Civilization?
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We live in a broken, messed up world.
(examples)
How did it get this way?
Some say it just is like this, and there’s no God. Just chance.
Some say if there’s a God, He doesn’t care or isn’t able to do anything about this.
Some say there’s a God and His ways are so mysterious that we can’t make any of this make sense.
That’s close. But no.
The Bible tells us of a God who made everything good.
Made humans to partner with Him, ruling the world, managing it, etc.
Humans chose to figure out right and wrong, life direction, etc. themselves without God.
When you unplug from the giver of life you head toward death.
For the wages of sin is death… Romans 6:23a ESV
Our relationship with God died.
Death invaded our relationship with each other.
Work is hard. Childbirth is hard. Marriage is a power struggle.
And we die.
And go to where the devil and his angels are going. Hell.
Not good.
And it gets worse. Adam and Eve’s oldest son murdered his younger brother because of his envy. God preferred Abel’s sacrifice and rather than repent, Cain offed his brother.
Sin is hereditary.
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...
The story of Genesis shows us that it continues further into generations but gets even worse.
1. We pass sin on, and it gets worse over time.
a. Your kids become who you are. Good and bad.
i. I’m my dad
ii. Many have said that Joel is a mini-me
iii. This is good and bad. Whether we mean to or not we pass on what we are and what we know. NOT NECESSARILY WHAT WE TEACH.
1. This isn’t to say that we are fully responsible for everything the kids do. They make their choices.
2. But our influence is strong.
3. And… being human, they inherit sin from us. And we got it from our parents. We are now broken and corrupt.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
5. All our goodness and potential has this asterisk on it.
b. It’s been said that our kids take what we do a little of and do it A LOT.
c. Sin’s corruption is no different.
d. Genesis 4:16
e. Adam and Eve tried to find blessing apart from God by eating forbidden fruit.
f. Their firstborn son Cain murdered his younger brother.
g. How can this get worse?
h.Genesis 4:16
Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
i. “Nod” means “fugitive” btw
Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
k. People are developing technology, skills, music, city building, etc.
2. Even when we are at our best, we are at our worst.
a. Civilization is growing. But…
b. Lamech “took” two wives!
i. People acquiring women like property now?
ii. And… how many did God make for Adam?
iii. The value and purpose of marriage is being altered (sound familiar?). NOTHING NEW.
iv. And so is the value of human life… people made in God’s image.
Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”
d. We pass sin on and it gets worse over time.
e. When Adam and Eve were caught, they played the blame game.
f. When Cain was caught, he tried to not be responsible. Then complained about the consequences.
g. Some guy offends Lamech so he murders him. What does he do? Writes a song that literally teases God’s mercy, and sings it to his wives.
h. The curse of sin is getting worse.
i. Even when we try, it isn’t good enough.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
k. Is there no hope?
l. Remember the passage in Ephesians?
Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
n. God doesn’t give up. He rescues. Shouldn’t surprise us with the creation story, and the mercy he’s shown so far.
3. Our worst cannot overcome God’s mercy.
a. Genesis 4: 25-26
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.
b. There was grace. God has people calling on his name. that’s what you do.
c. Parents, you see your sin in your kids and it freaks you out? Call on the name of the Lord.
d. You see chaos in the world around you? Within you? Call on the name of the Lord.
e. He has people praying in the midst of an increasingly violent, disrespectful people.
f. He provides another child for Adam and Eve and starts the line of Seth is a line that has people calling on God.
g. Romans 10:13
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
h. The world gets worse and worse but God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Trust Him. Surrender to Him.
Ask for His forgiveness and mercy for your sin.
Tell of his goodness to others who are lost in their sin. They don’t need your judgment. They need your help. They need Jesus.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 2:1–3.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 4:16.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 4:17–22.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 64:6.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Eph 2:1–10.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ge 4:25–26). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.