The PLACE for US-I—Genesis 1:1-10
Attention/Need:
Mankind without God, is plagued by...
Loneliness(Relationships—personal, business)
Hopelessness(Purpose; Direction; Meaning; Joy; etc.
Insecurities-Losses(Job; Financial; Health—threat of cancer, disease, catastrophic illness; Weather; Stability; Family—relationships, abuse—physical, mental, substance; Marriage etc.)
Fears(Brought on by the above, OCD-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Paranoias- ‘out to get me;’ Trepidations-fear of ‘what might happen’)
We desperately need 1)A place of belonging, 2)Relationships of various types—Marriage to work, Friends to befriend & be befriended, Fellowship to encourage & to receive encouragement, Boss to appreciate & work done well, Neighbors to neighborly & vice versa....
The beginnings of the heavens & the earth were handed down in God’s word.
Man must be aware the scenario that surrounds the founding of his world.
What is vital to discovering our place in the world?
The foundational means of finding our place in the world.
(“world”—used in the most inclusive sense)
1—The place for us is found in the...
INTENTION of God(:1)
Explanation:(:1)
:1—“In the beginning God created the heavens & the earth.”
This(:1) appears to be a general statement followed by specific or descriptive statements(1:2—2:1) as to our beginnings.
“In the beginning”
God gives us a “beginning.” We must all start somewhere within God’s design.
?Have we taken hold of that fact & better yet, have we allowed that fact to take hold of us?!
“Beginning”—tyvar ray-sheeth’—First, beginning, best, chief. Strong—The first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit):-- Beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.
“God created”
God brought these heavens & this earth into existence from nothing. Matter did not exist before God... Time did not exist before God. God is not a sub-god who molds something from a pre-existing substance. Although He does ‘form’ much from what He Himself brings into existence.
Ps. 104:24—“O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions--”
—The intention of God is that He share His creation with you!
“Created”—arb baw-raw’—1) To create, shape, form. Strong—(absolutely) To create; (qualified) To cut down (a wood), Select, Feed (as formative processes):-- Choose, create (creator), Cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).
“The heavens & the earth”
That which is visible to the average person viewing the sky. This the heavens would encompass all of space as that is where the planets & stars are set.
“Heavens”(See :8. also 26- “Air”)—Mymv shaw-mah’-yim —Heaven, heavens, sky. Strong—from an unused root meaning to be lofty; The sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):-- Air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
“Earth”—Ura eh’-rets—Land, earth. Strong— From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; The earth (at large, or partitively a land):-- X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X nations, way, + wilderness, world.
Job 26:7—“He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.”
Argumentation:
Prov. 8:22-31—of wisdom—““The LORD possessed me[wisdom] at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primeval dust of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.”
Ps. 102:25-28—“Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will have no end. The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You.””
Ps. 33:6-9—“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, & it was done; He commanded, & it stood fast.”
Jer. 51:15—“He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding.”
Acts 17:24-25—“God, who made the world & everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven & earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. “Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, & all things.”
In Christ:
2Cor. 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
It is God’s intention for you to be done with your old chaotic, incomplete life, & to complete it.
Col. 3:8-17—“But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, & have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all & in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy & beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, & forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; & be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching & admonishing one another in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Illustration:
A National Park/Set aside for a heritage & for enjoyment/A large, wild, living snapshot of wildness/Kept Protected from exploitation/Its the INTENTION of those who recognize the treasure of our natural world unpolluted by sinful desires of humanit/INTENTION of God
Application:
?Have you discovered your place in the INTENTION of God?
?Has your place in God’s design been found?
2—The place for us is found in the...
CARE of God(:2)
Explanation:(:2)
:2—“The earth was without form, & void; & darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
The Earth was unfit for human habitation. It had no stable form compatible with human life. It was thus like a desert, not only seemingly devoid of life but actually so.
Thus some further creative work must follow as this account is anthropocentric. The intended God-ordained purpose for the earth was that it have stable form & be full of life. In order to do that He must lay a foundation for the proper care of that life.
Being unfit for habitation, “darkness” was “on” the surface of what is termed “the deep.” The deep is a reference or synonym for the ocean, reaching an unplumbable depth, hence “the deep.”
There was absolutely no discernible light reaching the surface of the ocean, as is currently observed by those reading this.
In fact, light did not even exist.
However...
The Holy Spirit “hovers” over the waters. It is as if the Holy Spirit is Himself brooding over the lifeless “waters” with a parentally nurturing intention.
“The earth was without form, & void;...”
Earth, at this point, had no form supportive of the life God intended.
“Without form/Formless”—wht to’-hoo—Formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness. Strong—from an unused root meaning To lie waste; A desolation (of surface), i.e. Desert; figuratively, A worthless thing; adverbially, In vain:-- Confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.
“Void/Empty”—whb bo’-hoo— Emptiness, void, waste. From an unused root (meaning to be empty); A vacuity, i.e. (superficially) An undistinguishable ruin:-- Emptiness, void.
“& darkness was on the face of the deep.”
Light did not exist. Everything was hidden to what would be our physical eyes. God sees it plainly & so do we thru Moses’ description given Him by God on Mt. Sinai.
“Darkness”(See :4)—Kvx kho-shek’—Darkness, obscurity. Strong—The dark; hence (literally) Darkness; figuratively, Misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness:-- Dark(-ness), night, obscurity.
“Face/Surface”(2X)—Mynp paw-neem’—Face. Strong—The face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally & figuratively).
“Deep”—Mwht teh-home’—Deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea. Strong—An abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially The deep (the main sea or the subterranean water-supply):-- Deep (place), depth.
“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Job 26:13-14—“By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;....Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?””
“Spirit”—xwr roo’-akh—Wind, breath, mind, spirit. Strong—Wind; by resemblance Breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, Life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, A region of the sky; by resemblance Spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression & functions):-- Air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit([-ual]), tempest, X vain, ([whirl-])wind(-y).
“Hovering/Moved/Was moving”—Pxr raw-khaf’—Verb Piel participle feminine singular absolute—2) (Piel) To hover. Strong—To brood; by implication, To be relaxed:-- Flutter, move, shake.
The Spirit of God is not some inanimate force, but is Himself God! He has concern & is actively involved in the nurture of this new creation. As is the eagle’s nurture of Deut. 32, so is God’s Spirit present at creation to ensure the earth is perfectly fitted for man’s habitation & all that will be supported there.
As a mother bird teaches her young to fly, she stirs her eaglets to movement, at precisely the right moment for each one, she flutters over the eaglets protectively yet with urgency & assurance , pushing them to the next phase of their lives—flight!
The Spirit of God does not leave the creation at this point, even though He is not openly mentioned as here. He is present during the whole process. & He comes to indwell you, for the same purposes—to fit you for God’s desire & design. & He comes to you with the same love & concern as at the beginning of creation. when you
Deut. 32:9-12—“For the LORD’S portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him.”
“Waters”—Mym mah’-yim—Water, waters. Strong— Water; figuratively, Juice; by euphemism, Urine, semen:-- + piss, wasting, water(-ing, [-course, -flood, -spring]).
Argumentation:
Ps 104:27-29—“These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die & return to their dust.”
Ps 139:7-10—“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
Deut. 33:27—“The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms...’”
Rom. 11:33—“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom & knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments & His ways past finding out!”
Ps 107:8-9—“Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
Eph. 3:14-19—“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven & earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted & grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width & length & depth & height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Jn. 3:16-17—“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
2Thess. 2:16-17—“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, & our God & Father, who has loved us & given us everlasting consolation & good hope by grace, comfort your hearts & establish you in every good word & work.”
Rom. 2:4-6—“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, & longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness & your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath & revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:”
“Deeds”—Scripture bears out the fact that you can only approach & please God by faith. Faith is the umbrella under which any human endeavor ‘pleases’ God. So no one can perform, as it were, something ‘nice’ or ‘good’ which will please God. Faith must drive us to the ‘performance’ so that it becomes His performance!
1Pet. 5:5-7—“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, & be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Illustration:
Again, National or State Parks/The Land is set aside from common use/Tended by Park Rangers, Biologists, & others/These work within the park system to ensure the viability of the wild & natural substance of the park—Bears-Elk-Antelope-Horses-Lizards-Fish-Toads-Salamanders-Bugs-Bees-Mountains-Deserts-Swamps-Trees-Flowers Streams-Ponds-Lakes-Bogs-etc./Small trails maintained for accessibility/Very tightly policed/Serious about what would normally be a light offense/
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge/Peat bogs/Alligators/Flowers, etc./Fantastic!/CARE keeps it
Ichetucknee State Park/Highly unusual place/CARE keeps it
Rough Ridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway/Magnificent views/Native miniature irises/CARE keeps it
This Pictures the CARE of God
Application:
? Have you discovered your place in the CARE of God?
?Has your place in God’s design been found?
Your place cannot be had apart from your trusting Jesus as your Savior.
How do we cast all our care upon God? Why do we pray? Because we trust Him.
God wants you to trust Him...you have never done this before... but now is your opportunity to confess your trust/faith in Him thru His Son, your Savior, Christ Jesus.
CONCLUSION:
6 means of finding our place in the world.
Action:
The place for us is found in the...
1—INTENTION of God(:1)
2—CARE of God(:2)
Presented 08/15/2010am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
