When we come to the book of Genesis we often look at one of three things. Creation, Judgment on sin such as the Flood or
When we look at Genesis and study the book as a whole we see three aspects of God’s Plan within this book. This is just a broad overview of the book and not a detailed verse-by-verse study of the book.
The first aspect we see of God’s Plan is his eternal purpose is to have fellowship with God. The book of Genesis begins with the creation of all things. We will get more in depth in this over the next couple of weeks. But God’s original design was that we have fellowship with him. Look at the creation account and see that the design was to point to him. We have one great light by day and a great light by night. On a beautiful clear day everything is illuminated by the sun. We see physically because of the sun and we see spiritually because of the Son. The God. At night on a clear night and a full moon everything is illuminated. I enjoy in the winter going outside at night on a clear night with a full moon. You expect that everything will be dark but there is so much light. You expect to be stumbling and wondering what is hiding in the trees but you look up and see the moon brightly lighting up the night. He created those two huge balls of light. They lead us in how we walk as he does. They point to Him! Look at the living and creeping and flying and swimming creatures. We are the only ones who can walk, run and swim. We ourselves cannot fly but we are the only ones who have created inventions that allow us to fly and even go into the depths of the oceans. We are the only created thing that God said it was very good. We are the only created being with the Image of God, and we will get to that in the coming weeks. There is something special about us and not just because of what we can do but because of who God created us to be. We are to fellowship with Him. We are to fellowship with others. Look at the fact that God created Eve. There is definitely nothing wrong with women, but Adam needed someone else to be with him. All of us think back to why we got married. Why did you have to marry? Why couldn’t you just be good friends and live in separate homes? Why did you have to marry and live together? If you lived separately without marriage you would never know each other’s bad habits and less chance for arguments and conflict. We marry because we desire that intimacy of spirit and the comfort of that trust and relationship. God created us and designed us that way. He also designed us to have fellowship with him. Genesis 3:8 says they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. I wonder what it would have been like to have a relationship with the Lord at that time before sin entered. Now here Adam and Eve were hiding because of their sin. But it says they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden. Was God really there with them in a real physical/spiritual sense? How did this happen? How did this work, or what did it look like? They had a real and intimate fellowship with God until their sin broke it. Even after that they still had the opportunity as they continued to submit to him. We still have that opportunity if we submit to him. If we trust him for our salvation and believe and live in obedience. Throughout Genesis we see the men that God chose to work through relating to him. God desires to fellowship with us and us with him. He is the head and we are his children and servants. We all desire for fellowship and intimacy with others, but how many people believe they can have that with God? Those who believe in God are more likely to not accept that very idea. Many Christians struggle with the idea that God is not angry with them. They continue to seek to hide from God’s anger and appease him with good living. Yet our salvation through Christ allows us to have fellowship and communion with God.
The second aspect we see is we are God’s people. The Purpose Driven Life is one of the most successful books of all time. Last I heard, the book had sold over 4 million copies. Rick Warren has made so much money from his books that he no longer receives a salary from his church because he can live off of the royalties. So I am going to write the book ‘Your Best Driven Life’ and it will sell just as well as Osteen’s and Warren’s books combined. That is a joke. Please laugh and we’ll move on. But people want to know ‘Why am I here?’ What is the point of my life? Am I just a blob of cells that happen to work really well and have emotions but there is no point? It’s no wonder depression is one of the most often diagnosed illnesses in our country. When we look at the lives of Noah, Abraham and the other Patriarchs, we are here to fulfill God’s plans. And you are thinking what?! ‘I am only here to do God’s bidding. Some life that is.’ Well, maybe you are looking at it from the wrong perspective. If we are here as God’s creation and our life is from him then he has the right to be the head of our lives. If he has created us then he knows what is best for us. He is not a slave master who whips his slaves whenever they get one millimeter out of line. He is a master who loves his creation. Otherwise Noah would have gone in the flood as well. Otherwise Abraham would never have had a child because he lied about Sarah being his sister and not his wife. All of the Patriarchs lived their lives in submission to God. They rebelled at times but they ultimately sought to be a part of the work of redemption that God was bringing into our world that he created. In Genesis you see God creating the world, and then the people sinning and rebelling starting with Adam and Eve. From there is Cain and then Genesis 6 and the chronicles of the corruption of mankind. Then comes the Flood. Noah because of his faithfulness to God is spared the judgment. Through Noah’s line we come to Abraham and the story goes on through Isaac and Jacob and then to Joseph. This is the story of God separating a people for himself. Out of the corruption of humanity we see God choosing for himself a people. In 1 Peter 2:9 the Scriptures state but you are a chosen race, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. This is a quote from Exodus 19:6 as the Lord is making his covenant with them. But throughout the history of our world, the Lord has been calling people to himself in order that they would serve Him and proclaim his greatness to those who are outside of this chosen people. Peter is writing to the church and reminding them that they are God’s people called to proclaiming him. What is the point of proclaiming if there is no one to listen? This is to those who are lost. Those who walk in darkness. Those who are dead in their trespasses. It is through God’s greatness and grace that we are alive today and those who have faith in him are his chosen people.
As we close today, if God’s purpose is to have fellowship with us then may we fellowship with him daily through prayer. Treat that privilege as such and talk with him throughout the day.
If those who have faith are God’s people set aside for himself then may we as his people live separate from the unholiness of our world. May we seek to live in conformity to his standard of righteousness. May we seek to be a holy people living in repentance.
If you are here and think well I am a part of God’s people because I come to church regularly enough and live good enough, but if you have never repented or turned away from your rebellion against God and announced your guilt and have faith that he alone can save you then you need to do that today. May we all seek to repent of our guilt of sin. May we all live in repentance toward our sin daily.
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