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Scripture: Gen. 1
Such a subject is best suited for speaking to high school and college students. The first seven subjects form a group, which may be called “The Story of the Universe.”
I. Men’s presumptions:
Begin with what the world’s famous men of all cultures and all ages have had to say about the universe. Include philosophers, sages, and scholars, past and present, Chinese, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Greek. Include also the presumptions of the common people. For this you need to refer to history and literature.
II. The revelation of the Bible:
Every time in preaching the gospel, begin with what people in the past have had to say, and then point out what the Bible reveals. This is a principle in gospel preaching. Based on the Bible, refute men’s false presumptions.
А. First, find some good verses in the Old Testament about the heavens, the earth, and all things that were created by God.
B. Then find what Jesus had to say about creation.
C. Last, look at what the apostles had to say.
III. The evidence of all things in the universe:
А. The material evidence: the vastness of the universe, the wonder of the way the earth revolves on its axis, the wonder of the air, of the water, and of the stars all prove that the universe was created by God.
B. The circumstantial evidence: great events have occurred in the universe that prove God’s existence and His ruling. Examples of such events are: (1) the long day recorded in the book of Joshua, when the sun stood still for twenty-four hours (10:12-14), and (2) at the time of Hezekiah, when the sun went backward ten steps on the sundial (2 Kings 20:8-11).
IV. The evidence of laws and principles:
Mention some physical laws and principles of the universe, and then point out that not one law or principle can exist by accident. A law is a law, and there must be One in the universe who establishes the law; a principle is a regulation, and there must be One in the universe who regulates.
Points III and IV testify to the revelation of the Bible, which declares that God is the origin of the universe.
Scripture: Gen. 1
I. The universe is a mystery:
For centuries people have regarded the universe as a mystery. You need to search out their presumptions with which they attempt to explain this mystery.
This is a point that can touch people, so the more good material you have, the better.
II. Can the universe be meaningless?
Point out numerous principles of physics and other matters to prove that the universe is not meaningless. If a man’s house is decorated, orderly, and meaningful, how much more meaningful is the universe created by God, which is so bright, so comely, and arranged in such an orderly fashion. For instance, the earth revolves on its axis every twenty-four hours, the sun and the moon rise according to certain set times, and there are so many beautiful days and scenic places. Can all these things be meaningless?
III. The universe is the proof of God’s existence:
The greatest meaning of the universe is to prove the existence of God.
А. The scriptural basis: Psa. 19:1-2; Rom. 1:20; Acts 14:15-17; 17:23-31.
B. These four passages show us that the meaning of the universe is to prove the existence of God.
C. The material for this subject can be used together with that of the previous subject, “The Origin of the Universe,” along with examples of all kinds of phenomena to prove God’s existence.
IV. The universe is the manifestation of God’s glory:
Psalm 19 says that God’s glory is the manifestation of God in six aspects:
А. The greatness of the universe: so great is the universe that even today no one could tell how great it is. A man viewing the ocean from a big ship is just like a little fish in the ocean. The greatness of the universe manifests the greatness of God.
B. The wonder of the universe: the arrangement and movement of the stars and also the distinction of the four seasons manifest how wonderful God is.
C. The brightness of the universe: the brightness of the sun, the moon, and the stars declares that God is a God of light.
D. The beauty of the universe: mornings and evenings; flowers, grass, and trees; mountains and rivers; picturesque views — these and all the pleasant and inspiring scenery — are manifestations of God’s beauty.
E. Lovingkindness: God’s arrangement and preparation of the universe for mankind and His provision for man’s every need show God’s lovingkindness toward men.
F. Wisdom: the greatness, wonder, brightness, and beauty of the universe also manifest that God is a God of wisdom.
These two subjects are to make people realize the existence of God and to make them know what kind of a God this God is. According to the subjects, you are talking about the origin and the meaning of the universe, but actually you are talking about God.
Scripture: Gen. 2
I. Man is the highest one among all the creatures:
First, speak about who is the highest one among all creatures in the universe. Begin with the lifeless matters, then proceed to the living creatures — from vegetable life to animal life, from the lowest to the highest. Finally, talk about man.
