>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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It captured the
attention of a nation:
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the trial nearly 100 years ago
of a Tennessee school teacher
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accused of teaching the theory
of evolution in public schools.
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On one side, former
presidential candidate
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William Jennings Bryan
argued in behalf of creation,
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while Clarence Darrow,
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who was referred to as
the "attorney for the damned,"
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defended high school teacher
and sometime football coach
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John Thomas Scopes.
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Many people today
forget that Scopes,
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the teacher put on
trial, actually lost the case.
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He was found guilty and
fined $100 for breaking the law
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of the state of Tennessee,
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which forbade the teaching
of the theory of evolution.
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In fact, the teaching of
evolution remained illegal
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in Tennessee
until the late 1960s.
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But unfortunately
for Bryan's argument,
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his defense of the
biblical creation story
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fell somewhat flat.
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History remembers the
Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925
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as a major setback for the
biblical teaching of creation.
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Five days after the trial
ended, July the 26th, 1925,
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Bryan arranged for his
final argument against evolution
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to be published, an argument
that he hadn't been able
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to deliver during the
proceedings of the trial itself.
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He then retired to his
bedroom for an afternoon nap,
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hoping to gather
strength for a sermon
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that he was gonna
preach that night.
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But he never woke up.
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In this final address,
Bryan spoke of the logic
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of the theory of evolution and
its application to human hearts.
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He wrote how the
theory Charles Darwin promoted
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regarding the origin of the
human race appeared to endorse
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the elimination of the weak
members of civilized society.
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So let's keep in mind
that according to the theory
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of evolution, the natural world
makes progress by the strong
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devouring the weak.
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The principle is known as
the survival of the fittest,
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what Darwin
called natural selection.
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Many people in the
late 19th century and beyond
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started to apply
this principle in society,
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and it wasn't hard to
see where it was going.
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It led to the oppression
of society's weaker members:
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the poor, the dispossessed,
racial and ethnic groups
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that were
thought to be inferior.
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The thought was that
it would achieve social
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and economic advancement.
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That theory became
known as social Darwinism.
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In Bryan's words,
aimed at the scientists
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who were leading people
to accept Darwin's theory,
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"Science is a
magnificent material force,
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but it is not a
teacher of morals.
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It can perfect machinery,
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but it adds no moral
restraints to protect society
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from the misuse of the machine."
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Bryan claimed that evolution
substituted the law of force
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for the law of love, and he
asked his readers the question
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posed by Pontius Pilate
as Jesus stood before him:
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"The question, 'What
shall I do with Jesus?'
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must be answered.
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A bloody, brutal
doctrine-- evolution--demands,
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as the rabble
did 1,900 years ago,
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that He be crucified."
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It's fair to say that William
Jennings Bryan got it right
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when he described the assault
made by the theory of evolution
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on the principles of
biblical Christianity.
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The fact is that
Darwin's theory on the origin
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of the natural world is
much more than an attack
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on the historical
accuracy of the book of Genesis.
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What's even more important is
the attack made by this theory
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on the heart of the gospel,
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of the idea of the
world's need of a Savior,
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and on Christ's insistence that
we treat the weak and vulnerable
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with justice and mercy.
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Evolution attacks
both of those ideas.
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Today we're
beginning a new series.
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It's called "Great
Chapters of the Bible."
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There are 1,189
chapters in the Bible.
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Today we're gonna be
looking at the very first one,
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Genesis chapter 1.
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Genesis 1 speaks to us
about the sovereignty of God,
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about the great power of God.
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And because it
deals with creation,
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it shows us that the God of
heaven is the God of nature.
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Genesis 1 demonstrates
that God is self-existent.
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And all of this runs
counter to what a lot of people
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have to say about God.
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There's no shortage of
voices that say there is no God.
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An actor who portrayed
God in a couple of movies
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was quoted as having said,
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"My belief system doesn't
support a creator as such,
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as we can call God, who created
us in His/Her/Its image."
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Stating that he
believes people invented God,
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he said, "So if I
believe in God, and I do,
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it's because I think I'm God."
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The famed scientist,
the late Stephen Hawking,
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claimed that there is no God.
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Hawking died in 2018.
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So what we can know for certain
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is that there's
now no Stephen Hawking.
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One Pulitzer-prize-winning
author wrote this:
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"In the search for meaning we
must not forget that the gods,
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(or God, for that matter)
are a concept of the human mind;
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they are the creature
of man, not vice versa.
