HoHum:
GOD is like GENERAL ELECTRIC ... He brings good things to life. A newer slogan for them is “Imagination at Work.” God imagined it and it came to be. GOD is like SEARS ... He has everything. Another slogan for Sears: Where It Begins. God is where it all begins.
WBTU:
Want to learn about God. Let’s start at the very beginning a very good place to start. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1, NIV.
In the beginning- “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” Psalms 102:25, NIV.
God- “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” 1 Corinthians 8:6, NIV.
Created the heavens and the earth- “God, who created all things.” Ephesians 3:9, NIV.
One who does not know God as creator, does not know God. Knowledge of God must begin with the doctrine of creation. The whole Christian faith rests upon this foundation.
Thesis: Three basic ideas this morning about creation
For instances:
Creation ex nihilo (from nothing)
God created without using any preexisting material.
The universe was not made out of God’s own essence. Everything is God, no!
The universe was not formed out of a mass of eternally existing matter. Out of nothing
Before creation there was nothing except God. After creation in addition to God there was also universe which was not God but rather was distinct from God’s own being and existence.
I believe in the Big Bang Theory: Show the bumper sticker.
Some may feel uncomfortable with the concept of creation from nothing because the term ex nihilo is not found in the Bible. Even so, the concept is taught in both OT and NT:
Genesis 1:1-2. Some might read into this a concept that is not there when putting these two verses together. Some say from vs. 2 that God took preexisting material and formed heavens and the earth. With that idea it seems that vs. 1 is unnessary. Why not just start with vs. 2 if God made the earth out of stuff already here? Vs. 1 uses the word created and this word means an extraordinary act, the initiating of something new. Not enough for some people.
Go to John 1 and read first three verses. Talking mainly about vs. 3. John is using the language of Genesis 1:1 because it is used twice in John 1:1-2. The main point is discussing the Word or Christ in relation to the creation. John is exalting the Logos, Word, and placing Him in the category of God, but declaring that He shares eternal preeexistence with God the Father. He was “in the beginning” with God. This equates the Logos with deity and also sets Him apart from all created beings. Two things possible: all things came into being ex nihilo- from nothing- or there are some things out there who have existed eternally with the Word apart from God. This cannot be. For this to be would deny the whole point of the passage.
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:3, NIV. Things were not made out of other things. No preexisting material.
“As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” Romans 4:17, NIV. We see here the two greatest works of God laid side by side: giving life to the dead, and calling things into existence out of non existence.
One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and 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 to the man. 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, “Okay, 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 grabbed himself a handful of dirt. God looked at him and said, “No, no. You go get your own dirt!”
Creation is a free act of God
Free or necessary?
Some believe that God had to make the world because of some need within God. Usually that need is express His love or because He is lonely and needs companionship.
It is necessary to understand that creation was a “free act of God”. To say that God had to create because of some need within God implies that there was some deficiency within God. God does not need anything or has to do anything. Without this teaching, our understanding of God is affected. Along with this, other aspects of God are also affected.
The creation was God’s free choice, a choice motived by desire and not by need. God did not have to create, but He wanted to create. It was God’s freely willed choice to create rather than not to create. Whatever God does, he does because He wants to and not because He must.
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” Psalms 115:3, NIV.
““You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”” Revelation 4:11, NIV.
The Purpose of creation. Why did He create?
Some say that God created for the sake of His creatures; others say that God created for His own sake. Many say that God created for the sake of the creatures because they are afraid that the other view speaks of selfishness or of weakness on God’s part. It seem ego driven and vain for God to create simply for His own glory so they say that God created only to shower His love and goodness upon His creatures. If this is the only reason that God created then we have to address the concern about God needing to create again.
Both of these are involved in creation. God created for the sake of His goodness and for the sake of His glory. For His glory is the main thing while for His goodness is secondary.
We must remember that God is God and not man. Just because He is God, the source of all that exists, He deserves the praise and honor that He receives from His creatures. In receiving glory and honor from His creatures, He is not assuming a place that is not rightfully His.
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.” Romans 11:36, NIV.
“for and to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:12, 14 NIV.
We must remember that whatever God receives from creation, He does not receive it because He needs it but because He has determined to want it. As such God has created just for the joy and satisfaction which He himself receives from the works of His own hands. The world is here not just for man to enjoy, but for the Maker to enjoy as well. “May the glory of the LORD endure for ever; may the LORD rejoice in his works--” Psalms 104:31, NIV.
Visisble and invisible
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” Colossians 1:16, NIV.
The visible universe
God created the heavens and the earth. In this verse and others the term heavens refers not to heaven as the dwelling place of God but to “the heavens above” in the sense of the cosmos: moon, plants, stars, galaxies. Rest of the creation as compared to the earth.
The whole universe is the creation of God. Our sun is just one of hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. There are also as many as 200 billion galaxies within the observable universe. Our galaxy is said to be at least 100,000 light years wide. The average distance between neighboring galaxies is millions of light years. The magnitude of the act of creation is simply beyond our comprehension, “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” Psalms 33:9, NIV.
The invisible universe
The invisible universe is the world of spiritual realities as distinguished from physical. This includes the souls of human beings, which are at home within the physical universe but are not made of the physical stuff of the universe. This also includes the world of angels, both good and bad. This invisible universe is part of the creation of God.
All angels are created. They should not be worshipped. Look up Revelation 22:8, 9.
Though their knowledge and mobility far exceed ours, they do not know everything nor can they be everywhere at the same time. This also applies to fallen angels, including Satan.
We do not have much information on the creation of the angels. We know that angels were present and that the angelic fall has already occurred by the time we get to Genesis 3.
Conclusion and invitation:
What does this have to do with salvation and Jesus Christ. Creation language is used to describe God’s work of redemption. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV.
