Christmas in Genesis (Part 2 of 6)

Christmas is all about impact the entire Bible points directly to him today on Truth for Life.

Alastair beg takes us back to the very beginning, Adam and Eve's choice to disobey God in the garden. How does sin's entry into the world. Give us a glimpse of Christ's coming Alistair's title this message. Christmas in Genesis and were in Genesis chapter 3 beauty and intimacy are replaced with brokenness and isolation and they are about to be banished before their banished God comes to seek them out quite wonderful is that in verse eight, and they hear the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden of 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 God mind you do that you had communion with God. What is changed by cages walk out and talk to God while you talk to God and he may talk to us, and he talks to you may talk to is about stuff like this one reason people come to church this not to church where the gospel is preached because God will speak to you about stuff stuff you don't want talk about but he doesn't do it out of an act of judgment. He does it out of grace and mercy, he exposes it in order that he might cover. He reveals it in order they might forget to know many people around hiding in the trees of their own rebellion trying to cover up their own shame. China actually cover up in some measure with religion itself. Maybe if I could go there but if I could do this. Maybe if I could attempt that I could cover it all up. Abednego this doesn't work because it doesn't work*verse, God calls out to the greater God calls they are fearful in their evasiveness they can run but they can high the reason God calls out in this way is not because he needs information that he doesn't have clearly not. But in order that he might express both his justice and his love and his appeal in this day of reckoning. So it is that it is disruption and that is brokenness and that's where they are on account of their disobedience. Well, why did God, seated there because he's caught you see he still left even though they disobeyed him if that wasn't true.

Well hope. Would any of us have the be no that if God did not love the rental. If God did not call out to us. He calls out these questions to two to Adam out of an expression of his mercy. That's how God works.

God knows every one of us even though we are by nature rebels. Even though we are by nature on the east side of Eden and he is the God who reaches out to the disobedience. What a strange thing that Eve should be so preoccupied with this tree Milton in Paradise lost describes her giving obeisance to the tree, bowing before the tree.

She who would not bow before the God who made the tree house before the tree that preaches I'll leave you to apply for yourself. The preoccupation with the now with the material with ecology.

With all this stuff. Yes understood but would you bow your knee to the God who made all this stuff on number one. I don't believe he made number two. I don't believe he made me number three.

I don't believe it even matters you see why this is a story that catches us up into itself. So God judges the serpent with a curse. It's there and there's 50 and I will put enmity there's going to be conflict between you and the woman then between your offspring and her offspring and then you will notice that he goes to the singular. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.

Who is that he is the quest who is the rising that the hints are here. Here's the first hint of the one who will do with the marauder in this malignant influence the devil himself know the implications of this curse on the air extend in the immediacy to the woman and to Adam to the woman he said, I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing while is are we to understand this simply as an expression of the physical pain that is involved that we as men have no knowledge of it all will probably that, but beyond that there is greater pain childbearing than that. Bringing a child into a sinful world. Watching a child grow.

Not knowing where he will go how he will go. What he will mean some of us in the pain and sadness of the loss of children and so on.

People say why is it that the world is this way it is.

This the world we know this morning is not the world the way God made it in its perfection, but is the world that man has spoiled in his rebellion. The implication is then for marriage to.

That's the significance of what he goes on to say you used to think you are absolutely perfect for one another, but you're going to discover that your relationship becomes a potential battleground becomes an arena for self-centeredness on the part of both the husband and the wife and Adam, you should know as well that although I gave you the job of looking after the garden you're about to end up as part of the garden is what he say you been sweeping up and around the garden and picking up the leaves and doing whatever needs done for you have good news for you. You will end up in the garden you came from dust and to dust you will return. This death is as a result of sin. The philosophers of the world have no explanation for death. They have no explanation really for evil or tall. The philosophy that begins with time plus Metroplex chance teaches us again and again that man is on his ascendancy.

