Sermons – Grace Evangelical Free Church // Wyoming, MN

Genesis 1:6-10 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

INTRODUCTION

This morning we’ll continue to work our way through the six days of creation by looking at days two and three (the first half). In these next two days we continue to see the omnipotent word of God going forth and bringing about its effect perfectly. “And God said…And it was so” continues to be the banner over the creation account. Likewise, God’s assessment of the goodness of his ongoing work continues to sound. God’s highest power—to name things—is still a central part of these days of creation. And the days of creation are, once again, about forming, filling, and illuminating the heavens and earth.

What’s new in our text for this morning is its emphasis on forming—giving shape to and establishing boundaries for—the waters on and above the earth. God determined (for reasons we’ll consider at the end of the sermon) that the formless waters need to be gathered and restrained.

My aims this morning are: 1) to try to continue to paint a clear picture of what exactly is going on in these verses, 2) to try to continue to explain how they fit in the larger story of the bible, and 3) to try to continue to explain how all of this relates to the Church (including our church) today. Please pray with me that these things would be so and that God would be glorified in them.

DAY TWO

In the beginning God spoke and created a universe that was originally good, but formless, orderless, and dark. Immediately, on that first day of creation (which we considered last week), God created light to overcome the and divide the darkness. Again, this week’s text/sermon focuses on God’s forming work; particularly his forming of the waters (providing shape, structure, and meaning to them).

Let there Be an Expanse

It seems that originally, as we noted earlier, God made the universe as a watery formlessness. It’s seems as if water was everywhere and without restriction. (As we’re about to see) there was no dry land and no meaningful distinction between earth and sky. While it is somewhat hard to picture what this would have looked like had we been present at this point in creation (some have suggested that it may have been like a “dense fog,” completely surrounding an entirely flooded globe), what isn’t hard to picture is what God did in this passage to begin bringing form to that original condition: God created boundaries for the waters of his creation. The text—our passage for this morning—names two specific boundaries that God created and named. The first named boundary we find in v.6. The second we find in v.9.

God’s first forming act, his first water-boundary, was to create an expanse (or a firmament or a vault or a dome) between the waters on the earth and the waters above the earth.

And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.

But what does that mean? For life to be able to exist on earth—especially human life, which (as I’ll mention later) is what all of this is moving toward—water needed ...

Genesis 1:3-5 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

INTRODUCTION

In Genesis 1:1 we find God’s initial act of creation. In v.2 we find the initial condition of creation: good, but formless, empty, and dark. What follows in Genesis 1:3-2:3 is a description of God’s ordering, filling, and, as we will see this morning, illuminating. There is so much to see, so much to understand, so much to do, and so much to praise God for in this short, relatively simple passage. Let’s pray that God would help us to see, savor, and apply all that we find in this most remarkable text.

AND GOD SAID

Grace, I’ve asked you this before, but how many times have you sounded forth your word only to be ignored, contradicted, misinterpreted, corrupted, or interrupted? How many times have you told your favorite team to score, stop the other team, or win without effect? How many times have you declared perpetual cleanliness upon your home and yet it was not so? Commuters, how many times have you spoken to your lane to open up and yet it remained at a standstill? Minnesotans, how many times have you commanded the winter, “you shall not pass!”, and yet it still comes? How many times have your words gone forth without accomplishing their purpose and how many times that they have, has their effect remained?

The word of our God, the God of Genesis, alone always goes forth in perfect power and effect. We see this explicitly for the first time in Genesis 1:3. What I’ve alluded to more than once already becomes plain here: God created the heavens and the earth, not by the strength of his hands or the sweat of his bow, but by simply speaking a word!

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

What a powerful and magnificent pair of phrases: And God said…and there was…! Again, for God alone does the first phrase (“and God said…”) always result in the second (“and there was…”). God’s word is always perfectly and completely effective. Never does he speak without immediate and perfect effect. Never does God speak with even the slightest or eventual defect.

Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

When God speaks, all creation bows.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

What, specifically, did God speak on this first day that became so? Into the darkness he said, “Let there be light.”

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

If you are a careful reader (or listener) you’ve undoubtedly noticed that the sun, moon, and stars weren’t created until the fourth day. Where then did the light come from?

Oh, what glory we have here! What an amazing picture of the power and might of God. What an encouraging gift it is to his people that God saw fit to include this description of this aspect of his creative work in his word!

