Sunday, January 15, 2023 AM
THE GOSPEL OUR FOUNDATION: In the Beginning (part 2)
Mike Teel, Pastor
FOCAL PASSAGE:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. —Genesis 1:1-3
THE GOSPEL FROM
TO
1. WHAT WE
WHEN WE HEAR THE WORD GOSPEL …
2. STUDY OF
–Most people associate the study of Genesis with creation, evolution, intelligent design, the patriarchs, and the usual items.
–The truth is, you can’t get three verses into the first chapter of the first book of the Bible before you see evidence of the gospel.
3. GOSPEL
–The Gospel refers to God’s redemption and restoration of a rebellious people back to Himself for His Glory and our good.
–It’s about God taking a creation that has unraveled as a consequence of the sin of man and restoring it back to its original purpose and design.
MATTER OF
1. WHERE TO
–To begin a study of the Book of Genesis (or any book of the Bible for that matter), one of the most important things to keep in mind is the author’s intended purpose for the book.
–Good hermeneutic, that is, good interpretation and study of God’s Word starts by taking into consideration the original author, audience, and historical context.
2. DEALING WITH
–We tend to view Scripture through the lens of our circumstances and experiences.
–When we open up the Word of God, the first thing we should do is lay aside our presuppositions in order to seek the true meaning of the text.
GENESIS’
1. THE
–Most theologians and biblical scholars agree that the author (beyond God) is Moses and no one questions that the original intended audience was not a 21st Century one.
–While contemplating the details of creation can be important and interesting, we must remember Moses didn’t write Genesis’ opening words with our modern scientific debates in mind.
2. THE
–Moses’ original audience was a B.C. (Pre-Christ) Jewish one—the Israelites of the ancient near East.
–The first 5 books of the Bible were written by Moses somewhere between 1450 – 1410 BC.
3. FACTS
IN LIGHT OF EVENT
–Always, if possible, keep the context of the event in mind.
–Discovering intent and purpose for one’s action many times will clarify the situation.
–Remember the audience Moses is writing to and their struggle with idol worship that continually plagued them.
IDOL
ISRAELITES
1. MOSES’
–The Israelites, Moses’ original audience for Genesis, were en-route to the Promised Land.
–The Exodus begins in 1446 BC.
2.
OF ISRAEL’S PROBLEM
–We learn from various passages in the Bible that the Israelites had a problem with building and worshipping Idols.
–They were quick to worship gods they believed had the power to save and rescue them, despite their relationship with the All the writers of the Old Testament, Moses included, repeatedly had to remind the people of God that the God of Israel is the Lord and their idols could never match His power.
–God alone is uncreated. He created the heavens and the earth and every molecule and atom they (and we) encounter.
–The root of Israel’s problem was a lack of belief and trust in the power and might of God.
–If Genesis was written for idol-worshiping Israelites, how does it intersect with our lives?
Prepare your heart and mind for the truth locked away in Genesis.
LIVE IT OUT
What do you really believe about creation?
What do you really believe about God?
What idols have you allowed to move God out of His rightful place in our hearts?