Introduction
1. One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had
come a long way and they no longer needed God.
So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him.
The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we’ve decided that we no longer need you.
We’re to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don’t you just go on and get lost."
God listened very patiently and kindly to the man...
and after the scientist was done talking,...
God said, "Very well, how about this, let’s say we have a man making contest."
To which the scientist replied, "OK, great!"
But God added, "Now, we’re going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."
The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbe himself a handful of dirt.
God just looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!"
2. Well last week, we started on a series entitled, “The ABC’s and XYZ’s of the Bible”...
each Wednesday, we will select a new word beginning with a different letter of the alphabet...
and study what the Scriptures have to say about that word.
Last week, I trust you were blessed by our very first word, “Abundance”
Tonight, we will look at the letter “B”...and study what God’s Word has to say about “Beginning”
Body
1. Appropriately the very first occurrence of the word “Beginning”...
is in the very first verse of the Bible...Genesis 1:1
A. “In the Beginning”...
The very first words of the Bible indicate that God was there
at the Beginning...
“In the beginning...God created”...
In the early verses and chapters of Genesis...
we see the beginning of the universe...
we see the beginning of the earth and the sky...
we see the beginning of the seas and the land..
we see the beginning of the sun, moon, and stars....
we see the beginning of birds, insects, fish, and mammals...
Here in the beginning of the Bible...
we see the beginning of mankind...
In these early chapters...
we also see the beginning of sin...
redemption...
languages...
the first flood...
the first drunk...
the first marriage...
the first murder...
we see the beginning of many, many things...
but one thing we DON’T see the beginning of...is God!!
there is no beginning before there was God...
Our Scripture says, “in the beginning, God”...
God as there...in the beginning...
He wasn’t created...
He was and is the Creator.
B. Not only that...
But another “beginning” is found in John 1:1-4 (read)
In the beginning was the Word John 1:1
His Name is Jesus...
Jesus was with God in the beginning...
In John 17:5, Jesus prays,
And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
God, the Father...and God the Son...were there...
“In the beginning”...
They didn’t COME into being at the beginning...
there were ALREADY THERE...
Before the world ever began...
There was Jesus...
And in fact, according to Genesis 1:2, the Holy Spirit was there too!
the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
C. There is something about knowing that the Triune God has always existed that encourages us...
It strengthens us...
The realization that God made everything...
He is the Creator...
He didn’t use someone else’s dirt...
He made the dirt!!
And, the power of Creator God boggles our minds...
If God is able to create something out of nothing...
certainly God is able to work in the affairs of men and women, and boys and girls!!
Colossians 1:15-18 (read)
In Christ, everything holds together...
Christ holds this ol’ world together so that it just doesn’t fly apart...
and what He does for the world...
He can do for you and for me.
Astrophysicists tells us that there are many things that are absolutely necessary for life to exist on earth...
and if any ONE of them happened...
life could not exist.
If the earth’s rotation was any slower or any faster...we could not exist.
If earth was 2% closer to the sun or 2% further from the sun...
we could not exist.
If earth had a 1% change in sunlight...we could not exist.
If the moon was smaller or larger...we could not exist.
If the earth’s crust were thinner or thicker...we could not exist.
If the oxygen/nitrogen ratio was any great or any less...
we could not exist.
Of the Ozone layer was any greater or any less...we could not exist.
D. Why do I tell you all this?...
Because I want you to see that “in the beginning”...
God was already here...
God has always existed...
There was never a time when He WASN’T here...
So, when our life gets complicated...
and we get concerned about how everything seems to be falling apart...
Realize that “in the beginning, God”...
God has everything under control...
1 Peter 1 tells us that Christ crucified before the foundations of the world...
In other words, God knew about the fall...
God knew about sin...
and even before He ever breathed the breath of life into Adam...
Before He ever formed his body from the dirt of the ground...
God already had a plan.
And God’s plan continues to work...
2. The next “beginning” that I would like for us to look at is Ps. 111:10... The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Ps 111:10
A. The Triune God was there in the beginning...
and we, as God’s creation...
we are here to worship our Creator...
We are here to fear the Lord...
We are here to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength...like I preached on Sunday...
B. The fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom...
if you don’t worship the Lord...
well, that’s just not too smart...
all those people who think they have everything figured out...
“evolution...
we are all gods...
we are the higher power...
there is no God...”
Well, that says alot about those people...
because if you don’t BEGIN with God...
if you don’t worship and fear and give glory to God...
then, you don’t have wisdom...
B. the fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom...
So, just because you fear the Lord...
that doesn’t mean you’ve already arrived!!
That’s just the beginning!!
Once we begin our walk with the Lord...
we are beginning that journey to wisdom...
a journey that should last an eternity...
3. Our next “beginning”...Job 8:7 (read)
A. Your beginnings will seem humble Job 8:7
This is referring to your beginnings with Christ...
as you begin to walk down that wise path with Christ...
it is a very humble beginning...
when we first start on our journey with Christ...
even though we are just starting on the wise path...
we still have a lot to learn...
often, when we first get saved...
there is a big learning curve...
there is much to learn...
when we first get saved...we don’t start eating meat...
Scripture tells us that, like a baby, we start with milk...
and then we gradually grow up and begin to eat more solid food...
Just like a baby...a baby Christian is certainly a humble beginning...
B. But the next part of that verse says, “Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.”
when we begin our walk with Christ...
we are beginning down that wise path...
and, if we remain faithful...
that path will lead us to a very prosperous future!!...
Our struggle in our Christian walk gradually becomes more mature...
as we pursue sanctification and living a holy life...
but even then, we are still on that journey...
until we make heaven our home...
Once we make heaven our home...
and we have spent a time of glorious blessing with Jesus...
perhaps we will have the opportunity to look back at where we have come from...
from our earliest faltering steps with Christ...
all the way to where our relationship with the Lord is today...
and then, what it is like when we are forever in His presence...
certainly, our beginnings will seem humble...
and certainly our future in heaven with be prosperous.
4. The final “beginning” that I want to read about is “The beginning of Birth pains” Matthew 24:4-13 (read)
A. When we hear about these things...Christ is telling us that we are at the beginning of the birth pains...
certainly, this passage of Scripture sounds like it is out of today’s news...
wars...rumors of more wars...
famines...earthquakes...
persecution...even death for Christians...
Around the world, Christians are being martyred because of Christ more than any generation before!!...
“you will be hated”...
“many will turn away”...
people will be deceived...
wickedness and evil will grow and increase...
while love and kindness will seem a thing of the past...
is there any doubt that Christ could be standing before you tonight and speaking about the world today!!
Surely we are experiencing the “beginnings of the birth pains”...
and so, we see in the prophesy of Christ that we surely could be at the beginning of the “end”...
the 2nd Coming of Christ must be very near...
B. And what is the message Christ would have for the Christian...
living today...
here at the beginning of the birth pains?...
Verse 13 says, “he who stands firm to the end will be saved”...
The message is to stand firm to the end...
Don’t give up...
Don’t be led astray this close to the finish line...
Don’t falter under the hardships of life...
Persevere...
Stand firm.
Conclusion
1. Well, the Bible is full of great truth...
Christ says, “I am the Alpha and Omega”...
In the English language, He would says, “I am the A and Z”...
In the very last chapter of the Bible, Christ says,
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me,
and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End.”
2. So, from the very first verse...
to the very last chapter...
God is there...
In the beginning...
God the Father...God the Son...and God the Holy Spirit...
actively involved in creating the entire universe...
And God created you and God created me to worship Him...
The fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom...
Worshiping the Lord is just the beginning...
and certainly, it is a humble beginning...
filled with ups and downs...
temptations...sins...failures...success...faith...perseverance...
And it will only get more difficult...
as we are at the beginning of the birth pains...
signifying all the things that are coming...
and yet, the Christ Who was there are the beginning...
Is the same Christ Who is with us tonight...
and He will be with us each step along our journey...
and by the power of Christ...
we can and will stand firm until the very end....
3. The ABC’s and XYZ’s of the Bible...
“in the beginning...God”
