SIN ENTERS GOD’S PERFECT WORLD (Outline)
February 25, 2007 - LENT 1 - Genesis 3:1-8
* * * * * * * * *
INTRO: Perfection – it is what many strive for in this life. Everyone looks for the perfect job, to raise a perfect family, in a perfect house with perfect neighbors. Perfection is impossible on this side of heaven. No matter what the advertisers might promote no one can have perfect teeth, smile, body, etc. The world was once perfect. God had created it that way. But man sinned. Now that sin of Adam and Eve has been passed on each and every human being. This is our imperfect inheritance from our first parents who once lived in a perfect world. "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me"(PSALM 51:5). As an aside we are told that life begins at the moment of conception. One cannot be sinful unless he or she is alive. Today we examine that devastation because
SIN ENTERS GOD’S PERFECT WORLD.
I. Satan deceives, and;
II. humans believe.
I. SATAN DECEIVES
A. God had created a perfect world. There was no sin, sorrow, tears, or sadness.
1. Following the days of creation God looked and saw that it was good.
2. Into this world God placed human beings. They were not puppets on a string.
3. Adam and Eve had free will. They could do whatever they wanted.
B. Satan knew this. Satan knew that this would be his chance to destroy God’s perfection.
1. In verse 1 Satan plants doubt. Did God really say?
2. In verse 2 Eve begins her answer correctly. God did say,…
3. At the end of verse 3 Eve adds that God prohibiting touching the fruit. God did not.
C. Satan persists with the seed of doubt and deception. You will not surely die - verse 4.
1. Then verse 5 brings Satan’s greatest deceptions. Satan offers to be like with open eyes.
2. Satan offers wisdom of good and evil. The offer is only evil, for Adam and Eve knew good.
D. Make no mistake Satan desires only thing. Satan desires company in his eternal world of imperfection and suffering. He holds out offer that seem too hard to ignore or resist. Satan’s offers are simply, purely, only deception. Our world may try to deny his existence but Satan is alive and well. Satan has not changed from the beginning of ruining perfection until today. "He (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native lan-guage, for he is a liar and the father of lies"(JOHN 8:44). Satan’s ultimate offer is death, eternal death.
E. Satan lies and deceives. Therefore many, all too many follow him down the wide and broad path of destruction. Satan makes the things of this world appear to be more important than eternity. Those not watching can be deceived. Those not prepared may find themselves lost forever. Those not well grounded in God’s word are in danger. Jesus explains with the parable of the seed and the sower. "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path"(MATTHEW 13:19).
F. Look around this nation and what do you observe? You soon see that everyone is striving for the per-fect life. Some become so caught up in this perfect life here on earth that eternity is the last thing they are thinking about. We, too, get caught up in this type of thinking. We need a new car, better clothes, bigger farms, and better houses. After all, we deserve it. These are the worldly philosophies that can all too eas-ily creep in destroy faith. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"(2 CORINTHIANS 4:4).
SIN ENTERS GOD’S PERFECT WORLD because Satan deceived and still deceives today. Sadly,
II. HUMANS BELIEVE
A. What audacity and boldness as Satan has come to destroy God’s perfect world.
1. No one is exempt. Satan even tempted Jesus while here on this earth. What boldness.
2. Verse 6 Eve looks, takes and eats. After all it looked tasty and was for gaining wisdom.
B. Humans believe Satan’s deception. Everything changes immediately, for the worse.
1. Verse 7. Once no shame, now shame. Once no sin, now sin. Once only good, now evil.
2. Adam and Eve are both guilty. They now try to cover up their sinfulness.
C. Verse 8. Adam and Eve try to hide from God. The day before sin they would run to him. Not now!
D. Adam and Eve acted without any self-control. Such is the nature of sin and the deceptions of Satan. At times sin is impulsive. Satan comes to us in our weakest moments not strongest. Our actions toward the assaults of Satan are to be watching. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour"(1 PETER 5:8). If only we could see Satan as the roaring lion he really is at every temptation. Make no mistake Satan does desire to devour our souls.
E. Humans believe Satan’s deceptions and temptations and can easily be lost forever. Thankfully and joyfully humans, as believers, believe in God’s word and power to overcome Satan. We are not left alone on earth to fend for ourselves. God is at our side constantly. God provides for us eternally. God does this in spite of ourselves and our sinfulness. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all"(ISAIAH 53:6). Satan is defeated.
F. We come to the reason for this blessed season of Lent. During Lent we prepare for Easter by closely examining the life and death of Christ, our Savior. During these 6 weeks (40 days) before Easter we have the privilege to be strengthened by God’s word to stand firm in the faith to resist the attacks of Satan, the world and our own sinful flesh. This all by God’s free grace! "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death"(HEBREWS 2:14,15). Death destroyed by the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
CONC.: On this side of heaven we do not live in a perfect world. We cannot and will not though many try to make this world seem or feel perfect. Sin has entered God’s perfect world. The shadow of sin cov-ers our heart to disguise the perfect will of God in our lives. Satan is ready every waking moment to twist his knife of deceit into our human hearts. Satan wants us to forget God and eat, drink and be merry. That is Satan’s deception. Some believe Satan. Others believe Christ and the Scriptures. Faith in Christ is ours only through grace. We do not deserve to be saved and cannot save ourselves.
Those who believe Christ look forward to the eternity of perfection with the Savior. Satan de-ceives with a promise of perfection here on earth. You and I and believers everywhere believe in the per-fection that is yet to come. That is what we are all looking forward to. God’s gift of eternal perfection comes to freely, totally by his grace. "This grace...has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel"(2 TIMOTHY 1:10). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
LENT 1 readings:
DEUTERONOMY 26:5-10; ROMANS 10:8b-13; LUKE 4:1-13
