Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Genesis chapter 1. Genesis chapter 1. Lord willing, I'd like to look
at verses 3 through 5, but I'd like to say a couple of things
about the first two verses to bring us to this point. Time has not always existed. We deal in time now, but before
time was, there was God. And when it pleased God to establish
what we know as time, God did that which only God could do. In the beginning, in the beginning
of time, God created the heaven and the earth. There can be no beginning of
eternity, so therefore we know that this first verse is dealing
with when God established Nehemiah 9.6 says, Thou, even
Thou, art Lord alone. Thou hast made heaven, the heaven
of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that
are therein, the seas, and all that is therein. Thou preservest
them all, and the host of heaven worshipeth. So Almighty God, when it pleased
the Lord in the beginning of time, created the heaven and
the earth. And concerning time, the Lord
has established and decreed everything that shall be. There has not
been a moment from the beginning of time that was not according
to God's everlasting will and purpose. He worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will. Even those things that
are contrary to Him, in rebellion to Him, God Almighty allows,
permits. He's not the author of sin. Ecclesiastes 3.1 says, to everything
there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. Now, when God created the heaven
and the earth, He did so by the word of His power and God's people
believe it. We don't doubt Hebrews 11.3. Through faith we understand that
the worlds were framed, that is, arranged and put in order
by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made
of things which do appear. Whenever God created the heaven and the earth, how did
He create it? What did it look like? What was
it? Well, I can tell you this. Here's
the comforting thing about the Word of God. God tells us how
it was created. I read many writers on this particular
passage of Scripture and they said now when it was first created
it was just a mass of stuff without form and void. Well, I want to
read a passage of Scripture for you and you tell me how the earth
was created. Isaiah 45, 18. For thus saith
the Lord that created the heavens God Himself that formed or fashioned
the earth and made it. He hath established it. He created
it not in vain. What does that mean? It means
to lie in waste, formless or in confusion. He created it not
in vain. He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord and there is none
else. Now, let me tell you how God
made the earth. He made it just exactly the way
it is. He made it not in vain. He formed
it to be inhabited. That's what the scripture says. But in verse 2, something happened. And the earth was without form
and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Now, something happened and I
told the first group, I don't know what it was, the scripture
doesn't say. I'll tell you what I think it was. I think it was
when Satan was expelled out of heaven, cast down to the earth. I think that that probably has
much, if not all, to do with it. But verse 2 sets forth that
something happens and sets forth the creation of heaven and earth
to have become and now exist in a state of corruption and
confusion, a place where darkness was upon the face of the deep. I want to just look for just
a second and see in my notes from the first message this morning, I wanted
to set forth the definition of those words that I defined all of them, and I'll
define them for you. I think it was profitable for
us then. It says the earth was, the word
was there. It means to be, to become, come
to pass, to exist, to happen, or fall out. That's what the
word was, and the earth was. Without form, it means did lie
in waste, deserted, desolation, A worthless thing, confusion,
nothing. And the earth was without form
and void. The word void there means empty,
indistinguishable ruin. And darkness, misery, destruction,
death, ignorance, sorrow was upon the face of the deep. Now
that's what verse 2 is defined as. The earth was without form
and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Now what
we have in these first two verses is the setting forth truly of
the creation of heaven and earth, but also of the creation of man
and man's fall in the garden. Remember the two on the road
to Emmaus when the Lord began with Moses and all the prophets. He expounded unto them in all
the scriptures those things concerning Himself. So I can tell you what
this is all about. This is about man's creation. God created man. And created this heaven and earth
to be a picture and type of man as he was created. How was man
created? Well, the scripture says in Ecclesiastes
7.29, Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright. How was man made? He was created
straight, right, pleasant, and prosperous. But just as the earth Something happened. Man disobeyed
God in the Garden of Eden, and he died. And now he is as the
earth was described to be, without form. What did that mean? Waste. And void. Indistinguishable ruin. And one in whom there is nothing
but darkness, found without the light or the knowledge of God.
He died spiritually. But according to the good pleasure
and mercy of Almighty God, mankind was not left to itself to perish
in the darkness of sin and unbelief. This is what happened. This is
what happened. Almighty God is setting forth.
Did any of this take God by surprise? Whenever God created the heaven
and the earth, and the earth was without form and void. When God cursed the earth because
of Adam's sin, God cursed the earth. Did that take God by surprise? That may be the insinuation that's
set forth here. God cursed the earth. Now thorns
and thistles come and man is going to have to eat his bread
by the sweat of his brow. Is that what it was? I don't
know. The scripture doesn't say. But
I can tell you this, this is a picture and a type of what
happened to man in the garden. This is what happened to mankind
and just as the earth was void without form and darkness. Almighty God has set forth that
that's us as we are found in Adam. In Adam, all die. But as I said a moment ago, according
to God's good pleasure, mercy, God has a people that he's going
to save. God has a people that he's going
to He called Himself a people that is everlastingly loved.
And the last part of verse 2 sets forth that which Almighty God
has everlastingly been pleased to bring about. And the Spirit
of God moved upon the face of the waters. Hovered. Brooded. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters in
the creation, and whenever it pleases God to cross the path
of one of God's elect, call them to Himself, the Spirit of God
moves upon those vessels of His mercy. He speaks to them, but
here's the good thing. There's never been a time that
the Spirit of God ever left God's own to themselves. even when
we were yet in the darkness of sin and unbelief. Now you can
think about it, and you can think about your own life, I'll do
about mine. But I can tell you this, I am so thankful that the
Lord never left me to myself. Before I ever knew Him, before
I ever knew Him, before I ever cared, before I ever had a desire
to come to Him, when all I could do was argue, as if I knew better
than God. Almighty God was watching, hovering. I can't help but think, like
an eagle hovers, broods over her little eaglets. Like a mother
would nurse her child, cuddle her child, hover over her, protect
that child, watch it, do whatever that child needs. Here's the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep. always protecting them, providing
the angels, ministering spirits for those who are the objects
shall be heirs of salvation. And here's what happened. Almighty God, in the very depth
of our need, He moved upon the face of the waters And when the
time of love was come, and this is where we're going to start
right here, pick up. And God said, let there be light. And there was light. I want you to notice the certainty
of spiritual awakening. Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1, Shine, for thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord, that is the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ, is risen upon thee. Man by nature is blind. He's that earth that's without
form. That's an earth that's void and
darkness on the face of the deep. How much has sin affected concerning
the creation? How much has sin affected? The
stars are not pure in His sight. Now
you think about that. What did a star ever do? What
did a star ever do but twinkle to the glory of God? And because
of one man's rebellion, one man's sin, Now, all of creation is
cursed. The stars are not pure in His
sight. How much less man that drinketh iniquity like water. Just give me a big old glass
of that and I'll just drink her down. And loves it. Oh, and when God was pleased
move upon the waters, upon the deep, upon the abyss of this
wretched mass of pollution. God said, God spoke, God said,
let there be light. And the scripture says it was
there. Oh, the marvelous display of
God's sovereignty. I remember thinking about Elisha
and his servants surrounded by the enemy, and there was no apparent
avenue of deliverance or hope. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord,
I pray Thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened
the eyes of the young man, and he saw. This word of promise that comes
to those that the Lord has everlastingly loved in Christ, Isaiah 35, 5. Then the eyes of the blind shall
be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. The Scripture declares, by the
word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them
by the breath of His mouth. And when God is pleased to give
light, the light of His glory in the person of His precious
Son, it is. And they see, and before they
couldn't see. There it is, He speaks, and it
is. And there was light. Before it
was darkness, it was death. You can sit here and sit under
the gospel all your life and you hear just exactly what I'm
saying. And when the Spirit of God is pleased to move on it
and remove a heart of stone and give a heart of flesh and give
a new mind and give eyes to see and ears to hear, all of a sudden
you say, I see it. I see it. I didn't see it before. I heard what you're saying, but
I just didn't hear it. 2 Corinthians 4, 6. For God who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in
our hearts to give the light, the understanding of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Hold your place
right there. Turn to Isaiah 59. Isaiah 59, and I want to read
verses 20. Isaiah 59, verse 20, and just
read the first couple of verses of the next one in Isaiah chapter
60. Isaiah 59, verse 20, and the Redeemer shall
come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob,
saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant
with them, saith the Lord. My spirit that is upon thee and
my words, which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out
of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of
the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth
and forever. Arise, shine, For thy light is
come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold,
the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness of
the people. But the Lord shall arise upon
thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee." Darkness is
all around. Darkness within until God is
pleased to shine the light of the glory of Christ in the hearts
of His people. And they see. They see, look,
Ephesians, I'll read this for you, Ephesians chapter 1, Ephesians 1, 15 to 18. Wherefore
I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love
unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making
mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit
of wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of Him that the
eyes of your understanding, being enlightened, that you may know
what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory
of His inheritance in the saints. Darkness is made by nature, you
by nature. God created us upright, but we
fell because of sin. But God having a people moved
upon the face of the waters, the deep, the abyss, And when
it pleased God, God said, in sovereign mercy, let there be
light. And there was light. You know,
when the Lord is pleased to give light in regenerating grace,
God's people see. What do they see? Well, number
one, I tell you the first thing they see, they see themselves for what they are. What did the
Spirit of God move upon the Apostle Paul to say? Oh, wretched man
that I am. Now listen, what believer doesn't
agree with this statement? There's none good. No, not one. I know just enough about myself
to know to absolutely agree with God from the crown of my head
to the sole of my foot, there's nothing but putrefying sores.
