How The World Changes

HOW THE WORLD CHANGES (Outline)

June 1, 2008 --

PENTECOST 3 --

Genesis 3:8-15

INTRO: Biblically speaking the world has had major changes in history. Whether the world wants to admit it or not God’s word is very clear concerning cataclysmic events that completely changed history. Consider creation. Without God’s creating power there would be nothing. The history of the world began when God began the creation of the world. Another history changing event took place at the birth of Jesus, the Christ, Savior. Even historians have admitted that Christ was a living, historical person. As believers we know and confess that Christ also was the sinless Son of God. Each event changed history.

Of course there are other history changing events in the record of God’s word. Today’s text presents us with the most drastic event in human history. Sin entered the world and everything, absolutely everything changed – forever. This change took place then and is here now no matter what the world might say, believe, or teach. "But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe" (GALATIANS 3:22).

HOW THE WORLD CHANGES.

I. Mankind sins, ruins perfection.

II. God saves, restores perfection.

I. MANKIND SINS, RUINS PERFECTION

A. In six days the Lord God Almighty made the heavens and the earth. He looked and it was good.

1. In fact the creation was very good. Into this perfect creation the Lord placed Adam and Eve.

2. Chapter 3 of Genesis opens by telling of the first sin. Mankind disobeyed God’s perfect will.

B. Verse 8 describes the great change that took place once sin entered perfection. They hid from the Lord.

1. One day Adam and Eve walked with God and talked with God. After sin they hide from God.

2. But God does not give up. God persists, verse 9. God calls out in mercy to the man.

3. The man, Adam, explains, verse 10. After sin there is fear and shame and hiding and lying.

C. Man resists and God persists, verse 11. God wants Adam to admit the truth of his sin.

1. Verse 12. Adam blames God for the woman, the woman for the fruit. Sin ruins perfection.

2. Verse 13. God calls in mercy to Eve. Eve blames God for the serpent, serpent for deceiving.

3. God is persistent. God is patient. Adam and Eve finally confess: and I ate. I sinned.

D. We persist in sin. We persist in turning away from God. We persist in disobeying what God wants for us. This is sin. Sin changes everything. Look at Adam and Eve. They knew God’s will perfectly. After disobeying the dividing wall of sin created fear, shame, and lying. They were separated from knowing God’s will perfectly. We live thousands of years after this catastrophic, history-changing event. God’s will is not any easier to know perfectly today. Sin still divides man from knowing the mind of God. "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear"(ISAIAH 59:2). The blame game is not an excuse God wants to hear. Sins separate.

E. We know that it is not easy to admit our sins. No one likes to say, “I am wrong”. We are. Sin cannot be explained away, swept under the rug, or denied. Yet, this is what the world does so very often. At times, we too, would rather deny than confess. We would blame others, even God himself rather than admit our own wrongdoing. “Yet in spite of all this you say, `I am innocent; he is not angry with me.’ But I will pass judgment on you because you say, `I have not sinned’"(JEREMIAH 2:35). Do not be deceived God is not mocked. There is still joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

F. There is absolutely, positively no escaping. We have inherited our sinful nature from our very first parents, Adam and Eve. If you do not believe it, just look around. Day after day after day the media reports example after example of mankind’s inhumanity to his fellow man. Crimes against one another increase and become more and more violent almost daily. This is sin. Perfection is ruined. We sin daily and we sin much against our God. We sin in thought, word, and deed. "Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one"(PSALM 53:3).

HOW THE WORLD CHANGES!

Mankind sins and ruins perfection.

Thankfully God comes to save.

II. GOD SAVES, RESTORES PERFECTION

A. Some like to ask: “Why did man sin?” The real question is: “Why did God persist to save mankind?”