Sermon Tone Analysis

UPCOMING STUFF

Giving

Lord’s Supper - Dec 4 today in both Worship Gatherings

Alaska Fundraiser Breakfast - Dec 4 starting at 9:30am (Donation)

Couples Christmas Party - Dec 11 @ 6pm @ Durst Home

Dec 11 - BIG SUNDAY - Vote on budget, new Council members & Caleb Crouse here to share in view of a call - with Search Team to share.

ByLaw Revision pushed back into 2023 for clarity & discussion.

Deacon shares about nomination form and distributes.

ROCCO COOLER

Turn and greet those around you - “You are VALUABLE!”

_________________

Adam’s Suit

A young boy opened the big and old family Bible with amazement, and studied the old pages as he slowly turned them.

As he was turning the pages something fell out of the Bible, and he picked it up and looked at it closely.

It was an old leaf leaf that had been pressed between the pages.

“Mom, look what I found,” the boy yelled.

“What do you have, sweetie?” his mother asked.

In total shock the young boy answered: “I think it’s Adam’s suit!”

Of course, the reason why Adam had to have a “suit” is because of he and Eve’s decision to TURN AWAY from God’s words rather than OBEY God’s words.

And that’s the question I want you to ask today:

How will we RESPOND to GOD’S WORD communicated through the Scriptures?

“Will I choose to OBEY God’s Words or will I choose to TURN AWAY?”

Genesis 3:1 (CSB)

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Who or what is this serpent?

Interpreters have several different views:

First, some think this is some sort of literary fable intended to communicate a real truth.

Problem: If this isn’t a true story about the fall of man into sin, if Adam & Eve simply represent mankind as a whole, then we must discount other references to Adam in the New Testament as a real individual (e.g.

Rm 5:12-15, 1 Tim 2:13, 1 Cor 15:21-22, 45-49; 2 Cor 11:3).

You also have several of their children mentioned with family lineages that follow.

Where does the ‘fable’ stop and the history begin?

Second, if this is a real moment in history, how could a snake speak and cleverly trick Eve into disobeying God?

Problem: Did animals made by God desire to disobey God and lead humans to do the same?

In other words, did thinking, communicating creatures designed by God, already have a sinful streak...before the fall of man? (There seem to only be 2 stories of animals speaking - this one and the story of Balaam’s donkey) - In both cases, this is NOT natural, but supernatural.

Finally, it seems that this is more than a snake, but a picture of the clever & conniving being later referred to as, “the ancient serpent, who is called the devil & Satan” (Rev.

12:9; 20:2).

And it's here, in the Genesis account, for the first time, that we see the one Jesus called 'the father of lies' (Jn 8:44) do what he does best.

Genesis 3:2–5 (CSB)

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden.

But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’

” “No!

You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman.

“In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

LIE #1: ‘You won’t die!

Disobedience won’t hurt you!” It’s literally the oldest trick in the BOOK.

The devil prompts people created in the image of God to doubt the goodness and truthfulness of God.

“You won’t die.

God is trying to keep you from something good.”

You don’t need to stay sexually pure until you’re married.

You don’t need to stay away from that drug, that image, or those people who bring you pleasure.

God is trying to keep you from something GOOD!!!

That’s why we disobey, isn’t it?

We doubt the goodness and truthfulness of God.

LIE #2: ‘You will be like God.”

You don’t have to submit to HIS authority.

You rule over ever other animal.

YOU should rule over YOU too!

Eve bought the lie and then it happened...

Genesis 3:6 (CSB)

The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom.

So she took some of its fruit and ate it;

It tasted good.

It looked good.

It was going to make her feel good.

she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Wait a second!

Was Adam there when she was tempted?

If so, why didn’t he stand up and tell the serpent to shut up!?

Why didn’t he lead his wife to obey what God commanded?

If he wasn’t there when Eve was tempted, then the question remains - WHY did he choose to follow her lead & disobey God’s clear command?

Adam & Eve questioned God’s goodness & bought into the lie that they could become like God, and be the authority of their own lives…and the consequence followed quickly behind...

Genesis 3:7 (CSB)

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Suddenly there’s a sense of shame that they needed to cover up.

Yet, before they sinned against God the Scriptures note they had a very different outlook.

Genesis 2:25 (CSB)

Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

But now that they have disobeyed God, just look at the difference.

Genesis 3:8–11 (CSB)

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze,

How cool would THAT be?!?

To know that your Creator was coming to visit you?

But this time was different...

and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

That was NOT a geographical question.

This wasn’t hide n seek and God had no clue where they were.

This was a spiritual question.

God is essentially wanting Adam to answer this question: “Where are you WITHOUT Me?”

And He said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked?

Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Sin’s immediate price tag is SEPARATION from the God they once walked and talked with.

Instead of fearlessness there was fearFULness.

Instead of enjoying God’s Presence, they were hiding from Him.

We sin too.

We HIDE too.

We wonder why we can’t find lasting purpose in possessions, trophies, or human relationships.

So, thousands of years later, we know that something is wrong in the world and we know that we were meant for more.

We are created to KNOW God and make Him KNOWN.

We are created to WALK with Him, not HIDE from Him.