What Went Wrong

Virginia Greer talks about the difference between a mistake what you call a person who plans out their mistakes and then carries them out over and over and then lies about it to everyone soon will mistake or is that what you call them, we have to have a better word folks and that's where the Bible offers.

I believe a better explanation to explain that there is a disease that has corrupted all of us, a disease that has absolutely destroyed our lives and you see the outbreak of the disease in Genesis 3. Right after legend JD Greer has always I'm your host Molly benefits start today with a telling question yourself as a pretty good person. Sherry might mess up sometimes but your heart is in the right place is today. Pastor Jenny challenges that notion, he's showing that if were honest with ourselves we know were really as good as we think we are definitely not as good as we could or should be.

So why is that is the solution here.

It's part of our new teaching series called the whole story and Pastor Katie titled today's message what like to begin what I think we all know we can agree on whether you're a Christian or not what you embrace Christian faith or not we understand that something is not right with the world, a lot of times it is easy to see that in other people, but in all more reflective moments, we have to acknowledge if were honest but there's a problem in our own hearts also, do you ever have one of those moments where in the heat of some moment something slips out of your mouth, but totally embarrasses you. Maybe it's an outburst of anger or you say something about somebody or to somebody or you verbalize some desire that you have and later you feel bad about it. So what you do you go back to whoever you said it soon you say something like sorry I didn't really mean that that's not really me but really, though, in fact, maybe what snuck out of your mouth and that moment is the best reflection of what is actually in your heart. Maybe that's the real unfiltered you maybe is not the exception, but the reflection of what's really going on down there.

Think about it this way when you were dating, did you ever play that game. What you're thinking right now. You are not the play that game after you get married is when you're totally infatuated with the other person is always safe. What you think about right now how beautiful you are. You talk to Bill snort is what you get all you been married for a while they might ask it when you're thinking how much weight have you gained over the last five years, how would you like it if there were somebody whatever they wanted to just read out loud whatever you are thinking. How awful would that be. Recently I was on a trip and I had a Rent-A-Car they gave me a real company.

Give me a Jeep Cherokee and had this new GPS feature on it where they could tell you days until the speed limit is on the road you're on, and every time you go the speed limit. This pleasant little voice in a slightly alarmed, judgmental tone would come on the card say the speed limit is 55.

It was totally embarrassing to be driving on the road talking to whoever was in the car little self-righteous voice and come on announcing my send everybody the car, but maybe think about how uncomfortable it would be of little voice did that out loud every time I send in my heart when you're in a restaurant looking at the dessert menu. A little voice announces you're already 12 pounds overweight.

Walking to the mall you see a pretty girl. The little boy says your wife's name is always imminent acknowledge our you get there.

There's a lot of stuff going on down there that it's not good you can just brush it away, Andy Stanley points out that like to call dumb decisions that we make mistakes. I made some mistakes in my previous marriage to mistakes in my former job. When a politician or a celebrity is discovered to have been involved in a multiyear affair and he always will refer to this recurring rendezvous says poor choices or mistakes, but does mistake really capture the magnitude of an affair, the offended spouse doesn't usually think so your kids don't see it that way.

A mistake is what happens when you forget to carry the one in a math problem offended spouses feel something different. They feel betrayed. Think about it like this. Any Stanley says sometimes we make mistakes on purpose knowingly. Don't you sometimes we plan our mistakes, you are probably guilty of some premeditated mistakes in your life so you call mistake that you make on purpose.

What is the best term to describe a mistake that you make on a recurring basis what you call a person who plans out their mistakes and then carries them out over and over and then lies about it to everyone, serial mistake, or is that what you call them, we have to have a better word folks are met for the Bible offers. I believe a better explanation is going to explain that there is a disease that has corrupted all of us, a disease that has absolutely destroyed our lives and you see the outbreak of the disease in Genesis 3, Genesis 3, God created perfect amount last about 10 seconds from Adam and Eve appear to have the moral attention span of a two-year-old hyped up on pixie sticks and so just a few verses after their creation. This holding comes unraveled.

Genesis 3 verse one now the serpent now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field of the Lord God made. He said to the woman, did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden and the woman said to the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden. But God said, you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. Technically got it never said don't touch it line. She added that to what God said it, I'm not sure if that is supposed to reveal the beginning of this resentment she feels toward God like oh he is so unreasonable you will be the Midas touch it or if she's just ignorant of what God's word actually said either way distortion of God's words is dangerous. Verse four but the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die.

