The Decline of the Human Race - Genesis Part 11

Well, today we want to return to our series in the book of Genesis and were going to pick up today in Genesis chapter 6 and talk about the decline of of the human race which you know since it's been a couple weeks since we been in Genesis. I thought a little bit of review would be helpful just to make sure were all caught up so let's go back and see what we've already learned in Genesis chapter 4 we learned attains jealousy against his brother Abel boiled over and he brutally murdered Abel, and as a result, God cursed Cain and exiled him. Then we learned that Cain went off and established his own branch of human society and we also learned that Adam and Eve had another son named Beth who established his own branch of human society. In Genesis chapters 4 and five. The Bible told us about the fact that each of these two branches of human society were characterized by certain things that Kane's line was characterized by godlessness and violence and disobedience to God, while Seth's line was characterized by godliness and righteous behavior and obedience to God. Now that's where we been and is we come to Genesis chapter 6 today were going to see that something has gone drastically wrong. The in this world. So here we go. Genesis chapter 6 verse five the Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of his heart was evil continually in the Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on the earth had corrupted their ways.

So God said to Noah, I am going to put an end the all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them that here in Genesis chapter 6. The Bible tells us that the entire population of the earth had grown corrupt, not just Kane's ungodly line but somehow someway. Seth's godly line had even been dragged down into this situation and you say what how could that happen what the Bible answers that question actually back up in the beginning of the chapter, the Bible tells us how things got this bad verse one it says when men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful.

So today the sons of God married any of them. The daughters of men.

They chose and the new file and were on the earth in those days, and also afterword when the sons of God went into the daughters of men and had children by them. These than the feeling him were the heroes of old men of renown. So this is the Bible's explanation of how things got so bad on your block.

I heard the words read what I mean. Not only must they were just talking about what's really going on here.

Whether actually two explanations as to exactly what the beginning of Genesis 6 is talking about.

Let me tell you the two explanation explanation. Number one goes like this that the sons of God. Here in Genesis 6 are fallen angels, their demons, we know that the Bible tells us that originally, Satan was an angel who rebelled against God, and there were other angels.

The Bible tells us followed him in his foul revolt. As John Milton called it when you hear this in second Peter chapter 2 verse four which talks about the Angels who send in June 6 we hear about the angels who did not keep their first estate, but left their proper place and so some commentators say that the sons of God. Here in Genesis 6 are these evil angels.

These demons that the daughters of men are human women and that these two groups had sexual relations and produced a mutant race of human beings called in the feeling the King James translates this Giants and that these not feeling so corrupted the entire planet that by Genesis chapter 6 Noah and his family were the only God-fearing people left daughter and God decided that the only way he could dispose of these mutants and the only way that he could purify human society was to wipe them off the face of the earth entirely and for good, which is what he did with the flood art that's explanation number one is a long is that the right explanation. While I don't believe so. And there are many reasons why I don't believe that's correct, but the key reason is what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 22 verse 30 Jesus said in the resurrection, that is in heaven. People will neither marry nor be given in marriage, instead they will be like the EY, the Angels in heaven. In other words Jesus says here that angels are sexless beings. They don't marry because they don't procreate. There are no daddy angels. There are no mommy angels and there are no Angel left you understand what I'm saying. Jesus tells us angels do not have sexual relations with other angels or with anybody else, and therefore by comparing Scripture with Scripture, we find that this theory of demon halfbreed simply doesn't hold biblical water is a woman one the world is this going on here. Women are told to the second explanation, one that stretches the imagination a lot less than that first one, and here's what it is.

Remember we said the early human race had two distinct branches to distinct lines and had Seth's godly line who represent the sons of God. Here in Genesis 6 and it had Kane's ungodly line which represents the daughters of men for a long time.

These two branches maintain their separateness and maintain their individual character, but over time they began to intermingle. Over time, they began the intermarry and as a result of moral excellence of success line of people was slowly but surely eroded away by Kane's people, until eventually what we have is no longer a godly line of people in an ungodly line of people.

What we eventually end up with is a few godly individuals like Noah and his family, and a whole world full of ungodly people.

These new file. We don't really know what that word means.

It comes from the Hebrew root knocked out, which means to fall upon people to attack people and so our best guess is that these people were banditos that they were desperados that they were violent, cruel, corrupt people who took over the human race. But the point is, by the time I reached Genesis chapter 6 the only people on earth who were still walking with God, our Noah and his immediate family. This is explanation number two and I'm personally convinced that this is the correct interpretation of Genesis chapter 6, so let's summarize all still awake. Yeah, you're still there. Okay, let's summarize assuming that I have correctly exegete in Genesis chapter 6 for you and I believe I have been the lesson we see here is that whether you are a singer. Whether you're an actor.

Whether you're a politician. Whether your student will whether your business person, whether you are a butcher of Baker candlestick maker. It doesn't matter what we see here is that when godliness mingles with ungodliness when godliness marries ungodliness when godliness gets involved on an intimate level with ungodliness in any way that it should not. The result is almost always the same, namely godliness loses ungodliness wins out just like it did here in Genesis chapter 6. Now that's as far as to go in the passage because it's time now to ask our most important question. This is a historic question because it's the first one of 2012 and I need to be really honest with you I'm not lying to you. The other two services this morning absolutely phenomenal in screaming the cell where they not that there guys. Okay I mean you guys are not are not just mom that manipulate young just telling you the truth, you guys are going to have to reach deep if you're going to win this morning, but I have confidence in.

I believe in you right.

Are you ready out there and the Internet to put me back on my heels now here we go one to survey what what he thinks the I think you guys.

What would you think they were to start petering this back on that was amazing.

I you say our lawn so amazing or not, was the point. I mean I hear what you're saying about this book tomorrow morning I will see what this has to do with me. Well, let's see if we can figure that out, you know, I've been doing pastoral counseling in my office for 30 years down part of the reason for that is because I've been a pastor for 30 years and I wonder if you ever thought. What's the number one reason that people coming to see a pastor about with their heart, absolutely breaking you say well maybe it's drugs or alcohol or gambling or sex or pornography or money problems. Nope nope nope.

None of the above.

In fact, none of them are even close without a doubt its relationships, especially romantic relationships, marriage, divorce, separation, engagement, problems, problems with husband problems with wives, problems with boyfriends and girlfriends and fiancés and I've come to realize that romantic relationships and marriage have more raw impact on the average person's life than any other human issue in this is especially true when it comes to the spiritual side of our law. Marry the right person and that person will encourage you spiritually.

They will challenge you spiritually, they will spur you on to new heights spiritually and they will motivate you to love God and obey God and serve God all the days of your life. You married the wrong person and they will turn your good walk with Christ into a disaster zone. A nuclear fallout zone when I think of this. I think of a hair King of the northern kingdom of Israel, and he was married to a woman.

Many of you know this woman's name and she was a band Oreo. I'm telling you, you do know was what her name was Jezebel. That's exactly right. And look what the Bible says King Ahab didn't start off all that bad but look how we ended first Kings 2125 there was never a man like a.m.

The Bible says sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Watch now birds on by his wife Jezebel. I'm in a say it again more good walk with Christ have been wrecked by a bad marriage partner then by all other reasons combined is a wall long do man.

You have definitely crossed the line from preaching to Medlin. I mean, oh my gosh, are you stepping on people's toes here yeah you so you sure you know what you doing up there lawn. I know what I'm doing and friends I got today what I feel like love leg talking a rocky I got more for you. I got more for you. I got some more for you. I do I'm not done yet. Listen for the wrong person to devastate our spiritual life friends, we don't even have to marry them. It can be an ungodly boyfriend, ungodly girlfriend and ungodly fiancé of ungodly business partner or neighbor or best friend anyone that we allow to assert spiritual influence in our life can do this. I think a Samson Judges 13 to 16 menisci was a genuine chosen man of God, for goodness sake, an angel announced his birth. He was a deliverer of Israel. He was a mighty man of God, you know, he served God with his life until he developed a love for Philistine women and his mom and dad came to George's 14 verse three, and here's what they said to him, his mother and father.

They said is there no acceptable woman among all our relatives and our people that you must go and take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.

They said DNA Samson you mean there's not one girl in all of Israel that's attractive to you, a girl who knows the Lord. A girl who loves the Lord a girl who serves the Lord that you gotta go marry some pagan woman who doesn't even have a clue. God is well, you all saw the movie with Victor mature. You know how this ends is a long. I read the book. Okay, fair enough, then you know how this ends old Delilah seduced Samson away from his good walk with God and he ended up with his eyes gouged out strapped to a wheel and grinding corn like a farm animal and then I think of King Solomon and a lot of people asked me. I get answers often do you think you're related to King Solomon. I don't know how landslide ancestry.com to go back that far.

I don't know what you know what I say to them I say I don't know if I'm related to him or not, but the one thing I know is that I don't want to end the way he ended, Solomon started off great God was blessed in his life. He was wise he was the king of the biggest kingdom in the near East.

At the time he had all these riches and everything the boy he surrendered badly. Look, why first Kings 11 one King Solomon, however, love many foreign women.

These women were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, you must not intermarry with them because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.

Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in law and is Solomon controlled his wives turned his heart after other gods in his heart was no longer fully devoted to the Lord his God is the heart of David his father had been so he built altars for his foreign wives to offer sacrifices to their gods and by the way, I need to tell you. Many of those sacrifices were child sacrifices and the Lord became angry with Solomon. Now there is a sentence, you do not want on your resume. You don't want that sentence.

There in the Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord and the Lord raised up enemies against Saul friends, this is still happening to people today they start out strong for the Lord. But then they get involved with people they got no business getting involved with and they end up in my office is the long-awaited.

Are you saying that God can't put the shattered lives of people to come into your office back together again and give them a new life and give them hope.

No, I'm not saying that all God does that all the time friends. What I'm saying is that the shattered lives. Never had that happen in the first place and what I'm saying is they would never happen in the first place, if only these people would've listened to God to begin with, say, well, listen to God when he said what Wu so glad you asked. Deuteronomy 7 verse three do not intermarry with the peoples of the land whom the Lord is driving out before you do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your son for they will turn your sons and daughters hearts away from following me to serve other gods and remember what I said you don't have to marry and listen to what Joshua said Joshua 2312. He said, but if you ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations and intermarry with them and look at this, even closely associated with them.

They will become snares and traps for you. You say that yellow on but this is all Old Testament stuff you know Jesus and the New Testament gives us a different approach to unbelieving people move. Not so chemo sobbing on all is not true. Second Corinthians 6 New Testament New Testament. Second Corinthians chapter 6, verse 14 says do not be yoked together with unbelievers. The King James translates this. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. The revised standard version translates it.

Do not be missed mated with unbelievers.

The Greek word here means to mismatch to animals as they try to pull the same plow inappropriately yoked two different animals to the same plow. Another words on the same plow.

It just doesn't work to match a horse with an ox to match an elephant with a mule to match a donkey. What a water buffalo and in the same way.

Spiritually, God is telling us in jaws doesn't work to match a believer with a nonbeliever in any major endeavor of life, a business venture. An investment scheme and intimate friendship and most of all romance and marriage, and this is why Genesis 24 will talk more about it when we get there.

This is why in Genesis 24 Abraham sent his servant on a trip of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles back to his relatives to get a wife, a godly wife, a wife who knew the Lord and love the Lord for his son Isaac, a woman named Rebecca. Instead of letting Isaac married the pagan women in Canaan, where he was living because Abraham understood he got now by way of balance.

Let me say that I'm not saying nor does the Bible say that as followers of Christ, we shouldn't have acquaintance ships with nonbelievers. To the contrary, we should always be trying to build bridges with nonbelievers so that we can earn the right to share Jesus with them. However, what the Bible is saying listen is that we should never allow those nonbelievers to become so influential in our lives that day, begin to affect our behavior that they begin to affect our value system instead of the other way around. That's the balance so so what here is threefold. Ready number one if you're Christian parent. So what is that we need to teach these crews in these principles to our children early and often in life we need to pray for them that they'll have the wisdom to obey these principles and obey God. We need to watch carefully the friends they choose and the people they hang out with and we need to pray, even when their little children for their future marriage partners that they will be godly men and women, spiritual men and women who will encourage our children in their walk with God. Instead of taking them away from God. So what number two is as followers of Christ in general. We need to be very discerning, very careful, very cautious, who we allow to have spiritual influence in our life who we allowed to speak spiritually into our lives. You know the old adage garbage in garbage out. Well, if we let people speak garbage into our life on believe in doubt and disobedience to God, friends, what we are going to get out of our life is garbage on believe, doubt and disobedience to God. We need to be very careful that we pick is our closest friends and that we allow to into our life to give us advice.

Only those people who are godly men and women are going to give his godly biblical advice and finally so what number three is if you're here today and your single adult follower of Jesus, never been married or you just don't have to be married right now.

Either way friends are. So what thrusters we need to be aware we need to see the foolishness of Samson and the foolishness of King Solomon and the wisdom of Abraham. We need to understand what God tells us, and listen to what God tells us about choosing a mate that the first and foremost issue is where that person stands in their walk with Christ. And if that's not right. Everything else won't matter if that's not right. You can't fix the rest of it and not have that right and let me just say to this last group. Those of us were single. I got three suggestions for you as we close you go why you picking on us when I don't get so defensive. I'm not picking on anybody. I just got a couple suggestions for you. Many other people are hitched up already. I can do much to help them right now but you listen are you my three suggestions number one my first suggestion is we need to be honest about the purpose of dated.

The purpose of one-on-one dating is not just to meet people and have fun. The purpose of one-on-one dating is romance and love and ultimately marriage so as a follower of Christ.

If God says someone is disqualified as a marriage partner for you from the get-go because there nonbeliever then should you ever date them to begin with folks is not a real question.

It's a rhetorical question.

The answer is no, of course not. If there will I what about missionary Dave you know where you date someone because you want to expose them to the gospel and the Jesus in the hopes that they'll come to Christ what you think about that folks. What is the purpose of dating. The purpose of dating is not evangelism.

The purpose of dating is romance and love and marriage listen. Girls, if you want to evangelize some unsaved punk give him a CD but don't date him until he becomes a saved up punk I you got me are now you say yeah but the lawn I you know look, I just want to hang out and have fun with him or her.

I can control this relationship and make sure he doesn't get out of hand. Oh really what I brings me to my second suggestion which is that we need to be honest about the emotional dynamics of love, friends, love is not only blind is deaf. Dom you lame and stupid. It is what I mean is, once a person crosses over that in the invisible line were emotion gets involved in over the where we mentioned this other person's name or you see them in your heart rate quickens and you tingle all over in your eyes brighten up once we cross that line my friends logic and common sense and godly advice goes right out the window so that would happen to me. Oh yes it will.

Oh yes it will. We need to be brutally honest about this because many a well-meaning Christian has been swept away by this emotional dynamics, ignoring the pleas ignoring the advice of godly parents and godly friends and pastors saying don't do this with this person, don't marry this person and then they turn around one day and they feel like Samson listen the best way to make sure that you never get swept as a single person into a disastrous marriage with an unbeliever is to only date people who spiritual lives are strong and solid from the beginning and then if you fall in love with them while your date number no problem. Make the perimeter out there with the first date you can defend that perimeter.

Once you let the perimeter get inside your emotions you are sunk intelligent. You can't defend the perimeter suggestion number three is we need to be honest as a single person about other people. Spiritual commitment many times have I met someone and they said well you know he he said he wasn't believe he said he was a Christian when we were dating. He/she she said that she went to church when we were dating this what you want is wrong with you. You are looking for somebody like that you looking for somebody who was sold out on fire. Head over heels in love with Jesus Christ you're looking for somebody who is a vibrant solid walk with Christ coming you dealing with your future here in your children's future.

Your new grandchildren future here be picky you sell a lot that will live if I get that picky. I'll never get married. Now don't you believe that there is a sovereign, all-powerful God sitting up in the heavens, friends, and if you're supposed to get married. God will make sure that person you meet right on schedule right on time. If you just wait on God and remember while you're waiting, it is better to be single than to be married to a jerk say to you carefully stepped all over toes yeah will all remember what my good friend John MacArthur once said, he said it, when the word of God is preacher toes get stepped on. It's because they're in the wrong place to start with when you close with the story about Charles Haddon Spurgeon, two-story great preacher of the London Tabernacle. He tells a story about how this young lady came into his office and said the Rev. Spurgeon. She said I go to church here, and she said I'm about to marry a man who doesn't know the Lord, she said, but I'm gonna pull him up spiritually. She's a reverent Spurgeon just curious what you think about my plan. He got up, walked around the desk to where she was. He said ma'am. Please let me assist you while you climb up on the my death. She said what is I want to climb up on my desk and show she did and then he said I want to reach out your hand.

You gotta remember Spurgeon was on big big hunk of a man, he said.

Reach out your hand. So she reached her hand out and he's standing on the floor, reached his hand up and they said I grab my hand so they did.

He said now pull me up and after she tried for a moment. He unceremoniously yanked her off his desk and onto the floor and he said to her, and I quote, there's your answer. My dear, we as Christians don't pull the world of it pulls us down.

Hey that's what Cain's people did assess people and folks don't you let anybody do that to you. You guard your spiritual life you guard your heart. You guard who gets access to you spiritually and who you associate closely with friends. If any of us need to go and cut back on some relationships. As a result of what the word of God is said today. My prayer is that you will have the courage to obey God and go do this for or Jesus you know this is practical stuff we all struggle with this food we let close to us. We don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. We don't want to offend anyone. And yet, on the other hand, we know the garbage in equals garbage out. We have to be careful so Lord, we all struggle with this, not just in Roman. I want to pray that you would really speak in a powerful way to our lives today. This is not about being intolerant. This is not about being judgmental. This is about obeying God. You were the one who gave these principles out Lord not proclaim Bible church. Help us to obey you. Knowing that you will always reward us when we do Lord is already said of some of us here have relationships that we need to leave here and go cut back on give us the courage and the biblical obedience to go do it more change our lives because we sat under the teaching of your word today and we pray these things in Jesus name. What are God's people say amen