When God Comes Looking For You
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The first five verses of this chapter doesn’t read of God and man, but of Satan and man...
I’ll go ahead and say that it’s never a good day when man and Satan get together...
Genesis 3 begins with the devil, which is never a good way to start. It’s important that we realize that in the first five verses, the devil is discussing God with man. Don’t ever forget that the devil doesn’t mind talking about God or the Bible.
Notice with me,
The devil is debating the Word of God:
The devil is debating the Word of God:
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?
The devil is doubting the Word of God:
The devil is doubting the Word of God:
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
The devil is distorting the Word of God:
The devil is distorting the Word of God:
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.
The devil is out to convince Eve that she would actually be better off by disobeying the Word of God and following her own desires!
His tactic hasn’t changed much…It’s the same tactic he’s using today!
I want you to understand that:
There was no sin in her talking about this fruit.
There was no sin in her talking about this fruit.
There was no sin in her touching this fruit.
There was no sin in her touching this fruit.
I know what she said in verse 3, but thats not what God had said...
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.
There WAS sin in her tasting the fruit.
There WAS sin in her tasting the fruit.
The devil wants the same thing for you and I…He wants us to partake of the forbidden fruit…The one thing that God said don’t do or you can’t have is the one thing the devil is out to get you to partake of.
Adam and Eve knew they had sinned and in verse 7, they tried to cover their sin, and everything probably seemed ok until God came looking for them.
That’s what I want to preach on for a little while this morning… “When God Comes Looking for You”
As soon as Adam sinned against God, he began to suffer the consequences of his transgression. ‘The eyes of them both were opened’ (v. 7).
Their eyes were not enlightened, but opened. They acquired no advanced knowledge, nothing pleasant or profitable. Their eyes were opened to distressing, evil things.
Satan has deceived our race. We have lost communion and fellowship with God. By nature, we are all without God, life, light, Christ and hope (Eph. 2:11–12).
‘They knew that they were naked’ (v. 7). They felt things they had never known or felt before. They lost their innocence.
Guilt engulfed them.
Shame embarrassed them.
Fear terrified them.
Hatred arose between them (v. 12).
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
‘They sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons’ (v. 7).
The fallen pair began to try to quieten their consciences, cover their nakedness and get rid of their shame.
And then God came looking for Adam...
Our loving Lord sought them out, though they went astray. He is still seeking out men and women today, inviting them to accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
Look at verse 9 closely:
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Notice that:
This was a powerful call
This was a powerful call
It’s not just anyone calling - it’s the LORD God!
It was an important call because it was asked by God…It was the call of a shepherd seeking His sheep.
It was the call of a broken-hearted Father for His prodigal son.
This was a personal call
This was a personal call
It wasn’t, “Where are they?” It wasn’t, where is your friend, your neighbor, But the LORD called unto Adam!
God has always been the seeker…He sought about Abram while in idolatry, He sought out Moses while he was a fugitive in Midian.
Think about this…If we would read the Bible thinking this way - as it’s written for you, for your learning, for your reproof, for your comfort - It’s yours individually and personally - you’d never read it in vain!
This was a practical call
This was a practical call
It was a simple question...
If this question was directed towards you, “Where are thou?” What would be your reply?
Where are you spiritually? Are you unsaved? Are you a backslidden, carnal Christian?
Are you dedicated to serving the Lord daily and living for Him?
Thinking about this question, let’s look at some very important situation where this question needs to be answered:
Where art thou in salvation?
Where art thou in salvation?
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Where art thou in surrender?
Where art thou in surrender?
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Where are thou in separation?
Where are thou in separation?
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Where art thou in service?
Where art thou in service?
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Where art thou in soul winning?
Where art thou in soul winning?
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
Where art thou in sacrificial giving?
Where art thou in sacrificial giving?
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Where art thou in sin?
Where art thou in sin?
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
When God comes looking for you...
When God comes looking for you...
Will you hear His voice?
Will you hear His voice?
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.
Will you hide from His presence?
Will you hide from His presence?
Will you heed His call?
Will you heed His call?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Will you be humiliated in His presence?
Will you be humiliated in His presence?
Will you be honest about your sin?
Will you be honest about your sin?
11 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?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 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.
God challenged man on the basis of His sin.
God wasn’t fishing for information, He knew what Adam and Eve had done. He was looking for a confession. What He got was accusation...
But think about it; this is what God does for the sinner. He reveals to us the sinfulness of our lives and calls upon us to repent.
On a positive note…It wasn’t Adam calling out for God!
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
But, thank God I’m glad that He came looking for me!
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
This right here was a call of divine justice, a call of divine sorrow, and a call of divine love!
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
God came searching for Adam at the appointed time - Notice how the Bible is specific - it was in the cool of the day.
God has appointed time for all of us that He will come looking for us...
Where will you be and how will you stand in that moment?