 So, so far what we've covered in this class is what is Biblical theology. Biblical theology is understanding the big storyline of the Bible and instead of systematic theology is what is the bottom line. So we're looking at the storyline in order to get to the right bottom line. And the tools that we've covered so far what we needed exegetical tools, Biblical theology tools, and systematic theology tools that how those all three of those come together. You have your exegesis of your text, you understand the big picture in the Biblical theology, and then that's what helps you draw to your conclusions of your systematic theology. So now we're going to begin to put it into practice in the stories to be told, some of the great themes of the Scripture, the big themes. So the first one to cover is the theme of creation, creation. It's a good place to start because that's where the Bible starts, and it's how the Bible ends with the new heavens and the new earth, creation again. So it is an important theme. So, by way of introduction on your outline, the introduction that I have is reminding you of the definition of Biblical theology, that in Biblical theology some things that we're not asking to help narrow down and help refine your understanding of Biblical theology. We're not asking in Biblical theology, what does the text say? What's the content? That's for Old Testament overview, Biblical overview. We're not saying what does the Bible say as a whole. We're not asking what should Christians believe about God, man, sin, and times, abortion, government. That's for systematic theology. Instead, we're asking how does the Bible say what it says, and this in turn helps us and informs us to get the other two questions right. When we rightly answer, how does the Bible say what it says, then we get to what's its content, then we get to what should a Christian believe about government, abortion, and times, sin, man, and God. Does that make sense? Okay, so first off, the story, the Biblical story of creation. Okay, so you have on your outline in the beginning. We turn to Genesis 1. So quickly over viewing Genesis 1, 2, and 3. We see in Genesis chapter 1, if you kind of follow along the text with me and keep your eyes in the text, we see day 1 in verses 1 to 5, or what we know as Sunday. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters, verses 1 and 2. In verses 6 to 8, we see day 2, or what we know as Monday, and we see the firmament in the midst of the waters, main. Verses 9 to 13, what's day 3, or what we know as Tuesday, is let the waters under the heavens be together into one place and let the dry land appear. Then in verses 14 to 19, what we know as hump day or Wednesday, we have let the lights of the firmament of the heavens divide the day from the night so that we have the stars, the firmament, the heavens are made. In verses 20 to 23, what we know as Thursday is day 5, where in verse 20, let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures and let the birds fly and above the earth, across the face of the firmament of the heavens. Each of these sections ends with, so in evening and morning, we're the fifth day. In verses 24 to 31, we have Friday. We have day 6, which we see the creation of the living creatures, and we see the creation of man. In verse 26, then God said, let us make man in our image according to our likeness. Let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth, over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image. So in the image of God, he created him male and female. He created them. So I take that to mean that God has made us with the capacity for moral decision. And he's made us with a conscience. He's made us different than the animals, and that reflects him. He does not make us as gods, like the, like many heretics today would say on TV, that in a word of faith theology, instead he makes us in his image with some of his attributes, communicable attributes. Okay, so we see the creation concluded in day seven from verses 28 to chapter two verse three, where the seventh day and God rested. I'm sorry, that's chapter two verses one to three in the seventh day, God rested. Okay, so the themes that we see here in verse two, there's a focus on man, I'm sorry, in chapter two, there's, we focus in on day six where we see the creation of mankind, and then in chapter three, the fall. Okay, so setting the groundwork there, then what's the cycle of similar things that we see repeated as we go throughout the Bible? Turn to Genesis six, and we'll see a similar, I'm sorry, that's turn to Genesis eight, and six begins the sin and the wickedness of man that brings the judgment, and the judgment of God comes, and he destroys much of the creation that he made with the destruction of the flood, and then in verses 20 we read of chapter eight, then Noah built an altar of the Lord, he took of every clean animal and every clean bird and offering burnt offerings on the altar, and the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in his heart, I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, nor will I again destroy every living thing as I've done, while the earth remains seed time and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease. So God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. So we see here the same command that he gave to Adam and Eve from chapter one, 28, when the Lord blessed them and said be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. We see here a similar theme about how what the Lord has done, and then in creation, and then he sets up the people, Adam and Eve, to be fruitful and multiply. Here it's like he's hitting the restart button, right? The wickedness of man has become so bad that God says, okay, I'm gonna hit the restart button. Let's dunk the whole world in water. We're gonna drown everybody, but a few, and we're gonna restart. And so he gives the new command again, to be fruitful