А. First, say that the living creatures are higher than lifeless matter and that the conscious animal life is higher than the unconscious vegetable life. Among the animals, man is the highest. Compare the life that comes from seed, from eggs, and from birth. Compare the life that comes from a short period of pregnancy, from a long period of pregnancy, and from man’s birth. From this prove that man is the highest among all creatures.
B. Then say that man’s wisdom, intelligence, and behavior also prove that man is the highest creature. Tigers, leopards, and lions, however fierce they may be, cannot conquer man.
C. Finally, say that man has a spirit. The reason man has wisdom, intelligence, and good behavior is that man has a spirit. Man’s spirit not only causes man to have wisdom, intelligence, and good behavior, but it is also the very organ that desires God, seeks after God, and worships God. No other creature has a spirit; therefore, no other creature can desire God or worship Him.
The proof that man has a spirit:
1. Man has a sense of guilt when he does something wrong.
2. Man has an inclination to seek after God and to worship Him.
II. Man is the center of all the creatures:
It is true that in preaching the gospel you need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, but those who have studied the Bible all acknowledge that the Bible is very logical. Therefore, you also need to present the gospel in a logical way.
А. Based upon man being the highest creature, prove that man is the center of creation. In any organization the highest one is also its center. Man is the highest among all the creatures; therefore, man is the center of all the creatures.
B. Based on the order and the ways of God’s creation, prove that man is the center of all the creatures:
1. In His creation God created man after He had made all things.
2. The way God created man was different from the way He created other creatures. When God created the others, He just said, “Let the earth bring forth...and it was so” (Gen. 1:24). The Bible does not mention how He made them. But in creating man, the Bible says that first He made the body, then the spirit, and finally man became a living soul. From the way God created man, prove that man is the center of all the creatures.
III. The parts of man:
Man is composed of three parts: the spirit, the soul, and the body. Man has these three parts; therefore, man has a spirit.
Note: If you did not start with the universe but with man alone, you need to speak about the origin of man first.
А. If a man dies, we say that he is gone. The body is still there, but the spirit is gone.
B. The existence within man of an inclination to worship God is a proof that man has a spirit. With every race there is an inclination to worship God.
IV. The meaning of man (why man was created):
А. God’s image: Man is the image of God. How honorable this is! How can man sin and do such base things?
B. God’s vessel: Man is God’s vessel, made to contain God. Today man always has an empty feeling because he does not have God inside of him. For instance, as a Coke bottle should be filled with Coca-cola, and an electric lamp should be filled with light, so man also should be filled with God. This is the best way to touch people’s feeling. Gospel preaching should be serious and yet relaxed. In a simple and effective way, explain that man is for God; therefore, the meaning of man is to be for God. Actually, these are two aspects of one thing, but for the listeners you need to speak from these two aspects.
V. Man’s position — man’s original position:
А. Man was to live in the presence of God.
B. Man was over all creatures to rule them.
C. Man was sinless.
Scripture: Gen. 2—3
I. The dark side of the universe:
Disasters, disease, death, divorce, killings, murders, sufferings, wandering, smoking and drinking, gambling, whoring, corrupted hearts, disordered families, dark societies, and all kinds of corruption everywhere — these are the dark side of the universe. Originally, the universe was beautiful, and life was lovely. Now, however, the universe has so much darkness, misfortune, misery, and death that many even feel that living is futile; consequently, they become depressed and commit suicide. Here is the point that can touch people the most easily.
The ability of a gospel preacher is in portraying the real situation. Present all the real stories of human living in such a way that people will be moved and prepared to accept the Lord’s salvation. Speak weightily and descriptively.
II. The source of darkness — Satan:
From where did all this darkness come? Did it come from God? From men? It came neither from God nor from men but from the devil, Satan. The Bible speaks clearly about Satan. Genesis 2 says that after man was created, God asked man to guard the garden. The reason the garden needed to be guarded was that someone was coming. In Genesis 3 that one came — the subtle one, the evil one.
He is the adversary of God. Often he transmutes himself into something that looks good and hides himself there. (Anything that looks good has Satan hidden in it.)
III. The aim of Satan (his main work):
You need to explain how Satan opposes God, how he damages God’s purpose and God’s work. It has been mentioned before that he is God’s enemy; his aim is to gain men. You need to point out that all that men do today is not by themselves. Men cannot help themselves; they are absolutely under Satan’s control. Sin, wrongdoing, and loving the world are not of men’s own will. Satan gains men by means of fame, position, scholarship, money, love, and business — all the good things and bad things — so that men could not help but obey Satan. (First John 5:19 says, “The whole world lies in the evil one.”)
IV. Satan’s way of working is in two main categories:
А. The world.
B. Sins.
Satan gains men by means of the world and sins.
Do not present the world and sin in the way they would be presented in meetings for new beginners, but illustrate with factual stories so that the unbelievers will understand.
Scripture: Gen. 3
I. Satan’s temptation:
In this section you need to describe the passage in Genesis 3:1-6, which shows how Satan hid himself in a serpent and tempted man by subtle and tricky words that caused man to question God, God’s heart, God’s work, and God’s word. All these questions were like a fog that trapped man and led him astray.
II. Man’s doubt:
Once man was tempted and accepted Satan’s words, right away he began to doubt God, God’s heart, God’s work, and God’s word.
III. Man was deceived:
When man was deceived, Satan’s temptation had succeeded.
А. Man sinned willingly, by the choice of his free will; nevertheless, man was cheated by Satan.
B. So the New Testament says that the serpent deceived Eve (2 Cor. 11:3); that is, Satan used trickery to deceive the human race.
IV. The result of being deceived:
А. There was the sense of guilt.
B. Right away man escaped from God’s presence and did not dare see God.
C. Man found excuses. Indeed man had sinned, but he would not admit it.
D. Man was judged.
E. Man fell into death.
According to how Satan tempted Eve — how Eve accepted Satan’s words and doubted God, God’s heart, God’s work, and God’s words — explain how men today are still under the same deception with the same results.
Scripture: Gen. 3:9
I. God came to seek man:
А. After being deceived and having become fallen and guilty, man hid from God’s presence. Try your best to describe that it is not that man does not know God; rather, being guilty, man would prefer that there were no God. Therefore, man would not acknowledge God nor seek Him.
B. Man hid from God’s presence, but God came to seek man. Man rebelled and would not receive God; nevertheless, God still came to seek man.
Much can be said here. God is seeking man at every time, in every place, and on many different occasions, anywhere and everywhere. Relate how God came to seek man that day to the way He comes to seek people today. Touch people’s feeling on this point.
II. God prepared a way for man to be saved (redemption):
As much as we can, without contradicting spiritual truth, we should simplify spiritual terminology. For example, say “saving way” instead of “redemption.”
God not only came to seek man, but He also prepared for man a saving way. Adam sinned and was condemned. He should have died, but God had a lamb killed in his stead, and God used the skin of the lamb to make a coat to cover his shame. This is salvation in type. In the New Testament time, Christ came to the earth as the Lamb of God, took upon Himself the sins of the world, and was crucified upon the cross to accomplish salvation. His blood cleanses our sins and justifies us.
III. God accepted sinners:
Acceptance includes both forgiveness of sins and justification. That day God not only forgave Adam and justified him, but He also accepted him. Today God also deals with us in the same way. Forgiveness plus justification equals acceptance.
IV. God caused sinners to receive life:
Adam named the woman “Eve” (meaning “the mother of all living”), thus implying that God would give life to the sinners. God not only forgives us and justifies us, but He also accepts us and at the same time gives us life, which is regeneration.
Scripture: Gen. 3:15
To explain that Jesus is the Savior of the universe, use these two points: “the seed of woman will bruise the serpent’s head” and “the Lamb that was slain.”
I. The promise of the Savior:
Describe how Adam and Eve were afraid of God after they had sinned and how they hated the serpent, Satan. While they were in such a state of fear and hatred, God came in to give them a promise. This promise said that One would come to crush the head of the enemy they hated. This was an explicit promise. On the other hand, God killed a lamb for them, atoned for them by the shedding of the blood, and covered their shame before God. This was a figurative promise.
