The Thrill of Hope (1) - When The World Was Broken

The classic Christmas carol “O Holy Night,” has the memorable line: “A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices." What was it about the birth of Jesus that creates not just hope, but the excitement around the hope, for a weary world? This four-week series will look at how, in God, the promises of Christ have come true. While the word hope is not in the Scriptures of this series, the theme of hope is present. The Greek word for hope is elpis, which means an “expectation of good.” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states that in the Christian sense it is “joyful and confident expectation.”

But today there doesn't seem to be much hope. The economy in shambles, the homeless problem exploding, opiode addictions skyrocketing, political & cultural divisiveness, crime and violence setting records, unstable & aggressive foreign powers, new viruses and diseases, wars, children being trafficked, our country on the edge, and a world in turmoil, all seem to have our world about to spin off its axis.

We live on a planet of disorder. This world of ours is an ugly sore of destruction, disease, depravity, and death. Storms rage and the corpses of children lie in the street. Butchers like Putin rage, and the death toll is in the tens of millions. Disease marches across the bodies and minds of young and old alike, leaving an ugly trail of sores, screams and twisted limbs. Depravity reigns and human bodies are exposed, children are abused, old people are killed for a few dollars and our land is a jungle of fear. And the question of every one who has walked the halls of a hospital or a jail or a nursing home or an asylum or watched a loved one die in needless agony is—why? Why is this beautiful world blighted with sorrow and shame and cruelty? The answer to these questions is so simple that it is often overlooked. We live in a sad, evil, sick world because we are members of a fallen race. Then Adam and Eve rebelled against God and took their stand with Satan, they plunged the whole human race into the pollution and the consequences of their sin. The world has been looking for answers & hope for a long time. What its been looking for has been promised for a long time.

Bible Passage Genesis 3:1-24 (ESV - English Standard Version)

Scripture Explanation This may seem like a strange place from which to preach a Christmas sermon. Yet, here in the midst of man’s greatest tragedy, is the revelation of man’s greatest hope. For it is in this tale of sin, judgment, and death that we meet the message of the saving Gospel and the Person of the Lamb of God for the first time. The Book of Genesis is, in order, the first of the inspired writings. It informs us that the world had a beginning, and is the product of a wise and powerful agent, and not the effect of blind chance. The first chapter furnishes us with a most divine and beautiful account of the creation, in the order of six days work. We learn that the heavens and the earth were made out of nothing. There was darkness and nothingness, until the Spirit of God brooded upon the face of the waters, and brought it into a beautiful form and order. The second chapter treats of the happiness of man in his state of innocence. The Lord God allotted him a habitation in the most fertile and delightful spot of ground in all the globe, called Eden. The Lord brought before Adam every beast of the field, and fowl of the air, that he might give names unto them, and provided a proper help-meet for him, one that was bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh; which two being joined together by the Lord himself, spent their happy hours in the homemade by Creator. But then, The third chapter introduces a strange and sudden catastrophe of things, and opens a dark scene of wickedness and ruin. V 1-8 Things had been going perfectly, literally. Then the Evil One shows up & says, “Yea, has God said, You should not eat of every tree of the garden?” Sin had its beginning with a question mark, the questioning of God’s word. The woman repeated the word of the Lord: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither should you touch it, lest you die.” Then followed the first lie. “And the serpent said unto the woman, You surely will not die.” Eve finds herself confronted by a serpent controlled by Satan. This serpent tells her that God is holding out on her and Adam. He tells Eve that God does not want them eating of the fruit because God knows that when they eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they will be like him. Eve succumbs to the temptation of the devil and eats of the fruit. Adam also falls for the lie and eats as well. In an instant, everything changes! This is the Original sin. It is the fall of humanity. This is where human beings become slaves to sin. They recognize their sin & hid in fear of the Lord. V 9-14 Someone has said that the saddest sentence God ever uttered is this, “Adam, where are you?” One of Adam's first experiences after his sin is Fear. Fear is the distressing emotion that arises when a perceived danger or threat is present. What danger or threat is he perceiving? Sin warps the mind. They are no longer innocent and pure, but they have become sinners; they have become fallen beings. Immediately, they are aware that everything has changed. They become ashamed because of their naked condition and seek to cover themselves with fig leaves. In the midst of this tragedy, God comes into the Garden to fellowship with Adam and Eve. He calls out to them because they have hidden themselves from them. It’s the epitome of foolishness to hide from God’s presence in the midst of the trees in God’s own garden. Adam, who was to be the keeper of the garden, to protect the garden, now thinks he needs protection from the Creator by hiding in the garden. He hides among the trees of the garden. Trees given for his joy now hide his sadness. Then the blame game begins. Adam blames Eve and God, while Eve blames the serpent. God immediately pronounces judgment upon the serpent. V 15 But right in the middle of this tragedy, there is a flicker of hope. Verse 15 shines out of this darkness like a great beacon, illuminating the amazing grace of God. This verse has been called the “Protevangelium.” That is a Latin word that means “First Gospel.” Here, in seed form, is the Gospel of salvation through the grace of God. Here, for the first time, we see a glimpse of the Lamb of God Who will later give Himself on Calvary’s cross to redeem a lost and dying world. This is the earliest promise of the coming Messiah, His suffering, and His ultimate triumph over the Evil One. This precious verse gives us the very first promise in the Word of God regarding the coming Lamb. V 16-24 The fall brought upon humanity an inability not to sin and a corruption of all human actions and capacities along with alienation from God, suffering in this life, death itself, and the pain of hell forever. The fall had devastating effects upon humanity, enslaving our wills to sin, tainting every action, disordering our capacities, and subjecting us to ignorance as well as to suffering, death, and the threat and fear of eternal judgment. To the woman God said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you sinned, the ground is cursed because of you." Notice it was the ground not Adam cursed. The fall resulted in a curse upon creation, that it would not be subservient to human needs and demands, and that it would be subject to disaster and destruction, groaning for its own redemption. Along with the disordering of humanity, the fall also resulted in the frustration of the created order itself and its falling into disorder. Strikingly, the first curse upon man after his fall is not a curse upon him but upon “the ground,” the natural world itself. The natural world was made for man, but because of man’s sin, the creation itself became a disordered and self-destructive realm, resistant to human demands, and a source of danger to human beings. Scripture makes clear that the disorder resident in creation is a result of man’s fall. The creation narrative and the description of the garden of Eden show an environment for man in which everything is subservient to him and lends itself to his sustenance and use. All of it is good, and he may eat of almost every tree of the garden. The animals are subject to his naming and ruling. And now it is cursed because of him & has turned against him. They saw first hand just how much their sin really cost. They finally understood that the wages of sin is death. All the world was broken because of their sin.