and multiply. As you continue on through Genesis, when man becomes sinful again and babble, instead, after the story of babble and the people are dispersed in the judgment, he doesn't hit the restart button with a the flood. Instead, he hits a restart button and instead of making a new people, he makes a, creates a new heart in Abraham. And we see Abraham in Genesis 12, that when sin comes in, this cycle of the Lord beginning to make a new work is what I want you to see. As we continue through Genesis, we see this happen with his people, and as we get into Exodus, his people are called out by his word and called to the Promised Land. So the cycle of God's renewal is what we're looking at. Turn to John 1. John 1 is in, in the creation theme is picked up in the New Testament. In John 1, 1 to 4, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. And him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shines in the darkness, and darkness did not comprehend it. And in verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glories of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Okay, so we have the one who has made creation, the creator, who was, who is God, who was with God, he's come now to dwell among us. So we're thinking about the creation theme, okay? The story of, when you think about the creation in Genesis, then what he's done through the flood and the similarities of that, and then we see the creator has come in, in John 1, and then at the end, we see creation consummated in Revelation 21. Let's turn to Revelation 21 and read that. Robinson, would you read verses 1 to 5? Revelation 21 verses 1 to 5. Okay, so here we have the blessing of the new heavens and the new earth, and as we get into chapter 20, the end of chapter 21 and the beginning of chapter 2, Eden is restored. So do you see that very quickly and very briefly, we're looking and thinking about the theme of creation throughout the scripture, how God makes the world, how he makes things new, how he's the one who comes, the creator comes as a man, and then one day his creation will be consummated, he'll make a new heavens and a new earth. Okay, so let's think about some of the patterns then of the storyline here. We kind of covered briefly the big picture. Think about some of the patterns with me. So one, this all plays out like a story. You see how the the curse is reversed and how we're back at the garden. And we're back at the garden without the ability to fall. It couldn't be any better, right? To be with God, as with Adam was able to have the fellowship with God, God with his very presence is there, that's how the story ends. So we see how it works itself out as a story with the beginning, with the tension, the tension happens with the fall, sin, judgment, the climax happens. Okay, so one is like a story. Two, we see the promise and fulfillment. What are some of the promises and fulfillments in regards to creation, the new creation? Sergio? Yes, so there's new heavens and new earth. We're reading about a future fulfillment. This hasn't happened in Revelation 21. It's a promise that it's gonna happen, right? So we have promises of this story has not yet been completed. We see Revelation 21. Okay, a theme that would help us understand an aspect of how to understand creation, rightly, is understanding the epoch or the covenantal aspect or the dispensation, whatever term you have for it, that we live in. For example, if I give you if you go to UCF campus, sometimes there'll be people who'll have displays and they'll have this sort of plant, you know, with three leaves on it, jaggedy leaves, and maybe you've seen this before, and when you go by they'll talk to you about how we should legalize drugs and what's one of the arguments that they will say, but they'll point to creation? Well, didn't God make marijuana? And when God made it, what did God say? It was good. Hey, I'm quoting, isn't that Genesis? Isn't that understanding creation? And he made it good. Okay, there's multiple ways to refute that. Let's think about the, how do you refute it from understanding it in its right context, in its right covenantal context? Why is that wrong? Christian, you can eat marijuana plants? Christian's a scientist guy. I don't know anything about that. I don't think that it would taste very good. Marijuana salad. Well, what were you... Is that actually true, or is that you're saying you referring to something else that's made for good for food? Okay, so the, there's a misuse of creation. Why has that misuse happened according to our covenantal aspect in creation? The fall, okay, so we're not understanding the storyline correctly. If we say he's made it and is good, that's pre-fall. Okay, so now understanding the storyline, right, there's the fall and there's the abuse that we have of God's creation. So, you see how that can be a quote of Scripture, but completely misunderstood because it's understood in the storyline or in it, rightly with the pattern of the covenantal aspect, but it's one that's common and growing in our country, right? Okay, so think of another theme that about creation as we read through the Bible is the typology. Okay, so how is that the idea of creation used throughout the Scripture? Let's look at 2nd Corinthians and how the idea of creation is used to help us understand something else. 2nd Corinthians 4, so in 2nd Corinthians 4, the Apostle Paul has been explaining about how some people read the Bible, some people, particularly in the context Jewish people, read in the Bible and then they don't understand it. Have you ever known somebody who reads a lot of the Bible and they're just like, they don't understand the most important things. It's as if they read it blindfolded. Well, there's a reason for that. It's the Lord is the one who reveals in chapter 4 of 2nd Corinthians. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we've received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we renounce the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. So we're commending the truth. But even if our gospel is veiled, it's veiled to those who are perishing. So even if it's not understood, the truth that we're communicating, the gospel that we're communicating, it's veiled to those who are perishing. And he explained some of that in verse 4, whose minds the gods of this age, the God of this age has blinded. There's a satanic blinding who do not believe lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. So there's the blinding, and then he's saying, what happens when somebody understands the gospel is like when the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ comes, who is the image of God. In verse 5, we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bond servants for Jesus' sake, for it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Okay, so in verse 6, we see a reference here for it's God who commanded light to shine out of darkness. So Sunday school question, Sunday school class, Sunday school question, who's the one and where is this, where does this happen? Where God, where does he say this, who commands light to shine out of darkness? Okay, Genesis 1, so we have this picture, this analogy, this, pointing to a great reality of where God commands light to shine out of darkness when he makes light in the creation day. The apostle Paul says that's what it is, what happens when somebody becomes converted. It is not just a decision that happens in your mind, it is the very work of God himself when he shines light out of darkness. You see that in verse 6, for the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give light, light of what? What do we understand? What do we see that we didn't see before of the knowledge of the glory of God? How is the glory of God revealed in the face of Jesus Christ? By understanding who Jesus is and the work that he's done and how he is the fulfillment of all the scriptures. Okay, you see how, here's a picture of how God uses the theme of creation throughout the scripture. And then if you turn to page 2 in chapter 5, he says in verse 16, Therefore from now on we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. Do you see how this 2 Corinthians 5.17 speaks about the new creation? When somebody, it's like the new heavens and the new earth. What happens to the planet, what will happen to this universe is like what happens when God saves you. When there's a new heavens and a new earth made. So it is when somebody truly becomes a Christian, they're a new creature and the old things have passed away. You don't love what you used to love, instead you'll have new loves, right? New affections. You're not the same person at the core of your being. That is a wonderful thing, isn't it? I see kind of the bobble head thing going on right now, from my perspective. And I know what's going on in your minds as you're remembering, oh yeah, I remember how I used to be and I remember now who I am. I've been made a new creature. When you look on the outside, you look the same. Some of us, some of us have changed, right, through time. But you couldn't see that thing. This is something of the work inside that the Lord does. It's not perceptible to the eye, but it's a wonderful work of creation. Okay, and so another theme that we see, another pattern in this, is that he does this by his word. When God made creation, he does it ex nihilo, right? From nothing by his word. Instead he does this by the word of God. So I think in order to clarify and give an illustration, this week I was talking with a guy who he called himself an evangelist. And he practices the sinner's prayer. And so I was asking him that he'd gotten associated with some people from our church. So I'm doing the pastor job and calling him up. And since he calls himself an evangelist, asking about his doctrine. And so I found out he practices the sinner's prayer. So I asked him, well, where's that in the Bible? And he said, well, not in the Bible, but I know that people don't get converted necessarily from it, but I do it. And I said, okay, why do you do it if it's not in the Bible? And then he explained to me, well, if I can get them to open their mouth, then I will help God out. And those words that they say will come back and they will be a blessing. Now, what's underlining that is he believes in word of faith theology. He believes in not in the power of the word, not in the power of the word of God, but he believes in the power of words themselves to make a difference. So the reason why he, you know, to, I'm giving you a perversion of this doctrine. The perversion is that you see what God did when he made the world will do the same. Will use words to be powerful like that. If I can get somebody, this is his thinking, if I can get somebody to pray that prayer and say something about their commitment to God, they may not get saved then, but those words, they have this mystical power. Once they go out there and they're out there in the universe, eventually they're going to come back like karma and be good. And his illustration was, well, when I prayed the sinner's prayer when I was nine, but I wasn't converted, but I got converted later on is what he said. So it's a perverse, it's perverting the idea of creation. It's based in a wrong understanding of how God works. It's not the words themselves that's powerful. It's God's word that he uses. God uses his word to make the world. We're not God. The words we say are not what's powerful to convert the soul, but the words that he has said is what he will use to convert the soul. So now let's think about systematizing. What's the bottom line? Let's get to some of the bottom lines. So if you see in your outline, we've covered the story of creation. We've covered the patterns, some of the patterns in the storyline. Now let's begin to see some of these points in your outline. God creates from nothing. God creates by his word. God creates for his glory. Creation frustrated in its purpose and then the final goal. So God creates from nothing. We talked about ex nihilo from Genesis 1-1. If you turn to Genesis 1-1. In the heavens, God created, I'm sorry, in the beginning, God created the heavens in the earth. You guys are like, what version is Mark reading? In the heavens, God created the heaven in the beginning. I'm going to get this right eventually. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In John 1-3, in comparison, flip over to John 1-3. We have all things were made through him and without him, nothing was made that was made. So we have the Jesus Christ, not being the first of creation, but instead he is the creator. He's the one who has made all things, made them from nothing. So what that means then is that you are his creation and he owns you. That's a bottom line idea of creation. You are a creature, you need to consider yourself that way, owned by him. You don't have rights to decide about your own purpose, your own decisions, your own who you will be. You are made by him and so you are for him. That's a humbling truth about the idea of creation as a whole through the scripture. Creation shows us that God creates by his word and that's a very encouraging thing. Think about like Ezekiel 37, turn there and think about the Word of God. In the time of Ezekiel, Israel is in captivity in Babylon and there's a prophecy of the new covenant that will come where the Lord will take out the heart of stone and put it in a heart of flesh. And there's the question about how will this ever happen with this people? How will this ever happen with this people? It seems hopeless. Well in chapter 37, the hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of a valley and it was full of bones. Then it came to pass by them all around and behold it was very many in the open valley and indeed they were very dry. And he said to me, son of man can these bones live? So I answered, oh Lord you know. Again he said to me prophesy to these bones and say to them, oh dry bones hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, surely I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as he commanded and as I prophesied there was a noise and suddenly a rattling and the bones came together bone to bone. Indeed as I looked the sinews and the flesh came upon them and the skin covered them over but there was no breath in them. And he said to me prophesy to the breath. Prophecy son of man and say to the breath, thus says the Lord God, come from the forewinds of breath and breathe on these slain and they shall live. So I prophesied as he commanded and breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet in exceedingly great army. Then he said to me son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say our bones are dry, our hope is lost and we ourselves are cut off. Therefore prophesy and say to them, thus says the Lord God, behold, oh my people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, oh my people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put my spirit in you and you shall live and I will place you in your land. Then you shall know that I the Lord have spoken it and performed it, says the Lord. So I always remember this story as a kid looking through the kind of picture Bible and then you see the pictures of like this story and process. And as a little kid, you know, you're like captivated. This is like zombie stuff happening where you're in reverse instead becoming somebody's flesh rotting away and then becoming walking dead instead the walking dead become alive. And I just remember being captivated with this picture and the point is that's what it's supposed to do to you. It's supposed to make it a unforgettable picture. And what are you supposed to have stuck in your mind by this imagery is the power of the word of the Lord. That what looks hopeless is absolutely dead. And as dry as can be, the Lord is the one who made the world world by his word. So how much more can he bring a people to repentance? How much more can he bring a people alive? So we see by the theme of creation, the power of the word of the Lord. Remember how Lazarus is called forth, you know? And what's that thing that, you know, that phrase every preacher says, you know, that exaggerating every preacher says that if Jesus says Lazarus come forth, because if you didn't say Lazarus, then if you just said come forth, every every grave will come forth, right? And the point is to think about the power of the word of the Lord. Okay, so systematizing it then, what should we focus on in the church? If creation, if the world itself and everything we know and see was made by his word. If by his word he's going to make a new heavens and new earth, by his word he makes souls created to have the light of the gospel revealed to them, then what should we focus on in the church? Yes, his word. Should we focus on methods that make people, that bring a greater crowd in? We can do things and we can focus on things here that will bring more people in. Or should we stay focused on presenting to you continually the word of God and trust in that. Does that make sense? The word of God is what we should be trusted because it's by his word we, everything has been made. Okay, so then turn to Revelation 411. Why has he made all these things? Jack, would you read Revelation 411? Okay, so everything that has happened, right, here's a clear summary. The creation has happened for the very purpose of bringing him glory. It can't be much clearer than that. We're going to sing it in heaven, right? Turn to Romans 8, theme of creation. We're thinking about the theme of creation and how to systematize it, how to bottom line it. Romans 8 starting in verse 18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For earn this expectation the creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God. So creation itself wants the consummation to happen. Verse 20. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pains, pains and together until now. So my wife is watching online, I know she likes to watch this class. And so recently we've seen the birth pains in our family. And she's experienced firsthand that experience. The apostle Paul is taking that and saying what happens with the world around us is moaning and groaning for the day that sin will be gone away. The creation can't wait for the day in which it will be renewed. So the doctrine of creation shows us the horrendous nature of the sin and the fall and how disobedience to God affects all the things he's made. And together we long with creation. In verse 23, not only that, but we also have the first fruit of the spirit. Even we ourselves grown within ourselves eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For why does one hope, still for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Okay, so let's think about, to conclude, let's think about the new heavens and the new earth. The new heavens and the new earth. Let's turn to 2nd Peter chapter 3, I believe. 2nd Peter 3.3 Knowing this verse that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts. Okay, so if somebody's a scoffer, somebody who says who hears the word of God but doesn't want to obey it, what do they sound like? What do they look like? Verse 4, here it is. Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. So here's the creation theme. The world's just going to continue on. Jesus coming back, somebody at work, his name is Howard, he's a friend of mine at work. He's Catholic, he doesn't go to church. We talk about the gospel sometimes. And I came into work yesterday and where I was locked, we make a lot of jokes together. And I thought he was going to tell me a joke. And so he said, he locked my eyes and he says, what's the good word? And I like, he does not like to hear about the Bible. And I like, oh wow, this is like shocky. Like you, what's the good word? And he's like, yeah, that surprised you, didn't it? So I said, well, the Lord's coming back. Are you ready? That's the good word. And he immediately began to think of and make fun, right? Of people who talk about the Lord's coming. So think about the, that's what he's talking about here. The scoffers that come who say, oh, people always talk about Jesus as a return. Verse five, for this they willingly forget that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water. And in the water by which the world then existed being flooded with water. That's like what we were talking about earlier, right? How the flood has this sort of by the word of the Lord was done. Verse seven, but the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word. So the world continues because of the word of God are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of Godly men. So it's on the calendar. It's going to happen. The world right now is reserved. The ground underneath you go ahead, you know, step on it, stomp on it. It's reserved for a day where it's going to burn up. Verse eight, but beloved, do not forget this one thing that the Lord with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some count slackness, but his long suffering. So why is he waiting? He's waiting for the very purpose of some people like my friend at work will be converted. Some of those, some of those mockers will be converted. What mercy? But it's long suffering towards us. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Okay. So verse 10, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, that period, that time when the heavens will be burnt up, it's coming. And it refers to that Old Testament idea of the day of the Lord. The period of the Lord's return will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the work center in it will be burned up. Therefore, okay, what's the point of the lesson is right here. Peter's going to tell us. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? Okay. Since God has made the world, since God made the world by his word, since he makes the new creatures by his word with salvation, since he will make a new heavens and the new earth, what manner of persons ought you ought to be in holy conduct and godliness? Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. You should long for creation to be restored. You should long for the new heavens and the new earth. Because of the heavens which will be dissolved being on fire and the elements will melt with a fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, to be diligent, to be founded by him in peace without spot and blameless. So because, what's the bottom line, the goal of the lesson? Since God has made the world, since he makes creatures new by salvation, since he will make a new heavens and the new earth, you should be sure that you're in him. You should make your salvation all the more sure. You should rest and rely on him all the more for him and his work to take you to heaven. You should turn and hate the sin that's in your life all the more because he's the creator and he's going to make a new heavens and new earth. That's a very brief overview of the idea of creation in the scriptures. Next week, God willing, we will cover the idea of the fall in the scriptures. Let's pray. Dear Lord, thank you that you are the creator, that we're your creation. Thank you for making us for your glory. We don't deserve you. We don't deserve to be able to praise you. We don't deserve to be able to pray to you. We long for the day when you will make a new heavens and a new earth. We grown with the trees and the mountains and the rocks. When will you come? Come Lord Jesus, come. We long for your coming. We long to see the day when the new heavens and new earth are made. I pray for the people here that they would genuinely be in you. So they would see that day. Thank you Lord for this time. Amen.