1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,440 Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. 2 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:18,800 Today John Metter, lead pastor of Cross City Church, brings a message in the Origins series 3 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,400 that helps answer the five most important questions in life. 4 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:26,080 How you live today depends on how you answer these questions. 5 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:30,640 Here's John Metter with the teaching on the five questions. 6 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:38,120 You might listen to this morning and take them to Genesis chapter 1 verse 1, the book of 7 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:43,800 beginning, the book of foundations, the book of origins, Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. 8 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:50,400 A number of years ago I was pastoring in the city of Edmond, Oklahoma and a tornado came 9 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:51,400 through town. 10 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:56,800 Now Oklahoma is called tornado alley so it's not what's surprised that that happened. 11 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,640 We knew that could happen at any time, the spring usually. 12 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,280 At this time the tornado actually came through our city. 13 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,720 It actually began to do damage and the damage was so widespread at night we couldn't really 14 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,800 tell what was going on. 15 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,120 The next morning we got up and we were driving through some of the streets that used to have 16 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:20,000 houses next to them and later on we learned that over 150 homes were destroyed completely. 17 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,800 Miraculously there were no deaths, several injuries but not severe. 18 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,800 But 150 homes destroyed completely. 19 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:33,200 Now imagine driving through a neighborhood and having to have debris cleared from the 20 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:41,720 street to drive through and seeing home location after location with no walls, no roof, no 21 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,880 interior left, just concrete foundations. 22 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:51,440 As a matter of fact I was stunned by the fact that none of the foundations of those 150 23 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,360 homes was destroyed or damaged at all. 24 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,080 Just the homes built on those foundations were gone. 25 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,680 Over the years nearly every family came back and built the exact same home on the exact 26 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:09,400 same foundation because they could because the foundations didn't get destroyed. 27 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:14,320 The truth is in our lives as well foundations are amazingly important for life and everything 28 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:19,520 can be destroyed but if the foundations are secure you can rebuild again. 29 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,760 That's really why God gave us amazing foundations. 30 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,760 The further we move away from the foundations God gave us the worse life gets and the closer 31 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:34,280 we stick with the original foundations God gives us the better things are. 32 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,000 We find that about these foundations in the book of Genesis. 33 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,560 Would you stand with me together as I read the first five verses of Genesis chapter one 34 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,720 the title of the message today is day one. 35 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:45,720 Day one. 36 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:51,680 Last week we looked at day zero we looked at what was said before day one and today 37 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,960 we'll read that again as well as verses three four and five. 38 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,720 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 39 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:05,980 The earth was formless and void and darkness was over the face of the deep and the Spirit 40 00:03:05,980 --> 00:03:10,440 of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 41 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,640 Then God said let there be light and there was light. 42 00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:18,520 God saw that the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness. 43 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:23,600 God called the light day and the darkness he called night and there was evening and 44 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,160 there was morning one day. 45 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:33,720 Father in Jesus name today we pray for illumination on this text understanding about what's being 46 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,880 said and how it applies to us today. 47 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:37,880 Thank you. 48 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:43,280 We're building the foundation strong enough to support us and to give us truth. 49 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,360 We ask this in Jesus name. 50 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:46,360 Amen. 51 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:47,360 Please be seated. 52 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:53,800 Well if you don't have foundations you really don't have anything. 53 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,520 Foundations are essential to your life. 54 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:01,720 But I have to tell you today that people are asking questions that the foundations answer 55 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,860 for them and yet they're not looking to the foundation for the answers. 56 00:04:05,860 --> 00:04:09,680 Foundation reveals everything you would ever want to know in the book of Genesis. 57 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:14,000 Genesis 1 through 12 answer all the important questions in life and some of the questions 58 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:18,840 that we'll be asking and answering as we walk through this series are these questions. 59 00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:20,840 The first one is who is God and what is truth. 60 00:04:20,840 --> 00:04:27,120 It's a compound question but if you believe that God is who he says he is then you've 61 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,480 already answered the question about what is truth. 62 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,360 So who is God and what is truth. 63 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:33,880 Who was I created to be? 64 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:38,080 The world is confused about who we were created to be. 65 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:43,600 Culture gives us all kinds of answers or even says you can be whoever you want to be or 66 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:44,680 whatever you want to be. 67 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,920 But the Bible gives answers to the question who was I created to be. 68 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:48,920 Who are my people? 