"The Fall" - Genesis Series (2/4)

"The Fall" - Genesis Series (2/4)

01/14/2024 – GRACE IND.

SERIES: GENESIS (2/4)

MESSAGE: “THE FALL”

LAST WEEK RECAP:

· We looked at Genesis 1:1 & Genesis 2:7 where we examined “creation”

· After diving into the text, we learned that:

- God is Creator

- God has All Authority and is Sovereign

- Creation has a Purpose and a Design from its Creator

This week we begin the second series of Genesis where we will be looking at the “Fall”…

Genesis 3:1-7 says,

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The goal of this message is to attempt to answer two questions:

1.) What is God teaching us through this text?

2.) How does the teaching from the text apply to our lives?

The first thing that God is teaching us through this text leads us to point #1, which is:

POINT #1: The SERPENT is CRAFTY and OPPOSES God.

“VS 1) Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made”

For those of you who did not know, the serpent represents the evil one Satan.

The word serpent is described as = “an elegant limbless reptile moving about on its stomach and is considered unclean for food”.

We can see that Satan makes his entrance into the story in the form of a snake…

And we are told that the serpent is crafty

· The term crafty in the original language means = “marked by the skill of deception”

This is why Satan is referred to as the “GREAT DECIEVER”

From the very beginning in Genesis, God wants you to know and be aware of the fact that the Satan (the Great Deceiver) is crafty and marked by the skill of deception… he specializes in misleading people through the words that he speaks and his appearance… his language is one of lies…

We see the deception of the serpent on full display beginning in the second half of Genesis 3:1…

VS 1) “… he said to the woman, ‘ Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any tree in the Garden?”

At first glance the serpent’s question does not seem like a big-deal, or even a concern. The question is subtle, sly, and honestly almost feels insignificant at first

I bring this up because this is how Satan appears… he is strategic, skillful, and a master of deceit and this question that he asks, “Did God actually say” … gives birth to the thought and idea that what God says and speaks does not have to be taken seriously…

That we can bend and twist what God says because it’s not absolute, final, or worth taking seriously… and that we are fine to act and what we want…

Example: I had a curfew when I was in High School my senior year… My curfew was 12:00 A.M… Meaning that I had to be in my house by 12:00 A.M. every night… not in my driveway, not walking up to the front door, but physically in the house by 12:00 A.M… every night or I was in trouble…

Well, one night I went on a date with my girlfriend (who is now my beautiful wife – Brooke)… We had gotten dinner & were hanging out at her parents house… Her parents lived 6 minutes from my house… And I can remember that I needed to leave her house by 11:50 P.M. to make sure I was not late… I knew this like clock work… I had done it a million times…

But, on this particular night, I thought to myself, I can leave at 11:55 P.M., it’s no big deal if I am a minute late, my parents will be asleep anyway – nobody will know if I role up at 12:01 instead of 12:00… and I am really enjoying my time with Brooke at her house… I am just going to stay 5 minutes longer… after all I am 18 – I am a man now… nobody can tell me nothing… I can make my own decisions

All this to say I pull up to my house at 12:02 AM… Hardly late, no big deal right… Well when I walked through the front door it was completely pitch black – nobody was awake… I slide to kitchen to snag a cold class of 2% milk before I head to my room… As I am pouring the glass of milk I hear my Father’s voice from the living/family room…

My father casually says… Hey Tan, how was your night? I think I am off the hook bc he sounds kind of happy to see me and he seems interested in what I did that night… So I walk over with my glass of milk and my smile across my face and I tell him about my night with Brooke…

As I am telling him about my evening… my father interrupts me as I am speaking and his facial expression starts to change… and the tone of his voice begins to deepen… and he asks me… “What time did you get home?”

My dad knew I had come into the house 2 minutes late… He looks at me and says, “Son, you need to understand something, as long as you live under my roof, you will obey my rules… I know you’re 18, but if you cannot obey my rules, you can look for another place to live…”

At first, my Dad’s response my sound and seem harsh, but he taught me an important lesson..

What he says matters, it is to be taken seriously, it is not meant to be twisted or bent, and that there are consequences for not obeying them… that there are consequences for breaking his rules… no matter my age…

How does this relate to Genesis 3:1 and to the serpent who is crafty?

I faced the same question that Eve faced: “Did God actually say”

I faced the question, “Did your Dad actually say”?

I began to question the rule that was given to me… I started to look at how much fun I was having with Brooke and thought, 5 more minutes w/her is no big deal…

Eve looked at the fruit thinking one bite of one fruit is no big deal

No one will know, I won’t get in trouble…

This is what God is trying to tell us when he says that the serpent is more crafty than any other…

He is the Great Deceiver & gets us to question what God says and view God’s words as insignificant and not so serious…

QUESTION: Can you relate to me? Can you relate to Eve? Have you experienced the deception of and craftiness of the serpent Satan in your own life? Have you ever entertained the thought, well did God actually say you shouldn’t do something?

1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV) says,

“8) Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

9) Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kind of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

In other words, Satan is always keeping his eyes open, looking after someone he can attack and devour

QUESTION: Have you truly realized who your enemy is? Have you paused and considered how he is attempting to deceive you in your life?

POINT #2) Sin will look APPEALING and DELIGHTFUL but it only produces REGRET and SHAME

· ) Genesis 3:6-7

6) “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eye, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

7) Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths”.

DELIGHT = “an inclination to want things”

In other words, the word delight is referring to the urge to act or feel in particular way…

QUESTION: Have you ever encountered how delightful sin seEms? Have you ever experienced that urge to act upon sin in your life?

I remember being a child and mom telling me that I could never have any more mac’n cheese until I cleared my plate… and I can recall looking at the mac’n cheese and it being delightful to my eye and I experienced that urge and inclination to take more of it…

I experienced that same urge as a senior in high school when I looked at the clock and it said 11:50 PM… and I felt the urge to want to stay longer and push past the curfew that I had… because I was looking at the great time I was having and thought 5 more minutes of it seemed enticing and delightful so I disregarded the rule and did what I wanted…

· If we were to look at the word “DESIRED” found in Genesis 3:6, that word “DESIRED” = to be worth having or seeking or achieving”

Sin presents itself as something to be desired… as something of value that is worthy of chasing after, that is worthy of achieving, that is worthy of being accomplished…

When I think back on my life and reflect on the past sins that I have committed… they seemed at the time pretty desirable… they all seemed delightful, enticing, and worthy of time, effort, and energy to achieve… but they have only left me with shame and regret…

I do not look back at my past sins and think, I can not wait to tell everyone about the sins that I regret most… No, rather I am filled with shame, defeat, dismay, and disappointment…

QUESTION: Can you relate to me? Is there sin in your life that seems desirable & delightful in the moment and at the time, but after you commit it you have feelings of shame and feelings of defeat? Can you relate to me can you relate to the text and Adam & Eve?

Genesis 3:7, “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths…”

Adam & Eve exchanged temporary pleasure for eternal satisfaction in the presence of the Father… & the result was immediate shame & regret and a life that would be separated from God…

Evidence of immediate regret, shame, a relationship with God damaged is found in Genesis 3:8,

“8) And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man & his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord”…

· ) PRESENCE = “the presence or proximity of someone understood in terms of the face; with the implication of being before or in front of them”

In other words, because of the sin that Adam & Eve committed, they hid themselves from being in front of God, before God, because they did not want God to see them or know what they had done!

QUESTION: Have you ever committed a sin and thought, surely, I cannot go to God now… I do not want to be in his presence… I do not want him to see me and the things that I have done… I do not want to tell him about my sin because I am ashamed of it…

SIN at first seems appealing… but it only leaves us with shame, regret, and hiding from the presence of our Father…

Praise God for not seeing sinners like you and me turning away… praise God for not turning his back… Praise God for reaching out his hand by sending his Son Jesus to take that sin, shame, guilt, and regret upon his shoulders so that we could go before the Lord in confidence!

Sin is black and runs deep… but the blood of Jesus Christ is pure and can always make one clean…

POINT #3) The REWARD of SIN is DEATH and SEPARATION from God

Genesis 3:23-24,

“23) Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

24) He drove out the man, and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to Guard the way of the tree of life”

The worst thing that could ever happen to you is not death…

Rather, the worst thing that you could ever experience is an eternity separated from the living God…

For those of us who have placed our hope and faith in Jesus Christ alone, our death is simply a door way that leads to an eternity in the presence of the living God… where we will experience satisfaction, joy, and wonder that last forever!

I am tired of seeing people exchange the temporary high of sin for the eternal presence & satisfaction of God in heaven!

The reality is all of us have sinned,

Romans 3:23,

“23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… “

Therefore, all will be given the reward of death – we all will face death… the question isn’t will death occur… the question is Where will you be on the other side of death?

If you do not know Jesus as your savior I beg you not to delay…

God gave you his only Son… his everything… what he held most precious and dear to himself… so that you could have a way to be able to stand before him in his presence; face to face… without the stains of sin, shame, regret, and guilt… rather with a robe of righteousness and purity that was given to you by Jesus…

And for those of you who have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, continue to persue & desire God and what he says, trust in the Lord and his words, not the lies of the serpent - the enemy and Great Deceiver…

I will leave you with this:

Psalm 19:9-10,

“9) The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.

10) More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of honey comb”.

Desire the things of the Lord… His Word and his Son Jesus Christ… and not the lies of the serpent – the devil…

WHAT DID WE LEARN/RECAP:

POINT #1: The SERPENT is CRAFTY and OPPOSSES God.

POINT #2) Sin will look APPEALING and DELIGHTFUL but it only produces REGRET and SHAME

POINT #3) The REWARD of SIN is DEATH and SEPERATION from God