The origin of life is the deepest mystery in the whole of science. Many books and learned papers have been written about it, but it remains a mystery.

SLIDE 8

There is an enormous gap between the simplest living cell and the most complicated naturally occurring mixture of nonliving chemicals. We have no idea when and how and where this gap was crossed.

SLIDE 9

We only know that it was crossed somehow, either on Earth or on Mars or in some other place from which the ancestors of life on Earth might have come. – Physicist and mathematician Freeman J. Dyson, A Many-Colored Glass: Reflections on the Place of Life in the Universe, p. 104.

SLIDE 10

He basically said that,

no one knows how life began,

that the origin of life remains a mystery.

Was he right or wrong with his conclusions?

Sadly,

it appears that he must have spent too much time looking through microscopes and telescopes,

instead of looking into the ultimate source of truth!

SLIDE 11

So what do people do when they can’t find answers?

If you ask scientists,

they may have many theories,

but not one scientist has ever proven scientifically anything conclusive about the actual origins of life. f

SLIDE 12

Have you heard of the watchmaker argument for the origin of life?

The watchmaker argument,

as formulated by the old British Christian apologist William Paley (1743-1805) in his book Natural Theology g says: h

SLIDE 13

In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone. I wouldn’t think much of that. I wouldn’t wonder, “Well, who put that stone there, and where did it come from?” It’s just a stone.

SLIDE 14

But if I were to continue across the heath and come across a watch, then I would be intrigued. I would pick it up, look at it, and pop the back off the watch. Inside I would see the bushings and the gears in quite an arrangement. -- Paraphrased from Chapter 1 of Natural Theology, and further reworded from The Watchmaker article from the following note.

SLIDE 15

“Paley makes the point that

everything would have to be in a precise arrangement

in order for the watch to work.

In order for the watch to tell the exact time,

it must be well-designed.

A watch, Paley concludes,

points us to a watchmaker.” i

SLIDE 16

“The point that Paley was trying to make is that

a watch implies a watch maker,

and that the world is like a watch,

in that the world implies a WORLD maker.” j

SLIDE 17

“Paley’s argument has had quite a legacy.

In the 1820s a young student named Charles Darwin read Paley’s Natural Theology.

Darwin would later record in his autobiography

that he found Paley’s reasoning and argument compelling,

and that he held to the belief of an intelligent designer because of Paley.

But later, sadly,

Darwin would move away from that position,

and change his mind.” k

In his book, The Origin of Species, Darwin wrote,

SLIDE 18

“The old argument of design in nature, as given by Paley, which formerly seemed to me so conclusive, fails, now that the law of natural selection has been discovered.

SLIDE 19

We can no longer argue that, for instance, the beautiful hinge of a bivalve shell must have been made by an intelligent being, like the hinge of a door by man. ... Everything in nature is the result of fixed laws.” – Charles Darwin l

SLIDE 20

“If this was all you knew about Darwin’s findings,

you might think that his findings rule out the existence of a Creator.” m

“Millions of people have come to that conclusion.” n

“But actually, if you read on,

Darwin’s theory of evolution doesn’t do that at all.

It actually says that:” o

SLIDE 21

“...all living things have much in common, in their chemical composition, their germinal vesicles, their cellular structure, and their laws of growth and reproduction...

SLIDE 22

Therefore I should infer from analogy that probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one form existing from the beginning of time (primordial), into which life was first breathed by the Creator.” -- Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, p. 484.

SLIDE 23

“Life was first breathed by the Creator.”

Darwin wrote this!

SLIDE 24

It has been over 163 years since Darwin wrote this statement [in 1859],

and since,

many continue running to and fro,

with knowledge increasing in all schools of thought and sciences,

SLIDE 25

yet the knowledge of the absolute truth of our true origin and the world around us is rapidly decreasing

-- truth is being twisted by delusions!

According to Wikipedia:

SLIDE 26

“Most experts agree that all life today evolved by common descent from a single primitive lifeform. It is not known how this early life form evolved, but scientists think it was a natural process which happened about 3.9 billion years ago.” -- Origin of Life, Wikipedia. p

That still leaves so many questions answered!

SLIDE 27

[The Bible holds the answers to life’s difficult questions!]

Friends,

We could talk, theorize and argue all day long about our origin,

space... matter, and the unknown...

or we could get our answers directly from a book that was written by the help of a supernatural being from Heaven...

Have you heard about this book?

SLIDE 28

It's The Holy Bible!