We know that it is God the Father who is primarily spoken of in this passage. We also know that the Spirit was present, hovering over the darkness. And from John’s gospel we know that Jesus is the Word by which God made the heavens and earth. In other words, each person of the trinity is explicitly said to be present and active at this very moment. Where did the light come from? God created it as an emanation of himself and as an expression of Triune glory.

Genesis 1:3-5 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

INTRODUCTION

In Genesis 1:1 we find God’s initial act of creation. In v.2 we find the initial condition of creation: good, but formless, empty, and dark. What follows in Genesis 1:3-2:3 is a description of God’s ordering, filling, and, as we will see this morning, illuminating. There is so much to see, so much to understand, so much to do, and so much to praise God for in this short, relatively simple passage. Let’s pray that God would help us to see, savor, and apply all that we find in this most remarkable text.

AND GOD SAID

Grace, I’ve asked you this before, but how many times have you sounded forth your word only to be ignored, contradicted, misinterpreted, corrupted, or interrupted? How many times have you told your favorite team to score, stop the other team, or win without effect? How many times have you declared perpetual cleanliness upon your home and yet it was not so? Commuters, how many times have you spoken to your lane to open up and yet it remained at a standstill? Minnesotans, how many times have you commanded the winter, “you shall not pass!”, and yet it still comes? How many times have your words gone forth without accomplishing their purpose and how many times that they have, has their effect remained?

The word of our God, the God of Genesis, alone always goes forth in perfect power and effect. We see this explicitly for the first time in Genesis 1:3. What I’ve alluded to more than once already becomes plain here: God created the heavens and the earth, not by the strength of his hands or the sweat of his bow, but by simply speaking a word!

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

What a powerful and magnificent pair of phrases: And God said…and there was…! Again, for God alone does the first phrase (“and God said…”) always result in the second (“and there was…”). God’s word is always perfectly and completely effective. Never does he speak without immediate and perfect effect. Never does God speak with even the slightest or eventual defect.

Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

When God speaks, all creation bows.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

What, specifically, did God speak on this first day that became so? Into the darkness he said, “Let there be light.”

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

If you are a careful reader (or listener) you’ve undoubtedly noticed that the sun, moon, and stars weren’t created until the fourth day. Where then did the light come from?

Oh, what glory we have here! What an amazing picture of the power and might of God. What an encouraging gift it is to his people that God saw fit to include this description of this aspect of his creative work in his word!

We know that it is God the Father who is primarily spoken of in this passage. We also know that the Spirit was present, hovering over the darkness. And from John’s gospel we know that Jesus is the Word by which God made the heavens and earth. In other words, each person of the trinity is explicitly said to be present and active at this very moment. Where did the light come from? God created it as an emanation of himself and as an expression of Triune glory.

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back to Genesis. We’re at the beginning of what has already been—and I imagine will continue to be—a remarkable journey through this ancient book of God. Several people have come to me to share stories of God’s having burdened them (even before knowing that I had planned on preaching through Genesis) to read through Genesis, to test certain aspects of their lives up against Genesis, and to go to Genesis to counsel others. God’s kind providence is near and clear. Be encouraged, Grace Church, God is at work among us.

In case you missed it (or in the way of a reminder), last week I preached on half of Genesis 1:1—not half of the words; half of the meaning. There are two main thrusts in Genesis 1:1—the God of creation and the act of creation. Again, last week I preached on the God of creation (eternal, omnipotent, God of gods, and ruler of all he has made). This week, then, I mean to preach on the act of creation according to 1:1-2.

Before we pray and I get into the text I need to share a bit about the structure of this sermon.

The process and practice of preaching has been likened to the preparation and serving of a meal. Throughout the day the chef spends time in the kitchen, carefully selecting ingredients, carefully preparing and combining the different dishes, carefully baking and cooking, and carefully determining how to best present and share the meal. For the most part chefs do this alone. Those who will eventually eat the meal are largely unaware of all that went into preparing the food they eat. Then, of course, comes mealtime. At that point the diners sit down and enjoy the fruit of the chef’s labor. For the most part, all they know are the benefits of the chef’s work.

Again, in a number of ways preaching is a lot like that. The preacher spends a good number of hours during the week reading, praying, thinking, and writing about the text in ways most of the congregation never knows about. Then, on Sunday morning, the preacher serves the fruit of his labor to the church to eat, enjoy, and be changed and sustained by. Good preaching always includes some measure of sharing what went on in the “kitchen” in order to help the congregation see how the preacher arrived at his conclusions from the text, but for the most part “kitchen issues” remain in the kitchen.

