In the Beginning God Created the Heavens and

In the Beginning: God Created the Heavens and the Earth (Part 1) (Genesis 1: 1 -25; Romans 1: 18 -32)

15 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. (Colossians 1: 15 -17)

14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. (Deuteronomy 10: 14)

Pew Research "Why people are leaving the church? " The first answer young people gave for leaving the church was that they just don’t believe. Startlingly, 49% of those who call themselves religiously raised said a “lack of belief” led them to move away from religion. This response was echoed by 82% of atheists, 63% of agnostics, and 37% of those who believe “nothing in particular. ” (By the way, they do believe—they believe there’s no God, and they believe life and the universe came about by natural processes. Atheism is their religion. )

Pew Research "Why people are leaving the church? " What was the word that many of the respondents used to explain their lack of belief? Science! Others used phrases like “common sense, ” “logic, ” or a “lack of evidence. ”

Pew Research "Why people are leaving the church? " Here are some of the specific responses from young people who participated in the study regarding why they have changed their beliefs in the Bible and church: * “Learning about evolution when I went away to college. ” * “Rational thought makes religion go out the window. ” * “Lack of any sort of scientific or specific evidence of a creator. ” * “I just realized somewhere along the line that I didn’t really believe it. ” * “I’m doing a lot more learning, studying, and kind of making decisions myself rather than listening to someone else. ”

In the Beginning: God Created the Heavens and the Earth (Part 1) * The root of the creation debate is authority, not evidence.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness, ” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile. ” 21 So let no one boast in men. (1 Corinthians 3: 18 -20)

- What is the authority of truth is your life? - Do you put man’s wisdom over God’s wisdom?

In the Beginning: God Created the Heavens and the Earth (Part 1) * The root of the creation debate is authority, not evidence. * Currently generally accepted “scientific” understanding of cosmology is purely materialistic in its assumptions.

- Materialism is a form of philosophical monism which holds that matter is the fundamental substance in nature, and that all things, including mental states and consciousness, are results of material interactions. According to philosophical materialism, mind and consciousness are byproducts or epiphenomena of material processes (e. g. the biochemistry of the human brain and nervous system) without which they cannot exist.

- Assumes that everything has a material cause, and as such starts with the premise that there is no creator and a creator is not needed. - All evidence observed is through this lens.

- A material scientist and a creation scientist can view the same evidence and come to different conclusions. - What is the starting point: Wisdom of God or wisdom of man?

* For a believer God’s Word should be the lens we filter the evidence through.

In the Beginning: God Created the Heavens and the Earth (Part 1) * The root of the creation debate is authority, not evidence. * Currently generally accepted “scientific” understanding of cosmology is purely materialistic in its assumptions. * All “science” is not equally scientific.

There are two types of science * Operational/Observational Science * Historical Science

Operational/Observational Science - Operational science uses observable, repeatable experiments to try to discover truth. - Using the scientific method: make observations, form hypothesis, test hypothesis in repeatable lab experiments, make conclusions.

Historical Science - "Historical science" is a term used to describe sciences in which data is provided primarily from past events and for which there is usually no direct experimental data, such as cosmology, astronomy, astrophysics, geology, paleontology and archaeology.

Historical Science - Based upon the principle to Uniformitarianism. A scientific doctrine that processes acting in the same manner as at present and over long spans of time are sufficient to account for all current geological features and all past geological changes. - Uniformitarianism is an assumption.

Historical Science - Principles cannot be and are not constantly applied, thereby limiting what definitive conclusions can be made. - Since one cannot directly observe the events happening, or test the hypothesis in a lab, the conclusions must be based upon assumptions. - The conclusions are guesses by assumptions, and therefore are taken by faith.

Bible prophesied that man would abandon the idea of creation 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. ” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 3: 3 -7)

In the Beginning: God Created the Heavens and the Earth (Part 1) * The root of the creation debate is authority, not evidence. * Currently generally accepted “scientific” understanding of cosmology is purely materialistic in its assumptions. * All “science” is not equally scientific. * Views of Genesis depends on assumptions rather that understanding the text.

“It is extremely difficult to conclude that anything other than a 24 -hour day was intended. It is not the text that causes people to think otherwise, only the demands of trying to harmonize with modern science. ” (John Walton; Genesis, The NIV Application Commentary)

Genesis Issues - Six-day creation? - Young earth or old earth? - Evolution ?

Views on Genesis - Mythical View - Literal and Historical View - Gap View. - Day-Age View. - Literary Device View.

Dangers of Non-literal Views. - The reader determines what is authoritative and what is not. - Everything can be spiritualized away. - Created confusion, chaos, and division in the church. - Eventual inability to harmonize all of Scripture with the wisdom of the world forcing a choice between God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom.

In the Beginning: God Created the Heavens and the Earth (Part 1) * The root of the creation debate is authority, not evidence. * Currently generally accepted “scientific” understanding of cosmology is purely materialistic in its assumptions. * All “science” is not equally scientific. * Views of Genesis depends on assumptions rather that understanding the text.

* Choose your authority. Is it God’s Word or man’s word? * Honor God as your creator. * Come to Christ as the way of restoring your brokenness with your Holy and Creator.