Note from Chris
Book of Genesis: Study. Apply. Repeat.
For the better part of 2012 we’ll be studying our way through the book of Genesis. We’ll search this book of the ‘beginnings’ to discover all we can about the Person of God, the purpose for our lives and how this all impacts our calling to communicate the good news of Jesus to our community.
Why teach this book?
About a year ago, it really started gnawing at me that too many Christians are not confident with the storyline of the Bible. We may know powerful bits and comforting pieces, but the narrative arch and its theological implications are still a bit blurry. Consequently, many devoted Christ-followers squint at a hazy image of God and struggle with a distorted view of themselves. The ability to navigate life is further complicated by a naivety about the war we are in, and confusion about why we’re not yet plucked out of this raging battle. If we are going to better understand these crucial matters, there is no better platform on which to build the biblical storyline than that of Genesis.
Remembering the Story
While trying to dig deep into the text of this literary masterpiece, our hope is to grasp a memorable framework for its basic storyline. We’ll frame our study around the four biggest human personalities in Genesis: Adam, Abraham, Jacob and Joseph. My hope is that even if you are new to Genesis, you will be able to recall its basic flow and even feel confident enough to explain it to someone who knows nothing about the Bible.
Will you get prepared?
God’s people are supposed to study the word for themselves, even checking the accuracy of the preacher. You can maximize your learning from Genesis by reading through its 50 chapters, both before we start the series and as we study it weekly. A good a study Bible can also be very help…NIV or ESV are good options.
Keep your eye on the preacher
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Imagine that! Even the great apostle Paul was held accountable to the written Word of God. We grow best in our theological depth when we grow as a community under the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s obvious that the teachers must study the Word with great attentivieness, yet we often forget that the congregation is called to disciplined study as well.
The Light of the New Covenant
Though we will be deeply committed to the storyline of Genesis, we will preach it in light of the revelation in the rest of Scripture and especially in light of the person and work of Jesus. If spiritual strength was measured in physical and we were placed in a line-up next to Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel, we would look like puny middle-schoolers who get picked last every time for dodge ball. But, if biblical knowledge was measured the same way, we would be NFL starters and they would be pubescent wanna-bees. We can’t even comprehend the level of insight we’ve been given. Maybe a better picture is this: We’re like toddlers driving tanks…there’s a huge disconnect between the available power and our ability to put it to work. Therefore, we must connect the post-New Covenant revelation to the pre-Mosaic story.
There’s always a window to Jesus
Jesus railed against the religious elite, saying, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” Jesus is the point of Scripture. The reason the Genesis account exists is to lead us to Him. Therefore, as a New Covenant believer, we must follow the Spirit through the texts as it leads us to Jesus every time.
Will you pray?
I’m very much looking forward to this study and ask that you continually pray it will allow us to encounter the Lord and become increasingly like Him.
Chris Kainu Lead Pastor
