New Beginnings Part 3

Flow

What is freedom?

If I asked that question to all of you individually I would probably get a different answer from each and everyone of you. Some may say that freedom is the ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want. Freedom to you may be making money, living a good life, and having a blast while you do it. Some of you may simply respond with a good ole ‘Merica. 

Is it really tied to money, sex, power. The ability to do what you want, when you want? That concept of freedom is wrong. 

Big Idea: Freedom is found through surrender

Most often we think that freedom is found through fighting. We have to fight for our freedom.

Freedom in Jesus is found through surrendering.

The world will push ideals onto us. That you don’t need God to be successful in life. Where the Bible says that God is life.

That you can build your life on your job, your achievements, money, people and the Bible tells us that when we do that, that we are simply building our life on sand. And ultimately there will come a time that the tide comes in, the troubles of this world will come in, and your sandcastle won’t last and it will be washed away.

So, can anyone truly be free? The Bible would answer that question with a resounding YES! For who the Son sets free is free indeed. Everyone else is in bondage. Tossed back in forth between their own passions, to the prevailing cultural trends, to their own unfulfilled desires. 

Last week we talked about finding our rest in God and how our rest in Him should have no end.

the reality is that our hearts will always be restless until it finds its rest in God.

Doesn’t that explain so much about the world around us? Our world is filled with restless people with restless hearts chasing after things they can never find, never achieve, never grasp, and even if they do, they will not and are not satisfied.

So, Genesis 2 is going to reveal to us the secret of true freedom.

We were made for God and without Him we cannot find joy, fulfillment, and true freedom.

Our text is about a man named Adam but centered, once again with God. He formed man, places Him in the garden, gives him orders, and also give him an important warning and soon a wife. 

We’ve looked over things that happened before creation, last week we discussed what happened during the 6 days of creation and now we will see a close up of the creation of man. 

Some have argued that Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 contain different creation stories and that these two stories contradict one another.

The answer is quite simple. There are two creation stories but they don’t contradict each other at all.

The difference can be explained this way. Genesis 1 gives us a “wide-angle” view of creation. Where Genesis 2 now gives us a “telephoto” or close-up view of Day 6 when God creates His crowning jewel, Adam and Eve.

It’s as if the author of Genesis in Genesis 1 sits us in the heavens with God as we watch him create the cosmos and in Genesis 2 we are now put onto the scene in a close up with the creation of man and woman.

Genesis 2:4–7 NIV

4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Verse 4 is the first time that we see God referred to as YAHWEH.

Every time before it’s been Elohim meaning “God or deity” signalling him as the sovereign Creator. Now we see the term YAHWEH which means “the name of the one true God” with emphasis put on the relationship to His covenant persons or peoples.

The combination of the names here “YAHWEH Elohim” shows that the Creator of the cosmos rules history through a chosen humanity.

This is important because the author of Genesis is wanting us to notice that we are going from just God (Elohim) as the creator of the world in 6 days to also God (Yahweh) as this personal, covenant creating, relational driven God as He creates man.

The picture given in V 7 as God forms man is one of a potter taking a piece of clay and shaping it on the wheel. The picture of God shaping the first man is tender, personal, and very intimate. God scoops up some dirt and begins to shape it. Every detail of his body shaped and sculpted by the Almighty, one true God, YAHWEH. We were made from the dust and to the dust we will one day return.

Psalm 103:14 NIV

14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

So here is Adam. The first “Dirt-man.” He can’t stand or move or talk or sing or feel or think. He can’t do anything because he is not alive yet. Then God comes and breathes into his nostrils the “breath of life.”

Animals are also given breath, but it is the author's intention to stress that human beings have the very breath of God sustaining them.

Adam opens his eyes for the very first time, looks around, and beholds the world God has made for him. He gets his body from the earth; he gets his life from God.

Our value comes from God and God alone.

The world may tell you different but your value is found in one thing....God.

It is not money, popularity, or power

It is God

Men: Your value is not found in your job, how strong you, your handicap, or how many fish you can catch or deer you can kill

Women: Your value is not found in how many followers you can obtain, your children, or the way your body looks.

It is found in the one who formed you while you were in your mothers womb.

When we put our faith in Jesus He calls us Sons and Daughters and there is no greater value than that.

Value meal? Jesus gives us the best bang for our buck. We give him a sinner who brings nothing to the table and he gives us grace and makes us Sons and Daughters of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Genesis 2:8–14 NIV

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

It is clear from these verses that the Garden of Eden is a real place that once existed on the earth.

Most believe it was destroyed completely in the flood of Noah’s day, we know that it was somewhere east of Israel.

It’s a temple-garden, represented later in the tabernacle. We see later than Cherubim protect its sanctity so that sin and death are excluded. An active faith is a prerequisite for this home. 

Eden is heaven on earth

It was also incredibly beautiful and fertile in the garden. It was lush and filled with fruit trees of every variety.

A mighty river flowed out of the garden and divided into four smaller rivers. Two are unknown to us (the Pishon and the Gihon), and two still exist today (Tigris and Euphrates).

In this garden there was beauty, peace, and perfect harmony between plants, animals, man, and God. It is a picture of earthly perfection. No disease, no pain, no suffering, no death.

We must understand that at this moment there is nothing wrong with the garden as God created it. Adam is placed in a perfect environment. God places Adam in paradise and then gives him a choice. He created the world and gave us paradise. We are the ones who caused the problems. 

No amount of external fixing is going to solve an internal problem.