69 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,360 Who is it that I am to turn to when I need support? 70 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,400 Do I pursue healthy relationships? 71 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:56,000 It's another question. 72 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,660 And what are healthy relationships? 73 00:04:57,660 --> 00:05:00,080 How are they supposed to work? 74 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:01,600 Those are answered in the book of Genesis. 75 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,680 And finally what is my purpose? 76 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,080 Why am I on the planet? 77 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,360 Why has God given me life? 78 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:12,440 If you find the answers to those questions in the Bible, in scriptures from God then 79 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,640 you have a strong foundation on which to build. 80 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:19,760 If you try to find them anywhere else your foundations are crumbling. 81 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:24,440 So we have this text and we have this creation account and last week we began to explain 82 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,120 what the Bible says about creation. 83 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:31,720 At the same time we ask the question what does science say? 84 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:38,040 Science tells us that evolution is how the species came to be at its present state. 85 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,800 But even Darwin, the originator of the evolution of the species, stated that a creator would 86 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:50,360 have to have created the first life forms and simple life molecular structures for any 87 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:52,560 evolution to ever take place. 88 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,540 We talked about the Big Bang theory that science embraced for so many years but is no longer 89 00:05:56,540 --> 00:06:01,680 in favor of many scientists because they've begun to reject that. 90 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:06,840 Recently recent discoveries about the universe from stronger telescopes and more research 91 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:11,720 show that the universe is far bigger than the Big Bang theory could ever account for. 92 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:17,920 And we're finding new galaxies and new stars that are further out than anything that can 93 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,640 be accounted for scientifically. 94 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:27,080 Cosmologists, those that study the cosmos, have no definitive answer for how did any 95 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,760 of this come into being. 96 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,800 Last week we made the statement that we know that there is an intelligent designer of the 97 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:35,920 universe for a number of reasons. 98 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,520 First of all the witness of creation. 99 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,760 When you look at creation, when you look at what all is out there, when you get on a telescope 100 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:48,040 and look at all of the constellations that are out there and the amazing symmetry of 101 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:52,700 the whole universe you have to come to a conclusion that this was not by accident. 102 00:06:52,700 --> 00:06:56,240 This was not a random thing that took place. 103 00:06:56,240 --> 00:07:01,680 So creation itself speaks loudly about the existence of an intelligent designer. 104 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,800 Secondly we look at the scripture as a witness. 105 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:11,040 That everywhere you go in the Bible the scripture writes about creation as it does in Genesis 106 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:16,880 1 with particularly different individuals writing back to the evidence they see in the 107 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:17,880 creation account. 108 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,920 And then thirdly we look at the creation account itself. 109 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:26,220 Genesis 1 all the way through the end of the chapter give us a profound witness to how 110 00:07:26,220 --> 00:07:31,960 the creation came into being and it really answers the question who is God. 111 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,680 Because every time you read about God you find out something more about him. 112 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:40,080 Last week we just looked at the first two verses of Genesis chapter 1 and the first 113 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,640 two verses of the Bible tell us that God is eternal. 114 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,000 In the beginning God. 115 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:46,560 He always has been. 116 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:47,720 He always will be. 117 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,140 He was in existence in the beginning. 118 00:07:50,140 --> 00:07:54,340 The Bible tells us he is one God even though God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy 119 00:07:54,340 --> 00:07:58,840 Spirit are three of the persons of the Godhead. 120 00:07:58,840 --> 00:07:59,840 God is one. 121 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:04,880 The word Elohim is used and in the Hebrew that means a plural one which is far into 122 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,240 our mind but describes the character of God. 123 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:09,740 Thirdly we learn he is omnipotent. 124 00:08:09,740 --> 00:08:11,520 That means he is all powerful. 125 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,200 In the beginning God created. 126 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:18,640 The only way anybody can create anything is if they have power. 127 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:23,220 For someone to create the heavens and the earth they must be omnipotent. 128 00:08:23,220 --> 00:08:28,440 So here we are in Genesis chapter 1 looking at verse 2 and following today. 129 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,720 We are going to find out several firsts that take place in this passage. 130 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,440 First of all the first form. 131 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:35,440 The first form. 132 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:36,440 Look at verse 2. 133 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:41,640 The earth was formless and void and darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit 134 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:46,600 of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 135 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,480 I love to ask questions and this question I ask of scripture is this one. 136 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,280 What did the earth look like after God began? 