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Sermon Title - Knowing Evil
- Speaker: Pastor Dave Perry
- Date: May 19, 2007
- Location: Novato SDA Church
- Scripture Reading: Genesis 3
THE NEW MEDIA BIBLE: THE BOOK OF GENESIS (4 VHS TAPES--1979)THE FOUR PARTS INCLUDE THE BEGINNING, ABRAHAM, ISAAC ESAU & JACOB, AND JOSEPH.
The Expositor's Bible: The Book of GenesisMarcus Dods
$37.95(USD)
1903. Volume 1 of 2. The Expositor's Bible is one of the recognized standards of expository commentaries. It was written by twenty-nine eminent scholars who were also preachers. These writers also represent every important branch of Protestantism. The Expositor's Bible may thus be regarded as an interdenominational exposition. It declares the catholicity of Christian experience, scholarship and churchmanship. It conclusively demonstrates the hearty agreement of all thoughtful persons on the profound realities and essentials of the Christian Faith. It shows how this Faith is to be preached with the conviction and persuasiveness which its opulent gospel justly merits. This volume contains Dods' writing on The Book of Genesis. Other volumes in this set are ISBN(s): 1419184849.
The Holy Bible, (The Book of Genesis) Translated From the Original Languages with Critical Use of All the Acient SourcesMembers of the Catholic Biblical Association of America
Sermon
There was a guy who was known for his one word answers. This one Sabbath his wife was sick, so he went to church without her. After church she asked him what was it about. He said "Sin". After a pause, she asked "What does the pastor say about it?" After some thought, he says "He again' it."
I hope after this sermon we'll understand more about sin. We will hopefully understand that it is a disaster.
Satan Uses Devices of Highest Regard
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made."
The serpent in Eden was apparently very colorful and interesting. Eve wasn't even surprised at it talking to her.
There might be some here who like snakes, but I am not a fan of snakes. I don't know the poisonous ones from the non-poisonous ones. Until my daughter decided to play a prank, and brought a snake in and stood very close to it. Luckily my chair had wheels on it, and I was able to slide very far away very fast. I still hear about that to this day.
The world out there is very attractive. The things of the world will draw is in, if possible. As parents our job is to help offset the attraction of the world, and teach the children the attraction of the world.
"The fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desireable for gaining wisdom."
Even the tree of evil was attractive and good for food.
Jesus however was very plain:
- Revelation 12:7 - He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him."
Jesus gave men hope, it was his qualities of character that people saw, it was not the surface.
Deception vs. Full Disclosure
- Rev 12:7 - Michael and his angels fought against the dragon,a nd the dragon and his angels fought back.
God speaks and there is a universe full of heavenly bodies. So against him a few angels rebelled?
This was not a battle of fists. It was a battle of concepts. The most basic of differences was between honesty vs dishonesty, light vs. darkness.
Satan can lie. Otherwise there would be no battle.
- John 8:44
Satan invented lies. For the first time in the universe, someone was making claims without a basis.
"You will not surely die."
He was saying the things that God says are not true.
What is the basis for Satan's lie? nothing. It's a lie. It has no basis in truth.
Jesus comes along and is the personification of truth.
- John 8:45 - "Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
We are so steeped in error and lies, we don't want to hear the truth!
Mixing Truth with Deceit
- vs. 5 - Satan said - You will be like God, knowing good and evil.
- vs. 22 - God said -
Satan mixed the truth with the error...
What is a half truth? Abraham saying his wife was his sister. He was half right.
Truth + Lies = Truth Lies NO! Truth + Lies = Lies
It's like fresh clear water mixed with mud = mud.
Fresh clear water + a little mud = mud
You still don't want to drink it. It's still truth.
Jesus came along to demonstrate
- Heb. 6:18
- John 9:5
What happens to darkness when you introduce light? Do you have a darkness light mix? No, the bible says darkness flees! I don't know if that is the right word, but what happens when you turn on the light? Do you see the darkness flee out the back door.
The people had become accustomed to the darkness. But with Jesus there were no shadows to hide in.
Adding to God's Words
when the serpent talked to Eve, the serpent added words.
"You must not touch it."
Did God say that?
When we add to the word of God, the result is confusion. Confusion already began as soon as the truth and error were mixed, the mixing of our words with God's word.
Truth + Error = Error
- Rev 22:18 - I warn everyone who hears the words ... If anyone takes word away from thsi book of prophecy...
Does God take it seriously if we add to or substract from His word?
Usurping God's rightful place
"You will be like God"
At the foundation of every sin is the replacement of God on the throne of our hearts. The things Adam and Eve ended up learning about, death, and suffering, were things He didn't want us to learn about it.
The story of the prodigal son: jose Rojas, fantastic preacher
- This is about two sons
I want to suggest something more, it's not about the sons at all. It's about the father! The glorious part is not the son coming back, or the ornery older son. No. What it is really about is this father who loves his son so much he stands and scans the horizon waiting for his son to come. Who knows what kind of sores the son had, the father runs to him, kisses him, puts the coat on him, calls for the feast. It's about God, and his rightful place, and how only He has the right to be the focus of our love and praise.
the Contagion of Sin
We don't start out sharing. We like when kids become 3-4 and start sharing.
