The Bible (The First Three Chapters)

The Bible (The First Three Chapters) Mike Riddle www.CreationTraining.org

The beginning of the universe 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Re'shiyth: The first, order of rank, (time) Shamayim: the sky (space) 'erets: land, field, earth (matter)

2 Who God Is (His Character) • He is the Creator of all things (Gen 1, Neh 9:6, Isa 45:18, John 1:1-3, Acts 14:15, Eph 3:9, Heb 11:3, Rev 4:11) • He is all powerful – only He can create out of nothing! • He is a God of order • He is transcendent

He is the sovereign (absolute) ruler of His creation (Isa 45:5, 46:9; 1 Tim 2:5) • He has a special interest in mankind • His works are perfect (Gen 1:31) (Deut 32:4) He is the Rock, His work is perfect. • He is a God of judgment (Gen 6-9) • He is a God of mercy and grace

3 The Foundation for a Christian Worldview • Genesis 1:1 The Creator of all things • 2 Tim 3:16-17 God breathed • Mat 22:37 Biblical Worldview • Romans 12:2 Renew our mind • John 17:17 Sanctified by His Word God exists and His Word is true

4 Why we call Him Lord • He is the Creator of all things • Revelation 4:10-11

The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:10-11

5 All other gods are false gods • God created all things. • Isaiah 44:6; 45:5; 46:9 (one God) • The sun, moon, stars, rocks and crystals are inanimate objects. • Human hands carve statues to make life-less idols.

Romans 1:22-23 • Professing to be wise, they became fools, • and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

6 Our work schedule • God established the work week in Genesis 1 (work 6 days and rest 1 day) • Exodus 20:11 (Commandment 4)

7 The Age of the Earth • Six literal days about 6,000 years ago • Day with a number • Evening and morning • Exodus 20:11 • Genesis 5 genealogies • Mark 10:6

8 Understanding of science • Astronomy, physics, biology, paleontology, origin of life, design in life • Origin of stars and galaxies • “After their kind” • Fossil record

Origin of dinosaurs • Laws of science (Biogenesis, Thermodynamics) • Design in all life (human life) I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14

The Incredible Human Body

An adult human being is made up of about 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms (7 octillion). • Everyone also has a unique tongue print. (similar to fingerprints) • There are about 9,000 taste buds on the surface of the tongue, in the throat, and on the roof of the mouth. • The surface area of a human lung is equal to a tennis court.

Humans shed about 1.5 pounds of skin each year, which is about 105 pounds of skin by age 70. • Every square inch of skin on the human body has about 32 million bacteria on it; most of them are harmless. • If the human eye was a digital camera it would have about 576 megapixels (top cameras have about 30 MPs).

There are about 2.5 trillion red blood cells in your body. To maintain this number 2 ½ million new ones must be produced every second by the bone marrow. • In one square inch of our hand we have 9 feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9,000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors, and 75 pressure sensors. • When we touch something, we send a message to the brain at 124 mph.

Purposeful design by our Creator God, Jesus Christ Every human body is a testimony to an all-knowing, all-powerful Creator

9 Our original relationship with God Then God blessed them, …” Genesis 1:28 A perfect relationship until the Fall (no sin or death)

10 We were made to live forever Genesis 3:22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and liveforever.”

11 A God who makes promises God gave Adam one rule (Genesis 2:17) “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

12 A God Who keeps His promises The consequences of sin • The curse • Separation from a perfect and holy God (Isa 59:2) • Death (physical and spiritual) • Romans 5:12 and 8:22

Joshua 21:43 • So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers. Genesis 28:15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.

Hebrews 9:28 • …so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. A God Who keeps His promises

13 The first promise of a Savior and victory Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." Satan is crushed Temporary wound

14 Marriage • One man and one woman • Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Matthew 19:4-6 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,” and said, “for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”?

15 Why homosexuality fails • God’s plan to multiply the species was to create male and female. • Genesis 1:28 (“be fruitful and multiply”) • Genesis 2:24 (“cleave to his wife: and they shall be one flesh”) • Homosexuality fails the test of evolution (survival of the fittest)

16 The foundation for human rights • God is the Creator of all things. • The very existence of rights depends on God. God grants rights (John 1:12).

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

17 The foundation for the Gospel For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Understanding the Gospel John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

The Bad News Gen 1:1 The beginning Gen 1:31 A perfect beginning Gen 2:16-17 One warning Gen 3:6 Rebellion (sin) Gen 3:17-19 God keeps His promise (death) Rom 6:23a Wages of sin is death Mat 5:48 God demands perfection Rom 3:23 No one is perfect Isa 59:2 Separated from God No Hope

The Good News Gen 3:15 Promise of victory John 3:16 Promise fulfilled Rom 6:23b A free gift Eph 2:8-9 Works not good enough John 14:6 Only one way Eph 2:4-5 God’s grace 2 Cor 7:10 Repent Rom 1:19-20 No excuses Rom 10:9 Confess/believe/be saved

18 A God Who is Sovereign The long war against God Conflict begins from the beginning. Lucifer (Satan) rebels against God. Ezekiel 28:12-19 Revelation 12:4 Isaiah 14:12

History Throughout history Satan has continued the battle. Destroy the line leading up to Jesus Attack the church and distort the Gospel message

The Sovereignty of God The sovereignty of God is the basis upon which we can trust Him. God will save you completely. (1 Thes 5:24) You will never be tested beyond what God enables you to do. (1 Cor 10:13; Pet 4:19) He supplies you with the spiritual armor you need in order to stand strong in war. (Eph 6:14-17)

God’s Word is Sovereign • The grass withers, the flower fades, • But the word of our God stands forever. • Isaiah 40:8 • Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. • Matthew 24:35 God is sovereign over His creation

19 The foundation for understanding the book of Revelation and end times

God’s Bookends Bible Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation The curse announced Gen 3:17b The curse removed Rev 22:3

Bible Apologetics Creation Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation Abundance of food Rev 22:2 Toil for food Gen 3:18-19

Bible Apologetics Creation Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation No more death Rev 21:4 Death for all Gen 3:19

Bible Apologetics Creation Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation Clean linen Rev 7:14 Coats of skin Gen 3:21

Bible Apologetics Creation Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation Tree of Life supplied Rev 22:14 Tree of Life denied Gen 3:24

Bible Apologetics Creation Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation Entrance into heaven Rev 22:14 Banished from paradise Gen 3:23

Bible Apologetics Creation Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation Redemption accomplished Rev 5:9-10 Redemption promised Gen 3:15

Bible Apologetics Creation Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation Evil is excluded Rev 21:24-27 Evil is everywhere Gen 6:5

Bible Apologetics Creation Paradise Lost Paradise Restored Answers Genesis Revelation Angels show the way Rev 21:9 Angels block the way Gen 3:24

20 Why so many youth are leaving the church • The teaching of evolution (including billions of years) • Youth are not being taught the Bible has answers to today’s challenges • Compromise in the church and schools

Three Independent Studies Why Teach Apologetics Answers in Genesis and The American Research Group www.answersingenesis.org 70% Barna Group www.barna.org Nehemiah Institute www.nehemiahinstitute.org

The Bible (The First Three Chapters)