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All right, so. Genesis chapter 1 your copy of God's Word. Genesis chapter 1. We're gonna start a new Series tonight. We'll read just one verse this evening in this introduction of Our series on Genesis.
Genesis.
Genesis 1 1 says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. I love Sequential exposition preaching through books of the Bible and today.
Today we begin Series on Genesis. I'm not sure if we'll go all the way through the book of Genesis or not. We may just do the first 11 chapters and Then stop or put a pause on it. The reason why I say that is because When it warms up, I want to be back out in the parks and and Genesis 1 through 11.
It's a very great Evangelist evangelistic apologetic Series to do but after after you get past that. Not so much. It's all good and we and we'll eventually do the whole book. I did it back in 2000 -2008 2009 back in Mansfield and and eventually we will go through Genesis, but but I may switch it up When we're in the park depending on where we're at as we go through it.
Genesis Is an important book when you think about why why. Genesis why.
Why.
Study Genesis. Why preach Genesis? Dr. Henry Morris Wrote this. He said he said in a very real sense The book of Genesis is the most important book in the world. For it is the foundation upon which all the other 65 books of God's written Word have been based.
When Jesus Christ After his resurrection gave a key Bible study to his disciples on the way to Emmaus He began with Genesis. That's in Luke Chapter 24. Luke chapter 24 in verse 27. Luke 24 in verse 27.
It says then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets He interpreted to them the things concerning himself.
In all.
The scriptures Dr. Morris went on to write. We would do well to follow his example If we would understand the New Testament. We first need to understand Genesis. The New Testament contains at least 200 direct quotations or clear allusions to events described in Genesis.
More than from any other book in the Old Testament. Excuse me without the without the book of Genesis. The rest of the Old Testament would not make much sense and much of the New Testament would not mean much.
Genesis has been called the seedbed of all Christian doctrines. And as we go through this book, we'll pick up on a lot of these things.
Every.
Every major Doctrine of Christianity either directly or indirectly Can be traced back to Genesis every one of them Genesis is Foundational to all true history as well as all true science there is in this world.
Supposedly much mystery in science as well as history yet a proper study of Genesis Will remove much of that mystery. We have in our hands. You have in your lap. I have in my hands here on this pulpit the only eyewitness account of the creation of the universe for instance.
God was there.
He's given us his word of what happened. And that's why This book out of all of the 66 books of the Bible Genesis Has suffered the greatest attack. Satan knows that if he were to come into the church if he were to attack the.
Gospels.
If he were to directly attack the Virgin birth or the Crucifixion and the resurrection Red flags would go up all over the place. But he doesn't do that. Not usually anyway. No, no, he's sneakier than that.
He comes in with an attack on Genesis. Comes in with an attack on The foundation. Jonathan Sarfati some of y 'all Were with with me when we went to go see him in Savannah About a year or so ago. He has a commentary on Genesis 1 through 11 an excellent one, by the way.
But in that commentary he pointed out that it is important for all Christians Especially leaders to be able to defend the the book of beginnings Genesis.
From.
These attacks. There is a twofold process. With a positive and negative aspect and so from the positive. Go with me to 1st Peter chapter 3. 1st Peter chapter 3 in verse 15 It says. But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.
Always being ready to make a defense. To everyone who asks you to give an account for for the hope that is in you yet with gentleness and fear. Sanctify Christ in your heart. Always being ready to make a defense.
To make an argument or an explanation to to be able to Make it a apologetic. To everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. Yet with gentleness and fear over in Jude verse 3.
Thinking about this from the positive Jude in verse 3. Beloved while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you contend earnestly for the faith.
Which was once for all handed down to the Saints. And so we're told to contend earnestly for The faith which was once for all handed down to the Saints. We're we're to contend for the faith. We're not to be contentious.
We're to. We're to. Be ready to give an answer. Right to be ready to to give a defense. These questions these attacks they come up they come up. When we're with our friends they come up when we're in School.
They come up when we're at work. They come up in different places. Sometimes they may even come up in church settings. Someone comes in someone Speaks up. Someone maybe even gets in the pulpit and they begin preaching something that is contrary to the Word of God.
And maybe they say well, it's not a it's not a Salvation issue. Well, it's a it's a Bible issue. You see would you be ready? Will you be ready to? To defend this book from those attacks there's also a negative side to this as Jonathan Sarfati points out in 2nd Corinthians chapter 10.
2nd Corinthians chapter 10 and verses 5 6. Excuse me. This cough lingers from my pneumonia. 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 verses 5 6 he says as we. Let's just start with verse 3. For though we walk in the flesh We do not war according to the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but divinely powerful for the tearing down of strongholds as We tear down speculations.
Every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And are ready to punish all disobedience. Whenever your obedience is fulfilled. You see the negative aspect is that of this is that we tear down?
Strongholds.
Those strongholds Are those Tearing down of Speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God. Millions of years and and You know the so-called same-sex marriage and and Transgenderism and all of those things, you know, those go back to Genesis and and and there are are in.
Are in direct of violation to the clear teaching of God's Word. But notice he doesn't say to tear down people. No, we don't get on social media. We don't get on the the the news. We don't go into a crowd and call them names and throw stones at them and and and.
Whatever else that might may come to mind some people may do that. But that's not what we're supposed to do. We tear down Strongholds, how do we do that?
Well.