The explicit promise, to crush the serpent’s head, deals with Satan, and the figurative promise, the blood shed for atonement, deals with man’s sins before God.
II. The person of the Savior:
First, speak of His being born on earth as a man through a virgin; then go on to say that He was the Word becoming flesh, that He was God becoming man to be our Savior.
III. The work of the Savior:
This is to speak of His death.
On one hand, He was the Mighty One. He crushed the head of Satan on the cross. He put Satan to death, and He dealt with Satan. On the other hand, He was a Lamb. He shed His blood on the cross. He washed away man’s sins. He nullified the record of man’s sins before God.
IV. Receiving the Savior:
Just as Adam received God’s promise and also received the skins for clothing, today we also should:
According to the words of the Bible, receive the Savior.
According to the work of the Savior, receive Him as Savior.
Scripture: Gen. 2—3
I. Man is a creature of God — showing the origin of man:
А. God used the earth to form a body for man; then He breathed the breath of life into him. Today chemists can tell us that the elements of a human body are similar to the elements of the earth.
B. From the wonder of the structure of the human body, prove that man is God’s creature.
II. Man is God’s image — showing the dignity of man:
Man’s mind, wisdom, will, ideas, emotion, likes, and many other characteristics are like God’s. Man’s love symbolizes God’s love. Point out how dignified man is to be in God’s image.
III. Man is God’s representative — showing the position of man:
Among all the creatures, only man was to represent God to rule over everything. Even to this date, man is still in control of the whole earth. (Dr. John Sung said that before the fall man was the commander in chief of the navy, army, and air force.)
IV. Man is God’s vessel — showing the usefulness of man:
God’s desire is to be mingled with man, to work Himself into man, so man was made for God. This is like a light bulb that was made to contain electricity and shine. A light bulb is a waste if it is not for the electricity to shine. Likewise, a man is a waste unless he is containing God. With this section, it is easy to touch the feelings of the unbelievers, so you need to stress this point. The reason men feel empty is that they will not contain God. Today men are out of place and out of use.
V. The fellowship between God and man:
А. Man is different from all other living creatures because man has a spirit.
B. Every race worships God. Some have worshipped in a wrong way; nevertheless, their worship proves that with man there is a desire for God. Such a desire grows stronger as men grow older. Man’s spirit causes man to:
1. Need God.
2. Be able to contact God. When a man touches God, right away he has fellowship with God.
VI. The problem between God and man — showing man’s sins:
In this section you need to cover four points:
А. Man fell.
B. Man sinned.
C. Man escaped from God’s presence.
D. Man was condemned by God.
VII. The salvation for man — showing man’s salvation:
First speak about the Savior and then about salvation. Salvation includes:
А. Blood shed for redemption.
B. Imparting of life.
This message may be given in two days.
Scripture: Gen. 2
I. Two trees:
А. Mention that after God created man, He put him in front of two trees and that He held him responsible for these two trees. Whether man would be a success or a failure, right or wrong, legal or illegal, was all dependent upon how he would deal with those two trees.
B. The tree of life.
The tree of life depicts God’s life. When God made man, He gave man a life for his human existence, but God did not give him His own life. So after man was made, man had only man’s life, not God’s life. God intended that man would, by his own free will, choose God’s life and receive His life into him. God used the tree of life to depict God’s life, and God intended that man would contact the tree of life, that is, to contact God Himself.
C. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Just as the tree of life depicts God’s life, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil depicts Satan’s life. God used these two trees to point out that He and Satan are opposite to one another. God wished that man would contact the tree of life and thus have a relationship with Him, and He wished that man would not contact the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and thus have a relationship with Satan, but He gave man a free will to choose.
II. Life is God’s goal:
А. God’s goal for man is that man may have His life. Emphasize this point.
B. This life is God’s life, and this life is God Himself.
C. Explain how God made man to be His vessel so that He may pour Himself into man.
D. When man gets this life, he is up to God’s standard; he is no longer empty but is living in reality. He becomes a man of meaning.