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They are needed and invented
to give meaning and purpose
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to the puzzle
that is life on earth,
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to explain strange and
irregular phenomena of nature,
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haphazard events
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and, above all,
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irrational human conduct.
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They exist to bear
the burden of all things
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that cannot be comprehended
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except by supernatural
intervention or design."
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The first chapter
of Genesis teaches--
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in fact, the whole Bible
teaches--the exact opposite.
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Genesis 1 is unambiguous.
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There is a God.
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He existed
before nature existed.
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He created the world, and
He purpose-built human beings
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for a very specific reason.
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The personal God depicted
throughout Holy Scripture
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is the ultimate
definition of reality.
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Genesis chapter 1 begins
with a statement of fact.
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It says,
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"In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.
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The earth was
without form, and void;
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and darkness was on
the face of the deep.
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And the Spirit of God
was hovering over the face
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of the waters.
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[And] God said, 'Let there
be light'; and there was light.
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And God saw the
light, that it was good;
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and God divided the
light from the darkness.
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God called the light day, and
the darkness He called night.
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So the evening and the
morning were the first day."
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That's Genesis 1:1-5.
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Not only is God present before
He brings the natural world
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into existence, but the
elements needed to sustain life
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are present before their
natural sources are created.
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You read Genesis 1,
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and you see light
existing before the sun exists,
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and you wonder how that can be.
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Well, Genesis is telling us
that God is the source of light
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and life in the natural world,
as well as the spiritual world.
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Now, many people have
looked at the Creation story
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and read where the
Bible says "the first day,"
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"the second day,"
"the third day," and so on,
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and because of the influence
of Charles Darwin and others
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like him, they've
heard where some have said
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that the earth
came into existence
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over a long period of time,
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and so they decide that the days
of Creation cannot be literal--
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maybe each day
represents millions of years.
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So, are the days of
Creation literal or figurative?
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I'll have that in a moment
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as "Great Chapters
of the Bible" continues.
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¤[Music]¤
00:08:06.61\00:08:14.39
¤[Soft music]¤
00:08:15.26\00:08:16.32
>>John: It's a question
that many people have asked,
00:08:16.36\00:08:18.23
and it's a good question
and deserves a good answer:
00:08:18.26\00:08:21.03
Can God be trusted?
00:08:21.06\00:08:23.03
Find out what
the Bible has to say.
00:08:23.06\00:08:24.67
Our free offer is
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:08:24.70\00:08:28.07
Call us on 800-253-3000,
00:08:28.10\00:08:31.67
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:31.71\00:08:36.38
800-253-3000, call right now,
00:08:36.41\00:08:41.05
or visit us at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:41.08\00:08:45.19
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
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Today, "Great
Chapters of the Bible"
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and we're looking at the
first chapter of the Bible,
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Genesis chapter 1.
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It tells the Creation story.
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The word "genesis"
means "beginning" or "origin."
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And Genesis 1
recounts the beginning,
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the origin of the world.
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It tells us that the
world was created in six days.
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But, were these really
six literal 24-hour periods?
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Or were they
something different?
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It's true that
people have been questioning
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the idea of six
literal days for centuries.
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Whereas early church scholars
like Origen and Augustine
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didn't believe in six
literal days of Creation,
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Martin Luther and the
Protestant reformers did.
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But while Origen and
Augustine didn't arrive
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at their conclusions because of
anything to do with evolution,
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many people today
reinterpret what Genesis 1 says
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in order to make it fit
with evolutionary theory.
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Let's look at that.
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Now, for one thing,
there's nothing to suggest
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that Genesis
chapter 1 is figurative.
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It tells us that an actual God
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actually created
the actual earth.
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Pretty straightforward.
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There's nothing in the
text itself that suggests
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that the days are not days,
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and there's nothing literary
about Genesis 1 that suggests
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that the days aren't real days.
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The Hebrew word for
"day" in Genesis 1 is "yom,"
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and it means "a day," 24 hours.
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What Genesis chapter
1 makes abundantly clear
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is that the days of Creation
simply cannot be understood
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as symbolic.
00:10:26.35\00:10:27.96
Following God's
creative activity each day
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is the statement
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"So the evening and the
morning were the first day,"
00:10:31.13\00:10:33.70
or the second day, the
third day, and so forth.
00:10:33.73\00:10:36.56
Now, of course
you can argue that.
00:10:36.60\00:10:38.43
There are people who
believe that the earth is flat;
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they argue
against it being round.
00:10:41.07\00:10:43.64
But anyone who wants to
argue that the days in Genesis 1
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are not literal days,
well, they're entitled to do so,
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but they're arguing against God,
00:10:50.51\00:10:53.18
against plain
statements in the Bible.
00:10:53.21\00:10:55.88
And that, well, that
never works out well.
00:10:55.92\00:10:59.62
Now, Genesis 1 and verse 6:
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"Then God said,
00:11:03.39\00:11:04.96
'Let there be a firmament
in the midst of the waters,
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and let it divide the
waters from the waters.'
00:11:08.03\00:11:11.20
[Then] God made the firmament,
and divided the waters
00:11:11.23\00:11:14.20
which were under the firmament
00:11:14.24\00:11:15.57
from the waters which were above
00:11:15.60\00:11:17.44
the firmament; and it was so.
00:11:17.47\00:11:19.57
And God called
the firmament heaven.
00:11:19.61\00:11:21.88
So the evening and the
morning were the second day."
00:11:21.91\00:11:24.55
That's verses 6 through 8.
00:11:24.58\00:11:26.28
Now, here we get a
glimpse of the incredible world
00:11:26.31\00:11:28.95
that God made.
00:11:28.98\00:11:30.29
On the second
day of Creation week,
00:11:30.32\00:11:32.55
the atmospheric heavens
were brought into existence,
00:11:32.59\00:11:36.02
and they were placed between the
waters on the earth's surface
00:11:36.06\00:11:40.16
and the waters
above the atmosphere.
00:11:40.20\00:11:42.36
Now, when the Flood
came in Genesis chapter 7,
00:11:42.40\00:11:45.70
"The fountains of the
great deep were broken up,
00:11:45.73\00:11:48.14
and the windows of
heaven were opened."
00:11:48.17\00:11:50.31
Genesis 7, verse 11.
00:11:50.34\00:11:52.21
The story picks up in
Genesis chapter 1 and verse 9:
00:11:52.24\00:11:57.45
"Then God said, 'Let
the waters under the heavens
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be gathered
together into one place,
00:12:00.78\00:12:02.82
and let the dry land appear';
00:12:02.85\00:12:04.89
and it was so.
00:12:04.92\00:12:05.95
And God called
the dry land earth,
00:12:05.99\00:12:08.09
and the gathering together
of the waters He called seas.
00:12:08.12\00:12:10.59
And God saw that it was good.
00:12:10.63\00:12:12.56
Then God said, 'Let the
earth bring forth grass,
00:12:12.59\00:12:15.13
the herb that yields seed,
00:12:15.16\00:12:16.73
and the fruit tree that yields
fruit according to its kind,
00:12:16.77\00:12:19.97
whose seed is in
itself, on the earth';
00:12:20.00\00:12:22.50
and it was so.
00:12:22.54\00:12:23.44
And the earth
brought forth grass,
00:12:23.47\00:12:25.04
the herb that yields
seed according to its kind,
00:12:25.07\00:12:27.48
and the tree that yields
fruit, whose seed is in itself
00:12:27.51\00:12:30.05
according to its kind.
00:12:30.08\00:12:31.21
And God saw that it was good.
00:12:31.25\00:12:32.88
So the evening and the
morning were the third day."
00:12:32.91\00:12:36.02
Genesis 1, verses 9 through 13.
00:12:36.05\00:12:38.85
Now, notice, the
Creation story tells us not only
00:12:38.89\00:12:42.22
that light existed
before the sun was created,
00:12:42.26\00:12:45.59
but plants and
other vegetation did also.
00:12:45.63\00:12:49.53
You see, God isn't dependent
on nature, as we know it,
00:12:49.56\00:12:53.17
in order for
life to be sustained.
00:12:53.20\00:12:55.80
God is above nature,
00:12:55.84\00:12:58.37
and He's the source of
everything that nature requires.
00:12:58.41\00:13:03.01
I want you to notice
that in verses 11 and 12
00:13:03.04\00:13:05.21
we read that the plants
God created were to reproduce
00:13:05.25\00:13:09.12
"according to its kind."
00:13:09.15\00:13:11.22
Now, evolutionary theory claims
that plants and animals change
00:13:11.25\00:13:14.79
from simple forms
into very different,
00:13:14.82\00:13:17.46
very complicated forms.
