All for the Kingdom
Sermon Podcast
The Hope of Christ, John 1:1-5
The confidence you have in a promise is dependent on the one who guarantees the promise. The assurance of the gospel is singularly founded on the personhood of Jesus. Being the incarnate eternal God through whom all things were created and in whom the eternal redemptive plan of God is fulfilled. Jesus is not limited by the fragility of man—He has always been, He is, and He will always be. The hope of the gospel rests on God alone. And this is the hopeful word of verse 5: even though the world opposes the light, it will not overcome the light. Like the sunrise that dispels the grip that darkness has on the world and demands that it surrender in defeat, so is the glory of the light of the gospel. Darkness is presently warring against the light, but it will not overcome it.
Created Male and Female, Genesis 1:27-31, 2:18-25
On the issue of gender, the Bible is very clear that gender is by divine design, God declared, and must be celebrated as part of the goodness of creation.
The Nature of Man, Genesis 1:26-31
Man’s nature and purpose are not according to the autonomous will of man but determined, ordained, and commanded by the sovereignty of God. A biblical worldview affirms the sovereignty of God over all of creation, including man, but the world claims that each person has total autonomy, independent of any authority.
Genesis 1:26-31 testifies to the creation of man and man’s nature and purpose.
In the sermon from Genesis 1:26-31, Pastor Ben explains that God’s creation of man demands that you honor every human life as God’s image bearer, be a good steward of God’s creation, and submit to God’s authority to create and command.
God Created, Genesis 1
Genesis chapter one is the testimony of creation. By God's authority, out of His will, and according to His command, He created all things.
As with all of scripture, Genesis chapter one is a testimony of God that reveals His authority, will, and nature. It is not a story about men but a testimony to who God is and how He is working.
Genesis chapter one does not answer every detail you may wish were included. There are many questions about how God accomplished His work that are left unanswered. Not the least of which is how God created all that is from nothing. In His perfect providence, God has given us His word to declare that He is the author and creator of all things while leaving unanswered the mysteries that the mind of man cannot conceive.
Genesis chapter one is a foundational text for a Christian worldview and many of the most fundamental doctrines. From Genesis chapter one, Pastor Ben Smith preaches on how God's creation forms how Christians understand God and all that He has made.