Creation

Alright, take your Bibles, if you would please, and turn to Genesis chapter 1 as we continue in our theological series. This is lesson number 3 on creation, and I'd like to read the creation account with you to get started. And as you're filling in the blanks, you'll hear some of the terminology.

In Genesis chapter 1, all the way through chapter 2 verse 4 is the creation account. And before we read that creation account, if your Bible is open, I'd like for you to fill in the blanks for number 1: creation is the free act of the triune God by which in the beginning He made all things out of nothing for His own glory. As a free and voluntary act, creation was not necessary. God is not dependent on His creation in any way. All creation depends on God, and creation is an act of God's free grace. And so again, the fill in the blanks are "free." As a free and voluntary act, creation was not necessary. God is not dependent on creation in any way.

And so, if there was one singular take-home idea tonight, I would like for you to remember that only God can create something out of nothing. Only God can create something out of nothing. That's going to help us as we go through the points. And now, let's read in Genesis chapter 1, and I'll explain some things as we go through chapter 1 and on into chapter 2 verse 4, and then we'll fill in the rest of the blanks of our outline tonight.

Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 says, "In the beginning" — okay, so that is a timestamp. That marks the beginning of time. "In the beginning God created the heavens" — okay? That encompasses all of space, all of the universe, all the cosmos, everything, the space that was created, okay? And keep it in mind, God is outside of time and space. So, "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" — okay? This is matter, okay? Everything that we can see and whatnot. We live in time, space, and matter was created here in verse 1. And then in verse 2, "The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." This word "spirit," "ruach," means wind, okay?

In verse 3, "Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light, and God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night, and there was evening, and there was morning — one day." Okay, so this first day, yom number 1 — the Hebrew word for day is yom. So there's the first day. Verse 6, "Then God said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' And God made the expanse and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse, and it was so. And God called the expanse heaven, and there was evening, and there was morning — a second day." So yom number 2, day 2.

Verse number 9, "Then God said, 'Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place and let the dry land appear,' and it was so. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas, and God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind, with seed in them,' and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them after their kind, and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning — a third day." So yom number 3.

Verse 14, "And then 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, for seasons, and for days and years. And let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light to the earth,' and it was so. And God made two great lights, the greater light — which is the sun — to govern the day, and the lesser light — the moon — to govern the night. And He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth and to govern the day and the night and to separate the light from the darkness, and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning — a fourth day." So yom number 4.

Verse 20, "Then God said, 'Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let the birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.' And God created the sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the water swarmed after their kind and every winged bird after its kind, and God saw that it was good. God blessed them saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters and the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.' And there was evening and there was morning — a fifth day." So yom number 5.

Verse 24, "Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind,' and it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind, and God saw that it was good. And then God said, 'Let us make man in our image.'" There's a reference to the Trinity. "'After our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in His own image, and in the image of God He created him, male and female, and created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" That's the dominion mandate.

In verse 29, "Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed, and it shall give food for you, and to every beast of the field, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that moves on the earth which has life. I have given every green plant for food,' and it was so. And God saw all that He made, and behold, it was very good."

Notice the "very" before the "good." The first time the "very good" is mentioned is because of the creation of mankind being the climax of His creation. And there was evening and there was morning — a sixth day, so yom number 6. Chapter 2 verse 1, "Thus the heavens and the earth were completed and their host." And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all of His work which He had done — so yom number 7.

Let's pause for just a moment and pray. Lord, thank You for the creation account. I pray, God, that You would help us to understand it as You have intended it. Thank You for such a detailed account of things that You accomplished, Lord. I pray, Father, that now as we study the doctrine of creation, we would see it and love it and worship You because of it, in Christ's name. Amen.

I think that you have probably noticed how many times the phrase "God said" was in the text, and we'll return to that here in just a moment. But this is a very clear account for literal days: as you see, God said on day one, God said day two, God said day three, God said day four, God said day five, God said day six, and God said day seven. On day one there are specific things that were created: light and darkness. On day two you've got the sky, the heavens, and the waters. On day three, land and vegetation. Day four, the sun, the moon, and the stars. On day five, the sea creatures, animals, and birds. Day six, the command was given, and land animals, man, and female. And then on day seven, rest.

And so how many of you believe with all of your heart, mind, and soul that the Bible is true and God created in seven days? Six days. Ah, six days. Ken was listening. I got all of you on that trick question because you all believe that the Bible is authoritative — I know you do — but the tail end of that sentence really got you. So after all of reading chapter 1 and so much of chapter 2, you're still awake. I'm glad to know that.

So in Genesis we see a display of God's glory. God's glory on display. Psalm chapter 19 verse 1 says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." And if you've got a tell — perhaps when you hear someone's accent, that's a telltale sign as to where they're from, okay? My wife is laughing at me. I can hear her. If you've got a tell about you and someone recognizes, "That's definitely my husband" or "It's definitely my child" — well, God's tell is all of creation. You look around and it is a telltale sign that there is a God. So God exists, and you look around and you glorify and you are in awe and wonder because of how He created all of this.

Now last week Elder David Parker taught on the decrees of God. God decrees, or He works out everything that He purposes, okay? In the book of Job chapter 42 verse 2, it says that no purpose of God's can be thwarted, or no purpose can be frustrated, no purpose can be contradicted, and no purpose can be defeated. That is the root idea of the ancient word "thwarted," which hardly any of us really use anymore. Have you heard that word before? Thwarted? Of course. You have? Of course. Probably got a good old-fashioned King James Version or a good English dictionary. Do you read the dictionary at night, Heidi? Yeah, me too. I love it.

So no purpose of God's can be thwarted. No decree, no creation, nothing that God has purposed can be undone. We think as humans in terms of succession or chronological creation, or dominoes following one after another, or boxes. But God is not limited to such minimalistic thinking — like one thing at a time — and all the ladies in here are like, "Yeah, my husband, one box at a time. Don't break his conversation or his concentration or it's all over." Well, God is not limited to such simplistic thinking, okay? He's infinite, and an infinite God does not proceed successionally, okay? Everything in creation was already decreed. It was already decided, and He acted it out in succession in those six days.

God's purpose — and His purposes are all eternal as He is eternal. Ephesians 3:11 says He works all things according to the counsel of His will, and God's purpose has been predestined. Ephesians 1:11 says all of this was decided before it happened. So you have it to create and then it unfolds. So creation is a decree of God. He purposed it. And rightly understanding the first week recorded in the Bible — the creation account — is essential. If you allow a compromise in this creation decree, the results are what we are seeing today, with nearly an entire culture, not only in our country but around the world, espousing that everything was created from nothing without God. And so opening the door of evolutionary thought by compromising in Genesis chapter 1 is what I'm pointing out. Essentially, that is stripping God of His glory in creation, and those who do so will be subject to correction.

When Job was a little bit out of line, in Job chapter 38 verse 4, he was corrected. Turn if you would to Job chapter 38 verse 4. Perhaps your mother or your dad has asked you a question like this before. Job chapter 38 verse 4 — and it's on your outline as well — but I want you to see it in your own word of God real quick.

Have you ever had a question like this brought to your attention? "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" No more humbling of a statement there, huh? Where were you? That'll put you in your place. And for those who crack open evolutionary's door, or long ages or whatnot, you're really tampering with the normal hermeneutic of Genesis chapter 1. And so how do you know hermeneutically what God is saying? Well, context, right? Authorial intent, the genre, the plain meaning of the text. And so this is very simple for the simple and it is very complex for the complex. Only God can do something so wonderful. John writes on deep theological themes in very plain language. It's beautiful.

So God created in Genesis chapter 1, and it is His free voluntary act, and He depended upon nothing in doing this. What do you do in response to all of this creation? Well, on your outline you'll see Revelation chapter 4 verse 11. It says, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." The natural response to looking at creation — by way of application, as you see on your outline — is to worship God who alone is worthy. Your natural response is to worship Him. It should really put you in a state of awe and wonder when you are sitting at perhaps a sunset or a sunrise, or you're watching nature at work, or you're simply looking at the birds or the trees, or you're contemplating the earth, the universe, the cosmos. As you look at creation, it should — if you are thinking theologically, biblically, or thinking about the Lord — move you to worship, and you just can't help but sing.

I often recommend to our members to go down to our historic cemetery, which is in Ambula. It is picturesque down there underneath the majestic oak trees on the lake. Oftentimes there's a wonderful breeze, and it is just a wonderful place to watch the sun rays glistening off of the water. It's a wonderful place to see the wind blowing through the trees. It's nearly always quiet down there and it'll move you to just prayer and praise. If you would spend some time there, I guarantee you it would be worth your time to contemplate creation and to be moved to praise and worship there.

Number two on your outline says the work of creation is the work of a triune God. Each person of the Trinity is responsible for all of God's works. You have creation, Trinity, and works. Scripture presents the Father as the originating cause, the Son as the mediating cause, and the Spirit as the realizing cause.

In Genesis chapter 1 verses 1 and 2, again it says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and 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." Now you see God the Father and you see the Holy Spirit. But if you would like to turn to John chapter 1 in your Bible, I would love to walk through this passage with you briefly as well. John chapter 1 verses 1 through 3 makes reference to a pre-Genesis 1:1 — if you could say — time, because time was created in Genesis 1. But before time is an idea that's brought up in John chapter 1.

John chapter 1 verse 1 — and for those of you who know John 1:1, say it with me. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Fantastic. And so when you see "in the beginning," that phrase is a reference to John 1:1. And that indicates the eternal pre-existence of what? Christ.

And so now you see in Genesis chapter 1, God the Father, and then the Spirit hovering, and then according to John 1:1, you see the pre-existence of Christ. And so all of the Godhead — the Trinity — is involved in creation. All of God has created. It's a wonderful thing to see all of this. In verse 2, John 1 verse 2, "He," being Christ, "was in the beginning with God." It doesn't get any more clear than that. In verse 3, "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." Isn't that wonderful?

On the back, look at Colossians chapter 1 verse 16. Colossians chapter 1 verses 16 and 17 says, "For by Him" — again a reference to Christ — "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things." Again, pre-existence. He's before all things. "And in Him all things consist." Isn't that wonderful to see that?

And you say to yourself, "Did Jesus claim to be God?" Well, of course He did. In John chapter 10 verse 30, He says, "I and the Father are one." Jesus did claim to be God. And when perhaps the Jehovah's Witnesses or somebody else says that Jesus never claimed to be God and they weasel around this verse with some circus-like false hermeneutics, you just simply ask them the question, "Why did the Jews want Jesus dead?" It's because He claimed to be God. He was guilty of blasphemy and the Romans carried through that sentence. They know that's true and they dodge it. We just keep on giving them the truth, the gospel, and let the Word do the work. All right, back on the other side of your handout.

The application for number two is, "How is the new birth a work of the Trinity?" This is fascinating. And we started off with the idea that only God can create something out of nothing, right? And as we are dead in our trespasses and sins — completely dead, no life at all — only God can breathe life into something that is dead. Only He can raise the dead like Lazarus. Only He can do those things.

When it comes to the new birth, the work of the Trinity, you can remember it this way: God planned it, Christ paid for it, and the Holy Spirit pursued you for it. That's pretty interesting to think about. God has had this planned — pre-planned — your election, your predestination. All of this is from before the foundation of creation. That's what Ephesians chapter 1 teaches. And then as this has been pre-planned, Christ died on the cross and paid for the sin of those who would repent and believe. He suffered and died on the cross. And so for those who feel that godly sorrow because their sin is against a holy God — Jesus had to die for your sin. Your sin — dead. You did all of these awful offenses and now your sin's death sentence is eternal. There's nothing that you can do to fix all of those internal problems. You can't give yourself a new heart. You're dead. You can't do anything. But God can.