00:13:17.49\00:13:19.83
The Bible, by contrast, tells
us that God designed nature
00:13:19.86\00:13:23.16
to reproduce itself
"according to its kind,"
00:13:23.20\00:13:27.70
which leads me to this point.
00:13:27.74\00:13:31.34
A lot of Christians claim to
believe the theory of evolution,
00:13:31.37\00:13:34.11
non-Christians, too.
00:13:34.14\00:13:36.01
A lot of Christian or religious
teachers say that they see
00:13:36.04\00:13:39.81
no conflict between
evolution and the Bible.
00:13:39.85\00:13:44.85
Popes, over the
years, have said repeatedly
00:13:44.89\00:13:47.16
there's no conflict between
evolution and Catholic teaching.
00:13:47.19\00:13:51.33
Numerous
Protestant teachers have said
00:13:51.36\00:13:53.40
that evolution and the
Bible can peacefully coexist.
00:13:53.43\00:13:58.90
The problem with that is...
00:13:58.93\00:14:01.57
that's not what
the Bible teaches.
00:14:01.60\00:14:04.84
Genesis 1 isn't
written in symbols
00:14:04.87\00:14:06.74
that need to be interpreted
like many of the prophecies
00:14:06.78\00:14:09.11
in Daniel and Revelation.
00:14:09.14\00:14:10.61
It's clear-cut.
It's straightforward.
00:14:10.65\00:14:12.95
And it's abundantly clear
00:14:12.98\00:14:14.05
that Genesis 1 and evolution
just don't go together.
00:14:14.08\00:14:19.89
And if believing the
Bible puts you out of step
00:14:19.92\00:14:22.79
with a priest or a pastor
or a lecturer, then so be it.
00:14:22.82\00:14:27.60
Believing the Bible
might put you out of step
00:14:27.66\00:14:29.33
with some people, but it
puts you in step with God.
00:14:29.36\00:14:34.10
So, let's continue
in Genesis chapter 1:
00:14:34.14\00:14:38.17
"Then God said, 'Let
there be lights in the firmament
00:14:38.21\00:14:40.64
of the heavens to
divide the day from the night;
00:14:40.68\00:14:42.88
and let them be
for signs and seasons,
00:14:42.91\00:14:44.88
and for days and years;
and let them be for lights
00:14:44.91\00:14:47.48
in the firmament of the heavens
to give light on the earth';
00:14:47.52\00:14:50.49
and it was so.
00:14:50.52\00:14:51.49
Then God made two great lights:
00:14:51.52\00:14:52.99
the greater
light to rule the day,
00:14:53.02\00:14:55.29
and the lesser
light to rule the night.
00:14:55.32\00:14:57.53
He made the stars also.
00:14:57.56\00:14:59.23
God set them in the firmament
of the heavens to give light
00:14:59.26\00:15:01.96
on the earth, and to rule
over the day and over the night,
00:15:02.00\00:15:04.93
and to divide the
light from the darkness.
00:15:04.97\00:15:06.80
And God saw that it was good.
00:15:06.84\00:15:08.44
So the evening and the
morning were the fourth day."
00:15:08.47\00:15:11.31
That's chapter 1,
verses 14 through 19
00:15:11.34\00:15:13.94
in the book of Genesis.
00:15:13.98\00:15:15.54
Now, notice God doesn't
name the sun or the moon.
00:15:15.58\00:15:19.61
Why is that?
00:15:19.65\00:15:20.82
Had something to do with this:
00:15:20.85\00:15:22.85
They were worshiped
in the ancient world.
00:15:22.88\00:15:25.39
And in Genesis 1, God
puts them in their place.
00:15:25.42\00:15:28.89
God made the sun.
God made the moon.
00:15:28.92\00:15:32.36
God made everything
that we see in nature.
00:15:32.39\00:15:35.06
None of it is worthy of worship.
00:15:35.10\00:15:37.87
Only God is worthy of worship.
00:15:37.90\00:15:41.60
The Creation story continues.
Back to Genesis chapter 1:
00:15:41.64\00:15:47.38
"Then God said, 'Let the
waters abound with an abundance
00:15:47.41\00:15:50.95
of living creatures, and
let birds fly above the earth
00:15:50.98\00:15:54.22
across the face of the
firmament of the heavens.'
00:15:54.25\00:15:56.85
So God created
great sea creatures
00:15:56.89\00:15:58.72
and every living
thing that moves,
00:15:58.75\00:16:00.39
with which the waters abounded,
according to their kind,
00:16:00.42\00:16:03.26
and every winged bird
according to its kind.
