1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,440 Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. 2 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:18,800 Today John Metter, lead pastor of Cross City Church, brings a message in the Origins series 3 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,400 that helps answer the five most important questions in life. 4 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:26,080 How you live today depends on how you answer these questions. 5 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:33,360 Here's John Metter with the teaching on the five questions. 6 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:34,960 We are so glad that you're with us this morning. 7 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,640 If you have your Bibles, please take them and turn to the book of Genesis today, Genesis 8 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:39,640 chapter 3. 9 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:45,440 In just a moment we'll open them up and read Genesis chapter 3, the number of verses. 10 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:50,520 Let me say one thing today before we begin and that is this is, whether you know it or 11 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:55,180 not, this is the one year anniversary of our grand opening which means that one year ago 12 00:00:55,180 --> 00:01:00,480 today we opened up the facilities that we had been constructing over almost the entire 13 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:02,360 duration of the pandemic. 14 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:07,480 Now it may sound crazy to build during the pandemic but that's exactly how the timing 15 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,960 of it would unfold and God was so faithful through that whole process and we ended up 16 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:17,800 paying it off completely within one month of the construction and I think that's worthy 17 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:18,800 of celebration. 18 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:19,800 Would you join me today? 19 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:21,800 I'm so glad about it. 20 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:22,800 Amen. 21 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:30,280 So we've been in these facilities that we just renovated and constructed for over a 22 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,680 year now and today we had a special open house for those that may not have been able to see 23 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:35,680 it. 24 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,120 There are a number of people that came by and we invite you to continue to be connected 25 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:44,840 with us and involved with us as we see ministry happening in a great way in those new facilities. 26 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,640 Please stand with me as we read God's word together today. 27 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:54,200 The title of the message today is the first consequences out of Genesis chapter 3. 28 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,400 If you've been with us you know that we have been walking through the book of Genesis and 29 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:03,600 we've gone through chapters 1 and 2 and now we'll get towards the middle end of chapter 30 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,240 3. 31 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:10,200 So many firsts in the book of Genesis but today the first consequence. 32 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:14,640 Now I don't know if anybody has been around long enough to know the TV show that happened 33 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:16,840 a few years ago called Truth or Consequences. 34 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,320 Raise your hand if you've heard of it before. 35 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,080 It was an absolutely awful game show. 36 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:22,080 It was terrible. 37 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:28,160 It was a game show where somebody would be asked to play a game along with a celebrity 38 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,400 and they were given a question that was kind of a trivia question, a difficult, hard to 39 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:38,200 understand, certainly hard to answer question and if they didn't tell the truth about that 40 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:43,640 question they had to do the consequences and the consequences were typically some zany, 41 00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:48,520 some weird and embarrassing and humiliating stunt that they did with the celebrities. 42 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,720 So if you didn't tell the truth you had to suffer the consequences. 43 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:52,720 That's the way it unfolded. 44 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,320 It was such a bad joke that they were going to take it off the air and they actually had 45 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:02,360 a contest awarding money to the town in America that would name itself after Truth or Consequences 46 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:07,680 and a half-past little town in New Mexico said we'll call ourselves Truth or Consequences 47 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,920 New Mexico for the $100,000 prize and that's why when you drive through Truth or Consequences 48 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:19,360 New Mexico that's why they have that name and you just wanted to know that didn't you? 49 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:24,360 But this message today is about the consequences of what Adam and Eve did in the Garden of 50 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:25,360 Eden. 51 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:30,760 You know our game show consequences are pretty minimal but the consequences of what happened 52 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:35,440 that we looked at last week with the first temptation, the first act of sin and rebellion 53 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,600 against God are not so small. 54 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,760 So this passage today that we're going to read is a little bit of a weighty passage 55 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:46,600 beginning in chapter 3 verse 9 and I pick it up with these words. 56 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:51,560 Then the Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are you? 57 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:56,200 And he said, I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked 58 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:57,200 so I hid myself. 