The Failure of Adam—The Victory of Jesus

(S1) — {Luke 4:1-13}

PRAY

(S2) — Don’t Do It!

BROKEN PADDLE on my FANNY

Raising children—Teach/Warn/Discipline...because we love them

— Want your child to know that you love them unconditionally

— Teach them from right and wrong...

It means “doing things that to the child doesn’t feel like love, but is love.” (Pastor Cambron)

DON’T RING THAT BELL—Precocious baby/Dad had surgery/Don’t ring that bell—Yea, I’m doing what I want to do!

If your a parent, your kid has rung the bell...and because of Adam’s Fall so have we.

“I can resist everything exept temptation” Osacr Wilde

What I have learned from my own experience with temptation/sin—when I have willfully done something I shouldn’t have; I don’t like the way it feels!

Temptation/Sin—this is our human struggle, one that began with Adams failure

(S3) — SERIES—Genesis and Jesus

Last week—Spirit Over the waters at creation

God was the INITIATOR...His INTENTIONS were always good...and God’s Spirit SUSTAINS all things

“We believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen” (Nicene Creed)

God’s creative purpose was always to bring forth life!

“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! {Genesis 1:31}

It was all good...until it wasn’t

(S4) — TITLE

Genesis and the creation story...to Jesus’ Baptism...

Just as in parenting—God’s love is sometimes doing what doesn’t feel like love. Jesus is evidence of God’s love, but His heart breaks when we choose what is wrong, what hurts us and others?

ADAM’S FAILURE in facing TEMPTATION lead to SIN...seperated humanity from his creator. But because God loves his children, he sent His Son to be VICTORY for us over our failures and any temptation we could face.

God’s most precious creation; man/women, created with purpose/given responsibility

“Confessing God as creator is not merely a statement about origins. It establishes value and mutual obligation” (Christian Faith and Doctrine, G.M.C.).

Created—to be fruitful and be many (1:28)—to consume (1:29)— For worship (2:3)—To work and care for God’s perfect garden (2:15)—For relationaship (2:18)

Above all, the greater gift created to be IMAGE BEARERS...

(S5) —

Genesis 1:27 NLT

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Created to be in the likeness of the fullness of God (trinity)—Image bearers (a physical representation of...)

Ephesians 4:24 “Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”

More than that, we are to reflect his character—in realtionship to others...and back to God, in our praise of God

2 Corinthians 3:18 “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

But, there was BAD NEWS in the garden—God’s precious creation walked away from thier calling...

Its easy to blame God for the way things are...Isaiah the prophet seems to validate this idea

Isaiah 45:7 “I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.”

The Problem: people had stopped fearing their creator. When we are tempted to place blame...it would do us well to remember that, God didn’t get it wrong! Because of sin, humanity lost it; messed things up and have ever since.

How were they to get back what was lost?

(S6) — They had to first realize...

They could NOT do it on their own!

“God brought humanity into existence and, when we defaulted on our obligations toward him, God did not abandon his creatures, but invested himself fully in their redemption” (CFD).

Genesis 1 is God’s creative handy work—Genesis 2 is the birth of temptation in the human heart—Rest of the Bible is God’s redemptive plan

(S7) — How Adam and Eve fall from paradise?

2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (NIV)

The gift of freedom...FREE to eat—Not robots/Free to choose

Still God places a prohbition on freedom…you must not eat— Don’t Do It! Any ambiguity there?

The problem—They were not alone in the garden. There was one had alterior moitives

Genesis 3:1 “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made.

The serpent? (snake)—Greek (destroyer)—First called the serpant; we see him throughout the Bible

Job 1:7 ““Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.””

2 Corinthians 11:3 “I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.”

Revelation 12:9 “This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world...

How they fell from paradise? The serpents first tool of temptation, he gets them to...

(S8) —

I. Doubt God’s WORD!

3:1“One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?””

Notices he talks to the women who wasn’t there intially—creating doubt. The question of whether God’s word is right or wrong? The serpents deception is getting her to see her truth over God’s truth

‘My Truth vs. God’s truth’

Doubt creates confusion—A tool satan still uses in the church today...did God really say..?

John 14:6 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.

In her confusion, Eve’s response reveals that the seed of DOUBT had been planted.

(S9)

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.’ ””

Notice her subtle alterations—The tree is unnamed tree; Good/Evil…she adds a command; they are not to touch it

“She’s made it seem harsher than the command was” Pastor Cambron

This happens to us...the enemies cast doubt on what God has said. “Did God really say I can’t have fun…?

Christians are supposed to be stuffy/Jesus wedding

When we doubt God’s word, the DON’T DO IT...becomes...did god really say...?

Proverbs 30:5–6 “Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

If they fully understood God’s love, His prohibition was for their benefit...to sustain the life they had!

…we don’t like to be told what to do or not to do...God’s don’t do it is in your face, but the serpents tool of doubt is more subtle; getting her (them) to doubt God’s word...

3:4-5 ““You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “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.””

The serpents second tool of temptation, he gets them to...

(S10) —

II. Doubt God’s GOODNESS!

The worldview—We worship a mean God...who is restricting; withholding his goodness...

— This is most dangerous because it causes us to question, “Is God really good?”

Doubting God’s goodness starts when we question the character of God—

Constructive criticism—I don’t always get it right, but question my character...!

God knew his goodness was best for Adam and Eve. He knows whats best for us—better than we do!

What was Eve thinking? What kind of God would not let me...keep this from me...why cant I just do what I want to do? Is what god asking of us bad for us? When we doubt God’s goodness questions creep in...

— You’re not worthy...of God’s love—God will never forgive me...your past is unforgivable—You're suffering because of your sin—You will never change...stop doing—God wouldn't call you..

—Independence from God and personal autonomy (self-made) is a path to life—Becoming like God will open your eyes...

All come from a place of doubting God’s goodness

(S11)

3:6a “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.

Their eyes go away from God and to the tree— Sin never looks bad....it looks so good. The problem is we don’t see sin for what it is. We want to elevate one sin over another...point to someone else’s sin...

Imagine sin at the door of your home as a ugly, scary, destructive monster trying to get in (Rev. Carls)

Adam’s failure: a downward cycle of doubting God’s WORD, doubting God’s GOODNESS...making it easy to fall to the serpents 3rd tool of temptation; getting them to

(S12)

III. DISOBEY God’s Command.

3:6b “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.”

I don’t believe that they set out to disobey God...just as we don’t either—They both were complicit and they both suffered the consequences

— Then eyes were opened and it felt like nothing they had known before—SHAME

We like Adam and Eve want to ring the Bell—it feels good until it doesn’t

—Separation from God—Broken relationships

—Man dominate over the woman

—Work becomes toil

—God to the man: From dust you come...the serpent...the woman...

We have all been there...we all still ring the bell

Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

Doubt of God’s word, causes us to doubt God’s GOODNESS, which leads to disobedience. The temptation to taste and see leads to sin—Everything that's wrong in the world

We want to ring the bell—We can’t help ourselves—we can’t do it on our own!

(S13) —

What they were unable to do, Jesus DID!

{Luke 4:1-13} Jesus’ Temptation...

1 “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. 2 He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.”

Jesus as much human as he was divine (full of the H.S.)—at his lowest...

More easily tempted when we are spiritually weak

Devil (diabolos)—Satan, adversary, accuser (leader of fallen angels)

What Adam and Eve were unable to do, Jesus did!

Satan tries...to get Jesus to DOUBT His fathers WORD

3 “Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.””

‘FEED YOUR HUNGER’

Jesus paraphrases {Deut. 8:3}

4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’””

What they were unable to do, Jesus did!

Then Satan tries to get Jesus to DOUBT God’s GOODNESS

6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please.”

‘FILL YOUR WANT’

Jesus paraphrases {Deut. 6:13}

8 “Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’””

Then Satan tries to get him to DISOBEY God’s COMMAND

Luke 4:9–11 “Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ””

‘FOLLOW MY WAYS’

Jesus responds with {Deut. 6:16}

12 “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’””

(S14) —

Temptation we experience still today—Feed Your Hunger/Fill Your Want/Follow My Ways

I believe the clearer we see how the devil operates...the better we can stand up against his scheme.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

They were not alone in the garden...neither are we alone in this world...but what Adam and Eve were unable to do, Jesus was able to do

From Adam’s FAILURE to Jesus’ VICTORY

Luke 4:13 “When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.”

So...what do we do? How do we overcome the sinfulness we adopted...? When you feel tempted to feed your hunger

I. Feed your SPIRIT with God’s Word

1 Peter 2:2–3 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

When you feel the desire to FILL your want

II. Look to JESUS Not the Tree

When you are being tempted to FOLLOW the worlds ways...

III. SURRENDER to God’s Will

Matthew 16:24 “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”

(S15)

How did Jesus win the victory?

He BELIEVED God’s Word as True!

James 1:6 (NIV) “But when you ask, you must BELIEVE and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

He TRUSTED in God’s Goodness!

He OBEYED God’s Will!

The greater temptation for Jesus would not in the desert...but in the garden

not my will...

How do we claim victory over Adam’s fall: Temptation and Sin? When you doubt...look to Jesus—be image-bearers and when your tempted to ring the bell, remember this...

(S16)

What you are unable to do, Jesus did for you!

Struggling with sin? I pray that you will...

Don’t look to the tree...run to Jesus—believe, trust and obey...you are not alone