You see, God knows the day that you eat of it your eyes will be open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. That's why it wants you to take it because either you want to be like him.

So the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes and of the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. And she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate, who was with her means in Hebrew that they were right there together literally elbow to elbow. He was standing right there like an idiot waiting to see if she would drop dead when she ate it for 72 tells us that Adam was not deceived Eve was deceived and Adam was not exactly what God said what God said would happen if the if they ate it. He was like, what could happen now and she drops dead and I'm not a touch it and if you got them. It's not that bad. Verse seven and the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew they were naked. They said they lived together and made themselves loin cloths in the story Horgan C4 very crucial things about our lives in wondrous in the nature of our sin, see our instinctive response to our sin number three the devastating consequences of her sin and then number four.

The only cure for send number one. The nature of our sin. There are several components that make up this temptation. The first is A unbelief. I believe the serpent launches his offensive with the words did God really say are you sure he said that then Satan assails the character of God, you know, God doesn't really have your best interest at heart. He doesn't really love you.

You can't really trust him. You know Eve you would make a much better Lord of your life. God would is nobody even knows you best like you know you only you, Eve can decide what is best for you. Only you know your heart. Only you can trust your only you can only trust you to make you happy is he. Up until that moment God had been the one who declared what was good until the creation story when God saw it and it was good. Now, here in Genesis 3.

They take upon themselves to be the responsibility to decide what is good for them. I know what's best for me.God that was a terrible trade. Next, the serpent tells her you will not surely die. In other words, that will be no judgment you want to worry about that.

That's not really going to happen that's not a factor every single time you are tempted. These are the core components of the lie. God doesn't love you, he's not really trustworthy. You know better than God does. And don't worry about judgment surely there is not an afterlife where people actually are punished forever for their sins, or maybe you don't even disbelieve that maybe this never think about it. For most people are Blaise Pascal floss Rockwood of your lot said it is a promotional life is about 300 years ago. Life is like like you're in a stagecoach barreling toward a cliff. The cliff is a several hundred foot drop and you know it's there and you know it's coming.

So what you do these issues distract yourself with the pretty scenery around you and all the amusements there and refuse to think about that cliff that is coming. This is just insanity to not spend most of our time making sure that we understand that there is a judgment, and that we are prepared for it. Unbelief leads right into B idolatry.

Idolatry money to spend on this one because of dedicated old messages to it, but the apostle Paul in Romans one says about this scene that it was the first worship of an idol. What he says in Romans one is that Adam and Eve gave to one of God's creations. The glory that belongs to God glory in Hebrew literally means weight so you give something glory or you worship that your giving it a wait but you should give to God only as mean it's a bad thing in itself, and that usually an idol in your life is not a bad thing. Usually it's a good thing a good thing that you turn into a God thing and become something that has so much weight in your life you live for your obsessed by it.

You can't see how you be happy in life if you don't have this thing, idols will be things like romance can be happy also have the romance to be happy about what I family to be happy and must have the approval of my friends you can be happy that I'll have money can be happy about all have these pleasures that are part of my life. Whatever it is you think you could not live without. That is what is become an idol in your life. In this story the idol that she goes for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil has three components to it. The apostle John says 33 components are the components of every sin, the lust of the flesh, she saw that it was good for food, the lust of the eyes.

Lust of the eyes means. I know that God told now to me and there's something else out there that I need besides what he's given to me so that I can be happy, the pride of life means I can be like God I would be best in making the rules I be better than him sitting on the throne. I should be making the decision. This all culminates in C rebellion in the words of Frank Sinatra who sings the anthem of hell I'll do it my way. Every sin, every disobedience, every time follows this pattern unbelief, idolatry, rebellion, these lies they bubble up from your heart. These lies surround you in your culture. They are so Saturday so saturate our culture that it is either accepted as dogma that was explaining this. My kids and I are family devotions. I have three my three oldest children. The girls and Nilsa 12 youngest is eight and so like every adolescent girl in America. They love the little mermaid nice in the disease, little mermaid writing a story about a group water Princess who I'm doesn't want to be under the CC must be part of that world. And so she falls in love with a prance and go through dad devil you know let her go because that's afraid that the noise doing and so she goes to the witch Ursula who gives her legs and she goes up falls in love with a prance and you know seduces them and they live happily ever after, that's that's Disney's little moments Santo Mike is not your final notice, but this is like a little mermaid the little mermaid actually come from a story written by Hans Christian Anderson just out of curiosity how we view read the real little mermaid raising okay so for the rest of you, which is 90% of you Hans Christian and his little mermaid goes a little different. That's where Disney got the story but same deal she wants to be part of that world. And so she falls in love with a prance go through dad. That's is no. She is a witch which gives her legs. She goes out except in the real story, the Prince doesn't fall back in love with her and Prince falls in love with somebody else and married the other girl so Ursula which shows backup and gives the despairing aerial little mermaid building thing is what he calls or making a little mermaid nice is not getting a killing should know what to do so the last thing in the book is.

