“In the beginning God”
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Upon the first four words of the Bible is the foundation for everything we put our trust in.
There has been a lot of theological debate over the creation. God doesn’t give us a lot of information about the details. It is obvious by the many different theories that have been raised that we clearly do not have enough to warrant many dogmatic statements about the creation only a few that I consider of importance.
o God is the creator
o There is a literal six day creation process and on the seventh God rested from His creative process.
o God created all this for His pleasure
o It is evident we can’t know everything about creation - Job 38:4-6 “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. (5) Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? (6) Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;”
In these first four words God gives us all we need to understand concerning creation. It would be easy to get caught up in speculation of all the processes of creation or to make one part more important than the other, but the focus of all creation is that God created everything. God is the important factor to it all! So should it be in our lives!
“In the beginning God” - Before the beginning was, God is!
I. It establishes the pre-existence of God
A. Before there was time itself, God existed
1. His name, “I am” gives insight to His eternal existence – He is not the I was or I will be, but I am!
2. Jesus told the pharasees, (John 8:58) “Before Abraham was, I am”
a. Abraham “was” – confined to time
b. Jesus “I am” – no time restriction
B. Eternal existence is outside our human understanding
1. Statement – Eternity is a place not a time
2. God views our time as a place upon which He oversees. Although in our past, present and future we work, God is over it all and all at the same time!
3. We are restricted to time and space, but God is not
C. Most of the time we are serving a God that we have confined to our knowledge
1. One of the reasons we limit God in our lives is because we don’t see Him for who He really is – The Eternal, All powerful, All knowing, ever present “I am”
2. We work inside the limit of time – seconds, minutes, hours, days and years. Everything we know has to happen inside those limitations, but with God, He is unrestricted.
3. We work inside our limited capability of power. What we can do and what we perceive that God can do, but God is limitless in His power.
4. We function inside the abilities of our understanding, yet God says His foolishness is above our greatest wisdom and that His ways are so much higher than our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts.
5. We operate in the false notion that God is only present when we call upon Him, but God is always with us, in every situation whether we acknowledge Him or not. - Psalms 139:7-10 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? (8) If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. (9) If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; (10) Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”
II. It establishes the pre-eminence of God
A. The supremacy of God – He is before all things
1. The fact that God exists before the beginning establishes importance He deserves in every area of our lives!
2. Before we start the day God should be a part of it
3. Before we begin an activity, God should already be a part of it
4. Before we speak, eat, examine, become involved in anything…God should already be there before us!
5. Not only should He be before everything we do … He should be over all things…
B. The superiority of God – He is over all things
1. This speaks of the place He should reign in our lives as superior to all other things!
2. Is this true in your life. Is it demonstrated when …
a. You go to work?
b. You go out for an evening with your friends or mate?
c. You pay your bills
d. Is God superior in your life in your love relationships?
e. Is God superior in your life in your giving? If we were to look at your giving record would it demonstrate your belief in God’s superiority in your life?
f. Is God superior in your life in your serving? Is your belief in God’s superiority in your life witnessed by your willingness to serve Him?
g. Be careful in answering! Your activities speak louder than your voices!
C. The sovereignty of God – He controls all things
1. In the creation it is evident that there is design and control over the elements of the universe. No collisions. Perfect order.
2. In the creation of the earth to be an inhabitable place for humans.
a. The earth’s orbit around the sun sets up a perfect temperature for man to survive
b. The axis of the earth gives the earth the ability to produce food
c. The orbit of the moon is perfect providing for the perfect order for the oceans to give their tides
3. “In the beginning God…” reminds us of His complete control, His sovereignty
a. If we truly believe in God’s ability to control the universe and all its intricacies, then why do we balk at His ability to control the activities of our lives?
b. Most if not all of us, take matters in our own hands to get what we want.
c. It requires faith to trust that God is truly sovereign in every area of our lives - Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
1) We must believe by faith that God is!!!!
2) Then we can believe by faith that He will reward us with what is best!
“In the beginning God…”
I said at the outset of this sermon that upon the first four words of the Bible is the foundation for everything we put our trust in.
If we truly believe that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do, then we must accept the pre-existence and pre-eminence of God.
What will be your response to God taking the pre-eminence in your life?
How have you confined God in your life? What is it that you think He cannot do? If you believe that He in some way cannot provide for you, take care of you, empower you, then you have bought into the lie of the Devil. He loves to make God little in your life.
How big is your God? How do you demonstrate that in your life?
Jeremiah 10:6 “Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.”