137 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,920 After the Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth but then showed us a 138 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:03,360 step by step process where all the other components of creation were placed into being. 139 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,240 What did it look like before all those other components? 140 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:07,500 Before there was day and night? 141 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:09,740 Before there was the sun and the stars? 142 00:09:09,740 --> 00:09:11,520 Before there was land and math? 143 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,200 What did it look like at first? 144 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:18,080 The science has no explanation for how those first molecules came into being but if we 145 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:25,080 read the Bible we find that God created water first before all the other elements of creation, 146 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:30,880 before any other kind of matter God hovered the scripture says over the waters. 147 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:34,240 That's the first matter you hear of in the scripture. 148 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:39,280 I don't know if you are like me but I don't remember much about my high school chemistry 149 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,700 class and I don't remember much about my high school science class but apparently they teach 150 00:09:43,700 --> 00:09:44,700 you about H2O. 151 00:09:44,700 --> 00:09:47,440 H2O is what we call our water. 152 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:51,200 It's really amazing that if you take those molecules and separate them they are both very 153 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,680 explosive but together they do not explode. 154 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:55,520 In fact they adhere to one another. 155 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:59,360 H2O is so unique in so many ways. 156 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:04,200 Water because it is H2O is explained as having polarity. 157 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:09,480 So what that means is molecules are pulled together in water and it adheres to one another. 158 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:13,980 It bonds with other H2O molecules which means it has cohesion. 159 00:10:13,980 --> 00:10:17,360 It also has viscosity which means that it flows. 160 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,640 So when water is poured it stays together and flows out. 161 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:27,040 It sustains aquatic life because it boils and freezes at only extreme temperatures meaning 162 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:32,680 that you can find all kinds of life inside of water apart from those two places freezing 163 00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:34,800 or boiling. 164 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:39,360 Water can also be found in liquid, steam or ice. 165 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,640 Water is found over 70% of the earth. 166 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,960 In fact the earth is almost largely made of water just a little bit of land in comparison 167 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:46,960 with that. 168 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:50,840 In fact you are 75% water as a human being. 169 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:51,840 Did you know that? 170 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,120 You are made up of water. 171 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:59,040 Astronomers who look for other life forms look for water on the planet first that they 172 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:05,480 are looking at because they know that water has to exist in order to provide life ability 173 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:07,800 for any other kind of life. 174 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,880 Ken Ham in his writings describes this first form as a watery blob. 175 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:16,880 I prefer to call it a watery sphere that God set into motion one day. 176 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,320 And I think I know what it looks like. 177 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:25,040 I was looking through some scientific videos the other day and came across a watery sphere 178 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:29,240 and I believe this video captures this sphere in a way that I think will be helpful for 179 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:30,240 us. 180 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,720 Again this is my speculation and my own research but here is what we see. 181 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:38,120 It is a watery sphere in microgravity rotating. 182 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:43,280 It is floating much like astronauts float in microgravity in space. 183 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:48,960 But as it rotates you will notice that the air bubbles inside of that water are coheating 184 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:55,520 together holding together in motion and as it rotates it creates a core. 185 00:11:55,520 --> 00:12:00,500 The natural forming of a core with a pole on the top and on the bottom and when they 186 00:12:00,500 --> 00:12:06,360 inject additional matter say tea leaves into this rotating blob of water it causes the 187 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:13,360 matter to move to the outer sides of this sphere which is very much like the plates 188 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:16,360 of the earth moving to where they are today. 189 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:21,720 Now from my own perspective that is what Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 describes. 190 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:28,240 This kind of rotating mass that we call water and in dark form without light Genesis 1 and 191 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:29,240 2 describes that. 192 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:34,300 Now when I go to the New Testament I find a very similar description of the beginning 193 00:12:34,300 --> 00:12:36,960 of heavens and earth as being water. 194 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:42,320 Second Peter chapter 3 verse 5 when they maintain this that is the doubters it escapes their 195 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:47,040 notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed 196 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,600 out of water and by water. 197 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:52,600 Now that is an interesting thing. 198 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:56,480 Nobody has ever taught me that before but there it is in the Bible. 199 00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:00,640 And as we read through it we see some amazing things in this very first form that God gave 200 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:01,640 us. 201 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:06,080 I also want you to know something else as we look at what God is doing in Genesis chapter 202 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:12,360 1 you will have to notice that God has gone before us to place us on the planet and place 203 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,540 everything on the planet that we will need for our existence. 