59 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,760 And he said, who told you that you were naked? 60 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,360 Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? 61 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,960 The man said, the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate. 62 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,960 Then the Lord God said to the woman, what is this that you've done? 63 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,120 And the woman said, the serpent deceived me and I ate. 64 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:19,560 The Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, cursed are you more than 65 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,400 all the cattle and more than every beast of the field. 66 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:28,000 On your belly you will go and dust you will eat all the days of your life and I'll put 67 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:33,040 enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. 68 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,280 He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. 69 00:04:37,280 --> 00:04:42,120 To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. 70 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:46,760 In pain you will bring forth children, yet your desire will be for your husband and he 71 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:47,760 will rule over you. 72 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:52,320 Then he said to Adam, because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from 73 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:57,920 the tree about which I commanded you saying you shall not eat from it, curse is the ground 74 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,960 because of you and to all you will eat of it all the days of your life. 75 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:06,360 Both thorns and thistles it will grow for you and you will eat the plants of the field. 76 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,560 By the sweat of your face you will eat bread till you return to the ground because from 77 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:15,800 it you were taken for you are dust and to dust you shall return. 78 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:20,960 Now the man called his wife's name Eve because she was the mother of all the living. 79 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:22,440 We'll stop there. 80 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:27,520 Father in Jesus name today give us insight about this passage about these events. 81 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,280 Father help us to know more than what we read. 82 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:35,840 Help us to know the big picture of how sin and the curse in the garden actually impacts 83 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:37,160 people today. 84 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,760 It actually impacts us. 85 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,760 Father help us to know the bad news but help us also to know the good news that comes as 86 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:49,960 a result of your actions regarding the curse. 87 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:51,760 Father today speak to each of us. 88 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:56,000 We ask it in Jesus name and all God's people said amen. 89 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,240 Please be seated if you would. 90 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,440 So that's a really encouraging set of verses isn't it? 91 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,240 I mean not really. 92 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,680 It's probably one of the most discouraging passages of scripture that you'll find certainly 93 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:13,520 in the first few chapters of Genesis. 94 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:14,800 This is the bad news. 95 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:19,440 In fact the bad news just keeps on coming. 96 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:24,440 When we look at all that Adam and Eve reaped as a result of sin it's all bad news and what's 97 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:29,480 happened in the previous passage is that Adam and Eve decide to listen to the serpent who 98 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,040 is deceiving them to disobey God. 99 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,560 The classic garden scene that we looked at last week. 100 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:40,480 In that classic garden scene the first temptation took place and the first sin took place and 101 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:44,600 now we're looking at the consequences of what happened in the Garden of Eden. 102 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:49,840 We learned a lot about temptation last week, a lot about sin last week but we didn't spend 103 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:55,120 much time on the curse or the effects of sin and that's what we're going to deal with today. 104 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,120 So I need you to brace yourself for some really bad news. 105 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:02,680 You know it was a test or a survey that was done a number of years ago and it asked people 106 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:07,400 the question, a large group of people were asked, which do you prefer first? 107 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,520 If I'm going to share with you good news and bad news which do you want first? 108 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:12,520 Anybody ever ask you that question? 109 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:13,520 Do you want the good news first? 110 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,320 Do you want the bad news first? 111 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,320 78% of people said we want the bad news first. 112 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:22,740 Since that's true I'm going to give you the bad news first. 113 00:07:22,740 --> 00:07:24,280 The bad news is really bad. 114 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:29,240 In fact the bad news is so bad you're going to want to, you're going to yearn for the 115 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,320 good news by the time I get through with the bad news. 116 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,560 But that's the way it's supposed to be. 117 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:37,880 That's really what's unfolding in Genesis chapter 3. 