I hear little children say it all the time, “I’m first in line!” Sometimes it’s not just children, it’s adults as well. Being first in line then leads to an attitude of entitlement. “I was here first, so I get to decide.” Right? Deep down we all have that sense of entitled authority due to our position in line. That attitude trickles into our jobs, our education, our sports, and our relationships. But really, who is first and who is in position to best make decisions and lead?
This past Sunday I believe we made it crystal clear that we (you and I) are NOT first! God was first. (And still is for that matter…) I proceed to share that before we talk about transgenderism, same-sex marriage (and its effects on the church), racial tension, and other issues that the church must address – we must establish that God was here first!
As a firm believer in God and His Holy Words, the first thing I come to grip with when reading the Bible is that “In the beginning God!” I know that when you deal with punctuations, there is no period after God in Genesis 1:1. But when you and I read this book of truth, we discover that God is the first subject of the Bible mentioned. “In the beginning God” is one of the most profound statements ever written. Humanity does its best to bring God down into our little world where we can scrutinize him and subject him to the laws of matter, of cause and effect, which we can understand. We try to escape the truth that God does not conform to our desires and our definitions. The truth is that He confronts us as the One who was in existence before anything we can even imagine.
In the beginning God, a God who is self-existing! That is not true of anything else. Everything we see today depends on something or someone. He cannot be explained or defined as other objects are! That means He is answerable to NO ONE! We don’t like that because we want explanations for everything and God doesn’t have to explain himself to anyone.
In the beginning God, a God a who is self-sufficient. He has no origins. Self-sufficiency means that God has no needs and therefore depends on no one. We are needy people, God is not. We are dependent on light, heat, gravity, and the laws of nature. If one of these laws cease to exist, so do we. Not so with God!
God does not need nor depend on us to worship Him. God does not need helpers. We know that God has entrusted management to us. (Genesis 1:28) And we know that He has given those who believe on Him a commission to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19-20) He chose us to do these things, but He didn’t have to. He is not a grandfatherly figure in heaven dependent upon our help. God does not need defenders! We have opportunities to speak for God, especially to defend God when people dishonor his name and defame his character. We should stand and defend Him. But do you think God really needs anyone to stand in His defense? God is self-sufficient.
In the beginning God, a God who is eternal! He is, he has always been, and will always be!
God stands alone, self-existing, self-sufficient, eternal, and creator of all things new. And because God was first, because God created, because God put things in motion, created laws of nature, set standards…who are we to say that our way is better? Who are we to think that our way of marriage, our way of leading, our way of loving and living is better than what He says?
He is first in line. He is not the captain, He is not the Head Coach. He is not the CEO, He is not the President. He is God. Because He is God, He deserves our humble, genuine worship! Because He is God, we should humbly obey and be careful to how we approach that which He majestically created and placed in order.
This past Sunday I believe we made it crystal clear that we (you and I) are NOT first! God was first. (And still is for that matter…) I proceed to share that before we talk about transgenderism, same-sex marriage (and its effects on the church), racial tension, and other issues that the church must address – we must establish that God was here first!
As a firm believer in God and His Holy Words, the first thing I come to grip with when reading the Bible is that “In the beginning God!” I know that when you deal with punctuations, there is no period after God in Genesis 1:1. But when you and I read this book of truth, we discover that God is the first subject of the Bible mentioned. “In the beginning God” is one of the most profound statements ever written. Humanity does its best to bring God down into our little world where we can scrutinize him and subject him to the laws of matter, of cause and effect, which we can understand. We try to escape the truth that God does not conform to our desires and our definitions. The truth is that He confronts us as the One who was in existence before anything we can even imagine.
In the beginning God, a God who is self-existing! That is not true of anything else. Everything we see today depends on something or someone. He cannot be explained or defined as other objects are! That means He is answerable to NO ONE! We don’t like that because we want explanations for everything and God doesn’t have to explain himself to anyone.
In the beginning God, a God a who is self-sufficient. He has no origins. Self-sufficiency means that God has no needs and therefore depends on no one. We are needy people, God is not. We are dependent on light, heat, gravity, and the laws of nature. If one of these laws cease to exist, so do we. Not so with God!
God does not need nor depend on us to worship Him. God does not need helpers. We know that God has entrusted management to us. (Genesis 1:28) And we know that He has given those who believe on Him a commission to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19-20) He chose us to do these things, but He didn’t have to. He is not a grandfatherly figure in heaven dependent upon our help. God does not need defenders! We have opportunities to speak for God, especially to defend God when people dishonor his name and defame his character. We should stand and defend Him. But do you think God really needs anyone to stand in His defense? God is self-sufficient.
In the beginning God, a God who is eternal! He is, he has always been, and will always be!
God stands alone, self-existing, self-sufficient, eternal, and creator of all things new. And because God was first, because God created, because God put things in motion, created laws of nature, set standards…who are we to say that our way is better? Who are we to think that our way of marriage, our way of leading, our way of loving and living is better than what He says?
He is first in line. He is not the captain, He is not the Head Coach. He is not the CEO, He is not the President. He is God. Because He is God, He deserves our humble, genuine worship! Because He is God, we should humbly obey and be careful to how we approach that which He majestically created and placed in order.
This Sunday, standing firm on the truth of God’s Word, we will continue addressing how God’s Word gives us direction, hope, and help in living out our faith in dark and confusing times.
Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday,
Pastor Rex