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December
8-9, 2001 HOPE FOR THE WORLD! Genesis 2-3 HOPE BEFORE WE KNEW WE NEEDED IT! ! NOT
JUST THAT CHRIST WAS BORN, BUT WHY CHRIST WAS BORN! 1.
WHAT WE WERE GIVEN! *** Genesis 2:8-9 “Now the Lord God had
planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.
And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that
were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were
the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” [New International Version] ! EDEN
WAS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE! ! EDEN WAS A PRODUCTIVE
PLACE! ! EDEN WAS AN ETERNAL
PLACE! *** Genesis 3:22 “And the Lord God said,
"The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not
be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat,
and live forever." [NIV] *** Rev. 22:2, 14 “On each side of the river
stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every
month.” Jesus said, "Blessed are
those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life
and may go through the gates into the city.” [NIV] ! EDEN WAS A FULFILLING
PLACE! *** Genesis 2:15, 18-20 “The Lord God took the
man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Now the Lord God had formed out of the
ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought
them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called
each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the
livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.” [NIV] ! EDEN WAS A PLACE OF PERFECT RELATIONSHIPS! *** Genesis 2:18, 21-22, 25 “The Lord God
said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper
suitable for him." So the Lord God
caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took
one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God
made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to
the man. The man and his wife were both
naked, and they felt no shame.”
[NIV] ! EDEN WAS A SPIRITUAL
PLACE! *** Genesis 3:8 “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.” [NIV] *** Genesis 2:16-17 “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 of it you
will surely die." [NIV] 2.
WHAT WE LOST! *** Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more
crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the
woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the
garden'?" [NIV] ! SATAN KNOWS HE CAN’T DEFEAT GOD, BUT HE
CAN HURT GOD BY DEFEATING GOD’S CHILDREN! *** Genesis 3:1-5 “[Satan] said to the woman,
"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the
garden, 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.'” "You will not surely die," the
serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your
eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." [NIV]
PROGRESSION
TO SIN: A. HE QUESTIONS GOD’S
WORD! B. HE DENIES GOD’S WORD! C. HE REVERSES GOD’S WORD!
*** Genesis 3:6 “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.”
[NIV] SIN
SEPARATES FIVE WAYS: A. PSYCHOLOGICAL
SEPARATION! *** Genesis 2:25 “The man and his wife were
both naked, and they felt no shame.”
*** Genesis 3:7 “Then…they realized they were
naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” [NIV] B. SPIRITUAL SEPARATION! *** Genesis 3:8 “Then the man and his wife
heard the sound of God…in the garden…and they hid from…God….” [NIV] C. SOCIOLOGICAL
SEPARATION! *** Genesis 3:12 “The man said, "The
woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate
it." [NIV] D. ENVIRONMENTAL
SEPARATION! *** Genesis 3:17-18 "Because you…ate from
the tree… Cursed is the ground because of you…. It will produce thorns and
thistles for you….” [NIV] E. PHYSICAL SEPARATION! *** Genesis 3:19 “By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were
taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." [NIV] ! THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH! 3. HOW
GOD GAVE TO US AGAIN! *** Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between
you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your
head, and you will strike his heel."
[NIV] *** 1 Peter 1:18-21 “For you know that it was
not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from
the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the
precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen
before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your
sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and
glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” [NIV] ! THAT IS THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS! 4.
WHAT THIS HOPE MEANS TO US! *** Col. 1:27 “God decided to let his people
know this rich and glorious secret which he has for all people. This secret is
Christ himself…He is our only hope for glory.” [New Century Version] "LOOK
WHAT THE WORLD HAS COME TO!" OR "LOOK
WHAT HAS COME TO THE WORLD!" *** Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all
joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope…!” |