And so now the Holy Spirit comes and He draws and woos you unto repentance and He gives you a new heart. He gives you a new heart. Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 26 says that. And so it's only God who can give you a new heart. And by the way, how do you know if somebody is truly saved? This will be just a little side note for you if you like to connect both salvation and sanctification like I do, to prove those who are truly converted. In Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 26, the Bible says that He'll give you a new heart, but in connection to salvation is sanctification.

And I'll prove it to you here in just a second as soon as I can find it. Here we go. Ezekiel 36:26 says, "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Heart of flesh. And verse 27 is sanctification and how you will continue to walk in the ways of God. Truly regenerate people are caused to walk in the ways of the Word of God. Truly saved people are making progress in their sanctification. And verse 27 is evidence of that thought. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes." You see how God not only regenerates the heart — and this is a triune work of God, just like creation, and He speaks these things into existence — He does this resurrecting work. He makes something out of nothing. But He also creates the heart that is regenerate, longing after Him and to walk in His statutes. You no longer enjoy sin. You are actually repulsed by it and you hate yourself when you fall back into it, and you repent and you get back with God and you walk in His ways and you're getting cleaner and cleaner and cleaner. And as you go with the Lord, it becomes sweeter and sweeter. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe all of My ordinances." This is sovereign salvation linked to sanctification, and that is very biblical.

Okay, number three. In creation, God made all things both visible and invisible. This includes time, space, and every being. Creation is not eternal. It had a beginning. Creation was direct, immediate, instantaneous, and effortless. God spoke all things into existence. And as we read Genesis chapter 1, I'm sure you took note of how many times the phrase "God said" was mentioned. Every single day that was created, the words "God said" were there. In Genesis chapter 1 verse 3, "God said." Verse 6, "God said." Verse 9, "God said." Verse 11, "God said." Verse 14, "God said." Verse 20, "God said." Verse 24, "God said." Verse 26, "God said." Verse 29, "God said." And then in chapter 2 verse 7, He breathed into man's nostrils.

And this idea is also mentioned by the psalmist on your outline in Psalm 33:6 and 9. "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. For He spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast." Isn't that amazing — that all it takes from God is to speak something into existence and it is created? Something so wonderful. The best that mankind can do is to take two items that are already created and remake their molecules, formulate and manipulate them into creating something else. So whether it's a candle or this chewing gum, whether it's a pencil — all you can do is work with what you have. Whatever you have, that's what you can work with. But God is not like that. He can speak things into existence. It's beautiful. It's wonderful.

It's actually a connection to our power in prayer. As we ask God to do something, He does it. It's not the power of your breath. It's not the power of your words — that charismatic chaos and prosperity gospel and speaking things into existence. I guarantee you, if anybody could speak something into existence, it would have been my son years ago when he said, "May $20 bills appear on my desk now." Boy, just like a young man would be — wanted to work for money and get things and create and build and everything he could. You and I both know if you could create something with your speaking, you would be doing it. But it's impossible. God is God and we're not Him. God is the only one who can create something out of nothing. God is the only one who can create something out of nothing.

So God said all these different things and He breathed these things into existence. The application of this truth in point number three tonight is that you can trust in God who has all power over all things. Trust in Him. You pray and have confidence in God. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, and in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." As Elizabeth quoted this evening, that is Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 and 6. "Trust in the Lord."

All it takes for the Lord to do something is a — whew — not even. But for us, how stubborn are we to labor and labor and labor and labor and never really humble ourselves before an Almighty God? What that's actually doing is trusting in yourself, trying to work it out, right? You're trying to force things, you're trying to work it out on your own strength. Does that work out? But how efficient — I think there is one who knows that firsthand over at this table somewhere.

How we figure those things out on our own sometimes is the hard way rather than God's way, right? And you can go to the school of hard knocks, or you can learn God's lessons through your ears and such. So we've all been there. We have all done this. But for God, who is all-powerful and all-knowing — and keep in mind He has already decreed not only creation, but also according to Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, He has already created and decreed the works of service for the saints. Everything that you will ever do for God has already been planned out, and now it's just a matter of aligning yourself with His will. And that's what prayer does. Prayer aligns you with God's will. And if you're praying for something that is not God's will, then there's a really deep sense that your prayers are bouncing off of the ceiling. It's like, why does this not feel right if I'm praying and praying and praying for this?

But when you are aligned with God's will — as you're reading the Word of God and you're praying and you're worshiping — then you are being aligned with His will and God guides you in this process. It's amazing how, for those who are delighting themselves in the Lord, Psalm 37 says as you're delighting yourself in the Lord, He gives you the desires of your heart. And all of a sudden you're praying out these desires — in where you were perhaps in left field a month or two or a year ago — all of a sudden you are praying right in alignment with God's will. He's already decreed it. He's already created it. It's already done. Now we just get in alignment with Him.

And so number four: again, God created all things out of nothing and He used no pre-existent materials. God alone can originate a new substance. This doctrine is unique to the Bible and has no parallels in any other religion. Romans chapter 4 verse 17 says, "God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did." And also in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 3, you're going to see how God made everything visible. Hebrews 11:3 on your outline says, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." Everything that has been created was not rearranged at creation. There is no pre-existing material. Material is not eternal. God is eternal. And so if material was eternal — which is a tenet of humanism, a tenet of evolutionary theory, a thought of those who are naturalists — they believe that material is eternal, like all the matter out there has always existed, and somehow became organized in some type of big bang.

And all it needs is enough time to be able to become organized. Does that make any sense? And God has given you a brain — that doesn't logically make any sense at all. Plus, it goes against Scripture. And so God is the only one who can create something out of nothing. He is eternal. He is pre-existent, not matter. The application of this in point number four is: only God can bring life where there is none.

Only God can do that. You think through the wonders of the creation of a baby. Who turns on the heart? Only God can do that. Who starts the heart? Did you know that doctors cannot tell you why, when they do a heart transplant, the heart starts again? They can hook up the valves, but there's no on-off switch. There's no way that they just start working again. It's just an absolute miracle of God. He is the one who brings life.

Point number five: God created all things for His own glory. May I truly implore you to look at all things and be in awe of God and give Him glory where glory is due. Again, I'll start from the top. Point number five: God created all things for His glory. God's glory is the vast weight of His perfect attributes. I'll pause right there for just a moment, if you don't mind.

We have had all of the attributes of God taught here on a Wednesday night, and they're categorized on our YouTube channel. You can go back and watch all through them. I want to thank Emka for doing that for us. She's done a wonderful job. Not only that, the outlines are there for you as well. Not only that, but all of those teachings — every attribute that God has — combined and demonstrated is the glory of God. It is who God is on display.

You say, "Well, if God is self-sufficient within Himself, has perfect fellowship within the triune Godhead, and needs nothing — He doesn't need your worship, He doesn't need your money, He doesn't need your service, He doesn't need anything at all. God needs nothing. Then why would He create me, especially me? All the things that I have done, all the offenses I have committed, why would He create me?" So that His glory would be on display. And that is why our chief end is to glorify God in all that we do.

Continuing on, the glory is seen in the Trinity, where the three persons of God are eternally blessed. In creation, God made a theater — what a good word that is, theater — to celebrate His infinite glory. Do you see how God has put things on display, like it is for us to watch? Continuing on, by expressing Himself in creation, God reveals the utmost possible good for His creation. The fill-in-the-blank there is "good." Glory is not vain glory. This is important — I struggled with this early on.

The glory here is not vain glory. In creating all things for His glory, God is not selfish but benevolent. Our interests are truly bound up in His interests. You see, God is not selfish by creating you to glorify Him. He's actually benevolent. He's not a self-seeking God. He's not narcissistic. He is sharing who He is. He is good. He alone is good. And He is on display in all kinds of wonderful ways for us to be able to enjoy and to walk with Him and to enjoy life and just be in awe of an Almighty God. Everything is wrapped up in the glory of God. Romans 11:36 on your outline says, "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."

