3 Moves toward the Fall

Make sure to pocket real ring!

Intro

Welcome to Voyage Sunday Service! Made it out on our first rainy day …

We stream these services out every week, so if that’s you out there, welcome.

Thankful for our postgrads who just shared a bit of their experiences

I knew they were sharing so pulled up some photos of them from when they were college students. We knew them since they were undergrads.

[[ SLIDE ]] - Elaine and Bia

[[ SLIDE ]] - Bia’s Green Hair

[[ SLIDE ]] - I don’t have pictures with Josh from when he’s undergrad. But Dr. J who he talked about was part of my staff when I was undergrad, and back then he was in residency … so he worked LONG hours … but still met up with us, came over to our place …

Message

Last couple of weeks we covered Genesis 1-2. The Christian creation story.

We learned that from the first pages, Genesis challenges the standard notions we have of God, that God is not an exacting, authoritarian kill joy.

But that rather he is someone who wants to bless man with abundance and generosity. And that part of having a relationship with God also involves doing the good work that God prepared in advance for us to do.

But there’s a problem. When we look at the world today, there’s something clearly … off.

While we still experience hints of beauty and love and laughter and joy in our world, there’s also a darker side that I think we’re all too aware of.

[[ SLIDE ]]

And every world religion, every serious worldview needs to answer that question: what’s wrong with our world?

Why is there so much crime and hate and power-mongering? Why is there so much pain that we inflict on one another?

And how do we reconcile that with many things in our world that we see that are genuinely wonderful, even awe-inspiring. Heroic acts of self-sacrifice. Moments of virtue and selflessness.

Reconciling the good and evil in the world

So how do we reconcile these two realities that we see such evil in the world; and yet are aware of the potential of good?

[[ SLIDE ]]

Well some people take the optimistic view. That mankind is inherently good. That the bad stuff are flukes. Or that they’re products of bad environment.

Other would have the opposite view. The cynical view. Which says that man is thoroughly evil and motivated by nothing but greedy self-interest which needs to be held in check by society or all base animal instincts will go raging unchecked.

Others would say that there really is no such thing as good or evil. That there is no such thing as an objective moral standard. So then we can’t really sah that people are good or evil…

But what is the Christian view?

[[ SLIDE ]]

The Christian view to this question is that MANKIND is a VERY GOOD THING that’s been broken. And so mankind retains much of the goodness that God intended for it. You can see glimpses of that even now in the world. But that there’s also something fundamentally broken about mankind.

We’ve seen this already in our study of Genesis. How the Scriptures have a very HIGH view of mankind. Mankind being the pinnacle of creation. Made in the image of God with potential for goodness. Called by God to join God in doing God’s work.

But then something happened. We fell. And we got messed up.

And that’s really tragic.

[[ SLIDE ]] - HORSE

E.g. Like if I paint a picture, and you squirt ketchup on it, that’s sad for me, but not a huge deal.

[[ SLIDE ]] - KETCHUP ON HORSE

[[ SLIDE ]] - MONA LISA

e.g. But if you squirt ketchup on the Mona Lisa, that’s an international tragedy.

[[ SLIDE ]] - KETCHUP ON MONA LISA

The Bible’s perspective is that we are the Mona Lisa’s of Creation. That God meant us to be the pinnacle of Creation, and so then when we became twisted and broken because of our choices, from the Christian perspective, it was an utter tragedy.

Another way to think about this is: the more potential something has for good, the greater the potential it has for bad as well.

That’s why the most horrifying antagonists in movies are all twisted versions of people.

Like a demonic tree is kind of scary…

[[ SLIDE ]]

A demonic cat is a little more scary …

[[ SLIDE ]]

But a demonic little girl in a white dress.

[[ SLIDE ]] – BLANK

Just kidding I’m not going to show you that picture.

In essence, the Bible’s perspective is that God intended for us to use our God-given capacities: the ability to reason, to create, to love, and he intended for us to be amazing stewards of Creation, to do good with self-control and right judgment.

And we can hear echoes of that still, but when we MISUSE those capacities and choose evil instead, it’s that much more tragic and devastating because of what we were meant to be.

[[ SLIDE ]]

And that’s the Christian understanding of what’s wrong with our world. We are very good things that have fallen. Good things gone bad. There’s something about that description that really fits.

Just saying people are BAD BAD BAD requires us to have a low view of humanity.

But the Christian view allows us acknowledge the value of each person, allows to have high vision and hope for one another … because EVERY PERSON is made in the image of God … while still acknowledging that those people made in the image of God don’t behave very godly sometimes.

But just saying people are GOOD GOOD GOOD ignores much of reality and requires that we turn a blind eye towards real sin and brokenness in the world.

But the Christian view allows us to hate the evil in this world, it allows us to say that things are NOT how they should be … while still saying that every human being is precious …

Christianity allows us to love the sinner, but hate the brokenness, to do BOTH without compromising either one.

Ok, so then the big question — how did mankind FALL? How did we become broken?

In today’s text, we’ll read about that first SIN. And we’ll take a look at the progression towards the fall … the MOVES that happened before Adam and Eve sinned.

So let’s read this account…

Undergrads: Eve

Graduate Students and Working People: Serpent

[[ SLIDE ]] - TEXT

Genesis 3:1–7 (ESV)

1 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 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.’ ” [[ SLIDE ]] 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, [[ SLIDE ]] 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.

[[ SLIDE ]]

So here’s Adam and Even happily in Eden, then along comes this serpent. The serpent is often thought to symbolize Satan.

Now it doesn’t say that anywhere in the text necessarily, but most careful readers of the Scriptures think that’s a good inference because elsewhere in Scripture, like in Revelation (Ch 20) Satan is referred to as “that ancient serpent.”

But what’s clear is that the serpent is opposed to God and comes to wreak havoc on God’s good creation. And what’s the first thing he does?

[[ SLIDE ]]

1st Move: Questioning God’s Word (v.1)

Starts out with a question: (3:1) Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?

It almost sounds like the serpent is interested in God’s word. “Did God actually say…”

Take note of the serpent’s tactics. He doesn’t come in with a flamethrower and say “God sucks! Cmon guys, let’s torch this place!”

It’s interesting that the first MOVE toward the fall is not somethign that seems remotely evil. What it sounds like is a discussion about God’s Word! Maybe it’s an intellectual … a theological discussion.

“Oh no… no no no no … God didn’t say that … I mean I know he SAID that … but he didn’t REALLY say that … what he really meant was this …

And in that discussion, the serpent starts to ERODE AWAY the authority of God’s word. He’s questioning God’s word … not what the Word “says” but what is MEANT by it.

And he causes Eve to doubt that God’s words are absolute. That when God said something, he meant what he said …

And when the serpent does this — he opens up God’s word for interpretation. He creates WIGGLE ROOM within God’s commands … so that he doesn’t have to “strictly obey it.”

Suddenly it’s not very clear what God said or meant.

Note that the serpent does this also by misquoting God’s Word:

God didn’t say, “you shall not eat of any tree in the garden.”

If you recall from Chapter 2, they’re free to eat from ANY of the many trees in the garden, except for ONE tree - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So Satan is actually misquoting God here. And so Eve picks up on that and corrects him in verses 2-3, except that Eve ALSO misquotes God.

[[ SLIDE ]]

Genesis 3:2–3 ESV

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.’ ”

In correcting the serpent, Eve doesn’t get it right either… She adds on… “neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

It’s really interesting to me that she says that ..

Or maybe Eve is being slightly dramatic in her speech as she remembers this one rule that God gave them. Yeah man don’t even TOUCH that tree!

OR she might actually just be remembering wrong. Maybe she confused her own thoughts for God’s Word

Regardless, the point is that the serpent has already succeeded in his first step.

Which is to cause doubt on what God’s Word actually means … to get people away from the simple reading and obedience to God’s word.

APPLICATION:

e.g. Did GOD really say that we need to surrender EVERY aspect of our lives over to Jesus? Did he ACTUALLY say that? I mean I know Jesus is supposed to be LORD and we’re supposed to be his SERVANTS … but he can’t possibly ACTUALLY mean that?

e.g. Did GOD actually say that we need to share the gospel and make disciples of ALL nations? I mean technically didn’t he say that to the TWELVE? He didn’t say it to ME?

e.g. Did GOD actually warn against money? For me to NOT lay up treasures on earth. That we cannot serve God and money. I mean he can’t actually mean that because the church needs money. We need to serve money a little bit right? I mean not a lot, but a little bit?

This is how SO MUCH ERROR enters into lives of those who say they’re Christian. Christians should get their sense for what’s normal, what’s right … not from what people say online, not from the church down the street, not from your friends … but from God’s Word.

I think in some ways, people who aren’t Christians, people who are curious to know what Christianity is about … they get this more intuitively. Yeah shouldn’t you reference what’s in your sacred book?

Otherwise, you can start getting weird ideas about how Christian life is supposed to be lived. Weird ideas about what’s normal in church.

Okay, so back to the serpent: the serpent doesn’t deny the WoG outright.

He just tries to open it up for interpretation, imply that maybe God didn’t say that or mean that, maybe there’s some wiggle room there.

