The StoryIntroduction

Series 1 – God Forms His PeopleSeries 2 – God Pursues His PeopleSeries 3 – God Saves His People

Finding Your Story in God’s Story

The Story

Creation – The Beginning of Life as We Know it

Series 1 - God Forms His People

I. Creation and Choice

Earth made for manMan/Woman created in the image of GodMan made for fellowship with God – cool of the day walk – Genesis 3:8Man’s response is a Choice

Genesis 2:15-17

Adam and Eve’s sin – make ourselves GodPandemic – Sin and DeathRomans 5:12 (NLT) 12  When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

“They Chose…Poorly”

“Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, of who you are, into something a little different from what it was before. With all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature; either into a man that is in harmony with God, and with others, or else into one that is in a state of war with God, and with others. To be the one kind of creature is joy and peace; to be the other means madness, rage and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.”

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

State of War with God and others – relationships affected by sin

II. How to Come to God

Cain and Abel – Genesis 4

Abel’s Sacrifice acceptedCain’s was notCain’s choice – do what is right and be accepted or sin will control you

Cain’s chooses – his own wayCain’s sin – there are many ways to God

III. Starting Over – Genesis 6-9

Genesis 6:5Every intentTotally evilContinually

The People’s Sin – totally reject God

Humanism – we are GodTolerance – many ways to GodAtheism – there is no GodGenesis 6:8 - Noah found favor with the Lord

He walked in close fellowship with GodDid everything as God commanded him

Matthew 24:37-39 (NLT) 37  “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39  People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 21-22 a world without sinNow nothing is as it should be – the result of sinGod’s upper story – redeem man to again be right with him