Genesis 215-17, 3:1-7
God’s Perfect Plan
I’d like to set the stage for a drama that is pretty close to real life.
Picture if you will an average family scenario with two parents and two children, one boy about 6 years old and, one girl about 5 years old.
The family lives in a house with a nice fenced in yard in the back fully equipped with a swing set, sliding board, jungle gym, sand box, swimming pool, and all the equipment and space needed to play whiffle ball.
The scene takes place in the middle of summer and their parents are about to go shopping and leave their children with a sitter.
They give their children instructions.
You may go outside and play in the yard, but you may not go across the street.
As it happens, while they’re playing baseball, the ball inevitably is hit outside the fence and rolls across the street.
The neighborhood bully just happens to be walking down the sidewalk and taunts the kids because he knows they’re not allowed out of the yard.
The bully eventually gets the best of them and they run out between the parked cars to retrieve the ball just as a truck is passing by and is unable to stop in time to avoid hitting them.
In this scenario, did the parents give their children rules because they did or did not love them?
Did the parents give their children rules out of the parents’ wisdom or ignorance?
Did the children need the rules to keep them safe?
What scripture does this scenario remind you of?
(Genesis 2:15-17)
Now lets take those same questions as they relate to Genesis 2:15-17…
Does God give us rules because He does or does not love us?
Did God give us rules out of God’s wisdom or ignorance?
Do we need rules to keep us safe?
This story in Genesis is all about relationship…
Relationship between people and God.
Relationship between people and temptation.
Relationship with self determination.
Relationship with free will.
And a loving God that has provided for us despite our determination to disobey His rules.
And so, I am reminded this day, as I was the day I was writing this message for you, that in our case, in our situation, in our human state of falling from God’s perfect plan for us, death is a blessing.
Notice I have not said that death is not painful.
Notice I have not said that death is not scary.
Notice I have not said that death is something we look forward to.
What death is…is a chance for a new beginning…to start over again.
We’ve done life our way and we’ve gotten ourselves into all kinds of trouble.
North Korea has nuclear missiles they feel they need to protect them from the U.S.
Israel and Palestine cannot come to a mutual agreement.
When I cross the Schuylkill River, sometimes it wreaks of pollution.
We’ve covered wildlife with oil spills in the ocean.
We’ve endangered various species of plant and animal life.
We are about to invade the pristine spaces of Alaska.
We have mass graves dictator regimes.
We have famine in Africa.
We have disease in Southeast Asia.
We have homes sliding into the ocean in California.
It is possible that our ozone layer has been severely damaged.
There are diseases we have no cures for like some forms of cancer, AIDS, dementia, Alzheimer’s, autism, and Down syndrome.
We are going to get another chance to obey God’s will.
But this time, we’re going to be given a choice.
We can choose to totally turn our backs on God and disobey.
We have our choice of heaven or hell.
We have an option of paradise or the eternal pit.
I just don’t get it.
There are people this day, right here in Lawncrest who are choosing the eternal pit.
Shouldn’t we do something about it?
Should we allow them to face their destiny with death only to find themselves in a worse situation?
Shouldn’t we have compassion and at least invite them to enjoy paradise?
Maybe they don’t get it.
Maybe they don’t understand.
Isn’t it our responsibility to help save them?
Should we be like the firefighters and rescuers in New York on 9/11?
But instead of rescuing people from a building, rescuing them from the eternal fire of damnation?
Jesus calls us to do it.
Jesus calls us to spread the Good News of the Gospel.
Is it right that we should be stingy with our faith?
We are not stingy with our money.
The soup pots last week were overflowing with soup and donations.
Our benevolence fund always has a surplus at the end of the year to give out to others in need…lots of others.
We are not stingy with our money.
Let’s not be stingy with our message.
You’re never too old to pick up the phone and tell someone you care about them and God loves them.
After all, God loves all of us.
He created us in His image.
And after we goofed, and fell from God’s perfect plan, and decided to listen to temptation and follow it’s lure, God still loved us and found a solution to our embarrassment and nakedness.
He clothed us.
And He clothes us each day with His righteousness.
Sometimes we just don’t bother to put on God’s clothing.
Sometimes we just need a little reminder.
Sometimes we just need a little encouragement.
And I thank God that I’m not going to be left on this planet to be reminded of how much suffering there is because of allowing people free will.
I want God to be in charge.
I want God to be in charge of my life now because I know what happens when I don’t.
I want God to be in charge of my life in the eternal Kingdom because I know God has my best interest in mind.
I know God will keep me safe.
I know God will protect me from harm.
I know God’s love and I want so much to share it with others.
The peace and comfort of knowing God’s love and God’s grace is immeasurable.
It cannot be contained.
And it cannot be measured.
It is boundless.
And maybe that’s why I got into ministry.
Maybe that’s why I’m up here sharing this message with you now.
But it’s not just a message for believers.
It is a message for the non believer.
It is a message for the seeker.
That message needs to be shared outside the walls and confines of this comfortable, beautiful warm sanctuary.
People who are destitute need to know God loves them.
Believe it enough to have it overflow in your being, that you cannot possible contain yourself.
Let God’s love pour out from you like Niagara Falls.
Let God’s love roar from your being.
Let God’s testimony pour out from you like a rushing river.
Let God’s testimony pour out from your being without inhibition.
Share the good news of Jesus like you’d share a piece of cake with your neighbor.
Give them the message of God’s love like you’d give them a cup of sugar.
Instead of offering them a cup of coffee or tea, offer them the bread of life.
Amen.
