Falling into the Gospel

Dustin Alley

Gospel Story • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Genesis 2:15–3:24

0 ratings

· 4 views

Notes

Transcript

Handout

Introduction

Good Morning!

Baptism Certificates

Dismiss Kids

If you’ve never been baptized or have questions about baptism, I would love to talk to you about that. You can fill out that digital connection card at lbcbristol.org/worship-guide or fill out the one in front of you.

We are going through the Bible this year and seeing the gospel story that is intertwined throughout scripture.

This morning we are in Geneses 2 and 3.

The title of the message can give away the part of scripture we are talking about and that is the fall of man.

A life and leadership principle, that we can also find in scripture is to fail forward.

John Maxell says this

If you are succeeding in everything you do, then you're probably not pushing yourself hard enough. And that means you're not taking enough risks. You risk because you have something of value you want to achieve. - John Maxwell

I believe we can see in the fall of man how we can fail or fall as Christians, as disciples of Christ, and still be used of God.

Today I want you to take that quote from John Maxwell and ask yourself “Am I seeking to grow as a disciple?” “Am I asking God to show me my next step of faith?”

What is your next step of faith? Why aren’t you taking it?

In the passages of scripture we will look at in a just a moment we are going to see where a man and woman failed in fulfilling their purpose God had given them. We are going to see God’s Response and lastly we will see the amazing Result.

Follow along on the screen or in your Bible as we read over our key text today from Genesis

Genesis 2:15-17

Genesis 2:15–17 KJV 1900

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Gen 3:1-5

Genesis 3:1–5 KJV 1900

1 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? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Gen 3:14-24

Genesis 3:14–24 KJV 1900

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 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. 16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

PRAY

1. God has Given you Purpose in Life

Shortly after creating man, God gave Him a job to do.

He was the worlds first gardener and zookeeper.

God did not bring Adam into existence without a purpose for Him to live out.

We saw last week how all things, universe, mankind, and you and I are created for God’s glory. But how do we glorify God with our lives?

The same way Adam did, by living out our purpose for Him.

Now in the New Testament we have Jesus compared to Adam

1 cor 15:45-49

1 Corinthians 15:45–49 KJV 1900

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

The first Adam was of the Earth and the second is of the Lord from Heaven.

We as believers have the image of both the earth created Adam from the beginning and also the image of the Heavenly. Not because we are so great and majestic. Because as believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God.

One of the similarities between Adam and Jesus is that both had a purpose in life to glorify God.

John 17:1-5

John 17:1–5 KJV 1900

1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Jesus’ miracles, teachings, and death burial and resurrection were not so that he would be glorified but so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Now, Jesus is God. We believe in the Trinity as taught in scripture all three parts being coequal and coeternal. Each meant to bring glory to God the Father.

With these things in mind I ask you: Isn’t it reasonable to believe that if God created the first man with purpose to glorify Him and sent His Son with purpose to glorify Him, wouldn’t you think that all of creation has purpose to glorify Him?

What’s your purpose? Now that’s a broad philosophical question right?

How can you discover your purpose?

Notice that God placed Adam in the garden and gave Him his purpose.

God has placed you in this time period, not the 1800’s. God has placed you in your family, not the family across the street. God has you at your job, not the other guys job. God has placed you in various places where you have roles to carry out.

Men, roles you may have that can glorify God are: husband, father, son, brother, cousin, uncle, church member, and so on.

Ladies, roles you should seek to glorify God are the same: Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, cousin, Aunt, church member and so on.

You see too often we are asking God to give us this specific thing that we are to do at a specific place and a specific time. However, for Him to do that would go against what I know of his character.

In giving the law God was very specific of how the nation of Israel should obey Him. However, in his instruction to individuals He gives purpose and at times even some guidance, but the specifics of how things are carried out are not always given.

What we do find, especially now that we are no longer under the law but under grace, is biblical truths and principles that should guide us.

God has given you purpose in life. You can find that purpose by looking around you and seeing the roles God has put you in. You can fulfill that purpose by taking the principles and truths from His Word and living them out from your heart for your good and for God’s glory.

That is only possible if you are confident that God’s ways are best for you.

