Behold The Lamb Promised Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

December 2, 2012

Behold The Lamb Promised

As we enter this Christmas season, it is a good time for us to reflect on the reason for this season.

Our society/embraced/season/time/merchandise/parties/foolish observances.

• People spend money they do not have to buy gifts for people they don’t even like

• In the hope that they receive something in return that they do not even need.

Many focus their attention on mythical characters

• Santa Claus, flying reindeer and busy little elves

• While neglecting the primary reason for the season.

I have no quarrel/anyone over how they celebrate Christmas.

• You can do it anyway you please.

• You can tell your children whatever you want to tell them about Christmas.

• But, while I have you in these pews

• it is my responsibility to share/true reason for this season. __________________________________________

Beginning today/and/next few Sunday mornings, I want to preach a series which revolves around the real reason for the Christmas season.

• I would like to take the focus off fat guys in red suits

• off pretty packages under decorated trees

• off fictional characters like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch;

• and place it squarely where I believe it needs to be.

I want to focus our attention/next few weeks/Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

I want to preach a brief series which I am entitling Behold The Lamb.

My desire is to magnify Him, edify you and help us all to be drawn closer to God during this special time of the year.

Genesis 3:1-21

The lamb is promised

Genesis certainly is a strange place to preach/Christmas sermon.

• Yet, here in the midst of man’s greatest tragedy

• is the revelation of man’s greatest hope.

• It is here that the tale of sin, judgment and death

• We meet the message/saving Gospel and

• The Person of the Lamb of God for the first time.

What more of a wonderful message to preach for Advent.

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• God has made man in His image.

• He created man/perfect innocence and placed him in a perfect environment.

• Adam has been given dominion over the Lord’s entire creation

• He was presented with/perfect companion/woman called Eve.

• They live an idyllic existence, free from pain, disease, death and sorrow.

• Every need they have is met and they enjoy unbroken, unhindered fellowship with God Himself, Gen. 2:8-9.

The only restriction they have regards one tree which is located in the Garden of Eden.

This tree is called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

• Adam is warned to stay away from this tree

• for to eat its fruit will bring death into the world

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Well, for an undefined period of time things go well in the Garden, until one day when Eve finds herself confronted by a serpent controlled by Satan.

• This serpent tells her/God/holding out/her and Adam.

• He tells Eve/God doesn’t want them eat of the fruit.

• When they eat/fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they will be like God.

Eve succumbs to the temptation/devil and eats of the fruit. Adam also falls for the lie and eats as well.

• In an instant, everything changes!

• They are no longer innocent and pure

• they have become sinners

• They have become fallen beings.

Immediately, they are aware that everything has changed.

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• In the midst of this tragedy

• God comes into the Garden to fellowship with Adam/Eve.

• He calls out to them because they have hidden themselves from them, v. 8.

• God knows what they have done and extracts a confession from Adam, v. 10-12.

• Then the blame game begins.

• Adam blames Eve and God,

• Eve blames the serpent, v. 12-13.

God immediately pronounces judgment/Adam/Eve/serpent, and God casts them out of the Garden of Eden.

Yet, right in the middle of this tragedy is a flicker of hope.

Verse 15 shines out of this darkness like a great beacon, illuminating the amazing grace of God.

• This verse has been called the “Protevangelium.”

• Latin word/means “First Gospel.”

• Here, in seed form/Gospel/salvation through the grace/God.

Here, for the first time

• We see/glimpse/Lamb/God who will later give Himself on Calvary’s cross to redeem a lost and dying world.

• We can see the first stitch in the scarlet thread of redemption that courses its way through/entire Word/God.

This precious verse gives us the very first promise in the Word of God regarding the coming Lamb.

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I would like to take a few minutes to look into this passage as I try to preach on Behold The Lamb Promised.