GENESIS 1:1-2:3 ‘Creation of the World’
(Preached at Cross of Christ Fellowship in Naperville on 9/7/2025)
Intro: Why is there a universe? What is the nature of this world? What is our place in it?
-Conflicting Worldviews around us: Spiritualism; Atheism; Agnosticism
-Original hearers of Genesis faced same challenge: World is result of cosmic battle; humans are made to feed gods
-We need answers to the question of origin of the universe, our place it, and the God who made it.
-Genesis supplies this need.
-Genesis was written by Moses and covers a big span of time and questions.
-Genesis 1-11 ancient history: origin of the world; creation of man; flood
-Genesis 12-50 focus in one family through whom the whole world will blessed.
-TODAY, we look at the first chapter of Genesis.
-We may not get all the answers to all of our questions about Creation of the universe and our place within it.
-Apology: I probably won’t answer all your questions or be able to get to every detail (reach out personally)
-M.I.: God created a good world and has given us a special role within it.
1. A BIG QUESTION WE ALL FACE: Why is there something rather than nothing?
-ANSWER: God created the world by His Word!
-God Created the Heavens and the Earth (1-2)
–In the beginning: The farthest back we can go in history
-God is eternal and dwells in a timeless eternity (never was a time when he was not)
–God created the heavens and the earth: God is the CREATOR!
–NOTICE: The Bible is about God
-We read the Bible to learn more about God, to enjoy Him, to help us love and cling to Him.
–The earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep
-NOT evil, just not filled in yet—that will happen over the next 7 days
-And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters: Holy Spirit
-Hints of the Trinity here in Genesis, see also v 26.
DAY 1 (3-5) Light
-God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light
–NOTICE: How God creates. àDid God have to go to Home Depot to get supplies?
-God created by SPEAKING!
-This challenges ancient worldview of Israel’s neighbors: Not from fighting.
–God separates the light from the darkness
-God assess the light: “God saw that the light was good”
-God names: “God called the light Day, and the darkness he called night”
-This shows God’s authority over creation: He gets to decide the function of things and their names
-God is a creates a GOOD universe.
-We’ll come back to this idea, but keep noticing it in the next.
DAY 2 (6-8) Sky
-God separates the water, and creates the atmosphere (expanse=heaven)
-Waters below and sky above
DAY 3 (9-13) Dry Land and Vegetation
-God gathers the waters and brings about dry land (9)
-God bring about vegetation on the earth: plants, trees, grass (11-12)
DAY 4 (14-19) Sun, Moon, and Stars
-God created sun and moon to give light and help with time differentiation (14-16)
-God also created the stars (16b).
–ORIGINAL CONTEXT: People worshipped the sun, moon and stars
-God made them, and they weren’t even there on the first days!
-How was there light then? God can bring that about.
DAY 5 (20-23) Sea Creatures and Birds
-Fish, sea creatures, and birds (20-21)
-God’s BLESSING (22)
-Our God is a God who blesses—heart of love and care for His Creation.
DAY 6 (24-31) Animals and Humans
-Animals (24-25)
-Humans (26-31)
-CLIMAX of Creation!
-Trinity in 1:26 “Let us make” (Father, His Word, and His Spirit)
-Humans are made in the image of God (26-27)
-Image of God?
-Schaeffer: ‘Man-ish-ness of man’ (communication; rationality; relationship with God)
-Text: Call to represent and rule in God’s place. (Ancient kings had their image afar)
-“Have dominion over…” Called to rule over Creation.
-God’s Blessing and Creation Mandate (28-31)
-God blesses His people (28a)
-Creation mandate (28b): fruitful, multiple, fill earth, subdue it, have dominion over it
-Theologians describe how this is transformed in NT by Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20)
-God Feeds and provides (28-30)
-God’s kindness: we don’t feed the gods (ANE), we’re not left our own (atheism): God feeds us.
-FINAL ASSESMENT (31): VERY GOOD.
-This is the world in the beginning: no sin, no death, no evil.
DAY 7 (2:1-3) Sabbath Rest
-The work of creation is complete (1)
-God rests—commentators (He ruling over Creation) (2)
-God blesses the Sabbath day and makes it holy (3)
-This is inauguration of the Sabbath: Man works 6 days and rests 1 to worship God.
QUESTION: WHY IS THERE SOMETHING RATHER THAN NOTHING? Because God made it all!
-Shapes our worldview: we’re not an accident; we’re not part of God; we’re not in the dark
-Humbles us: we are part of God’s Creation, and we owe our existence to Him.
-SIN: rejecting our Creator and live as though He didn’t matter.
GOSPEL: This God redeems a fallen people (Acts 17:22-31)
2. How should we think about this world?
NOTICE: 7 times “God saw that it was good” (last time VERY Good).
God has made a GOOD world, a very good world!
-World is not to be despised—as though spiritual was only thing important (Gnosticism)
-World is not to be worshipped—it is a creation from God the Creator (paganism/secularism)
-We enjoy this world and the God who made it.
3. What is our role within this world?
We are made in God’s image and are called to rule over this world and take care of it.
-Here is the foundation for human dignity: every human life is precious because we made in image of God
-Evil of genocide and abortion.
-Here is our identity gifted to us: we’re God’s creatures, made to love Him and enjoy His good world.
JESUS: John 1:1-3; Col 1:15-17; 2 Cor 5:17
CLOSE: God created a good world and has given us a special role within it.