She jumped out of the window and killed herself. That's the real little mermaid now Disney has taken that story and turned it into a parable that if you just follow your dreams long enough, you ultimately will be happy and everybody also come around to see your way. The real little mermaid was a parable that basically the message. Otherwise, listen to your dad.

Listen to your dad. This is what we do in family devotions at the rear house that was our teachable moment right there but is alive it just it just says eight. You know what's best for you and it's only when you choose your own way.

Hopefully that's the way that you can be happy, here's my question for you where you believe in those lies where you believe in those lies. I give you the answer is in whatever part of your life. You are not 100% sold out and surrendered to God I give you a few examples we have unmarried couples in our church who come to our church were living together now clearly the fact that you come to our church, shows that you want God to be a part of your life but in this area of your life. You think my way is better.

This is an area where I thought I can't trust God.

I know better. Some of do it my way. I meet a lot of people here at the church to say yeah I plan to get in the church one day Mama love you church. I love the preaching. I love being here, but right now I just place my career where I gotta work on the weekends.

I will have a time to be at church or hobby families you like. You have my kids are at a stage where we can have them involved in all these baseball, softball, soccer, dance, and we still have time to do it at this stage because I want to have a bright future. Given the right college. Basically what you're saying is God in these areas my career and my kids.

I don't really trust you.

I gotta take care of me first. I gotta do it my way. It's whatever the teenager says I don't really want to be that serious about Jesus because I know that becoming really serious about Jesus will lead me to one unhappy life.

Those are the places that you are believing the lie. If you are not 100% sold out to God, no exceptions, no compromises when you are believing and embodying the same lies that were given to this woman in Genesis 3 and out into that is our our nature of our sin number two.

Our instinctive response to our sin is artsy. This could be a mirror into your heart. Watch it and they heard the sound, the Lord God walking in the garden the pool today and the man and his wife hid themselves in the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. The Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are you and he said I heard the sound of you in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. He said, who told you that you were naked. Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you not to eat. What did we feel. What did Adam and Eve feel when they had sinned against God not want to belabor this either because I explain this often because it's so poor the Christian message. The first emotion they felt after having sinned against God was nakedness not read the story they were naked before they said mother nakedness never bothered them. Because, get this, they felt closed in the love and the acceptance of God.

But having been strip mall. The love and the acceptance of God.

They felt naked and ashamed and grade right so what do you do when you feel naked.

I've asked you that what you do is your normal person.

What you do when you will make it that's right your problem sleepwalking and you suddenly awake at 3:30 AM at super Walmart in your butt naked you don't like hail pickup and stuff in the house that I need while I'm here. That's what you do you go to the closing section you try to cover yourself. So what Adam and Eve.

Do what it Adam and Eve do they they wanted to hide and this is a metaphor for the human condition. Even people that don't believe in God still understand that this feeling exist or something inside of us that tells that is not right. We feel naked and vulnerable and afraid. Sometimes it manifests itself in a nagging sense of guilt but you just can't shake Jean-Paul Sartre when my favorite atheist said that inside every human heart.

Whether they believe in God or not is a voice that whispers not acceptable. You are condemned. He said that voice hinders every relationship we enter because we had this feeling that if people knew me. If they could see the real me if they could see all the way down deep and they could see just this ugliness in this insecurity that I have inside of me that would like me and they would reject me. And so it means that even for the closest relationship. We always keep people little bit at arms length because we don't want them to see the realized so what did we do with that feeling of nakedness. We had we hid in several ways.

First, Adam hides behind the trees, which has to be one of the dumbest scenes in the Bible never funds in the trees.

I know we created all this little word but to the trees will never see if there is no way hide and seek with my kids go to the bedroom and my two-year-old whatever head under the bed and rolled body sticking out the bed about why are you in here if you know you know and it's like okay folks, that is no more ridiculous than thinking that God doesn't see everything they didn't see behind every tree that and see behind every motive, he suddenly knows the secret things he knows what was in your heart when you did say that he knows what you were contemplating. So how do we try to hide from God the McGinty four ways A, but never being honest about us or by lying not just other people to ourselves about our rationalizing say things like yeah Jan the whole of a pretty good personnel. Please convert other people not that bad, or maybe just put your head in the bed and refused to think about. I will be be refusing to think about judgment there.

Many of you were like that person in the stagecoach that you never think about the fact that one day you're going to die and you want to face God of judgment that Cliff is coming for you. You might be 12 years old, you might be nine years old, you might be 21 years old. You might be 71 years old. What you all have in common is, it is important you want to die and you will stand in judgment. There's another way to do it. Verse 12 the man said the woman whom you gave to be with me.

She gave me the fruit of the tree and I will order the woman and said what is is that you have done. Mom said his left the surface.

He deceived me, and I they'll save in their point that somebody else C by blame shifting while I was in impossible circumstances. They did me wrong first, problem is I know the wrong crowd may influence me to do bad things, you know, was a difficult time in my life. Think about all the stress that I was under my wife.

She was impossible to work with my boss. He did me wrong first. We blame shift would only take responsibility as everybody else's fault but mine D through religion, through religion they made for themselves. Fig leaves get this fig leaves are the first religion in the Bible is an attempt to cover up the sand in the ugliness within. By something that we think will keep it covered and not expose it. I'll make up for my guilt by going to these religious observances. Also these Hail Marys, because God likes to hear Hail Marys I was go to church a lot because that'll bad Misty to go to church all the time. That means you can represent a memorized verses I'll give a lot of offering.

I'll be good I go to church I go to synagogue I go to Moscow donate money if there were ever anything that cultural Christians in the South needed to hear it. Is this right here. Listen, the number one substitute for true relationship with God is religion, fervency, and religion. You see atheism is never really don't play well. The human race, because the human race instinctively believes in God but out of me. You were honest before God. I don't mean that we expose ourselves to God and let me never fully surrendered to him what we do is we come up with a revised version of God that we can payoff and control human beings are not by nature atheist or by nature idolatrous, which means we don't get rid of God. We want to change God into a form that we can control religious zealots are often the furthest people from God and the planet because they are using their seal in religion to cover up the real problems in their heart. Fervency and religion keeps them from dealing with the pride and be insecurity and the hate that is deep down in their and the employee religion not only as a cover, but as an extension of the depravity of their arts boxes and this is your story about a Catholic. Some of them of the Muslim, the Muslim of the bad of them knowing about you. This is what you have done, you and I have rebelled against God.

You and I prioritize all kind of things above the will of God.

We prioritize the loss of the flesh we went to water bodies one instead of the will of God with the lust of the eyes.

We never think the God given us another something else there that he hasn't given us that we need the pride of life were the one she thought that our wisdom was greater than God's which is why we chose our will. Instead of his. We thought that we knew best.

Where God's will, got away all will we chose our will we put more stock in our wisdom, and his when others threaten what we wanted.

We trampled and we gossiped about their we were jealous of them and hated them we been willing to bend the rules and cheat the system. If we thought we could get away with it. We knew it would make us get ahead a little bit and then to make up for. We try to compare ourselves to others, and so I'm not really that bad. Everybody else like me, I'm pretty good. And then at those times where where we felt that we we don't want to do a little religion about makeup for that's nice fig leaf to church all read my Bible. I get some money and then Gotto be happy. Is that not your story is that not the mirror of your heart you have the disease. Genesis 3 is about you. You don't need a better version to you. You don't need reform need a new you. You need a resurrection. There's no amount of big waves you put on cover are that she's the system that ranges against God, and that prioritizes everything else about him and his will so hard right from instead of keeping the freedom that begins when we rent to her what went wrong.

That's the title of her message today from Pastor Jenny Greer you're listening to Senate life and ran the first few messages in a unique teaching series called the whole story. The next few months will be walking through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Coming out the big stories along the way as we do will see that the whole Bible is telling just one story is the story of Jesus to catch up on any messages you may have missed or to download the complete transcripts go to Jenny Greer.com. These online resources, as well as these daily messages on your radio are available.

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