Genesis #3: The Beginning - Of the end

My name is Gary Priddy. I’m the pastor of the Rock Hall United Methodist Charge… what we call Your Rock Hall Church. We love Rock Hall, we have been a part of this community since the very beginning.

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Let’s get started!

Lord speak to us today. Impress upon us a clear understanding of who we are and how desperate we are for your grace. Teach us!

Amen

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Some questions have answers that change your life.

Do you think we should?

Will it hurt?

Would you like to go out?

Would you like to come to work with us?

One question that certainly changed the direction of my life was “Will you marry me?”

Engagement story: When I finally got up the nerve to propose to my wife, of course she picked out the ring, but had no idea when she would get it. When the time came, I put the ring in my pocket and carried it around all day… waiting for the right moment

We took our dog for a walk on the beach. Thinking it would be the perfect place… only my dog was crazy and wouldn’t keep it together long enough for me to pop the question. Good thing I didn’t have a friend hiding out in the bushes like couples do today… they would have been upset with me.

We then went out to dinner. I thought this would be the best way to do it. I don’t remember where we went, but it was crazy loud. I thought this isn’t right either.

Finally we went to the movie. Time had run out. I couldn’t wait any longer so I put the ring in the popcorn and “POPPED” the question… get it? It was funnier in my head when I did it… but problem was the ring was covered in butter and salt.

I tried OK… I’m no Casanova, but I tried.

Anyway… she said yes, that’s the important thing; and that answer changed my life…

You see often times it’s not so much the question, but the answer that can bring about a drastic change in the direction of our life.

In today’s text, we find a question who’s answer doesn't just change the life of the one answering… but for everyone who has lived since.

We see that clearly in today’s text.

Remember where we are.

God, Father-Son-Holy Spirit, has created everything and it is good. Everything works together. The land is filled with plants and trees for food, there is no competition for life and survival. Everything is blessed, fruitful and filling the earth.

God took soil and shaped it into man, filling him with the breath of God, doing the same with the woman after he formed her from the rib of the man.

He gave them the garden of Eden to care for, to steward over, to be his emissary, his representative.

It had everything they could want or need. It’s something we can only imagine, and honestly we really can’t even do that.

We don’t have any idea what it might be like living in a world in perfect harmony. know how long it was between chapter 2 and chapter 3. Could have been days, could have been years.

It really doesn’t matter though, because in chapter 3 everything changes. Everything changes because of the answer to one question.

It’s a question that you and I often struggle with today.

In fact it is the first question in the Bible.

Genesis 3:1–5 NIV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The one asking the question is a new character in the story… a talking serpent.

There have been attempts to explain this talking serpent over the years, it has been said the snake represented Eve’s inner thoughts, or a mythological character representing chaos and evil or human curiosity. Others have said it was a reference to ancient myths revering the serpent deity. But the traditional opinion of both Jewish and Christian interpreters is that the serpent is serving as an instrument of Satan; that this was a real serpent through which Satan conversed with Eve.

Who is Satan?

Scripture teaches us that before the creation of the earth, Satan was an angel. An angel who rebelled against God and in punishment was cast down to earth with 1/3 of the angels in the heavens.

Ephesians tells us that he became the ruler of the darkness of this world and our tempter. 1 Samuel tells us that he is the father of lies. Revelation describes him as our adversary, a deceiver, and the power of darkness. John describes him as the one who’s mission is to kill, steal, and destroy all that God created.

That gives you a pretty good picture of who Eve is dealing with here.

The fact is, Eve didn’t stand a chance. We often judge Adam and Eve for messing up, but would we do any better? We fall to the same temptation all the time.

Now knowing how smart and dangerous Satan is, you might be thinking… “Why did God allow Satan into the Garden in the first place?” Good question. We will circle back to this later.

For now, realize that Eve did have much of a chance facing off against Satan… Especially coming to her in the form of an animal, a snake, one she had dominion over. You notice she wasn’t taken aback by it talking to her.

Perhaps this wasn’t a unique thing in creation - as it was designed. Adam and Eve in the garden had an ability to commune with nature in ways that are foreign to us.

There would be no reason for alarm. Everything was Good… Very Good. Just as God had created it

They had everything they needed… everything they could want… as much of it as they wanted. Just don’t eat that tree.

And yet, it was pretty easy to convince Eve that it everything wasn’t really all that good.

How did Satan do that?

He asked the question:

Did God really say…?

This question, and the way Eve, and later Adam, responded to it would change the course of all of creation.

What I want us to see first is how Satan helped this fruit to become so irresistible.

Satan’s question created confusion.

Satan’s Question - Creates confusion

“Did he really say that?”

You might hear it as “Are you sure that’s what God meant?” While God was pretty clear with Adam… “don’t eat it or you will die” is pretty clear… The serpent was able to plant seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind because after all she wasn’t there to hear what God said. Maybe Adam had misunderstood. Maybe God didn’t mean for us to take that literally… maybe, maybe, maybe.

If satan can get us to doubt the clear teachings of scripture, he can take us anywhere he desires. So he questions that which we aren’t so sure confident of.

He wants to create confusion first, second Satan seeks to

Satan’s Question - Misrepresents God

Look at what the serpent said again in verse 1:

“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

No, that’s not what God said. In fact God said “eat any tree”… except that one!

Satan though twists the words of God. Taking a restriction that was for our good and twists it in order to paint God as withholding something from us.

The nudity in this movie isn’t really hurting anyone.

Why does God care what I do with my money? Isn’t life to be enjoyed?

Remember, God is good.. no matter how Satan might attempt to misrepresent him. God seeks to bless us, not deny us.

God wants us to life a life of real freedom, not one bound to our flesh.

Satan seeks to confuse, he seeks to misrepresent, and third:

Satan’s Question - Gives false confidence

“You won’t die”

You know, Sin isn’t that big of a deal after all, everyone does it.

OK, so he said don’t eat that tree, do you really think he will kill you for it?

Do you hear that from Satan?

“he loves you, he wouldn’t let that happen to you” even though scripture is clear that God hates sin, and the “wages of sin is death.”

Don’t, forget, Our enemy is crafty… and he is a liar.

His lies create confusion, misrepresent God, develop false confidence, and fourth:

Satan’s Question - Beautifies sin

Satan’s question makes taking the fruit seductive.

Genesis 3:5 NIV

“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Sad part is here Satan was partially correct. They would become aware of right and wrong, their eyes would be opened, but Satan is using a half truth it to entice Eve that she might become more of what God created her to be.

If you just eat this, you will be free of the limits that God has given you.

Doing this one thing will get you the respect you deserve.

Go ahead and leave your wife; you will finally be free.

Let them have it; you will feel better… and they deserve it.

It’s OK to be angry with God, its healing to let it out.

Satan promised Adam and Eve freedom and instead they found shame.

Sin is like a used car salesman on TV, it never delivers what it promises.

In fact, every one of those relationships will leave scars;

another helping will make us feel miserable for the night and might lead to a hospital bed tomorrow;

the new car, bigger TV, grander vacation, younger wife…

It all fades, leaving us just as empty, if not more, than we were before.

Selfishness and sin never keep their promises.

That shouldn’t surprise us. It is very clear after a life of experience, that sin doesn’t deliver.

Genesis 3:6–8 NIV

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Sin changed everything.

They were promised eating the fruit would make them more than they were; but the reality is that they were perfect the way they were… they didn’t need more. In fact having more than they were given actually proved that God wasn't enough.

That’s the way it is with our sin.

We believe if we just had a little more we would be ok… only when we get more, the first thing we realize is it wasn’t enough.

We believe that if we just had the right relationships we would be ok… only when we find him or her, eventually, maybe years later, we realize that they don’t have what we really need.

We believe if we can accomplish a bit more, everything will change… but a bit more is always just out of reach

All along the way God is asking us to rely solely upon him. To trust him as the living water, To trust him as the bread of life. To approach our relationship with him as the treasure found in the field that we would give everything to have.

As Jesus said, to deny ourselves and follow him.

Adam and Eve put this fruit before God, not as an offering to God, but as an offering to themselves. Something to which they were entitled, regardless of God’s word.

That sin changed everything. In that moment, creation broke.

The story goes on to explain the result of the sin.

Genesis 3:8–13 NIV

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

When the promise of being closer to God was broken with the reality of sin, it actually separated Adam and Eve from God. Their reaction was much like you or I would react.... in fact I have reacted this way to much less serious situations.

Adam blames ... the woman made me do it… then blames God, the woman you put here gave it to me.

Eve is no different, she blames the serpent… where we get our excuse:

“The devil made me do it.”

Passing the buck is a human disease.

We see it all around us from our kitchen tables, when dealing with problems in the house;

in boardrooms, when it comes to problems at work;

and here lately for sure in politics; when it comes to a struggle for power.

No one is responsible. It is always someone else’s fault.

But the reality is, it was their fault. They both knew what to do and they both chose to do what was right in their own minds instead.

We have all done this right… We want to minimize our guilt for our sin.

There is a better way. Don’t sin.

Here is a simple check for you. Whenever you start a sentence with “I know I shouldn’t… but” STOP.

Let “I know I shouldn’t” be enough.

Beyond that is more times than not, sin.

Remember Romans 1:20.

In creation God has revealed himself to every person on earth… so we are without excuse when we sin against him.

Sin explains their shame, their hiding.

It also explains why our world is such a mess. Let’s read on to see God’s response to this willful disobedience of Adam and Eve

Genesis 3:14–19 NIV

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Gen 3:14-19

Sin destroyed the perfection of creation. Their rebellion took away their ability to enjoy the good gifts of God.

It’s the curse of sin.

What was to be a joyful relationship of marriage, became an unequal partnership;

God’s gift of their stewardship of creation became work for survival;

Giving birth to new life, became labor.

What was created as Good, became enslaved.

Enslaved to sin, to selfishness, to pride.

Sin affected everything.

Nothing and no one avoided the impact of this.

As Paul wrote in Romans 5:19

“through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners”

Yes, you see no one is good.

We are all sinners.

As John Wesley put it when he was asked about doctrine of original sin:

He was asked isn’t there a little good in each of us? Sure we are sinful, but isn’t there some light in the darkness? Wesley responded

No; none at all: ‘God saw that the whole imagination of the heart of man was only evil.’

I know we think of people as being generally good. But that isn’t what the scriptures say. They may be trying to be helpful, but let them get in a hurry you will see that their heart is evil. They may be trying to be nice, but watch what happens when they get offended. They are not nice, in fact their heart is evil.

You are not good.

Jesus said, no one is good, only God alone is good.

Think about it. Do you have to teach a child to disobey? To be selfish? no. It just comes natural to them… the sin nature you see.

Thanks to this first sin of Adam and Eve, we have all…

yes you have inherited a nature of sin.

And part of you loves it. Admit it.

I think if we can’t admit that we love sin, that we willfully, continually put other things before God, we really don't have an understanding of just how fallen we are.

That all sounds pretty miserable… thanks pastor for such a depressing word today… can’t wait to come back....

I’m not finished… because sin doesn’t have the final word here.

God isn’t finished.

God had a plan and while creation was very good. God actually had a plan for us to experience an even greater life, a life with him in glory.

A life with him in a world described in the last 2 chapters of the Bible that will simply blow your mind.

You see Satan thought he had the last word, that he had destroyed God’s plan, but in his rebuke, we see that God’s plan was actually just set into motion with the temptation of Eve.

Genesis 3:15 NIV

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

This is the first allusion to Christ crushing the head of God’s enemy once and for all, The crushing that the cross points us toward.

At the time of the crucifixion, it appeared that Jesus was finally defeated. That Satan had finally won; while in fact it was a mere striking at his heal. On the cross, Jesus destroyed the power of sin; In his resurrection, Jesus destroyed death. And in the end, with our resurrection, promises to crush the head of Satan.

We can’t defeat sin on our own… Adam and Eve teach us that.

Christ can. Relying upon him, we can obey and overcome temptation. Trusting in him, God can be first in our life because in him, God sets us apart for good works that he has planned before the creation of the world.

We are sinful people who rebel against God, but look at how God responded to Adam and Eve’s rebellion:

Genesis 3:21–24 NIV

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Grace Remains

You see even after Adam and Eve sinned, God sacrificed an animal for them, creating clothes for them. He showed grace, even in their guilt. There were consequences, but his love, his grace, remained.

Creation was God’s plan. The fall was part of God’s plan. The Curse was part of God’s plan.

You are a part of God’s plan. If you will trust your life to him. You will find that God is graceful. God’s desire isn’t that you be controlled, but that you find freedom from the flesh of this world.

His way is beyond our ability, but not if you will trust him and his word. He promises to help us live in a restored relationship with him. Thats why he sent his son to earth.

The question is:

Will you believe? Will you give him your life?

How you answer the question can change your life.

COMMUNION

Father, You created us in Your image to represent Your love here on earth through our relationship with You and for each other. To understand our purpose as you intended, to value life like the gift that it is. But rather than follow you way, we chose our own way. A way of sin that led to death.

But even though our love for you failed, your love for us remained steadfast. You chose to deliver us from bondage to sin and death, You made a covenant to be our God, and You taught us and led us through the voices of Your prophets through even today.

We praise you today Lord.

Holy are You, and blessed is Your Son Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection You gave birth to Your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, made with us a new covenant by water of our baptism and Your Holy Spirit, giving each of us a new calling, to follow you, to live for you, to serve, to love just how you have shown us in Jesus.

Who on the very night before he died for us, He took bread, gave thanks to You, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this is remembrance of me."

When the supper was over, he took a cup of wine, Gave thanks to You, gave it to his disciples, and said: "Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, In remembrance of me."

And so, In remembrance of these Your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

ALL: Christ has died; Christ is risen; will come again.

Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By Your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at His heavenly banquet.

We pray all this through Your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, alive in Your holy church, all honor and glory is Yours, almighty Father, now and for ever.

ALL: Amen.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

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