Sermon Tone Analysis

LESSONS FROM A GENEALOGY

INTRODUCTION:

1.

In all my years of ministry, I have never preached a message from a genealogy…which is what Genesis 5 is.

2. Genesis 5 is one those chapters that most people would be inclined to skip.

When it comes to your Bible reading & Bible study...you most likely skim these verses, wondering why they are even in the Bible.

If we’d be honest - for most of us, the genealogies are the most boring part of the Bible.

3.

However, when we come to Genesis 5, here’s what we find?

This is a list of the descendants of Adam down to the time of Noah and the great flood.

This genealogy covers a period of 1,656 years.

Though, we don’t know much about most of the names written in this chapter…they were pillars of faith in an increasingly godless age…They stood for God with such tenacity and in such a way that their names have been preserved for future generations.

4. So, this morning let’s look at this chapter & see what we can learn from this genealogy.

1) GOD’S ORIGINAL INTENT FOR MAN

1. Moses takes us back to Genesis 1, before the fall…to remind us of God’s original purpose for man.

Notice that man is a created being.

In other words, we aren't here by a random accident or coincidence.

We are here b/c of God's decision & choice.

NOTE: Man didn't just appear by chance…he didn't just evolve through some freak accident of nature…he didn't come from some random evolutionary process.

There was plan and purpose behind man's appearance on earth, the plan and purpose of God.

NOTE: Man is the creature that God planned and purposed eternally—long, long before the earth was ever founded.

God and God alone created man.

2. We are also told that God created man in His likeness.

Originally, God made man to be like Him.

He created man with the highest dignity and nature possible.

This means that man was created just like God...

in perfection

in holiness

in spirit

3. Notice also that God created male & female.

From the beginning, we see that God designed it so that a man & a woman should be together.

God also blessed them…He placed His favor on them.

NOTE: God’s original intent for man was to rule & reign on the earth.

We were to have dominion over everything on the earth…but due to sin everything changed.

2) SIN WAS PASSED TO ALL PEOPLE

1.

This verse tells us about the birth of Seth...However, notice that it says that Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his image.

Adam was created in the likeness of God…but Seth in the likeness of Adam.

2. What does this mean?

This refers to Adam's fallen, sinful nature.

Seth was the exact duplicate of what Adam was...both in his inner life and his outer life...He was, therefore, a fallen man.

But so is every son and daughter of Adam since then.

NOTE: We find ourselves here too b/c we are sons and daughters of Adam and share the same characteristics as Seth, the son of Adam.

Adam’s disobedience passed his sinful nature on to everyone that would come after him.

Arthur Pink states the point of human depravity well:

"By sin Adam lost the image of God and became corrupt in his nature and a fallen parent could do no more than beget a fallen child.

Seth was begotten in the likeness of a sinful father!

Since Noah was the direct descendent of Seth and is the father of us all, and since he was able to transmit to us only that which he had, himself, received from Seth, we have here the doctrine of universal depravity.

Every man living in the world today is, through Noah and his three sons, a descendent of Seth - we have all been begotten in the image and likeness of a corrupt and sinful father" ( Gleanings in Genesis, p.74).

NOTE: Any person born into this world has a sinful nature.

A child doesn’t have to be taught to lie…or cheat…or be selfish.

Why - b/c of the sinful nature that has been passed on to us from Adam.

3) GOD VALUES FAMILY

1.

Before God organized the church…or government…or any other institution…God designed & formed the family.

God came up with the home.

In Genesis 1, God told Adam & Eve to “be fruitful & multiply” & that’s what they did.

1.

We see that Adam had other sons & daughters.

Adam & Eve were living out the command that God had given them.

All of the names listed in Genesis 5 are from the same family.

And from this genealogy, we learn several lessons about the value of the family.

A. Children are a gift & blessing from God.

If you have had the privilege of having children…you are blessed by God.

The Psalmist says they are a gift & reward from God.

B. Parent’s have a responsibility in the raising of their children.

Seth was born to replace Abel…and Seth was a worshiper of God & his offspring were those who followed God.

The names that are listed in Genesis 5 are believers…They followed God, worshipped God, & lived for Him.

But how did Seth & his descendants know about God?

They learned from Adam & Eve.

Adam/Eve had taught their children about God…They had taught them to follow, worship, and live for Him.

However, not all of Adam & Eve’s children followed God.

Last week, we talked about Cain…and who had the same godly parents as Seth...but Cain rejected his parents and rebelled against God.

Apparently, some of Adam’s other children...when they became adults also rejected God and followed after the way of Cain…We talked about that Wednesday night.

NOTE: Two great lessons can be gleaned from Adam/Eve as godly parents.

1) We must teach our children about God.

We must teach them to follow, to worship, and live for God.

We must also teach them to believe His Word and promises.

Most of all, we must teach them about JC.

2) We can't be discouraged or blame God when some of our children rebel and reject God.

NOTE: We must remain faithful and continue to teach the truth of Christ and His Word...no matter what our children may do.

In fact, we must teach the truth with more fervor than ever before & never back off.

Also, we must pray fervently & intercede in prayer for our children.

NOTE: We can’t guarantee that our kids will serve God…but raising them in a godly home & environment certainly helps.

4) DEATH IS INEVITABLE

1. Adam had been created perfect.

God's purpose was for man to live forever without ever having to die…But God warned Adam: he would die if he ate the forbidden fruit…and tragically that's what Adam did.

2. Adam did his own thing: he ate the forbidden fruit…and from that very moment of sin—Adam became mortal, subject to corruption, aging, and decay.

3. The fact of death is one of the lessons of this godly genealogy.

4. Notice the reign of death over man is seen eight times in this chapter alone (Genesis 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31).

NOTE: B/C of sin, we all must die…B/C of sin, death is inevitable.

God said it would happen…but Satan told Eve that it wouldn't.

But we see that God is always true & Satan is a liar.

Chapter 5 shows us who is right.

Even though the people of chapter 5 lived long lives…they still died.

Methuselah, the man who lived longer than anyone else (969 yrs.) still died.

NOTE: We don't like to talk about death, esp.

our own…but one day death is coming to all of us.

5.

The bible tells us that God has determined the length of man’s days and when those days are over they leave this world.

From the moment of our births, we begin a countdown toward death!

NOTE: Death is not an accident but an appointment.

Every cemetery, every funeral home, every hearse is a reminder that death is coming.

Every reminder that death is coming is a reminder to prepare.

This life is a time of preparation.

Are you prepared to meet death?