[Personal love for the Word of God]

People that really know me know that even though I like computers and devices,

I love books even more!

And out of the thousands of books in my library, the Bible is by far, always my favourite!

I am pretty sure that many of you here would agree how wonderful the Bible is, right?

People’s reasons for loving the Bible may vary.

A few reasons why I personally love my Bible are:

I cannot fault it.
I never get bored reading it.
I always learn something new from it.
It speaks directly to me.
It has changed my life and the life of others.
I know that it is God's Word!

[Bible Trivia]

Even if you’ve read the Bible,

you may not know how or where it was created,

how long it truly is

or even how many different versions there are.

SLIDE 29

Let’s spend a few moments exploring some mind-blowing facts about this ancient text. q

[Significant Facts About the Bible]

[Fun Facts About the Bible Book]

Let’s start with some fun

and maybe strange facts about the Bible.

[It’s the Most Stolen Book]

Ironically, although one of the Ten Commandments says, “thou shalt not steal,”

SLIDE 30

the Bible is the most stolen book in the world.

Bibles are regularly taken from:

hotels,
hospitals,
bookstores,
and other locations.

[It’s the Bestselling Book in the World]

SLIDE 31

Did you know that The Bible is the most-read book in the world?

Around 100 million copies are sold or donated annually.

Approximately 20 million copies are sold each year in the U.S. alone.

[The Oldest Bible Dates to the 4th Century]

SLIDE 32

One of the earliest versions of the Bible is the Codex Vaticanus

and it can be found in the Vatican Library

-- it dates back to the 4th century.

SLIDE 33

This parchment Bible includes the Old Testament and the New Testament.

If you are curious to check the Codex Vaticanus out, you can find it digitized and online.

[Authorship Facts About the Bible]

The subject of authorship

and the writing of the Bible

is enough for a Bible-sized book.

Let’s briefly explore how the Bible was written and by whom.

[The Text Was Written Over the Course of 1,500 Years]

SLIDE 34

While there is some debate, most biblical scholars agree that it took about 1,500 years to write the Bible.

While Genesis is the first book in the Bible, many experts believe that the Book of Job was written first.

The last book that was written and added to the Bible was the Book of Revelation.

It is estimated to have been written around 96 A.D.

[The Number of Books in the Bible Varies]

While all Bibles have 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament,

there are additional books that are accepted in the different branches of Christendom.

The Protestant Bible has 66 books

The Catholic Bible has 73 books

Orthodox Bibles can have between 79-86 books

The simple explanation for this is that Martin Luther,

who started the foundation for Protestantism,

removed seven books from the Bible.

This includes several books from the highly debated Apocrypha,

which means “of doubted authority.”

[The Bible Was Written in Three Languages Across Three Continents]

While the Bible has about 40 authors who wrote different sections,

it was also authored on three continents.

The Bible was written in:

Asia, Europe and Africa

and in three different languages:

Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.

The Old Testament was primarily written in Hebrew while the New Testament was written in Greek – the language of scholarship at the time.

Aramaic was the common “international language” of the time

and most likely the language that Jesus regularly spoke in real life.

[There Was a Gap Between Old and New Testament Writing]

The writing of God’s words took time,

and there was quite a large gap between the writing of the Old and New Testaments.

In fact, it was about 400 years before the New Testament writings took place after the completion of the Old Testament.

These years are known as the “silent years.”

[Compelling Content Facts]

In addition to the fascinating authorship of the Bible,

there are numerous interesting facts about the content itself...

[The Bible Is Over 600,000 Words Long]

On average, the Bible contains over 600,000 words.

However, different translations or versions of the Bible are even longer.

In fact, the King James Bible (KJV) contains almost 800,000 [783,137] words.

Each version and translation is a variation of this word count

because sometimes translations take more words to get the message across.

[The Bible is Over 1,000 Chapters Long]

Additionally, the Bible has an astounding 1,189 chapters,

with 929 in the Old Testament

and 260 in the New Testament.

Of these chapters,

both the longest and shortest chapters are in Psalms.

Psalms 117 comes in as the shortest Bible chapter,

while Psalms 119 is the longest, with 150 chapters.

[Jesus Is Never Described in Detail]

While churches and artworks worldwide depict images of Jesus,

the Bible never truly describes what Jesus looks like.

There are hints to his features found in some books of the Bible,

but a full description is lacking.