2. Your Confidence in God Comes from your Faith in His Word

Notice the story of Eve and the serpent

Gen 3:1-5

Genesis 3:1–5 KJV 1900

This chapter of the Bible is the one that all the rest of it hinges. It is the rest of scripture that is the story go God’s redemption of man because of the events in this chapter.

If this chapter did not exist then the rest of scripture would not be need.

In this exchange we see that tactics of Satan towards humankind and his purpose in his deception.

We have come to characterize the devil as a serpent, as pitchfork carrying red monster with horns, or a some other evil looking entity when in reality, I do not believe he looks anything like that.

While we could debate for hours about what Lucifer looks like, I’d rather you focus on his M.O. (Modus Operandi) or his habits of working and how he goes about doing what he does.

Satan approaches eve in the form of a serpent. An animal that she may have been accustomed to seeing or maybe a new creature she had never seen before. He then goes on to speak to her. Which tells us that this was either a normal occurance before the fall OR as a new creature she is just seeing, she believes this creature can also talk.

Now, his goal was to get Eve to eat of the fruit. Why? Because of the impact it would on her relationship with God. But notice this....Satan never tells her to eat of the fruit.

What’s the first thing the serpent does?

“Yea, Hath God said..” Modern vernnacular that would be “Did God really say...”

He questioned the Word of God. but even worse, as the conniving father of lies that he is, he twisted God’s words.

the serpent asked “Did God really say you can’t eat of every tree?”

how did Eve respond “We can eat of the trees of the garden. but not of the fruit of that tree. God said we can’t eat it or touch it.”

Is that what God said though?

Gen 2:17

Genesis 2:17 KJV 1900

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

There are two descrepencies in Eve’s restatment of what God said...

She first didn’t acknowledge that they could eat freely of all the trees of the garden...

She had forgotten the freedom given to them by God. You can do ALL of this…just not that.

Christians, this is exactly what we do when we get caught up in the “do’s, don’ts and should nots” of Christianity.

We forget what we do have the Liberty to do.

We forget the abundant life we can have in Christ. We forget the safety, security, and joy that is had by living for the Lord. We look out at the world, or the tree as Eve looked at, and allow ourselves to be given over to temptation just like she did.

After her interaction with the serpent the Bible says “she saw.” She probably thought…there is no harm in looking…how wrong was she? how wrong are we?

Temptation comes through the eyes. She saw the tree and the fruit on it and believed it was good for food (we call that the lust of the flesh, that’s the allure of sin that appeals to your bodies desires), she saw that it was pleasant to the eyes (that’s the lust of the eyes. It look pretty so I should keep looking. It makes me feel good to look at it), and then she saw that it was a tree to be desired to make one wise (this is the pride of life, the desire to make yourself better for your own glory).

These are the same three things we find satan tempting us with today. HE HASN’T CHANGED. His tactics are the same and yet we fall for them hook line and sinker as thought we are the ones that will be different.

1 John 2:16

1 John 2:16 KJV 1900

16 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.

She ignored the freedom she had and the she added to the word of God.

Some of you can relate to this.

Here is this sin…eating the fruit…and then here is this standard we put in place so we don’t sin....don’t touch it.

Can you hear that conversation now? Remember…the exchange about to go through is not in the Bible. It’s my idea of how this could have went down. Eve first formed, Adam wakes up, they exchange glances begin to talk. He shows her around and says “Hey, by the way, that tree there…God said not to eat of it. (listen) So we shouldn’t even touch it.”

Did you hear that? God said…don’t eat....God said…don’t get drunk....God said dress modestly....God said…don’t set a wicked thing before your eyes....God said let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel...

Adam said…don’t touch…Man said…wear these types of clothes only....Man said…don’t go to theatres, don’t watch this particular thing....Man said you must do these things for your conversation to be represenative of the gospel.

Are the things that Adam and man said wrong? No. Are they what God said....no.

They are what we would call a standard. A standard is something you put in place to keep you from sin.

Standards are not bad. What’s bad is when we begin to preach a standard as the Word of God.

because that’s when it’s easy to poke a hole in the standard.

When we are not confident in God’s Word and the difference between God’s Word and man’s opinion we are more likely to fall into sin.

Your confidence in God’s Word comes from your faith in His Word. Your Faith in His Word comes from a greater understanding of His Word.

What you believe about God’s Word will be shown by how you behave in your life.

3. Your Faith in God’s Word is shown through your actions

For the sake of time I won’t read the last part here again but in Gen 3:6 to the end of the chapter we see the results of the fall of man.

Eve eats of the fruit. Eve gives the fruit to Adam and then something great happens.

God doesn’t destroy them. God doesn’t neglect them or push them away?

What did God do?

Gen 3:8-9

Genesis 3:8–9 KJV 1900

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

God came looking for them. Now being omniscient, all knowing, God knew where the were. He knew what they had done. And even in their obedience, God came to them.

That’s exactly what Jesus did for us to carry out the gospel

Luke 19:10

Luke 19:10 KJV 1900

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Knowing our sinn, He came to die for us. He came to die for you. And that is exactly what God told the serpent would happen.

Gen 3:15

Genesis 3:15 KJV 1900

15 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.

This is known as the protoevangelium or the “first Gospel” It’s the first prophecy in the Old Testament of Jesus’s death and victory over the serpent.

In this we see Jesus as our beacon of Hope, Satan sees it as a decleartion of war, and Eve sees it as an assurance of salvation.

God then gives the punishment that came from their actions

Woman, pain in childbirth and submission to husband.

Man, working the ground and toiling the fields for all your life and then you will return to the dirt from which you came.

Both of you can’t eat of the tree of life because then you will live eternally separate from me. Leave the Garden.

Even in the consequences of their actions, we see the grace and mercy of God.

Adam and Eve believed God and how do we know that? look what they did after the punishment was given.

First, notice what Adam did

Gen 3:20

Genesis 3:20 KJV 1900

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

It wasn’t until after the fall that the woman was given a name. Her name is not mentioned at all prior to this verse.

What can we know from this? That Adam believed God when he said she would have children because he gave her the name.

He acted upon his belief. They then went out from the garden and he began working the land.

We believe he began sacrificing to God because Adam’s children did and they had to learn it from somewhere.

Just like Adam and Eve, God has given you a purpose. It may not be revealed to you as to specifically what or where it should be conducted through prayer and the still small voice. Don’t ignore the the roles God has you. Because it is in those roles we can fulfill God’s purpose of glorifying Him with our lives. It’s in those roles we can be verbal witnesses of the gospel.

To fulfill that purpose you need to be confident in the Word of God. That only comes from allowing yourself to be influenced by the Bible in preaching and daily reading/studying. Then you will find yourself beginning to conduct your life in accordance with the principles and truths found inside of it because your faith in the Lord will have grown as you seen Him come through for you in other areas.

Does it mean you will fail sometimes? You will lose your cool, you will miss a day of bible reading, you will give into temptation but does that mean you stop? NO.

Adam and Eve were living for the glory of God in the garden. They failed. They repented. He forgave. they continued living for the glory of God.

Where are you at in your journey of faith? Where are you at in your walk with the Lord? Have you failed Him? Me too. Have you sinned? Me too.

Maybe you haven’t even started that journey.

Time of Response

As we enter our time of response this morning I want to ask you Christians, believers in Jesus, are you confident in God’s Word? Are you living out those truths and principles in your life? Are you living has a spouse by faith to the glory of God? Are you living as a parent by faith to the glory of God? Are you living as employee, business owner, or whatever other role God has you in by faith in Him and not yourself?

If not…why not? Take that step of faith and see Him do great things.

Do you know God? Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God and died for your sins?

Are you here this morning or listening online and not sure if this was your last year on earth you would go to Heaven?

The Bible says that when we believe by faith in Jesus, we are saved.

John 3:16 KJV 190016 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God does love you. Loves you so much He sent Jesus to die for you.

Now you are faced with a decision…will you continue finding salvation in your own works or in the finished work of Christ?

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 19008 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Your first have to admit your sinner

Romans 3:23 KJV 190023 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

I’m sure each of us could do that.Next you believe

Romans 10:9 KJV 19009 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Then confess. Confess Jesus as your Savior and call out to Him

Romans 10:13 KJV 190013 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

IF you’d like to do that today I’d like to help.

“Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner, I believe you came to die on the cross and rose from the dead. I put my faith right now in you and ask you to come into my life and change me from the inside out. Amen.”