Read Genesis 1:1-2…God created the world and it was good.
Introduce 4 points of the gospel: The four points of the gospel is important for summarizing from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, to understand Christ, and to help you to make biblical choices.
Ask about the 4 points: Can anyone guess what the 4 points of the gospel are?…1) Creation…2)Fall…3) Redemption…4)Restoration
Ask about Creation: What book does creation take place…Genesis
Read Genesis 1:1, 1:3, 1:6, 1:9…Basically, God created the world and was good, there was a rhythm and harmony to the universe: seasons would pass, there would be day and night, etc.
Ask about Shalom: Have you ever heard of the word, Shalom?…It is a Hebrew term defined as total wellness.
Talk about Shalom: At the moment of the creation of everything, there was total wellness throughout the world. Everything was perfect and part of God’s plan. Everything did as it was supposed to do in perfect reflection of the glory of God.
Ask about our identity: When God created mankind, what was mankind identified as?…Genesis 1:27…Man was made in God’s_________…image…to reflect to the world the character of God. When others look at us, they should see that our character reflects how God wants us to be.
Introduce the Fall: The second point of the gospel is the Fall, which happens after Creation.
Read Genesis 3:1-24
Ask about summarizing the fall: How can we summarize the Fall?…mankind was seduced into rebelling against God’s authority and rule.
Ask about the fall and culture: How can we compare the fall to us and/or our culture?
Ask about the result of sin: What was the result of sin?…Separation from God, mankind was fractured/broken/changed, no longer reflecting God’s glory. Mankind now has insecurities and doesn’t think rightly about himself, God, the world around him, and other people.
Ask about sin: How did sin change us and the world?…The world is now subject to mankind’s corruption
Read Romans 8:5-8
Introduce Redemption: The result of sin was a separation in relationship with God. There was no way for man to know God and walk with him in relationship…until Redemption happened.
Read Ephesians 2…We are considered to be children of wrath, deserving ruin and separation from God.
Ask about being connected back to God: What connected us back to God?…Jesus…God sent Jesus, a perfect, sinless man to be the sacrifice for sin, making complete atonement for man’s rebellion against God. The atonement made it possible for a person to be restored into perfect relationship with the Father.
Introduce Restoration: The final point of the gospel is Restoration
Talk about what Restoration is not: Jesus’s death did not happen solely to secure out eternal dwelling. More specifically, the purpose was not to make sure we get to heaven.
Talk about what Restoration is: Jesus died to…
- Restore the fullness of mankind’s pre-fall condition
- Restore the perfect relationship with Christ
Read Revelation 21:1-7
Ask about the purpose of the cross: What was the purpose of the cross?…Jesus dying on the cross was God’s plan to redeem mankind from sin to restore him to full relationship with God and for the Glory of God.
Read Ephesians 1:3-14
Summarize the 4 points of the gospel…
- Creation of mankind with a perfect relationship with God
- Fall of man and the separation of relationship with God
- Redemption from Jesus who was the perfect sacrifice for our sins
- Restoration due to Christ made it possible to be restored into perfect relationship with the Father.
Conclusion: With understanding of all of this, we may understand the basis of the Bible.
References:
Bible Study Tools. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.biblestudytools.com/
NIV Life Application Study Bible. (2011). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. (2004). Colorado Springs, Colorado: International Bible Society.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament. (2004). Colorado Springs, Colorado: International Bible Society.
Unger, M. F. (1976) Unger’s bible dictionary. Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.