"Return To The Garden"

Title:

"Return to the Garden"

Introduction:

God Made a Garden.

Have you ever wondered why God made man in the first place? As you study the creation story, it is very evident that God was very pleased with his beautiful garden. But there was no man to till the garden soil. He made man to be the keeper of his garden. How God must have enjoyed the fellowship with Adam as they walked in the garden in the warmth of the day.

Note, that God did not create Eve until Adam had learned to be the "Keeper of the Garden."

The message:

The parable of the garden.

Key Verse:

(Song 4:12 KJV) A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

Now the parable that God laid upon my heart to share with you:

A man made a beautiful garden. He placed rocks and stones in his garden. He made a pond and filled it with fish and lily pads. He planted his flowers, his vegetables, and his fruit trees. He worked hard to make his garden grow. It was his life. He was the keeper of the garden.

While the keeper of the garden was away, an intruder came. He spied our this garden and thought to be a public domain. He claimed it as his own. He ate of the fruit and of the vegetables. He picked the flowers and tossed the rocks into the pond. He became hungry and went to the local fast food restaurant and came back to the garden for a picnic place. He tossed the wrappers aside. Being thristy he bought a six pack and tossed the empty cans into the pond. He defiled the garden.

The keeper of the garden returned. He saw that his garden had been defiled. He saw the intruder lying asleep on a park bench in the garden. After awakening the drunken soul, he demanded ?why? the intruder had entered into his garden. The intruder responded that he no idea that this garden belonged to anyone. Nor would he recognize the keeper of the garden’s ownership of the garden.

Realizing that the intruder would not leave, and not wanting to create a scene, the keeper of the garden asked that if he was determined to stay in the garden, that, at the least, he could learn to care for the garden as he once had.

At first the intruder seemed to make an effort to do so, But soon the drunken soul was fast asleep on the bench once again. No one watered the garden. No one pruned the garden. No one worked to make the garden grow. The garden became a wilderness!

Application of the parable:

The "Keeper of the Garden" is the Father.

The "Garden" is the daughter of the Father.

The "Intruder" is a young man who defiles the daughter.

Please reread the parable with these thoughts in mind!

No wonder our homes have become a wilderness!

Application of the Application:

Application, number one:

Every parent needs to train their sons to become a "keeper of the garden!" That means that every young man needs to be taught to work by the sweat of his face! Every young man needs to be taught to respect the privacy of another’s garden.

Sex before marriage is stealing!

If our sons are not taught to be "keepers of the garden," there is no hope for the future of America. America will become a wilderness!

Application, number two:

Every Father needs to teach his daughter that she is to be a "garden enclosed!" The parents of the daughter are to be the keepers of her garden, until the day that she is given to the man who will take this place on her wedding day!

Parents need to teach their daughters that they are not to put their "flowers" on public display. The fruit of her garden is "forbidden" fruit until the price of garden has been paid!

Sad Thought:

The biggest lie in America happens almost on every wedding day when the pastor of a Church does ask this question of the parents, "Who gives this bride in marriage?" And the Father responds "Her Mother and I."

Why sad?

I have been a pastor for over thirty years. I don’t like being lied to. It seems almost at every wedding, the bride has been "stolen" by the groom, long before the day of their wedding. The Father has not given his daughter in marriage. Her fruit has been stolen!

The garden has been defiled.

Application of Ephesians 5

(Eph 5:19- 28) Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;