The only Bible verse that gives any indication of Jesus’s appearance is Isaiah 53:2, where it says that:

SLIDE 35

“There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing physical to attract us to him.” -- Isaiah 53:2, NLT.

So why did thousands of people follow and listen to him?

SLIDE 36

How many of you love singing?

[There are 185 Songs in the Bible]

SLIDE 37

In addition to epic battles and the parting of the sea,

you can also find a decent collection of songs within the pages of the Bible,

185 songs to be exact.

These include chants,

hymns

and dirges [/dəːdʒ/] – dirges are laments for the dead.

The majority of these songs are in Psalms,

which is partly why it is the longest book.

Do you know what the word Psalm means?

SLIDE 38

The word “psalm” comes from the Greek psalmos, meaning “song sung on a harp.”

Most of the psalms were authored by King David,

who often played the harp.

[The Shortest Verse in the Bible is 2 Words]

Most Bible verses are known for being pretty long,

especially when you are trying to memorize them;

however, John 11:35 (KJV) is only two words:

SLIDE 39

“Jesus wept.” – John 11:35, KJV.

This verse references the account in the Gospel of John

where Jesus wept in sympathy with the people's sorrow over Lazarus’ death,

who He then famously resurrected from the dead.

SLIDE 40

[Milestones in Bible Translations]

The Bible in its entirety has been translated into 704 languages

and at least some portions have been translated into over 3,000 languages.

Additionally, there are numerous versions of the Bible.

Like,

The Kings James Version,

New International Version,

New Living Translation

etc...

Do you have a different version?

-- I have a unique Bible here with 26 versions in one ... You are welcome to see it after church.

[The Geneva Bible Was the First to Be Printed on a Printing Press]

SLIDE 41

Produced in 1557 in Geneva, Switzerland,

the Geneva Bible was the first version of the Bible to be translated from both Hebrew and Greek,

as well as the first to be printed on a printing press.

At the time,

Queen Mary I of England was persecuting Protestants,

even having them burnt at the stake.

In response, many Protestant leaders like John Calvin fled to Geneva.

The Geneva Bible was very influential in the 16th century

and was one of the books taken to America on the Mayflower in 1620.

[The Geneva Bible Was the First to Have Verses]

SLIDE 42

The Geneva Bible was also the first Bible to include verses,

commentary,

footnotes,

and cross-references.

King James VI of Scotland disliked these additions,

calling them rebellious.

He particularly disliked that this translation and notes

directly challenged authority,

including the divine right of kings to rule over men.

He banned the printing of the Geneva Bible in 1611.

The same King James would go on to become the namesake of the King James Bible,

as he commissioned that translation!

[There Is a Rare Sinner’s Bible With a Typo]

SLIDE 43

The Bible clearly states in Exodus 20:14 that,

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” -- Exodus 20:14, KJV.

However, due to a terrible typo in 1631,

had the Bible saying just the opposite!

The “sinner’s Bible” (NOT the Satanic Bible published by Anton LaVey) unfortunately states:

SLIDE 44

“thou shalt commit adultery.”

Unsurprisingly, this rare Bible only has a handful of remaining copies floating around (13 verified copies) due to this unbiblical commandment.

SLIDE 45

...

[Scientific Facts About the Bible]

The Bible and,

more specifically, the church,

have historically not always agreed with science,

often leading to controversy.

However,

the Bible supports several scientific facts

that were not discovered until many centuries later.

[The Earth Is Round]

While it can be translated differently,

depending on how you look at it,

a passage in the Bible does describe the world as round or a sphere.

This passage can be found in Isaiah 40:22, where it says:

SLIDE 46

“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers.” -- Isaiah 40:22, NIV.

This book dates back to about the 8th century B.C.

While it has been acknowledged that the Earth is round since the time of the Ancient Greeks, the topic continued to be debated for many centuries.

[The Earth Is in Space]

Another fun scientific fact found in the Bible is the reference to space.

This is found in Job 26:7,

which dates back to approximately the 6th century B.C., and says:

SLIDE 47

“He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.” -- Job 26:7, NIV.

At the time of writing of this book

and for centuries afterward,

many didn’t believe in a free-floating Earth.

In fact, the Bible also supports that the Earth revolves around the sun,

which was not discovered until centuries later.

[Blood Is the Source of Life]

With modern science,

you know that blood is needed for life.

However, this was not common knowledge in biblical times.

Yet in Leviticus 17:11, it is noted that,

SLIDE 48

“For the life of a creature is in the blood.” – Leviticus 17:11, NIV.

