In the Beginning, Part 2

What I want to give to you cannot be given to you in one 55-minute sermon, nor can it be given to you over a series of 55-minute sermons. It's going to be given to you over a series of months and years. As we try to understand exactly what the Word of the Lord says, when He said in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, what does that mean? What are the implications of that for your life and for mine? And I thought by way of introduction this morning I would read to you what Dr. Colin Patterson said, who is a senior paleontologist of the British Natural History Museum.

It sets a tone for what we want to study today. He said, For over 20 years I thought I was working on evolution, but there was no one or there was not one thing I knew about it. So for the last few weeks I've tried putting a simple question to various people and groups of people. Here's the question. Can you tell me anything you know about evolution, any one thing, any one thing that is true? I tried that question on the geology staff at the Field Museum of Natural History, and the only answer I got was silence.

I tried it on the members of the Evolutionary Morphology Seminar in the University of Chicago, a very prestigious body of evolutionists. And all I got there was silence for a long time, and eventually one person said, Yes, I do know one thing. It ought not to be taught in high school. During the past few weeks, or excuse me, during the past few years, you have experienced a shift from evolution as knowledge to evolution as faith. Evolution not only conveys no knowledge, but seems somehow to convey anti-knowledge.

And all God's people said, Amen. Anti-knowledge is what evolution conveys. And as you study evolution, you begin to realize that there is not much substantial ground to stand on, if any at all. And yet, those who are of the evolutionary persuasion still try to convince us that everything happened by chance. In fact, one of the primary dilemmas that the evolutionist faces is that this whole chance thing presents for him a great dilemma. Yet, a biologist by the name of Jacques Monod, who was a Nobel Prize winner, if you can believe that, said this, Chance alone is at the source of every innovation, of all creation in the biosphere.

Pure chance, absolutely free, but blind at the very root of the stupendous edifice of evolution. This central concept of modern biology is no longer one among other possible or even conceivable hypothesis. It is today the sole conceivable hypothesis. And nothing warrants a supposition or the hope that on this score our position is likely ever to be revised. This is a Nobel Prize winner who says that our sole supposition is that everything happened by chance. We can't prove anything, but it all happened by chance.

And we're not going to reverse that supposition. We're going to stand fixed on that. R.C. Sproul, a great theologian, responded by saying this, Chance is the magic wand to make not only rabbits, but entire universes appear out of nothing. If chance exists in any size, shape, or form, God cannot exist. The two are mutually exclusive. If chance existed, it would destroy God's sovereignty. If God is not sovereign, He is not God. If He is not God, He simply is not. If chance is, God is not. If God is, chance is not." And that's true.

You either believe in God, that God created all things, or you believe in chance. You've got to come up on one side or the other. We know the Bible says, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Say that with me, would you please? In the beginning... All right, now we're one verse closer to memorizing the entire Bible. Isn't that good? In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Even Darwin, in his Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, understood that to believe in chance was a very difficult thing to swallow when it came to the human eye. Listen to what he said. To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of life, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree possible.

So here's a man who is well known for developing the evolutionary process that has so orchestrated the events of modern day science, who says even in his own words that, I have to admit that when you look at the eye and all that it can do to say that it evolved just by chance is absurd.

And yet, that is the one thing that continues to dominate the teaching of America. I mean, after all, if you believe in evolution, you believe in relativism. We're a bunch of relativists here in America. Everything is relative. If you believe in creation, you have to believe in absolutes. But the only thing the world believes is absolute is evolution. Why? Because they have to believe that everything is constantly evolving. There is nothing fixed. There is nothing steadfast. Truth is relative. If you believe in creation, you have to believe in the moral law of God.

You have to believe in the accountability of man to God. You have to believe in what the word of God says.

And man does not want to be subject to any higher authority than himself. And yet, the schools of our country, even churches in our country, teach the evolutionary process. Why is that? I believe that Paul has the answer. He says it this way in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse number 2. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I betrothed you to one husband that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid lest as a serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

Paul said it this way. Here's my concern. My concern is that some of you have been deceived. Some of you have been duped. By the same method Satan used way back in Genesis chapter 3. And what was the method that Satan used in Genesis chapter 3 when he tempted Eve? We're going to get there in a few months. It says, Hath God indeed said? Did God really say that? You see, Satan began to cast doubt in Eve's mind. When Satan begins to cast doubt in one's mind, it leads to disbelief. Disbelief then leads to disobedience.

And disobedience then leads to destruction. That's exactly what happened in Genesis chapter 3. And so Paul comes along in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and says, I got a concern about you folks. I love you. I'm concerned about your commitment to Christ. I'm concerned that you are that pure, spotless virgin as a bride presented to the bridegroom when he comes. Yet I'm concerned that some of you have been deceived. Some of you have been caused to doubt what God has said in His word. I like what we sang this morning.

