God’s Story Sermon Notes Study Contents Creation: God’s Goodness ………………………………………………………………..………………… Genesis1:1-2:5 The Fall: Man’s Rebellion ………………………………………………………………………………… Genesis 3:1-4:26 Noah: God’s Promise …………………………………………………………………………………….. Genesis 6:1-10:32 Abraham: God’s Blessing …………………………………………………………………………….. Genesis 12:1-22:24 Joseph: God’s Sovereignty …………………………………………………………………………… Genesis 37:1-50:26 Moses: God Forms a People …………………………………………………………………………… Exodus 2:1-20:21 Joshua: God Conquers for His People ……………………………………………………………… Joshua 1:1-24:28 David: God Chooses a King …………………………………………….. 1 Samuel 16:1-17:58; 2 Samuel 7:1-17 The Exile: God’s Righteousness ….. 2 Kings 17:6-23; 2 Kings 25:1-21; Daniel 1:8-21; Esther 4:1-17 The Return: God’s Faithfulness ……………………………………………….. Nehemiah 1:1-7:4; Ezra 1:1-3:13 The Incarnation: God Breaks the Silence …………………………………………………………………. Luke 1:5-56 The Incarnation: God Takes on Flesh ………………………………………………………………………. John 1:1-18 The Incarnation: God as our Neighbor ……………………………………………………………… Matthew 5:1-48 The Crucifixion: God Kills Death …………………………………………………………………….. Mark 14:32-15:41 The Resurrection: God Defeats the Grave …….. Luke 24:1-49; John 20:1-21:25; Matthew 28:1-20 Pentecost: The New Exodus …………………………………………………………………………………..… Acts 2:1-47 Scattering: The New Kingdom …………………………………………………………………………….. Acts 6:8-15:35 God’s Mission: Uniting the Nations …………………………………… Romans 1:8-15; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 Persecution and False Teachers: The New Exile …..…… 2 Peter 2:17-22; Jude 3-4; 1 Peter 3:13-17 New Creation: The New Return …………………………………………………………………… Revelation 1:4-22:5 God’s Story Creation: God’s Goodness Genesis 1:1-2:5 Introduction - God’s mission begins with God creating. - God moves toward nothing to create life that will give him glory. - Understanding God must start with an understanding that God is good. Reflection of God’s Goodness vv. 1:1-31 - God displays that he is a good God by the declaration that what he creates is good. - God’s goodness culminates in him creating those that can share and display his goodness. - God creates diversity, a synergistic and cooperative world that does not seek to make all into one. - The goodness of creation is not totally lost, rather totally marred. - We turn many things intended for good into destructive things by our own selfish desires. - Regardless of how they are presently treated, God’s good intent for his creation remains. Responsibility given to Mankind 1:28-29 - Adam and Eve are “commissioned” to be like God in their care for creation and filling it. - God is creator so he creates all things and fills the universe, mankind is like God in creativity so they are commanded to fill the earth. - God gives Adam and Eve dominion, seed and land. This will accompany covenant activity of God throughout God’s Story. - God shares with Adam and Eve an understanding of the purpose of all living things. - Creation is a God-given possession that demands our care and concern. Relationship reflects God’s Goodness 2:18-25 - Adam and Eve’s relationship reflects God’s goodness in co-creation. - What God did alone, they will depend on one another to do. - God sees that to be alone is not a reflection of his goodness (not good) so he gives them one another. - God restores goodness to those things that are intended to reflect his goodness. - The relationship between man, woman, and God is a reflection of God’s Trinitarian nature. - We are built by God for community and we will not rest until we find it. - We long for God-designed, God-given relationships to fulfill our deepest desires. God’s Story The Fall: Man’s Rebellion Genesis 3:1-4:26 Introduction - God’s goodness is reflected in his guidance and declares his glory. - God defending his own glory is necessary for his goodness to remain. - God responds to sin with grace and sets in motion a mission of restoration. - God’s mission of declaration of goodness changes to restoration of goodness. Doubting God’s Goodness vv. 3:1-5 - The serpent creates doubt in Eve’s mind about what God actually said. - Eve does not doubt God’s words only, she doubts God’s intentions. - The serpent calls into question God’s trustworthiness. - Eve surrenders to the idea that she should be like God. - The enemy raises doubt that the word of God has our good in mind. - The enemy convinces us that we should be like God; we should declare what is good. Disobeying God’s Commands vv. 3:6-24 - Eve is not confused about God’s commands but accurately quotes them. - Eve is lured by the desire of the flesh, desire of the eye, and the pride of life. - Eve is convinced to disobey by the minimizing of the consequences of her behavior. - Instead of contrite confession, their disobedience led to judgmentalism and blame. - Disobedience is rooted in doubt. - When we doubt the goodness of God, then we will turn from the guidance of God. - Sin impacts everything around us, it is not only behavior but its consequence. - God allowing the consequences of our disobedience does not negate his goodness. Disregarding God’s Choice vv. 4:1-16 - The fall of mankind does not end with Adam and Eve, it immediately gets worse. - The conflict between Cain and Able was not over sacrifice but over Able being favored. - Sin is rooted and attached to our ego so that we think we deserve favor (i.e. grace). - God’s words of warning were of no consequence to Cain. - To disregard God’s choice is to disregard his goodness. - If God is good then his choices are good and right. God’s Story Noah: God’s Promise Genesis 6-10 Introduction - The freefall of sin continues through the history of mankind until the time of Noah. - There can be no lower feeling than the regret of God. - In the midst of the darkest moment there is still hope for light to shine forth. - We can never underestimate the value of one man standing faithfully before a loving God. God’s Regret Genesis 6:1-8 - The sin that came through Adam and Eve continued to intensify and multiply. - The result is that eventually the only thing within the human heart was evil. - The conclusion of the propensity to wander from God comes to him regretting what he had created. - Sin is not just something that we do wrong, sin effects and corrupts everything. - The depravity of mankind is total and all encompassing. One Way of Salvation Genesis 6:9-8:19 - The story takes a dramatic turn at the words, “But Noah.” - The flood is God’s first act of re-creation and a foreshadow of New Creation. - Noah is a new Adam, taking responsibility for creation as a steward. - There is one door on the ark, one way to be saved. Everyone is in need of salvation. - There is one hero to this story, one hero to God’s story, God is the hero. Covenant of Peace Genesis 8:20-9:17 - A covenant is an agreement made between two parties. - Covenants can be either one-way or two-way covenants. - God makes a one-way covenant of peace with all of creation. - God hangs his “bow” in the sky as a symbol of his peace covenant with the earth. (9:13) - Mankind is once more given dominion, seed and land. (8:22-9:7) Conclusion - Noah shows us that Noah is not enough (6:5 & 8:21). - Our need of a savior is deeper than our behaviors, we need a complete salvation. - God is concerned for creation and will not allow evil to rule forever. - Those that have been found “in Christ” will be saved but God reserves his wrath for the wicked. God’s Story Abraham: God’s Blessing Genesis 12:1-22:24 Introduction - God calls one man through whom he will bless and unite all nations. - Abraham’s life and his relationship with God is one of contrasts and contradictions. - God remains faithful in the face of Abraham’s failure and brings to reality his promise. - God’s covenant of blessing of Abraham will be for all of the nations of the earth. God’s Call and Covenant Genesis 12:1-15:21 - God states his purpose and the results of Abram’s answer before he ever responds. - God does not call the able but the willing to build his covenant of blessing. - God promises an elderly man and his barren wife the blessing of a people. - The fulfillment of God’s promise is only possible through God’s power. - The covenant of God will give dominion, seed and land with the sign of circumcision. God’s Conversation with Abraham Genesis 18:1-33 - God appears to Abraham by sending three men. - The response of Abraham is hospitality and reception. - The promise of a son is repeated causing Sarah to laugh (Isaac). - The destruction of Sodom was in the power and control of Sodom, God responded. - Abraham’s plea to God was heard and God was willing to stay his hand for a few righteous people. - Sodom is a glimpse into the past and into the future. One day, God will find none that follow him. Abraham’s Choices and God’s Provision Genesis 22:1-19 - Abraham is tested whether his faith lay in the promise or the one that promised. - Abraham does not treasure anything over his trust in God, who has shown himself trustworthy. - Abraham trusts the God that provided the son to also provide the rescue of the son.