[There Is a Water Cycle]

For those who enjoy geography,

There are two verses within the Bible that many scholars say relate to the water cycle – before this was an understood concept.

Written in about the 8th century B.C.,

Amos discusses the ocean going into other lands and bodies of water.

In Amos 9:6 it says,

SLIDE 49

“He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land.” -- Amos 9:6, NIV.

Another verse that reflects this cycle is Ecclesiastes 1:7 where it says that:

SLIDE 50

“All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.” -- Ecclesiastes 1:7, KJV.

[Air Has Weight]

The fact that air actually has weight

is a relatively new discovery,

accredited to Evangelista Torricelli in 1644.

However, the Bible discussed the weight of air in Job 28:25, where it says that:

SLIDE 51

“...[God] gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure.” – Job 28:25, ESV.

Whether you are a Christian or not,

whether you have read the Bible or not,

you would have to agree that the Bible is the most important book ever written because: s

THE BIBLE HAS TRANSFORMED THE WORLD

PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO DIE FOR THIS BOOK

IT’S THE MOST ACCURATE BOOK OF ANTIQUITY

IT CONTAINS A LIFE-CHANGING MESSAGE OF FREEDOM

IT CONNECTS YOU TO HISTORY’S MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE --

JESUS OF NAZARETH!

...

[What do people like about the the Bible?]

You may be wondering how the people who read their Bibles read it.

What are people's favourite passages, for example?

[Online – Bible Gateway stats]

With the use of computers and the Internet,

it is possible to get an idea of how the Bible is read.

[Top 10 searched keywords]

In 2018, on the 25th year of Bible Gateway (founded in 1993),

this popular online Bible

published the top 10 most searched passages and keywords on their platform.

And the ten top most searched keywords are:

SLIDE 52

Starting at number 10 is...

10. grace

SLIDE 53

Then...

9. holy spirit

SLIDE 54

Then...

8. wisdom

SLIDE 55

At number 7 is...

7. prayer

SLIDE 56

Then...

6. heart

SLIDE 57

Next is...

5. joy

SLIDE 58

Then...

4. hope

SLIDE 59

At number 3 spot is...

3. faith

SLIDE 60

Then....

2. peace

And the number one keyword searched is......

SLIDE 61

1. love

Many of the people searching for love

would be encouraged by John 4:7-8 where it says:

SLIDE 62

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” -- John 4:7-8, NIV.

[Top 10 searched passages]

How about the list of the top 10 most searched Bible passages?

Starting at tenth place we have the passage about Spiritual protection found in...

SLIDE 63

10. Ephesians 6:10-11

KJV ¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. NLT ¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

Next for those who worry too much is...

SLIDE 64

9. Philippians 4:6-7

KJV ⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. NLT ⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Next we have a verse to help us with our fears...

SLIDE 65

8. Isaiah 41:10

KJV ¹⁰ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. NLT ¹⁰ Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

At number 7 we a challenging passage for Christians...

SLIDE 66

7. Galatians 5:22-23

KJV ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. NLT ²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

At number six is a passage about who we should really trust...

SLIDE 67

6. Proverbs 3:5-6

KJV ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. NLT ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ⁶ Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

At number five we learn the results when loving God....

SLIDE 68

5. Romans 8:28

KJV ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. NLT ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Next up is the love passage, which makes a great poster for your walls...

SLIDE 69

4. (NLT) 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

KJV ⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, ⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; ⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; ⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. ⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. NLT ⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. ⁸ Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

At number 3 we learn of what is possible to do when we rely on Jesus....

SLIDE 70

3. Philippians 4:13

KJV ¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. NLT ¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

At spot number 2 we get some insight into the mind of God...

SLIDE 71

2. Jeremiah 29:11

KJV ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. NLT ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

And finally, at the number one spot of the most searched passages in the Bible we learn about God's true love for mankind...

SLIDE 72

1. John 3:16

KJV ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. NLT ¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

...

What is really interesting is that,

the most popular verse, John 3:16,

alludes to true love,

which many people are searching for,

and this is the love that can only be found in God!

...

[What about the most important verse?]

We have listed the top 10 words people search in the Bible

and the top 10 verses people search for,

SLIDE 73

but how about the most important verse of the Bible?

What verse do you think is the most important,

and arguably,

the most read verse in Bible?

When people get a new Bible, what do you think they read first?

Genesis 1:1

SLIDE 74

[Genesis 1:1]

[Great conversation starter]

This verse is one of my favourites

and it is a verse that I really enjoy to use as a Bible conversation starter (like today).

Genesis 1:1 is found at the very beginning of the Bible,

in the first book,

the first chapter

and the first verse.

Please open your Bibles to the very beginning... t

[The first book is Genesis – the book of origins!!!]

Our English Bibles call this first book Genesis.

What is the defintion of the word “genesis”?

Genesis means, an origin, creation, or beginning.
First recorded around 1100 A.D.;
From Latin Genesis: literally meaning “generation, creation,”
From Greek Génesi: the Greek rendering of Hebrew bĕrēʾshith,
the first word of the Biblical book, traditionally translated “in the beginning”.

As you can see, Genesis 1:1 says that,

SLIDE 75

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1, KJV.

So, the first thing we learn about our origin or beginning is that...

• God is there

• God is real

• God is unique

• and God is the Lord and Master of everything.

Do you see how All of this is taught in the very first sentence of the Bible?

• The first sentence of the Bible is unique.

It is not an accident that the Bible begins in the way it does.

The fact that God is there as the Creator of the universe...

• Is the start of all...

• healthy thinking,

• all true worship

• and it’s the starting point of all true godliness.

[The story of creation is in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3]

Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 tells the story of the creation of the world.

God is pictured as a workman who works for six days

and then rests on the seventh day.

• Genesis 1:1 is not a title for the section

but is rather the opening sentence of verses 1-5.

...

• Let’s take out our magnifying glasses and take a closer look at Genesis 1:1...

SLIDE 76

• considering its wording,

SLIDE 77

• its teaching

SLIDE 78

• and its implications for our lives.

...

[Ⅰ. The Wording]

Let’s start with the wording of Genesis 1:1:

SLIDE 79

‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ (KJV)

SLIDE 80

A more literal English translation is:

‘In the beginning created God the heavens and the earth.’

This is the word order of the original Hebrew u .

Let’s examine the (KJV) wording for this verse:

SLIDE 81

• First it says, “In the beginning...”

In the beginning...

It does not say in the beginning of “anything”.

It simply talks about ‘“the”’ beginning.

It is an absolute beginning.

This phrase is found also in John 1:1

KJV ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. NLT ¹ In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

It refers to the beginning of everything,

before history,

as far back as your mind can imagine.

• Next, it says, “God...” [the creator]

SLIDE 82

In the beginning God...

This is the first time the word ‘God’ is used in the Bible.

It is worth noticing that the names

and words for God

are often used in a careful way.

SLIDE 83

The word ‘God’ is the common word that even unbelieving people use.

Its meaning is defined here.

‘God’, in the rest of the Bible,

means ‘the God of creation’,

the Creator of the universe.

Adam Clarke explains in his commentary,

SLIDE 84

“Many attempts have been made to define the term GOD.

As to the word itself, it is pure Anglo-Saxon, and among our ancestors signified, not only the Divine Being, now commonly designed by the word, but also “good,”

– in their understanding it appeared that “God” and “good” were corresponding terms;

and when they thought and spoke of Him, they were doubtless led from the word itself to conisder Him as the Good Being...” -- Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Holy Bible.

God is good....

All the time...

God is good!

...

Later in the Bible, when we see God interacting with men and women,

we find a different word being used,

the word ‘Yahweh’ or ‘LORD’.

But ‘God’ is the common and general [ordinary] word used

-- meaning, the mighty One who created us.

...

‘God’ is a word that stresses God’s power.

It takes its meaning from this chapter.

The first mention of God in the Bible refers to what He does.

The Bible does not give any abstract,

or philosophical ideas about God.

God is not known apart from what He does,

and what He says.

The only God is the God of the Bible,

the God of creation,

the God of Abraham,

the God who came to save us.

...

From Genesis 1:1 onwards this word ‘God’ will mean ‘the sovereign creator-God who revealed Himself in Israel’.

Later on the term ‘Yahweh’ will be used,

• Next in the verse, it says, “Created...”

SLIDE 85

In the beginning God created...

The Bible only uses the word ‘create’ with God as the subject.

It never has any man or woman as a subject.

It never says any person ‘created’ anything.

Nowadays we often speak of people being ‘creative’.

It is alright to speak that way

but we ought to notice that the Bible

specially reserves the word ‘create’

for things that only God can do.

Then, the word is always used of something happening

which is new and extraordinary.

Also, we note that the word is never used mentioning any kind of material being used.

God does not create ‘out of something else.

