Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

The focus of our ministry is the exaltation and proclamation of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is to be exalted as king of kings and lord of lords.

He is to be proclaimed as the risen son of God, savior of all nations.

As we exalt and proclaim Him we fulfill his mandate of glorifying him since everything we do is meant to lift high the name of Jesus.

If we are to be effective exalters, proclaimers, and glorifiers of Jesus we need to grow in our understanding of who Jesus is. The more we understand the fullness of Jesus the greater will be our love, admiration, and adoration the one who was born in a Bethlehem manger but whose life and ministry transformed all of human history.

No greater question may asked than, “How great is your God?” Many people choose to worship a God of their own making, a God who is like them, a God who in many ways is limited by what experts in the realm of science consider possible or feasible.

This is basically tantamount to worshiping God in a box.

6 Faulty views of God (@JamesMacDonald):

1. God is a killjoy – Deuteronomy 30:19
2. God is a prison warden – John 8:32
3. God is a cranky boss – Zephaniah 3:17
4. God is an absent Father – Romans 8:32-39
5. God is a moody grandpa – Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8
6. God is a scorekeeper – Micah 7:19

If we are to see God in his fullness then we need to see him fully through the telescope and microscope of his word. God’s word is like a telescope in that it shows us the overwhelming greatness and  vastness of God. God’s word is like a microscope in that it shows us the moment by moment details of God’s character as he personally interacts with his creation, often in scripture one person at a time.

So let’s a glimpse into the greatness of God by looking at Genesis 1:1 this morning:

In the beginning – Scripture begins not with the creation of God but the act of creation by God.

God exists eternally but there was a beginning to creation.

Since God is presented as the creator we can logically deduce:

1. We are not an accident
2. We are part of a structured plan
3. We have a purpose
4. God exists outside of his creation but is intimately involved in his creation
5. God has a plan for his creation

God – While this may be simple or unnecessary to mention, there is a God. But perhaps more than any other time in history, the existence of God is questioned. Even King David said in Ps 14:1, the fool says in his heart there is no God. Today the intellectually elite would proclaim that those who believe in God are the fools.

Notice what the writer of Hebrews tells us in 11:3 –

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

By faith –

The universe – everything in all creation, all universes

Created by the word of God

What is seen was not made out of things that are visible

The six chairs

Look at it backwards:

Out of nothing

God spoke

By faith we understand:

Appearance of age

Adam and Eve

All of creation

How big is your God?

Ken Hamm, Answers in Genesis

“Creationists and evolutionists, Christians and non-Christians, all have the same facts. Think about it: we all have the same earth, the same fossil layers, the same animals and plants, the same stars—the facts are all the same.

The difference is in the way we all interpret the facts. And why do we interpret facts differently? Because we start with different presuppositions; these are things that are assumed to be true without being able to prove them. These then become the basis for other conclusions. All reasoning is based on presuppositions (also called axioms). This becomes especially relevant when dealing with past events.”

The difference is faith – faith in God, faith in his word, faith in his power, faith in Jesus who is the revealer of the Father.

 

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