Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, June 01, 2003, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.

IN THE BEGINNING, JESUS

By Michael D. O’Neal Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church Albany, Georgia

Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:1-5

Text: Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Introduction: This Bible is about Jesus! You may not have seen His name in the first verse, but He is there. He IS the Word, and every word points to Him. What I’m going to preach to you about the Lord and Genesis 1:1 is the truth. The verse IS about Jesus. However, a child of God who loves His Savior can see Him in almost every word of the Bible.

The first word of the Bible is “IN.” I’m not going to preach a message about Jesus from that word, but I could. I could do so legitimately. Jesus is IN. That’s right. He said that He is IN the Father and the Father is in HIM.

Did you know that everything that is really worth having is IN Christ? Do you know that salvation is IN Christ? Do you know that if you’re not IN Jesus, you’re not born again, for “if any man be IN Christ, he is a new creature!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) God told Noah to come IN to the ark! Are you IN?

The last word of the Bible is “AMEN.” Glory! Jesus said HE is the Amen in Revelation 3:14! This Bible starts with Jesus, it ends with Jesus, and everything in between is about Jesus!

I. JESUS WAS PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING

How could Jesus be before the BEGINNING? How could anyone or anything be before the beginning. Here is how. The heaven and earth were created in the beginning. However, read what Jesus said to the Father of Himself:

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

A. Jesus had an everlasting past

Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
This verse has been perverted in many of the new “bibles,” with “goings forth” changed to “origins.” Jesus HAD no origin!

B. Jesus has an everlasting presence

John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jesus is the Lord of NOW!
Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

C. Jesus is an everlasting Person

- Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

II. JESUS WAS PRESENT IN THE BEGINNING

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

A. He was the Creator

He created the stars for the lovers and the farmers, but also for Himself to use as a signal to the angels and the world when He will be crowned King of the earth.
He created the sunrise and the sunset for the artists and poets but also for Himself as an appetizer and prelude to the path He will take at the Second Advent.
He created the seas for the sailors, but also for Himself to use for a late night stroll and for conversation, as He said to the seas, “Be still.”
He created the skies for the eagles, but also for Himself for one day when He will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and unite husbands and wives, grandparents and grandchildren, moms and dads with their little infants whose lives ended and were buried before they were old enough to ride a bicycle, bringing all of those in Christ for a great, wonderful homecoming day in the sky!

B. He was the clay-molder

- Job 4:19 How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

John 9:6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
He made the European, the Asian, and the African, and He made them different.

C. He was the carpenter

He took his measuring tape out and placed the sun and the earth just the right distance from each other so that some people could get a sun tan all year long, others get to wear a fur coat all year long, and those fickle folks could do both at different seasons!
Jesus threw groups of stars out in a direction, and people noticed the arrangements. They named some of them gods and goddesses, but Jesus had His own reasons. He drew pictures of the gospel so that man could give God his attention by looking long enough at the night sky and see His glory and His handiwork. Jesus even made dippers to draw from the wells of salvation — a little one for the children and a big one for the adults!

D. He was the composer

He taught the cricket to play “Jesus!” “Jesus!”
He gave the bird the nighttime chorus, “God is REAL!” “God is REAL!”
He helped the morning bird to wake up and sing, “That’s RIGHT!” “That’s RIGHT!”

III. JESUS IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF THE BEGINNING

Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

A. He is the beginning of creation

Colossians 1:14-16 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

B. He is the beginning of the church

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

C. He is the beginning of the Christian

Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

D. He is the beginning of consecration

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.