Right here. We walk though we walk in the flesh. We don't war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh. But divinely powerful for the tearing down of the strongholds. We have the sword the Word of God.
And so it's important to know a few years ago Ken Ham had a debate with Bill Nye. Bill Nye the evolution guy. Bill Nye the Bible denying guy. And. And and what did Ken Ham do in that debate? He didn't get ugly with him, but he very sternly told him.
Clearly in that in that debate. We have a book. It was fantastic. What is the name of this book this first book of the Bible that we're studying? Well, the name of it, of course is Genesis. That's what your English Bible says.
Even though it was written in Hebrew believe it or not. This title actually comes from the Greek The Greek Septuagint which was the which was an early translation from the Hebrew into the Greek. That was where.
That's how we get.
Our.
Name for this book Genesis it means origins. Now this is not much different than the Hebrew title which comes from the very first Hebrew word in the text translated in the beginning and so Genesis means origins.
The Hebrew title Says in the beginning Genesis is the first book of the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Old Testament. Genesis Exodus Leviticus. Numbers in Deuteronomy regardless of.
No matter which English translation you use. This is how it's set up now if you have a.
Chronological Bible.
The books of the Bible will in that Bible be ordered according to when they were written and Job will be before Genesis. But that is an exception not the rule. Maybe a few of you have a Bible like that but Most Bibles Standard Genesis is the first book In the MacArthur study Bible which many of us have.
There's a chart showing the books chronological Which is very interesting as well but but that is Just for informational purposes.
Who wrote Genesis? Well Genesis was written By Moses. Moses was the human author of Genesis and up until 200 years ago or so it was commonly accepted that Moses penned the book of Genesis according to Henry Morris the idea that he did not come from a French physician about the time of the French Revolution.
Nowadays it is common to find people who. Who question? Moses is authorship. They're either found in liberal universities. There's a lot of YouTube guys out there women. People who spend little time in their Bibles and Men like Jordan Peterson avoid him.
But. You know, they may they may be good in some conservative things and stuff like that, but certainly they are not Bible scholars and in a lot of those guys. They need the Lord for sure, but. Mmm. What we find here is that when you read through Genesis The author doesn't identify himself.
However, however. We have much testimony that it was Moses if you go to. If you go to Luke Chapter 16 just to give a few a few examples here. Luke chapter 16 verse 29. But Abraham said they have Moses in the prophets.
Let them hear them speaking of the Old Testament. He said they have Moses in the prophets. Luke chapter 24. We looked at this just a while ago, but we'll look at it again verse 27. Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets.
He interpreted to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. And so all the scriptures he says. Was Moses in the prophets? Then if you go over to verse 44. Now he said to them. These are my words, which I spoke to you while I was still with you.
That all things which are written About me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. So again, we see how the Old Testament was divided. We have the law of Moses the prophets and the Psalms.
Furthermore over in John chapter 7 verse 22 Jesus is talking here and he says for this reason Moses has given you circumcision. Not because it is from Moses, but from the father's and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.
Well, where did circumcision come from? Well, it's first mentioned. I mean, obviously it's in it's in Exodus, but it's first mentioned in Genesis chapter 17. Also in Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15 in verse 1.
Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brothers. Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses. You cannot be saved and so. Again, we go back through the Old Testament. You find that circumcision began with Abraham.
With in Genesis, but here he says. According to the custom of Moses why because Moses wrote Genesis and so. And so to deny that The Genesis was written by Moses is to deny the accuracy of Jesus. In fact, it would be to call Jesus himself a liar and to question the the Accuracy of the entirety of scripture many ways to outline Genesis, but just to give you a very simple outline.
Genesis 1 through 11 is the general history of man and Genesis 12 through 50 is the special history of God's people Israel. This is a simple outline, of course. But an outline nonetheless. Lord willing we will zoom in get up close and personal with this book and as we do we'll get answers to a lot of questions and We will also See Jesus in the text always remember That that is the goal it should be the goal as we read study and Preach the any book of the Bible.
It's not just to have answers for when someone asks a question. It's just not so that we can be it's it's not just so that we can have.
Doctrine built up get real good or so that we can be smarter than the church down the road or or or whatever. But it's so that we can See Jesus better you get to know him. You know the the question is.
And.
Not so much, do you know the Word of God, but do you know the God of the Word. And and and as we dig and this as we Look into these things. Let us always do so with him in mind this book is historical, but it's also very practical and And and it's also a great blessing as we Go through it.
Of all the books of the Bible. This is the one that I've read the most because Especially when I was young I would always have a goal to read through the Bible and Get their Genesis, but I didn't always get very far after that.
Then I start over I get their Genesis, but I wouldn't get very far through that and so. But the reality is and as I've gotten older and I've read through the Bible countless times I still don't get tired of Genesis.
It's very very exciting book. Very great book. I enjoy reading Genesis. I enjoy preaching Genesis and I enjoy reading about it certainly. As you all know I've been to the Creation Museum the Ark Encounter enjoy answers TV answers magazine all of those things.
It is it is a great book and I think it is Sad when a church neglects it or compromises from it or ignores it and Certainly This is a good study that we're Embarking on so I trust I trust it'll be a great blessing to all y 'all as it is to me.
And so we'll end there and Lord willing Next week we'll start actually with Genesis 1 1 and begin begin the exposition of the text. So let's dismiss in prayer.