2nd Move: Focusing on Prohibitions

[[ SLIDE ]]

The second move the serpent makes is here in his actual question:

Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?

The serpent doesn’t come by and say: “Wow what a wonderful garden! Look at these colors! These fruit!”

He says … “I heard there’s something you aren’t allowed to do here…”

In other words, the serpent focuses on the PROHIBITION.

It’s weird … how when you’re told you can’t have something, you suddenly want it more.

e.g. Kids are like this. Kid will be perfectly content playing with a toy truck.

Until another kid comes and picks up the toy airplane that was just sitting there. That they were NOT playing with.

But now SUDDENLY they can’t be happy unless they have the toy airplane.

It’s funny when kids do it, but it seems we never grew out of this tendency. Because the thing you can’t have, the thing out of reach … that’s the thing we desire. And often it grows and grows into an obsession … until you must have it. We can never be happy without it.

It’s amazing that in this perfect garden. In paradise, humanity finds a way to be unhappy.

Shall we review? This was not a desert full of cacti with one fruit tree that they could not eat from. It was literal paradise.

[[ SLIDE ]]

Genesis 2:9 ESV

9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God made EVERY TREE … .it was GOOD FOR FOOD.

AND it was PLEASING TO THE EYE.

Why? That has no function. Makes no practical difference. But God is into beauty and aesthetics.

And as God created, he repeatedly blesses Creation. He blesses the fish in the seas. He blesses the birds of the air. He blesses mankind. He blesses all creation as he enters the Sabbath. He fills the universe with beauty and life and declares it VERY GOOD.

So think think of God as the great PROHIBITOR. It’s absurd.

[[ SLIDE ]]

e.g. What if a husband thought of marriage in that way? Kept focusing on the one thing you cannot now do as a husband.

Other women are forbidden. Can’t have deep conversations with women where you’re pouring out your heart with other women.

Now I need to tell my wife where I am … what time I’m coming home … cant’ just go out whenever I want to …

When she’s sick I gotta take care of her.

So many restrictions. This marriage thing … it’s one giant prohibition!

No that would be absurd. And false?

But what’s false about it? It’s taking a tiny sliver of reality and enlarging it as if it’s the whole thing.

It’s false because it leaves out so much!

And in the case of a relationship, like marriage, it’s offensive .. .alienating.

3rd Move: Mistrust God

For the serpent, once he has Eve focused in on the prohibition, the next move is easy:

[[ SLIDE ]]

Genesis 3:4–5 ESV

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.”

v. 4 Note he straight up lies… you’re not going to die ..

Then in v.5 he says “For God KNOWS ….” what? He knows your eyes will be OPENED …

THAT’S WHY he won’t let you eat that fruit.

IOW, he’s getting Eve to mistrust God. He is casting doubt on God’s motive.

This is the serpent’s endgame—to suggest that God is holding out on you. That he doesn’t have your best interest in mind.

IN FACT, he’s got some ulterior motive that he’s not saying to you … so he must not be trusted.

This is a message that resonates deeply within our hearts—we have this suspicion that God is holding out on me … that if I really actually trust God with my life … then I’ll end up a fool because he won’t actually be able to deliver on His promises. And he was never really out to bless my life in the first place …

So then the serpent’s message is … don’t be a fool! Don’t trust God. Discern good and evil for yourself. You go out and you decide how you want to live … you’ll know good from evil yourself

And you know what it’s true that if you go and do what you want, if you go and give into temptations, if you cross boundaries … then you WILL know good from evil. You’ll know in the end through your own regrets and shame. But only at the cost of damaging yourself and others.

DISQ: What are the 3 moves so far?

Eyes are Deceptive

Now that Eve is feeling like God can’t be trusted, and so she needs to take care of herself and live apart from God … what does she see?

[[ SLIDE ]]

It says in verse 6:

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes,…

So up to there, it makes sense - a fruit could look like that - like an apple, or a peach - it’s good for food and a delight to the eyes.

But then it says she saw … “that the tree was to be desired to make one wise”

And you wonder: How could a fruit look like that? MAYBE if a fruit was shaped like a brain, someone might think it’ll make them wise… but then it wouldn’t be a delight to the eyes. Unless it’s a walnut.

So what’s going on here?

[[ SLIDE ]]

e.g. In Little Mermaid, what does Ariel say, when she’s holding that dinglehopper, the fork?

“I don’t understand … how can a people who make such beautiful things be bad?”

That’s Genesis 3 right there! 

Just as Eve is reading into that fruit something that a piece of fruit cannot possibly possess, Ariel is looking at this dinglehopper, and the whole world is in that fork, and she wants to be part of that world.

She thinks: something this beautiful, this shiny, how can these people be bad?

[[ SLIDE ]]

When the fact is that the fish-eaters who make these dinglehoppers use them to eat Flounder.

Ariel is NOT seeing things clearly. And it all starts with her eyes … what she desires by looking at it …

Scripture warns again and again about the eyes—to be careful of what we SEE. Because the EYES are the most deceptive of the senses… we look at things and we don’t see them right … we don’t value things right … we read into things. We perceive them to be more magical than they are… and soon you have to have it … no matter the cost

[[ SLIDE ]]

e.g. When I was growing up, I was into cars. I remember really wishing I had an BMW 335xi in high school, and I would look at those beemers and imagine myself driving one around, being so cool.

When reality is: I climb out of the car, and I’m just a nerdy guy with a backpack.

But to me, when I “saw” those Beemers, they were desirable to make one “cool” and “attractive.”

[[ SLIDE ]]

But we’re deceived with our eyes all the time. And nowadays we’re fed so many images online. Instagram.

And we think oh man only if I had that latest gadget

Oh man if only I could get together with that cute guy with the immaculate profile, then I’d be so happy….

And what happens? As you keep looking at it, you keep desiring … pretty soon it’s all you can see. It becomes your whole reality. And eventually you MUST have it. No matter how much it costs you.

APP: I wonder what that is for you? That thing you KEEP looking at? That thing that dominates your thoughts … your desires. That thing you keep coming back to over time … only if I had that then I’d be happy … and you feel like you can’t move on unless you have it …

What is it for you?

Wealth?

Sexual freedom?

Romance? Perfect marriage?

Successful career?

What is that thing your mind goes to again and again such that THAT thing is the only thing you can see?

If you’re experiencing that, you’re being lured away from reality!

e.g. Why do married people with kids and a nice home commit adultery, and destroy all that they held dear? how are they able to do that?

Because somehow this desire becomes larger than life – it becomes all of reality. It become paradise itself, and if only I can dive into this relationship, I will be delivered.

That is a fool in action, yet people go for it because, like Eve, the focus gets narrow, and they lose all sense of perspective …

Of course, these relationships never end up delivering what you thought they would.

It’s not just adultery.

It’s all forms of temptations. It never satisfies like we thought it would. And as a result, we feel lonely, we feel ashamed, but often we just plunge in deeper because by that time we can’t see a way back.

And that’s exactly the serpent’s plan.

As the saying goes …

Sin takes you farther that you wanted to go

Keeps you longer than you wanted to stay

And charges a price higher than you were willing to pay

[[ SLIDE ]]

Genesis 3:6(ESV)

… she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Sin is Rejection of God

And there it is, that momentous occasion. The first sin. The sin that led to the marring and corruption of all of humanity, leading to all other sins in human history.

But these verses show us a major difference between Christianity and most other religious. Other religions say that you’re bad because you do bad things.

But in Christianity, the very first SIN, the thing that causes all brokenness and darkness to enter into the world… is that Adam and Eve ate a piece of FRUIT.

And this is really profound.

Because eating a FRUIT … is a morally neutral act.

THere’s nothing INHERENTLY wrong with picking a fruit from a tree and taking a bite into it.

ILLUST: It’s like throwing a round piece of metal. Throwing a piece of metal is a morally neutral act.

[[ SLIDE ]] - shot put

Nothing immoral about that.

But what if the round piece of metal looks like this?

[[ SLIDE ]] - wedding ring

[[Take off wedding ring]]

Like this piece of metal right here, if I can get it off.

[[Throw it out of the room]]

Why’re you guys so shocked? It’s just a piece of metal.

Ah, but it’s not, is it? That’s a deeply significant act, because that ring represents something really precious, and discarding it symbolizes the end to that relationship.

(Don’t worry I have my real ring here).

And so when Adam and Eve eat the fruit, it’s a deeply SIGNIFICANT act. It’s Adam and Eve saying God … we’re going to decide what’s right and wrong. I know you said that we shouldn’t do this. But we’re not going to listen to you anymore. We’re going to choose for ourselves what’s right and wrong.

This REJECTION of God’s authority over our lives — this is the ESSENCE of what Christians call “SIN.”

[[ SLIDE ]]

Often we tend to think of sins as violations of rules. Bad things we do… lying, cheating, stealing.

Yes of course those things are sins too …But BEFORE mankind lied, blamed, envied, murdered, committed adultery … before any of that they ATE THE FRUIT. Mankind rejected God.

So it’s more accurate to say that those are MANIFESTATIONS of the deeper sin problem in every one of us.

Of course, lying, cheating, that’s bad.

But Christianity says that the really bad part is that by lying, by cheating, by looking at bad things, I am saying to God: “God, I don’t trust you.  I don’t want to listen to you and your standards for good and evil.  I want to be my own god.  Get out of my life.”

All have sinned

[[ SLIDE ]]

And the Bible says that we’ve ALL done this. That we are ALL guilty of this fundamental rejection of God.

Romans 3:10–12 (ESV)

10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Even people who look “good” on the outside—decent people who pay their taxes, mow their lawns, volunteer to help those in need, who work hard at their kids, raise happy families, even go to church …

A person can do all these good things, but if the entire time, this person is saying “I am in control of my life.  There is no God.  I am my own God,” then that person has rejected God — and that person is a SINNER.

Can’t be saved through good deeds

Ok so if that’s what it means to SIN.

Then what does it mean to be SAVED?

e.g. Just this past week, was talking with someone who was telling me that they’re Christian, but they believed that we could go to heaven if we do enough good things, even if we don’t really believe in Jesus and commit to Him.

But if SIN is a rejection of God … how could we possibly be saved without dealing with the fact that we REJECTED GOD?

Scripture is clear that DOING GOOD is not enough!

[[ SLIDE ]]

Isaiah 64:6 (ESV)

6 We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

Since the source of our sin is rebellion against God, the way to salvation is to surrender to him once again.

[[ SLIDE ]]

Or as CS Lewis puts it: “Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms.”

What you need to be saved is not to do a few good things.

No, what you need to be saved is COMPLETE SURRENDER. It’s to say, God you win. You’re right. I submit to you. I will FOLLOW YOU … which means I’ll do what YOU say …

Covering our Shame (v.7)

Back to Adam and Eve. So they eat the fruit they’re not supposed to. What happens?

[[ SLIDE ]]

Genesis 3:7 ESV

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.

They realize that they’re naked. And they cover themselves up. What is this? This is them experiencing SHAME for the first time.

At the end of Genesis 2 we’re told that they were “naked and unashamed.”

They were free from shame and guilt. They could live totally vulnerably before God and before one another.

But now that they have sinned. Now that they have violated God’s word, they experience being ashamed. Perhaps blushing for the very first time. Wanting to cover up.

 And so, being creative, they spring to action, take fig leaves, fig leaves are big, and they use that to cover up their shame. But it’s an inadequate covering. It won’t last.

But at the end of Ch 3, we see God’s mercy.

[[ SLIDE ]]

Genesis 3:21 ESV

21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

It’s as if God says, yes you do need a covering. But those fig leaves are inadequate. They won’t last. Let me make you something better. Something more permanent. I’ll make a garment of skin … but that means that an animal will have to die. In order for your sin and shame to be covered, blood will need to be spilled.

And from the very first sin, we get a distant foreshadowing of how God himself would eventually bleed to give an even better, a permanent and proper covering of our guilt and shame in Jesus Christ.

What do we do to cover up our guilt and shame?

Some of us just refuse to think about it

Some of us do good things.

Some of us try to do religious things.

Some of us try to become better people.

But all of our efforts are like fig leaves. They don’t work.

But God, because he loves us, sends his Son, Jesus, to shed his blood. So that by his death, our sins are covered.

And we’ll pick it up from there next week.

[[ SLIDE ]]

Discussion

What are the three moves the serpent made to lead Adam and Eve into sin? How do these moves relate to the way we might be tempted today?

How are our eyes deceptive? Do you have a personal experience where something you desired turned out to be different from what you expected?

What is the essence of sin? How does this understanding of sin change the way you view your relationship with God?

What are some "fig leaves" we use to cover our own shame and guilt, and how does Jesus' sacrifice offer a more permanent solution?

Prayer Prompts

So as we close, just want to give you some time to think and reflect:

Where are you today?

Are you trusting in God’s Word — trying to find wiggle room? Trying to re-negotiate what it means to follow Jesus.

Are there ways you’re focusing on the prohibitions …

Pray prayer of gratitude for all the blessings God’s given to you, starting from life itself … to salvation if you’re a Christian.

Or maybe for some of you, you need to pray about what your eyes have been focusing on. What have you been looking at, imagining, longing for … what’s that been doing to your heart?

Pray prayer of confession.

<< GIVE TIME TO PRAY >>

Praise band come up.

Sing final song. Living Hope. Song declaring that though we are hopelessly sinners, in Jesus we have HOPE because he of his great sacrifice on the cross for us.

Pray prayer saying to God — I want to trust you. I know you’re for my good. We see that in Creation. We see that on the Cross. Help me to trust you