Introduction to Genesis 1-11

Grace Community Church2013

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Foundations

1. How are we here?2. Why are we here?3. What is broken?4. Where is our hope?

Why Genesis 1-11?

Something is not right with the world.

Job 14:1 Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.

Easy to see what is wrong. (symptoms)

• Societal ills: Violence (gun or otherwise), oppression, injustice, human trafficking, sexual abuse, greed, poverty, hunger, disease, hatred, discrimination, racism, apathy, etc.

• Personal ills: physical health, anxiety, depression, addiction, relational strife, apathy, lack of discipline, etc.

Harder to know why things are wrong. (or how to fix things)

• Why is there violence and what should be done?• Why is there poverty and what should be done?• Why is there greed and what should be done?• Why do relationships fail and what should be done?• Why am I angry and what should I do?• Why am I anxious/depressed and what do I do?• Why am I empty and what should I do?• Why am I restless and what should I do?

The Times once sent out an inquiry to famous authors, asking the question, "What’s wrong with the world today?" and G.K. Chesterton responded simply,

Dear Sir, I am.

Yours, G.K. Chesterton

Finding What’s Wrong

• Knowing what is wrong requires knowing what should be.

• Knowing what should be requires knowing purpose.

• Knowing purpose requires knowing design.

We need to go back to the beginning.

Colossians 1:15-1715 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Can’t man make his own foundations?

• Wexner Center for the Performing Arts – 1st Postmodern Building (no purpose).

• Jean Paul Sartre – “Nowhere is it written that the Good exists, that we must be honest, that we must not lie; because the fact is we are on a plane where there are only men. Dostoyevsky said, ‘If God didn't exist, everything would be possible.’ That is the very starting point of existentialism.”

Man is “free” to determine his own purpose.

Foundations are an Illusion

In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, and other people are going to get lucky; and you won't find any rhyme or reason to it, nor any justice. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is at the bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good. Nothing but blind pitiless indifference. DNA neither knows nor cares. DNA just is, and we dance to its music.

- Richard Dawkins, Out of Eden, page 133.

Dancing Without Foundations

Why not pedophilia?

“Society's outrage at pedophilic relationships is essentially emotional, irrational, and not justified by science. It is the quality of the relationship that matters... If there's no bullying, no coercion, no abuse of power, if the child enters into the relationship voluntarily ... the evidence shows there need be no harm."

Tom O’Carroll

John 1:1-51 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.