He Still Speaks

I want you to turn to Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

Last week we began talking about

these beginning passages of Scripture,

Genesis 1 through 11.

I believe they're foundational passages of the Bible.

Not only are they the first things you come to,

but they are also the base for understanding everything else

that happens after this.

Like a blueprint to a new construction.

I think of this as a blueprint that kind of lays the foundation

for everything else that you learn from Scripture.

Last week we looked at the first three days of creation

and we learned how it's really about God.

It's not so much about the earth,

although it describes how it was created.

Earth is often the focus of that,

but the reality is the focus is God and about Jesus.

He was there and we continue to see that in the text today.

We also found that it's about God's order

and today we'll flesh that out a little bit more,

but today we're going to focus on the second half

of the week of creation.

It's in Genesis chapter 1 beginning in verse 14.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

And it says this,

And God said,

And God saw that it was good.

And there was evening and there was morning,

the fourth day.

And God said,

Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures

and let the birds fly above the earth

across the expanse of the heavens.

So God created the great sea creatures

and every living creature that moves

with which the water swarm according to their kinds

and every winged bird according to its kind.

And God saw that it was good.

And God blessed them, saying,

Be fruitful and multiply,

and fill the waters in the seas,

and let birds multiply on the earth.

And there was evening and there was morning,

the fifth day.

And God said,

Let the earth bring forth living creatures

according to their kinds,

livestock and creeping things,

and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.

And it was so.

God made the beasts of the earth

according to their kinds,

and the livestock according to their kinds,

and everything that creeps on the ground

according to its kinds.

And God saw that it was good.

Then God said,

Let us make man in our image and after our likeness,

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the heavens

and over the livestock,

and over all the earth

and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

So God created man in his own image.

In the image of God, he created him.

Male and female, he created them.

And God blessed them.

And God said to them,

Be fruitful and multiply,

and fill the earth and subdue it,

and have dominion over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the heavens

and over every living thing that moves on the ground.

And God said,

Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed

that is on the face of all the earth,

and every tree with its seed and its fruit,

you shall have them for food.

And to every beast of the earth,

and to every bird of the heavens,

and to everything that creeps on the earth,

everything that has the breath of life,

I have given every green plant for food,

and it was so.

And God saw everything that he made,

and behold, it was very good,

and there was evening and there was morning,

the sixth day.

I heard that an eloquent African-American pastor

put it this way,

God stepped from behind the curtain of nowhere

and stood on the platform of nothing

and spoke a universe into existence.

And I agree with all of that.

There's a lot to discuss here about creation,

but I want to focus our time this morning

on what the Bible clearly points out to us

in these passages as the most essential,

things that you don't miss.

Don't miss his order.

There's a phrase that's used again and again.

You may have heard it as I read it.

It is found in the creating of the fruit trees

and the vegetable-bearing plants

in verses 11 and 12.

It is found in the creating of the creatures

of the waters and of the air in verse 21.

It is found in the creating of the creatures of the land

in verse 24 and 25.

It is a repetitive phrase that is translated

according to its kind.

Now, the reputation of that phrase is huge.

I like the Hebrew language

because it is for simple-minded folks.

Not to learn it.

It's hard to learn,

but it repeats itself a lot.

It puts it out there pretty plain for you.

Kind of rudimentary if you can ever get the difference.

And what we've learned is our native language

and, man, what a drastic difference Hebrew is.

You start at the back of the book.

You read from right to left instead of left to right.

They don't have vowels, really.

They have points and those type things

that count as vowels.

You read a word kind of zigzag.

It's a nightmare and I'm glad I passed a class.

But the reputation of any kind of phrase like that,

the reiteration of it is huge.

And when it says according to its kind,

it points to God distinguishing what he made clearly.

We need not be confused.

We need not entertain those that try to confuse.

God is clear.

It does not say that God made the waters

and the waters produced an amoeba

that grew cells into a fish,

that turned into a tadpole,

that grew into a monkey,

that evolved into Homo Neanderthal,

then into Homo Erectus,

and then into Homo Sapien.

That's too many homos.

It brings order,

not chaos.

God made the seed.

God made the fruit.

God made the creator.

And then in his own image,

he made man.

Some believe in the Big Bang Theory.

It may surprise you,

I believe in Big Bang.

I do.

As a matter of fact,

I believe in several of them.

I believe God said sun

and bang,

the sun was created.

I believe he said plant

and bang,

the plant was created.

And I believe it went on and on.

It came out of nothing

when God spoke.

It didn't come out of nothing

until God spoke it out of nothing.

Because God brings order,

not chaos.

What God makes according to its kind,

let humankind not confuse.

God made a cat.

It's not a dog.

It can hang out with dogs.

It can act like dogs.

It can pretend to be a dog.

It can be raised by a pack of dogs.