Here's how you remember that verse. First of all, you point up and say like this, "Of Him" — okay, from heaven down — "and through Him and back to Him." It's kind of like a loop: coming down, through, and then back up. "Of Him, through Him, and to Him are all things, to whom be the glory forever. Amen." The application of this is: praise God for His glory seen in creation. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God.

And as you're going with your children through life and thinking theologically about how He created all these things, it is some of the most fascinating conversations to have when you talk about creation with a child, because their observations are so pure and so innocent and so deep. Oftentimes we feel shallow as parents compared to the wonderful ideas that God gives our little children in creation. We might be able to talk about the complexities of how birds could not fly unless their bones were hollow on the inside to reduce the weight so that they could be sustained through the air. It might be technical and wonderful — all the complexities of biology, the complexities of the eyes and the nose and the mouth and the throat and the ears and the mind. Sight — what is seeing? What is thinking? How do you hear? All the complexities of whatever it may be that you're talking about. Wonderful. If you talk to a child about creation, prepare to enter into the presence of God.

And so I encourage you to do what this says: to praise God for His creation and praise Him. Praise God for His glory seen in creation, observe creation, and talk about creation. There's a reason why Jesus said in His first sermon to observe the birds. There's a reason why He said that these things are evidence of a creator. And so Colossians 1:16 says, "All things were created through Him and for Him." And as you were talking about all things in their creation, you realize that all of these things are pointing to Christ in one way, shape, or form. And the ones who reject that idea — Romans chapter 1 sums it up pretty well — how even by creation in verse 20, they are held without excuse.

And from there, they'll face God on judgment day, and God will use His creation as evidence for their rebelliousness, which is enough to condemn them to hell forever.

Number six: as created beings, God is our creator and Lord — fill in the blank: Lord. Our chief end in life is to glorify God. God's holiness, which is but His self-expression, self-affirmation, and self-willing, must be our chief end. To manifest the glory of God in Christ Jesus so that His holiness and love are recognized in us and declared by us is to do what we were made for. And so again, the fill in the blanks are "Lord," then "holiness," then "recognized," and then "declared."

God's primary attribute that characterizes who He is, is holiness. And don't let a world that is redefining the word "love" tell you that God is love primarily, and then that love is love. Yeah, we're on a slippery slope with our definition these days. Listen — His primary attribute being holiness. If and when you violate holiness, that is when it becomes really serious with the Lord.

And for those who live holy lives, God works mightily through their weaknesses. But for those who live impure lives — you could be the most brilliant, you could be the strongest, you could be the tallest, you could be the most articulate, you could be the best in your field — and if God wants you to amount to nothing, in fact He could empty you of your strength, your bank account, everything, based upon that primary issue.

For the husband who is unholy, you can guarantee everything else in his life will amount to nothing. For the one who is living a wicked life, Psalm chapter 66 says that if you regard or hide wickedness in your heart, the Lord will not hear your prayers. And so you can guarantee that everything, being by prayer, will amount to nothing in your life if you are regarding wickedness in your life. God is holy. This is His primary attribute. And the chief end for mankind is to glorify God. And there's no way that you can glorify God while living an impure life. And so the very starting point is to fear God, to have reverence for God, for who He is, His holiness.

And so when you enter into His courts with thanksgiving and praise, the first posture should be down in reverence. "Lord, forgive me for anything that I have done wrong." And when you enter into His presence with thanksgiving and praise, with a humble attitude — not a prideful, deserving attitude, as if you could walk right into His presence as though you were somebody — but to enter into His holy presence as pure as you possibly can, recognizing that He holds the power to reduce you or to lift you up. He can exalt you or He can humble you. He can move you closer into being used by Him, or He can simply move you farther away from being used by Him.

