. Let me give you a practical example of what I am talking about.

Illustration: school and children voting to think that the child was completely justified in keeping the money they found.

So what do we believe about life and how to live?

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Point two: Are we influenced by the world or by the Word.

There are all kinds of views about how and why we exist? There are many beliefs about God and who He is. But what do we believe about God? What do we believe about this God first mentioned in Genesis 1:1?

Let’s first take a look at what others believe. The following are five major world beliefs about God. In looking at these major belief systems and their views of God, we find tremendous diversity:

• Hindus acknowledge MULTIPLE gods and goddesses.

• Buddhists say there is NO supreme being.

• New Age followers believe they ARE God.

• Muslims believe in a powerful but UNKNOWABLE God.

• Christians believe in a God who is loving and approachable.

Are all religions worshiping the same God? I know that you have seen the bumper sticker:

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Coexist

Let's consider that.

Christianity isn’t the only religion that discounts the others… anyone ever see the coexist bumper sticker? It’s not true… and once again it is worldly thinking…

New Age teaches that everyone should come to center on a cosmic consciousness, but it would require Islam to give up their one God, Hinduism to give up their numerous gods, and Buddhism to establish that there is a God.

The world's major religions (Hinduism, New Age, Buddhism, Islam, following Jesus Christ) are each quite unique. And of these only one affirms that there is a personal, loving God who can be known, now in this life. Jesus Christ spoke of a God who welcomes us into a relationship with him and comes along side us as a comforter, counselor and powerful God who loves us.

In Hinduism a person is on their own trying to gain release from karma.