Who Am I Going to Listen to?
Notes
Transcript
Series: The Decisions We
Make
2. Who Are You Going to Listen To?
Genesis 3.1-8
Fellowship Baptist Church
September 16, 2018
Introduction:
The decision of who are we going to listen to is one of huge importance.
For who we listen to is who we will allow to influence us!!
Who we allow to influence us is who determines what we believe!!!
What we believe will determine what we do; for belief determines behavior!!!
For the unsaved man who you listen to will determine where you will spend eternity
For the believer in Jesus Christ who you listen to will determine how you will live this life.
Every day we are faced with decisions great and small.
These decisions will make a difference in many areas of our lives.
Whether we read our Bible
Whether we heed our Bible
Our attitude toward others
Our worship and church life
Who are we going to marry
How are we going to raise our kids
There are 1000’s of decisions that we are going to make that will profoundly impact our lives
The Bible is full of people who made decisions…
Illustration- the two thieves on the cross
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
We can say that the decisions that these men made impacted their entire
eternity!!!
All of us have been given the power of choice.
All of us have been given the power of choice.
Once we make the choice, it has power over us.
Once we make the choice, it has power over us.
I. The Design of God- 2:15-18, 21-22
I. The Design of God- 2:15-18, 21-22
A. God Described Man’s Purpose- vs. 15
A. God Described Man’s Purpose- vs. 15
Work-Man was designed to work.
Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
Seest thou a man diligent in his business?
He shall stand before kings;
He shall not stand before mean men.
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
Worship-Man was created to worship God. Worship is when I recognize God for Who He is.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
B. God Defined man’s boundaries- vs. 16-17
B. God Defined man’s boundaries- vs. 16-17
1. Prohibited the Tree of knowledge
1. Prohibited the Tree of knowledge
Testing man’s obedience, God desires for us to freely choose to worship Him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
2. Punishment for those who partake- “thou shalt surely die”
2. Punishment for those who partake- “thou shalt surely die”
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C. God Decided to meet man’s needs- vs. 18-19
C. God Decided to meet man’s needs- vs. 18-19
God knows mans need
God not only noticed man's need but He made preparations to meet the need before man even knew he had a need.
Brought a helpmeet into his life because He knew man needed a helpmeet.
The wife completes the husband.
God cares enough for you that He will meet the needs of your life.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
The Design of God for man
II. The Deception of the Devil- 3:1-5
II. The Deception of the Devil- 3:1-5
A. Deception of the serpent- vs. 1
A. Deception of the serpent- vs. 1
Subtil-sly,
artful, cunning, insinuating, deceitful, treacherous, sneaky
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The devil is still subtle in the way that he approaches us.
B. Doubting the Word of God- vs. 1, 4
B. Doubting the Word of God- vs. 1, 4
King James Version Study Bible Chapter 3
Yea, hath God said: More contemporarily: “Has God indeed said?” It emphasizes his amazement that God would restrict man’s freedom of choice in the garden. Satan centers on a restriction, casting doubt on God’s word, and not emphasizing the fact that God had said in 2:16 they might “freely eat” of all the trees.
3:2. Eve’s reply reveals her carelessness with the wording of 2:16, as she disparages the privileges of God by leaving out the word that conveys the sense of “freely eat” and leaves out the word all.
There are many ways that men doubt the Word of God today.
Evolution, works type salvation, eternal punishment.
C. Denying God’s power- vs. 5
C. Denying God’s power- vs. 5
Having led Eve first to question God’s authority and goodness and then both to augment and dilute His Word, Satan now was ready for the “kill.” “Ye shall surely not die.” The fact that God had warned Adam, and Adam had told Eve, that eating the fruit of this tree would result in death, was beside the point. That warning, Satan suggested, was merely because of God’s fear that they would learn too much. Not content merely with altering God’s Word, Satan now blatantly denied it, calling God a liar!
“ye shall be as gods” is the same temptation that led to Satan’s fall.
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
We make terrible, sometimes life changing decisions when we begin to question the Word of God and the power of God!!
God’s design for man
The deception of the devil.
III. The Decision of the Sinner- vs. 6
III. The Decision of the Sinner- vs. 6
This is where we are at every day:
It is a matter of who are we going to listen to.
And if we are going to accept or reject the Word of God!!!
Not my words, Churches words, some good mans words, But the VERY WORD OF GOD!!!!!
Either this Book will be your authority or you will be your own authority!!!
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
That I might not sin against thee.
BETH.
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee:
O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Here is where the battle rages in our hearts, minds, and thoughts...
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
See The Revived Life by John Van Gelderen chapter 6.
One of the most discouraging realizations for the new Christian is that they still sin. Probably one of the most discouraging realizations for the more mature Christian is that they still sin. As long as we are on this earth we will sin.
Sin begins in the form of temptation-a desire that draws me away from God. Temptation itself is not sin, giving into temptation is when sin begins.
See Romans 6:6- the old man had no power to say no to sin; the new man has been given that power by Jesus Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit.
See also 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
3 main sources of temptation:
The world- 1 John 2:15–16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
The Flesh- Galatians 5:17–24 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
The devil- Matthew 4:3 “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”
Based on these 3 sources of temptation the devil will use 3 specific approaches:
Temptation through apparent causes-deals mostly with the physical part of my life such as taste, feel, see, hear.
Temptation through non-apparent causes-Deals mostly with the emotional part of my life without an outside physical stimulant.
Temptation through a combination of the above two-an outside physical temptation combined with an emotional temptation.
A. Lust of the flesh-good for food-vs. 6
A. Lust of the flesh-good for food-vs. 6
The desire “to do”-Shameful appetites
Exploring the Epistles of John: An Expository Commentary (2) The Lusts of the World (2:16)
It can mean simply satisfying a legitimate desire in an illegitimate way. The lust of the flesh is one of the world’s devices for weaning us away from complete trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Armour of God to use in resisting the lust of the flesh.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
B. Lust of the eyes- pleasant to the eyes
B. Lust of the eyes- pleasant to the eyes
The desire “to have”-Showy appearance
Exploring the Epistles of John: An Expository Commentary (2) The Lusts of the World (2:16)
The world knows how to catch our eye and draw us into this, that, or the other form of lust. The Devil, in other words, knows how to package and merchandise his wares so that they appear attractive
Armour of God to use in resisting the lust of the eyes.
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
C. Lust of pride of life-to make one wise
C. Lust of pride of life-to make one wise
The desire “to be”-Shallow Applause
Armour of God to use in resisting the pride of life.
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Conclusion:
Who you choose to listen to will determine what you believe!!
Your behavior is a direct result of what you believe!!
Our philosophy of life is best expressed in the choices we make and not the words that we say.
Our philosophy of life is best expressed in the choices we make and not the words that we say.
Consequences of making a sinful decision:
Cast from the garden
Cursed
the ground
Cause
death to come upon all
Behind every tragedy of
failure of human character is a long process of wicked thinking.
Most of us do not wake up
one day and make the decision to go into deep sin on the spur of the moment; if
we get into deep sin it is a direct result of fair amount of time
wrong/sinful/lustful thinking!!
We need to get rid of
stinkin thinkin!!!
