The Necessity of Changing Races - Genesis Part 5

Well you know his name was Albert Schweitzer. He was born in Germany in 1875 and he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 he was a brilliant organist and by the age of 21 he had become the world's expert on Johan Sebastian Bach bought at the age of 30, Schweitzer went back to medical school to become a doctor and when in 1913.

He graduated, he went directly to French equatorial Africa modern-day good bonds and there he opened his first medical mission in an abandoned chicken coop. Over the years he built a large medical center. While he treated tens of thousands of people absolutely free every single year whenever the money would run out Schweitzer would come back and give organ recitals all over Europe raise money and then take all of that money back to his clinic in Africa. As a matter of fact he took the entire $33,000 that he won for the Nobel prize and used it to start a home for people with leprosy. There is a good bond. He stayed active in the bond and in his medical mission until 1965 until his death. That year at the age of 90. He said while what a guy.

I mean this guy had to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Well, he wasn't so matter-of-fact he wrote a book entitled the quest of the historical Jesus and in this book he says that he could not accept Jesus and the Christianity that the Bible presents as a matter of fact he said in the book, and I quote the Jesus which the Bible presents never really existed." Now where is Albert Schweitzer today you say well he certainly not in hell I mean after all the good things this man did after all the love he showed him the compassion he showed in the self-sacrifice he showed for others. I me when God put that on the scales and waited against whatever he might've done bad I mean is no way in the world that God could've possibly seen this man is a sinner and send him to hell. Well, this is exactly what we want to talk about today would today remember were in a study verse by verse of the book of Genesis and today we want to look at Genesis chapter 3 were Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and then we want to bring all that forward and talk about okay so what difference does that make for you and me. So here we go.

Genesis chapter 3 and we begin at verse one now the serpent was more crafty than any of the animals of the Lord God had made.

And he said to the woman, did God really say you shall not eat from any tree of the garden and the woman said to the serpent. Well, we may fruit from the trees of the garden, but from the tree that's in the middle of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat from it or touch it or you will surely die in the serpent said to the woman you shall not surely die for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate. And she also gave some to her husband Adam with her and he ate in the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves and then 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 among the trees of the garden from the presence of the Lord and the Lord God called to the mayor said to him, where are you and Adam said I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid myself and God said to him who told you that you were naked. Have you eaten from the tree, concerning which I commanded you not to eat, and the man said the woman that you gave me.

She gave me from the tree and I ate were not touching that and then the Lord God said to the woman. What if you done in the woman said the serpent deceived me, and I ate that you say you know lawn you're an educated person and so you don't really believe this to you. I mean, you don't really believe that there was a garden and a talking snake at Anil and I'll and an apple and the two people ate the apple meal really believe this to your well friends. I absolutely do believe it. I don't necessarily believe it was a red delicious apple because the Bible simply says it was a fruit I mean it could have been a Bartlett pear.

I don't really know what the fruit was, but I absolutely do believe that Genesis 3 is giving us historical truth. The truth the whole truth and nothing but the true there's one important thing here that I really want us to notice, and that is that as a result of what Adam any did their relationship with God was radically altered. Let's go back verse eight of Genesis 3 of the man and his wife hid themselves among the trees of the garden from the presence of the Lord. Verse 10 and Adam said I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked so I hid myself. Hey folks, Adam and Eve had never run away from God before Adam and Eve had never been afraid of God before or or hid themselves from God before something sinister had happened in their relationship with Almighty God, you say well on its ass. Too bad I mean I feel sorry for them. Yeah well I'm afraid it's not quite that simple. It's a lot more serious than that because her at what Adam and Eve did in the garden affects you and me and every other human being alive in a deep and real way and the Bible explains this to us in great detail in the New Testament in Romans chapter 5 and I want us to look at that, but just before we do I want to say to you that what the Bible says here in Romans chapter 5 is some of the most important spiritual truths you or I will ever learn and so I want you to listen very carefully and I want to put your thinking caps on and I want you to stay with me. Are we ready to go. Romans chapter 5 verse 12 therefore the Bible says, as by one man sin entered the world. Who was that Adam right and death through sin that happened in Genesis 3 we just read about it so death passed on to all people for all sin will come back to that for if by one man's trespass Adam in the garden death reigned or how much more will eternal life.

Three in those who received God's gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ. Therefore the Bible says. Just as one man's trespass. Adam's brought judgment to all men, so one man's act of righteousness that is Jesus Christ death on the cross brings justification of life. Verse 19 for as by one man's disobedience, Adam in the garden, and just like that made many every member of his race. Many were made sinners in God's sight. So also by one man's obedience that is Jesus on the cross. Many, that is, everybody in his race will be made righteous in God's sight you say lawn. What in the blazes is the Bible talking about here. I mean I heard all that you just said but it sounded like Bill a lot a lot to me. I me what he was going on here. Well let's take it apart together in these verses God is explaining to us the basis upon which people go to heaven and people go to hell with the Bible is telling us in Romans five is that this basis has nothing to do with some sort of cosmic scales were God's ways are good. These verses are bad deeds but rather, this basis has everything to do with what spiritual race where in you say lawn. I still don't get it. Okay, listen. Romans five is teaching us that the whole story of the human race can be summed up in terms of two men.

Adam and the Lord Jesus Christ and each one of these men is the head of their own spiritual race.

Another way of putting it is that in God's mind. There are only two races of people in this world there is Adam's race and there is Jesus Christ's race. This is why first Corinthians 522 says, for as in Adam race number one all die, so in Christ race number two. All shall be made alive and so the Bible is telling us that every human being alive is a member of a race in the sight of God.

They are either in Christ or in Adam. There's only two races and everyone of us here today is one member of a race in God's sight. Everyone of us here today. God sees us as either being in Adam or in Christ and my friends is nothing in between. And although it's true that God knows every one of us is an individual and that he cares about everyone of us is an individual and that he understands every one of us as an individual that doesn't change the fact that first and foremost, God sees us as part of a race and he treats us accordingly. Now are you with me so far everybody out there loud and principally because he with me hugging her that okay good. Here we go.

So let's go a little deeper little deeper. Let's follow the Bible little farther as members of a spiritual race. The Bible here in Romans five goes on to tell us.

Each of us has a union, a spiritual connection with joined at the hip, so to speak with the head the of our race. We call this the doctrine of federal headship. Adam is the federal head of his race. Jesus Christ is the federal head of his race and Romans five makes it clear that whatever each head did before God.

Whether it resulted in blessing or incurs every member of their race gets credited with what they did and every member of their race lives with the consequences of what they did as the federal head of that race you say lawn I Ottoman standards. Yes, you do is an auto yes you do so on I don't understand this.

I'm telling you, if you're an American.

You understand this you go really yeah.) The way our government operate. Did you know the kind of government we have here in America is the kind of government where we have a federal head, the president of the United States is the federal head of every American. What that means is when our president makes a statement when our president signs a treaty when our president authorizes a course of action when our president makes a decision, he does so on behalf of every American and every American lives with the consequences of his actions.

Why because he is the federal head of America you're a few years ago Jimmy Carter, your federal head. My federal head at the time gave away the Panama Canal. Now I need to tell you that I had nothing to do with that I didn't I didn't agree with that. I didn't think it was a good idea, and to this day I don't think it was a good idea but nobody asked me my opinion nobody cared about my opinion, the president made that decision is the federal head of America and whether I like it or not and whether you like it or not, you and I are going to live for the rest of our lives with the consequences of that decision. Why because he is the federal head of America the president when he makes a decision.

We as Americans live with the results of that decision. Now you understand that then you understand the doctrine of federal headship Seattle you understood this. You do now. If we understand this that we understand what the Bible is teaching here in Romans chapter 5 Romans chapter 5 is teaching us that because Adam is the federal head of the of the human race.

Whatever he did in the Garden of Eden. Whatever blessings Adam earned before God.

Whatever curses Adam earned before God. Every member of the human race inherits and lives with the consequences of Adam's action in the garden just like the Panama law can now so what did our federal head Adam earned for us in the garden will Romans chapter 5 verse 12 says is that he earned death for us. Romans chapter 5 verse 18 said he earned God's judgment for us. Romans five verse 19 said that he made us all sinners in the site of Almighty God. That's what he did is that I wait a minute long you really sure about this.

I mean, are you really sure that this race thing is really how God sees us and that I inherited all the stuff that the head of the human race. Adam did.

I mean, is there any other part of Bible that proves that you're right about this.

Oh yeah oh yeah that's right back to Romans chapter 5 and I'll show you. Romans chapter 5 verse 12 remember what it said it said, and so death passed on to all people because all sin.

The Bible says God sees all human beings.

Every member of Adam's race is the center because our federal head is the center and here's the proof of that.

Paul says, Romans five verse 14. Four.

Here's the proof. This is why death existed from the time of Adam to the time of Moses.

Thousands of thousands of years. Even though over those who did not sin like Adam. How did Adam sin by breaking a direct commandment of God, friends, between Adam and Moses receiving the 10 Commandments and all the laws on Mount Sinai. The Bible says and that intervening.

There were no formal laws that God gave the whole human race. There were no direct commands God gave the whole human race.

The 10 Commandments. Nothing and so let's follow the Bible's logic here. Stay with me. The Bible's logic is if the only way to become a sinner in God's sight.

If the only way to earn the penalty for sin which is death is to disobey the law of God is to break a commandment of God. The way Adam did in the Garden of Eden, you with me then between Adam and Moses people couldn't become sinners. Why because there were no direct commands from God to break. There were no laws from God to break and therefore if there was no way to become a sinner by breaking the law of God. There should've been no death because that's the penalty for sin, you're with me your understand yes okay but the Bible says between Adam and Moses. Everybody didn't die anyway. In spite of this, which means that there had to be another problem.

There had to be another reason why people died and this reason this problem is that God regarded every human being born between Adam and Moses as sinners. From the moment they were conceived as being under his judgment. From the moment they were born. Why because they were members of Adams race and they were sinners because their federal head was a sinner got you with me so to summarize what made Albert Schweitzer a sinner in the sight of God.

In spite of all the wonderful good deeds that he did and friends. What makes you and me sinners in the side of Almighty God is at the fact that we broken God's laws. No even though we all have is the fact that we've all done wrong things and thought evil things and said slanderous things about other people know even though we all have the answer is that what makes us sinners in God's sight. From the moment our little lungs take their first little brats is that we belong to a race whose federal head is a sinner and silk a lot.

I see that now I need to tell you that I thoroughly depressed and so I'm so glad I came today so I could leave your utterly discourage, wait a minute were not done were just part way through. Wait a minute I got some really good news for you and the more you understand the bad news, the better.

The good news is all right. The good news is this the great news of the Bible is that in his mercy, God has created an entirely new spiritual race that you and I can transfer into if we want a new race whose federal head is the risen Lord Jesus Christ. This is why the Bible calls Jesus first Corinthians 1545 the second Adam, why because he's the head of a new race not the first Adam will want to be in the race with the first Adam he didn't do anything but mess things up. We want to be in the race that is headed by the second Adam okay and it just like just like the race, headed by the first Adam, the race headed by the second Adam. Everybody in that race inherits all the blessings that the head of that race has earned before God and what are they will. Romans five verse 18 says that Jesus Christ on the cross, earned a justification acquittal for sin for us.

Romans 519 says that on the cross Jesus made Arabs righteous in the sight of God. Romans 521 says that on the cross Jesus earned eternal life to himself for us during our you with me, friends, listen, this is the dynamic principle that underlies the plan of salvation in the Bible we repeat that federal headship is the dynamic principle that underlies God's plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. Listen carefully. It is not that God in his plan of salvation, turns his head the other way and pretends like we haven't sin folks. God is a holy God. God is a just God. God is a righteous God. God can't do this and God didn't do this. What he do what God did is the God birth loss into an entirely new spiritual race where the blood of Jesus covers our sin and where the righteousness of Christ absolves our sin forever and visit you clap for that and listen remember what Jesus said no Nicodemus or Rabbi Nicodemus. He said Nicodemus John 33. You must be born again, he said, unless a person is born again, what is that mean will a lot of us say well to be born again means to be say the morning to be born again means that I get eternal life. I get to go to heaven. That's true but why, why, unless a person is born again, meaning unless through faith in Christ we allow God to earth us into an entirely new race of people with the new federal head. Unless that happens people cannot see the kingdom of God. You understand what Jesus is saying now.

The bottom line friends is that salvation in Christ is all about switching races.

If they race change operation that in his mercy, God performs on every person who's willing to trust what Jesus did for them on the cross. That is the dynamic operational principle that makes the plan of salvation work. It allows God to save state trust and it allows us to go to heaven.

At the very same time. Praise the Lord, pretty cool. Yeah, now that the stars were going to go in our passage is going to stop down after most important questions are you ready Loudoun Bethesda Prince William Internet you ready yes could.

I heard that.

Okay here we go nice and loud. Now come on this is worth shouting about want to say yeah you say lawns well let's ask the question all right, here's a question. Why don't more followers of Jesus Christ share their faith. Simple question, why don't more of us share our faith with our friends or relatives or coworkers, our neighbors, our schoolmates well for some people it may be there, scared, and for some people it may be that they are embarrassed and for some people it may be that we don't feel were trained enough but I believe that the number one reason that we don't share our faith more is because we really don't believe to the depths of our heart that apart from faith in Jesus Christ. People are totally utterly hopelessly lost and headed for hell for all eternity. So why should I risk my popularity.

Why should I risk my reputation.

Why should I risk my chance of promotion or my friendships or my inheritance to give people spiritual information about Jesus that they really don't need any way sublime. You eat today. You just establish that the Bible is perfectly clear about this, that there's no equivocation. I know the friends we let our human logic get in the way we say things like, oh my grandmother. She was the most pious person you've ever met in your life.

There's no way that God would send her to hell. My grandfather was the most philanthropic wonderful man you ever mitigated trust Christ freely given you the shirt off his back.

There's no way God could let that man go to Helen my good friend is such a wonderful nice we person. There's no way that God could condemn her and we think like this.

It's our thing nice and what I'm trying to convince you up from the Bible today is that people can do all these nice things that can be Albert Schweitzer times two, but as long as people are in Adams race. None of this makes any difference in people can believe in Buddha or Mohammed and Confucius and and Rabbi Schneerson if they want but friends.

God didn't start a new race would Rabbi Schneerson or Mohammed or Buddha or Confucius. He started it. Would Jesus Christ and raised him from the dead to prove that he started it. Would Jesus Christ so you can believe it.

In all these people all you want but folks you still in Adams race, which means that you're still in big trouble and it's only when we believe this with all of our heart and we see past all of the great things that people do. I'm not denying that Albert Schweitzer did some great things but we gotta see past that to the real issue. What race is this man or woman in and if they're still in Adams race. We need to tell them about Jesus Christ and give them a fighting chance to get out of Adams race because if you leave this world and Adams race friend is going to be a really ugly set of circumstances.

On the other side. You know, a few years ago I was visiting my son Justin at Chicago and I couldn't sleep one night's about 3 o'clock in the morning I was up walking around the streets of Chicago. I had on the red champion shorts and a green Krispy Kreme T-shirt and tennis shoes with no socks and it was 3 AM and Justin lives a block club from Moody Bible Institute there in Chicago so I just walk around. I walked up to Moody. I walked around I prayed for Moody and I was sitting at the bus stop out on LaSalle Avenue in front of Moody because I couldn't get sleep and a 3 o'clock in the morning. This young man comes walking up with a bunch of books under his army was obviously a student coming from studying and he walked past me on the only person on the street sit in their and I'm sure I look like you know mom and so he walks about 30 feet past me stops, turns around, comes back comes into this little bus stop, you will covered bus stop where I was sitting sat down and he said sir he said the I'd like to talk to you about Jesus Christ. I said okay.

He said do you know Jesus Christ in a real and personal way. I said, actually I do.

He said the you do. I said yes actually had to. I said I came to Christ. 40 years ago in college and he said was been along 40 years has a concern I said no it hasn't been along 40 years. No, I said, actually I'm the pastor of the church.

He center are you serious I said yeah I honestly am. I'm the pastor of the church and I said I just can't sleep tonight and so we talked for a few minutes and he left Donald over the ever believe me or not but he did what you know he when he was a student of Moody Bible Institute, and I thought to myself while friend that's what this is all about who takes the risk to come up to some guy in red champions and a and a Krispy Kreme T-shirt at 3 o'clock in the morning sitting out on the street to Chicago and share their faith.

I'll tell you who somebody who really believes that that person sit in their meeting was lost and needed a fighting chance and the only way to give me a fighting chance was to tell me about Jesus Christ. God bless that kid would to God. Every Christian in America was like that kid. This is the way you take a city apart is by being like this young man and believing what he believed and not just believing it but friends letting it compel us to take whatever risk we gotta take to give people a fighting chance, to leave you with a question today. Here's my question. As a follower of Christ, do you leave your house every day actively looking for, hoping for opportunities to share Christ with every member of Adams race that you get the opportunity to. I'm not suggesting we be obnoxious or force our way in the things I'm saying, Lord, we walk out the house and open the door open a door, Lord, and I walk through it with the gospel. Do we do that. I know there's a lot of other things going on. We walk out every day, say, Lord, give me a chance to share today, and if we don't do my second question is why not.

Paul said it. Romans 116 for I am not ashamed of of the gospel, for it is the power of God under salvation is the power of God that allows us to switch races for everyone who believes the spring were Jesus, thanks for talking to us today about spiritual truths.

Thanks for challenging us with few real situations that people face is not about how many good deeds they do. It's about race. And so Lord help us to understand this biblical truth so deeply and believe it so thoroughly that were willing to go out and take the risk to share Christ. Regardless of the cost. We really believe that people in Adams race or hopelessly lost matter how many good deeds. They do, and only the gospel message gives them a fighting chance to get out of Adams race, so, Lord Jesus, make us anxious every day was we leave our homes to be used to share Christ with people and thank you for the privilege of giving us Lord of having the information folks need to switch races. May we be excited about giving it out and we pray these things in Jesus name and what God's people say amen