Wednesday, September 25, 2002

Stories Of The Bible Series - The Story Of Creation

Stories of the Bible Series

The Story Of Creation

GTCOTR/ws092502

New King James Version Psalms 78:1-7 (Bring Up On Screen)

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

A. We are not told when that was

B. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

C. Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

1. God created these things for His Son

* A Family for His Son

* A Mother for His Son

* Brothers and Sisters for His Son

* A Bride for His Son

* A World to live in together

2. Colossians 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

II. Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form, and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

A. Things We Do Not Know

1. How much time was there between verse one and verse two.

2. If the earth was created in its verse 2 condition or if it fell or deteriorated into this condition through some event that God did not choose to reveal to man at this time.

B. Things We Do Know

1. God is older than the bible

2. The Earth appears much older than Adam and Eve

* This is 2002

* Jesus was born about 2000 years ago

* David reigned as king about 3000 years ago

* Moses was born in Egypt about 3500 years ago

* The Children of Israel went into Egypt about 3900 years ago

* Jacob was born about 4000 years ago

* Abraham was born about 4200 years ago

* Noah survived the flood about 4500 years ago

* Adam was created by God about 6100 to 6200 years ago

Note: Those who desire, research a timeline from Adam to Abraham.

3. God decided to bring order, productivity and purpose to earth

* The earth was covered with water

* He hovered over the surface of the waters

Stories of The Bible Continued

Creation Continued

I. Genesis 1:3ff God Begins Creation (not of, but) Upon The Earth

A. The First Day - Light (v.3)

1. Called the light day

2. Called the darkness night

B. The Second Day - Firmament (Solid Supporting Expanse of Air)

1. Midst of waters (Middle)

2. Dividing, Separating Earthly Waters from Heavenly Waters

C. The Third Day - Dry Land and Seas Separated

1. The dry land to bring forth grass, herb and trees

2. Bearing seed in itself to reproduce after its kind

D. The Fourth Day - Two Great Lights and Stars

1. The greater light to rule the day

2. The lesser light to rule the night

3. Set the pattern for signs, seasons, days and years.

E. The Fifth Day - Every Living Land, Winged, And Sea Creature

1. God blessed them to be fruitful and multiply

2. After their kind

F. The Sixth Day - Mankind

1. In God’s likeness and image

2. Male and Female

3. Give them dominion over every living thing on earth

4. God blessed them

* Be fruitful and reproduce

* Fill the earth and subdue it (dominate and make serve)

* Take dominion over all living things on the earth

* Eat of the herbs and fruit of the earth

G. The Seventh Day - God Ended His Work and Rested

1. God blessed the seventh day

2. God sanctified the seventh day

II. Genesis 2 Continued

A. God recounts The Creation of Adam

1. Formed of the dust of the ground - Body

2. Breathed into his nostrils the breath of life - Spirit

3. Man became alive with a soul - Soul

B. God plants a garden Eastward in Eden (near Babylon in Iraq)

1. Planted pleasant, fruitful trees

* Tree of life in the middle

* Tree of the knowledge of good and evil

2. It did not rain but a river watered the garden

C. God puts man in the garden

1. To dress it (tend, till or work it)

2. To keep it (to guard, watch or keep charge over)

D. God Gives A Command To Adam

1. Eat free of every tree

2. Except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

3. In the day you eat of it, you will surely die

E. God Sees That Adam Is Lonely & Unproductive

1. Adam named the living creatures

2. No mate was found

F. God Creates Woman

1. He puts Adam into a deep sleep (God needs no help creating)

2. Takes a rib from Adam

3. Fashions a woman as a helper

4. Brings her to Adam

5. Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone … taken out of man

a. leave & cleave

b. two shall be one flesh

c. naked and unashamed

III. Adam and Eve Disobey God!

A. The Deceptive Serpent

1. Subtle

2. Shrewd, Sly & Crafty

B. “Hath God Said?”

1. Subtle Conversations which question God

A. His word

B. His will

C. His way

D. His character

2. The serpent already knew what God had said

3. Eve knew the word & will of God

4. The serpent implied that what God said was not true

5. The serpent added truth to lies to touch the heart

A. the classic deceptive ploy

B. entice with partial truths

C. Adam & Eve Ate of the Forbidden Fruit - Sin

Note: All disobedience to God is sin.

1. Their eyes were opened

2. They knew they were naked

3. They covered themselves

IV. Adam & Eve Hide From The Presence of God

A. “I was afraid because I was naked”

B. Did someone tell you or did you eat of the forbidden fruit

C. Sin-filled Accusations

1. Adam blamed the woman and God

2. Eve blamed the serpent

D. God Gives Command

1. The serpent - Because you have done this thing

2. The woman - multiplied sorrow & conception

3. Adam - Because you have obeyed the voice of your wife

A. cursed is the ground

B. thorns & thistles

C. sweat and toil to eat

D. return to dust

V. God Pays For & Covers Man’s Sin

A. God made coats of skins and covered Adam & Eve

B. Where did the skins come from?

C. A Blood sacrifice for sin

VI. Man Is Removed From The Garden of Eden

A. Because they have become as one of us

1. Knowing good and evil

2. What if they eat of the tree of life and live forever like this

B. He drove man out of the garden

C. God placed Cherubims and a flaming sword at the east entrance

1. The sword turned every way

2. To guard the way of the tree of life.

VII. Adam and Eve begin to have children

Timeline

Genesis 5

Name

Year Born

Age

Son

Age @ Death

Yr. Died

God

Eternal

Adam

God is life

Adam

0

130

Seth

930

930

Seth

130

105

Enos

912

1042

Enos

235

90

Cainan

905

1140

Cainan

325

70

Mahalaleel

910

1235

Mahalaleel

395

65

Jared

895

1290

Jared

460

162

Enoch

962

1422

Enoch*

622

65

Methuselah

365

987

Methuselah

687

187

Lamech

969

1656

Lamech

874

182

Noah

777

1651

Noah

1056

500

H/S/J

950

2006

The Treasury of Scripture Knowldege, (TSK), notes for Genesis 6:1 correlates the year A.M. 1556 with B.C. 2448. This is the year Noah was told to build the ark.