204 00:13:15,540 --> 00:13:17,680 We can't live without water. 205 00:13:17,680 --> 00:13:21,280 We can't live without all the other things that God provides on the planet. 206 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:26,040 And as you read Genesis 1 you will see that He creates light and He will create food. 207 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,760 He will create the work that man must have. 208 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,440 He creates the relationships that we have to have. 209 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:33,720 He's gone before us. 210 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,200 Now when I look at all that God has done in Genesis chapter 1 I come to the conclusion 211 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,640 that creation isn't about the earth. 212 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,240 It's about the creator. 213 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:46,240 It's about those that He will place on the earth who reflect His very character in His 214 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:47,240 image. 215 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:51,640 Now there's some application here that I want you to pause and think about. 216 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,280 Just like the earth was not an accident. 217 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:55,840 Just like it wasn't random. 218 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,840 Just like it was spoken to existence by the purpose and the power of God. 219 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,560 You're no accident and you're not on this planet in a random way. 220 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:07,560 You're here for a reason with a purpose because we have a God who is omnipotent because we 221 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:09,200 have a God who has purpose. 222 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:15,160 He has meaning in life and He's placed you here not by accident in any way. 223 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:16,920 Don't think that you're just a survivor. 224 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:17,920 You're not. 225 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:22,720 God has placed you here because He has plans for your life and those plans are going to 226 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:26,920 be amazing and your life matters because God is a God of purpose. 227 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:31,240 Now you just hold that, you deposit that in your mind for just a few moments. 228 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,440 The first form was the form that God spoke into existence. 229 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:38,840 Then we've got what's obvious, the first word. 230 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:39,840 The first word. 231 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:44,200 You know this is the first recorded word of God in the Bible. 232 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,320 Here's what it says in verse 3. 233 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:50,640 Then God said, let there be. 234 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,120 Then God said, let there be. 235 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:54,480 Now I think that's significant. 236 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:59,520 Anytime you read about something that's first mentioned in a certain place in scripture, 237 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,280 it is significant. 238 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,400 Here's a word that was spoken by God. 239 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:08,000 Here's a word that became a pattern for how God created everything else. 240 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,960 You'll notice as you read Genesis 1 over and over it says, and God said, and God said, 241 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:17,120 and God said, and God said, and it was. 242 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:23,040 That's a powerful word by an omnipotent God to speak and everything comes into existence. 243 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:28,160 But catch this, when God speaks, creative elements listen. 244 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:32,840 They all come into the proper relationship to be formed to be what he calls them to be. 245 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:37,160 In fact, his word is so powerful that all of creation comes into being and that's how 246 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,240 God designed it. 247 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:46,280 The Psalmist spoke of that in Psalm 33 verse 9 and summarized it by saying, for he spoke 248 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,360 and it was done. 249 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:51,920 He commanded and it stood fast. 250 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:58,120 I think this is a powerful thing, but we also know that God upholds the world by his hand 251 00:15:58,120 --> 00:15:59,920 and his word as well. 252 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:01,160 I believe this firmly. 253 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:07,280 If God ever removes his hand and his word from our world, it will crash and burn. 254 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:12,760 There is nothing about our world that is random, but if God and the God of order removes his 255 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:18,160 power that keeps it in order, that keeps us in the right relationship with everything 256 00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:22,480 else around us, it will crash and burn, it will be absolute catastrophe. 257 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:27,280 But the Bible cautions us that we don't need to worry about that and we don't need to worry 258 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:31,280 about the future because God upholds all things by the word of his power. 259 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:37,120 Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3 describing Jesus as he is the radiance of his glory, the exact 260 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:38,840 representation of his nature. 261 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,680 He upholds all things by the word of his power. 262 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:47,480 Now all things, in the Greek means the same thing as all things in the English and in 263 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:51,600 the Spanish and in the Chinese and every other language you can have on the planet. 264 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:56,520 Every version of the Bible says he opposed, say it with me, all things by the word of 265 00:16:56,520 --> 00:16:58,140 his power. 266 00:16:58,140 --> 00:16:59,640 God opposes all things. 267 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:01,520 His word is all powerful. 268 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:08,440 The first word just simply reflects how powerful God is and God will be forever and ever. 269 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:15,420 But not only does he uphold all things, he can also suspend all things at his word. 270 00:17:15,420 --> 00:17:21,160 Think about some of the miracles of the Bible where God suspended his laws of nature at 271 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:22,680 his word. 272 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:27,780 When Jesus walked on water, when he made the sun stand still for the space of about half 273 00:17:27,780 --> 00:17:30,520 a day so the enemies could be defeated. 