Listening & Obeying

Genesis 3:1–21 (NLT)

1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.

3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’ ”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.

5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.

9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.

15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

16 Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”

17 And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.

19 By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.

21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

INTRODUCTION:

A- To get the full impact of the text, we must go back to the previous chapter.

1- God had created humankind and given them specific instructions. (Genesis 2:15-17).

Genesis 2:15–17 (NLT)

15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.

16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—

17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

2- They heard His intentions, but they didn’t obey.

a. Just as their problems and heartaches stemmed from not obeying God’s voice, so too does much of our pain, hurt, and suffering.

TS: What happens when we hear the voice of God and refuse to obey? What are the consequences we incur?

I- WE HEED THE WRONG VOICES. (Genesis 3:1)

Genesis 3:1 (NLT)

1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

A- When we quit listening to God, we will ultimately open our ears to other voices.

1- When Adam & Eve ultimately made the choice to listen to the wrong voice.

a- By the way, it is probable that Adam & Eve were together at the temptation. There is no evidence that they were separated.

b- Adam was likely privy to the temptation that Eve heard.

c- Both began to listen to the serpent (the wrong voice).

d- The serpent’s voice led Adam & Eve to question the clear directions of God.

2- When you and I quit actively listening to God, we wind up listening to the wrong voices.

a- Any voice that is substituted for God is the wrong voice.

b- God’s desire is that we hear HIS voice. (John 10:27)

John 10:27 (NLT)

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

II- WE ARE EASILY MISLED. (Genesis 3:2-4)

Genesis 3:2–4 (NLT)

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.

3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’ ”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.

A- When we listen to voices other than God’s we open ourselves to being misled.

1- We are mislead by those voices that call into question God’s words. (Genesis 3:1)

Genesis 3:1 (NLT)

1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

2- We are misled by voices that tell us that what God said is in error. (Genesis 3:4)

Genesis 3:4 (NLT)

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.

3- Sometimes the voices try to convince us that we misunderstood God. (Genesis 3:2-4)

Genesis 3:2–4 (NLT)

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.

3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’ ”

4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.

III- WE CHOOSE PRIDE AND OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OF GOD.(Genesis 3:5)

Genesis 3:5 (NLT)

5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

A- We sometimes refuse to listen to God because we are prideful and want to do things our own way.

1- This is a dangerous path. (Proverbs 16:18)

Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)

18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

IV- WE MAKE CHOICES THAT APPEAL TO THE FLESH. (Genesis 3:6)

Genesis 3:6 (NLT)

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

A- Making our choices based upon their appeal to our fleshly desires and senses leads us away from God.

The desires of the flesh and our senses are not of God.

(1 John 2:16)

1 John 2:16 (NLT)

16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

2. God desires that we crucify the pursuit of fleshly desires.

(Galatians 5:24)

Galatians 5:24 (NLT)

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

V- WE ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY OUR SINS. (Genesis 3:8-9)

Genesis 3:8–9 (NLT)

8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.

9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

(Genesis 3:10-13)

Genesis 3:10–13 (NLT)

10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

A- We mentally justify our actions and choose to hide from God.

There is no way to hide from God. (Psalm 139:7-12)

Psalm 139:7–12 (NLT)

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

B- We try to justify our actions by blaming someone else.

1- There is no possibility of justifying our sin. It is all just rebellion against God.

VI- WE SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES. (Genesis 3:14-15)

Genesis 3:14–15 (NLT)

14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.

15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

A- Sin brings inevitable consequences.

1- Death and destruction.

(Romans 6:23)

Romans 6:23 (NLT)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

VII- PEOPLE AROUND US ARE HURT. (Genesis 3:16-18)

Genesis 3:16–18 (NLT)

16 Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”

17 And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains.

A- The sin of Adam & Eve affected:

1- Each other

2- Their children who would be born.

3- The entire human race.

VIII- WE LOSE GOD’S BEST. (Genesis 3:19-21)

Genesis 3:19–21 (NLT)

19 By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”

20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.

21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

A- Adam and Eve lost God’s best for them:

1- Food provided by God (Genesis 2:16-17)

Genesis 2:16–17 (NLT)

16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—

17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

2- Life in the Garden of God without violence and problems.(Genesis 2:15)

Genesis 2:15 (NLT)

15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.

3- Continual fellowship with God. (Genesis 3:8-9)

Genesis 3:8–9 (NLT)

8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.

9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

CONCLUSION: