The Fall
Notes
Transcript
Claim (of the passage): Sin is a failure to see and trust the goodness of God and instead to trust our judgement over God’s command.
Focus (of the sermon): To see that sin denies the goodness of God in exchange for shame and judgement.
Function (for the congregation): To see and trust the goodness of God whilst repenting for our failure to do the same.
Pray
A - God Made the Crafty Snake - v1a
A - God Made the Crafty Snake - v1a
Temptation, the origin of Evil is a complicated matter isn’t it.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
God made all, and all of it was ‘very good’.
And yet who made the crafty, or cunning snake?
God Did
Genesis 3:1 (NIV 2011)
Now the snake was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.
What about the object of temptation in this short passage - the fruit, on the tree.
Who put it there?
God did.
Genesis 2:8–9 (NIV 2011)
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east... In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
SIn and evil did not entre our world in some tragic failure of God’s good creation.
It was not out of his control, beyond his sovereignty, or a colossal failure of his rule.
Who created the crafty snake?
God did.
But why, and how?
How can a good God allow temptation?
How can the tempter exist in a good creation?
We learn later in the bible that the ‘snake’ here in Genesis is really Satan, the devil himself - revealing himself in the form of a talking snake.
The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient snake called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
How can God allow this to come about if he is good.
pause
To us, a fallen and sinful humanity, we cannot understand fully how God can be good and yet also allow evil.
But that does not mean it is not so.
And in fact it is surely to be one of our greatest comforts to know that even evil is under the authority and sovernty of God!
Otherwise what hope do we have!?
What use would God be, if he cannot ultimately bring full justice and peace to all things.
We may struggle to get our heads around this - but it is a cause of rejoicing - that in a turbulent world, God is in full control.
Joseph the youngest of 12 brothers was favoured by their Father Jacob Living in Israel.
The 11 brothers grew jealous and ended up nearly killing Joseph in the fields one day, but instead profiteered of him by selling Jospeh to a passing slave trader.
Jospeh was in slavery, then falsly accused of crimes, imporssoned, but ulimately worked his way into a senior position in Egypt - a foreign land.
It was shockingly sinful behaviour of his brothers - they even told their father they had seen him killed.
Misery, evil, lies, are everywhere.
Why would God allow this evil - how could a good God allow it?
Well eventually there was a great famine across the middle east and NE africa but God had guided Jospeh to persuade Pharoe to stockpile food in anticipation of this famine.
So who comes knocking at Egypt's door for food?
Well the Israelites - Joseph's brothers.
When his brothers finally worked out it was infact their brother they sold to slavery who was governing the food distribution - you can imagine their fear.
But here is what Jospeh said:
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
God allows evil but is not responsible - the 11 brothers chose very badly and freely to do evil.
And yet God is still in sovereign control?
We see the allowance of evil,
the full accountability of man for their sin,
And yet the goodness of God clearly at work.
We must trust that God’s alloance of temptation and the fall of mankind, that we are about to think about, will one-day make glorious sense to us
God allowed Evil
Yet is in comple control.
God is not responsible morally for our sin - we are,
Yet he will bring goodness out of it for His name, and those who call on him for mercy.
What a great joy to know God is still in control!
Let’s continue
B - The Tactics of Temptation
B - The Tactics of Temptation
1 - Temptation pretends to be your friend v1b-3
1 - Temptation pretends to be your friend v1b-3
Genesis 3:1 (NIV 2011)
He (the snake) said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’
Where to start thinks the crafty snake?
Well let’s start with a slight twisting of God’s word.
The original word of God to Adam was
And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’
It’s almost a seemingly innocent question isn’t it?
Are you sure God said,
It draws Eve in, this snake seems ok?
He wants to know more about God - he’s on our side perhaps.
Before Eve realises - she’s enaged and interacting with temptation.
Of course there are tell-tale signs.
This is the first ever conversation about God, rather than with God.
It’s a subtle questioning - that sows an slight seed of doubt - Did God really say?
But it’s safe at the moment.
So,
The woman said to the snake, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
so far, so good,
but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” ’
Maybe Adam hadn’t taught Eve the word of God well or correctly - or maybe Eve in a bid to defend the Lord God, she over-eggs the command of God.
Whatever it is - not knowing the word of God well is an open door for satan and temptation.
Now the door is open - it’s time for an undermining move from the tempter.
2 - Temptation questions the Word and goodness of God - v4-5
2 - Temptation questions the Word and goodness of God - v4-5
‘You will not certainly die,’ the snake said to the woman.
Die - that’s a bit extreme - you wont die says the snake..
‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’
God’s not going to bring you death - he’s just - well you know a bit of a meany!
He wants to keep you just at arms length so that you don’t gain the same wisdom and power as Him.
the tempter opens the door and draws Eve in,
and then sows seeds of doubt about what she has heard and knows from God word.
God’s not quite as good as you thought!
Jesus gets tempted in a similar way.
After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’
He opens the door - pretending to be a friend - anyone is going to be hungry at after fasting for 40 days, eat a little.
and he also begins with God’s Word again.
God wouldn’t deny you his good promise in his word would he?
Temptation so often starts with a drawing in and then a questioning of God’s goodness and word.
It’s not surprissing that all the warnings in the NT about false teachers who might lead us astray from God will come from within the church.
2 Peter 2:1 (NIV 2011)
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
The reason it’s so tempting to believe Satan’s lies is because he will draw us in, and then pushes against God’s Word and goodness.
Are we ready?
Or like Eve - will we fall.
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather round them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Because Eve didn’t know and or trust the word of God well enough,
She forgot God’s wonderful goodness - and instead started to think about her own glory!
The anitidote to temptation is God’s Word - for it reminds us of God’s goodness!
How far could the snakes lies be from the truth - yet he makes it all so easy.
that God is a spoil sport, or mean, or keeping a higher place for himself at humanities expense!
When the full truth is that God is abundant in goodness!
You are free to eat any fruit - Adam was told!
A world full of freedom to enjoy all that God gives and just 1 simple no!
And even that no is for your own good.
I know what is best for you says God to Adam and Eve,
Turst me. Here is everythign you ever will need, and that 1 tree is there to remind you of my goodness!
That I care for you in my good rule and I know what is best.
God is good!
When we doubt it - it is Satan crouching at the door, and we should return again to God’s Word in our bibles, to see his truth and goodness on every page.
3 - Temptation denies God’s judgement - v4
3 - Temptation denies God’s judgement - v4
Temptation is always a denial at one level of God’s judgment.
We have to justify when we sin, that God’s judgement is not to be taken seriously.
And it’s the central focus of Satan’s temptation for Eve.
You will not surly die!
The denial of God’s judgement is sadly always on the tips of our lips when we fight to justify our actions, or to down play God’s word.
God made me like this, so he can’t surely judge me for it.
Even the attitude of ‘well God will forgive me if I sin’ is a denial of judgemnt.
From the first temptation to the last -Satan will keep trying to fool the world that God will not judge.
Death will not really come!
How sad and how far from the truth.
An eternal death of right punishment awaits those who sin and do not find forgiveness in Jesus. We will face the same end as Satan himself.
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:15 (NIV 2011)
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life (anyone who does not repent and believe in the Lord Jesus for ther forgiveness of their sins) was thrown into the lake of fire.
Do not be tempted to deny God’s judgement - we will make it far to easy to reject God for ourselevs and for our friends and family.
It is what Satan would love.
4 - Temptation is Tempting
4 - Temptation is Tempting
Well maybe thinks Eve (in my ignorance of God’s word the snake has a point.,
She forgets that her true joy is in the Lord God
She starts to question God’s judgemnet,
and His wonderful goodness to her.
and what she discovers is that the moment you forget God’s word, you see the worldly attractiveness of sin.
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
The fruit is going to be v6
Good for the body
Good on the eye
Good for the head - becasue she has trusted herself over the Word of God.
Sin is always this way.
With our head full of God’s Word, reminding us of God’s goodness we see sin, the fruit - and ignore it.
For God is our delight and joy.
But once we entertain temptation, and question God’s word, once we begin to downplay judgement,
we forget God’s goodness,
How sweet sin looks in every way.
pause
It’s hard to know what to make of Adam at this point.
The text seems to imply he was ‘with her’.
Maybe he listened to the whole conversation?
Maybe he was close by and simply accepted the temptation of putting his wife before the Lord God?
Maybe his great failure was not teaching the Word he had received from God to his wife!?
Maybe he just didn’t think.
Temptation comes warmly and friendly - even drawing us in by God’s word, (or perhaps in Adam’s case preys on an unsuspecting, idle heart)
It then challenges God’s word and highlights our ignorance of God’s word,
It denies the unfathomable freedom we have in God’s goodness
It is a denial of God’s coming jdugemnt for rebelion against Him,
And the consequences are so very sad and serious.
C - Sin destroys all relationships - v7-8
C - Sin destroys all relationships - v7-8
Adam and Eve,
are forerunners for all of humanity,
Their sin opened our eyes to, in a sense, exactly what the snake promised.
knowing good and evil.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realised that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Knowldege of good and evil means Adam and Eve instantly realised they had rejected God and HIs command.
Ands so - they are ashamed.
The wonderful innocence of Adam and Eve’s marriage at the end of chapter 2
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
is instantly ruined by sin.
Sin destroys human relationships.
Instead of only living for the glory of God, who provides us with every good thing we need,
when we sin, we claim God’s place for ourselevs - no I’m in charge.
And that can never work with every human as God.
Our relationships are tainted by our own desires to rule ourselves.
And secondly.
Sin ruins our relationship with God.
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
The denial of God’s judgment has come back to bite!
They are now afraid of God as v10 says.
Rightly so!
The God of all creation - who has graciously and generously given them this wonderful garden to live under his loving care,
well they have rejected it wholesale!
The Lord God has returned to find someone sitting on His throne.
Sin ruins all realtionships, both with each other and with God.
We are now ashamed of each other, and rightly afraid of God’s judgement.
God has become our rival and enemy!
We cannot help it - for we belong to Adam -and have and will always chose to eat of our own will, not his.
Romans 5:12 (NIV 2011)
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—
Finally, we need some hope.
D - Take and Eat
D - Take and Eat
This is why we need Jesus!
Of course we are now afraid of God’s judgment,
but isn’t it simply extraordinary - that God - despite our denial of his goodness,
still unrelentingly pursues us to show us again of his goodness!
In fact - is not the goodness of God seen even more vividly and wonderfully now humanity have shown their true colours!
You and I belong to Adam - we choose the same way as him,
Like Eve - we v6 - took and ate judgement upon ourselevs.
Yet here comes our good and wonderful God.
who gives us himself in the person of Jesus to right our wrongs.
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Jesus lived in perfect obedience where we did not.
He did not take and eat.
Instead he in perfect obedience takes upon himself the fear and judgement we deserve.
He in fact so obviously reverses the sin of taking and eating the fruit of sin,
that he now says instead ‘take and eat’ my own flesh and blood,
Yours is sinful by human nature.
Mine is righteous and free - in wonderful relationship again with the God of great goodness.
Take and eat, not sin - but the body and blood of Jesus.
We began by wondering why God could allow evil and still be good?
Is this it?
That in our sin, which we willingly choose and are responsible for before God,
that in our sin we truly see
how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, that we might know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Eph 3 18.
Pray
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