It is so sweet to trust in Jesus just to take Him at His word. That is so basic. It is so simple. We miss it. That's the sweetness about Jesus Christ. Just to take Him at His word. Because Satan doesn't want you to take Christ at His word. Has God really said this? Did God really say six days? Did God really say Adam was the first man?

Did God really say that there was a flood that covered the entire world? Did God really say all those things in Genesis chapter 1? And all of a sudden we begin to have doubts about what God has said. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3.16 that all Scripture is inspired by God.

Not everything except Genesis chapter 1. It's all inspired by God. It's all been brought about by God. It's all God breathed. And 2 Peter 1.20 and 21 tells us exactly what happened. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Spirit of God. As He moved them to write the words of God. And John 17.17 tells us that Thy word is truth. God's word is true. Which leads me to this very important point. Don't miss this. Science is not a hermeneutic. Science is not a method of biblical interpretation. You don't use science to interpret any other part of the Bible.

So why would you use science to interpret Genesis chapter 1? Science is never, nor has it ever been, a hermeneutic by which to interpret the Scriptures. And yet there are so many people today who use science as their means to interpret Genesis chapter 1. And so you must understand that if God's word is true. And you interpret Genesis 1 like you interpret every other passage of Scripture. Based on the biblical principles of interpretation. Then you realize that there cannot be any evolutionary process in Genesis chapter 1.

Whether you're like a Julian Huxley who is an atheistic evolutionist. Or Hugh Ross who is a theistic evolutionist. You must understand that the atheistic evolutionist is one who loves sin. Who loves sin and hates God. The theistic evolutionist love God a little bit. But they really love their academic reputation and scientific status in the community a lot more. That's the bottom line. In fact I spent this whole week reading theistic evolutionists. Progressive creationists. That somehow there was this long age of time between day 1 and day 2 and day 3 and day 4 and day 5 and day 6 and day 7.

That this is a long period of time. And each of them came to the same basic conclusion which is absolutely absurd. They said this. They said that for us to present to scientists a young earth. Not an old earth but a young earth. How young is young? Anything from 10,000 below. Is absolutely absurd and is quote a stumbling block to scientists. And because it is a stumbling block to them we should not present it to them in that way. They're telling me that because a literal translation of Genesis chapter 1 based on biblical principles of interpretation.

We cannot present to the theistic evolutionists or to the scientists of our world. The truth of God's holy word for fear that we might offend them. I got news for you. Whenever you present the truth of God's holy word you're going to offend somebody. It could be a scientist. If it's just average Joe blow off the street who's living in sin. If you present the truth of God's holy word it's going to offend their lifestyle. It's going to offend their belief structure. God's word is meant to take Ryan's belief structure.

Everything he believes in and tear it down. So that he believes in one thing and one thing only. That God is the creator of the world. And he is the ruler of the world. He is the redeemer of the world. And you must give your life to him and subject every aspect of your life to his glory and to his honor. And that's going to offend everybody. Whether you're a scientist or you're a post office man or a coach or a nurse or a teacher or whatever it is you do. Because people don't want to do that. They want to live their own life.

So you must understand that science cannot in any way shape or form be a hermeneutic. Be a principle for biblical interpretation. It violates everything the word of God teaches when it comes to accurately interpreting scripture. That is so crucial to understand. And yet we miss it so readily. People often ask me, Okay, what commentary do I read on Genesis chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5? What's the best commentary that you recommend? I got one for you. I want you to write it down. I want everybody to get it this week.

I want you to read it. Here it is. You ready? There is one commentary in the book of Genesis that is so thorough, that is so complete, that is so detailed, that is so precise, that is so accurate, that is so authoritative, that once you read it, you will be convinced of the Genesis 1 account. Here's the book. You ready? It's the New Testament. That's the book. The New Testament is very clear about the teaching of Genesis. There are over 200 quotations or allusions to Genesis in the New Testament.

And so if you want to know about life, you got to go back to God. And you got to ask God. And you got to study about God. Because God is the only one who can authoritatively speak on the past because He was the only one who was there. What leads us to main point number two?

Spent two weeks on main point number one. Leads us to main point number two. Some powerful revelations. Some powerful revelations. And we're just going to get through the first one this morning.

And that is God's eternality. In the beginning, God. In the beginning, God is the one who created the heavens and the earth. When God said to Job in Job 38, Job, where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Job began to question the sovereignty of God. He began to question the methods of God. And God said to Job, Job, you have no right to question me because I am the originator of all life. I am the creator of all things. You have no right to question me. Where were you when the foundations of the world were laid?

