Misc. - "Making Sense of the Madness" - Genesis 3

“Making Sense of the Madness”

Turn with me to Genesis 3.

Today my message is titled: “Making Sense of the Madness”

After having Beckett, I feel that my sense of the brokenness in this world was heightened tremendously.

It was easier to see the brokenness and has been really easy throughout this year.

It got me to the point where it became so easy to ask, “How did we get here?”

That’s a valid question, isn’t it?

Whether it was the election. The political views opposite mine, racial tensions… how did we get here?

That question alone is not a bad question to ask, but if we don’t turn to the right source, we can become disoriented in the midst of the madness.

It reminds me of a term that airplane pilots use: Spatial disorientation.

Spatial disorientation is the inability of a pilot to correctly interpret aircraft attitude, altitude or airspeed in relation to the Earth or other points of reference.

“Spatial disorientation” is something that happens to an aircraft pilot when his plane enters dark storm clouds and he can no longer see the horizon or the ground. Points of reference that guide his senses disappear and he can no longer be sure which way is up or down. His perceptions are unreliable.

In flight school, they teach that the only way a pilot can overcome spatial disorientation is to fully trust his cockpit instruments to tell him what is real. That’s why flight training instructors force student pilots to learn to fly planes by instruments alone.

While we all probably question from time to time, “how did we get here?” In the middle of the darkness.. in the middle of the madness, it is easy to get disoriented and become unable to know the correct way to live and view the madness around us.

that being said…

It is important for us to trust our instruments. You see, it’s easy for our eyes and our understanding to get us off track. To get us disoriented… but the good news is that the book we are about to read from is the instrument that will help us get oriented to the space we are living in.

Turn with me to our instrument as we look to it to make sense of the madness we live in.

This morning we will be in Genesis 3. Read with me.

Context:

Moses is writing the creation account.

If we are going to understand why there is brokenness… why there is disease… why there is hate… why there is death… Genesis, especially chapter 3, explains that for us.

If we are going to make sense of the madness, look at what the text shows us:

1. Identifies the Pioneer of Sin

1-6

Identifying the source is important.

Satan is not to be taken lightly. While he did not force Adam and Eve to sin, he certainly pioneered it and became the source for them to sin against God.

As Satan goes into the garden to tempt the first people, notice two things:

a. The Scene in the Garden

Genesis is the creation account.

in 6 amazing days, God spoke and creation happened:

Day 1 - Light

Day 2 - Expanse between the waters, separated the waters and made the sk

Day 3 -land and earth. Separated the waters. Earth that produced vegetation

Day 4 -Sun and Moon were created, as well as the stars.

Day 5 -Birds and fish.

Day 6 -

Livestock, creatures, squirrels.

Then of all the splendor and beautiful things God made, He created mankind in His very own image.

To rule and take care of God’s creation.

Man was made in God’s very imaged,

Adam and Eve were in complete transcendence. Perfection. A place where God walked with them.

Absolutely amazing.

In the middle of that place,

In slithers satan.

the Bible teaches us that in God’s angels, Lucifer decided that he would try to be God. through his pride (Isaiah 14 & Ezekiel 28) he was cast out of heaven and deceived a third of the angels.

To be clear, Satan is not the rival of God. God has not equal. God is the One that knows all!

Early after God established the Garden as a home for Adam and Eve, the tempter showed up in the form of a snake.

But he did come ready to deceive.

b. The Strategy of the Serpent

The only truth that Satan spoke in this exchange with Eve was God’s name: Elohim.

Satan’s tactic is using God’s Name without God’s Word.

Satan’s strategy is removing God’s Word from God’s Name.

Think about it. If Satan can convince someone that they are doing something for God if it goes against God’s Word, he wins.

The Prosperity gospel - God’s name but not God’s word

False religions - God’s name but not God’s Word.

Hypergrace - God’s name but not God’s Word.

When you remove God’s Word from God’s name you will never have the chance to know the True God.

As long as the mind holds onto God’s truth, Satan cannot win

Once the mind doubts the Word there is room for the devil’s lies to move in

So how exactly did Satan do this?

See what satan did:

i. Questioned God’s Word

Genesis 3:1 KJV 1900

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Did God really say that?

The bad part about this is that Satan had Eve at this point. Because when she answered him, she didn’t quote God’s Word right.

Many people fill this place and other churches every week but don’t know God’s Word.

When she added “and not touch it”… that’s not in Scripture.

Why is it so important that we know the exact word of God?

This is life. This is sufficient. This is holy, and it shows us how to KNOW life!

Satan does this with us too.

Doesn’t God just want me to be happy?

“Its okay if I sleep with her. It’s okay if I sleep with him.”

“Everyone’s doing it right?”

“I mean it is in moderation isn’t it?”

ii. Denied God’s Word

verse 4 - You won’t die!

Satan does just enough to deny what God says to make it sound good and work for your own pleasure…for a season.

The strategy of denying God’s Word allows us to believe that our sin won’t impact or effect anyone else.

Think about it: They didn’t die right then, but they were cursed and through their sin, death wouldn’t just effect them… it effects every single person.

Plus not only is everyone doing it, it’s natural.

“There won’t be consequences.

“I won’t get caught.”

“I won’t do it again after this.”

“It’s just one drink.”

“It’s my body, my choice.”

iii. Substituted God’s Word

verse 5 - Your eyes will be opened.

Your eyes will just be open.

Satan is still telling these kind of substitutional lies today.

“Jesus plus good behavior… the behavior modification is not the gospel”

“Jesus gives prosperity.”

From this point… everything changed. Sin entered the world. Corruption, curse, and the fall from a perfect relationship with God.

2. Investigates the Product of Sin

verses 7-13

As soon as Adam and Eve tasted of that fruit, “their eyes were opened.” This means that they understood they messed up.

It’s amazing to me how the nature of Adam is in all of us.

I can see it in my little boy, as sweet and fun as he is, I can see it.

You can see him understand that he did something wrong as I walk over to him.

Adam was an intelligent guy. I mean to be able to come up with animal names and stuff, wow.

a. Shame

They were completely righteous.

As soon as they sinned the right standing with God was gone.

shame

verse 7 & 2:25.“… were not ashamed.”

b. Secrets - this is powerful.

These are dangerous because when we hold onto secrets, they have the power to control and consume us.

Listen to what David said about his secret sin:

As a nonbeliever or believer. There are people in this room that have tried to cover up their sins from God.

But God knows, my friend. Confess to Him! Confess your sins!

Take a hard look into your heart, and turn back to the God that knows it all.

Good people, faithful church going people have the same habits as Adam.

We have tried to cover up sin by hiding in a bush… one God created.

For some it’s a bad spending habit.

For some it’s language at work.

For some it’s sexual immorality.

For some it’s ungodly desires.

For some it’s relying on your own strength.

For some it’s misusing medication.

Whatever it is, as you try to hide those sins, shame will begin to eat you alive.

c. Excuses

verse 7-8they made their own coverings

Genesis 3:11 KJV 1900

And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Genesis 3:13 KJV 1900

And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

What did you do?

God asked Adam and Eve what they had done.

When God asks that question, it’s called “conviction.” Friend, that is one of the best things that could ever happen to you. Conviction.

Conviction is the finger of God drawing you back to God.

What am I to do? I’m hiding things from my spouse. I’m a sinner playing the game. I’m living in deep shame because of my sin, secrets, and excuses.

Look at the words of David:

Psalm 32:3–5 KJV 1900

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old Through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: My moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

1 John 1:9 KJV 1900

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 28:13 KJV 1900

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

God went to Adam and Eve and asked what they did. He used conviction, He explained the consequences, but He also:

3. Introduces the Person of Salvation

Verse 15 - the gospel shows up here for the first time in Scripture.

Genesis 3:15 KJV 1900

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Notice:

a. The Rivalry

“enmity” - this is where we get the word “enemy.”

Who put that hostility between Satan and the Woman?

God.

Declaration of War. God declared war.

Satan and his scheme against the Christians.

1 John 2:15–17 KJV 1900

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.

John 10:10 KJV 1900

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

b. The Representatives

Who is the seed or offspring of satan?

John 8:44 KJV 1900

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

1 John 3:10 KJV 1900

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Lost people resemble and act like their father.

Does that not break our hearts?

Like we heard last week, we are called to love even the lost. Even those that have different political views than us.

We will answer to our King one day.

The woman’s seed = Jesus.

c. The Restoration

“You will bruise his heel, but He shall crush your head.”

Our great and loving God had a plan to make sense of the madness.

Satan bruised creation in a garden.

Sin entered into this world through a garden.

Brokenness, disease, hurt… all here.

Even then God had a plan to restore creation back to Himself.

It was not to start all over and create things brand new.

His plan was to send someone to live perfectly.

His plan was to send One that was there at the start. Colossians said that this Restorer was the firstborn of all creation. The image of the invisible God. He is full of grace and truth, and is God’s very own Son.

Sin started in the garden.

But Jesus would conquer it in a garden.

Matthew 26:36-56… He prayed in a garden.

John 19:41 KJV 1900

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

He rose again in the garden!

Let’s make sense of the madness:

Sin was conceive in a garden but was conquered in a garden.

Let’s pray:

Invitation:

Mrs. Mandy is going to play… I want to invite you to come

If God is convicting you this morning, come and repent of your sins.

If your heart is heavy for lost people, come and make this stage an altar… God begging to save this world.

If you are lost, come to the garden!