RELIGIOUS PRACTICE IN DAILY LIFE

January 23, 2023

The Word in Creation

Genesis 1:1-5, 14-18

The Beginning

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day…

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

We begin with this most powerful of thesis statements, then we are given context. The great storyteller sets the stage for what is to come.

And with a word, the universe came into being. That the universe had a beginning was once challenged, now proven

Not only brought into being, but given order and purpose.

• How did God create the universe?

John 1:1-5, 9-14

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.    10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Once again we find ourselves at the beginning.

• What was “at the beginning?”

• How were all things made?

• In Genesis, how was the universe created?

• In Genesis, who was present at creation?

-God (v. 1)

-Spirit of God (v.2)

-Word of God (v.3)

He is light and life, He shines in the darkness, thought the darkness neither understands, nor is able to overcome the light. The world did not recognize Him.

• What does this mean?

• Do you recognize Him?

The key line!

• What do you think it means to receive Him?

• What is the result of receiving Him?

How to receive Him:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

“To all who receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

John 1:12