Because of the nature of this particular text and the questions it raises, we’re going to spend far more time in the kitchen than usual. Even at the risk of this seeming more like a lecture I feel the need to help you all understand the issues at stake and why I believe the text means what I’m going to suggest it means. Nevertheless, I do think that this is the best approach to this text in order to set us up well to eat and drink in abundance in the weeks to come.

With that, would you pray with me that the structure of the sermon wouldn’t take away from the glory of the text, that God would make the nature of his creative work in these two verses clear to us, that we’d give him all the glory he deserves for it, and that we would live our lives increasingly consistently with the nature of God and the world he’s made?

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH

As I mentioned, the structure of this morning’s sermon is a bit unusual (at least for me). The reason for this approach is that these two verses have been taken in two significantly different ways (by very godly people) and I want to argue for one of them in particular.

The first way that godly men and women have read this passage (and the one I want to argue against) is that v.

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back to Genesis. We’re at the beginning of what has already been—and I imagine will continue to be—a remarkable journey through this ancient book of God. Several people have come to me to share stories of God’s having burdened them (even before knowing that I had planned on preaching through Genesis) to read through Genesis, to test certain aspects of their lives up against Genesis, and to go to Genesis to counsel others. God’s kind providence is near and clear. Be encouraged, Grace Church, God is at work among us.

In case you missed it (or in the way of a reminder), last week I preached on half of Genesis 1:1—not half of the words; half of the meaning. There are two main thrusts in Genesis 1:1—the God of creation and the act of creation. Again, last week I preached on the God of creation (eternal, omnipotent, God of gods, and ruler of all he has made). This week, then, I mean to preach on the act of creation according to 1:1-2.

Before we pray and I get into the text I need to share a bit about the structure of this sermon.

The process and practice of preaching has been likened to the preparation and serving of a meal. Throughout the day the chef spends time in the kitchen, carefully selecting ingredients, carefully preparing and combining the different dishes, carefully baking and cooking, and carefully determining how to best present and share the meal. For the most part chefs do this alone. Those who will eventually eat the meal are largely unaware of all that went into preparing the food they eat. Then, of course, comes mealtime. At that point the diners sit down and enjoy the fruit of the chef’s labor. For the most part, all they know are the benefits of the chef’s work.

Again, in a number of ways preaching is a lot like that. The preacher spends a good number of hours during the week reading, praying, thinking, and writing about the text in ways most of the congregation never knows about. Then, on Sunday morning, the preacher serves the fruit of his labor to the church to eat, enjoy, and be changed and sustained by. Good preaching always includes some measure of sharing what went on in the “kitchen” in order to help the congregation see how the preacher arrived at his conclusions from the text, but for the most part “kitchen issues” remain in the kitchen.

Because of the nature of this particular text and the questions it raises, we’re going to spend far more time in the kitchen than usual. Even at the risk of this seeming more like a lecture I feel the need to help you all understand the issues at stake and why I believe the text means what I’m going to suggest it means. Nevertheless, I do think that this is the best approach to this text in order to set us up well to eat and drink in abundance in the weeks to come.

With that, would you pray with me that the structure of the sermon wouldn’t take away from the glory of the text, that God would make the nature of his creative work in these two verses clear to us, that we’d give him all the glory he deserves for it, and that we would live our lives increasingly consistently with the nature of God and the world he’s made?

IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH

As I mentioned, the structure of this morning’s sermon is a bit unusual (at least for me). The reason for this approach is that these two verses have been taken in two significantly different ways (by very godly people) and I want to argue for one of them in particular.

The first way that godly men and women have read this passage (and the one I want to argue against) is that v.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the text of Genesis. The more I have studied Genesis, the more overwhelmed and amazed I’ve become. My hope is that I’ll be able to do most of the heavy lifting for you so that you’ll be able to spend more time in the amazement. Before getting to the amazement, I do want to say a quick word about some of the cause for the overwhelmedness.

When I began to study Genesis over the summer, the number of translation, grammatical, exegetical, literary, historical, and theological questions surrounding the first two verses of Genesis alone really caught me off guard. What seems so simple at first is swirling with necessary and difficult decisions just below the surface.

Is v.1 a summary statement of what’s to follow (no) or God’s actual act of creation ex nihilo (yes)?

Does the plural form of “God” used in the original language refer to God in his majesty (probably) or in his Trinity (probably not)?

Does “created” here mean ordered (no) or originally made (yes)?

