My Strange Bible | In The Beginning
WHY AM I HERE!
- This is how you got here
- Through these people
That’s a big question: WHY AM I HERE
- Why are you here right now?
- Why are you here in your season of life
- Why ARE YOU HERE ALIVE, NOW…
Mankind had wondered that since history began
Starting a new series called “MY STRANGE BIBLE”
The Bible is a strange, complicated, book
Today is about this question:
WHAT IS THE BIBLE?
First things first, The bible is not just a “BOOK”
Made up of:
- 66 books
- Written by at least 40 authors
Contains:
- Narrative
- Songs
- Poems
- Dreams
- Apocalyptic writing
- Figurative language
But that really only answer the question, “What Does the Bible Contain?”
Today, let’s answer the questions:
What is the Bible and Why Am I Here
Let’s start with the beginning and answer the first question…
1: WHO IS THE BIBLE ABOUT?
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God…
The first thing the Bible is is an answer about WHO
- WHO is this story about
- WHO made all this happen
- WHO is Responsible
The Bible tells us WHO
- GOD
THE BIBLE IS GOD’S STORY
- Not our story, with God in it
This is different that all other faiths
- The Bible is telling us about the main character
This “IN THE BEGINNING GOD IS”:
- Eternal
- Above Time and space
- Has always and will always exist
- All Powerful
- All Knowing
- In Change
- He Is The First
- The Original
This is HIS STORY
- History IS HIS
- Time is His
- Past, Present, Future is His
This is important because we think the story is about US
- I’m the main character
- I’m the hero
- I’m the focus
But the first line of the Bible tells us that’s not true…
- In the Beginning GOD
We were not at the beginning because we HAVE a beginning
- We are finite, God is infinite
- We and small and God is big
- We are physical and God is spiritual
So the first thing the Bible teaches us: This is God’s Story, and includes us
- Not Our story that includes God
That also means that anything that doesn’t have God at the center is counterfeit story
But that’s not all we learn… The Bible Answers the next question:
2: WHAT DID THIS GOD DO?
Genesis 1:1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
This God is an artist
- He creates
- He Makes
- He Imagines and then does
- He is a God of Action and Purpose
- His is not Accidental
- He is not a rookie
The Bible is letting us know what This God is all about
- Creation
- beauty
- Purpose
- Design
To create is to GIVE LIFE
- The God of the Bible is the God that GIVES LIFE
This is REALLY IMPORTANT
- This sets this God apart from any other being in existence
Not everything that appears good can give life…
LORD OF THE RINGS
Frodo and Sams are trying to understand Orks
ORCS – Fallen things, corrupted and tortured into horrible new forms
Frodo Says This…
The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own. I don’t think it gave life to the orcs, it only ruined them and twisted them… ~ R. R. Tolkien (The Return of The King)
Say it This way:
Evil cannot create anything new, it can only corrupt and ruin what good forces have invented or made.
The God of the Bible is Set Apart..
- He is Good, because only Good Creates
- He has Purpose and Plans
- He Loves beauty and diversity
But this naturally leads us to another question
3: WHY DID HE CREATE?
Isaiah 43
6 …Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”
The Bible explains the purpose of why God created and thus our purpose as well
God created “FOR HIS GLORY”
- His Greatness
- His Majesty
- His Power
- His Beauty and Creativity
The story of the Bible is that GOD (the main character) Created Mankind (us) to display HIS GLORY back to all creating as His Image Bearers
This means:
The main purpose of your life is to display God’s glory In Your life
- By doing all things for the glory of God
1 Corinthians 10
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
We were created to see his glory, be thrilled by his glory, and live so as to help others see him and savor him for what he really is — to know, to love, to show his glory. ~ John Piper
That’s why You are here
- To reflect God’s glory back to creation by living in relationship with God
There is One Last Question the Bible Answers…
4: How Can We Know Him?
John 17:3
3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent —Jesus Christ.
The Bible doesn’t just tell us about God, It tells us how we can Know him
We know God through his Son, Jesus
- Who came to earth
- Lived a sinless life
- Died the death that we sinners should have died
- So that we may know God as FATHER
Romans 10
8…This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
SO what is the Bible?
The Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus
It Answers the questions:
- Who is God?
- What did this God Do?
- Why Did He Do it?
- How Can We Know Him?
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