1	CREATION
2	"The Bible begins with the..." The Bible begins with the creation of heaven and earth and all things therein (Gen 1) In a real sense the Bible begins with God. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1)
3	I. GOD EXISTED BEFORE THE BEGINNING Certain attributes of God can be seen in the material creation (Rom 1:20, Psalm 8, 19, 148), but God existed before the creation and is therefore separate from the material universe and man. Notice some of the things that God did before the creation. Rom 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
4	"God loved Jesus before the..." God loved Jesus before the foundation of the world. John 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”
5	"2" 2. Jesus had glory with the Father before the world was John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
6	"3" 3. God chose Christians in Christ before the foundation of the world. Eph. 1:4 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
7	"4" 4. The sacrificial death of Jesus was foreordained before the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1:19-20 “,but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake,”
8	"God promised the eternal life" God promised the eternal life, for which faithful Christians hope, before the world began. Titus 1:2 “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,”
9	"B" B. God’s act of creation was one of his own volition. In no way was He forced to do what He did.
10	II. GOD CREATED EX NIHILO A. Create is from the Hebrew word bara. “It is rare in the Old Testament, and is always used of an act or activity of God. It does not necessarily mean out of nothing (ex nihilo); but this is clearly implied” (O.T. Allis, God Spake By Moses, p.9).
11	"In Genesis 1" In Genesis 1, create is used in the following instances: 1. The original creation out of nothing (1:1). Hebrews 11:3 teaches that God created the material universe out of material which did not previously exist. Heb 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
12	"The creation of the first..." The creation of the first (animal) life Genesis 1:21 “So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
13	"3" 3. The creation of man in the image of God (1:27). The word bara (create) is used three times. This emphasizes the uniqueness of man. He is the last of the creation, and is the only created thing or being made in the image and likeness of God. The term create is also used 3 times of man in Gen 5:1-2.
14	"Gen 1:27 “So God..." Gen 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Gen 5:1-2 “This is the written account of Adam’s line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them “man”.”
15	"C" C. Two other words are prominent in the creation account. 1. The Hebrew word yasar (form, fashion) is used in Gen 2:7. Gen 2:7 “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
16	"2" 2. The Hebrew word asah (make, made) is used in Gen 1:7, 16, 25, 26, 31; 2:2 (2t), 3, 4, 18.
17	"3" 3. Some scholars say that Genesis uses these two words for the making or fashioning of various things from the material which already has been created (bara). Others argue that bara, asah and yasar are used interchangeably as synonyms (Davis, Paradise to Prison, 40-41; Klotz, Genes Genesis and Evolution, 91; Whitcomb, The Early Earth, 127-128).
18	III. CREATION IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE WORD OF GOD A. Ten times it is stated in Genesis 1 that “God said” (vss. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29). Creation is presented as a matter of fiat and fulfillment; “let there be” and “there was”. For example, “God said, Let there be light (fiat); and there was light” (fulfillment)
19	"The worlds were framed by..." The worlds were framed by the word of God Heb 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
20	"C" C. Notice the emphasis on the word of God in Psalm 33 (esp. vss. 6-9) Psalm 33:6-9 “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”
21	"D" D. Creation was by “the word of God” 2 Peter 3:3-7 “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”
22	"Christ" Christ, the Word (Gk., logos), was present and had a part in creation John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (Gen 1:26-27, let us; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2-3)
23	IV. THE PURPOSE OF CREATION Creation shows the power and divinity of God (Rom. 1:20). The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps. 19:1) Rom 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
24	"B" B. God placed man upon the earth that he might seek and serve the Lord. Acts 17:27 “God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” (Gen 2-3)
25	"C" C. Man is such a creature that he can have fellowship with his creator. 1. Man had fellowship with his creator in the Garden of Eden Gen 2:15-17 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (3:8ff.)
26	"2" 2. Man can have fellowship with God in Christ (1 John 1:3; 1 Cor. 1:9; Eph. 1:5; 2:11-22). 1 John 1:3 “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.”
27	"3" 3. The ultimate fellowship with God will be in heaven (Rev 21:3; in the garden, Rev. 22:1-5) Rev 21:3 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
28	"Rev 22:1-5 “ Then the..." Rev 22:1-5 “ Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”
29	CONCLUSION Creation shows the power and sovereignty of God. It tells of the origin of the earth and of man and sets the stage for the place of man’s activity. Man will live upon the earth; that is why so much attention is given to the earth and so little to the rest of the universe in Genesis 1. God, the powerful creator, likewise planned the scheme of redemption. He is both creator and saviour.