Bible Study Series: What Is Life All About, Genesis 1

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?

Genesis 1

YOU CAN ONLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION BY STUDYING GOD’S WORD

How accurate is God’s word?

Scientific and archaeological data support God\’s Word.

In the beginning, God created the Heavens, the Earth, and the animals then man

The oldest known star is the Methuselah Star dated to be 14 billion years old

The earth is dated to be 4.5 billion years old

The Oldest Dinosaur fossil is the Euraptor dated 233 million years old

The youngest Dinosaur is dated to be 65 million years old

The oldest human fossil is the Omo One bones found in Ethiopia

dated 233,000 years old

The oldest caveman is Otzi dated 3350 BC

Chronological in terms of age, the heavens, earth, animals then man

came into existence which supports the creation story in Genesis.

The Bible is an accurate historical record. You can believe it

If a story starts right, there is good reason to believe that

rest of the story is correct.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

See attachment for trees in Garden

From the start in the middle of the Garden of Eden, God placed two trees ;

the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life

God\’s first command to Adam was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of

Good And Evil( Genesis 2:9-9) Somewhere near was the tree of life

From the beginning, the man had a choice. From that choice would develop two

classes of people.

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE

\”the tree of the knowledge of good and evil\” symbolized the all-powerful nature of God, its fruit was forbidden to Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:17)

(from Nelson\’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Genesis 2:15-17

The tree of knowledge was to lead man to the knowledge of good and evil; and, according to the divine intention, this was to be attained through his not eating of its fruit.

(from Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament:

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE

\”the tree of the knowledge of good and evil\” symbolized the all-powerful nature of God, its fruit was forbidden to Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:17)

(from Nelson\’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Genesis 2:8-15

Because there was an express positive revelation of the will of God concerning this tree so that by it he might know moral good and evil. What is good? It is good not to eat this tree. What is evil? It is evil to eat of this tree.

(from Matthew Henry\’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

THE TREE OF LIFE

Life was to be sought by man, not in himself or his own power, but from without, from Him who is emphatically the Life (John 1:4; 14:6). Wisdom is compared to the tree of life (Proverbs 3:18). The \”tree of life\” spoken of in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14) is an emblem of the joys of the celestial paradise.

(from Easton\’s Bible Dictionary,

Genesis 2:8-15

It was chiefly intended to be a sign and seal to Adam, assuring him of the continuance of life and happiness, even to immortality and everlasting bliss, through the grace and favor of his Maker,

(from Matthew Henry\’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

Genesis 2:15-17

It seems to have existed to confer the gift of immortality, perhaps to counteract sickness, repel bodily ills of every kind, and keep the springs of activity and enjoyment preserved in abounding fulness.\”

(from Christian Workers\’ Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.)

From the choice man would make, God developed a family of believers who

would love Him enough to trust in His plan of salvation.

In the past month, we have reviewed two Books

3 part series on the Purpose Driven Life By Rick Warren

The Epistle of Jude\’s Focus was Contend For The Faith

Here is what I concluded from the Purpose Driven Life

LIFE IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD

YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR GOD’S PLEASURE

YOU WERE CHOSEN TO BE GOD’S FAMILY

YOU WERE CHOSEN TO SERVE GOD

YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR A MISSION

Ephesians 1:3-10

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God\’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

In the Epistle of Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, the focus is to contend for the faith

The word contend means to strive for, to struggle for

Jude 1-4

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:

I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

During the Vacation Bible School, Pastor Lewis set the stage with a study on trust.

To Live out your purpose you have to contend for the faith. You have to struggle to

Trust God for victory.

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?

It is developing God’s People to love Him enough to trust His plan of salvation

What does trust look like in daily living? What does contending for the faith look

like?

1. You have to make God your first priority

In all your ways acknowledge Him.

2. Live by Faith

The just live by faith and not by sight

How do you live by faith? Jude Gives the recipe.

Jude 20-23

20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God\’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt;

Build yourself up in the faith

Pray in the spirit

Focus on God’s Love

Wait on the Lord

Show mercy to others

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT?

DEVELOPING GOD’S FAMILY IN LOVE TO TRUST HIS PLAN

FOR ETERNITY

HEAVEN

DEVELOPING THE FAMILY

TRUST GOD’S PLAN

FOR SALVATION

LIFE

NONE BELIEVERS ________________ CHOSEN

FULL OF TROUBLE

ETERNITY

IN HELL

LIFE BEGINS AND ENDS WITH GOD

Genesis 2:6-7

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.

Man has a body, soul, and spirit

LIFE IS EMBEDDED IN JESUS

John 6:35-36

35 Then Jesus declared, \”I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

LIFE IS A JOURNEY TO BE LIKE JESUS

Romans 12:2

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God\’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

LIFE IS DEVELOPED THROUGH FAITH

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me

LIFE IS TEMPORARY

James 4:14

14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life like? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes

IN SUMMARY

WHAT IS LIFE ALL ABOUT? RESTORING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER

AFTER THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE MAN WAS BORN IN SIN AND SHAPED

IN INIQUITY.

It is about restoring God\’s elect to obedience to His righteousness through

faith in Jesus Christ to live an eternal life with Him.

CLASS QUESTIONS

WHAT MAKES YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN TRUST GOD’S PLAN

OF REDEMPTION?

WHAT IS YOUR PART IN YOUR REDEMPTION?