Audio Messages:
Pastor Wade Burleson

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Let There Be Light

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Genesis 1:1-5 (KJV)

1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

These five verses are unsurpassed in simplicity and profundity. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth . . . and God said, Let there be light . . . (v.1, 3). Moses wrote these words approximately 1400 B.C. and they have stood the test of time. The Bible says, "Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7;22). How did the Egyptians believe the world began? There was a giant egg floating in a primeval ocean. The egg hatches and out pops GEB, SHU, TEFNUT, and NUT -- the four gods of the universe and out of their rivalries came the creation of the world. Yet Moses, casting aside the cultural wisdom prevalent in his day, said, God created . . .

The word "created" is the Hebrew word "bara" which means "to create out of nothing." There are other words in the Bible translated "to make" (asah), or "to form" (yatsa) and men can do both of these things, but only God can "bara." Why is this important to us?

1. Acceptance of the Genesis creation account is the foundation of Biblical theology.
   The doctrines of Christianity hinge on the veracity of God's word regarding creation.
   1. If you don't trust God when He tells us of creation, can you trust Him when He speaks to us regarding salvation?
   2. If what God says about the earth in Genesis 1 can't be trusted, what about what God says regarding heaven in Revelation 21?
   3. If the Holy Spirit can't be trust in Genesis 1:1, can He be trusted in John 3:16?
      Dr. Davis A. Young, UNC.
2. Acceptance of the Genesis creation account is the basis of personal morality.
   Most people assume the earth and the universe are billions of years old. Most people believe the human race is millions of years old. Using the Bible's chronology the earth is young. There are no historical records before 3,000 B.C. Luther postulated the earth was created in 3961 B.C., the Greek Septuagint gave the date of creation as 5270 B.C., Josephus said 5555 B.C. What is the basis for an old earth? Evolution. True scientific experiments are to be observable, measurable and repeatable. This is why evolution is a theory -- it cannot be proven; in fact, it is easily disproved. The Evolutionary Theory -- the universe is progressing from featurelessness to states of greater organization and complexity. Ask any evolutionist to prove it.
   1. Evolution is too slow to observe.
   2. Evolution has never been measured.
   3. Evolution cannot be repeated.
   Evolution is not scientific fact, it's theory. So why is evolution so attractive? It is the basis for a world-view without God. "Man's world view today is dominated by the knowledge that the universe, the stars, the earth, and all living things have evolved through a long history that was not foreordained or programmed by God" Ernst Mayr, Harvard Professor.
3. Acceptance of the Genesis creation account is the evidence of spiritual vitality
   Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God" (Hebrews 11:3). You say, "There it is! Belief in the creation account is a matter of fact, not science! Wrong! (Read Job 38:4). "The fool has said in his heart there is no God" (Psalm 14:1). But how does a person come to faith in the God of creation? (Read II Corinthians 4:3-6).

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