January 6, 2013
Genesis 1:1-3
Introduction
- Gen 1:1-3
- God separates the light from the darkness
- God is not wishy washy
- God makes it clear what is right and what is wrong
- John 1 - Jesus comes as the light of the world
- Darkness is without hope, light brings hope
- God dwells in light, and in him is no darkness at all
- His creation was created in light
- But it became darkness
- How did this happen
- Ezekiel 28:11-17, Isaiah 14:12-15
- Lucifer was created a beautiful angel
- Lucifer means "light-bringer"
- Lucifer was intended to share God's light with the creation
- But Lucifer allowed pride to enter his heart, and he was no longer able to see reality
- When we become proud, this usually happens to us too, we lose perspective
- Rev 12:1-9 speaks of a war in heaven, the dragon (Satan) is cast down to the earth
- A war usually brings destruction to the area where it is waged
- He was cast down to the earth - Luke 10:18 - Jesus witnessed it
- We are told Lucifer was in the garden of Eden - Ezekiel 28:13
- This must have been as the serpent, Satan
- Instead of obeying God's instructions, man listens to the devil's deception, and sides with Satan
- While God offered man the fruit of the tree of life, man now loses access to life as God intended it
- Because of his rebellion, man now has no hope
- Man is unable to get himself out of this situation
- This is known as the "depravity of man"
- Man walks in darkness
- Every baby that is born, has this nature which rebels against God - Romans 8:7, 3:23
- The consequences of this rebellion, is separation from the tree of life
- Hell is a real place
- In the gospels, Jesus repeatedly speaks of a place of torment, of outer darkness, of eternal punishment, of fire that burns without going out
- If hell is not a real place in your thinking, ask God to make it clear to you!
- He will!
- But Jesus came to restore all things - Acts 3:19-21
- Life comes through Jesus - John 1:4
- Man can now become a new creation - 1 Cor 5:17
- This speaks of once again having relationship with God
- Jesus quickens our dead bodies (Eph 2:1-2) and gives us life
- 90% of Susanville is bound for hell!
- The reason we are here as Christians in Susanville, is to be used by God to reconcile all these people, to Jesus
- If during the next 12 months, each Susanville Christian brought just one person to Jesus, in 2014 we would have twice as many Christians
- So if today say 10% of the population of Susanville was Christian, at the end of 2013 that percentage would be 20%
- If during the following year we did the same again, there would now be 4 times as many as now, in other words 40% would now be Christian at the end of 2014
- If we kept up the practice of each Christian leading one person to Jesus each year, by the end of 2015 all of Susanville could be Christian!
- Of course some will reject the gospel, but that is their choice, but this would then not be because we did not do our job
- Susanville today is in darkness, but this could be radically transformed if we as Christians performed the task to which God has called us
- As a church, God has called us to do our part in evangelizing the hell-bound!
- We can make a difference!
- Jesus in us wants to restore all things, to rescue our neighbors from darkness and bring them to the light
- Will we take up this challenge?
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