Application KEY TRUTH When sin breaks your world, God can give you hope.

God created the world & created man in His image. He created man in perfect innocence and placed him in a perfect environment. Adam has been given dominion over the Lord’s entire creation, and he has been presented with a perfect companion, a woman called Eve. They live an idyllic existence, free from pain, disease, death, and sorrow. Every need they have is met, and they enjoy unbroken, unhindered fellowship with God Himself. The only restriction they have regards one tree, which is located in the Garden of Eden. This tree is called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Adam is warned to stay away from this tree, for to eat its fruit will bring death into the world. Everything is the way it should be. When scripture described this world as “Good” during the creation story, the world was working the way it was created to. That word good actually means “In rhythm.” The world was in rhythm. Everything worked perfectly & together. You had water, but not thirst. You had food, but no hunger. You had love, but no conflict. You had marriage, but no in laws. Everything worked perfectly. And, for an undefined period of time, things go well in the Garden, until one day when Eve finds herself confronted by a serpent controlled by Satan. This serpent tells her that God is holding out on her and Adam. He tells Eve that God does not want them eating of the fruit because God knows that when they eat the fruit they will be like him. Eve succumbs to the temptation of the devil and eats of the fruit. Adam also falls for the lie and eats as well. In an instant, everything changes!

Sin explains all the troubles in the world. All the decay, all the disease, all the dysfunction, all the disorder, everything evil, everything wrong, and of course, death all comes from an event that occurred and is recorded in Genesis 3. Genesis 3 is actual history, it is not myth, it is not legend, it is actual history. It is the true and accurate record from God about how sin came into the world, and it was sin that caused all the problems that exist in our universe. Sin brought disorder to everything. Sin still brings disored. No one wants to hear that word today because sin implies God, judgement, accountability, and consequences. But only sin can explain this stained world.

Today, Satan is still saying the same things he did with Adam & Eve when it comes to sin. He uses the same tactics with us. Look at the words he used then & think about now. He wants to confuse us, “Has God said …?” He starts by raising confusing questions about God. He wants to parody Gods Word, “has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” He distorts what God has said as God hadn't said that they couldn't eat of any tree, just one. He wants to deceive our consciences, “You surely will not die!” Sin isn’t that big a deal, sin lies to us. He wants Beautify sin “God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” You deserve this, sin isn't that bad, just follow your feelings.