You can not change your circumstances, your environment enough to solve a problem that can only be fixed internally by the Creator who formed you.

We can blame the world for all of our problems OR we can look ourselves in the mirror, realize that we are the common denominator, choose to lay it down at the foot of the cross and chase after the well that never runs dry.

Sin is not merely an “environmental” problem. It’s a condition of the human heart. Until we solve the sin problem there will always be riots, killing, and crime.

Even if we all had six-figure incomes, big homes, 4 cars, and a lifetime membership at the country club we would still have evil in the world because it’s who we are and no amount of external changes will heal us internally. 

Adam had no reason to complain against God. He is given everything he needs. The only thing God requires from him, and us, is obedience.

Yet, we continually throw it all away. God offers paradise and we turn to him and say, “no thanks I’ll do it my way.”

In the middle of this garden we see 2 trees that stand out from the rest.

The tree of life

the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

We will spend more time on this in a couple of weeks but there is a tree of life planted in the garden. This tree finds its source from God and through it Adam and Eve would find eternal life in the presence of God. God’s intention from day one is that man, you and I, would walk with Him daily.

The second tree provides them with the ability to ethical awareness.

Upon eating this fruit we are given the ability to do what is good in our own eyes.

But, unless we know everything, we only know relatively; unless we know completely and comprehensively, we cannot know absolutely.

Therefore only God in heaven, who transcends time and space, has the prerogative to know truly what is good and bad for life. Thus, the tree represents knowledge and power only appropriate to God. 

Upon this knowledge we believe we can then create a system of ethics and make moral judgements.

In it we think we can obtain wisdom and discernment to decide and effect what is “good” and “evil.”

But we know that those abilities only come from God. It is when we try to obtain and decide these without Him that we fall, fail, and fight.

Genesis 2:15–17 NIV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

God places Adam in the garden and gives him 3 commands:

1. Cultivate it.

2. Guard it.

3. Don’t eat from one tree.

Cultivate it.

You are created to work.

Work is a part of God’s plan for us all. Work is not part of the curse. The toil, sweat, and struggle we feel, that’s part of the curse. But even in paradise, Adam was given a job to do.

God never appointed anyone to sit around all day doing nothing. Work is good and noble and part of what it means to be fully human.

That’s why, for some of you who might have been out of work this past year, it feels abnormal, out of place. You feel slightly unsure of yourself. That’s perfectly normal. God created inside of us a natural desire to use our gifts to make the world a better place.

Guard it:

We are to protect the world around us.

We are, as God's chosen people, called to protect the world from the encroachment and attacks of the enemy.

As guardians of the garden, Adam and Eve should have driven out the serpent; instead we see that it drives them out.

Don’t eat from one tree:

God says, “Eat from any tree. Eat from all of them except for one particular tree - the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” 

Why did God create the tree?

#1 because without choice we become robots. It’s the freedom to choose that makes us humans. And our choice to love, worship, and serve God is what brings Him the most glory

#2 the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil is not bad. In fact, it is good, but it belongs and was intended exclusively for God.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is not an arbitrary rule.

In fact sin is never arbitrary. It is put in place to protect us.

We don’t get to pick and choose what to obey in Scripture. It’s either priceless and protects us or worthless and ruins us.

We are not god and we were never intended to be. We struggle and will always struggle with the same thing Adam and Eve did.

Is God, the creator of the universe, sovereign over all, a better god than me, a snotty nosed little brat who at best can produce toilet paper that’s already been used to wipe.

Imagine every fruit that has ever existed is placed in the garden and God says “go crazy.”

There are 30 thousands trees here. Eat from every one. Mix 'em up. But listen there’s one you can’t eat because there will be consequences. So you can eat from 29,999 trees just don't eat from that one.

God is not a cosmic killjoy.

This is not a hard command to understand or to obey. It’s not all that restrictive.

Odds are it could have taken Adam years and years to sample all the trees. The possibilities were endless.

A lot of times unbelievers and even believers alike will act like God is some cosmic killjoy, looking for every opportunity to squeeze the joy out of life. But in this case, God’s prohibition is a sign of His love. 

-Kids analogy-

As a loving father, knowing what’s best, God warns Adam not to eat from the tree. All Adam must do is obey.

God gives Adam and you and I freedom but it’s not freedom to just do what you want; it’s the power to do what you should. And, ultimately, that power only comes from God.

As we choose to obey Christ we are free from the bondage of sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are freed from the weight and consequences that sin brings and we are filled with purpose and life.

The task for us today is still the same. Live in obedience to God and you will be blessed. Ignore Him and life won’t work right and eventually you will feel hopeless, afraid, and worthless.

There is only one way to be fulfilled: live under God’s control. Stop doing your own thing. Put down your weapons. Stop fighting your Creator. Until you submit, you will never find joy, fulfillment, and purpose 

God has created the world around and sets us in it and says “Enjoy what I have given you. Only do not attempt to live without me. You won’t make it. You can’t.” He offers life but we must take it on His terms not our own.

Take Away: We serve what we value.

We will only obey, serve, chase after the things that we hold in high esteem.

Worship is that which shapes our worth

We see this in our country today

You will never fully surrender and serve Jesus unless He truly becomes the pearl of great price

It is only when we realize that Jesus is worth everything that we have that we truly begin to live the way we were designed to.

If freedom to you is doing whatever you want whenever you want than you can have it.

If freedom means that I get to serve, love, and be with the greatest treasure of all for all of eternity then I will do whatever it takes to obtain that freedom.