The End of Genesis
by Pastor Jim Essian
We started the book of Genesis on January 18th of last year and we will finish it this Sunday. It’s been a good, long, rich time for our church family—505 days to be exact. When we started our series in Genesis there were seventeen Republican candidates and now there is one; Steph Curry made 513 three-pointers in the time we’ve been in Genesis; back then I knew what bathroom to go into, now I’m not so sure...
It’s amazing to think about what’s happened since we began. Babies have been born, some of you got married, some of you have never known another series at The Paradox Church. I think of my new friend Torry who met Jesus at our first Sunday of Genesis when we learned about the Trinity, and I think of the people Jesus will save at our last sermon this Sunday—it’s quite astounding, isn’t it?
Through all of it, Jesus was faithful
We looked at Adam and Eve; Cain and Abel; Noah; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Joseph. We talked about death and life; joy and sorrow; sin and grace—and through all of it, Jesus was faithful.
In the sixty sermons of Genesis (180 if you count the three services) we have heard the timeless truths about the promises of God and how they are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We preached for about 8100 minutes and said approximately 630,000 words (and I said, 101,325 times, “um” and “right”)!
Besides all the wonderful stories of what God has done in our time in Genesis these three numbers stand out as pretty amazing:
• 81 baptisms since our time in Genesis!• We started with 253 partners and now we have 364!
What did God change in you?
The Sunday gathering forms us over time, reorienting our loves to Jesus as we practice together living out of the truth of the Gospel. From the time that God calls us to worship as we recite together a Psalm of praise, to the songs we sing, to the sermon, to confession and communion, to the benediction where we are blessed to be a blessing, we are worshiping and being formed more into the image of Jesus.
So when we finish a long series through a book of the bible it should be a moment of celebration and reflection. How has God formed you through Genesis? How have you been stirred to worship him? As you reflect on his covenant promises, the Promised Land that is ours in Jesus (and ultimately ours in the new heavens and new earth), and the promised Offspring that came and crushed the Serpent’s head, what did God change in you?
God promises, “my word . . . shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,” (Isa. 55:11)—what did it accomplish in you through the book of Genesis?