Sermon Tone Analysis

: *The message of the Bible.*

*Part 3 – The Fall*

*Genesis 3*

*20 May 2007*

 

Tragic events can shatter people’s world.

On August 31, 1997 the world stopped as broadcasts were interrupted to announce that Princess Diana Spencer had died in France.

They called her the Queen of hearts, loved by millions across the world for her humanitarian efforts, grace and beauty.

She sustained mortal injuries as a result of a car crash brought on by being chased by the paparazzi.

She and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed perished.

The world asked the question.

Why?

Why did this 37 year old princess and mother of two die?

Dodi’s father asked the same question and believes there was a conspiracy.

An official UK police inquiry into the Paris car crash which killed Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed has found no evidence the couple were murdered.

Lord Stevens, who led the three-year investigation, said the 1997 crash was a "tragic accident".

The inquiry report said chauffeur Henri Paul, who also died, was speeding and over the legal drink-drive limit.

When tragic events like this happen we all ask why?

We need answers to understand and come to terms with our grief and loss.

Our world is full of tragedy; violence, murder, abduction, assault, suicide, war, death.

The news is full of it and we ask why?

The Bible gives us the answer in Gen 3. In Genesis 3 we see the unfolding of a tragic event that has shattered the world to this day.

If we miss this major point in the big story of the Bible you miss the whole point of the Bible.

This is foundational in understanding the world around us.

 

: *1.

The corruption of the fall.*

Genesis 1 and 2 tell us God created the world and looked at it and said this is good.

After looking at the man and woman he made he declared, this is very good.

But when we get to chapter three.

Something tragic happens.

To understand it you’ve got to go back to Genesis 2:15-17

: /15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

/

 

There were, in fact, two special trees in the middle of that garden; the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Out of all the trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food God said “you are free to eat from any tree, except one”; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because if you do you will die.

Was the tree poisonous?

Probably not.

Did the tree have supernatural magical powers?

Probably not.

God laid down one rule to see if Adam and Eve would love Him enough to obey.

He created Adam and Eve, and you and I with free will; a will to choose to obey, to choose to love Him.

What were the events then on that tragic day?

What happened?

A serpent speaks to Eve.

Read Genesis 3:1

When you read ‘serpent’ – must understand this refers to Satan; a fallen and corrupted angel.

Jesus spoke of him as a real personal force of evil.

A murder, a liar, a deceiver.

He too was created good but was cast out of heaven because he wanted to be God.

God said of him in Isaiah 14:13-14 \\ : /13 //You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.

14 //I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”/

Isaiah 14:13-14

In Isaiah 14:12 God says.

\\ /12 //How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!/

God cast him out of heaven.

Here in the garden he comes to weave his web of lies and deceit to tempt Adam and Eve to do what he did; try to become like God.  It’s fitting that he spoke through the serpent, a poisonous killer.

The fact that the serpent spoke makes some people think this is myth.

But whether the serpent was supernaturally able to speak or spoke silently into Eve’s conscience, the power behind the serpent was Satan.

In the NT we see Satan’s demonic forces at work in pigs, possessing people and giving supernatural strength.

Bible says that Satan is still a personal force of evil today.

He still tempts.

Look carefully at

: Satan’s strategy.

: First Satan sows *doubt*,

/“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” /Genesis 3:1

Notice he exaggerates the negative.

God only said you must not eat from one tree.

Whenever Satan tempts you today, he’ll sow doubt.

He’ll whisper into your heart “God can’t be trusted.

God can’t really help you.

There are too many rules when it comes to following Jesus.

You will loose out if you obey God here”

 

: Next Satan moves to *denial*.

The woman said, if we eat from this tree God said, “You will die.”

How does Satan respond?

Genesis 3:4-5 (NIV) \\ /4 //“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.

5 //“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”/

No, No, No it’s not that bad.

If you eat this just the opposite will happen, your life will be fuller, richer, more satisfied, in fact you will be like God.

You will know good and evil.

He denied the reality of death.

He painted the picture of how good eating this fruit could be.

This is what Satan does today.

He whispers, if you just do this little wrong thing, you will be really happy.

If you steal this money imagine what you could do.

If you have sex with this person outside of marriage, imagine how fulfilled you’ll be.

Don’t deny your longings, fulfill them now.

Don’t worry about the consequences.

The tragedy of that first temptation has been repeated daily ever since.

: The final step Satan led them into was *deception*.

Eve and Adam were completely deceived.

Genesis 3:6 (NIV) \\ /6 //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./

She saw that it was desirable, it could give her instant wisdom, so she took it and ate, then gave it to Adam who was there and he ate.

This act in essence was saying to God, “we know better than you”.

We don’t need to follow your command.

We want to be like you.

They were in fact rejecting God as King and Lord over their lives.

Isn’t that what people are still doing today.

No they may not be murderers, or thieves.

They may not commit adultery.