1. The Glory of God… The Heavens Declare…

2. Design Demands a Designer • There is intricate, incredibly complex design all throughout our universe from the smallest atom to the farthest galaxy • One purpose of this design is to have an ordered environment for mankind to live • Another purpose of this design is to declare that there is an intelligent designer; a powerful Creator God (Psa. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:19-20)

4. The Earth • Genesis 1:1-2,9-10; Job 26:7; Psa. 115:15-16; Isa. 40:22; 45:18 • 93 million miles from the sun; not too close (too hot) or too far away (too cold) from the sun • Liquid water necessary for life is present on the Earth only; approximately ¾ of its surface is water • Oxygen necessary for life is present on the Earth only

5. The Earth • A protective atmosphere of ozone (O3) about 12 miles above the earth filters most of the ultraviolet light from the sun; allows the rest of the sun’s light to pass through • The rotation of the Earth on a titled axis of 66.5 degrees (90 – 23.5) allows for the seasons (Gen. 8:22) • Gravity keeps everything and everyone from floating off into space as it travels 66,600 mph around the sun, and 1,000 mph on its axis

6. The Earth • The earth magnetic field produced within the earth repel and deflect dangerous space particles (x-ray, gamma rays, ultraviolet light) • The hot inner core of the earth provides heat to the surface

8. The Moon • Genesis 1:14-19; Psa. 33:6-9; 1 Cor. 15:40-41 • Approximately 2,100 miles in diameter; orbits 240,000 miles from earth; orbits every 29 ½ days • Provides light at night and gravity for moving the earth’s ocean tides (2 high, 2 low, every 24 hrs.) • Provides a mathematically precise “calendar” for telling time (Num. 10:10)

10. The Planets • Genesis 1:14-19 • Like the moon, the planets provide an accurate, dependable “calendar” for reckoning time and seasons; not for worship (2 Kings 23:5) • Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto (Acts 14:12-13; 19:35) • Planets are “wandering stars” (Jude 13)

12. The Sun • Genesis 1:14-19 • A star; a glowing, hot ball of hydrogen gas; fusion of hydrogen to helium produces heat, light, and energy • Approximately 400 times bigger and farther away than the moon (both have the same angular size); 100 times the earth’s diameter; 93 million miles from the earth, 864,000 miles in diameter • Provides light and heat for the earth; energy for plant growth

14. The Stars • Genesis 1:14-19; Neh. 9:6; Psa. 136:9; 147:4; 148:3-6; Job 9:9; 38:31-33; Isa. 13:10; 40:26; Jer. 31:35; 32:17; 33:22; Jas. 1:17 • The closest star is Alpha Centauri; about 25-30 trillion miles away; 6,800 times farther away from earth than Pluto (Isa. 55:9) • There are many galaxies; we live in the “Milky Way” galaxy containing about 100 billion stars and many “nebula” and quasars

15. The Stars • Provide light and direction; not for worship (Deut. 4:19) and not for revelation (Isa. 47:13; Jer. 10:2) • The “north star” (Polaris) has been used for centuries to navigate • The “morning star” or “day-star” (Venus) appears in the eastern sky at dawn (Job 38:7; Isa. 14:4,12; 2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 2:28; 22:16) • Christians shine as “lights” (luminaries) in the world (Phil. 2:15)

16. The Stars • The Bible speaks of the following stars and constellations (Isa. 13:10)… Pleiades (Job 9:9; Job 38:31-33; Amos 5:8) Bear and her cubs (Job 9:9; 38:31-33; Arcturus) Orion (Job 9:9; Job 38:31-33; Amos 5:8) Mazzaroth (Job 38:31-33; constellations; Zodiac signs) Castor and Pollux (Acts 28:11; Gemini constellation)

17. Who Is the Designer? • Explosions (the “Big Bang”) do not make order, but disorder; not complexity, but chaos • Is it reasonable to believe that all this design in the universe came about by accident? Did it just happen? • A computer? • An automobile? • A house or building? • A watch or clock?

18. Who Is the Designer? • Is it reasonable to believe that an intelligent being created these things? Yes. • God created the universe through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-16) • God created mankind special within the universe (Psalm 8:3-4)

31. A New Heavens and Earth • One day our universe will be gone (Psa. 102:25-26; 2 Peter 3:5-13; Rev. 21:1) • There will be a new heaven and earth designed by the Designer • Are you ready?