But often we share things we shouldn't share.
- "She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
Sin likes company, it doesn't like to be alone. Mob mentality, group mentality.
Drinkers don't like to have someone around who is not drinking. I think the reason they don't want someone around who is sober, because as they drink, they are going to get stupid. They want other people who are getting stupid with them.
I know we've come around to have a designated driver. What they really want is the judgemental eye of the sober person to go away.
California doesn't want new drivers to have their peers in the car with them, at least under certain circumstances.
My wild oats took the form of being a terrible driver. I didn't believe in speed limits, stop lights. I happily would run red lights. Pretty soon i had so many tickets I lost my license. Then I lost my insurance.
There are things you do when your peers are around that you wouldn't do alone. Stupid things. Foolish things. I was a fool as a driver, I was around other fools, we encouraged each other to be fools.
Jesus
And then comes Jesus. What a different person he was. He had to escape from the mobs and have time alone.
He faced the greatest trial alone.
- Isaiah 63:3
- Mark 14:50
Jesus came with a purpose to heal man from the contagion of sin, and to break sin's hold.
- John 1:29
- Mark 14:50
- John 1:29
- John 8:36
No longer do we have to be kept in guilt and shame
Guilt and Shame
"Then the eyes of both fo them were opened, and they realized they were naked."
Shame stands as a barrier.
People struggle with tobacco. We'd give them diplomas when they finished the five day plan, and tell them we hope to see them again. Then later you see them at the grocery store, and they want to avoid you. Why? The shame of coming back to the habit, they don't want to confront the shame.
One guy was comical. He'd practically run away!
What is the remedy for guilt and shame? Forgiveness?
- Matthew - forgive us our sins as we forgive...
- Matt 9:6
The paralytic wanted his sins forgiveness. Later he healed him.
Blame the Shame Game
"The woman said
- John 9:2
Neither! Get off that wagon. This was done for my glory, God has allowed this to happen.
Sinful human beings try to come up with their own remedies. Can you imagine what sewn fig leaves looked like? What where they trying to do?
Sinners don't at first appreciate the deep dark catastrophe of sin.
The Lord provides an eternal solution to the malady.
The Consequences, the Curse
On the snake:
"Cursed are you above all the livestock
On the woman:
"I will
There it is, a male dominated world. As Dr. Phil might say "Hows that working out for you?"
The men didn't dominate the way they were supposed to. Look at the New Testament, what does Paul say? What did Jesus do for the church? Did he parade around, giving it orders? No, He died on a cross for the church.
We don't work at our families, we don't work at our relationships. We are into leisure, and celebration, and comfort.
Jesus - The solution
Rev 21:4
If we will accept Jesus, all these things will be removed from us. The tempter will be removed.
"And I will put enmity
What is enmity? It's like hatred, opposite poles of a magnet, repulsion.
who is you? The serpent? Yeah, but it's really serpent.
Who is the woman? Us, the church.
We're sucked into this, but God will put something between our offspring.
Who is He? Christ the messiah!
The devil did strike his heal, he did hang him on a cross. But at that point, Jesus was striking the head of Satan. The whole universe saw a selfish Satan doing anything to destroy, and a God who would die for the sinner.
"The Lord God made garments...."
Where did the skins come from? God introduced them to the sacrificial system, so they would understand Christ coming to die for us.
Summary
Satan uses deception, lies.
Jesus stands faithful
Satan seeks to usurp
Jesus dispels all errors regarding
Sin is contagious likea communicable disease
Jesus faced the cross alone
Sin carries with it guild and shame
Jesus forgives
It is the nature of sinners to blaim
It is the nature of Jesus followers to forgive
Sin is a terrible curse
Jesus is a wonderful blessing.
Picture of the grand canyon
A huge chasm. Streched between us and God. No amount of bridge building will span the breach.
What we need is a creator redeemer, one who calls worlds into being with his command.
I invite you to turn to Jesus today. Tommorrow, the next day. We need to turn to Jesus. We need to quit looking to our own silly solutions to sin.
We try to make ourselves look better, but we are sinners.
Everyone of us needs to turn to Jesus.
There might be someone here who has never turned to Jesus. Who would like to tell you about how to turn to Jesus? Am I the only one? No! Steve would like to tell you, Bob would like to tell you, Diane would like to share with you, how wonderful Jesus is
Closing Prayer
You laid down on a cross, and allowed them to pierce your flesh, and died that we might have eternal life, that we might not have to experience the horror of the second death, but instead be yours throughout eternity. We accept you as our saviour, friend, companion... We're going to follow you... If someone doesn't know how to do this, please put them in connection with someone who does... We don't want them to miss out on eternal life... Help us Lord to share eternal life with those around us... And come soont to take us home... We pray all these things in Jesus name... Amen
Scripture References
- Genesis 3
