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BEFORE
THE BEGINNING Introduction: The Bible doesn’t prove the existence of God; the Bible declares the existence of God! The Bible also reveals some things that were before the creation. I. THE PERSON BEHIND ALL THINGS (“In the beginning God…”) There was a Creator before there was a creation. Something cannot come from nothing! A. Self-Existent No one created God. (John 17:24) "…for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." Jesus was before all things. He has always been God!
B.
Self-Sufficient God did not need any help. God = el-o-heem (plural; teaching the Trinity – reference to “let Us”, (John 1:1-2) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {2} The same was in the beginning with God." (Not 3 Gods; 1 God in 3 persons). (Illus: I can’t explain God; if I could He would be man sized – Some say there is no Trinity because the word Trinity in not in the Bible; yet neither is the word “Bible”; do you believe in the Bible?). Trinity defines the concept – God in three Persons, blessed Trinity. God is in need of nothing!
C.
Self-Determination
El-o-heem = Almighty
God – the God of might and strength. This world was God’s idea
(expound). The Bible declares that God was before the beginning! II.
THE PURPOSE BEHIND ALL THINGS (“In
the beginning God created…”) What is life all about? Does it make sense without God? A. Speaks Of Order God is a God of order. B. Speaks Of Meaning God is behind it all. (1 Sam 3:12) "…when I begin, I will also make an end." There is no purpose apart from God! (Illus: the God who was there before there was a there – The all-powerful, all-sufficient, the all-knowing, almighty God invaded human history in a body of flesh and has revealed Himself to humanity in the Person of Jesus Christ!) So, it I’m going to have meaning in my life, I’ve got to know Jesus! (Illus: no Christ – no purpose, no meaning. Be an atheist (expound). I’m glad I have God…) III. THE POWER BEHIND ALL THINGS (“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”) Consider: · The earth is 8000 miles in diameter & 25,000 miles in circumference. · Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system is 1,300 times the size of earth. · The sun is 864,000 miles in diameter and could hold 1,000’s of our earth. · Our solar system is a part of a galaxy with billions of stars and our solar system is only one of millions that make up that galaxy. (Illus: a star has been discovered that is 215 million miles in diameter. You could place out sun in the center of this star and our earth rotating around it and never touch the edge of this star). There is no way that this all happened by accident! There was a divine power behind creation. IV. THE POTENTIAL BEHIND ALL THINGS (V.2) A. The Moving Of The Holy Spirit Moved = to brood or to hover over. The Holy Spirit was active; moving over chaos to creation. There is no salvation by evolution. Today that same Holy Spirit is active in moving the souls of men from ruin to redemption. That is the potential that is within you. B The Ministry Of The Spirit When the Holy Spirit comes into your life He can take care of the chaos in your life. The Holy Spirit broods over your life giving the strength to straighten out chaotic problems. There is great potential in you to be all that God has purposed you to be. So stop living by the weakness of your flesh and humanity and allow the Holy Ghost Who is in you to work through you and to create in you the life that He wants to be there. These two verses refute every confused man-made belief system that man has devised. · Atheism says there is no God. · Agnosticism says there may be a God but we just can’t know it. · Pantheism says God is energy (force). (Luke Skywalker & Shirley McClain) ·
Polytheism says there are many
gods. (This has gripped · Materialism says this is all there is just buy, get, and horde. · Humanism – quotes from the humanist manifesto 1. We find insufficient evidence for belief in the existence of a supernatural; it is either meaningless or irrelevant to the question of survival and fulfillment of the human race. We begin with humans not God, nature not deity. 2. Humans are responsible for what we are or will become. No deity will save us; we must save ourselves. But the Book says “In the beginning God…” He has placed His thumbprint on creation (expound). Conclusion:
Leave this place knowing this today: God is before all things, He
is the cause of all things, He is the explanation of all things, and He is
the destiny of all things. From God we came and to God we will go; to
eternal bliss with God in heaven or to judgment and eternal hell. What you
do with Jesus Christ will determine which.
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