He's going up from down the Bible says no he is going down from he was created in all of the perfection of God's plan and in rebellion against God's plan. The rest follows and to dust we will go Adam the tender of the garden becomes part of the guard and in terms of the conflict in the enmity between the one who will bruise the head of the serpent and the one who will bruise his heel. This my friends is the great conflict the great conflict which is if you like almost the underlying plot line of the whole Bible. That's why we been saying in our studies, and for Samuel. This is actually about God and the devil you don't have to go like turn the page in your Bible to find the fulfillment of this when Cain killed his brother Abel. The rising animosity of humanity against God's word and God's plan is then revealed by the time you get just a few chapters into with the building of the Tower of Babel.

We will bill the way up to God will get to guard ourselves will run our own operation. It is the building of the kingdom of darkness in order to confound if it made a kingdom of God, and a ticket to the whole Bible, but if you want to understand what is going on between Egypt and the bondage of God's people and in Egypt and that the intervention of God in that case, in the same way that he intervened and destroyed the tower of Babel so he intervenes in the Passover and brings his people out so that is lying may continue because you see the whole Bible is going somewhere is going to that he is going today he will crush your head, and we have to get to the he and the Devils and gender is to make sure will never get to the wittingly or unwittingly. He's seeking to destroy that which God has planned so that men and women who are banished from his garden may be brought into the beauty and the wonder and the enjoyment of forgiveness instead of shame of intimacy instead of alienation in beauty instead of brokenness.

That's what's happening when Jesus steps forward and is introduced to us. What's the very first thing that happens the temptation in the wilderness and what is he say to them why I'll give you the kingdoms of the world. Just do it my way.

That's all I'm saying. You don't have to do all the stuff that you've got in your mind to do. We'll need across. We don't need a Savior. You want to have the kingdoms of the world that led me to let me help you with that note, that's why I say to you. Here is the issue and the cure the cure is when the garden of Eden, which is been turned into a desert. Eventually his turned back into her garden he said was that bookends garden becomes desert Revelation doesn't becomes garden and in the meantime, what is happening. Romans eight tells us that all all creation groans and travails waiting for the redemption of the sons of men. So when we talk to our friends are concerned about these things about global warming about all of ICU knows no surprise to me that that these issues go on. Nor is it a surprise to me that we would be concerned and with a measure of justification.

But here's what the Bible actually says what is really the subplot in all of this is that the one who has come the second Adam, the first Adam flunks it in the garden.

The second Adam triamcinolone garden. The first one in the garden of Eden. The second one in the garden of Gethsemane and in that triumph in the cross, he crushes the head of Satan. He is defeated, but he is not destroyed for that day is yet to come. When in his return he will gather all who are his own and give to each one.

The privilege of enjoying a world in which there is no sin, no sorrel, no cancer, no bitterness, no political wrangling.

She asked fantastic beauty all you see if I could get in that garden. Can you tell me how you get in the garden. Yes. Galatians chapter 3 verse 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hanged on a tree.

The wonder of it is this that the garden is protected so that Adam and Eve can all get back in verse 24. There's a flaming sword. The cherubim are there to make sure nothing happens and they are turned away regarding the way to the tree for life. So how in the world can you get in here. Will somebody is going to have to endure the flaming sword and what is Zachariah Telles. He says that God will smite the shepherd. Who's the shepherd. Jesus said I am the good shepherd. I give my life for the sheep.

It was the will of God to bruise him. Surely he has borne our grief's, and carried our sorrows, he was bruised for our sins, he was crushed for our iniquities. We, who have no mechanism whatsoever in ourselves to gain entry into that garden.

Find that as we trust in Christ as we choose no longer to live beyond the boundaries that he is said as we choose no longer to live in the folly of it all, that says you know I think if there is a God is just trying to keep everything good for me. I want to be able to cheat when I want. I will be up to sleep with anyone I want I want to build to do what I want to be free. I want to just have it all and I don't like that Christian stuff and that restrictive stuff and so the choice that he gave them which offered gave them the freedom to choose the thing that brought them into the predicaments. I've had a song going through my head there's a price for anybody knows what the song is you have to be honest afterwards. I'm not calling it out right now but there has been a song in my head for the entire week and fight. You can actually argue that this I should've preached from the song rather than this passage because it would been easier to preach from the song than this passage, Somerset Amon, but okay. 50 years ago a little less a little more.

August 8 Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, the Manson family murder Sharon Tate and former friends.

Two days later and musculus. They take out a married couple. Meanwhile, 2300 miles away in upstate New York. Everything is in motion for a festival of peace and love would stop the anthem of Woodstock was written by somebody who was not at Woodstock, namely Joni Mitchell and Joni Mitchell was on the Dick Cavett show and I prevented her from being a witch that I showed you how long ago 50 years is her friends Christmas. Those Nash young, they told her all about. She sat then and wrote the song, which begins, I came upon a child of God, and he was walking along the road and I asked him where you going in this he told me I'm going on down to the Astros farm. I'm going to join a rock 'n' roll band I'm going to camp out on the land I'm going to try and get my soul free.

I'm going to try and get my soul free then can I walk beside you have come here to lose the smog and I feel to be a call in something turning and maybe it's just the time of year. Or maybe it's the time of man.

I don't know who I am okay I got my soul free. I feel like I'm called in something turning. I don't know who I am but I dreamed I saw the bombers riding shotgun in the sky and they were turning into butterflies course we say is give peace a chance.

We understand and was the refrain. We are Stardust billion-year-old carbon. We are golden caught in the devil's bargain and we've got to get ourselves back to the garden with God to get herself back to the cart. The tragedy of that is that the longing you see the longing of their hearts to this point at least has not been met by the discovery of the one who is open the way back into the garden and if you talk to people who are lovers of the song you get this kind of response that it is a song of hope and positivity celebration of a generation whose dream still seemed to reside within the realm of possibility.

Even now, after all, we in the world has been through the sense of optimism and change for the better shines through its words and its melodies. While I know I don't know why I choose to disagree, all the optimism of half a century ago has been completely overwhelmed by 50 years that has revealed again to us what happens when we choose a lie over the truth. When we choose to break the boundaries of God's plan.

When we choose to reject the only one who has the key, who is the key who opens the door back into the garden. I wonder how you confident today that when God comes to us in all power and glory in the person of Jesus that you will be included in that company and only because you came to him and he said Lord Jesus Christ. I admitted it's not my heredity is not my spouse is not my circumstances.

It's just me. I am ashamed I'm naked.

I've been hiding too long and I thank you for coming to find me and I want to love you and trust you, and following. I leave it with you a compelling question from Alastair big's message called Christmas in Genesis we been reminded today that Jesus came to be the cure for sin. That's the heart of the gospel message listing to Truth for Life. Alastair will return in just a minute to close with prayer so please keep listening. Now here we are in the final days of the year that will long be remembered and we are grateful that God has given us a wide reaching voice throughout our nation and throughout the world to proclaim the good news of the gospel are radio network covers every major city in the United States and messages in Alistair's free online library are being downloaded by the millions every month.

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This is a 52 week family devotional that's designed to help you and your family spend just a few minutes each day in God's word. You'll find this is an easy Bible study plan to follow. It includes a daily Scripture reading to discussion questions a spiritual lesson and the closing prayer and it covers six days each week. It's perfect for parents who are busy but want to make sure that the family spends some quality time each day in worship. Request your copy of exploring the Bible together when you give simply On the image you see on the mobile app or visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate or you can call 888-588-7884 and make sure you join Alastair as he leads the Christmas Eve worship service live from Parkside church this Thursday, December 24. This is a wonderfully moving service that includes Scripture carols in the meditation from Alastair. You can watch it online. A truthful.org/live also available on our YouTube page, or through our streaming TV channels. Find out more when you go to truthfully.org, or check out our mobile app now hears Alastair to close with prayer father, thank you, thank you for the clarity of the Bible any confusion this all are doing. Thank you that Jesus has come that there is a Redeemer that one day when the day of reckoning is over when all the matters have been set. Then we will praise your glorious grace all that love divine, about which we sang early in the service. The love that excels every other Lovejoy of heaven to earth come down so we pray fixing us your humble dwelling. Please for your son's sake, and Bob Lapine can join us tomorrow as Alastair observes the impact of sin in the days of Noah as he continues her series Christmas in the beginning the Bible teaching of Alastair Becky is furnished by Truth for Life learning is