Article 6. The Fall Of Man , Sin And Its Punishment Series

GENESIS CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 6.

THE FALL OF MAN , SIN AND ITS PUNISHMENT

TODAY WE ARE LOOKING AT THE ORIGINS OF THE FALL OF MAN, SIN AND ITS PUNISHMENT. AS WE DO I WANT TO ASK YOU ALL A QUESTION.........

HAVE YOU EVER LOST SOMETHING PRECIOUS? I AM SURE YOU HAVE, WHETHER IT HAS BEEN FAMILY MEMBERS - FRIENDSHIPS – POSSESSIONS – HEALTH - JOBS – SECURITY BUT HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED THE TRUTH OF LOSING GOD? THE TRUTH IS WE ALL START IN THE SAME BALL PARK. WE ARE ALL BORN INTO THIS WORLD WITHOUT GOD AND ITS ALL BECAUSE OF THE FALL OF MAN, IN THE BEGINNING AND IT HAS ITS CONSEQUENCES......... SIN AND ITS PUNISHMENT.

AS A RESULT OF ADAM AND EVE’S ACTIONS WE HAVE NEVER HAD GOD TO BEGIN WITH... TO KNOW GOD IS NOT A DIVINE RITE AT BIRTH. WE ARE NOT BORN INTO THIS WORLD KNOWING AND LOVING GOD BUT ACTUALLY IN REBELLION AND WE ARE IN A PLACE OF REJECTION. ITS ONLY WHEN THE NEW BIRTH COMES IS SOMEONE TRULY ‘ BORN AGAIN’ WE CAN FIND GOD AN DENTER INTO A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM .

1. THE FALL TEACHES WE HAVE LOST A PERFECT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

FIRSTLY LET’S TALK ABOUT WHO WE ARE.......

WE REFLECT SOMETHING OF GODS GLORY (SPLENDOUR) GEN.2.27 SO GOD FORMED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE; IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED HIM. MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM. ALL HUMAN BEINGS BEAR THE AUTHENTIC STAMP OF GOD THE STAMP OF AUTHENTICITY

(A DESIGNER LABEL). WE ARE THE ONLY ONES MADE IN HIS IMAGE.

• HUMOROUS STORY: GOD WAS ONCE APPROACHED BY A SCIENTIST WHO SAID, "LISTEN GOD, WE’VE DECIDED WE DON’T NEED YOU ANYMORE. THESE DAYS WE CAN CLONE PEOPLE, TRANSPLANT ORGANS AND DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT USED TO BE CONSIDERED MIRACULOUS.

• "GOD REPLIED, "DON’T NEED ME HUH? HOW ABOUT WE PUT YOUR THEORY TO THE TEST. WHY DON’T WE HAVE A COMPETITION TO SEE WHO CAN MAKE A HUMAN BEING, SAY, A MALE HUMAN BEING." THE SCIENTIST AGREES, SO GOD DECLARES THEY SHOULD DO IT LIKE HE DID IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN HE CREATED ADAM."FINE" SAYS THE SCIENTIST AS HE BENDS DOWN TO SCOOP UP A HANDFUL OF DIRT.""WHOA!" SAYS GOD, SHAKING HIS HEAD IN DISAPPROVAL. "NOT SO FAST. YOU GET YOUR OWN DIRT."

OUR SELF WORTH IS NOT FOUND IN WHAT WE ARE MADE OF, BUT WHO MADE US IN THE BEGINNING. GOD DIDN’T - JUST CREATE US OUT OF DIRT – BUT GOD WENT ON TO DO A DIVINE ACT WITH THAT DIRT GEN 2: 7 GOD NOT ONLY MADE US OUT OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND BUT HE BREATHED THE BREATH OF LIFE INTO OUR NOSTRILS – MAKING US WITH THE BREATH OF GOD..

GOD REVEALS TO US THAT HUMANS ARE SPECIAL, HE HAD GIVEN THEM A MIND TO REASON A BODY TO HAVE THEIR BEING AND A SOUL TO ENCOUNTER HIM. THIS BASIS IN OUR LIFE GIVES US A STABLE FOUNDATION FOR OUR OWN SELF WORTH. OUR WORTH IS NEVER BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE BUT WHO WE KNOW!

• ADAM AND EVE KNEW GOD V8, 9, 10, 11. HERE WE SEE THAT GODS DESIRE WAS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ADAM AND EVE. THE BIBLE REVEALS GOD WALKING IN THE GARDEN IN THE COOL OF THE DAY. IT GOES ON TO TELL US THEY HEARD THE SOUND OF GOD. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A FAMILIAR SOUND OF HIS PRESENCE. BUT NOW INSTEAD OF MEETING GOD THEY HIDE FROM GOD AMONGST THE TREES. V8. WHY?

• BUT ....THE FALL OF MAN CAME.... GEN: 3:6-7. THEY REBELLED

IN THE BEGINNING ADAM AND EVE HAD A PERFECT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THEY HAD A GOD CONNECTEDNESS IN THE BEGINNING AN UPRIGHT AND PERFECT RELATIONSHIP AS LONG AS THEY KEPT ONE COMMAND BEFORE THEM.

ADAM AND EVE KNEW GOD BUT LIKE ALL RELATIONSHIPS THERE ARE GROUND RULES TO MAINTAIN. GEN.2: 17. DO NOT EAT FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE AND GOOD AND EVIL FOR WHEN YOU EAT OF IT YOU WILL SURLY DIE. UNFORTUNATELY THEY DISOBEYED GEN: 3:6-7.

• HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY GOD GIVES US ALL CHOICES…CONSEQUENCES TO OUR ACTIONS ( WE ARE NOT ROBOTS – PRE PROGRAMMED)

• CHOICE – DISOBEDIENCE: ONE OF MY EARLIEST CHILDHOOD RECOLLECTIONS WAS WHEN WE LIVED IN BUCKLEY, N WALES. I WAS ENCOURAGED/DISCOURAGED AND YET TEMPTED TO EAT SOME LABURNUM SEEDS - I GAVE IN TO TEMPTATION – I MADE A CHOICE THAT DAY AND I REBELLED AGAINST MY PARENT AND WAS DECIEVED BY MY BROTHER, I HAD TO HAVE MY STOMACH PUMPED – AS THEY WERE POISONOUS - I HAD A CHOICE, I MADE THE WRONG ONE, I GAVE INTO TEMPTATION, I BELIEVED I WOULD BE OKAY. THAT CHOICE THOUGH ONLY EFFECTED ME AND MY FAMILY BUT WHEN ADAM AND EVE BLEW IT THEY BLEW IT FOR THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE.