Stay close to the Creator

1.God created us to be image bearers

God created us to be image bearers he placed in the middle of the garden a tree that gave life and he asked us to eat of that tree.

But from the beginning he asked us to believe his word so we could grow in his wisdom.

Grow in his life giving source and represent him well on this earth.

Show the video the tree of life

Genesis 2:9 (NLT)

9 The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:15–17 NLT

15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

God invites Adam and Eve to walk To walk past the tree of good and evil and invites them to eat of the tree Of life.

God is always inviting us to life But he gives us the choice To choose our own path Which leads to death.

“Often the choices in life are between this is good but this is God’s will and both look good.”

So Adam and Eve choose to Make their own choices And they listen to the serpent who was very crafty And chose to walk away from The life giving creator So they could have Their own autonomy.

Genesis 2:17b (NLT)

17b If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Here’s an interesting thought that I just Realized in Reading this commentary that God does not say he will kill them but the result of their separation from him will lead to their destruction.

2. God Is trying to reunite with humanity.

So humanity goes through chaos

Genesis 6:5 NLT

5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.

goes through Wickedness floods The Tower of Babel all kinds of crazy things And finally God rest upon this man his name is Abraham And he makes a covenant with Abraham And his descendents. Deuteronomy tells us God’s thought And why he chose Israel as his people.

Deuteronomy 7:7–9 (NLT)

7 “The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. 9 Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.

3. But the people reject God

1 Samuel 8:1–9 NLT

1 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”

So Samuel warns the people he tells them all the crazy things that are going to happen and all the loss that will Happened to them Because of the rejection of God.

1 Samuel 8:19–22 NLT

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.” 21 So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, 22 and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

The question I have to Ask myself All the time Is in my going to choose to identify With Christ and Eat From the tree of life Or am I going to take From the substitute Saviors in my life Because they satisfy in the moment But over time Actually bring death And Decaying.

“The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best”

Oswald Chambers