I want us to turn to Genesis 1. Genesis 1, the very beginning. In fact, it starts out in the beginning. Genesis 1. We're going to take a couple of weeks to look at the significance of this first verse of the Bible. It's a fitting beginning for the book of beginnings. That's what Genesis means. It's beginnings. the way to start it out. In the beginning God created actually forms the very basis for everything that follows in the pages of Scripture. And in the beginning God created is one of the most profound statements ever made. I want you to just think about it. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Think about how profound that is. Apart from this statement, nothing else in the Bible makes sense. None of the rest of Scripture. All of Scripture either stands or falls without this statement. You take God out of it, we don't need to be here today. But with God in it, we need to pay attention. Amen. I know there's been a lot of question this week about the opening ceremony of the Olympics and how God was mocked. Our Savior was mocked. The Bible says, Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. You don't mock God. Not get by with it. And it's a sad thing in our society where the society feels comfortable about mocking Christianity, mocking God, but they wouldn't dare think about mocking Islam. Wouldn't do that. You take, in the beginning, God. It's a very profound statement. Apart from that statement, we have a problem explaining our existence. I mean, it is a fact that we're here. I'm here today. You're here today. We're here, aren't we? How did we get here? Where did we come from? What or who was the cause of our being? Well, in the beginning, God created. If all that we see and know in this life didn't begin with God, then how did it begin? And listen, don't even begin to spout the unscientific explanation of evolution. You know that evolution has not been proved? It's not science. It's not true science at all. In fact, don't swallow the lies about evolution. There's nothing scientific about evolution. If you don't believe it, I'll pull a book out of my library here, a scientific book, The Natural Sciences Know Nothing of Evolution, where he proves that the proteins that are needed, you don't find them naturally in God's creation. They're not there. God had to do it. And so, apart from this statement, we have a problem explaining our existence. With this statement, we know our existence only. Apart from this statement, we have a problem explaining our purpose. Do you know why you're here? Why am I here? Why are we here? Do we have a purpose for being here? We do have a purpose, but the question is, are we going to find that purpose and do that purpose? And a lot of folks don't care about finding that purpose or doing that purpose, but I hope that you have. God wants us to have a relationship with Him. And He wants us to take and to worship Him and serve Him. And apart from this statement, in the beginning God created, we have a problem with also our destiny. What is there after this? What is there after this? Where do we go from here? Well, you know, this God that created the heavens and the earth, He also gave us His revelation. He gave us His book. It gave us what we need to know to understand where we're headed and how we can head to the right place if we will just lean upon the salvation that He provides. Apart from this statement, all life does is become more confusing and more futile. Even more fatalistic, if you will. How does one make sense of anything in this life apart from the Word of God? You take a look at what's going on in the world today, and you take a look at the Word of God, the Word of God is up to date. It is. I mean, this evening when we're talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you can't get any more up to date than that. And it comes from an old book, the book of Zechariah. We're told what's going on. And we see the beginnings of it even earlier than that. But that's for this evening, OK? That's not for this morning. God, the source of all creation, has revealed Himself by multiple witnesses. And so to prove that there is God, the Bible doesn't prove that there's a God. It doesn't go out and prove here. It just says, in the beginning, God. God's existence is just assumed. Paul revealed it at Mars Hill in Acts 17, 28. He said, for in Him, in God, we live and move and have our being. Apart from God, you wouldn't have life this morning. You know, scientists can't create life. God's the one that created life. They can put all kinds of chemicals together and do whatever they want to, but they cannot give it life. They can break down the compounds of what's in this body. Break down the compounds of what's in a tree. But you know what? They can't give a tree life. They can't give you life. What are the witnesses that God has revealed Himself by? Number one, we have the witness of God's creation. We can know of God by His creation. If we are willing to honestly examine the evidence for God, it's right there. Listen to Psalm 19 verses 1-4. It says the heavens declare the glory of God. Do you ever just sit around, sit maybe somewhere on a starry night away from the city and look up and realize the vast universe that we live in? And what you can see It's just a minute fraction of what's up there. It's mind-blowing. The heavens declare the glory of God. And the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech. Night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them He set a tabernacle for the sun. Every person on earth, they can see that there's a God by just looking up in the heavens and understanding that we have God's witness of His creation. We have also in Romans 1 verse 20, It says that for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Man is without excuse when he turns away from the revelation that he's being given. God reveals Himself to man. Man can either accept the revelation and get further light, or man can reject the light that's been given and plunge himself into darkness, further darkness. We have the witness of God's creation. We have the witness of man's conscience. We all have a God consciousness within us. A little later on in this chapter, in chapter 1 verse 26, we learn that this That as a part of His creation, God created man in His own image and after His own likeness. We're different than any other part of God's creation in this. We have reasoning ability. We have a God consciousness. Romans 1 verse 18 and 19 says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them. It's manifest in them. God put a God consciousness within us. It says, For God has showed it unto them. Listen, God's witness doesn't end there. We have the witness of His Canon of Scripture, God's Word, the Bible that I preach out of this morning. What a great testimony to God Himself that He is there. This Bible is God's revelation of Himself and what He wants mankind to both know and do. And I thank God that we have the entirety of the Word of God in this time that we live in. What a blessing that we have, but also what a responsibility we have. To whom much is given, much shall be required. Listen to what Peter said in 2 Peter 1, verses 19-21. And he had just finished talking about the transfiguration, how he was there when the Lord Jesus Christ was transfigured on the Mount of Transfiguration. But he says, you know, we have a more sure word of prophecy. Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in the dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." You think about the miracle of Scripture. Sixty-six books, yet really one book. It doesn't have a contradiction. there between the writers. Some 40 plus authors that penned, the Lord used to pen the Scriptures. But listen, they didn't write their words. He said the prophecy came down in old time by the will of man. But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And that's why you have the continuity of Scripture throughout. 2 Timothy 3.16 says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. When it says inspiration of God, it's talking about it's God breathed the book. God breathed the book. Not only we have the witness of the canon of Scripture, we also have the witness of His Christ. God sent His only begotten Son into the world. He came not only to reveal the Heavenly Father to us, but He came to die for man's sin, which He freely did. He gave up His life. John 1 verse 14 says, And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1.18 says, No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Then Paul wrote in Colossians 1.15 about the Lord Jesus Christ and said that He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. Hebrews 1, the writer of Hebrews declares in verses 2 and 3, that God has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory, and expressed image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. See, Jesus didn't just come to die for our sins, but He lives now. He arose the third day after His crucifixion, after His burial there. He arose on the third day after that, and He lives. We have also in our day and time the witness of God's Comforter, the Holy Spirit. And what His job is, is to convict men of sin John 16 verse 8. When He has come, He will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on Me. Of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more. Of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged. Now, this is what I want us to see and understand for today. The Bible does not begin by trying to prove the existence of God. It assumes God's existence. In the beginning, God created. The existence of God is a basic fact of the universe. No matter how much the folks want to try to deny it, they're going to give an account to Him one day. the statement in the beginning God created refutes atheism. Atheism says there is no God, but the Bible says in the beginning God. Listen to John 1, verses 1-4. It says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. Now John 1.14 tells us that that Word is the Lord Jesus Christ. That proves the deity of Jesus. Jesus is God's only Son. He's part of the three in one. Amen? You've got God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Psalm 14.1 and Psalm 53.1 both tell us, The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. How sad. With all the evidence that God gives of Himself, and with all that God has done for mankind to be saved, and to be able to go to heaven when they die. Folks still like to deny His existence. Hebrews 11 verse 6 says, Without faith it's impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is. That's the first thing. You've got to believe that God is. And Scripture says, In the beginning, God. So that statement refutes atheism, it refutes materialism. Materialism denies the independent existence of spirit and of the spiritual. Materialism says there is but one element, namely matter. A materialist is one who finds a material forces a complete explanation of life. To Him, there is no guiding principle. There is no controlling intelligence presiding over the affairs of the universe. There is no sin. There is no resurrection. But the Bible says, in the beginning, God created. Here we see an intelligent God who is a guiding principle. We see a God who actively presides over the affairs of His universe. God with every part of His being says, I am here. But yet man chooses to deny Him. This statement that we're looking at in the beginning God created, refutes humanism. And it refutes the evolutionist farce of a theory. Humanism says that man is God. It says that everything came from a big bang. Well, God said, let there be, and bang, it was there. That's my idea of a big bang theory. God said, let there be. Humanism says that we are the ones who control our destiny. They're going to wake up with the sad realization that that's not true one day. It says that we're moving up on the evolutionary chain and one day through our intellect we will rid the world of disease and death and we will reign as gods. Do you see any evidence of that or do you see the degradation of mankind going downhill? The Bible says, in the beginning God created. I want you to look at Daniel's prophecy. Daniel chapter 11. Daniel, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gave a glimpse into one who would be in the future. The Antichrist of Revelation chapter 19. And we see in Daniel 11, Luke 36, talking about the Santa Crisis. And the king shall do according to his will. And he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods. and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished. For that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any God, for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces. and a God whom his father knew, not shall he honor with gold and silver and with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strongholds with a strange God, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory. And he shall cause him to rule over many and shall divide the land for gain." Speaks of this man in the future who who will think that He has made it to Godhood. Look at Revelation 19, the final book of the Bible near the end of that book. In Revelation 19, it talks here about the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to this earth. In Revelation 19, we'll begin with verse 11. He says, And I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse. And he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no man knew but he himself. He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. That's Jesus right there. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, and out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Now skip down to verse number 19. And I saw the beast, that's the Antichrist, I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sown the horse and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him. with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast. And them that worshiped the image. These both were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the bowels were filled with their flesh. So we see, though he thinks he's God, The Lord Jesus Christ will bring him down. It speaks of his destiny and his defeat and his destiny there in Revelation 19, verses 19-21. The statement, in the beginning, God created refutes polytheism. Polytheism says there are many gods and in many parts of the world today, still people believe in a plurality of gods, including some folks in our own country believe in the plurality of gods. Many folks today are as the men of Athens, Greece, who Paul spoke of in Acts 17, verse 22. And Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship Him declare I to you." You worship the unknown God. Him I declare to you. The one they failed to know is the Lord Jesus Christ. The God of the Bible. The God who began all things. who it says in the beginning God created. Listen to the words that Moses told the children of Israel. Deuteronomy 10 verse 17. He said, For the Lord your God is a God of gods and a Lord of lords, a great God. I'm glad that my God is a great God. Daniel 2 verse 47. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had been humbled by God. And afterwards, after he was allowed to come out of the humbling, he answered Daniel and said, of a truth it is that your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings. God proved himself to Nebuchadnezzar. 1 Chronicles 16.25 David told the nation of Israel, he said, for great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. He is also to be feared above all gods. Jeremiah, chapter 2, verse 11, he asked the nation of Judah, he said, hath a nation changed their gods which are yet no gods? Remember, he was speaking to the nation that had wandered away from God and began to embrace the gods of their enemies. Jeremiah 16 verse 20. He asks another question. He says, Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Listen, there's just one God. One true God of the universe. And He's the one that in the beginning, He created the heavens and the earth. That statement also refutes dualism. Dualism says that there are two distinct principles of good and evil. Now, I'm going to make some of you mad here. This is probably one of your favorite series of films. Star Wars. What's wrong with Star Wars? Dualism. It's what it is. The force and the dark side. It's the force and the dark side. The Bible says in the beginning God created. Don't be fooled by Hollywood or Disney or anybody else who brings forth such things as that. This statement refutes pantheism. Pantheism says that all is God and God is all. It says that there is no God apart from nature. God is in everything. But the Bible says in the beginning, God created. And it shows God to be separate and distinct from His creation. Now I've got to drive a stake up right there. Next week, Lord willing, I'm going to be coming back for part two of this message that we see on this verse. What about before creation? Do you know before creation there was only God? What do you mean, Brother Jerry? That just don't make sense. To a human mind, it doesn't. How do you explain God? If I could explain Him, He wouldn't be God. Amen. Hebrews 11 verse 3 says, Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Will you take away everything that's appeared? When God said, let there be, what do you have? You're left with God. God was there. Today we've seen that the Bible does not begin by trying to prove the existence of God. It simply says in the beginning, God created. And then the rest of the book, the Bible, reveals to us how mankind messed up through sin, bringing death into the world for all. But God, in His grace, put His plan into action to bring about redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ. What a wonderful thing. And what we've seen today and talked about today, let me ask you, where do you stand with the One who not only created the universe, but He controls the universe? He rules the universe. Where do you stand with Him? Have you believed on His Son? Have you even believed that He exists? Hebrews 11 verse 6 says, but without faith it's impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is. You've got to believe that He is first. And that He's a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. You'll never seek Him until you first believe that He is. Let's pray. Father, we thank You today for the Word of God. And Lord, the signature that You put there in that very first verse, as we will see even clearer in the days to come. He puts your stamp saying, I am here. Believe on me. Lord, we thank you for the ways that you have revealed yourself to us. What I think for the privilege I've had of being able to grow up in a family that loved you and coming to know you and myself And Lord, I thank You for allowing me to proclaim You. Lord, I know that we're living in a time when there are many that mock You, that try to bring You down and say You don't exist. But Lord, You have made Yourself real to those of us who know You. If there's one that doesn't know You here today, and needs to know you. I pray that they will come. Let us show them from God's holy word how they can know for sure that heaven will be their home, and how they can have a relationship with the God of the universe who spoke this universe into existence, a relationship with you. Have your way in this invitation, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen.