In this book of genesis we are given a narrative, a description and a chronicle of this place that has been articulated to be considered perfect. This place is known all over the planet as the Garden of Eden. It was a place of contentment and joy. Mankind was created to care for and enjoy this place. When God created Genesis 2:25 tells us “Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.”
Here is the truth. Satan assaulted our first parents, to draw them into sin, and his temptation proved fatal to them. The tempter, the devil, who were in the shape, and likeness of a serpent assaulted our first parents. Satan's plan was to draw our first parents to sin, and to separate between them and their God.
Now when the serpent showed up and persuaded them to go against God, when he coerced them not to listen to what God had commanded them not to do. He actually, seduced them into some disbelief of God’s Word. In other words, He basically, essentially, talked them into believing that they were above the Word of God, and that God’s Word was not applicable to them. The record is that they sinned, and I’ve got something to tell you this morning, and that is when you sin then things changed. When you sin chaos breaks out. When
you sin things in the atmosphere changes.
Let me prove it to you. Before sin the loins were still sitting next to the lambs. Before sin the dogs were hanging out with the cats, before sin the lizards were smiling at the insects. CAN I SAY IT? Before sin, deacon still honored Pastor, before sin, ushers and mission was working together, before sin the minister of music didn’t have any problems out of the choir members, it was all before sin. But when sin crept in things changed.
Because before they sin they didn’t even know that they were naked. Their eyes were closed to the nastiness of this world. In fact, they were not even responding to the nakedness world as we do now. In fact before they sinned, Adam only spoke of her as bone on my bone and flesh of my flesh.
Their eyes were closed to the sinfulness that could occur until they sinned, and may I tell you that there are some people that have open up some portals that have allow their eyes to see nothing but nastiness, lies, hatefulness, bitterness, and unpleasant situation, and it’s all because things change when sin steps in.
The notice is when they sinned a change happened, they could feel a differences, when they sinned something took place, something transpired, there was an adjustment, an modification that took place, the bible says that they were ashamed for their nakedness so they covered themselves and hid from God.
Let me drop a quarter in the meter and park here for a minute. First of all, whenever, you sin you will hide from God, because God knows what you have done. Whenever you sin, you will have to disguise your voice on the phone. Whenever you sin, you will send note anonymously. Whenever you sin, you will put your wives, your husband and your children up to do your dirty work. You know rent to own is there for a payment on that couch and that furniture that you received and you’ll have that child lie and tell, (tell them I’m not home). You know that it’s the creditors call and you disguise your voice like you’re someone else.
When you sin the relationship change, when you sin, the trust level change, when you sin people don’t believe you, because all you do is Lie, lie, and lie some more. When God was walking in the cool of the day and they heard the voice of the Lord, the Lord called out to Adam, they hid themselves. The Lord called out to Adams and said where art thou? And Adam said in verse 10, “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” In verse 11 the Lord responded “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” And I believe that too many of us have eaten off of the wrong trees. And by eating off of these trees, you have been beguiled, enticed, lured, wooed, charmed, mesmerized hypnotized by some evil spirits. And if the Lord God has given you specific instructions, then who are you listening to?
They were bare, uncovered, unprotected, exposed, and broken. And God asked them “Who told you that?”
And for those of you that say’s Pastor I feel like I’m not worthy, I have a question for you. Who told you that? For those of you that feel like you are less then, I have the same question for you. Who told you that?
Anyone that can hear my voice this morning and you are saying that you are a nobody, nothing good every comes your way, time isn’t long for you. If you are saying that you will never make it, you will never amount to anything; life has dealt you a bad hand. If you are saying that you will never be on the top of these bills, you will never accomplish your goals, life isn’t worth living, you can’t see your way through. I’ve-got-one-question-for-you. Who, I said who-told-you-that?
Because if you read the Word of God it says “That I can do all things through Christ Jesus that strengthen me”
So, I said all of that to say this. You must be careful of who and what is talking to you in your ear, because this is what happen to Adam and Eve. Eve listened to the serpent, and Adam listened to his wife, and because they listened to everyone except God they sinned.
All I’m trying to tell you is that listening to the wrong people the devil and his imps will keep you from getting in to paradise, because if what you’re listening to, and it’s against God’s will, hell will be your final resting place.
So, be careful of whose whispering in your ear.
Be careful who calls themselves your friend.
Be careful of the one that carry’s the bone, because they are also brings a bone.
Who we need to hear is the Lord God almighty.
Because he is the one who can raise us,
He is the one that can bless us,
He is the one that can heal us,
He is a God that cannot and will not lie. Anybody
know him?
This is how you can tell the differences. The Holy Spirit builds us up. But the devil will tear us down. The Lord will strengthen you, but the devil will weaken you. The Lord can give you life, and that more abundantly, but the devil will mess your life up. But you have to be careful who you listen to. You have to remember what the bible tells you and that is you are more than a conquer
You are the head and not the tail
You are a lender and not a borrower
I’m reminded of a story told of three little girls who are enjoying an evening of play. They started playing the game of counting their money; the object was to see who had the most and the winner would be crowned queen for the day.
The first little girl counted thirteen pennies, the second counted fourteen pennies. The last little girl began to count, she had only fourteen pennies like the second, however she counted fifteen.
The other two girls argued with her over the count and they counted again, there were only fourteen, but the last girl insisted on having fifteen. Finally, they asked, "How can you say fifteen when you only have fourteen", she replied, "My father promised me another penny when he comes home from work today". And whatever my father promises me, it’s mine at the moment of the promise. That is the assurance we have, whatever the Father has promised, He will provide, whatever He says, it is a word that you can count on.