While those tactics sound pleasing, sin’s seductive promises always turn out to be a mirage! Those relationships we enter against the will of God leave scars that may never fully fade. Those extra trips to the buffet leave us miserable for the rest of the day and place some of us on operating tables. And what about always wanting the nicer car, the bigger TV, the latest gadgetry, and the younger wife? All those things grow old and outdated—leaving us just as empty as we were before. Selfishness and sin NEVER keep their promises.

And what happens when we sin? We act like Adam & eve. We try to hide. Adam & Eve were as foolish as we try to be. It was God’s garden, how can fallen man hide from God in God’s own garden? Well, for that matter, how can fallen man hide from God in God’s own universe? Wherever man goes, we're in God’s territory. This is God’s world and there is no escape from His presence. Where is there to hide? God sees it all because its all His. But thankfully, God still does the same things He did with Adam & Eve. God came seeking the hiding sinner. Here in Genesis we find the first sight of grace, the first expression of kindness, the first indication that there might be a possibility for reconciliation. Ever notice that God didn't come thundering into the garden. We don’t find a bolt of lightning coming out of heaven and incinerating Adam and Eve. Rather, verse 9 says this, “Then the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ ” Now, this is a rather gentle approach, don’t you think? This is certainly not what you might have assumed if you believe in this angry, wrath filled God. You might assume some instant act of divine judgement would fall on their heads. But instead you find God initiating the confrontation that begins in a very gentle manner. Here is gospel truth for the first time. “Where are you?” And here is the seeking God, and God still seeks sinners. Frankly, had God just killed Adam and Eve, it would have been a righteous execution, right? There’s nothing in them that elicits from God any deserved kindness. This is grace. That is the definition of grace. This is the first time we’ve seen grace. It is grace that withholds from them destruction. The fact of the matter is, when God says in verse 9, “Adam, where are you?” He’s not asking for information. He’s not wandering around saying … Where are you, Adam? He knew where Adam was. He knew everything. What He was really wanting from Adam, listen carefully, was for Adam to step forward on his own and confess his sin. It was a compassionate, loving, gracious, merciful God who is by nature a Savior seeking a sinner. And when He says, “where are you?” He’s not so much asking “where are you located in the garden?” as He’s asking “where are you now in terms of your condition?” God came seeking. He is still seeking. When sin broke their world, God came seeking Adam & Eve to give them hope. When sin breaks your world, God wants to give you hope. When your sin devastates your world, God still comes searching. He came to confront their sin, but He also gave Ada & Eve hope that He could restore them after sin. God can restore you as well.

Humanity fell to sin and needed to be saved from death; God said He would restore it.

When your life is turned upside down because of your lapse of judgement .... When your career is lost ..... When your family is in shambles .... When your addiction is winning ... When everything is in disorder because of your sin, God ask, “Where are you?” He asks because He wants to tell you “There's hope.” When sin breaks your world, God can give you hope.

Conclusion

There was a young man who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as he was getting his things ‘in order,’ he contacted his Priest and had him come to his house to discuss certain aspects of his final wishes.

He told him which songs he wanted sung at the service, what scriptures he would like read, and what outfit he wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Priest was preparing to leave when the young man suddenly remembered something very important to him. ‘There’s one more thing,’ he said excitedly.. ‘What’s that?’ came the Priest’s reply. ‘This is very important,’ the young man continued. ‘I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.’ The Priest stood looking at the young man, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn’t it?’ the young man asked. ‘Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,’ said the Priest. The young man explained. ‘My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork. It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming …. like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!’ So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ‘What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: ‘Keep your fork … the best is yet to come.’

In Genesis 1, God created everything. Genesis 2 shows the beauty of the creation story. In Genesis 3, humanity fell into sin and the world fell into disorder. But amid the consequences of their sin was the thrill of hope: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Sin broke their world, but God said the best is yet to come. I am giving you hope. And then Matthew 1:21 we read, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

When Jesus entered this world, the Savior whom God had promised in Genesis 3 after the first sin had finally arrived. Unto to us a savior has been given.

I know you think there's no way out, there's no coming back, there's no getting past your mistakes, but God says, "The best is yet to come. There's hope." Adam & Eve broke the entire world, and God gave them hope. Your entire world might feel broken but God is giving you hope for your world as well.