Answer, you weren't there. I was the only one there because I was the one who did everything. I did it all. Without any help. It was all me. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. It speaks of God's eternality. That God always is. Always was. And always will be. Now, we have a hard time with that, don't we? In our finite little pea brains, we have a hard time understanding an infinite God who always was. Well, who made God? Listen, if you had an answer to who made God, you'd come back with another question.

Well, who made that which made God? How did it all begin? It all began with in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. It all began with God. Why? Because He is eternal. He has always existed. He has always been here. Moses said it well in Psalm 90, verses 1 and 2. From everlasting to everlasting, you are God. Genesis 21, 33. Abraham knew God as the eternal God. Revelation 1, 8 begins with the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Revelation 22, 13 ends with the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

In Revelation chapter 4, verse number 8, the four living creatures surround the throne of God and they call out day and night, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. Over in Deuteronomy 33, 27, Moses told the Israelites, The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. Habakkuk said that God was from everlasting to everlasting. Paul said in 1 Timothy 1, 17 that He is the everlasting God. He has always existed. There was never a time in the history of man that God did not exist.

He's always been here. That is foundational to creation. That is foundational to Genesis chapter 1, the eternality of God Almighty. That means that God has no beginning and therefore God has no end. It also means that God cannot be measured or controlled by time. Now for those of us who wear a watch, for those of us who keep a calendar, for those of us who write on our daytimers, we don't understand that. Our whole life is about time. Our whole life is about hurry up preacher, get done so we can have communion so we can get out of here because I got to do this.

It's all about time. It's all about what time something is on TV or what time the game is or what time do I got to be there or what time is dinner. It's all about time. Without a clock, without a calendar, we would be lost. God has no clock. God doesn't need a clock. God doesn't wear a watch. God keeps no calendar. Doesn't need one. Can you imagine being in heaven? Can you imagine if He was your preacher? I mean you'd be here forever. You'd never get to go home. He doesn't look at a clock.

He's not bound by time. The eternality of God. God is self-existent. Over in John 5, 28, just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself. God is life. And therefore He is the originator of life. The eternal nature of God helps us understand how everything happens. How it all began. And yet, the eternality of God has tremendous repercussions for those who do not know God. Turn with me over to Romans chapter 1 for a moment.

In Romans chapter 1, it says in verse number 20, For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. You see, the evolutionist believes in chance. He has to believe in chance. Why? Because for him to say that chance is not an option makes him say that there is an eternal God who is the other option and he's not about to submit himself to that. Because you can't look at the world without understanding the eternal power of God, of the one who created all things.

The eternal God has eternal power, has everlasting power, has power without end. You can't look at the world and not see that.

And Paul makes it known in Romans chapter 1. Now, you can look at the world and not know everything you need to know about God, but you can't look at the world and know that there isn't some eternal being who caused it all to happen.

You can't. Because the Bible says you can't. Romans chapter 1, verse number 20. It's very clear on that issue. And yet those who have denied the truth of the gospel and don't want to subject themselves to the eternality of God and his existence and all that he has done face eternal destruction. Face eternal destruction. Separated from God. It's called the second death.

It's called eternal separation from God. The one who has always existed says, if you don't give your life to me, if you are not recreated in my image, then you will be eternally separated from me forever. In fact, over in Revelation chapter 14, it says this, And I saw another angel flying in midheaven having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. And he said with a loud voice, Fear God and give him glory because the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and springs of waters.

During the tribulational period, there's going to be the angel that flies in the sky that's going to say with a loud voice, Repent. Fear God. He carries with him the everlasting gospel. The eternal gospel. What is the eternal gospel? The eternal gospel is this, is that God always destroys the wicked and God always rewards the righteous. Therefore, in order for you to obtain his righteousness, you must give yourself to him to be cloaked in his righteousness that you might bring glory and honor to him, that you might fear his name, that you might worship his name, and that you might give him glory.

And that's what that angel proclaims. From the very beginning of time was the everlasting gospel. It was from the creator of all things, the God of the universe. It's the same gospel we give today to people who need to know the truth. The God who created everything with a spoken word, who commanded all things to come into existence, demands and commands that all men everywhere repent and give their life to Jesus Christ. We're about to partake of the Lord's table. We're about to celebrate that one thing that changed our life.

When we were all in Adam and fell into sin with him, we were born into sin. We were born sinners. We're not sinners because we sin. We're not sinners because we murder. We're not sinners because we're adulterers. We're not sinners because we're liars. We're not sinners because we do evil things. We are sinners by nature because we are born in sin, and therefore we do sinful deeds because that's all our nature knows to do. And because death came into existence through one man's sin, the Lord God of the universe would send his son to die that we might receive forgiveness of sins, be clothed in his righteousness, and be recreated in God's image that we might accurately represent the king of the universe to a lost world.

Let's pray.