Does “heavens and … earth” refer (as a figure of speech) to everything that was made (maybe) or to the two specific realms of created space (maybe)?

Does v.2 refer to matter that had been previously created (no) or the original state of creation (yes)?

Do the terms “without form,” void,” and “darkness” have any negative connotations (no) or do they simply refer to a lack of population and order (yes)?

Are “deep” and “waters” two separate things (no) or one (yes)?

Is “Spirit of God” the best translation of the original (yes) or is “wind” (no)?

These are just some of the questions that scholars have been debating for the past several generations. We may never finally know the answers to these questions on this side of heaven. However, once again, one thing is certain: the point of this passage is to highlight the sovereign, unique, and amazing work of God to bring about the creation of all things outside of himself. And for that we ought to stand in awe and wonder and submission. Consequently, please pray that above all we’d leave this sermon with a greater appreciation of the greatness of God and its implications for our understanding of every aspect of our lives (for the story we live out of)!

THE DECLARATIONS OF GENESIS 1:1

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 is certainly one of the most famous opening lines of any piece of literature ever. Though famous, however, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that most people now and throughout history have considered it nothing more than a clever beginning, an inspiring fairytale, an interesting perspective, one religions’ tradition, or another of the many creation myths. In contrast, we (those of us who have placed our hope in Jesus) know it to be something infinitely greater than any of those things. It is for us, in simplest possible terms, a declaration of four primary, inescapable and all-encompassing realities and the beginning of the story that gives meaning and significance and direction to our lives. Let’s consider four great declarations of Genesis 1:1.

God Alone is Eternal

First, Genesis 1:1 is a declaration of God’s eternality; a declaration that God alone was before all other things. This is embedded in the very first four words of the bible, “In the beginning, God…”. As one commentator put it, “What is so striking…is that God is introduced simply as the one who existed before anything in our universe” (Ross, CB, 105). The universe did not always exist, but God did. The universe had a beginning, but God did not. God alone is without beginning and end.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the text of Genesis. The more I have studied Genesis, the more overwhelmed and amazed I’ve become. My hope is that I’ll be able to do most of the heavy lifting for you so that you’ll be able to spend more time in the amazement. Before getting to the amazement, I do want to say a quick word about some of the cause for the overwhelmedness.

When I began to study Genesis over the summer, the number of translation, grammatical, exegetical, literary, historical, and theological questions surrounding the first two verses of Genesis alone really caught me off guard. What seems so simple at first is swirling with necessary and difficult decisions just below the surface.

Is v.1 a summary statement of what’s to follow (no) or God’s actual act of creation ex nihilo (yes)?

Does the plural form of “God” used in the original language refer to God in his majesty (probably) or in his Trinity (probably not)?

Does “created” here mean ordered (no) or originally made (yes)?

Does “heavens and … earth” refer (as a figure of speech) to everything that was made (maybe) or to the two specific realms of created space (maybe)?

Does v.2 refer to matter that had been previously created (no) or the original state of creation (yes)?

Do the terms “without form,” void,” and “darkness” have any negative connotations (no) or do they simply refer to a lack of population and order (yes)?

Are “deep” and “waters” two separate things (no) or one (yes)?

Is “Spirit of God” the best translation of the original (yes) or is “wind” (no)?

These are just some of the questions that scholars have been debating for the past several generations. We may never finally know the answers to these questions on this side of heaven. However, once again, one thing is certain: the point of this passage is to highlight the sovereign, unique, and amazing work of God to bring about the creation of all things outside of himself. And for that we ought to stand in awe and wonder and submission. Consequently, please pray that above all we’d leave this sermon with a greater appreciation of the greatness of God and its implications for our understanding of every aspect of our lives (for the story we live out of)!

THE DECLARATIONS OF GENESIS 1:1

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 is certainly one of the most famous opening lines of any piece of literature ever. Though famous, however, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that most people now and throughout history have considered it nothing more than a clever beginning, an inspiring fairytale, an interesting perspective, one religions’ tradition, or another of the many creation myths. In contrast, we (those of us who have placed our hope in Jesus) know it to be something infinitely greater than any of those things. It is for us, in simplest possible terms, a declaration of four primary, inescapable and all-encompassing realities and the beginning of the story that gives meaning and significance and direction to our lives. Let’s consider four great declarations of Genesis 1:1.

God Alone is Eternal

First, Genesis 1:1 is a declaration of God’s eternality; a declaration that God alone was before all other things. This is embedded in the very first four words of the bible, “In the beginning, God…”. As one commentator put it, “What is so striking…is that God is introduced simply as the one who existed before anything in our universe” (Ross, CB, 105). The universe did not always exist, but God did. The universe had a beginning, but God did not. God alone is without beginning and end.

Due to the length of Genesis 1:1-2:3, rather than including the entire passage here, we encourage you to read it in your own bible, or elsewhere online.

INTRODUCTION

I wonder what comes to your mind when you think of the book of Genesis. I imagine that some of you think of the age of the earth. Others might long for the Garden. For others, perhaps, your mind goes to the stories of the Noah, Abraham and Isaac, or Jacob. Maybe you think of the book’s famous opening line, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…”

For careful students of Genesis—the commentators I read—the universal response was one of awe and reverence. One commentator captures well the sentiment of them all, “No work … from the Ancient Near East is remotely comparable … with the book of Genesis” (Kidner, TOTC, 15).

The main term that comes to my mind when I think of Genesis is: vital. Let me briefly explain why. There is no truth more central to the gospel and necessary for salvation than justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If we lose that, we lose Christianity altogether. The Church in Luther’s day had lost that understanding and had begun teaching justification by faith + works. In other words, the Church had begun teaching a doctrine of salvation that would keep people from being saved. Luther desperately wanted people to know the freedom of the gospel and he know that the gospel is most clearly presented and defended in the book of Romans. Thus, he worked tirelessly to study, teach, and defend the Romans to the people of his day.

I’m not Martin Luther but I can’t help but to wonder if Genesis is the book for our generation (like Romans was for Luther’s). I wonder that because it addresses the central question of our day: authority. Where those in Luther’s time were debating the means God had provided to reconcile mankind to himself, today the debate is over whether or not mankind actually needs saving, whether or not we are accountable to anyone or anything outside of ourselves, whether or not there is any ultimate authority, indeed, whether or not there is a God.

Debates over the finer points of justification, marriage, life, purpose, immigration, taxes, gender identity, sexuality, global climate change, and the like are entirely futile if we cannot agree on the standard by which we will make those decisions. And debates over the standard by which we will make those decisions are entirely futile if we cannot agree on whether or not there is an ultimate standard-giver (God). But that’s exactly where we often find ourselves today…stuck in futility as a result of so many having rejected God’s will as the only genuine standard of truth and God’s Word as the only means of discerning God’s will.

Genesis is the vital book for our day, then, in that it takes us back to the beginning; in which God (alone) created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them; in which God (alone) assigned purpose and meaning to all that he had made; and in which God (alone) declared his authority over all that is.

So, what should come to our mind when we think of Genesis? That is, what was God’s purpose in inspiring the book and how does that relate to us today? My primary aim in this sermon is to answer those questions for you from 10,000′ before we spend the next (many) weeks looking at them from ground level. In order to do so we first need a bit prayer and then a bit of background.

THE BACKGROUND OF GENESIS

Genesis was primarily written by Moses (John 5:46; Luke 24:27) as part one of a five part story (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Genesis serves as a prologue of sorts to the rest of the Pentateuch (penta = five; like the Pentagon). Interestingly, Genesis covers events over 2000+ years while the four oth...

Due to the length of Genesis 1:1-2:3, rather than including the entire passage here, we encourage you to read it in your own bible, or elsewhere online.

INTRODUCTION

I wonder what comes to your mind when you think of the book of Genesis. I imagine that some of you think of the age of the earth. Others might long for the Garden. For others, perhaps, your mind goes to the stories of the Noah, Abraham and Isaac, or Jacob. Maybe you think of the book’s famous opening line, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…”

For careful students of Genesis—the commentators I read—the universal response was one of awe and reverence. One commentator captures well the sentiment of them all, “No work … from the Ancient Near East is remotely comparable … with the book of Genesis” (Kidner, TOTC, 15).

The main term that comes to my mind when I think of Genesis is: vital. Let me briefly explain why. There is no truth more central to the gospel and necessary for salvation than justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If we lose that, we lose Christianity altogether. The Church in Luther’s day had lost that understanding and had begun teaching justification by faith + works. In other words, the Church had begun teaching a doctrine of salvation that would keep people from being saved. Luther desperately wanted people to know the freedom of the gospel and he know that the gospel is most clearly presented and defended in the book of Romans. Thus, he worked tirelessly to study, teach, and defend the Romans to the people of his day.