274 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:34,640 Where he turned the water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana. 275 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,640 Where he parted the seas so the Israelites could walk right through it. 276 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:43,080 Where he raised Lazarus, dead Lazarus to rise from the dead. 277 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:44,920 He gave what I call the divine word. 278 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:51,120 He spoke and everything that was a law of nature was suspended for the purpose of God. 279 00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:54,920 But you read on in the Bible, you'll find more and more instances of this. 280 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:59,640 How did the animals get into the ark except God spoke to them and told them to go to the 281 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:04,960 boat that had never been built before but was built for these animals and they went? 282 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:09,760 Why did the lions keep their mouth closed when Daniel was in the lion's den so that 283 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:10,760 he might live? 284 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:17,640 Or how did the whale know to go find Jonah and then swallow him and then take him and 285 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:19,880 deposit him on the shores of Nineveh? 286 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:24,040 I call it a divine uber is what it was. 287 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:29,560 God called the whale and it went there, then and for that purpose and I don't know if Jonah 288 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,760 left a tip but God must have. 289 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:38,400 God spoke to winds, he spoke to waves, he speaks to trees and they all obey. 290 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:43,520 In fact the amazing thing is there's only one kind of thing on earth that doesn't obey 291 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,680 the word of God and you know who it is? 292 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,640 It's us. 293 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,160 The ones he created to have our own will. 294 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:58,360 To do things the way we want and still to this day we are the only ones with a record, 295 00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:02,480 a bad record of doing what God's word says. 296 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:06,320 Now the first word in the presence of Genesis chapter one verse two tells me a very important 297 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:11,320 principle the word goes before the work. 298 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,200 Before God does a work he gives a word. 299 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:19,480 Now that's not only true with God and creation but it's true of the prophets. 300 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:23,440 God gave Elijah a word, Elijah spoke it and it came to pass. 301 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,120 That's also true when God gives you a word. 302 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:30,920 When he speaks to your life you can expect that what he speaks to you about will happen 303 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:34,120 at some point down the road. 304 00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:35,200 Jesus said he's coming again. 305 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,920 We expect Jesus to come again but we don't know when. 306 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:42,320 We don't know exactly all the elements of that but we trust it because of the principle 307 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:47,800 of the first word that when God speaks we need to listen. 308 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:51,880 But that also helps us answer the question what is truth? 309 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:59,400 The question of what is truth is answered by what has God said? 310 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,240 When we get to Genesis chapter three we'll see the first temptation and we'll see that 311 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:11,440 Satan originally tempted Eve by saying has God really said? 312 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:18,480 And of course she was led astray as was Adam and that ushered mankind's sin in. 313 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,440 So God's word is powerful. 314 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,720 God spoke at the first facts of life take place. 315 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,000 He speaks, it is. 316 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:26,280 It's a universal principle. 317 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,680 It's a powerful spiritual principle. 318 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:33,760 Let this guide your life just like it guided the original elements of creation. 319 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:38,760 The sheer power of God's word allows me to build my life on what God told me to build 320 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:44,360 my life on regardless of how I feel, how much I doubt, what my circumstances are or the 321 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:46,320 cultural objections around me. 322 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:49,400 I can always rely on God's word. 323 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:55,520 Do you remember the story that Jesus told about the man who built his house upon the 324 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:59,680 sand and then the man who built his house upon the rock? 325 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:05,240 Jesus said in Matthew chapter seven verse 24, therefore everyone who hears these words 326 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:12,600 of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the rock. 327 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:17,800 Of course the fool did not obey what he heard. 328 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:22,320 Since Jesus is the one that made this statement and he's the same one that spoke and all 329 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,840 the creation came into existence I think we do well to pay attention to the words of Jesus 330 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:27,840 Christ. 331 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:33,520 Science, as you know, looks for experiments to prove theories. 332 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:39,200 Well if my life is an experiment it proves the power of God's word because as I look 333 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:45,360 back on my life all the times I've walked with God, obeyed God, they've been great times 334 00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:51,760 and all the times I've disobeyed God and not done what he said they've been bad times. 335 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:56,680 If your life is an experiment you want to make sure that you're obeying the word of 336 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:02,160 God which is a divine word and in every way can be trusted. 