THE O.T. BEGINS WITH CREATION IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, AND ENDS IN A WARNING OF A CURSE

When God finished His creation it was all good- why does God have to warn about a curse?  If a person can figure out this puzzle, he will see that man is God's only disobedient one.  Man's only salvation rests in accepting the salvation provided by the Lamb of God.  Let's survey the Old Testament, tonight the New Testament - mark your Bibles!

EACH TESTAMENT IS COMPOSED OF FIVE DIVISIONS.  OT - 30 AUTHORS, 39 BOOKS, 1,200 YEARS OF WRITINGS, 4,000 YEARS OF HISTORY.

THIS COVERS THE HISTORY OF MANKIND FROM CREATION TO THE SILENT YEARS BETWEEN TESTAMENTS.

• Yet many people believe rather the Humanistic concept of the goodness of man - False Ideology.
• This Humanistic concept is what has caused many people to be disillusioned today -
• Young people spot the imperfections of parents, and rebel against them in hate.
• Hippies also spot the imperfections in society, and drop out rather than try to help.
• The World spots the imperfections in Christians, and blame them and reject Christ.
• Christians spot the imperfections in the church and break fellowship and hurt themselves.
• Neither society, parents, Christianity or the church are perfectible today.

• The only way men can survive together is to control themselves through LAW.
• The only way men can survive with God is to accept the Grace of God in Salvation.
• The poets and the prophets did their best to point us to both!

These writers, inspired of God, regarded man as a wicked monster who must be controlled!!

• They also recognized that ALL men must face God, and no one can measure up - sin!
• They declared that God loves mankind as a struggling, toddling baby - and wants to save
• The only thing that can curse a man is if he gets self-righteous and refuses to let God draw him in love.

The last two verses of the Old Testament give the promise of salvation -

• Before the great and dreadful day of judgement, God will offer salvation.
• Let Him work in your heart this morning as He wanted to work in days of old.

He knows that you did not do as you ought to have done in 1967

• There were sins in your own life that you tolerated - you did not have to accept.
• There were things you could have done to improve yourself and the world, but didn't.
• God will not give you back 1967, but He will forgive your wrong.
• He will give you 1968 - one day at a time to do better in... and if you ask Him, His Son will walk beside you to help you - and His Spirit will dwell within you to strengthen you.