Sermon Central
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Wearing The Wrong Clothes
Contributed by Evie Megginson on Jul 23, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: IN THIS MESSAGE WE SEE THREE THINGS ABOUT ADAM AND EVE: I-THEIR CONDITION BEFORE THEIR SIN, II-THEIR CONSEQUENCES AFTER THEIR SIN,AND III-THEIR COVERING FOR THEIR SIN.
WEARING THE WRONG CLOTHES
GENESIS 2:15-17,25-3:6-10,21
There was a little cartoon of a couple leaving church one Sunday. They had made their way around the preacher. But in this particular church, the preacher was out in the front and the couple was going around him. The man’s wife was about a half-step in front of him. He was going out with his head bowed, dejected. he was kind of towering over him. After they got out of earshot of the preacher, she turns to the man in the cartoon and said, "Harold, don’t you understand? Don’t look so dejected! That sermon was for everybody there, not just you!"
Well, when you look at Genesis 3, you recognize that the message is for everybody. It speaks to all of us, for it speaks of sin.
Romans 5:12 says, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
This is the Chapter that Paul was talking about that showed how sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve.
We have a saying, an apple a day will keep the Doctor away. This wasn’t true in Adam’s case, for this apple or fruit made him sick.
In this chapter, it talks about clothing for the first time. Anytime we see something in the Bible for the first time, it is important. Thus let us study the story about these garments and gleam the spiritual message.
I-NOTICE THEIR CONDITION BEFORE THEIR SIN:
A-We See They Were Innocent:
Genesis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
The Bible says that they had no outward clothes on. One might say, they would have fit right in our modern society which not only say take it, but they do take it off.
Several years ago, a Russian was visiting our country. He was asked, what was one thing that stood out in America more than anything else? He replied, the picture of a naked woman.
According to The Law Officer magazine, “since the mini-skirt was introduced by London designer Mary Quant in 1964, incidents of rape have increased by 68 percent in the United States and by 90 percent in England.” The rise in mini-skirts has caused a corresponding rise in rape and incident assault cases.
Today some defend nudity by saying, Adam and Eve were naked, so it make it all right.
But it is not alright, for they lived in a place where there was no sin, plus they had on some clothing. You say what do you mean”
Psalm 104:2 says, Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
Psalm 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
These verses tell us that God was clothed in light and glory, and when he made man, he clothed him in His glory.
B-We See They Were Instructed: 2:15-17
Genesis 2:15-17 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: [17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
We see their instruction was two-fold. First, they had a service to do. This was a perfect environment , yet God had a job for them to do.
He has a service for you and I today, if we are yielded to Him. But some are not.
A lot of people are like a wheel barrow—not good unless pushed.
Some are like canoes—they have to be paddled.
Some are like kites—If you don’t keep them on a string they fly away.
Some are like footballs—you can’t tell which way they’ll bounce next.
Some are like balloons—full of wind and ready to blow up.
Some are like trailers—they have to be pulled.
But Some are like a good watch—open face, pure gold, quietly busy and full of good works.
But also in verses 16 and 17, they were instructed not to eat of the tree of God and evil.
When God tells us something, we need to believe Him and trust Him for knowing best.
But verse 6, tells us after Eve’s being tempted by the serpent did eat of the fruit and also gave it to Adam to eat also.
Temptation can really play havoc with our lives. There was a humorous "Cathy" cartoon strip sometime back. Cathy is struggling with her diet. See if this progression is familiar:
