The Disobedience of Man
INTRODUCTION: Read Gen. 3:1-24
A. Have you ever wondered how one could allow a moment of pleasure to destroy his/her reputation?
1. What causes one to mortgage his life to pay the high price of sin?
2. What causes one to turn his back on God, his family or his brethren?
3. Genesis 3 will give us some insight into these questions
B. The Bible is a book about sin.
1. Genesis 1 & 2 sets forth man in his innocence.
2. The remaining 1,187 chapters depict man as a sinner, and as one who is in need of grace - the salvation that can only be found in Christ.
3. In this lesson I want us to go back in our minds to the garden of Eden, to a time when sin first entered the world, and notice some very important points that will help us in our daily walk as a Christian.
DISCUSSION
A. SATAN ATTACKS GOD’S WORD
1. Genesis 3:1
2. Satan is trying to get Eve to doubt that God really means what He says.
a. Satan seems to be saying, “Did God really say this, surely that’s not what He meant to say”
b. Or, “You must have misunderstood.”
c. It may be that Satan was ridiculing God’s word.
3. There was no misunderstanding about it, God gave the command in simple and plan terms.
a. Genesis 2:16-17
b. Eve even repeated the command verbally in Gen. 3:2-3
4. This is exactly what Satan and his followers are trying to get people to do today - doubt God’s word.
a. For example _ Mark 16:16
b. But many deny the essentiality of baptism
c. “Let God be found true, but every man a liar” (Rom.3:4)
d. Don’t allow Satan to trick you into thinking that God doesn’t really mean what He says.
5. As a side note, you will notice in this verse that Satan comes in disguise.
a. Eve felt no alarm
b. Satan does not come with a wailing siren
c. He disguises his purposes
B. SATAN LIES
1. Genesis 3:2-5 (v. 4)
2. Here we learn more of what Jesus meant in John 8:44
a. Satan lied to Eve and she believed him.
b. Satan is still lying today, and a great multitude is believing
3. Notice that in Satan’s lie to Eve - he added only one little word
a. God said they would die - Satan said they would “NOT”
b. Today a good example of Satan lying by changing one little word is seen in _ James 2:24
4. This is how Satan works on us today - deception
5. Satan tricks Eve into focusing on the “one tree” (the forbidden one) and to forgot about all of the other trees.
a. Today, some focus on a moment of pleasure and forget about the other blessings
b. Satan shifts our focus
C. THE AVENUES OF TEMPTATION
1. Genesis 3:6
2. 1 John 2:15-16
a. Eve saw that it “was good for food” - lust of the flesh
b. Eve noticed that it “was pleasant to the eyes” - lust of the eyes
c. Eve concluded it would “make one wise” - pride of life
3. These are the same avenues that Satan used to tempt Jesus in Matthew 4
4. James 1:13-15
a. God does not cause us to sin
b. We sin when we give in to one of the avenues of sin
c. Eve saw, she took, and did eat (v. 6)
5. Satan sets these avenues before us constantly
D. ADAM WAS WITH EVE AND DIDN’T TRY TO STOP HER
1. “She gave unto her husband WITH HER” (v. 6)
a. It seems that Adam may have been right there with Eve when she was
tempted.
b. Adam kept silent - He made a serious mistake
2. We need to look out for one another, not as lording over anyone, but as concerned brethren
a. Ezekiel 3:17-21
b. We need to warn people of their sins for two reasons:
1) To save their soul from death _ James 5:19-20
2) To save our soul from death (Eze. 3:18)
E. NO ONE CAN HIDE FROM GOD
1. Genesis 3:7-8
2. Adam and Eve realized that they had sinned and wanted to hid from God.
3. Many today are trying to hid from God
a. Some think they can commit sin that no one but themselves know about
b. Many in the day of judgment will cry for the mountains to fall on them to hid
them from the wrath of God (Rev. 6:12-17)
4. Jeremiah 23:23-24
5. 1 John 3:20
6. There is an all seeing eye watching us.
a. This ought to make us act a little better
b. Children generally act better around their parents
F. PASSING THE BUCK
1. Genesis 3:9-13
2. This is an age old problem, no one seems to want to take responsibility for their errors.
a. This has been true from the very beginning
b. Adam blamed Eve - Eve blamed the serpent
3. Until we realize that we are to blame for our sins we will never do anything to resolve the problem
a. Romans 14:12
b. Matthew 12:36-37
c. Matthew 16:27
G. THE PROMISE OF THE MESSIAH
1. Genesis 3:14-15
2. Eve though man sinned, disobeyed God’s commands, He loved man so much that He had a plan for his salvation.
a. Throughout the Old Testament we see this plan unfolding, until it was time for the plan to go into effect.
b. Galatians 4:4-5
3. Satan was going to bruise the heel of Jesus, i.e. give Him a minor blow - nailed to the cross.
4. Christ, though, was going to bruise the head of Satan, i.e. give him a severe and mortal blow - His resurrection
5. Our God has given us such a glorious and simple plan to follow
H. PUNISHMENT COMES TO THOSE WHO DISOBEY GOD
1. Genesis 3:16-19
2. Eve was punished
a. Pain in child birth
b. Her husband was to rule over her
3. Adam was punished
a. He would have to battle weeds
b. Food would no longer be freely provided
c. Have to work for his food
d. Die and return to dust
4. Deuteronomy 28:1-6 … 28:15-19
a. “IF” … “THEN”
b. If we obey we are rewarded, but if we disobey we will be punished
5. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
CONCLUSION
A. Hebrews 2:1-3
B. Invitation