00:16:03.29\00:16:05.79
And God saw that it was good."
00:16:05.83\00:16:08.06
Genesis 1:20 and 21.
00:16:08.10\00:16:10.17
Once again, the animals
God created were to reproduce
00:16:10.20\00:16:12.77
after their own kind.
00:16:12.80\00:16:14.80
Fish didn't go
on to become frogs.
00:16:14.84\00:16:16.57
Reptiles didn't turn into birds.
00:16:16.60\00:16:19.61
Now, you either believe
what the Bible is telling you,
00:16:19.64\00:16:21.41
or you don't.
00:16:21.44\00:16:22.74
You decide if God
is your authority--
00:16:22.78\00:16:25.28
or if your high
school biology teacher
00:16:25.31\00:16:27.45
happens to be your authority.
00:16:27.48\00:16:29.72
On the sixth day of Creation, we
find the same principle at work.
00:16:29.75\00:16:33.32
Back to Genesis chapter 1:
00:16:33.36\00:16:35.52
"Then God said, 'Let the earth
bring forth the living creature
00:16:35.56\00:16:39.69
according to its kind:
cattle and creeping things
00:16:39.73\00:16:42.33
and beasts of the earth,
00:16:42.36\00:16:43.47
each according to
its kind'; and it was so.
00:16:43.50\00:16:46.10
And God made the beast of the
earth according to its kind...
00:16:46.13\00:16:48.47
and everything that creeps on
the earth according to its kind.
00:16:48.50\00:16:51.34
And God saw that it was good."
00:16:51.37\00:16:53.41
Genesis 1:24 and 25.
00:16:53.44\00:16:57.21
And then would come
Creation's crowning work.
00:16:57.25\00:17:01.18
And what was that?
That's coming up next.
00:17:01.22\00:17:03.69
¤[Music]¤
00:17:03.72\00:17:11.89
>>John: Thank
you for remembering
00:17:12.79\00:17:13.90
that It Is Written exists
00:17:13.93\00:17:15.46
because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:17:15.50\00:17:18.13
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:17:18.17\00:17:21.14
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:17:21.17\00:17:25.41
You can send your
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00:17:25.44\00:17:27.11
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00:17:27.14\00:17:28.61
or you can visit us
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00:17:28.64\00:17:32.31
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:17:32.35\00:17:35.05
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:17:35.08\00:17:39.42
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:17:39.45\00:17:42.32
>>John: Don't miss
"The Dangers of Technology"
00:17:43.32\00:17:45.83
from It Is Written.
00:17:45.86\00:17:47.46
This electronic age presents
our planet with opportunities
00:17:47.50\00:17:50.77
that were unimaginable
just a few years ago.
00:17:50.80\00:17:53.20
But it also brings
some real challenges--
00:17:53.23\00:17:55.54
among them,
spiritual challenges.
00:17:55.57\00:17:58.11
In "The Dangers of Technology,"
00:17:58.14\00:17:59.51
you'll learn how you can protect
yourself from trouble online,
00:17:59.54\00:18:02.51
how you can
safeguard your children,
00:18:02.54\00:18:04.15
and simple steps you can take
to avoid some common pitfalls.
00:18:04.18\00:18:07.35
You'll learn from people
with real-world experience--
00:18:07.38\00:18:10.35
>>Kyla
Steinkraus: Those companies,
00:18:10.39\00:18:11.69
those child predators
are hunting these kids.
00:18:11.72\00:18:13.76
>>John: ...and with
expertise in online security.
00:18:13.79\00:18:16.42
>>Michael Dinkins: Once
it's out there, it's out there,
00:18:16.46\00:18:17.93
and it's out
there probably forever.
00:18:17.96\00:18:19.63
>>John: Email, texting, social
media, the World Wide Web--
00:18:19.66\00:18:23.20
it's hard to imagine
a world without them,
00:18:23.23\00:18:24.97
but years ago it was
impossible to imagine
00:18:25.00\00:18:27.17
the dangers they would present.
00:18:27.20\00:18:28.67
"The Dangers of Technology."
00:18:28.70\00:18:30.31
Simple solutions to safeguarding
you and your family online.
00:18:30.34\00:18:33.71
Don't miss "The
Dangers of Technology"
00:18:33.74\00:18:35.88
on It Is Written TV.
00:18:35.91\00:18:37.68
Watch online at
www.itiswritten.tv.