III. Good and evil are Satan’s purpose:
This point must be presented clearly; otherwise, it is difficult for people with moral thinking to understand.
А. Satan wanted to capture man, whom God had created for Himself.
B. The way Satan captured man was to cause man to pay attention to good and evil.
C. As soon as man pays attention to good and evil, he is independent of God and becomes severed from God.
D. To man there is a big difference between good and evil. All men condemn evil and justify good, but the ultimate result of either good or evil is but one: both good and evil result in independence from God and keep man from having God’s life.
IV. Only life is the true goodness:
А. The source of good is God Himself. You should make people realize that all the evil originated from Satan, and all genuine goodness originated from God. God is the source of all good.
B. God’s true goodness is touched through God’s life because God is not only good, but much more, God is life. Only when you touch God’s life can you touch the true goodness.
C. Any goodness not from God and God’s life is only secondary goodness, if not false. It is never the genuine goodness or the highest goodness.
This point should subdue the listeners.
V. Life is the power of goodness:
А. Satan causes men to pay attention to goodness, but he would not give them the power to do good. Anyone who tries to do good outside of God and without leaning on God has only the knowledge of good but has no power to do it.
B. In the Chinese dictionary there are the words virtue and wisdom and even the word wisdom-power but not virtue-power. This proves that the Chinese philosophers had discovered that men had the knowledge of good but lacked the power to do good.
C. This is why the more a man pays attention to good, the more he discovers the lack of power to do good. When you are sloppy, you hardly feel that you are powerless in doing good. It is when you are trying to do good that you find out that you lack the power of doing good.
D. Since God Himself is the true goodness (the highest goodness), God’s power must be His life. Only when a man receives God’s life can he have the real goodness and the power to do good. So if you really want to do good, you must receive the life of God.
VI. The way to receive life:
А. God’s life is put in Christ. Speak more about this.
B. Christ died to redeem us, and He resurrected to release His life. Christ’s death took away the problem (sins) between men and God. Unless men’s sins are taken away, God (the real life) cannot get into us. Through death Christ dealt with our sins, and through resurrection Christ released His life for us to receive.
C. We must confess our sins and repudiate our past ways and goals. In addition, there are many other evils that we need to confess from our heart. We must change our mind and turn to God. As soon as we change our mind, we should pray and confess to God.
D. You must open yourself from within and accept Christ to come into your heart, to be your living Savior.
E. Acknowledge that you have received this life because you have believed. This is according to the words of the Bible (1 John 5:12-13).
This message is suitable for speaking to the more intellectual ones.
Scripture: Gen. 3:9; Luke 19:10; 15:3-10
Subjects 10 through 16 form a group defining the position of fallen man. They are entitled “Where Are You?” (Gen. 3:9).
I. Where did man come from?
The source of man is touched in order to bring in God and to let men see that man came from God.
II. Who does man belong to?
Everything has an owner, and man is an important item. Then who is the owner of man? Who is your owner? From here, point out the fact that man is in a lost condition, because he looks all around and cannot find his master. Only lost articles are unable to find their owners.
III. Man is in a lost condition:
The fact that man cannot find his owner proves that man is in a lost condition. Man cannot tell where he came from nor where he is going. He is like a ship that has lost its direction. Man is busy all day, but he does not know what he is busy for. Man is always in a hurry, but he does not know where he is hurrying to go. Is not this a lost condition? Use some real stories to describe how men went astray and got lost.
IV. God came to seek man:
А. The Lord Jesus was God come in the flesh.
А. He is the Shepherd coming to find the lost sheep.
А. He is seeking for man through the Holy Spirit. (See Luke 15:8 concerning the woman seeking for the lost coin.)
А. The Holy Spirit moves in man through the word of the Bible. (The woman lighted a lamp.)
А. When the Holy Spirit enlightens you, you feel troubled inside. This feeling comes from the Lord Jesus enlightening you through the Holy Spirit. (The woman swept the house.) Some who are here listening to the gospel do have this troubled feeling inside because the Holy Spirit is sweeping inside of you, the Lord Jesus is seeking for you. At this point, ask anyone who has such a feeling to please stand up.
