IT ALL STARTS HERE I. POINT OF INTRIGUE

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1 1 IT ALL STARTS HERE Title: The REAL Big Bang, Pt 1 Series: Snake Bitten Jan 6-7, 2018 ser#3696 Sat SunE SunL I. POINT OF INTRIGUE A. Although I was only 5 7½ tall, I played varsity basketball as a freshman for Washington Township High School. I didn t say I started, I said I was on the team. LOL! I RECALL ONE GAME it was one (maybe the only one) where I was Brian in Thunderstruck. (show video clip) The coach said, Sofia, where d that come from? Keep doing that and you ll start. This is what I observed then and now no matter how much natural ability a player had, if he did not master the fundamentals, he would never reach his potential. That is not only true of sports but it is true of EVERY aspect of life and every profession. During most practices we d do layups, jump shots, foul shots, bounce passes, moving backwards and sideways, hands up on defense and the like. ILLUSTRATION: The other night I was watching an interview with a few hockey greats. The host asked the players what they would change about the sport. They all agreed, less games and more practice time. Why?

2 2 Those things elevate the skill of the game, which makes the game more exciting to watch and allows the team to develop and execute better plays on the ice. THE SAME IS TRUE OF OUR SPIRITUAL WALK. If we want to defeat Satan, live in the joy of the LORD (which is our strength), then we ve got to master and live out the fundamentals bottom line. B. Practicing the fundamentals is not always fun, but they are absolutely necessary. So, lets begin with a few fundamentals relational to our sermon, It All Starts Here: 1. Genesis means The Book of Beginnings; origin, source, or begettings. 2. The word genesis came to our English language via way of translation from Latin to Greek. 3. The Hebrew word bə-rê-šîṯ [7225], a noun, is translated In the beginning. 4. Genesis is one of five books known as the Pentateuch, penta meaning five. It is also called The Torah or The Law. Originally all five books were one compilation. The Alexandrian translators of the Greek translation, Septuagint, sectioned the compilation of books into five separate books, Genesis being the first. 5. There is little dispute as to the authorship of Genesis, which is credited to Moses. Even non-

3 3 Christian religious persons, such as Mohammed, agree that Moses was its author. a. The Pentateuch claims Moses as its author in Exodus 17:14 Numbers 33:2 Deuteronomy 31:19. b. Other books in the Bible state Moses as its author: Joshua 1:7, 1 Kings 2:3, Luke 24:44 and 1 Corinthians 9:9. c. Our Lord, Jesus the Christ, said Moses wrote Genesis (John 5:46-47). 6. Genesis was thought to be written 1688 years before Christ. 7. The theme of Genesis is a brief summary of the entire Bible: a. Creation b. The fall of man c. The redemption of the human race through Jesus the Christ. It is around these foundational truths that all divine revelation and scriptural truth finds its core. 8. The purpose of Genesis is to reveal: a. The origin of the heavens, earth and all things therein, and declare God as the personal Creator (John 1:1).

4 4 b. To record the fall of man and the promise of mankind s redemption. c. Give facts about man a free moral agent, animals, languages, and show that man is by nature, sinful, as demonstrated by his inability to keep the law. C. Here s one more fact; one more very important fact often over looked by science when it refuses to accept the Biblical account of Creation. Genesis answers every major question mankind asks: 1. How did the world begin? 2. How is it sustained? 3. Why am I here? 4. What is my purpose? 5. Why do we marry the opposite sex and not the same sex? 6. Why do we wear clothes? (Go to some European and Floridian beaches and you ll reword the question. LOL!) 7. From where did we get languages? 8. How did the animals get their names? 9. How was the earth populated with only two people Adam and Eve?

5 5 10. Why is a day 24 hours? Why not 12 or 18 or 36? 11. Why doesn t the ocean overflow the entire earth? Why does it stop at what we call the shore or beach? 12. Why is blood shed for the atonement of sin? And the list goes on. Without the book of Genesis NOTHING in the entire world makes sense. It is the foundation for EVERYTHING we know in the physical and spiritual world. C. Let us pray! II. GENESIS CHAPTER ONE Beginning of Creation (KJ2000Bible) 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. A. Verse 1 is the introduction to the entire Bible and all of history, marking the boundary between time and eternity. NOW WE KNOW WHAT TIME IS BECAUSE 1) We re introduced to it every morning when the alarm goes off. (play a loud alarm sound)

6 6 2) We are reminded of what time is when we celebrate a birthday; I was born with value and purpose. It marks time. 3) In America, we re reminded of what time is every November because we elect government official. 4) A woman gives birth to a child and gives him/her a name. (Sometimes the man has some say in this process. LOL!) 5) Death visits everyone marking time even the Son of God died. It s a natural process of life. 6) Every year we lose an hour s sleep in March and then gain it back in November. 7) God has set the sun, moon and stars on a course that marks the seasons. 8) A person graduates High School, Tech or College it all marks time. 9) You compose a document and your computer documents it that s time. 10) You receive Christ and you get a SECOND birth a time when you were guaranteed eternal life. B. As for eternity, we re not sure what it is because if we re living we haven t experienced it. However, since God is eternal, and He is Spirit, He has written within the spirit of every man, woman, boy and girl eternity.

