In the Beginning, Part 2

JD Greer John 11 in the beginning was the word Lord Jesus. That's the word of the gospel of John. The word was with God the Word was God all things are made to him without him was not any thing made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of life and life stepped into a world of darkness where sin had caused chaos and destruction. And what you see is Jesus's ministry is a series of him putting creation back together and today on my Greer after of the Senate church in Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina Molly benefits if you grew up in the Western world, you're probably familiar with the Genesis account of creation, God speaking the earth into existence, creating animals and trees, and ultimately his sister. Peace humans, but why did the story get included in the Bible. Is it just for the sake of our curiosity so we know where we came from, but they pastor Jenny explains the bigger implications here where discovering what the creation account feels about God's design for us and it's part of our new teaching series that we just began the whole story. So let's get started. Castigating title this message in the beginning one one in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, let there be lights and there was light.

Tim Keller says that in these three verses you can see three things that were present before creation began, each of which that has profound implications on how we live three things present before creation.

Here we go number one before the creation there was God there was God, you say well.but you may not realize how unique this is in creation accounts and most other ancient creation accounts. The universe comes from something there usually multiple gods in our universe is the result of some cosmic battle. According to one myth.

For example, the human race arises from the blood of the slain God, and another when they're created from the remains of a dead sea monster in these accounts. Humans are typically an accident or an afterthought. The result of larger cosmic forces that have nothing to do with them yet. In the book of Genesis. Everything starts with one God who creates all by himself out of nothing and then Genesis says something else. It says that God made man and woman in his own image. Genesis 126 then God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

Verse 27 so God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him male and female he created them.

Here's what all that means if all things come from God and God made us in his image.

There are two things that we will only ever be able to find him him. The first is the measure of our lives, and by measure. I mean, what is good what is bad and what life's purpose is. You see, in order to say something that is something is right or wrong. You have to have a standard to which you are comparing it to say something is against the design you have to know what the design is and if the universe is simply randomly colliding material particles then there can't be any designer purpose – there can be no right or wrong because we come from God.

God provides the measure for our lives and in because we come from God. We also find our meeting in him. That's the second thing you see the human heart is designed so that it only works when God is at the center. The way the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes and the Bible said it is that God is put eternity in our hearts. What that means is that every man and woman boy girl has this yearning in them that says there's something more than just what I see here on earth, because you were made in the image of God, you will never find your place in life until you have found yourself in God. Number two before the creation there was love for the creation there was love me say this in verse 26, God says, let us make man in our image civil who is us. That's a great question about the Genesis 1 what you see is that in the first three verses of Genesis. What Christians call the Trinity that God one God, one essence of God existed in three persons, as they are in their first verses of Genesis. But here's what it means for us in God's very essence from the very beginning is existed in relationship God's love in the Trinity spills out on the campus of the universe and then he invites his creation that love. That's all. One of the phrases you see repeated throughout Genesis 1 is the phrase, and God saw and God saw what I phrases all through their because God is like a good parent.

What parents do they watch their kids all the time in the Chronicles of Narnia. CS Lewis presents creation happening is acyl in the line representing Jesus singing the song of joy and intimacy in the Trinity in creation just spills out of that song.

Here's what that means for you practically wasn't because we are created in the image of a God who exists in love just like our lives will never be complete until God is at the center our lives will also never be complete until we are living in loving community with others. The path of godliness always leads toward community always the path of godlessness always leads for isolation. The path of godliness we for relationships and commitment and things like small groups, don't you inherently know that community leads to life, but you know that the reason that you know that is because it's an inherent part of God's life to in your made in God's image and that's why your life and never be complete until you're in a deep committed community.

I realized that things like small groups can be messy arises sometime disease your people know the jump is going on in your life, but I'm just telling you that your life will always be deformed and will always be unhealthy when you're not in the kind of relationships God created you to be before I go on a number three. Let me stop here to answer the two biggest questions that I get on Genesis wanted to because I have to answer them and because they seem of all the places of the message they think of investor right here they are, first, for some people. They point out that there appear to be two different creation accounts is one of Genesis 1 and there's a second one in Genesis 2, and some of the order the details is different between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, Mr. was this a contradiction like I pointed out just a moment ago.

Genesis 1 is an artistic rendering Genesis 2 is like an essay.

