Genesis Chapter 3:1-24. Since the fall what have we lost?
Last week we went right back to the very foundations of everything the very begining when God alone existed in His being, the very beginning of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When God laid a perfect creation which good called very good.
We looked at the eternal nature of God and the fact God through his creation reveal to us that God is creative and that He created out of His creative love. We also saw that God is relational being in and of himself in the triune Godhead and is in need of nothing. Yet He is the one who invites us into relationship with Him. We too made in his image are also eternal we to are also creative and we to are also relational, this you would expect being made in His image.
We also learnt that God has created this Kingdom so that human beings might enjoy it and take up the responsibility over His Kingdom. With one stipulation Gen.3:17.This week we will see that Adam and Eve sadly chose to reject God as their king. So today’s message is called since the fall what have we lost?
We have all lost things that are precious to us, some more so than others? At earlier times in our lives, sons – daughters – husbands – wives – friendships – possessions – health - jobs – security but could you ever imagine losing God?
Of course we all start in the same ball park today without God - as a result of Adam and Eve’s actions we never had God to begin with... To know God is not a divine rite at birth. Only when the new birth comes is someone truly ‘born again’ it is then we find God and God keeps us forever – to say that we lose God is saying that his redeeming work for our salvation is not sufficient to keep us.The Bible tells us “He will never leave us, nor forsake us, I repeat never!
1. 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 created 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 unique in all that God made; we are THE ONLY ONES made in his image.
Evolution would teach us that were not unique at all that were just a bit of matter 17 trace elements.Is that all we are?
Humorus 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."
But seriously 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 He breathed the breath of life into our nostrils – making us with the breath of God.
God reveals to us here that we are special and as such have a unique relationship with God. God never did this act with any other living creature upon the planet it means we alone reflect His character – we are like him, we have a God connectedness.
He has given us a mind to reason a body to have our being and a soul to encounter him. Only this basis in our life gives us a stable foundation for self worth. This needs to sink in our worth is never based on what we have like so many today but who we know!
Secondly let’s ask ourselves what did we do?
God gives us all choices… and their are consequences
(we are not Robots)
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.
Sadly they disobeyed God 3:6-7.
One of my earliest childhood recollections was in N. Wales and I was told by my mother never to eat a certain seed on a tree yet my brother and his friends encouraged me to eat it a similiar scenario to Adam and Eve do’nt you think? ...I was tempted to eat some laburnum seeds - I gave in to temptation – As a result of my choice, I to be rushed to the local hospital and have my stomach pumped – as they were poisonous of course - 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 Adam and Eve choice effected all humanity.
They blew it all away, for what? A piece of fruit.... It’s awful when you here stories of people who have destroyed their marriages for what - a one night stand – a glass of whiskey –a sniff of cocaine – But this isn’t any human relationship that they’ve blown away .... But a relationship with God a divine relationship with God. The created looked more appealing than the creator.
C.S Lewis: tells the story of a wasp enjoying himself sucking the goodness on the the jam whilst the rest of its body has been decapitated – The wasp continues sucking unknowing to its condition. He says it’s a picture of human nature today we enjoy the sweet pleasures of life yet we fail to see the consequences of ignoring God our sin is deadly,our relationship with God has been lost.
Thirdly what have we lost......
Adam and Eve’s choice had greater repercussions . As a result of that one act of disobedience a perfect relationship was lost,a division was created in their relationship with God and all human relationships after it. A huge Seismic shift took place which has affected the whole of humanity ever since.
You might be saying ’how can we be responsible?’ For Adam and Eve’s act? Adam and Eve are our federal head they are our representives. For instance Tony Blair along with G. Bush decide to go to war with Iraq, you might disagree with it but none the less as our fedral heads the two nations are at war. Them to heads of state are our fedral heads our nations are at was whether you like it or not and we are part of it as a nation.
Rom.5:19. By the one mans disobedience many were made sinners
Disobedience leads to a cover up . V8
We see that God walked in the garden and called out to them.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.
We see from Gen.3:6,7,8 As a result of their disobedience against Gods ground rules came awareness of their nakedness and rebellion. Here we have two people trying to hide from the all seeing/ all knowing God really appears quite humorous.
How could they be so silly and believe they can hide? Truth be known we do exactly the same. We all try to hide our sins from one another (child who knocks over the ornament - glues the head back on in the hope is parents wo’nt notice, I know I was that child. ) but God sees it all, there is no hiding. Not one of us can hide from God. We have all failed God. (Stolen, sworn, lied, bullied, ridiculed, gossiped you name we have done it ) even as adults we still do the same, we try to cover up the stains? From friends and family, from one another, it might be possible to live a lie but not before an all seeing and knowing God its absolutely foolish.
A guilty conscience: I wonder if you are aware of that fact? Are you aware of your own disobedience …guilty conscience V7- 8. Their eyes were opened… Adam and Eve felt guilty over what they had done. They realised they had gone strictly against Gods command Gen.2:17 God called out.... the reply Gen 3:10.I was afraid. Why should they be afraid conscience had kicked in....
Conscience is a warning signal from God placed inside you when we do wrong. The worst thing we can do is to ignore our conscience when it speaks to us. And believe what we have done is perfectly acceptable. Many in society today ignore listening to their conscience when they feel guilty but guilt is more than a feeling for instance
Suppose ruthless criminal guns down an elderly lady in cold blood… and then laughs. Is the man guilty? Of course! Does he feel guilty? No. In his own perverted way, he feels good- even glad about what he did.
The point is that guilt is more than just a feeling? In fact it is best defined as the condition of being in violation of moral or civil laws. Yes we can feel guilt and remorse, but it doesn’t have to be - you can feel utterly righteous before God today stuck in the middle of religiosity but it doesn’t alter the fact that without accepting Christ you are guilty even without feeling guilty.
2. We have lost a perfect World.
Gen 2:8 God had prepared a beautiful Creation especially the Garden of (Eden) Gen.1:31. God saw all that he had made and it was very good. As we look around the world today we see a wonderful world with many wonders. But compared to the world that Adam and eve lived in its pale reflection.
Perfection
That first creation was perfect with no decay, with the provision of food and with animals in abundance. Gen2:15.God created the world and placed man upon it to take care of it. The world was a most spectacular place. There was a place called the Garden of Eden rich and fertile it was here where Adam and Eve lived. Within this garden they had a personal relationship with God. Here they would live forever with God. This place was literally heaven upon earth where God dwelt 3:8. There was another tree of course the tree of knowledge of Good and evil. And when they ate from it, not only didtheir rel;ationship with God change but the earth changed too.
Fact as a result of sin…the world is now a decaying world.
Notice God cursed the earth Gen 3:17. As a result it is dying its in decay Rom.8:20-22. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in the hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay. 22 We know that right up to the present time the whole of creation has been groaning as in pains of child birth right up to the present time.
This is why we see a decaying world today and it’s the scientists who are warning us about the Polar ice caps melting, the ozone depleting the natural’s resources not being sustainable. Sadly we see a world that is slowly decaying (entropy laws) we have an increase of earthquakes, droughts, floods, famines increase in hurricanes, Tsunamis. The results of these natural disaster is the fall – we have lost a perfect world
3. We have lost eternal life with God.
Prior to the Fall Adam and Eve had eternal life , which was spent with God, a life which would last forever a life with no death or disease. But as a result of their act of disobedience….Gen.2: 17. God told Adam you shall die (eternal death) if you eat the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil. They did exactly what they should not of done. As a consequence sin came into the world Romans tells us: For the wages of sin is death (eternal dying continually dying).
a. Death to a relationship Gen.3: 22-24.
They were banished out of the garden away from God. As a result of their sin and our sin each and every person in the entire world is born into a broken relationship with God.
Banished (strong word) mean to send away from a country or state. Banish applies to forced departure from a country by official decree: The spy was found guilty of treason and banished from the country. Humanity has been banished by God from his immediate presence as a result of disobedience – far removed to an alien land. If you remain in the state of rejecting Christ you too will also be banished from heaven itself banished to horror.
b. Physical death is certain. Gen. 3:3 - 4. “You will not surely die.” Says the devil
The devil contradicts God and His word. He did it here in the serpent and he did it with Jesus during the temptations. The devil possessed the serpent, who brought a lie Gen.3:1 into the world. And the world (all that is opposed to God) ever since is doing the same thing. We too today have choices just like Adam and Eve - to reject God is a deception a lie - Gen.2: 17 you will not surely die.
Why do we die? Gen.2:16. Because we sinned and God commands it! All of us here are aware of death but are we all ready to embrace it in certain hope? If your young it may seem a million miles away (but young people today will die). I have a funeral on Tuesday and their will be some very somber faces in the congregation because of death: Death is serious stuff….. It’s a question of our future eternity……
Tombstone inscription. Pause now as you pass by, As you are now once was I, As I am now, so you must be. Prepare yourself and follow me.
• Bertrand Russell said, “Death is a night of nothingness.” Friends the Bible says we are destined to die and then the judgment…Heb.9.29. Who do you believe the Philosopher or God’s word?
2. Spiritual Death is certain. The Lie is really serious: You will not surely die say the devil (2nd death Rev.20: 14)
The deception is that after death there is nothing and when you’re dead your dead do you believe that lie. It’s a very popular notion today. You must understand that’s the teaching of the devil himself in scripture and the devil is a liar and the Father of all lies.
Jesus told a story Luke 16; 19 -31 Two people died - In it both people lived after death yet one received eternal life - and the other received eternal death, where there was no way out. Friends my concern is for you....
I forgot somebody wrote underneath that tombstone inscription:To follow you I’m not content, until I know which way you went!
So lets recap: What have we lost?
We have lost a relationship with God.
We have lost a perfect World…
We have lost eternal life with God.
Finally we have heard a lot of bad stuff but even here in the opening of Genesis we can gain for here we have our first promise of victory : The seed of the woman will bruise the serpent head. Gen.3:15
God lays down a promise that the victory will be Gods, that Gods Kingdom will will be restored and our relationship with God also will be restored – that our world will be made into a new creation and that our lives will be spent with God in a perfect relationship for evermore.... All because of Jesus the 2nd Adam will be victor and tred down SATAN FOREVER and conquer sin.. throughout the Bible we will see this theme of the victorious Christ of God prospering over evil. To the ultimate conquest upon the cross at Calvary. Are you a loser or a winner? well it depends on whether your in Adam or Jesus the choice is yours.
If you would like to hear this sermon in the flesh go to www.cbchurch.org.uk click cyberchurch tab and then audio. Please leave comments good and bad are appreciated many thanks Aubrey Vaughan.
