September 20, 2020

Of Creation (WCF Ch4) | Genesis 1:1-2:3

Preacher:
Passage: Genesis 1:1-2:3
Service Type:

Introduction

The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
- Ch1: ‘Of the Holy Scriptures’;
- Ch2: ‘Of God, and of the Holy Trinity’;
- Ch3: ‘Of God’s Eternal Decree’
- Ch4: ‘Of Creation’.

Big questions, big answers…
- ‘In the beginning, God…’ (1:1-2)
God is above all created things.
God is personally involved.
Genesis Ch1 is full of good news – an evangelistic tract.
Other creation stories don’t compare – eg: Babylonian, “Enuma Eliŝ”
People need to hear the truth of Genesis 1.
- ‘And God said…’ (1:3—2:3)
The symphony of life. Uni = ‘one’ … Verse = ‘word’.
All creation declares the glory of God. (see: Romans 1:20)
Evolution? An evangelistic tract for atheism.
Day 1 Light Day 4 Sun, moon, stars
Day 2 Sky and sea Day 5 Birds and fish
Day 3 Dry ground Day 6 Animals, mankind
Day 7 God rests from the work of creation

- ‘In His Image…’ (1:26-28)
Why am I here? Who am I? → God’s image in creation.
- God’s representative inter-dependent lives, male + female
- God’s vice-regent rulers of God’s creation
- God’s agent making God known
- God’s exemplar knowledge, righteousness, holiness
God hates idolatry. Don’t deface yourself with sin. (Romans 1:18, 1:21)
An example: sex and gender. The inter-dependency of human life.

Conclusion
God is above all created things. Creation is fundamentally good. We belong to
God. Keep God front and centre. Treat others with respect: all of us bear God’s
image, however broken. Science works because the world is orderly. YOU are
God’s image-bearer in the world… to know God and to make God known.