*Gen 5:24 Enoch did not die but was translated to heaven.

Genesis 7:11 Noah entered the ark in the 600th year of his life which was 1656 years after God created Adam.

Genesis 11:10 picks back up with the timeline.

Shem

1558

100

Arphaxad

600

2158

Arphaxad

1658

35

Salah

438

2096

Salah

1693

30

Eber

433

2126

Eber

1723

34

Peleg

464

2187

Peleg

1757

30

Reu

239

1996

Reu

1787

32

Serug

239

2026

Serug

1819

30

Nahor

230

2049

Nahor

1849

29

Terah

148

1997

Terah

1878

70

Abram

205

2083

Abram

1948

100

Isaac

175 (21:5)

2188

Isaac

2048

60

Jacob/Esau

180 (25/35)

2228

Jacob

2108

90

Joseph

147 (47)

2255

Joseph

2198

?

Eph/Man

110 (50)

2308

Interesting Facts

Genesis 16:16 Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael was born: 2034.

Abraham was 201 when Shem died!

Gen 12:4 Abraham was 75 when he left Haran: 2023.

Gen 17:24 Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised: 2047.

This is the same year that Sodom & Gomorrah was destroyed!

Gen 17:17 Sarah was 90 when Abraham was 100 yrs old.

Gen 23:1 Sarah was 127 when she died: 2085 (born in 1958).

Gen 25:20 Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah: 2088.

Gen 47:9 Jacob was 130 when he took 70 of his descendants, know as the household of Israel, into Egypt in the year 2029.

The children were to stay in bondage in Egypt for 430 years or until 2459.

Moses was 80 years old when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, so he was born in the year 2379.

Deut 34:7 Moses lived to be 120 yrs old, so he died in 2499.

Joshua 14:7-10 Caleb was 40 yrs old at Kadesh Barnea: 2459/60. and he was 85 when he took Hebron for an inheritance from God in 2504/05. So conquering the land of Canaan lasted about 5 years up to that time.

(numbers in parenthesis indicate reference chapter #s in Genesis)

Sunday, September 22, 2002

Three Elements Of The Christian's Character

3 Elements of The Christian’s Character

GTCOTR/ss092202

Point #167. When we preach on sin, we should always assume they didn’t mean to do it.

Scripture: Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.

This Mornings Bread of Life deals with 3 Elements of The Christian’s Character

Courage

Integrity

Compassion

Three Old Joes

I. Joe Number One: Joseph of Arimathaea - A Man Of Courage

A. Mark 15

43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

B. Matthew 27

57 ¶ When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

C. John 19

38 ¶ And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

* Joseph of Arimathaea followed Jesus only close enough to know him but not close enough to cost him

* The more one has to loose the harder it is to have courage

* What was it that brought this Joe from a low risk relationship with Jesus to a high risk response for Jesus?

> Perhaps it was realizing what opportunities he had lost forever

* We often do not realize the opportunities at hand until they are gone

* Perhaps it was the courage of Jesus that rang Joseph’s bell

* When will you do what courage requires of you?

> Beginning something

> Ending something

> Standing against the odds or crowds

> Standing for the Christ who gave His life for you

II. The Second Joe: Joseph, The Son of Jacob - A Man Of Integrity

Scripture: Genesis 39

1 ¶ And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.

2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

7 ¶ And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

13 ¶ And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,

14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:

15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.

16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.

17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

19 ¶ And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.

20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

A. Genesis 39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

B. Genesis 39:9c … how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

* Joseph lived and died with his integrity in tact … without scandal, without failure, without compromise.

* Joseph was the original ‘zero tolerance’ guy … Joseph had ‘zero tolerance’ for sin

* How would it change your life and world if you took a ‘zero tolerance’ vow? A pledge to 100% integrity!

III. Joseph Number Three - Joseph, The Husband Of Mary - A Man Of Compassion

A. Luke 1:26ff The Virgin Mary is informed by Gabriel concerning the Immaculate Conception

B. Matthew 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

* Joseph was unwilling to hurt those who had hurt and wronged him

* He must have loved Mary. Proverbs 10:12 “… love covers all sins.”

* 1 Corinthians 13:13 Now abideth faith, hope and love, the greatest of these is love.

* We can increase our compassion by moving ourselves into the middle of a work of God.

* Get out into the field … Jesus will love the hungry, the hurt, the lost, those who are afraid, the lonely and the wounded through you.

* Four times the gospels say Jesus was ’moved with compassion’

> Matthew 9:36

> Matthew 14:14

> Mark 1:41

> Mark 6:34

IV. Conclusion

A. We must be people of courage to seize the opportunities Jesus gives us and not miss the day of our visitation.

B. We must be people of integrity. Those with a zero tolerance policy toward sin.

C. We must be people of compassion who treat even our sworn enemies with the love of Christ, doing good to those who use us, evilly treat us and wrongly persecute us. How much more must we love with action those who are sitting by the wayside in life.

D. Your Part Today:

1. Commit to a courageous life with Christ as your example

2. Take a ’zero tolerance’ vow.

* Declare: “I will not willingly sin against God.”

3. Begin a compassionate journey

* Remember Point #167. When we preach on sin, we should always assume they didn’t mean to do it.

* Be a covering agent of Christ.