We Need God
Series: In the Beginning
Title: The Conflict that Changed the Course of History
Scripture: Genesis 2:18-3:6
Subject: God
Central Theme: Our Need for God
Objective Statement: By observing Adam and Eve in the Garden we can see three ways that we need God.
Keyword: Ways
Points:
- We needed God to create us.
- We need God to know truth.
- We need God to save us.
The Mission Series Points:
I want you to know how the conflict in the Garden and the consequences of sin reveal our need for a Savior.
- God Creates. (2:18-25)
- Sin Corrupts. (3:1-7)
- Jesus Redeems. (3:8-15)
Introduction:
Connection:
Tension:
Objective Statement: By observing Adam and Eve in the Garden we can see three ways that we need God.
- We needed God to create us.
- God created man.
Genesis 2:18-3:15
(18) And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (19) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
(20) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
(21) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; (22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
(23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
(25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Look at all the words that describe God's activity:
- make
- formed
- brought
- caused
- took
- made
- brough
- was taken
Look at all the words that describe man's activity:
- would call
- call
- gave names
- slept
- said
- man shall leave
- God creates Ex-Nihlo meaning God creates out of nothing.
- Man steards what God creates.
- Here Adam names the animals that God creates.
- God does what only He could do.
- God allows man to do what He can do.
- God created man in His image.
Genesis 1:27
(27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
- We think.
- We have an intellectual capacity that the animals do not have.
- God reasons, and so do we.
- We decide.
- We have a moral capacity that the animals do not have.
- We have the responsiblity to choose the right thing.
- We can do the right thing.
- We relate.
- We have relationships.
- We can know and be known.
- We have a relational capacity.
- God created man in His image as male and female.
Genesis 2:18-3:15
(18) And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
- "It is not good that man should be alone..."
- "an help meet for him"
- neh-ghed- "a part opposite; specifically a counterpart or mate (Strong's Concordance)"
(20) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
(21) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; (22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
(23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Application:
- When God created us, he made us male and female.
- Some of us are boys and some of us are girls.
- This is not something to be resisted. This is something to be celebrated.
- It is basis of all good society. Husbands and Wives enter into lifelong relationships. They become mom's and dad's, and raise their children to do the same.
Response:
Objective Statement: By observing Adam and Eve in the Garden we can see three ways that we need God.
- We needed God to create us.
- We need God to know truth.
(1) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
(2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
(3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
- Now the question is, what did God actually say.
- We can read what He said in Genesis 2:16-17:
Genesis 2:16-17
(16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
- Eve said something different about what God had said than what is recorded as quoted by God.
- She added "neith shall ye touch it" and "lest ye die".
- God did not say they shouldn't touch it.
- God also didn't say "lest ye die". No God said "thou shalt surely die".
- James said in in the New Testament:
James 1:15
(15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
(4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
- This is not true.
- The lies continue.
(5) For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
- The root of the lie was the lie that Satan himself believed.
- You can be like God.
- God is trying to keep you from getting everything that you want and need.
- God wants to hold you back.
- God doesn't really love you.
- And Eve believed the lie.
- Do we do much different today?
Is it really true that we have to keep God's laws?
Do we really have to be married to one person our whole life?
Do we really have obey our parents all the time?
Isn't it better to fudge a little bit - to tell a little white lie sometimes?
Does God really care about how I dress?
Everybody is doing it.
Other people are enjoying it and it doesn't seem like they are in trouble with God.
(6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
- Every time we sin we believe some sort of lie.
- There are lies that we are told.
- There are lies that we tell ourselves.
(7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
- Corey and I were talking about this verse this week.
- Why did they feel the need to cover up?
- They were exposed.
- They were ashamed.
- They felt the need to hide.
- They felt the need to run.
- Illustration of Audrey and the donuts...
- We have all known of kids who got really quiet, and you didn't see them, and you wonder- What are they doing wrong?
- "The wicked flees when no man pursues..."
- The moment sin in the world there was a separation between man and God.
- Man and woman were exposed.
Objective Statement: By observing Adam and Eve in the Garden we can see three ways that we need God.
- We needed God to create us.
- We need God to know truth.
- We need God to save us.
(8) And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (9) An the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (10) And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11) And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? (12) And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (13) And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
What were the effects of Adam and Eve's sin?
- Sin and death have been passed down to us.
Romans 5:12
(12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
- All of creation is under the curse.
Genesis 3:17-19
(17) And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
(18) Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
(19) In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
- God foretells His redemption.
(14) And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
(15) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
- God speaks to the serpent.
- And He is speaking to Satan in this moment.
- There is enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman.
- The seed of the woman is none other than Jesus Christ Himself.
- Jesus Christ will crush the head of the serpent even though the serpent will bruise Jesus' heal.
- You know the scripture says in Isaiah 53-
Isaiah 53:5
(5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
By observing Adam and Eve in the Garden we can see three ways that we need God.
- We needed God to create us.
- We need God to know truth.
- We need God to save us.