Introductory Considerations
1. Any example of someone committing a sin. (ie. teenager caught cheating and then reprimanded by parents). What’s the big deal.
2. What was the big deal with Adam and Eve taking a bite out of an apple or some other fruit?
3. Today the world looks at those things we call sin and they say "So what" or "Whatever".
4. Does sin matter all that much? Today we look at sin - what it is, what it does, and how to deal with it.
Teaching
1. WHAT SIN IS
a. For many it is doing something that doesn’t feel right. If feels wrong God telling us it is wrong.
b. For Eve it felt right - good, pleasing and desirable for gaining wisdom. 3:6. Yet it was sin.
c. Sin is lawlessness. (1John 3:4)
d. Louis Berkhof says it is "the lack of conformity to the law of God and the opposite of that love which is required by the divine law."
e. Sin is basing our attitudes and actions on what we think is right rather than on what God says is right, especially when this leads us to disobey His word.
f. Sin is putting self before God or on a level equal to God. "You will be like God" (3:5)
g. It is listening to Satan’s lies.
2. WHAT SIN DOES
a. It affects the sinner.
i. Our eyes are opened and we are ashamed. We have to hide part of ourselves. (3:7)
ii. We are afraid of God because of the guilt we have. (3:8)
iii. Sin takes hold of us and grows. (Rom 1:21)
a. One little sin usually leads to other sins and soon we are caught in the web. Like alcoholic or workaholic or
those addicted to gambling we get caught in a cycle of sin.
b. Illustration of eagle perched on ice. (see at end)
c. Think of how this one sin of A&E (original sin) affects world today. It started so innocently, so they thought.
d. Illustration of tree. (see at end)
iv. Creates hardships on earth for us as God judges us. (3:16-20)
v. Eternal consequences of sin. The wages of sin is death.
vi. St. Augustine said "every sin is more injury to him who does it than him who suffers it"
b. Sin does affect others.
i. Victims of sin.
ii. Their response is often sin.
iii. We pass it on to next generation. How often we see our sins in our children.
iv. We see in Genesis how sin grows - Cain and Abel, wickedness on earth (6:5), Noah’s sons (Gen 9).
v. We cannot fix what sin has broken. Illustration of flower. (see at end)
vi. Sin affects the whole church for we are all part of one body.
vii. Illustration of hole in ship. (see at end)
c. Affects God and our relationship with Him.
i. Cannot stand in His holy presence because of our sin. (Exo.33).
ii. It GRIEVES the heart of God. (Gen 6:6). He was sorry He made man. Like parent saying to child "I wish you were never born" - "I wish I never gave birth to you".
iii. Think of how great and holy and loving God is, all He has done for us, and how we grieve Him when we sin.
iv. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." Eph 4:4,30. The story of Adam & Eve is story of bible. It is our story. We need to be aware of serious nature of sin. Worst of all it leads to eternal death.
5. Yet there is more to the story
a. Each time we sin God shows His grace is greater than our sin.
b. We see it in Gen 3:15, 4:15, in sparing of Noah and family. - there is hope.
6. HOW WE DEAL WITH SIN
a. Not take sin lightly, confess and share in hope.
b. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9)
ILLUSTRATIONS
Note: The following are brief descriptions. The full illustrations are found in "Bible Illustrator" software from Parson’s Technology.
1. Eagle perched on ice block in river above Niagara Falls. When want to escape finds he is frozen to ice.
2. Great tree fell to ground not because of storms, lightning or earthquake but by little beetles which ate away at it.
3. Try to pick a flower and put it back.
4. Man says its OK to cut hole in ship because it is in his own cabin. But...