337 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:09,240 Creation says trust his word, rely on what it says, read it and discover what can happen. 338 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:10,840 The first word. 339 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:12,680 Then there's the first light. 340 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:13,680 The first light. 341 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:18,800 Look at verse three, God said let there be light and there was light. 342 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:25,080 So if you can imagine in your mind's eye speaking into the void of this watery sphere he said 343 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,920 let there be light and there was light. 344 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,040 Then try to imagine for a moment what is this light. 345 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:36,920 Now later on we know that God does not create the sun just yet and the solar system and 346 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,780 the stars he places them in their spots later on. 347 00:22:40,780 --> 00:22:45,120 It's not the shekinah glory of God which we read about other places of the Old Testament 348 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:50,680 because it was dark in this place where God created the original elements. 349 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:54,760 It was dark and yet God was there so it's not the shekinah glory. 350 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,080 But in conclusion we really don't know what the light was. 351 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:04,880 It was simply an electromagnetic response of light and the waves that recreate that 352 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:06,840 at his command. 353 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,760 Just like water, light has an unusual phenomena about it. 354 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,560 Any light form is made up of electromagnetic waves. 355 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:13,920 It's not matter. 356 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:15,480 It has no mass, no weight. 357 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:17,960 It's not pulled by gravitational forces. 358 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:22,120 It can enter any kind of space and we only see the light that's reflected off of something 359 00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:24,880 else and we see it in those refractionary ways. 360 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:28,200 But what happened was that God spoke and there was simply light. 361 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,720 Now here's what you need to carry away from this. 362 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:38,080 Not the light needs to get your attention but the fact that God is the source of light. 363 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:41,360 The fact that he brings light. 364 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:43,480 He's the one that makes it happen. 365 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,840 He provides whatever kind of light is needed when the Israelites were walking through the 366 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:48,720 wilderness in the dark of night. 367 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:54,000 He provided a pillar of fire for them just to get them from one spot to another to obey 368 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:55,360 what he told them to do. 369 00:23:55,360 --> 00:23:59,560 He demonstrated the shekinah glory in the tabernacle later on in the temple to show 370 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:00,680 his presence. 371 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:05,240 Whatever light is needed God provides but what's impressive is not the light. 372 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:09,600 What's impressive is the God who brings the light. 373 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:13,520 A bunch of civilizations used to worship the sun and worship the stars. 374 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:19,400 People today still chart their lives off of astrology but why not worship the God that 375 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:20,520 put the stars up there? 376 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:25,200 Why not worship the God who put the sun there? 377 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,480 He's the source of light. 378 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:31,240 Now look at what God's doing here. 379 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:36,880 The earth at this point is the center of all this focus and all of this attention and he 380 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:41,560 hasn't put us in a solar system for us to serve it. 381 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:47,760 He places the solar system around us for it to serve us. 382 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:53,120 His focus, his creative powerful emphasis is the creation of the earth upon which he 383 00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:58,960 places his people, that's you and I, made in his image and because we know that we worship 384 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:05,880 and serve him, not the earth, not the sun, not the trees, not any of the natural phenomena 385 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:14,200 that God speaks into existence, we worship him, the source of light, not the light itself. 386 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:18,200 You better be more fascinated by God than the light he gave you, more fascinated by 387 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:24,160 God than the trees that blow in the wind, more fascinated by God than the seas or all 388 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:25,400 of the fish in the seas. 389 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,600 Be fascinated by God. 390 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:33,080 He's the one who brings it all into existence. 391 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,520 But also this verse says that God saw that the light was good. 392 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:42,320 Now I want to take for just a moment and talk about that word good. 393 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:48,600 Later on in the New Testament Jesus said there is no one good but God and here is God declaring 394 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:53,920 that at the very least the earth was created without sin, without corruption, without disease, 395 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:56,960 without issue, without war, without strife, without evil at all. 396 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,360 It was good in the eyes of God. 397 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:03,320 Now God said this at every stage of creation, didn't he? 398 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:04,320 God saw that it was good. 399 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:05,320 God saw that it was good. 400 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,800 At the end of it all he said God saw it was very good after he created the man and the 401 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:09,800 woman. 402 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,240 God saw that it was very good. 403 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:18,200 That word good reflects God's character, his goodness, his order, his symmetry, his balance, 404 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:19,680 his purpose. 405 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,800 Now think about that for a moment. 406 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:27,580 The reason I believe this is such an important phrase and the reason I believe in the existence 407 00:26:27,580 --> 00:26:32,440 of a young earth not an old earth in the sense of how long it took to create is because the 408 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:38,620 older theory that accompanies imagined evolution describes millions of years of suffering and 409 00:26:38,620 --> 00:26:44,600 disease and fighting and struggles and killing, none of which could be called good by any 410 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:47,000 stretch of the imagination. 411 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,760 I believe God created the heavens and the earth in seven literal days as we'll look 412 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:54,720 at in just a moment and everything he created was good. 413 00:26:54,720 --> 00:27:00,840 It wasn't the survival of the fittest that God created which implied a war that brings 414 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:07,160 present life out of a struggle, but it was created to be good, harmonious as only God 415 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:08,160 could. 416 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:14,120 Sin and death and evil and wickedness and temptation given into all happens after man 417 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:17,680 makes the decision to leave God's word. 418 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:22,880 That's why judgment happens to us because we're the ones that originate evil, not God 419 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:24,920 who did not create evil. 420 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:29,320 And really if you want an explanation for how catastrophic our world is today, don't 421 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:35,480 blame God for the wickedness on the planet, blame us and blame the sin of mankind. 422 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:40,440 Don't shake your fist at God and say, you made this world so unjust, so unfair. 423 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:46,800 No, you look at who really is to blame and it's not God who created all things good. 424 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:48,440 God saw that it was good. 425 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:54,160 But when you look at original creation, you too can say it was good. 426 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:58,080 And then finally there's the first day, the first day. 427 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:03,200 Verse five says, God called the light day and the darkness he called night and there 428 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:08,280 was evening and there was morning and literally in the New American Standard, one day, not 429 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,000 the first day, but one day. 430 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,880 Some creationists believe that this day was not a literal 24 hour period. 431 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:20,040 Which would be old earth evolutionist or old earth theorist. 432 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:24,200 They believe that God created but that he did it over thousands or maybe millions of 433 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,640 years where each day could have represented a million years. 434 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:31,540 They try to accommodate evolution and the theories of science, which by the way are 435 00:28:31,540 --> 00:28:33,240 becoming increasingly outdated. 436 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:37,280 They try to accommodate that in their translations. 437 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:41,320 Sometimes you'll hear someone that believes in the old earth theory, that it took millions 438 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:45,640 and millions and millions of years for God to do this instead of seven literal days. 439 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,360 They'll say, but what about second Peter chapter three, verse eight? 440 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:50,840 Let me put it on the screen for you. 441 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:52,200 Peter's talking about judgment. 442 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:57,160 And he says, but do not let this one fact escape your notice beloved that with the Lord 443 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:02,000 one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day. 444 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:03,600 Now context is king. 445 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,320 I don't know if you've heard that, but you should have heard that many times from this 446 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:07,720 pulpit. 447 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:11,360 And the context is judgment, not creation. 448 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:15,240 So what God is saying, basically it seems like judgment will never come. 449 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:19,200 Now those of you that are shaking your fist at God and saying, when would you make the 450 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,240 unjust things just? 451 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:22,240 That'll be then. 452 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:26,280 It seems like it's taken a long time for God to settle all accounts, but one day he will 453 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:30,640 do that even though it seems like a thousand years. 454 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,640 But creation says seven literal days. 455 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:39,160 But I think it's important for us to give acknowledgement to the scripture itself, the 456 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:42,020 first day, one day. 457 00:29:42,020 --> 00:29:44,640 And that's what it says here in the scripture. 458 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:48,400 Now many scholars in the Hebrew will also agree with that, of course, that the Hebrew 459 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:52,640 word for first day means one day, just as we translate that. 460 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,080 So this is the first day of creation that we're looking at. 461 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:58,600 Also it defines how long one day is. 462 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:02,560 Evening and morning, one day. 463 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:06,320 I don't know how the Bible can get any more precise than it is. 464 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:07,320 It's simple. 465 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:13,680 A child can understand that evening and morning, one day, the day always is, always has been, 466 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:16,520 always will be, 24 hours in length. 467 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:22,240 And not coincidentally, it's the time it takes for the earth to rotate once on its axis by 468 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:26,480 design, by creative fiat, where God simply declares it. 469 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:27,760 That's how long a day is. 470 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:32,240 And I know some of you out there saying, well, it seems like some of my days are so long. 471 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:36,040 But they're actually only 24 hours. 472 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:39,480 And that's how every day has been since creation. 473 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:43,200 In Exodus chapter 20 verse 11 it says, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and 474 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,320 the earth and the sea and all that's in them and rested on the seventh day. 475 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:49,840 Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 476 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:54,040 You say, pastor, why are you spending all this time on this seven day thing? 477 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:55,040 And here's why. 478 00:30:55,040 --> 00:31:01,520 How you view the creationist account of the world is not a test of fellowship. 479 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:06,840 I've got other believers that I know and love who believe differently than I do on this. 480 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,000 But it does reveal how you interpret your Bible. 481 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:16,280 You see, the Bible must take precedence over any scientific theory. 482 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:21,240 If theories of science or circumstance or a culture determine how you interpret your 483 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:26,220 Bible, God's word is secondary to you, not primary. 484 00:31:26,220 --> 00:31:31,440 If I let culture tell me what a man is, what a woman is, or how long the earth has been 485 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:38,520 in existence or how it came into being, then the Bible is secondary instead of primary. 486 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:44,000 But if I approach the Bible and say I will take the Bible and filter through it all the 487 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:49,600 theories that man comes up with, all the theories that science comes up with, all the feelings 488 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:55,320 I have, all the desires I may have, then God's word is primary. 489 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:58,800 And I learn what's right and I learn what's wrong. 490 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:03,200 And I have a foundation that I can stand on. 491 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:06,640 God did not give you this book for you to doubt your whole life. 492 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:10,440 He gave you this book for you to build your life on. 493 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:12,520 And that's what this book is for. 494 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:18,280 So let scripture set your view of God, the world, and your life. 495 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,240 You don't have to figure it all out. 496 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,240 He already has. 497 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:27,380 And so what you do is you allow Him to show you what He has for you. 498 00:32:27,380 --> 00:32:29,040 Let the divine word amaze you. 499 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:30,040 Let it capture you. 500 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:31,040 Let it lead you. 501 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:36,920 Greater than that, let it point you to the flawless God, to His Son Jesus Christ who 502 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:42,280 created this earth and who created the future heavens for all of us who put our faith and 503 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:43,280 trust in Him. 504 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:48,480 And let it cause you to be even more confident that your salvation is secure by placing your 505 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:55,400 trust in that God, that Jesus, who made sure that you could have a right way with Him by 506 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,600 trusting Him by faith. 507 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,640 My friend Genesis points to Jesus. 508 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:03,120 It points to the end and everything in between. 509 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:05,440 And you have it all in the Word of God. 510 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,960 If you'll have it, if you'll have it. 511 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,040 Just a few moments, I'll close this in prayer. 512 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:12,840 We have our decision stations that are up. 513 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:14,800 People manning those. 514 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:19,600 Today it may be that you need to make a decision to trust by faith the God who created the 515 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,240 heavens and the earth. 516 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,160 You're wandering aimlessly through life and you're not really sure what to believe or 517 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:30,800 not really sure what truth is or what decisions you need to make to be on the right path. 518 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:35,080 Then we can help you see how the Bible gives you direction and guidance. 519 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:41,120 We can help you see how Jesus Christ can forgive sin and give us eternal life. 520 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:46,600 Make the priority to place your life in the hands of this God who created the heavens 521 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:47,600 and the earth. 522 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,840 Our decision stations will be lit up in a moment. 523 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,520 And as soon as the service is over, I'll be in the guest reception room. 524 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,240 I'd love to visit with you if you're a guest today. 525 00:33:55,240 --> 00:34:00,320 I'd love to welcome you to our services and talk to you about things beyond here, what 526 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:01,720 it means to be a part of our church. 527 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:03,720 Would you stand with me? 528 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:12,200 Father, in Jesus' name today I'm very, very grateful for a Bible that gives us all that 529 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:13,680 we need for life. 530 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:19,200 Father, I'm thankful that the world is held together by your Word just as you said it 531 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,640 would for all these centuries. 532 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:27,480 And Lord, we have no reason to doubt, no reason to look elsewhere for the answers that we 533 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:28,720 need in life. 534 00:34:28,720 --> 00:34:36,920 Father, today help us to have a renewed confidence in what you say and what you've written and 535 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:37,920 what we have. 536 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:44,520 Father, today I pray that every person will come to the place of knowing personally you, 537 00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:47,200 the God of creation through your Son Jesus. 538 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:49,400 We ask this in Jesus' name. 539 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:51,840 Amen.