It can identify as a dog.

But it's still a cat.

If a blueberry,

as it grows into a fruit,

somehow were to claim

that it was an apple,

it's not.

It's still a blueberry.

And if a guy tries to sell you

a bushel of apples,

but they look distinctively,

taste particularly,

like a bunch of grapes,

don't buy his apples.

Okay?

Just because that old boy

identifies his fruit

as something that it's not,

does not mean that it's so.

Are you with me?

You get what I'm saying?

Because God brings order.

The evil one brings chaos.

The evil one brings confusion.

The evil one stirs it up.

And part of the way

that he brings chaos

is he makes what makes us feel,

really, really feel

like a lie

is the truth.

We'll see that in the garden

in the coming days.

If you turn on your television

or you go to social media,

you'll see lies

that are disguised as truth.

For instance,

when a family holds hands

in a hayfield

or in the park

in their newest clothes,

and they are laughing

and frolicking

and hugging

and having such a splendid time,

they're not.

They're not.

You know why they're not?

Because that's picture day.

Laughter

I think somebody

can relate to that,

but anyway.

They're faking it.

They're faking it.

Not my family,

but everybody else's.

Okay?

They're faking it.

That is deception.

Deception.

But that's not the deception

that I speak of.

A great deception

of the evil one

in our day

is over gender,

and it is utter confusion,

and that is not of God.

God's design

and his rule

is not for us

to decide.

I'll tell you

another great deception

is that somehow

we can decide

based on our feelings

what is right

and what is wrong.

And that somehow

morals are based

on the trends

of the day,

and they're not.

Let me warn you.

History tells us

that there have been

other strong countries

destroyed

by the devil's deceptions,

and don't ever believe

we're immune to it

happening to us.

If you think

I've left my sermon,

I'm not,

because I'm speaking

of order

versus chaos.

And when we read

about creation,

we tend to become

preoccupied sometimes

with the science

of the origins

of the world.

But when I look

at Genesis 1,

what I see

the message of creation

is that things

are the way they are

because God

made them so.

And for us

to alter

from his guidance,

for us to alter

from his direction

and order,

is disobedience

that outside of Christ

leads to death.

Now what's interesting

about this is,

and we'll dig into this

in coming weeks,

but the word of God,

the word for God

in Genesis 1 and 2

is the word Elohim

in Hebrew.

The more personal God

of Yahweh,

or sometimes translated

Jehovah,

is found in Genesis 3

when we get into

the make of man

and woman

and his relationship

with man

and woman.

But here,

Elohim is used

in Genesis 1 and 2

46 times.

And that word for God

comes from a root word

for power or strength.

And so the message

again and again,

and notice he didn't say

he much,

it said God.

There's an emphasis there.

The message again and again

is that God

made everything.

heaven and earth

and all that encompasses them

and he made it all

from nothing.

He spoke

and it was.

Did not evolve

from an algae

to a plant

to a fish

to a person.

Man does not turn

into a woman

or a man

is not made

to mate with men.

God made each

according

to its kind.

Now I know

that in today's life

that's a shocker.

But that's still true.

No matter how

it may feel.

Each thing

is made

God made

was distinctive,

was designed,

and was specific.

There's a story

about Sir Isaac Newton

who had somebody

make him

a,

had a skillful mechanic,

make him

a miniature

mechanical replica

of the solar system.

He had a large ball

for the sun.

He had smaller ones

for the planets.

Each one of them

were fixed

on arms

that were varying lengths

from the sun

in proportion

to where

they're gauged to be

and they were all

geared by cogs

and wheels

to move

in harmony

with each other.

An elaborate

solar system.

Newton believed

that God

created the earth.

He was confused

on some other things

along his theology,

but he,

he had a friend

who was a brilliant

scientist

that was an unbeliever.

And Newton

was showing him

this model

and the scientist

looked at that model

and said,

how exquisite.

Who made this?

And Newton said,

nobody.

The other scientist

looked at him

and said,

evidently you didn't,

you didn't understand

my question.

I asked who made this?

And Newton looked at him

and said,

nobody made it.

It just assumed

this form.

And the scientist said,

you must think

I'm a fool.

Of course somebody made it

and he's a genius

and I'd like to know

who he is.

And Newton put his hand

on his shoulder

and said this,

this is but a puny

imitation

of a much larger system

whose laws you know

and I'm not able

to convince

and I'm not able

to convince you

that this toy

is without a design

and a maker.

Yet you profess

to believe

that the great original

from which I had

this design from

is without either

a designer

or a maker.

Now you tell me

by what sort of reasoning

do you reach

such an incongruous

conclusion?

They say the man

became a believer

after that conversation.

Be clear about something.

God thought it.

God willed it.

God spoke it.

And it was.

And it was good.

And it was orderly.

And it was right.

Don't miss God's order.

Second thing I don't want

you to miss

is this,

his image.

Day six.

Thank God

for day six.

It's got something

to do with us folks.

That's a pretty big day.

That was the day

that humanity

was created.

Verse 26 says

that man is made

in our image

in our likeness.

That's interesting,

isn't it?

Who's he talking to

when he says

our image

in our likeness?

Is he talking

to the angels?

No.

Because we're not

made like angels.

We're not made

in the image

of angels.

You know what?

In reality

if you look

at a biblical angel,

angels aren't

even made like angels.

Not the way

we think of angels.

When people

think of angels,

they think of

beautiful women

with wings

or they think

of naked babies

with wings.

But I want you

to look at

what the word

of God says.

Or just listen.

You can write this

down and check me out.

See if I'm right.

Isaiah chapter 6

Isaiah 6 · chapter mention

speaks of the seraphim

which is a kind

of angel.

And it says

the seraphim

has six wings,

two to cover

his face,

two to cover

his feet,

and two to fly.

Genesis 19

speak of two angels

in Sodom

that came

to rescue Lot.

And it says

those angels

were warriors

that struck men

with blindness

and then warned

Sodom to get out

before the city

was destroyed.

And what about

the creatures

that are in

Revelation 4?

They're angels,

those around

the throne of God.

They have six wings

and they are full

of eyes,

it says.

There's eyes

in the front,

there's eyes

behind.

I had a teacher

one time

that had eyes

in the back

of her head,

but she was no angel,

I can tell you that.

In Revelation,

one looked like

a lion,

one looked like

an ox,

another looked like

a man,

another looked like

an eagle.

I bet you don't

have those sitting

on your mantle

at home,

do you?

So angels

are not the picture

that we picture

most of the time.

And we're not

made in the angels'

images.

We're made

in the image

of God.

And what you see

here is the evidence

of the Trinity

right here

in Genesis 1.

because in

Genesis 1-2,

you see the Holy

Spirit hovering

over the waters.

Passage I just

read,

God made us

in our image

which speaks

of the Trinity.

John 1-2-3

clarifies that

when it speaks

of Christ being

in the midst

of creation.

It says this,

He was in the

beginning with God,

all things were

made through Him

and without Him

was not anything

made that was

made.

That's Jesus

they're talking about.

And I want you

listen to how

the Apostle Paul

says it in

Colossians 1-15

through 18

and how he

describes them.

He says,

He is the,

speaking of Christ,

He is the image

of the invisible

God,

the firstborn

of all creation

for by Him

all things

were created

in heaven

and on earth

visible and

invisible

whether thrones

or dominions

or rulers

or authorities

all things

were created

through Him

and for Him

and He

is before

all things

and in Him

all things

hold together

and He

is the head

of the body

the church

He is the beginning

the firstborn

from the dead

that in everything

He might

be preeminent.

Therefore the image

that we are made

in is the image

of God.

This is referred

to again

before the flood

in Genesis 5

it is referred

to again

with the murder

of Abel

in Genesis 9

James 3 verse 9

James 3:9

says we're made

in the likeness

of God

1 Corinthians 11

7 says

that we are made

in the image

of God

and I just want

you to listen

to Psalm 8

listen to Psalm 8

Psalms 8:3–5

verse 3 through 5

it says this

when I look

at your heavens

the work of your fingers

the moon

and the stars

which you have

set in place

what is man

that you are mindful

of him

and the son of man

that you care

for him

yet you've made him

a little lower

than the heavenly beings

and crowned him

with glory

and honor

I believe

when you look

at creation

in Genesis chapter 1

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

you need to get

and not miss

his order

I believe you also

need to see

his image

but lastly

I think you need

to see our responsibility

we have a responsibility

of this

God blessed

man and woman

and said

in Genesis 1

Genesis 1:28

verse 28

be fruitful

and multiply

and fill the earth

and subdue it

and have dominion

over the fish

of the sea

and over the birds

of the heavens

and over every living thing

that moves

on the earth

in other words

we are in charge

of the blessings

of this earth

and we are responsible

for these resources

that have been given

to us

he created

it with order

and he created

it good

and we need

to maintain

that order

and we need

to keep it good

but often

we don't get it right

it seems to me

that we make

one of two mistakes

one is

we don't care

about what we have

we need to care

about the earth

in which we live in

if we are draining

our resources

that we

won't have

for our children

or we are pulling

the waters

that they are to drink

or polluting

the waters

that they are to drink

or we are wasting

the commodities

that have been

passed on to us

then we need

to change our ways

and conserve

what we have

I do my part

by going around

my house

and cutting off

lights

because I think

I am killing

the ambiance

but hey listen

I care about

the planet

and the power bill

so

if you have

trash

pick it up

if you see

trash

pick it up

they say

on the trail

don't leave

a trace

let me tell you

what else

it says

because there's

a second problem

that we have

some tend

to worship

nature

scripture says

we have

dominion

over nature

we've been

charged

to subdue it

and to be

responsible

with what we

have

however

we're not

to be more

concerned

about the

poisonous

dart frog

or the

bow headed

whale

than we are

the unborn

children in

America

than we are

the starving

children in

the tribes

of Africa

than we are

hungry children

in our own

county

or the elderly

that are right

here among us

that may need

a helping

hand

God

chose to

make us

the crown

of his

creation

and he gave

us the

responsibility

to manage

it

without wasting

it

and without

worshiping

it

I read

from

Psalm 8

a bit ago

let me read

some more

because in

verse 6

to 9

it says

this

you have

given him

dominion

over the

works

of your

hands

you have

put all

things under

his feet

all sheep

and oxen

and also

the beasts

of the field

the birds

of the heavens

and the fish

of the sea

whatever passes

along the

paths

of the sea

oh Lord

our Lord

how majestic

is your name

in all the

earth

we have

dominion

over what

we've been

entrusted with

and the

worship

belongs to

God

who is

our ruler

we're to

rule over

the earth

he's to

rule over

us

I like the

way King

David put it

in Psalm

145

1

I will

exalt you

my God

and King

and I'll

bless your

name

forever and

ever

the hymn

writer

John W.

Peterson

put it

this way

it took

a miracle

to put

the stars

in place

it took

a miracle

to hang

the world

in space

but when

he saved

my soul

and cleansed

and made

me whole

it took

a miracle

of love

and grace

I thank

God

that the

God that

spoke the

world

into order

still speaks

today

he still

speaks

he speaks

to hearts

not audibly

louder than

that

beckoning

us

to come

to him

so my

question is

what's he

saying to

you today

the God

that spoke

the world

into existence

speaks to

us

what's he

saying to

you today

you may be

here and

maybe there's

never been a

time in your

life when you

surrender your

life to the

Lord Jesus

I mean you

realize that

you've sinned

and done

wrong

and scripture

tells us that

that separates

you from God

for all of

eternity

but that Christ

came to

live a sinless

life

to die on

an old rugged

cross

for our sins

so that we

can have

forgiveness

forgiveness

and walk

cleanly before

the Lord

when we

just agree

with God

on the state

of our

circumstances

and the

state of

our circumstances

without Christ

is that

we're lost

in our sin

for all of

eternity

if we'll

admit that

and ask the

Lord Jesus

to forgive us

of our sins

to come into

our life

and save

us

scripture says

everyone who

calls upon

the name of

the Lord

shall be

saved

Romans 10

13

if you've

never given

your heart

and life

to the

Lord Jesus

Christ

what an

injustice

it would

be

to have

that

opportunity

that God

has given

you

and you

to waste

your life

never surrendering

your life

to him

and have

eternity

to pay

if you need

to get

saved

today

if you need

to give

your heart

and life

to Christ

we're going

to stand

and we're

going to sing

in just a

moment

but more

important

than that

I want

you to do

exactly

what God

tells you

to do

maybe you're

here and you

know you're

a Christian

but there's

never been a

time when you

publicly

acknowledge that

you did it

privately

but you never

let other

people know

that

Jesus told

us by

example and

by commission

that we're

to follow

that up

with a

public

baptism

to let

others know

what Christ

has done

in our

life

if you've

got a

private

decision

for the

Lord

but you've

never

made that

public

will you

come

I encourage

you to

come

I'd love

to guide

you in

that process

we'll lead

you through

as slowly

as we need

to for that

process

but let's

begin that

today

maybe you're

here and God's

drawing you to

be a part of

this church

maybe it's

your first

time here

maybe you've

been here

a long

time

maybe some

of us

even think

you're part

of us

but you've

never

committed

yourself

to be a

part of

God's

family

you've

never

made that

official

I encourage

you today

you come

we'd love

to guide

you in

that process

or maybe

there's

something

else

I will

never

stand

before

you

and pretend

that I

know what

God's

laid on

your heart

I don't

know that

but I

know God

still speaks

and I

know he

speaks to

hearts

and I

know that

if he's

telling you

what you

need to

do

that you'll

never be

happy until

you do

it

a life

of

disobedience

will never

be happy

when God's

made you

to be in

right

relationship

with him

and so

you obey

God

this is the

time to

do it

and so

I encourage

you as

we stand

and sing

you obey

God

Lord Jesus

I love

you and

thank you

for your

word

for the

clarity

of it

help us

to live

in response

to it

dear God

to condition

our lives

in such a way

that we're

in obedience

to you

even in the

things that

we don't

understand

lead us

oh God

I pray

in Jesus

precious name

amen