Recover Your Way
Genesis 2:1-25
Introduction
During the month of September, we are going to be talking about the theme of recovery. The truth is that we are all in recovery. Romans 3:10,23 “There is no one righteous, not even one…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It’s not hard to admit that we are sinners - it’s the one thing we know about ourselves. But it is hard to admit that our own sin and struggle have left a mess behind us … and sometimes we’re still dealing with it.
The Bible is full of men and women who lost their way.
King David’s disastrous adultery with Bathsheba.
Noah’s drunken episode AFTER he gets off the Ark.
Elijah’s breakdown in a cave of loneliness.
Saul of Tarsus terrorizing Christians before becoming one.
Peter denying the Lord Jesus on the eve of his crucifixion.
The same is true in our own lives - and when we lose our way, we hurt ourselves and others. One of the first stories of recovery in the Bible is the first story.
1. The World God Planned For Us (Genesis 2)
A Perfect Environment in which humans could thrive (Gen 2:1). "The Garden of Eden was a habitat so lush, extravagantly fertile, and filled with God’s abiding presence that, even though scholars have branded the place paradise, the modern descriptor doesn’t come close to expressing the garden’s beauty or significance.” - Annette Griffin
A Structure for Living that benefitted the Creation: Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3). Man’s first day of existence was a sabbath. Whitworth: “for all of our work and worry, a weekly Sabbath reminds us that God is the One writing the story.
A Sustaining Garden for Food / Survival (Genesis 2:4-14)
Self-Sustaining Environment that required no work. (Genesis 2:4-6)
The first human is created and given a wonderful place to live, Adam is sustained by vegetation and water. (Genesis 2:7-14) “In the Garden of Eden grew things that were both pleasing to the eye and good to eat … all the things that mankind needed to live well. God wanted people to take delight in and enjoy his beautiful creation. He provided for all of their needs.” -Elwell
A Purpose and a Law (Genesis 2:15-17) “The tree of the knowledge of good and evil belonged to God alone. That means man was not to set himself up to be God. He was not to be his own moral determiner and decide for himself what was good and what was evil.” Elwell
Companionship (Genesis 2:18-25).
The Animal Kingdom (Genesis 2:18-20) “There was no fear between men and animals. They lived in harmony with one another. … it was a place of perfect harmony.” Elwell Whitworth. Whitworth:"It is only then that God called something not good’ in his creation. He noticed Adam’s loneliness … So God blessed his life with Eve, a woman formed from his ribs.”
Another human (Genesis 2:21- 25). Matthew Henry (via Wiersbe) “She was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”
A Fatal Reality: The Power of Choice. It seems like nothing could interfere with this pure and perfect environment - except when Adam and Eve lost their way. Through their disobedience, they revealed a lack of belief in the One who created and loved them. This is the definition and origin of sin. - Griffin. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Guthrie: “They opened the door to sin that day, and it came rushing into every aspect of existence, taking away their freedom and unfettered enjoyment of God himself.”
The perfect place became the location of our recovery story.
2. Can We Recover Our Way?
In one sense, you can’t. The first step in AA’s Twelve Steps: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable. You might bristle at that, but consider the times and ways you have lost your way in life. We may say we could have done better, but we didn’t. Romans 7:15, 19 NRSVU "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. …For I do not do the d I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do."
On the other hand, We can if we allow Jesus to lead our recovery. Before we can get it together, He does.
Romans 6:3-5 "Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his."
3. Recover Your Way by Following Jesus! (Mark 1:16-20)
Mark 1:16-20 "As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him."
Hear Jesus call you where you are.
Believe Jesus calls you to become something new.
Know Jesus uses your experiences to draw others.
Daily Remember Jesus requires us to follow.
Make first steps
It’s not always easy
It is eternally worth it
When you take a wrong step, come home immediately.
Conclusion
The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is a reminder of God’s love and plan for us, our own misdirection and losing our way, and the way of Jesus to call us back to follow Him.
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” C.S. Lewis
In John’s final revelatory vision, we’re given a glimpse of a garden in Heaven that looks remarkably familiar. There is a river - flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb (Revelation 22:1). We will have constant access to the Tree of Life, and “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him” (Revelation 22:2).
God has provided a picture of how he wants us to live forever - and He has provided a Savior to make it so.
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Questions For Discussion
1. What fact that is shared with us about Eden most captures your attention?
2. What is the significance of man being formed from the dust? Read Psalm 103:14. How could this bring us comfort in our troubles?
3. What was man’s responsibility in terms of the garden? What does this tell us how to experience fulfillment in life?
4. God warned the humans that if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they would die (Genesis 2:16-17). What are some of the ways that this warning was this true?
5. What was the main difference between the human and the animals in the garden?
6. The first step in AA’s Twelve Steps: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable. In what way is AA’s first step a necessity for everyone to deal with their problems? Why do you think some have an adverse reaction to that statement?
7. Brainstorm some ways that Jesus is our only hope of recovery when we’ve lost our way.
8. Was there anything else about today’s lesson you would like to talk about?
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Resources
Alcoholics Anonymous
https://www.aa.org/the-twelve-steps
Elwell, Marty. The Garden of Eden.
https://www.ultimateoutcomes.org/the-garden-of-eden/
Griffin, Annette. What We Can Learn from the Garden of Eden.
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-can-we-learn-from-the-garden-of-eden.html
Guthrie, Nancy. The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament. Tyndale, 2010.
Whitworth, Michael. The Epic of God: A Guide to Genesis. Start2Finish, 2014.
Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary: The Pentateuch. David C. Cook, 2001.