7 7 C. Continuing with Verse 1: 1. In the beginning God. The Hebrew word is ĕ lō hîm and is a uni-plural noun indicating God is one, but plural. As we continue throughout the Old Testament we learn this God is a trinity, three personalities functioning as one person: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word appears 2,700 times in the Old Testament. ST JOHN STATES THIS SAME TRUTH IN HIS GOSPEL WHEN HE SAYS: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. NOTE: There s the uni-plural God, the Trinity. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 2. In the beginning God created. The Hebrew word is bā rā, a verb used seven times in Genesis chapters 1 and 2, and it means to form or fashion, to shape as to cut out, to bring into being. THE THREE MOST FAMOUS SCULPTURES IN THE WORLD ARE OF PEOPLE. The first is the young man David by Michelangelo (show photos explain the second David photo), the second is The Pieta also by

8 8 Michelangelo (show photo), and the third is The Thinker by August Rodin (show photo), which you can see just across the bridge in Philadelphia. I have had the privilege of seeing all three of these sculptures. To me the most impressive is the 17 statue of David. It was carved out of one piece of marble. It s not like a bronze

9 9 statue made from a mold, where if the artist makes a mistake he can reshape the clay. There s no room for error. One piece of marble, one masterpiece. Scripture says, In the beginning God created, that is, he shaped, fashioned, brought into being like Michaelangelo brought David into being from a huge hunk of marble, only far more intricate, far more complex, far more wonderful (pele`), beyond human understanding. We re going to see that what God created is atypical to ALL aspects of creation matter, all living creatures, and the spiritual (soul of man). NOW HANG IN THERE WITH ME! Hey, I m doing my best to make these fundamentals fun I know they aren t. But once we have them, watch out Kevin Durant, here comes Brian. LOL! 3. In the beginning God created [bara] the heavens and the earth. D. Verse 2 tells us how God created and the order in which He created. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. This verse tells us a number of things: 1. The earth was without form.

10 10 2. It was void, that is, empty of detail and beauty; much like looking at a blank canvas (show photo) or a potter s ball of clay (show photo). 3. The earth was shrouded in darkness. 4. Yet, the Spirit of God here is the other person in the Trinity was hovering over the face of the waters. NOW SHOUT HALLELUJAH! You say, Why did you have us do that? Just watch! III. LET S PUT IT TOGETHER A. Do you recall the title of today s sermon/study? It All Starts Here. 1. Recall the words of the Psalmist (139:16): Your eyes did see my substance, being yet unformed [void, empty, without form]; in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. Are you putting it together?

11 11 LET S CONNECT THE DOTS! History tell us that the block of marble used by Michelangelo sat for 10 years virtually untouched and twice discarded by other sculptors. It looked much like this an unformed substance. (show photo) But in that block of discarded marble, Michelangelo saw a young, handsome, well-shaped warrior holding a sling in his left hand and a stone in his right poised for victory. 2. Brilliantly Michelangelo fashioned (bara) a masterpiece, just like God formed the Heavens and the Earth just like God formed you. (I know there is no comparison between Michelangelo s David and the Heavens and the Earth, but the illustration serves as an example we can grasp.) 3. You did not evolve; you are not a product of time, chance and random selection. You were created in the mind of God, just like David was created in the mind of Michelangelo. Now, if the block didn t cooperate, we would not have had a masterpiece. All of Michelangelo s planning would have been for naught. 4. The same is true of you and me we must cooperate, we must submit to the Creator; He

12 12 makes NO mistakes. And when we do submit, the result is a masterpiece. B. Where is it you re fighting the Artist? Where is it you re not cooperating with your Creator? 1. The tithe 2. Quiet Time Bible reading and prayer 3. Serving God and others 4. Church attendance 5. Putting hobbies, sports, school, friendships, work, whatever, before God. 6. Holding on to a sin thinking you can manage it, but it s managing you. 7. Living in bitterness, envy and pride, rather than forgiveness, generosity and humility. Why not commit to a change in 2018? Let s choose to make God FIRST in our lives so that the joy and strength of the LORD can conform us into the masterpiece He had in mind. IV. You say, Where do I start? A. For those of you who are born-again believers, you know what to do. Go back to the fundamentals. Walk in obedience.

13 13 B. For those of you who have not surrendered your lives to Christ, start here: Admit your sins have separated you from God. (Psa 14:1-3; Rom 3: 23); Believe that God did something about your sins through Jesus Christ. (The final Pascal Lamb/Messiah.) (Lev 17:10; Heb 9: 19-22); Commit yourself to His righteous by confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior. (Isa 53:5; Col 1:22); Do it today! (Isa 49:8; 2 Cor 6:2). Father in Heaven, I m sorry for the things I ve done that are wrong: I am a sinner; forgive me. Thank You for loving me and sending your Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for my sin. Holy Spirit, come into my heart; Jesus be my Lord and Savior. I give You my life. Amen! Ser3696, It All Starts Here (The REAL Big Bang, Pt1 Snake Bitten, Pt1) (Words w/ Invitation 2137)