Sermon Notes | 8.27.23

Genesis 1:1-25

[1] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

[3] And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. [4] And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

[6] And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” [7] And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. [8] And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

[9] And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. [10] God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

[11] And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. [12] The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13] And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

[14] And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, [15] and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. [16] And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. [17] And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, [18] to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19] And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

[20] And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” [21] So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” [23] And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

[24] And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (ESV)

The POLEMIC

What if HOW is the wrong question?

Contested Space

God, Grammar & Goodness

And God said, “Let there be…”

“Let there be” does not have to assert power, it assumes it. It does not have to impose power, it indwells it. Yet “let there be” also suggests a multiplication of power that is not found in the peremptory phrase “Make it so.” “Make it so” is a strictly limited and limiting command. The subordinates making it so are not expected to make anything else so—no more and no less. But when the words let there be ring through the universe, they accomplish very literally what they describe—the creation of being where there was none before. New beings come into existence, each with their own capabilities, potential and sphere of influence. Indeed, “Let there be” bequeaths power to others, making room for more power. 

By saying “Let there be,” the Creator God makes room for more being, for more agents who could utter their own “let it be.” And in response to that divine jussive, acting in the space opened up by God’s creative power, they will engage in their own acts of creativity. On the successive days of Genesis’s story, those empowered creatures will yield seed, bear fruit, rule the day and the night, fly, be fruitful, multiply, creep, and fill the earth. – Andy Crouch, Playing God

And God saw that it was good.

…God has not created a world with just enough sustenance, variety, and abundance for survival, but God created a superabundant world fit to foster the flourishing of his creatures. He has not limited supply to the level of demand. Why have one or even one thousand species when you can have an estimated 8.7 million? Why just eat to survive and have sex to procreate when you can experience great enjoyment at the same time? Why create a monochrome world if you can make a human eye that can distinguish between 7 and 10 million colors? And stars: don’t even go there! Astronomers estimate there are around 300 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy alone, and perhaps 2 trillion (2 million million) galaxies. Now I ask you: What’s the point of that? What a waste? What a delight! – Christopher Watkin

The PATTERN

Forming & Filling

Tohu Wabohu

What happens when we live contrary to God’s pattern of forming and filling?

The PROCLAMATION

And God saw that it was good.

[16] And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; [17] and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:16-17

We don’t have the benediction. Every single one of us in our heart of hearts, because we were built for this, is trying to fill a vacuum. We want our parents to love us. We want to get married to somebody who loves us, somebody we admire, hopefully. We’re going out and trying to do well in the world. We’re trying to make money. Why? We’re trying to get a benediction. We’re trying to get other people, other things, to say, “You’re good. You’re wonderful. You’re delightful. You’re incredible. That was great.” But it never satisfies, because it’s God’s benediction we need. – Tim Keller

[15] For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” [16] The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, – Romans 8:15-16

What was happening on the cross? I’ll tell you what was happening on the cross. Jesus Christ was getting the malediction, the curse, the word of condemnation we deserved. He was getting the divine word, the malediction, that says, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” That was happening to him on the cross. He was getting the malediction we deserve because we’ve been our own saviors, our own lords. We’ve turned away. We have worshiped the created order. We have worshiped wealth and power. We’ve worshiped everything but the Maker. He got the malediction we deserve so we can get the benediction he earned with his life. – Tim Keller

A Prayer for Salvation

“Heavenly Father, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through your Son Jesus I can be more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you that he lived the life I should have lived and paid the debt and punishment I owed. Receive me now for his sake. I turn from my sins and receive him as Savior. Amen.”