00:18:37.71\00:18:41.55
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:18:43.59\00:18:45.95
The crowning work of Creation is
described in Genesis chapter 1,
00:18:45.99\00:18:51.49
and we see it written
of in verses 26 and 27:
00:18:51.53\00:18:55.63
"Then God said, 'Let
us make man in our image,
00:18:55.66\00:18:59.40
according to our likeness;
00:18:59.43\00:19:00.97
let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea,
00:19:01.00\00:19:03.54
over the birds of the air,
00:19:03.57\00:19:04.91
and over the
cattle, over all the earth
00:19:04.94\00:19:07.41
and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth.'
00:19:07.44\00:19:10.41
So God created
man in His own image;
00:19:10.45\00:19:13.01
in the image of
God He created [them];
00:19:13.05\00:19:15.22
male and female
He created them."
00:19:15.25\00:19:18.22
Human beings, according
to God's original plan,
00:19:18.25\00:19:20.62
were not only to rule
over the natural world,
00:19:20.66\00:19:23.73
they were to
reflect the image of God
00:19:23.76\00:19:25.76
through the intimate
relationship He designed
00:19:25.79\00:19:27.76
for husbands and wives.
00:19:27.83\00:19:29.66
As God said in
Genesis chapter 2,
00:19:29.70\00:19:31.97
"Therefore shall a man
leave his father and mother,
00:19:32.00\00:19:34.47
and be joined to his wife, and
they shall become one flesh."
00:19:34.50\00:19:39.41
Now, this is why the
New Testament describes
00:19:39.44\00:19:42.11
same-gender intimacy as
being contrary to nature
00:19:42.14\00:19:46.45
and why the Word of God
speaks so plainly about this.
00:19:46.48\00:19:49.22
The image of God is
revealed in humanity
00:19:49.25\00:19:52.05
through male-female intimacy,
00:19:52.09\00:19:54.56
through men and women
interacting with each other
00:19:54.59\00:19:56.39
in the spiritual
roles that God designed.
00:19:56.42\00:19:59.26
When you distort those roles,
00:19:59.29\00:20:01.83
it leads you away
from God's original path.
00:20:01.86\00:20:06.00
Now, I wanna share
with you three great errors
00:20:06.03\00:20:08.07
that have come into our
world as a result of denying
00:20:08.10\00:20:11.37
the biblical creation story, as
recounted in Genesis chapter 1.
00:20:11.41\00:20:14.64
Three.
00:20:14.68\00:20:15.61
The first one: idolatry.
00:20:15.64\00:20:18.11
Once God is dethroned
from His place above and beyond
00:20:18.15\00:20:21.68
the natural world, human beings
start making up their own gods.
00:20:21.72\00:20:25.62
Someone said years ago that "God
created man in His own image,
00:20:25.65\00:20:29.16
and man's been trying to
return the favor ever since."
00:20:29.19\00:20:32.36
We read about this in the first
chapter of the book of Romans,
00:20:32.39\00:20:35.06
Romans chapter 1:
00:20:35.10\00:20:36.40
"Professing to be
wise, they became fools,
00:20:36.43\00:20:38.87
and changed the glory
of the incorruptible God
00:20:38.90\00:20:41.37
into an image made
like corruptible man--
00:20:41.40\00:20:44.11
and birds and four-footed
[beasts] and creeping things.
00:20:44.14\00:20:46.78
Therefore God also
gave them up to uncleanness,
00:20:46.81\00:20:49.31
in the lusts of their hearts,
00:20:49.34\00:20:51.08
to dishonor their
bodies among themselves,
00:20:51.11\00:20:53.21
who exchanged the
truth of God for the lie,
00:20:53.25\00:20:55.52
and worshiped and
served the creature
00:20:55.55\00:20:57.69
rather than the Creator."
00:20:57.72\00:20:59.19
That's Romans
1, verses 22 to 25.
00:20:59.22\00:21:02.06
So, first great error? Idolatry.
00:21:02.09\00:21:05.53
Now, a second great error
that has come into the world
00:21:05.56\00:21:08.36
due to denying Genesis 1
00:21:08.40\00:21:11.03
is people thinking they can save
themselves by self-improvement,
00:21:11.07\00:21:16.50
with no need of God's help.
00:21:16.54\00:21:18.87
According to evolution,
humanity and nature combined
00:21:18.91\00:21:23.01
are progressing
on an upward path,
00:21:23.04\00:21:25.91
a path of continual improvement.
00:21:25.95\00:21:28.42
But if you look
around the world,
00:21:28.45\00:21:30.45
everything suggests to
you that that's not happening.
00:21:30.49\00:21:34.66
Deny Genesis 1,
deny the creation story,
00:21:34.69\00:21:38.56
and there's no longer
a fall of the human race.
00:21:38.59\00:21:41.90
But the Bible is clear:
00:21:41.93\00:21:44.33
The Adam of Genesis is a
real historical character.
00:21:44.37\00:21:49.44
It's clear Adam and Eve sinned,
00:21:49.47\00:21:51.44
and their disobedience
made it necessary for Jesus,
00:21:51.47\00:21:54.88
the second
person of the Godhead,
00:21:54.91\00:21:56.98
to come to the earth as the
Messiah, as the second Adam.
00:21:57.01\00:22:01.65
Here's how Paul put
it in Romans chapter 5:
00:22:01.68\00:22:04.59
"Therefore, just as through
one man sin entered the world,
00:22:04.62\00:22:08.19
and death through sin, and
thus death spread to all men,
00:22:08.22\00:22:11.76
because all sinned.
00:22:11.79\00:22:13.19
Nevertheless death
reigned from Adam to Moses,
00:22:13.23\00:22:16.00
even over those who had not
sinned according to the likeness
00:22:16.03\00:22:18.80
of the transgression of Adam,
00:22:18.83\00:22:20.37
who is a type of
Him who was to come.
00:22:20.40\00:22:23.47
Therefore, as
through one man's offense
00:22:23.51\00:22:25.47
judgment came to all men,
resulting in condemnation,
00:22:25.51\00:22:28.84
even so through
one Man's righteous act
00:22:28.88\00:22:30.88
the free gift came to all men,
00:22:30.91\00:22:32.71
resulting in
justification of life.
00:22:32.75\00:22:35.08
For as by one man's disobedience
00:22:35.12\00:22:37.32
many were made sinners,
00:22:37.35\00:22:39.09
so also by one Man's obedience
many will be made righteous."
00:22:39.12\00:22:44.89
Notice how the one man
who brought sin to the world
00:22:44.93\00:22:48.13
is identified as Adam.
00:22:48.16\00:22:51.37
You can't read these
verses and think of Adam
00:22:51.40\00:22:53.03
as someone generic, uh, a
mere symbol of all of humanity.
00:22:53.07\00:22:57.84
The Adam described
in the New Testament
00:22:57.87\00:22:59.64
is an historical
figure, just as plainly as Jesus
00:22:59.67\00:23:03.11
is understood in the New
Testament to be historical also.
00:23:03.14\00:23:06.82
But if the world and humanity,
in particular, are on a path
00:23:06.85\00:23:09.75
toward constant
natural betterment,
00:23:09.78\00:23:12.69
as evolution teaches,
then who needs a savior?
00:23:12.72\00:23:16.99
Sin stops being a reality.
00:23:17.03\00:23:19.36
Reject Genesis 1 and we
don't need anyone to save us
00:23:19.39\00:23:22.86
from our sins because the whole
idea of sin is incompatible
00:23:22.90\00:23:26.27
with the theory of evolution.
00:23:26.30\00:23:28.17
Or if you spiritualize Genesis
1 away and make it symbolic
00:23:28.20\00:23:31.44
or allegorical, as many do,
then you've got nothing more
00:23:31.47\00:23:35.58
than a symbolic, allegorical
fall of the human race.
00:23:35.61\00:23:41.32
Now, the third great
error you stumble into--
00:23:41.35\00:23:43.75
and you must,
00:23:43.79\00:23:44.82
when you reject creation
and you accept evolution--
00:23:44.85\00:23:48.22
is the oppression and injustice
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.99
directed at the
weak and vulnerable.
00:23:51.03\00:23:53.33
You hear a lot of talk
these days about social justice,
00:23:53.36\00:23:56.16
and it's good that
people are talking about that.
00:23:56.20\00:23:59.07
But you can't
have social justice
00:23:59.10\00:24:00.84
without Genesis chapter
1 because evolution says
00:24:00.87\00:24:04.11
that the weak, the
poor, the disadvantaged
00:24:04.14\00:24:07.81
get in the way
of social progress.
00:24:07.84\00:24:11.78
Genesis 1 is a tremendously
important chapter of the Bible.
00:24:11.81\00:24:15.48
It presents us
with clear statements,
00:24:15.52\00:24:18.22
and every one of
them offers us hope.
00:24:18.25\00:24:21.42
Think about this.
00:24:21.46\00:24:22.66
"In the beginning God"--the
Bible tells us there is a God.
00:24:22.69\00:24:26.80
And what was His first
act in Genesis chapter 1?
00:24:26.83\00:24:28.90
The Bible says, "In
the beginning God created."
00:24:28.93\00:24:32.27
Why? To give life.
00:24:32.30\00:24:34.14
Let me ask you:
Where did you come from?
00:24:34.17\00:24:36.07
I'll tell you:
from the hand of God.
00:24:36.10\00:24:39.44
As Genesis 1 says, you
were created in God's image.
00:24:39.47\00:24:43.98
The world is not an accident.
00:24:44.01\00:24:45.91
It's not the result
of random processes.
00:24:45.95\00:24:48.22
You're not here by chance.
00:24:48.25\00:24:50.85
Now, we know what happened next:
00:24:50.89\00:24:52.95
Sin came into the world.
00:24:52.99\00:24:55.39
And that didn't rid the
world of the perfection of Eden,
00:24:55.42\00:24:58.09
at least not permanently.
00:24:58.13\00:24:59.76
You see, what sin took
away God is going to restore.
00:24:59.79\00:25:04.03
In the beginning everyone on
earth worshiped at God's feet.
00:25:04.07\00:25:08.17
That's going to happen again.
00:25:08.20\00:25:10.24
This ruined earth
will be re-created.
00:25:10.27\00:25:13.38
One day soon there'll be no
more sin, no more suffering.
00:25:13.41\00:25:17.91
What we had in
Genesis 1 we'll have again.
00:25:17.95\00:25:21.75
And think about it like this:
00:25:21.78\00:25:23.55
What God had in
Genesis 1 God will have again--
00:25:23.59\00:25:28.29
a world without the
horror and devastation of sin.
00:25:28.32\00:25:34.46
The world got off
to a perfect start.
00:25:34.46\00:25:37.63
And thanks to the
plan of salvation,
00:25:37.67\00:25:40.27
thanks to Jesus dying
on an old rugged cross,
00:25:40.30\00:25:43.61
thanks to a God of
love who inhabits eternity,
00:25:43.64\00:25:47.14
one day soon we're gonna
live in a perfect world again.
00:25:47.18\00:25:51.21
Do you wanna be part of the
perfect future God has planned?
00:25:51.25\00:25:54.82
You can be, by giving your
life over to Jesus right now
00:25:54.85\00:25:58.15
and asking Him to
live His life in you.
00:25:58.19\00:26:01.56
He'll do it, and He'll
do it for you right now.
00:26:01.59\00:26:05.86
¤[Soft music]¤
00:26:06.43\00:26:07.50
>>John: It's a question
that many people have asked,
00:26:07.50\00:26:09.40
and it's a good question
and deserves a good answer:
00:26:09.43\00:26:12.23
Can God be trusted?
00:26:12.27\00:26:14.24
Find out what
the Bible has to say.
00:26:14.27\00:26:15.67
Our free offer is
"Can God Be Trusted?"
00:26:15.70\00:26:19.27
Call us on 800-253-3000,
00:26:19.31\00:26:22.88
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:26:22.91\00:26:27.45
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>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
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Our Father in heaven,
we read Genesis chapter 1,
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and it speaks to us
about a loving God who made us
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in His image.
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That's how the Bible begins,
and we know how it ends--
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an earth made new,
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Your people dwelling together
with You forever without sin.
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So, heavenly Father, right now
we claim that we want this gift;
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we want to be in
the earth made new;
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we want to experience
what Adam and Eve experienced
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before the Fall.
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Thank You that we can through
Jesus, and so we claim Him now.
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Friend, I know what
you might be thinking:
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"I'm not worthy; I'm a
sinner; I've done so much wrong.
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Why would God bother with me?"
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I understand you
might be thinking that.
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But think of what God did.
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God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son,
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so that when you
believe, you will know
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that you would not perish
but have everlasting life.
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Can you believe in
the God of Genesis 1?
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Friend, reach
out to God just now;
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invite Him into your heart.
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Lord, would You take
our hearts and live in them?
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And as we ask You to do so,
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we will know that we
have the gift of eternal life.
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We look forward to
the end of this story,
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the earthly story being told.
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We look forward
to eternity with You.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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Thanks so much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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