Genesis 1 is not meant primarily to be a historical documentation of the facts. Genesis 1 is meant to be a poetic celebration. That doesn't mean that it is un-factual, just that its purpose is celebration, not documentation. This is actually a really common pattern in Scripture. For example, in Exodus 14 we have a narrative describing Israel's escape from Egypt to the Red Sea, but in Exodus 15, you have the celebration of that event through a song that Miriam wrote in Judges chapter 4, you have the documentation of a battle that Deborah and I got a Barack had over the Canaanites in Judges chapter 5 you have a song. The song of Deborah celebrating that victory. It doesn't mean that Judges for his history in Judges 5 is a myth through the history of judges for the documentation and then the celebration of Judges 5 that fit together. The same is true. Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, Genesis 1 is the poem that celebrates the who and the why of creation.

You're not supposed alignment to up and try to compare details as if the author who put Genesis 1 and two back to back was so dumb that he didn't know what a contradiction was see you have to interpret Scripture the way that it's written which leads to an even bigger question and that is does Genesis 1 teach that God created the world in seven literal 24 hour days or does each day. Maybe represent millions of years and maybe God use things like evolution is a part of the creation process.

Or maybe it's a mixture of the two. And what about the dinosaurs where they fit into this whole thing right now.

A lot of Christians did a really passionate screen print out a safe on this question. I put this question is in the Jesus Democrat or Republican category of questions and I do not want to disappoint you, but I'm not going to answer those questions in detail here not because I'm a wimp for not just because I am aware of Melissa because speaking solely from the realm of Bible interpretation.

I don't think you can use the text of Genesis 1 to come to a rock solid conclusion on that question. You see again whenever you interpret something in the Bible, you have to ask why it was written before you press it for answers. Genesis 1 is an artistic expression celebrating creation. It's pretty obvious that the author of Genesis 1 did not have in mind the scientific nuances of creation and evolution in debate when he wrote Genesis 1. The focus of Genesis 1 is not how he created that he created the age of the earth is a question for scientists and theologians to explore together, but I don't think you can use Genesis 1 to slam the door shut on either option. Listen, I know godly God-fearing scientist to think that God use the processes of evolution to accomplish just about everything and I know some others that are are are very well educated what the some of the finest institutions in the land to say that God specially created the big things and then let the processes of natural selection available to help a lot of it from there and to know. By the way, both those positions have been held throughout church history. You go back to the early church fathers. By that I mean the guys who live in the first 500 years of the church got like I Renée is Athanasius, Augustine. They believe that the days of Genesis 1 were not literal days. But presented long periods of time, not a literal week. I would encourage you is to get into the questions study it out with an open Bible and an open mind and not look at others. Here's a key part with disdain who are struggling with the question what you are.

You see people in our church who believe in literal 24 hour days, sometimes look about you don't and safe compromiser you're an enemy of the faith. You only believe the Bible is not always true and on the other side.

People who believe that it's not literal 24 hour days will say back to them with the state you primitive knuckle dragging Neanderthal you prove the existence of cavemen because you're as dumb as one. But that's not true. All the talking.

Many of them are very well read and or just wrestling with the implications of science and theology. The point is to have this discussion charitably and not turn into dogma.

A question that Scripture did not intend to settle in for the 12 of you out there who are thinking will find an answer the question now I'll just email him and ask him later and I'll get the real answer them. I have two things to say to you everyone I know who you are and I've already got filters on my email sent for you okay number two. This is my real answer know what we know. Genesis 1 takes off the table is this idea that everything in the world was created to some blind random forces were nothing times.

Nobody equals everything. By the way science take that off the table.

Also but for sure. Genesis 1 does right so it was God's love for those you like. I hate these intellectual sermons .3 is really touchy-feely. Come right on that yet. Okay so were were done with that number before the creation God is love. Number three.

There was darkness for the creation there was darkness.

Genesis 11 again in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, empty, darkness was over the face of the deep. And then God says, let there be light and everything began like the second phase of creation now, but come on because it seems like God has intentionally intentionally first created a dark, empty mass and only then after creating this dark and the mass.

Only then does the word go to work so significant because God is trying to show us two things are so important for us as we show in his reason, God did that on purpose. A. Because the word brings order out of chaos.

God is trying to show us the word of God. God brings order to the chaos of creation why God do it that way to show us in the same way our lives are a formless dark void until God's word comes in during life and peace and beauty in order and when his word departs from our lives, our lives to send back in the chaos, the writer of Genesis, Moses second book Exodus shows you this process in reverse in Genesis 1, you got God's word bringing order out of chaos. In Exodus, you got Pharaoh rejecting God's word is of God sends to each of the 10 plagues. I told you first may be tempered to think about him pledges like him really bad. Matt tricks that God did to punish Pharaoh but if you look deeper.

That's there's more to it than that, there's a very logical natural progression to the blanks in the first letter now turns to blood.

So out of the mouths turned blood from the frog from an old from the mats from the from the disease from disease comes a boil, then the sun darkens its itself. Listen creation is unraveling, and is appointed to be made is not just that God has power. It got just wanted to prove to Pharaoh that he had power in a Moses to the commands that I've word from God and levitated writer can for the Darth Vader chokehold on Pharaoh or some that would approve and it but the point is not simply that God has power. The point is that sin D creates in Genesis 1, God brings order out of chaos in the pledge of Exodus sin causes order to descend back into chaos.

The word of God creates sin D creates and the same is true in your life right. Sin has destroyed some of your lives.

That's why you're bound up in an addiction and that's why your family is all messed up. That's why your self-image is is all torn apart is because sin has come in and brought chaos and disorder and it's messed you up emotionally and to mess you up relationally just torn your life apart, which is why there's a B that you're supposed to learn from it. The author is showing us that the word will one day redeem what sin has destroyed where the story gets really good as John chapter 1, when the apostle John starts with creation and then puts a twist on it. John 11 in the beginning was the word Lord is good to be Jesus. That's the word of the gospel. John, the Word was with God the Word was God all things are made to him without him was not anything made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men, and that life in light stepped into a world of darkness were sin had caused chaos and disruption and what you see is that Jesus's ministry is a series of him putting creation back together again so he begins to heal diseases because they heal diseases and opens blind eyes, literal dark God and he makes the lame walk and he's gonna walk on top of water showing that he is got power over a chaotic dark world is going to forgive adulterers and thieves and remove their shape and transform them into new people so greedy thieves are exactly is become excessively generous people and people that are bound up in impurity and adultery.

They become people who live with generosity and character. He's gonna raise the dead, and what you see is that wherever sin had love the dark void. Jesus stepped in and said, let there be light and life again. But then at the end of his life. At the end of the gospel of John. The strangest thing happens. The one who is the life of the light goes back to the darkness and chaos. When Jesus dies the earth literally shakes his like it's coming unraveled again in a midnight like darkness falls upon the earth in the middle of the day, the Spirit of God quits hovering above him and that Jesus will look up and say my God my God why he forsaken me because God turned his face away and it's the greatest mystery. Jesus, the architect of the most beautiful creation is put into the darkness and void of sin so that we had rejected the word could have light and life again to his death and his blood.

Jesus allowed himself to be created on the cross so we could be re-created in the resurrection is like the best part of the gospel. Johnny points out a few things that just look just like details of the really important in light of Genesis 1 John point out that Jesus died on the six day a week Friday, but what else happened on the six day that's when man was created as I Jesus is bringing them into the curse of that creation within Jesus resurrected from the dead on the first day on Sunday of the new week. So when he is beginning a new creation and then when Jesus in the Gospel of John perceives his disciples to do something that's really odd you probably just dismiss it when you read it was like oh that's just that you weird Hebrew custom. I'm Jesus sponsors disciples. He walked up in her face any breeze on your like a lot of what that's about. Will do that anymore even into it, then either is breathing into their nostrils the breath of life, so that man can again become a living soul existed in receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus is beginning the new creation to what that means is that if your life is been destroyed by sin. If you're bound and addiction. If you walk in darkness if your family is unraveling. If you turn to God by faith in Christ will make all things new and that just happens by the process of him putting his word back inside of you. It's a gradual process it didn't happen all at once, but as the word comes into your life and light, ensure you again. I'm not saying that immediately.

When that happens that all your families going to get put back together.

I'm just trying to help you see the euro problem in life is not your family, your problem is not your job. Your problem is not annoying people. Your problem is not even your addictions.

Your problem is you have a dark heart that is dead and separated from God and that has colored everything in your life and Jesus can calm and make it new. When you receive his power through his blood, to resurrect you and forgive you and save you the first three verses of the book of Genesis shows you what God is up to in the world. It shows us that were made for him were created for relationship and that his word brings life in order out of darkness and chaos. Let me conclude all this by showing you what that means for you in your role in life. You see you.

What are made in his image. If you were only answer the question of what is it mean to be in God's image in Genesis 1. What would you answer what is God doing in Genesis 1. He's creating 12 times in Genesis 1, you can create so if you are saying I'm in his image, and he's a creator, it means that we are co-creators, what you find in Genesis 1 to this is really important is that God puts us into a world that is incomplete. It is imperfect single garden garden needs to be developed. Plans may be planted and cultivated. That's why the word the phrase a God used over and over again in Genesis 1 is God solid and it was good.

Good is good is not perfect.

Perfect means cannot be improved upon. Good means raw materials that are still supported to be done.

We have illustrated you before this I gussy my wife she comes Berkeley campus 10 o'clock when you see her woman's person, but her hair or makeup close literally perfect and you cannot improve upon that woman. When I wake up next to her in the morning. She's good okay raw materials are all there, but there is development. God puts man into an imperfect world. It's good know us in this is your cocreator, I want to make you my image so that some of you to be skilled contractors and you can take the raw materials of sand and cement buildings that people can live in summer you can take the raw materials of music in color and you can put together beautiful art and some even take the raw materials of justice and you put together codified laws and the lawyers, to make you my image and you go throughout the world creating away the blessings of the people going and as Christians we are also bearers of his word, which means that we go into the darkness and the chaos in the void of sin, and wherever there is darkness and chaos. We speak light and life. Wherever there is brokenness on the church.

There ought to be members of the summit church there. Speaking that means in impoverished neighborhoods.

That means in racial tension discussions in open places of oppression wherever there is poverty or disease.

The devastation of war in every refugee community in the Triangle and every refugee community around the world and unreached people group. We we are bearers of the word that bring light and life and re-create what sin has destroyed that's how you understand what you're supposed to do in life that is the two-part calling of every Christian. There's always save some of your whatever you're good at doing well. The glory of God are made in God's image made you good at something.

Whatever you're good at doing well to the glory of God and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God that is means be a place where there is darkness and chaos so that you can speak light and life. Are you living out that calling Missy Genesis 1 ask you these questions. Do you know God disease why you were created why your life that make sense in arguing community. You need to get into a small group.

This is word present in your life transforming. He was at the center of your life's offer of salvation that how he makes you new are you extending that word to others. Are you going into the places of darkness and preaching is like who are you supposed to be telling about Jesus who is empty dark life are you supposed to be speaking life and into the darkness a way that we can be more like Jesus. Even today, the strong challenge from Pastor JD Greer on Senate light to hear this message again. JD Greer.com. Speaking of life. That's our goal every day here at front line. We exist to bring the gospel to as many people as possible through the radio and now through television, we'd love to have you partner with us and to help more people died deeper into the message of the gospel. When you get to Senate light finishing your supporting and as a little expression I think we got a great new prayer resource for you from Pastor JD. It's a book called just ask this of us don't have a healthy happy prayer life. We struggle with prayer. So what keeps people from praying about I thought a lot of people to want to say this out loud.

A lot of Christians are convinced the prayer actually does anything you like. While sometimes I pray and things happen sometimes a brave adult. Sometimes I forget to pray that things are brave or happens anyway.

So how was this really how is it really effective. What I want to show to this book just ask is exactly how God is hardwired to universe through prayer, so that that prayer is the means by which the vehicle by which he does his work on earth, so if your parent looking for help with your kid if your spouse looking for help in your marriage if you're trying to share Christ with a friend, just ask. You asked because that's the means by which God will use his power into you, and in any it's such a necessary relationship that Jesus himself was driven to it and if it was necessary for him skimming necessary for us and wanted to help with… Request your copy of Jeff my Pastor Jamie when you donate today to support this ministry $25 or more for you cannot ask for this new resource to join our growing team partners to finance cycling 524 given new online dating Molly benefits that you are with us today, Thursday. Pastor Katie says that as we think we why there is