Some of the most impactful things I have ever seen in my life have been accomplished through the weakest vessels here on earth. But they're pure and holy and contrite and humble and honoring. They're not backbiting. They're not gossiping. They're not impure. They're not disrespectful. They don't go against God's Word in any way that they possibly can. They're just simply in awe of God and live right before Him. They're not intellectually proud. They're just simply available and humble.

By way of example, one of the oldest ladies at Prayingmill Baptist Church in Georgia — which is a church that is older than the Southern Baptist Convention. Prayingmill Baptist Church was established before the Southern Baptist Convention was established. A very historic church in the heart of Georgia, a large church averaging about a thousand on Sunday morning, was contemplating leaving the Southern Baptist Convention because of all of the unholy things going on within the convention. So on the day they were voting to leave the convention, there were some disagreements among the congregation and conversation was going on.

The oldest lady walked up to the microphone, and God used the oldest, most feeble lady to just bring peace to that entire meeting. She simply said, "We're not leaving the SBC. They just left us." A little old lady, hardly could speak — powerful words. An amazing shift happened in that historic church and they voted to leave the SBC. And then you and I would also do the same things here at Bula Baptist Church.

I'm just saying to you that God can do whatever He wants whenever He wants. He needs nothing — not your strength, not your intellect. All He wants from you is to walk humbly before Him and to be obedient. And it starts with things like this: being in awe of His creating power. Every day when you walk outside is an opportunity to glorify Christ our King.

Recognize He is holy. As 1 Peter 1:16 says, "Be holy, for I am holy." And in the New Testament, that sentence is capitalized by the way, because it's repeated from the Old Testament. There's emphasis there. In Colossians chapter 1 verses 27 and 28, on your outline it says, "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of His glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect" — meaning mature — "in Christ Jesus." And so the ending application here is this: what is your end? What are you striving for? What is your end? What are you striving for? In Colossians chapter 1 verse 29, "To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

On the back, Isaiah chapter 61 verses 1 to 3 says this, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor and He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness" — just underline that if you would, "trees of righteousness" — "the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."

If God is going to make you into anything, He will make you not only a disciple and a disciple-maker, but He will make you steadfast internally. He will make you immovable internally. For those who are right with God, He sustains you. He is your sustaining grace. It's Christ in you that is anything. It's none of you. He will make you like a tree. Psalm 1:3 says, "He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water who yields its fruit in its season."

These stabilizing metaphors are for those who are walking uprightly with God. That makes you a tree not of impurities but a tree of righteousness. No wonder, as the psalmist reflected upon all of these wonderful attributes of God, that he could praise God like in Psalm 100 at the bottom of your outline here, when it says, "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness and come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God. It is He who has made us and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, and be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations."

And to add some more icing onto the cake, one of my favorite verses in regards to glorifying and enjoying the Lord is Psalm 16:11, "In His presence is fullness of joy."

Pray with me if you would. Lord, thank You for tonight's teaching. This doctrine of creation is an amazing lesson. I pray, Lord, as we understand systematic theology and the decrees and works that You have worked. I pray, Father, that we glorify You. I pray that we are made to know You more and more and more and become not only closer to You and purer in heart and mind and motives, but also, God, I pray that You would help us to be verbal with what we are learning. Help us not to become heady or intellectually prideful. Help us, Lord, to take these outlines, to take this information, and to copy it over to our Bibles and to make notes in our margins and to take our Bibles and to share these truths with people whom we love. Help us to be in awe of You and captivated by You and to be so thrilled with these things that this is what we talk about, dear God. Help us to be motivated by Your glory as the hope inside of us for all of eternity to be with You. Help us to see that we are just passing through this world today, and though this world glorifies You, there is a better world to come. And I pray, Father, that You help us to see things from Your lens and eternal perspective. Help us never to be underneath the worldly circumstances but to be above these worldly circumstances in glorifying You and walking with You. Thank You for this doctrine of creation. Thank You for Your creating power. Thank You for saving us. It's in Jesus' name that we do pray. Amen.