Creation or Evolution
- Part 04
- Series: The Power of the Book You Can TRUST - Unleashing the Inspired Word Into Your Life
- Date: Jun 2, 1996 | Passage: Genesis 1:1
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What would the ten most important words in the world be? They are so vital to all parts of our life, so crucial to the destiny of our souls. In order that we never miss them, God put them in the front of your Bibles. These are the first words Jesus and the Apostles read at their mother's knees. For all Jewish children were taught to read starting with the Torah, the first five books of Moses. Why don't we read them together this morning!
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (NKJV)
Evidence for the Design of the Galaxy-Sun-Earth-Moon System for Life Support
The following parameters of a planet, its moon, its star, and its galaxy must have values falling within narrowly defined ranges for life of any kind to exist.
· Number of stars in the planetary system
o If more than one: tidal interactions would disrupt planetary orbits
o If less than one: heat produced would be insufficient for life
· Our sun age
o If older: luminosity of star would change too quickly
o If younger: luminosity of star would change too quickly
· Our sun mass
o If greater: luminosity of star would change too quickly; star would bum too rapidly
o If less: range of distances appropriate for life would be too narrow; tidal forces would disrupt the rotational period for a planet of the right distance; UV radiation would be inadequate for plants to make sugars and oxygen
· Our sun color
o If redder: photosynthetic response would be insufficient
o If bluer: photosynthetic response would be insufficient
· Our sun luminosity relative to speciation
o If increases too soon: would develop runaway greenhouse effect
o If increases too late: would develop runaway glaciation
· Surface gravity (escape velocity)
o If stronger: planet's atmosphere would retain too much ammonia and methane
o If weaker: planet's atmosphere would lose too much water
· Distance from our sun
o If farther: planet would be too cool for a stable water cycle
o If closer: planet would be too warm for a stable water cycle
· Inclination of orbit
o If too great: temperature differences on the planet would be too extreme for orbital eccentricity
o If too great: seasonal temperature differences would be too extreme
· Axial tilt
o If greater: surface temperature differences would be too great
o If less: surface temperature differences would be too great
· Rotation period
o If longer: diurnal temperature differences would be too great
o If shorter: atmospheric wind velocities would be too great
· Magnetic field
o If stronger: electromagnetic storms would be too severe
o If weaker: ozone shield and life on the land would be inadequately protected from hard stellar and solar radiation
· Thickness of crust
o If thicker: too much oxygen would be transferred from the atmosphere to the crust
o If thinner: volcanic and tectonic activity would be too great
· Albedo (ratio of reflected light to total amount falling on surface)
o If greater: runaway glaciation would develop
o If less: runaway greenhouse effect would develop
· Oxygen to nitrogen ratio in atmosphere
o If larger: advanced life functions would proceed too quickly
o If smaller: advanced life functions would proceed too slowly
· Carbon dioxide level in atmosphere
o If greater: runaway greenhouse effect would develop
o If less: plants would be unable to maintain efficient photo-synthesis
· Water vapor level in atmosphere
o If greater: runaway greenhouse effect would develop
o If less: rainfall would be too meager for advanced life on the land
· Atmospheric electric discharge rate
o If greater: too much fire destruction would occur
o If less: too little nitrogen would be fixed in the atmosphere
· Ozone level in atmosphere
o If greater: surface temperatures would be too low
o If less: surface temperatures would be too high; there would be too much UV radiation at the surface
· Oxygen quantity in atmosphere
o If greater: plants and hydrocarbons would bum up too easily
o If less: advanced animals would have too little to breathe
· Seismic activity
o If greater: too many life forms would be destroyed
o If less: nutrients on ocean floors (from river runoff) would not be recycled to the continents through tectonic uplift
· Global distribution of continents (for earth)
o If too much in the southern hemisphere: seasonal temperature differences would be too severe for advanced life
· Soil mineralization
o If too nutrient poor: diversity and complexity of life forms would be limited
o If too nutrient rich: diversity and complexity of life forms would be limited
· Gravitational interaction with a moon
o If greater: tidal effects on the oceans, atmosphere, and rotational period would be too severe
· If less: orbital obliquity changes would cause climatic instabilities; movement of nutrients and life from the oceans to the continents and continents to the oceans would be insufficient; magnetic field would be too weak
Chances for Finding a Life Support Planet
Each of these 23 parameters cannot exceed certain limits without disturbing a planet's capacity to support life. Not to mention... about a dozen more parameters, such as atmospheric transparency, pressure, and temperature gradient, other greenhouse gases, location of different gases and minerals, and mantle and core constituents and structures, currently are being researched for their sensitivity in supporting life.
Thus, with considerable security, we can draw the conclusion that much fewer than a trillionth of a trillionth of a percent of all stars could possibly possess, without divine intervention, a planet-capable of sustaining advanced life. Considering that the observable universe contains less than a trillion galaxies, each averaging a hundred billion stars, we can see that not even one planet would be expected, by natural processes alone, to possess the necessary conditions to sustain life.
These factors would seem to indicate that the galaxy, the sun, the earth, and the moon, in addition to the universe, have undergone divine design. If divine design is essential to explain the properties of simpler systems such as the universe, our galaxy, and the solar system, how much more necessary is God's involvement to explaining systems as complex as organisms, including human beings? As for the $100 million now being spent by the
Within those words we find all that there is. God, the universe, the end and now. Everything is encompassed in those words. And from them flow all of guidelines God has given for so we can:
- Meet Him
- Know Him
- Please Him
In other words, no book of the Scriptures matters more because EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE RESTS ON THIS ONE! If the God of Genesis 1 is unreliable so is the One in every other part of the Scriptures. Either you utterly trust the God you meet in Genesis One or you have nothing else. He is the same, He does not change. Why?
1. The book of Genesis is the foundation for the doctrines that follow. Everything you base your eternal destiny upon starts in Genesis:
- INSPIRATION: The Creator in Genesis WROTE the Scriptures! Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by [His] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; (NKJV)
- DEITY OF CHRIST: The Creator in Genesis is the One who DIED for you and me! Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (NKJV) John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (NKJV)
- FINAL JUDGMENT: The CREATOR in Genesis is the ONE we will all someday face to enter Heaven or Hell! Acts 17:24, 31 "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 31 "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." (NKJV)
- SALVATION: The CREATOR of Genesis is the ONLY ONE who can die in your place on the Cross! Romans 5:12-15 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned -- 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift [is] not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. (NKJV)
- TRUSTWORTHINESS OF CHRIST: The CREATOR in Genesis is the ONLY ONE who knows what happened at that event! Mark 10:6 "But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' (NKJV)
- THE WHOLE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE: The CREATOR in Genesis is the ONLY ONE able to send a message like we have in the SCRIPTURES! Colossians 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (NKJV)
2. What could matter more than to know what God has said and to obey it! What you believe about Genesis will also determine your available truth to live by. Why?
- Genesis is the gateway to the True God, the Creator and Redeemer.
- It is the Foundation of our ORIGIN, PURPOSE and DESTINY!
- It is the only proper way to understand Geology, Anthropology, History, Philosophy and so on.
- It is the only authoritative word on male, female, marriage, family, government.
- It alone records the start of sin, evil, cultures, language,
3. What you believe about Genesis will determine your life, family and ministry. Why?
- If our children are not taught truth they can hold onto they will drift from the faith and shipwreck.
- So guard their schooling.
- Shield their exposure to error and false teaching.
- Promote much exposure to the truth daily.
- Lead them by example to the fellowship of Christ's Body - bring them to church!
- If a saintly blue-collar worker is of more value than a pagan doctor, lawyer, sport star, politician or businessperson - then guard and teach the truth. Matthew 16:26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (NKJV)
- All attempts to compromise the Scriptures should be resisted. There are some popular views some Christians hold that are very dangerous:
- Gap Theory destroys Adam's original sin. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned -- (NKJV) It puts him at the head of a creation that sits atop a multi-billion year old graveyard of fossils. This monument to sin, death and destruction before Adam is incongruous to the Word of God.
- Age Day Theory destroys the reliability of the text. It is repeatedly stated and believed by the Scripture writers that the account of Gen. 1 is true. The age Day Theory states the sun had to come before the fourth epoch. So the Scriptures can't be trusted.
What Should We Trust About the CREATOR We Meet in the Book of Genesis?
WE MUST WORSHIP OUR CREATOR Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (NKJV) Revelation 14:7 saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water." (NKJV) = We must respond to our CREATOR.
Our Creator is the Judge first by water then by fire 2 Peter 3:3-7 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world [that] then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth [which] are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (NKJV)
Christ as creator is the head of the Church and He alone gives us the order for leadership, home, church, role of men and women, standards of modesty, etc. Colossians 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
Creation groans waiting for redemption Romans 8:20-22 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. (NKJV)
Adam's sin cursed the world Romans 5:12, 19 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned -- 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. (NKJV)
The decline and descent of man versus the ascent of Darwin's man Romans 1:18-32
All humans are from one blood Acts 17:26 "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, (NKJV) So there is one blood for all humans, one color source melanin degrees, many cultures at Babel, one blood that can save all who come.
Christ as Creator reveals God John 1:1-3, 18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared [Him.] (NKJV)
Christ said Creation was literally TRUE Matthew 19:4-6 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made [them] at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5 "and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." (NKJV)
How Should I Respond?
- Trust your Creator Revelation 14:7
- Worship your Creator Revelation 4.11
- Seek your Creator Heb11.3,6
- Follow your Creator Col.
- Obey your Creator more each day John 14.15-22; 1 John 5.1-5
1. Scroggie says that the Gospels total 3,779 verses. The words of Christ total 1,934 of them. Jesus quotes the Old Testament 180x so just under 10% of His recorded words are Old Testament quotes!
2. San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/5/93.
3. MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary , (
4. Faith for the Family, 11/77, p.29.
5. Focus on Family Citizen, 1/20/92, pp. 13-15.
6. How old is the Universe, USN&WR, 5/20/96, pp.60-61.
7. 11/21/80, pp883-87.
8. 2/78, pp. 19-30.
9. MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary , (
10. World that Perished, foreword.
11. MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary , (