Identity and Purpose Finale

Intro / Recap

Identity and Purpose / Who am I and why am I here?

What is one thing we’ve talked about so far?

Any favorite takeaways so far?

Overarching theme: To truly know yourself, you must know God.

Identity - Made in the Image of God.

Purpose - Big Answer: to Glorify God and Enjoy him forever

How do we do that? - Eden is a picture of the world as it should be.

Creation Mandate - “to have dominion over the earth”

In our work - “to work and keep”

In the covenant of marriage - God instituted it to represent the Gospel

To walk with God in a relationship.

But sin entered in…and now the entire world is under the curse.

What does sin alienate us from (3 things)?

God, each other, creation.

God offers hope with a promise in 3:15. Who remembers what this is? Ryan taught on this last week.

Will things ever get better? Is the world stuck this way?

Christianity is not only about eternal life with Jesus, but it is about the renewing of all creation - a new heavens and a new earth.

Today we will see how Christ will “reverse the curse” of the fall.

*The curse will be reversed* (REPEAT AFTER ME)

Hope in the Garden

Read Genesis 3:15 - one of your offspring will come defeat the enemy

Read Genesis 3:20-24 - How do we see hope in this passage? (3 BIG THINGS)

v. 20 - named his wife Eve -

She had another name before. (2:23 - “Woman”)

Irony of the name - she (and Adam with her) brought death into the world!

Eve and “life-giver” sound similar in Hebrew

Why would Adam name his wife Eve? How does this display hope?

shows belief in God’s promise of 3:15.

v. 21 - made garments of skin. Foreshadows atonement.

v. 22-24 - driving the man out of the Garden. How is this a blessing?

God ensures that Adam will not exist eternally under the curse (that would be Hell!)

In the most tragic chapter of the whole Bible, God offers an incredible amount of hope. We can rest assured that things will get better.

So, how does this affect how we live today?

How good will it actually be?

Future Glory

Sketch out - “the already and the not-yet”

Paul’s Answer - Read Romans 8:18 - one day the Glory will be incomparable

Illustration - when a team is victorious, they are no longer thinking about how difficult their practices are.

What is happening in the meantime? Read Romans 8:19-25

who / what is “the creation?” All created things other than humans.

What is creation doing? “waiting” (19) / “groaning” (22)

Illustration: Me when I’m hungry on Thanksgiving. Not just a groan out of need, but out of desire.

What are they groaning for? - “revealing of the sons of God”

When Christ comes back in his glory, you too will be glorified!

V. 23 - We as Christians should also be groaning. What 2 things are we groaning for?

Our adoption as sons

the redemption of our bodies

The curse will be reversed. Both humanity and creation will be restored.

Illustration: Jesus’ miracles as a foretaste of reversing the curse.

“Joy to the World” - originally about second coming, but adopted as a Christmas song

Joy to the world, the Lord is come Let earth receive her King Let every heart prepare Him room And Heaven and nature sing And Heaven and nature sing And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy Repeat the sounding joy Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy

No more let sin and sorrow grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love And wonders of His love And wonders of His love And wonders, wonders, of His love And wonders, wonders, of His love

Closing question - How does your heart respond when you hear this news?

Are you groaning for this? It’s good to groan. To desire a better world, and to desire to be with Christ.

Illustration - I can tell when Alayna doesn’t actually want to go somewhere tp eat. When she does she lights up

The Christian heart groans for heaven.

The lost heart doesn’t really care.

IF you feel no desire, pray that God would give it to you!

Maybe today, you’ve felt a desire for this for the first time. A longing, a desire for another world.

If that’s you, place your faith in Jesus, place your whole life in Jesus, and confess “my identity and my purpose is defined by you and by no one else!”

That’s the point. The Garden of Eden shows us that our whole life (not just parts of our life), should live under the Lordship of Christ.

Our Hope in a Reversed Curse (Discussion)

Discussion Questions

Look up these passages. In them, how do you see the curse being reversed in the New Heavens and the New Earth? (answers in parenthesis)

Revelation 20:10 - (no more Satan)

Revelation 21:27 - (no more Sinners & evildoers)

Revelation 21:3-4 - (No more separation between God and man, no more death, pain or suffering)

Revelation 22:3-4 - (No more curse. Restored to worship!)

1 John 3:2 - (when he appears, we shall be like him. Restoring the image of God that was corrupted at the fall.)

How does thinking about the New Heavens and the New Earth affect how you think about your life right now?

What about your identity? How does Heaven affect who you are?

What about your purpose? How does Heaven affect why you’re here?

In Romans 8:24, Paul says that we have “hope” in Jesus’ return. What does American culture mean when we use the word “hope” (ex: I hope I pass my exam). Is that the same as what the Bible means by “hope?”

In Scripture, “hope” means having 100% assurance of something, even though the result is not yet seen. What is our reason for having this hope (hint: the answer isn’t just “Jesus!”)

What is one thing you are looking forward to about the new heavens and the new earth?

(If they just say “being with God,” don’t let them stop there. They are probably just trying to give the “right answer.” What else are they looking forward to? [ex: freedom from sin, exploring the new creation, seeing loved ones who have passed away, no more health problems?])

Leader close with prayer.