A Messy Story Series

A Messy Story Genesis 3

Every ounce of disease and death, both with our bodies and with our souls,

is traced back to one single event: The Fall

1. Our story contains deception. Vv.1-5

Revelation 20:2

2. Our story contains disobedience v.6

Isaiah 53:6

3. Our story contains devastation and disappointment vv.7-12

a. Creation is broken

b. Guilt and shame

c. Separation from and fear of God

d. Self-deception and blame

Years ago when I was pastoring in Mississippi, I was part of a ministry called Prison Fellowship. I made multiple trips up into the Mississippi delta to Parchman prison’s medium and maximum security cell blocks. I remember distinctly the first time I went, sitting in a chair, facing a semicircle of inmates. As they began to share why they were in there, I got increasingly uncomfortable. This guy was in for attempted murder. This guy was in for strangling someone to death. This guy was in for beating a man to death. Each of the men had a story that was both fascinating and alarming. Most of them were in for life. The result or the consequence of their actions was to live day after day in a confinement that drives many of them literally crazy. Their lives, their stories had been a mess.

Turn to Genesis 3. We are continuing our series entitled Story. Pulitzer Prize winner, Eudora Welty said, “If you want people to hear truth, tell them. If you want people to know the truth, tell them a story.”

Everyone loves a good story. Not everyone can tell a good story. In fact, I’ve known some world class story messer uppers. Not everyone can tell a good story but everyone loves a good story.

What is your story? Unless I miss my guess, your story is marked with joy and sadness, struggles, triumphs, tragedy, and perseverance. Each one of us has a story. This series we’re going to talk about your story, and how your story fits in God’s story.

Why is that important? Because life is a puzzle, right? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do in this situation? Where am I going? Why am I feeling this? How do I overcome this challenge? Why did God let that happen to me?(can these build randomly on the slide??)

And until you understand God’s story, you will be missing important pieces of the puzzle. (pic of puzzle with important pieces missing) Let me say this again: Until you understand God’s story, you will be missing important pieces of the puzzle in your own life.

Most people don’t know that God tells His own story in the Bible. The Bible is one epic story. It breaks into 4 main Acts: (build) Creation Fall Redemption Victory (Repeat) Like a good story, it follows a plot line (draw on tablet) Creation Fall Redemption Victory

Last week we began with Act 1, Creation In the story of Creation, we discover our God’s story and our story are intertwined with each other.

Now this morning we shift to Act 2, and the story takes a dark turn and becomes very, very messy. (pic of children slumming in ruins or garbage)

This is no doubt the most painful and difficult part of God’s story. Questions emerge when we read Act 2: Why is there suffering? Why is there prejudice and hate? Why is there sickness and death, hunger and disease? How could this happen?

Every ounce of disease and death, both with our bodies and with our souls, is traced back to one single event: The Fall.

So let’s look at the script of Act 2, found in Genesis 3. Turn in your Bibles. In week one, we said that our story as humans is a unique story. But we also have to add that not only is it a unique story, it is a messed up story. We’re messed up. We’re jacked up. How so?

1. Our story contains deception. Vv.1-5 (on screen)

The initial deceiver is the serpent, right? The Bible clearly identifies Satan as the serpent in many places, including Revelation 20:2 He (Jesus) seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the Devil and Satan.” One of the things Satan does is deceive.

v.1 says that he was cunning. Some translations use the word crafty. It’s the idea of being slight of hand; making something look or seem different than it really is. If you’ve ever been to NYC or Hong Kong, you can find someone to sell you a Rolex watch for $100. They’re lying. They’re deceiving. In all likelihood, it will stop working before you get back home, right?

Satan knows how to appeal to us; how to deceive us, how to make us think something is better, something is more authentic, something is more satisfying than what God offers.