Beyond the Walls is a weekly email to help Christ followers move beyond the walls of their church buildings, homes, comfort zones, and culture to engage those we live among with the Gospel.
Of all the stories we will share as we engage others in faith conversations, the story that must be shared is God’s Story. The Gospel Story.
As we saw last week, The Gospel Story is not confined to the pages of the New Testament. It is the grand narrative of Scripture, beginning in Genesis and weaving its way through the entire Bible. Today, we begin taking a closer look at the four aspects of this amazing story!
It begins with Creation. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)
As Creator, God steps into the beginning of this story and speaks—and His words are so powerful that they bring everything into existence.
And His creation was amazing. With the power of His Word, He spoke the stars and planets and galaxies into existence.
And then He turned His attention to earth, creating a planet that would reflect the majesty of His glory and power as He created breathtaking mountains, vast oceans teeming with all kinds of sea life, plants and trees and flowers of infinite varieties that were exquisite, animals and reptiles and birds of all colors and shapes and sizes. It was incredible.
And to this day, we still see the glory of God through His creation as we look up into the night skies and are amazed by the beauty of the stars. And let’s not forget the majestic mountains, the breathtaking beauty of a sunset, or the simple wonder of a hummingbird.
I am reminded of the words of David in Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
But the most beautiful and mysterious of all His creation was man. Unlike any other created thing, God made man in His image, breathing His very life breath into them. He gave them personality, the ability to reason, and the ability to have a relationship with Him….to know Him, walk with Him, talk with Him, and enjoy Him.
By God’s design, all of creation was in harmony and was exactly the way it was supposed to be. The first man and woman had perfect fellowship with God, with each other, and with all creation. Imagine living in a world with no fear, doubts, or worries. No pain, sickness, or death.
Imagine knowing exactly who you are and what you were created for—with no lingering doubts or fears or concerns for the future. That’s what Adam and Eve had at Creation.
And that is what God desires for all of us. To know Him. To have a personal intimate relationship with Him. To have life and to have it abundantly…a life filled with purpose and meaning. That was the plan in the beginning. But then something tragic happened and it is that something that we will look at next week.
Until then, I encourage you to read through and meditate on the first two chapters of Genesis. Allow the glorious beauty and purity and harmony of creation capture your heart. Celebrate the truth that God made us to know Him and share that truth with someone this week.
John Whaley
National Pioneer, The Rooftop US
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