A New Beginning

Greg Laurie: God is the creator of all things. Genesis 1:1, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. If you believe that verse, it changes everything.

Guest (Male): Given the mind-boggling power and resource of our God. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie says we can have confidence when we approach Him in prayer.

Greg Laurie: If God created the heavens and the earth, then I think He's more than adequate to meet your needs, whatever they may be.

Guest (Male): This is the day when the lost are found. This is the day for a new beginning. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. Oh, can you hear when the angels are singing? This is the day, the day when life begins.

Guest (Male): God's plan for creation and His plan for mankind included His plan for man's redemption. Even before the heavens and the earth were created, He knew man's free will would lead him astray. And He had a solution before we even tasted of the forbidden fruit.

Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie digs into God's plan as revealed in Genesis. To understand something best, we need to take it from the top. Chapter 1, verse 1 of Book 1 in God's Word.

Guest (Male): This is the day, the day when life begins.

Greg Laurie: The word Genesis means beginning. It's the beginning or creation of something, its starting point. In Genesis, we find the greatest story ever told, the story of Jesus. In Genesis chapter 3, we have the first Messianic prophecy, the first verse that speaks of a coming savior that will arrive on our planet.

The Bible says Christ was crucified from the foundation of the world. And that simply means that God knew man would blow it. God knew that Adam and Eve would eat of their forbidden fruit. By the way, if you were in the garden, you would have done the same thing.

God knew that we would sin, and God made a provision for our sin. But the book of Genesis tells us the big story. But here's the thing that we want to start with, point number one. The book of Genesis begins with God. So if you're taking notes, there's point number one: the book of Genesis begins with God with this simple verse. Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Let's repeat this together. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

How many of you believe that verse? Raise your hand up. Wow. If you believe that verse, it changes everything. If you believe that verse, you'll have no problem with the miracles of the Bible, like the virgin birth of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. You'll have no problem with Jesus walking on water or raising others from the grave as well, because it all comes back to "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

And if this is true, and I believe it is, and it sounds like you believe it's true as well, if God created the heavens and the earth, then I think He's more than adequate to meet your needs, whatever they may be. Genesis is the ground floor and the foundation of the entire Bible. Without the book of Genesis, the Bible would be incomprehensible. The book of Genesis gives vital information concerning the origin of all things, and therefore, the meaning of all things.

So, who wrote the book of Genesis? Well, short answer, God did. But God gave it to Moses. And Jesus Himself attested to the fact that Moses is the author of Genesis. And not only did Moses write Genesis, he also wrote Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy at around 1450 BC.

So, think about this for a moment. On Christmas Eve 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders orbited the moon on Apollo 8. And they became aware of the presence of God in outer space. And they publicly read the first 10 verses of Genesis chapter 1 to a listening world.

I've had the privilege of meeting two astronauts personally, and I have to tell you, I'm very impressed by astronauts. The first one I met was John Glenn. And, in all places, I met him in a department store in England. And I was there waiting for my wife, who was shopping, and John was waiting for his wife too. And he's a very tall gentleman, and I walked up to him and said, "Excuse me, are you John Glenn?" He said, "Yes." And we had a nice discussion, and we talked for a while because our wives were shopping, as I said.

So that was the first astronaut I met. And when you stop and think about that space capsule that John orbited the earth in, called Friendship 7, that's such an amazing feat. The size of that thing, it was like a tin can floating through space. Well, the second astronaut I had the privilege of meeting was James Irwin, who was on Apollo 15, and he walked on the surface of the moon.

I was very impressed to meet a person who walked on the surface of the moon. And he told me that when he was there, he sensed the presence of God. He wrote that he looked out into the inky blackness and saw earth like a blue marble suspended in space, and was overwhelmed with God's presence. I love that.

You know, the Psalmist says, "If I go to the depths of the ocean, You're there. If I go to the heights of the heaven, You're there." I guess that includes the surface of the moon as well. So, let's read now those verses that the astronauts read in space to a listening world. Genesis 1:1 from the New King James version. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good. And God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, 'Let there be a firmament,' or a space, 'in the midst of the waters and divide the waters from the waters.' And God made the firmament and divided the waters which are under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament heaven. And so the evening and morning were the second day. Then God said, 'Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together in one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called seas. And God saw that it was good."

So here's point number two. God is triune, that is, three in one. One being eternally existing in three persons. Let me say that again. God is triune, meaning three in one, eternally existing in three persons. In fact, we see the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit at work in the creation of all things.

In Genesis 3:22, we read God saying, "Behold, man has become one of us." In Genesis 11:6, God says, "Let us go down." And in Genesis 1:26, we read God says, "Let us make man." Wait a second, who's God talking to? Is this a conversation with angels? No. Because we're not made in the image of angels. We're made in the image of God. This is a conversation among the members of the Trinity. Each member of the Trinity exists simultaneously, yet each one is distinct, yet perfectly united.

Number three. God is the creator of all things. Again, Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." The word there for created in the Hebrew is "bara," which means to make something out of nothing. Only God can create. Only God can call into existence that which has no existence. Now, if I eliminate God, I have a big problem. "In the beginning, a mass of gases." Well, where did the mass of gases come from? For that matter, where did the space come from? That's not the beginning.

Sooner or later, everyone gets around to asking the question, "Where did God come from?" And there's no easy answer for that because God did not come from anywhere. God has always existed. He is self-existent, and He has existed from the beginning. In Revelation 1:8, He says, "I am the first and the last. I am the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come." Well, I can't understand that. Well, check this out. If God were small enough for your minds, He wouldn't be big enough for your needs. God has always existed.

We read in verse 2, "The earth was without form and void." And that's pretty much a description of our lives as well before we knew the Lord. Darkness filled our life. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God brought order to our chaos, and hope for our hopelessness, and light for our darkness.

Point number four. God created all things in six days. God created all things in six days. So, verse 5 says, "The evening and the morning were the first day." Now, were these thousands of years or literal days? This addresses the old earth, new earth theories. And for me personally, I believe they are what they are, days. Well, how could God do all that in a day? Go back to Genesis 1:1. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." With God, all things are possible. That's the answer.

Guest (Male): Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. We really enjoy hearing when people appreciate the various resources from Harvest Ministries.

Guest (Female): Hi, Pastor Greg. We just watched an episode of your animated series, Ben Born Again and Yellow Dog, and my kids were hooked. What a great way to share the gospel in a kid-friendly way. Even adults can learn by watching these videos. Congrats, Pastor Greg, and may the Lord continue to use you and your ministry for His glory.

Guest (Male): Has Pastor Greg heard from you? Why not drop him an email and let him know? Send it to greg@harvest.org. Again, that's greg@harvest.org. And watch The Adventures of Ben Born Again and Yellow Dog on the Harvest Plus app.

We're learning a number of insights today about God's plan as revealed in the book of Genesis. Pastor Greg continues now.

Greg Laurie: Number five. Genesis gives a broad-stroked painting of creation, not a photograph. So, in other words, the book of Genesis is not a detailed account of creation. If God wanted to give us a detailed account, He could have filled the entire Bible with it. But basically, the Lord gives us one page on creation. The focus of Genesis is not to show us how the heavens go, as much as it is about how to go to heaven.

Let me say that again. The focus of Genesis, and the rest of the Bible for that matter, is not to show us how the heavens go, as much as it is there to show us how to go to heaven. However, that is not to say that the Bible is not reliable scientifically. There are so many things that the Bible said far before the scientists figured it out. It is the Bible that said the stars in the sky are innumerable, they're like the sands of the sea.

And scientists and astronomers scoffed at such a ridiculous statement because they had counted the stars. But then they developed a more powerful telescope and found there were more stars, and they expanded that number, and then they expanded it again. And now with the Hubble Telescope and others, we realize there's billions of stars out there, as the Bible said. Scientists tell us there are 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy alone. Astronomers estimate there are 100 billion galaxies, and each galaxy has more than 100 billion stars. And every one of them was made by God.

And the Bible not only says that, but it says that He has named each star. Why do I bring this up? Because whatever you're facing, I think God can handle it. Right? Think about it.

Listen, I don't believe in the Bible because science proves it's true. Rather, I believe in the science that the Bible proves is true. My source of truth is the Scripture.

Number six. God created mankind in His image. He made us in His image. We're not a highly evolved life form. We're not evolving from animals. We're uniquely created and made by God Himself. We are His image-bearer. That's not true of any other created thing.

Genesis 1:26. God said, "Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." "So God created man in His own image. In the image of God, He created him, male and female He created them. Then He blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

You know, it's interesting to note, after each thing that God made, He would say, "It is good." But after He created man, He said, "It is very good." Genesis 1:31. Humans are uniquely made in God's image, as I said. And I don't know what's going on right now, but people seem to be more obsessed with animals than any time I can remember. You know what I'm saying? And by the way, I'm an animal lover. But sometimes it's going a little far. You know, we have to take the animals everywhere with us now. The animals are in the car. We take the animals into the restaurant. We push the dogs around in the strollers, right?

And now people are on planes and they have to have their emotional support animals. They've got their dogs and their cats. But I read that other animals that people have taken on planes. I'm not making any of these up. Pigs, ducks, ponies, a pony. I saw a photograph of a pony in the plane. Look, that plane isn't big enough for the people, much less for a pony in there. Someone else brought a kangaroo. No, I'm not making it up. Probably came from Australia, I suppose. But, and then people leave their estates to their animals. Designer Karl Lagerfeld left $1.5 million to his cat, Choupette. I wonder what Choupette spent all that money on.

But then there's another person that left $10 million to their pet hen named Gigoo. Even another left $10 million to a German Shepherd. Come on, people. Now, animals are animals, and we have to see them for what they are. But nowadays people treat animals as though they're our children. People say, "Animals are people too." No, they aren't, they're animals. Let's appreciate them for what they are. Jesus would talk about how our Father cares about the animals and the birds in particular. Says He knows about every bird that falls to the ground. He even used birds as an example for us, showing us that we don't have to worry. Jesus said, "Look at the birds, they don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they are?" And then He says, "Can all of your worries add a single moment to your life?"

Have you ever seen a bird worry? Have you ever seen a bird pop a Valium? I don't think so. God provides for them, but animals don't seek God. Animals don't sit around and wonder about the meaning of life. I don't think your dog lays around and thinks to himself, "What is the meaning of my life?" And I figure if a dog had a voice, it would sound something like that. "What is the meaning of my life? I've tried everything this world offers. Chasing cats, drinking toilet water, eating roadkill, though I did like that a great deal." "But my life is so..." Dogs don't think that.

I know cats don't think that. I think cats think murderous thoughts toward us. But people do think that. From our earliest years, we wonder about the meaning of our lives. And why is that? Because you've been made in the image of God. And the Bible says God has set eternity in our heart. It's like you were pre-wired to know God. That's why we are that way. So, God made all of these creatures, all of this amazing creation. Yesterday, Cathy and I took our grandson Christopher up to Pomona for a giant reptile show. And there were all kinds of amazing creatures there. Lizards and snakes and little creepy-crawly spiders, every creeping thing basically was in this place, and he ended up getting a little frog.

But, you know, it's amazing to look at God's creation, and thank God for that creation. But there's no one higher than the Creator of humanity.

Guest (Male): Pastor Greg Laurie with important truths today from our look at Genesis chapter 1. And there's more to come as the study continues here on A New Beginning. It's obvious God has a specific plan for mankind. He created us for a purpose. And central to that purpose is that we would come to know Him personally, to have a relationship with Him, to have our sins forgiven. Pastor Greg, someone can enter into a relationship with God today, can't they?

Greg Laurie: They can, and it's so simple, and I think because it's so simple, people think, "Oh, it can't be that easy." Well, look, Jesus did all the heavy lifting. He carried the cross for you. He died on that cross that He carried. This isn't about what you do, it's about what He's done. But here's what the Bible says, "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."

So, let's just say that you're caught in a rip current out in the ocean, and you need help, and there's a lifeguard at the stand, and they see you. You've got to call out to them and let them know you need saving. And the same is true when it comes to eternal life. Jesus is ready to save you. Will you call out to Him? You say, "Well, okay, how do I do that?" You do it through prayer. And prayer is just talking to God. So listen, I'd like to lead you in a simple prayer. And if you pray this prayer after me, I believe God will hear it and answer it, and Christ will come to live inside of you. Thousands of people have prayed a prayer like this over the years that we've been doing this radio broadcast and have seen their life changed. There's no power or magic in a prayer. It's all about your commitment to Christ, but this is a way to call on the name of the Lord in this prayer.

So if you want Jesus to come into your life and forgive you of your sin, if you want to know that you'll go to heaven when you die, if you want to fill that big hole in your heart, just pray this prayer after me. You could pray it out loud if you like. Pray it in the quietness of your heart, but pray these words if you would. Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, but I know that You're the savior who died on the cross for my sin. I am sorry for my sin, and I turn from it now. And I choose to follow You from this moment forward. Be my savior and my Lord, be my God and my friend. Thanks for hearing this prayer and answering this prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Listen, if you just prayed that prayer, I want you to know that God has heard you and has answered it. The Bible says, "These things we write to you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." That you may know. It's yours now. God has given it to you because it's the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Congratulations, and welcome to the family of God.

Guest (Male): Yeah, yeah, that's right. And listen, we want to help you get started in this new relationship with the Lord. Would you let us send you something? It's free of charge. It's Pastor Greg's new believers Bible. You know, scores of people have read this edition of God's Word. New believers love the study helps written just for them, and they appreciate that it's in an easy-to-understand translation. We'll send it to you today, just ask for the new believers Bible when you call 1-800-821-3300. You can call anytime 1-800-821-3300. Or just go online to harvest.org and click No God.

And then thank you for partnering with us to help these daily studies continue. Your investments have eternal benefits. Why not make this a part of your personal ministry, to partner in an effort that's making a real difference with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers and for prayerfully considering how God might lead you to help tangibly. Online, you'll find us at harvest.org. And there, you'll see the way we'd like to thank you for your donation right now. That's harvest.org. Or call us at 1-800-821-3300. We're here around the clock to take your call again at 1-800-821-3300.

Well, next time, more insights from the book of Genesis and God's plan for you and me. Join us here on A New Beginning with Pastor and Bible teacher, Greg Laurie.