‘Create’ means ‘bring into existence, without using pre-existing material’.

...

The word is used of other things besides creating the world.

It is also used of God’s work of salvation in 2 Corinthians 5:17, where we read:

SLIDE 86

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV.

New life is also ‘created’ when a person is in Christ.

SLIDE 87

...

Something very interesting to note in this verse is,

that the Hebrew word for “created” is the singular verb Bara,

yet the Hebrew word for God preceeding it, is the plural Hebrew noun Elohim.

Do you see how...

Right here in the first verse of the Bible an awesome doctrine is introduced, that though God is one, there is a plurality of persons in the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who together were engaged in the creative work. v

• The last words of the verse say, “The heavens and the earth.”

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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Heavens and earth is a way of saying ‘absolutely everything’.

When you get a pair of words like,

‘heavens ... earth’,

it is a Hebrew way of expressing __totality__.

The use of a pair of opposite words is a way of saying ‘every single thing that there is’,

the heavens – what we see when we look up

and the earth – what we see when we look down

and everything in between.

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...

[Ⅱ. The teaching]

Next, let’s consider the teaching – what we can learn from Genesis 1:1

[God’s existence is assumed]

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We notice first that God’s existence is assumed – His existence is taken for granted – it is a fact.

The Bible never tries to prove the existence of God.

All people ought to know that God is real.

The Bible simply starts talking about Him:

‘In the beginning God...’

[God created everything from scratch]

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Genesis 1:1 excludes the idea that matter is eternal.

The stuff this world is made of has not always existed.

Material things,

the elements of the universe,

once did not exist.

It teaches that God created everything from nothing,

...without using pre-existing material.

Everything that there is,

is created by God.

[God’s creation contradicts pantheism]

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God’s creation contradicts pantheism,

the idea that everything is God,

and that the universe is divine

-- a belief that the New Age movement promotes.

Pantheism is not true!

We must never worship the world!

“In the beginning, God created...”

There is a distinction between God and the stuff of which the universe is made.

In the beginning God was there,

but the heavens and the earth were not there.

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

God is utterly self-sufficient.

God once-upon-a-time did not have anything there other than Himself,

because as the apostle John describes,

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“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” – John 1:3

The apostle Paul also understood that,

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“The God who made the world and all the things in it, the One who is Lord of heaven and earth ... is not served by human hands as though He needed anything. He is the One who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.” -- Acts 17:24-25

God does not need anything outside of Himself.

He depends on nothing;

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big}but everything depends on Him.{big}

...

[Ⅲ. Wider implications (application)]

Finally, let’s consider the wider implications of Genesis 1:1

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This introductory verse gives us the background to the rest of the Bible.

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The reason why sin is sin is that God is our Maker.

He has sovereign rights over this universe.

Any person who lives out of touch with His creator

is rebelling against the One who knows everything

and can do anything with the world He made.

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• Genesis 1:1 is the background to God’s ability to control the world.

The reason why God can control this world

is because He is the One who made it in the first place!

He knows how it works.

The laws of nature are His laws.

...

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• Genesis 1:1 gives us the background to redemption.

Salvation is God doing something about His world.

When this world fell into sin and darkness,

God was not willing to let it go.

God is saving the world that He made in the beginning.

This verse means that God is capable of handling our lives.

Imagine you have some machine,

and then it stops working.

[Illustration - the broken jack or broken chain bar]

What do you do?

Eventually you might have to say,

‘Let us send it back to the one who made it – back to the maker!’

This is how it is with with us.

God made us.

Yet we have become broken.

Is there any answer?

Yes, the answer is ‘go Back to the Maker!’

He is the One who knows how we function.

He knows what is good for us.

He knows what is bad for us.

If we wish to function aright in this world,

we must follow the Maker’s instructions,

the way He designed the world and the way He designed us.

When God sent Jesus,

He was making a way for His world to come back to Him.

Out of the old fallen world, He brings into being a new creation.

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In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the apostle Paul says,

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV.

The new creation is His determination not to abandon the old creation.

Because God is Creator,

He is able to be Saviour.

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As John 3:16 says,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16, KJV.

Dear friends,

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Have you been so distracted with the many paths you have taken in your life,

that you have ended travelling without meaning or purpose

on a freeway leading to an unknown end?

Pull over!

Listen to the knock at the door,

it is Jesus –

let Him in and let Him take the wheel.

And as you fix your eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of your faith [Gal 12:2],

He will help you drive through the obstacles of life