I’m not Martin Luther but I can’t help but to wonder if Genesis is the book for our generation (like Romans was for Luther’s). I wonder that because it addresses the central question of our day: authority. Where those in Luther’s time were debating the means God had provided to reconcile mankind to himself, today the debate is over whether or not mankind actually needs saving, whether or not we are accountable to anyone or anything outside of ourselves, whether or not there is any ultimate authority, indeed, whether or not there is a God.

Debates over the finer points of justification, marriage, life, purpose, immigration, taxes, gender identity, sexuality, global climate change, and the like are entirely futile if we cannot agree on the standard by which we will make those decisions. And debates over the standard by which we will make those decisions are entirely futile if we cannot agree on whether or not there is an ultimate standard-giver (God). But that’s exactly where we often find ourselves today…stuck in futility as a result of so many having rejected God’s will as the only genuine standard of truth and God’s Word as the only means of discerning God’s will.

Genesis is the vital book for our day, then, in that it takes us back to the beginning; in which God (alone) created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them; in which God (alone) assigned purpose and meaning to all that he had made; and in which God (alone) declared his authority over all that is.

So, what should come to our mind when we think of Genesis? That is, what was God’s purpose in inspiring the book and how does that relate to us today? My primary aim in this sermon is to answer those questions for you from 10,000′ before we spend the next (many) weeks looking at them from ground level. In order to do so we first need a bit prayer and then a bit of background.

THE BACKGROUND OF GENESIS

Genesis was primarily written by Moses (John 5:46; Luke 24:27) as part one of a five part story (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Genesis serves as a prologue of sorts to the rest of the Pentateuch (penta = five; like the Pentagon). Interestingly, Genesis covers events over 2000+ years while the four oth...

Lessons from Sabbatical

It’s good to be back, Grace Church. This morning (before beginning Genesis next week) I’d like to share with you all a seven lessons from our sabbatical. None of the lessons are revolutionary. I’d heard of all of them before. I imagine every one of you have heard of every one of them as well. In other words, these aren’t lessons, as in new concepts. They are lessons, as in new levels of understanding and appreciation… kind of like moving from premarital counseling to marriage counseling.

But this was my sabbatical and not yours, my lessons and not yours. So why share them in a sermon? What does any of this have to do with you? Let me suggest three things—three ways to listen well, honor God, and be strengthened in your faith:

First, thank God with me for his kindness to our family and to all his children. It is only because our God is personal and loving and merciful and gracious that he would care about seven nobodies like us. Nothing in us deserves God’s goodness in these ways. Nothing in us deserves God’s teaching us more about himself, ourselves, and the world he made. We didn’t deserve the sabbatical or any of the grace God poured out upon us in it. We didn’t deserve a church like you all who care for us the way you do. Christian, as you hear the following lessons, I invite you to join me in praising God for his kindness in teaching them to us. Guest, non-Christian, I invite you to stand amazed at the fact that there is a God who is this personal and kind and good.

Second, would you consider how these lessons might come to bear on your life and on the life of our church? Though they were the fruit of my sabbatical, I don’t believe God impressed these things upon me for my sake alone. Hopefully one or two of them will encourage, challenge, and change you too.

Third, please pray that God would not allow them to fade, but rather, drive them in deeper and deeper into all of us. These are not lessons we want to forget or neglect. They are so simple and yet so vital that I hope they continue to shape my life and yours in increasing ways until Jesus returns.

Please pray with me then that God might be pleased to do these things and more over the next few minutes.

Hard Work Is Good and Rest Is Necessary

With that, let’s get to the seven (clearest) sabbatical lessons. First, hard work is good and rest is necessary. The primary passages that teach this lesson are found right at the beginning of our bibles.

Genesis 2:1-2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

God worked and then rested. This passage and pattern are, of course, the basis for the fourth commandment.

Exodus 20:9-10 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work…

The lesson I learned was not that God left us with a pattern of work and rest. Once again, I (along with all of you) already knew that. The lesson I learned in a deeper way is that there are dangerous ditches on each side of this pattern and command. The two ditches are laziness and workaholicness. Both are acts of rebellion against God’s design. Being lazy is a rebellion against God’s charges to steward the world toward fullness and order (Genesis 1:28) and sinners toward the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20). And being a workaholic is a rebellion against God’s having made mankind finite and in need of rest.

Of course, we want to stay out of both ditches and on the godly path of working and resting as God has demonstrated and commanded. And yet I realized how tempting both ditches are to me at times. The sabbatical helped me to see: