Psalm 19:1 Adapted from material developed by Joe Price

Genesis 1:1  God is the mind and energy behind the existence of matter (physical world)  In the beginning: Starting point  God: Deity, Supreme, Eternal, Psa 90:2; Rom 1:20 3

Genesis 1:1  Created:  bara: from nothing, Gen 1:1, 21, 27  asah: make, fashion, Gen 1:7, 16, 25, 31  yatsar: form, Gen 2:7  The heavens and the earth: Celestial and terrestrial  God created earth and heaven with His power, insight and skill, Jeremiah 51:15 4

Origin of Life  Key to belief in creative God of Bible  All other attempts fail to explain the origin of life, Rom 1:21; Eph 4:17-19  Ex. “Spontaneous creation”: Theory that energy spontaneously converted to matter  But: What was origin of that energy? 5

“God, who made the world and everything in it” (Acts 17:24) 6

 Did not believe matter is eternal  arche: “beginning, origin”  Believed God to be a personal and powerful Creator, Matt 19:4  Humans made in image of God: Spirit (Jn 4:24)  We are not only flesh, Gen 2:7  Origins: Creation, not macro- evolution (Gen 1:27) But from the beginning of the creation, God “made them male and female” (Mark 10:6) 7

 Saw the world as prima facie evidence for God  Self-evident from the facts  Recognition of and praised for God as Creator, cf. Exo 20:11; Neh 9:6 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…” (Acts 4:24) 8

 The living earth is evidence of the living God  Affirmed Christ is the Creator and the Sustainer, Col 1:16-17  Affirmed man’s moral accountability is based on the evidence of divine creation, Rom 1:18-22 We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them... (Acts 14:15) 9

 One cannot believe in Jesus and reject Genesis 1:1  Affirmed the deity and humanity of Jesus, 1:1-3, 14  John the baptizer identified Jesus as:  Lamb of God, Jn 1:29 Rejection of Creator rejects Redeemer! Isaiah 44:24 Rejection of Creator rejects Redeemer! Isaiah 44:24  Son of God, Jn 1:18, 34 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3) 10

 The creative word of God provokes reverence, cf. Psalm 33:6-9  Scoffers willfully forget the word that created also destroys, 2 Pet 3:7  Heap up condemnation upon themselves Knowing this first; that scoffers will come… saying, “Where is the promise of His coming…willfully forget; that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water… (2 Peter 3:3-5) 11

 Creation was an act of the divine will  Not the action of inorganic, spontaneous physical forces producing organic life You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created. You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created. (Rev 4:11) 12

 Perceive the evidence for divine creation… faith, Heb 11:1  Faith in the God of Genesis 1 is not blind, but bold; not senseless, but sensible  Understand: “perceive” By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) 13

 “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psa 14:1)  Many foolish things are passed off as knowledge by faithless men…  Destroy faith, 1 Tim 6:19-20  Reject the profane babblings of unbelievers who give counsel without knowledge! Job 38:1-3; 42:1-6 14

Hear The Gospel (Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk.13:3) Confess Christ (Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (I Pet. 3:21) For The Erring Child: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)