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Interesting: Pastor’s poll answers
Three Questions on Creation:
1. WHO created?
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning [Re’shiyth - 07225] God created [Bariy’ah - 01278] the heavens and the earth.
Re’shiyth – an indefinite period of time???
Bariy’ah – to create (from nothing) vs. Asah – to create/form (from pre-existing materials).
Illustration: My daughter’s drawing vs. God’s (Genesis 1) creation (‘Asah – 06213 vs. Bariy’ah – 01278)
2. WHEN was it created?
Young Earth vs. Old Earth
3. HOW was it all created?
Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Theories:
- Young Earth Creationism: “Everything in the universe was miraculously created in a 144-hour period less than 10,000 years ago. Most of the earth's geology and fossil record were formed in a global flood.”
- Gap Theory:The earth is young but the universe is old. There was an indefinite period of time (perhaps billions of years) between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
- Progressive Creation:At various times during a long history of nature, God used miraculous-appearing action to create species.
- Historic Creation: The earth is old (created in eternity past) but prepared for life (again?) in 6 days. Humanity as we know it is young, and this is possibly God’s 2nd try.
- Theistic Evolution: Evolution is correct but God is the author & director of all that happens within it.
Loving God with all our mind…
Mark 12:30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.
Question – Why pursue God with our mind?
Paul in Acts 17:23 – “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”
…To protect ourselves from lies
Darwin’s The Origin Of Species... (by means of natural selection or the preservation of favored races in the struggle for life)
In God’s Image (Gen 1:27)
Chaos made order
A perfect earth that supports life was created from nothing
Lack of fossil records
Evolution has never been seen and can’t be reproduced
Implications from believing in evolution
- Hopeless despair
- Lack of purpose
- Lack of vision
… To enjoy the life of God
“Many people think that when Christians talk about ‘creation’ they are referring mainly to ‘origins’. Of course the Biblical teaching on creation includes origins, but if we become too focused on origins then we can forget that the Biblical understanding of creation is not primarily concerned with how things began, but why they exist.”
Denis Alexander Creation Or Evolution: Do we have to choose? (pg 27)
- Religion says, “I have to figure out how this came about.”
- Relationship says, “I have to meet the One that made all of this!”
Humility vs. Ignorance
- An ever-expanding view of God
“We come from God, exist for relationship with Him and will eventually be with Him for eternity.”
… To understand His nature & character
God is transcendent in relationship to His creation!
God is imminent in His creation!
God is personal and Trinitarian in His creation!