Victory Sherwood
Beginnings: Making Easter - Genesis 3:1-19
Locations & Times
Victory Baptist Church
10000 Brockington Rd, Sherwood, AR 72120, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
A Cat’s Concern
*This week my two cats were growling at each other while I overheard the news of Brussels bombing in the background. Their petty problems were all they know and they are incapable of understanding anything bigger than their small world.
*The people in Brussels had a tremendous problem this week. They are capable of understanding any concern bigger than theirs, but the bombing was clearly the biggest thing on their minds.
*Yet I propose that the bombing was like two cats growling at each other in proportion to a greater crisis that is going on worldwide right now!
*Turn and talk- “What is the greatest crisis mankind faces right now?”
*Let’s turn to Genesis 3 to understand what this is…
The Beginning of Man’s Big Problem
*This week my two cats were growling at each other while I overheard the news of Brussels bombing in the background. Their petty problems were all they know and they are incapable of understanding anything bigger than their small world.
*The people in Brussels had a tremendous problem this week. They are capable of understanding any concern bigger than theirs, but the bombing was clearly the biggest thing on their minds.
*Yet I propose that the bombing was like two cats growling at each other in proportion to a greater crisis that is going on worldwide right now!
*Turn and talk- “What is the greatest crisis mankind faces right now?”
*Let’s turn to Genesis 3 to understand what this is…
The Beginning of Man’s Big Problem
Genesis 3:1-20 (NASB)
THE COLLAPSE 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
THE CHANGE 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. 8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." 11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12 The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
THE CONSEQUENCE 14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." 16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." 17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."
*The misery of life and the inevitable arrival of death became the human experience because of the emergence and pollution of sin.
*This is a crisis far greater than bombs in Brussels because it is worldwide and beyond human ability to prevent with eternal consequences.
*What hope does mankind have? (Tell your neighbor what hope they have if you know it)
THE COLLAPSE 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" 4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
THE CHANGE 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. 8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." 11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12 The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
THE CONSEQUENCE 14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." 16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." 17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."
*The misery of life and the inevitable arrival of death became the human experience because of the emergence and pollution of sin.
*This is a crisis far greater than bombs in Brussels because it is worldwide and beyond human ability to prevent with eternal consequences.
*What hope does mankind have? (Tell your neighbor what hope they have if you know it)
The Easter Celebration
*Easter is the formal celebration of the epic feat which reversed the ruin of the universe and mankind. It is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ- mankind and all nature’s hope.
1 Corinthians 15:20-27 (NASB) 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET….
The resurrection defeated all the enemies of God including sin and death by overcoming their power over mankind.
Through Jesus any person can have the same.
Testimony of resurrection power over the fear of death. The problems of this world are small now that I know clearly what the big human crisis is, and that I have received God’s solution.
If you can see what the real crisis facing humanity is, do you want to receive God’s solution? The travesty that took place in the beginning in the Garden made Easter necessary. Easter happened. Had it happened to you?
*Easter is the formal celebration of the epic feat which reversed the ruin of the universe and mankind. It is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ- mankind and all nature’s hope.
1 Corinthians 15:20-27 (NASB) 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET….
The resurrection defeated all the enemies of God including sin and death by overcoming their power over mankind.
Through Jesus any person can have the same.
Testimony of resurrection power over the fear of death. The problems of this world are small now that I know clearly what the big human crisis is, and that I have received God’s solution.
If you can see what the real crisis facing humanity is, do you want to receive God’s solution? The travesty that took place in the beginning in the Garden made Easter necessary. Easter happened. Had it happened to you?