They've not been closed up, they're not bound, they're not mollified
with ointment or something. I know that. I deserve wrath. I deserve it. But that God would
not give it to me was strictly by His mercy and grace. So I know what I am. But then
secondly, I know who God is. Something about who He is. I
see through a glass darkly. I know in part, but I know this. God is God. And I'm not. He's in the heavens and I'm earthy.
I know He's holy. He's just and He's sovereign.
He does as He willed in the army of heaven among the inhabitants
of the earth. I know He's ordering all this. And though His good
providence flies in the face of my flesh, and my flesh raises
its ugly head in rebellion against Him, I'm wrong. I'm wrong. And He's right. I know that.
And I know something about the Lamb of God. I know something
about God's mercy. I don't know, as I wish I did. And by the grace of God, one
day I will. But I can tell you this. Almighty
God has been pleased to save some sinners. And I'm one of
them. And He's just. And the Lord Jesus
Christ has come into this world and has made sin for God's people. And I believe God. And I pray
that God has had mercy on this sinner has taught me truly what
I declare from this pulpit. I know that He's a suffering
Savior, He is the precious Redeemer, and God's people, according to
the mercy of God, cast themselves upon Him. Oh, the wonder of God's
mercy. Scripture says, God said, let
there be light, and there was light. God has given in His center,
light. They know who they are, they
know who God is, and they know who His Savior is. And they look
to Him. And it's effectual. God said,
let there be light, and there was light. He didn't offer me
light. I'd say, well, I'll just exercise
my free will, whether or not I'll take it or whether I'll
refuse it. No, there was light. Aren't you glad? Isaiah 55, 11,
so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth. That's what
you just read. It shall not return unto me void.
Aren't you glad for that? But it shall accomplish that
which I please. It shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it. God's word is not like a shotgun. It's got a wide pattern. I'm
telling you, it's pointed. He sent it. He sent it specifically. Oh, when we're talking about
considering, God said, let there be light. We're talking about
Christ being revealed to His own. That's what, let there be
light. John 8, 12, then spake Jesus
again unto them saying, I am the light. of the world. He that followeth Me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Let there
be light. Let there be light found in you. Christ in you. The hope of glory. And there was light. And verse
4 says, And God saw the light. God saw the glory of Christ formed
in His people. He saw the light, He saw the
Son. That's my beloved Son, whom I'm
well pleased. He saw the One in whom He trusted,
first trusted. God saw the light formed in His
people. He saw, He said, when I see the
blood, when I see the light, I'll pass over you. He saw the
light that it was good. The One that was ever before
Him. The One that was brought up with Him. The One that was
daily His light. You think the Father beholds
the Son formed in His people? You think He fails to behold
Christ, the hope of glory, in a vessel of His mercy? God saw
the light. It was good. The Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. The One who answers the demand
of justice and righteousness for His people. God said, that's
good. That's good. God saw the light. And oh, as God sees the light
formed in His own. And God said, that's good. And
we say, Lord, thank You. Thank You. The latter part of
verse 4 says, and God divided the light from the darkness. Now you know, in the creation,
and here again, we do remember now, we're talking
about the creation of this earth, the heavens and the earth. But
we're also talking about God's people, and their fall, and God's
mercy and redemption. regeneration, salvation. But
here the scripture says, and God divided the light from the
darkness. You know, I can absolutely understand
in the creation there's a division of light and darkness. I mean,
here's the sun, here's an earth, and this earth is rotating. And
as it rotates, whatever is facing the sun, It's light. And whatever's on the other side
is night. There's a difference. But now,
do we not behold in the vessels of God's mercy the very essence
of two natures? God divided the light from the
darkness. And here's the thing. They don't
mix. He divided it. God divided it. There's a picture now. The Spirit
of God moved upon the waters in provenient grace, grace before
grace, and then in the time of love, God said, let there be
light, and there was light. And as soon as there was light,
you know what God revealed to them? There's a division between
light and darkness. There's an old man and a new
man. There's two principles working within. One earth. One earth. God created heaven and earth.
There's one earth. And there's light and darkness in both of
them. In that one earth. I don't mean both of them. There's
one. There's light and darkness. Paul
said in Romans 7.21, Then I see a law. This is an established
fact. that when I would do good, evil
is present with me. A believer now knows that the
spiritual light and that spiritual darkness, they don't have any
communion. Whenever that earth is spinning, if it's daylight
right now, kind of cloudy, but it's daylight. But there's a
part of this earth that it's the middle of the night right
now and everybody's asleep. Now we're sitting right here
wide awake. And there's some people that's oblivious to what's
going on. They're sleeping. But that believer knows that
light and darkness has no communion. They don't mix. God has set a
division between the two and there's no fellowship. Within
us or without us, light and darkness, whether you're talking about
what's inside me, the two natures, or the fellowship with the darkness
of this world and its false religion, you know, there's a difference,
there's a division between them. God separated, God divided the
light from the darkness. In verse 5, God called the light
day. And the darkness he called night
and the evening and the morning were the first day. Now that
last verse right there sets forth the life and the walk of every
believer until the day of his departure out of this world. He knows that there's two natures
in him, day and night. And His new man is described
as day. Light. Awake. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 5 says,
Ye are all the children of light. Children of the day. But the
latter part of that verse right there has something to say about
that old man. That old man that we don't love. As Job says, I loathe myself. Old wretched man, Paul says,
that I am. Paul says this is a faithful
saying, worthy of all acceptation. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I'm chief. Do you think Paul enjoyed
that old man? Do you think he enjoyed that
kind of having a little fellowship with him? You know what a believer does
when he catches himself and he sees him raising his ugly head? You hate it, don't you Neal?
You hate it, I hate it. Why am I thus? Why am I like
that? I said I'd never do that again.
Ye are children of light and children of the day, but that
old man We're not of the night, of darkness. Oh, he's there.
He's there. But we don't agree with him.
We don't agree with him. I don't agree with me. I don't
agree with me. I'm there, and I know I'm there,
and I know what I'm thinking. I know what I thought, and I
loathe myself. And this revelation is ours to
behold and understand in the time of our spiritual awakening. When did we first realize that?
Verse 5. And the evening and the morning
were the first day. The first day of our understanding.
When God called us out. When the Lord was pleased to
call us out of darkness, that was our first day. That was day
one. When was it? Well, some people
seem to be able to name it, time it, you know, put
it down, got a plaque on the wall and got it framed and suitable
for framing and stuff like that. There was a time, there was a
time, I can tell you this, when God called me out of darkness.
But as I grow in grace and wisdom and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ and more of myself, I realize now, just
as I don't really know exactly when I was conceived, but obviously
I was because I'm standing here. Well, I know this. The evening
and the morning was the first day when God was pleased to open
my eyes and reveal Christ and say, let there be light. And
there was light. And in the process of time, I realized, I know that
my day, my day started when there was a day and a night. It started
with God calling me out of darkness. And we'll continue knowing that
in our flesh, and we'll know it more and more, there dwelleth
no good thing. We're going to know it. We're
going to know that there is an evening, a night, but thanks
be unto God that there's a morning too. There's a morning. Here's
what I know. The evening and the morning,
or the first day, there's a time set that's going to end. in the
very presence of sin, the night. A day in which the Lord is going
to return and there's not going to be any more light, any more
dark, I'm sorry, night. It's going to be that dawn of
the eternal day of life in Christ. We'll be in that glorious heavenly
Jerusalem where there'll be no need of the sun. The Lamb is
the sun. He's the light. And almighty God will be pleased.
Take this tabernacle of flesh. It'll be sown in corruption.
That's what it is. But it's gonna be raised in incorruption.
And there's gonna be light. The light of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're gonna be made like
Him. We'll see Him as He is and be
like Him. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. I pray the Lord bless
this to our hearts for His glory and our understanding and comfort.
Amen.