1. A Question of the Ages – Why am I here?
a. Not many happy, contented people in spite of wealth, fame, accomplishments
b. Our purpose is something bigger – everything “under the sun” is vanity according to Ecclesiastes
c. Alexander the Great wept b/c there were “no more worlds to conquer;” died at about age 30
d. "The world says, The more you take, the more you have. Christ says, the more you give, the more you are." — Frederick Buechner
2. God created man in the beginning – Genesis 1.26-27; called THEM, Adam (Genesis 5.2)
a. Possible definition – “Blood of God”
b. Image and likeness of God as Jesus – Colossians 1.15a 15 He is the image of the invisible God,
c. Adam and Eve were to be God’s representatives and fulfill His purposes on earth.
3. Why create them/Us?
a. God’s nature is love (1 John 4.8) – Seen through the whole bible; ahav – affection; agape – moral love
b. God created man to show and share in his love
c. God made Adam as close as possible to himself to love him fully
d. Someone has observed:
• To love someone below us we pity them
• To love someone above us we worship them
• To love someone equal to us is to truly love
e. Once sin entered the world, everything changed
I. The Perfect Couple
A. Man was created from “Dust” – tiny particles/atoms
B. God Gave Him the Breath of Life – spirit/breath/wind; Living Soul
C. God Created Male and Female – a Matter of Image
• Man Needed a Companion – Genesis 2.18
• Male Attributes – Leadership; Assertiveness; Strength
• Female Attributes (associated with HS?; YHVH – ½ male and ½ female)– Nurture (Isaiah 49.15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.); Emotion; Compassion –
Matthew 23.37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
D. Most Important Aspect – God Created Man to be Like Himself
II. Tragedy of Sin
A. Adam and Eve Violate their ONE Restriction
B. Consequences Follow
1. Adam – Hard work
2. Eve – Pain in childbirth
3. Serpent – Crawl on belly
4. Bigger Ones – expulsion from the Garden; Death; Marred the image of God; Lost Purpose
C. God Wants to Reconcile Sinful Man – 2 Corinthians 5.19
. . . in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
III. Sacrificial Compassion of God
[Adam was perfectly like God at first – no sin
A. Eve’s Sin Produced Adam’s Compassion
1. Change of perspective – Adam is not a weak, henpecked wimp of a husband; He is God-like
2. Eve Sinned and Offered the fruit to Adam and he ate (Genesis 3.6-7) – Why did he eat?
3. Adam Voluntarily Took on Her Sin – Did the same thing
4. Adam Knew she would die alone and went with her out of love and compassion and embrace the consequences of sin with her
B. This is a Reflection of God – the mercy; steadfast love;
1. God did not throw them away after their sin – He came to be with them in the Garden – Genesis 3.8-13 “Where are you?”
2. He made animal skins for their clothes (first sacrifices?)
3. Predicted the Coming One – Genesis 3.15
C. This is What God Did for Us in Jesus
1. Jesus demonstrated his nature of compassion in his coming
Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Mark 8:2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.
Luke 15:20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
2. God wants to restore his family
a. Can you believe how much God wants to be with us?
b. As the Father he came to Adam and Eve; Abram; Moses; Israel in Egypt and Wilderness
c. As the Son – John 1.14
d. As the Holy Spirit – Acts 2; Ephesians 5.18-19
3. Jesus doesn’t want to condemn but to lovingly restore our lost image and purpose
1 Corinthians 15.45
45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
1. Let’s go back where we began – Why did God make you?
a. We are not here merely for earthly success
b. No some cruel joke of God
2. We are here to be representatives of God in our world
a. Bear the likeness and image in the perfecting of Jesus
b. Let the world know you have been with Jesus (Acts 4.13)
3. We are here to live out God’s purposes
Colossians 3.12-14
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
4. The BIG Question – “Will you?”
a. Not as easy as we might think
b. Jesus walks with us to take away our sins and empower us to live as God has directed; now it is up to us