118 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:39,640 The bad news just keeps happening. 119 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:46,040 It's chapter after chapter and it's event after event and it's curse after curse. 120 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:51,680 Where they choose sin and they disobey God and things move from paradise, which we like 121 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,720 to think about in the Garden of Eden, to pain. 122 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:59,440 Where things move from being connected to God well to being separate from God. 123 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:04,720 All these things are unfolding as a result of what's going on from the curse of sin. 124 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,360 In fact when we talk about the curse of sin today you're going to be looking at a picture 125 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:14,360 of life as you know it because the curse extends to today. 126 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,280 The curse continues to happen until today. 127 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:23,800 Unless something counteracts that curse in our lives we are doomed to exist in that curse. 128 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:30,160 So I want to walk through this curse with you today and look at five immediate consequences 129 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,160 of sin. 130 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:37,240 Five immediate things that took place as a result of Adam and Eve's sin against God. 131 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,200 Just hang on for a little while because in just a few minutes we're going to get to the 132 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,200 other side of that which is the good news. 133 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,080 You can't just share bad news and not share good news right? 134 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:49,240 So you're going to get the good news in just a few moments. 135 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:53,840 But the good news is made better by an understanding of what the bad news is really all about. 136 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:55,840 So let's look at the bad news. 137 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,400 Five immediate consequences of sin. 138 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:04,280 First of all the Bible says here that once Adam and Eve sinned spiritual separation took 139 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,120 place. 140 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:07,120 Spiritual separation. 141 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:08,720 In fact we open with verse 9 and 10. 142 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:12,440 Verse 10 says the Lord God called to the man and said where are you? 143 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,920 And he said I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked 144 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,240 so I hid myself. 145 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:24,360 So in this interaction God is speaking to the man who he had great interaction with, 146 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:29,040 a great communication with before the sin and now man is hiding. 147 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:35,360 In fact he expresses shame, he expresses guilt, he expresses the desire to not be in that 148 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:36,800 place at that moment. 149 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,720 And in a moment before that time, before sin he was interacting with God. 150 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:42,800 He was communicating with God. 151 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,420 They walked together in the garden, Adam and Eve did. 152 00:09:45,420 --> 00:09:47,160 God gave them responsibility. 153 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,360 They had purpose in their lives. 154 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:54,280 They were able to see the beauty of all of God's creation because they were image bearers. 155 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:58,120 God created them with so much potential. 156 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:03,120 But now as a result of disobeying God they're in fear and they're in shame and they're 157 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:04,120 in hiding. 158 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:10,280 They continue to be alive for the moment but they are not connected with God anymore relationally 159 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:11,280 spiritually. 160 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:12,920 They are no longer innocent. 161 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:15,040 They are no longer communicating with him. 162 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:16,880 They are no longer trusting God. 163 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:19,560 They no longer want to be in the same place as God. 164 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:22,160 This huge division took place. 165 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,000 That's really hard for us to fathom that. 166 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,680 I mean after all it took place 6,000 years ago at a place called the Garden of Eden. 167 00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:33,200 It seems so much of a fairy tale, so mystical but it's literal what took place in the Garden 168 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:34,200 of Eden. 169 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:35,200 It happened this way. 170 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:40,040 And one reason I know it happened this way is because the curse of sin that was pronounced 171 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:45,120 after that continues on to this day very obviously and very evidently. 172 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:49,320 So how can you feel what they were feeling in that moment? 173 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,000 Well let me just ask you to imagine a time in your life when most of us have had one 174 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:58,680 of those times where someone we loved betrayed us. 175 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:02,960 Where there was at one point harmony and love and affection. 176 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,900 Where there was trust and confidence and the ability to know we were in perfect harmony 177 00:11:07,900 --> 00:11:12,240 with each other and all of a sudden something entered into that relationship that ripped 178 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:13,240 it apart. 179 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,320 And from harmony it went to division. 180 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,520 From love there were all kinds of other emotions and feelings that weren't good. 181 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:26,280 All of a sudden instead of trusting we had no confidence in them at all. 182 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:27,280 And we were separated. 183 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:32,720 We were divided not only personally and physically but also emotionally and spiritually and every 184 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:33,720 other way. 185 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:34,720 We were ripped apart. 186 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,160 Has that ever happened in your life? 187 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,000 Well most of us it has in some form. 188 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,320 Where something was so good and then all of a sudden it was so, so bad. 189 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,520 Now multiply that by thousands of times and that's what's happened in the Garden of 190 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:48,520 Eden. 191 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:53,440 Where God has had such a great connection with Adam and Eve, his first two members of 192 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:58,800 the human race and yet they rebelled against God and no longer wanted to be part of what 193 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,080 God was doing. 194 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:05,600 That's what happens sometimes in human relationships but it happened in that spiritual relationship 195 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,120 in the Garden of Eden. 196 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:13,040 Spiritual separation where there was before that moment spiritual harmony. 197 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:14,160 That's curse number one. 198 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:18,480 The second thing that happened is perpetual adversity. 199 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:22,480 Last week we introduced this character that we know as the serpent and of course we traced 200 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,600 it through the Bible and realized this is nothing other than Satan the adversary, a 201 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:30,080 fallen angel that's coming and speaking through this serpent. 202 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,920 But look at what it says about this serpent in verses 14 and 15. 203 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:39,320 The Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, cursed are you. 204 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:44,240 On your belly you will go and dust you will eat and I will put enmity between you and 205 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:48,440 the woman and between your seed and her seed. 206 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:53,920 So God curses the serpent here and the wording suggests that the serpent only went on his 207 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:58,760 belly after the sin and temptation took place which means it must have been a different 208 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,160 kind of creature before that moment. 209 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,520 Now we don't know specifically what that might have been but we do know that it was Satan 210 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:10,280 the fallen angel who was speaking through this serpent and from that point on the serpent 211 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:14,240 or the snake has been seen as an adversary in our life. 212 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,720 Let me just take a little survey. 213 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:19,720 How many of you see the snake as an adversary in your life? 214 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:23,720 And I'm just talking about a general snake, just any old snake would you raise your hand? 215 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:24,720 Okay. 216 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:26,240 Anybody in the room love snakes? 217 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:29,800 Do not put your hand up. 218 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,960 I can think of no good use for snakes on this planet. 219 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:37,520 I'm the guy that says the only good snake is a dead snake, right? 220 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,920 And in all my interactions with snakes only one of two things happen. 221 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:45,280 I kill them or I get away from them one way or another. 222 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:50,160 Snakes are cursed creatures but even greater than that the one who spoke through the serpent 223 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:51,560 is a cursed creature. 224 00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:54,680 That is still very real. 225 00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:59,960 The greatest adversity you and I will have in life is not just ourselves in our own sin 226 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:03,880 but our great adversary is Satan himself. 227 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:08,720 And basically what the Bible says about the curse upon the serpent is that he would perpetually 228 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:12,680 be working against our relationship with God. 229 00:14:12,680 --> 00:14:17,400 He'll always tempt, he'll always deceive, he'll always lie, he'll always cheat in every 230 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:18,400 way. 231 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,680 And Satan is not a figment of anybody's imagination. 232 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:27,480 Satan is a literal creature that God has named and clarified is on the planet. 233 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,040 In fact he's acknowledged by Jesus himself. 234 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:35,000 Do a quick word study of what Jesus says about Satan and you're going to find these words. 235 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:41,320 He's called the enemy, the evil one, the prince of the world, the liar, the father of lies. 236 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:42,320 He's a murderer. 237 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:43,960 He has his own kingdom. 238 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:45,880 He snatches the word. 239 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:47,120 He robs. 240 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:48,280 He steals. 241 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:49,480 He kills. 242 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:50,480 He destroys. 243 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:55,040 Now I've got to tell you this, as a believer in Jesus Christ and someone who's following 244 00:14:55,040 --> 00:15:01,280 Christ you will always, so long as you're on this planet, have an adversary and it is 245 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:02,280 Satan. 246 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:07,040 He's going to be a perpetual adversity to what God wants to do in your life. 247 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:08,960 Curse number one, spiritual separation. 248 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,480 Curse number two, a perpetual adversity. 249 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,960 Curse number three, pain and conflict. 250 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:15,960 Pain and conflict. 251 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:20,840 John, in this passage in verse 16 it says to the woman he said, I will greatly multiply 252 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:26,280 your pain and childbirth, yet your desire will be for your husband and he will rule 253 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:27,280 over you. 254 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,600 I want you to keep something in mind here. 255 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:34,100 While Adam and Eve were the first husband and wife in the scripture and in creation 256 00:15:34,100 --> 00:15:37,920 they were also simply the first two human beings. 257 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:42,400 So the curse was first of all physical pain of childbirth, which we really don't have 258 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,160 anybody arguing about that. 259 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:48,840 Who knows to have a child, if you are a woman who's conceived and had a child, you know 260 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,120 the pain of childbirth and the difficulty of that. 261 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:58,040 Man, this is your turn to be quiet and say nothing because you know nothing about pain. 262 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:03,800 But it's also a reminder that relational conflict in humanity is going to take place. 263 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:09,440 Now in essence, these verses here are not a curse about marriage. 264 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,040 Sometimes we look at that and we say, okay, what are the details of her desire shall be 265 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:15,520 for her husband, but he shall rule over you. 266 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,280 And I generalize that and simply say it's about conflict. 267 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,600 It's about conflict when sin comes into our lives. 268 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:26,160 It's about conflict when selfishness happens in our life, which is what giving into temptation 269 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,040 and sinning really is. 270 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:35,520 And it's assuredly this pain and conflict kind of environment that we have on the planet. 271 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:40,920 And as much as we hate human conflicts, as much as we detest that, we're doomed to it 272 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,800 by the nature and by the curse of sin. 273 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,000 That's what happens when people think about themselves first. 274 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,280 It's an inescapable result that happens around us. 275 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:55,920 We ask questions like who is first, who's the leader, who has power, who controls, who's 276 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:57,120 the victim? 277 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,800 Those are the kinds of questions we ask when we're operating in our sin nature. 278 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,480 And it's a summary of sinful nature. 279 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,520 And it plays out in arguments and conflicts. 280 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:12,360 It plays out in strife and hatred and racism and discrimination and division and military 281 00:17:12,360 --> 00:17:13,360 conflict and war. 282 00:17:13,360 --> 00:17:17,440 I mean, it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. 283 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:23,520 The curse of sin is pain and conflict across the world. 284 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:25,240 It's getting darker. 285 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:26,680 It's getting deeper. 286 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:31,240 It's getting more difficult, this issue of the curse. 287 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,720 And then fourthly, it is toil and hardship. 288 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:39,120 In verse 18, God actually curses the ground, curses the ground because of you. 289 00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:42,080 In toil, you will eat of it all the days of your life. 290 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:46,040 So this curse infects the whole earth itself. 291 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,840 Just try to imagine this perfect garden that God put Adam and Eve in. 292 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:55,240 Imagine the seas bursting out of the ground with full-grown plants and the abundance of 293 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:58,080 the fruit that was happening in the Garden of Eden. 294 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:02,960 Imagine the freedom from predators or bugs or animals and weeds. 295 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:06,040 You somehow imagine this when we plant the garden. 296 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,400 It doesn't happen so well. 297 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:12,200 I'm not much of a gardener, but I remember a few years ago, my wife and I decided to 298 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:13,680 make a very large garden. 299 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:18,840 The problem is after we planted the garden and after we made sure it was starting well, 300 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:20,280 we went on a vacation for two weeks. 301 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:25,980 And when we came back, it was absolutely overgrown with weeds and thorns and thistles. 302 00:18:25,980 --> 00:18:29,360 And it was just worthless after that point. 303 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:32,920 That was my last garden attempt, by the way. 304 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:37,640 Because I was discouraged by the weeds and the inevitable demise of a garden if you leave 305 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:38,640 it alone. 306 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:42,040 But God says this is what's going to happen to the entire earth. 307 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:46,200 It'll be nonstop work for Adam and Eve and all those descendants. 308 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,480 It'll be nonstop work. 309 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:49,840 You'll sweat by your brow. 310 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:51,760 You'll have thorns and thistles. 311 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:53,520 It'll become difficult for you. 312 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:59,280 Instead of that botanical utopia that they had in the garden before sin, now they have 313 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,560 toil and hardship in bringing food out of the ground. 314 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:07,600 So every time you see a rogue growth of weeds, it reminds you of original sin. 315 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:14,160 Every time you see some predator tearing up a garden, it is the reminder of the result 316 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:20,040 and the curse of sin and the weeds in our lives that sin brings. 317 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:25,760 When work is hard, remember it all began back with the curse. 318 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:30,680 And then of course, after toil and hardship, there is physical death. 319 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,200 That's what God says to Adam in verse 19. 320 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:38,800 By the sweat of your face, you will eat bread until you return to the ground. 321 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:43,800 For you are dust and to dust you shall return. 322 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,360 This is the very thing that God said, if you take up this tree that I've forbidden you, 323 00:19:47,360 --> 00:19:48,360 you'll die. 324 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:53,000 It's the very thing the serpent said to Adam and Eve, won't happen. 325 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,000 You're not going to die. 326 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,760 Well, they didn't die immediately. 327 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:01,440 God allowed them to remain long enough to multiply and replenish the earth, long enough 328 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,800 for the effects of the curse to be evident to them as well. 329 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:08,360 But eventually physical death happened for Adam and Eve. 330 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:12,360 He will extend their life for a time, but then he will take their life with physical 331 00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:14,960 death and it happens to all of us today. 332 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,560 The mortality rate in human beings is how many percent? 333 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:20,160 One hundred percent. 334 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:24,200 Always has been, always will be because of the curse. 335 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:27,200 The death is a part of our existence. 336 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,520 We just accept it as a result of the curse of sin. 337 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:35,240 Not God's original design, but what happened as a result of the curse. 338 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,840 Some of us will face it peacefully and some of us will face it brutally, but the reality 339 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,800 is we will all face it. 340 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:48,040 We fear death and we're cautious about protecting our health because it's such a big deal. 341 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:54,560 And I've named these five things, but it's not all this part of what life is all about. 342 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,920 I mean, is it not reminiscent of what life is as we know it? 343 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:04,640 Is it not our consistent experience over thousands of years now, spiritual separation, hard work, 344 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:10,280 toil, conflict, pain and childbirth, all these things I've named, including death, that's 345 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,200 part of what you see life is. 346 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,600 And it's bad news. 347 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:22,040 And the reality is God has promised us and has offered us something far better than all 348 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,040 these things. 349 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:28,520 The apostle Paul was writing about all these things four thousand years after the garden, 350 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:32,240 two thousand years ago in the book we have, we call the Bible. 351 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:38,640 In the book of Romans and the book of 1 Corinthians he begins to talk about the first Adam, though 352 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,840 Paul was still talking about the first Adam all those thousands of years later. 353 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,520 And he bemoans the result of the first Adam. 354 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,280 Now listen carefully to what I'm about to say. 355 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:52,000 Paul said through the sin of the first Adam all of us have sinned. 356 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:57,400 Through the death and condemnation of the first Adam all of us have died. 357 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:02,360 And through the condemnation of the one all will be condemned, that's the first Adam. 358 00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:06,880 But Paul wasn't through speaking yet, he wasn't through writing because he went on and said 359 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:12,760 there is a second Adam and that second Adam is known as Jesus Christ. 360 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,160 Thank God there's not just the first Adam, thank God there is a second Adam and that 361 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,600 Adam is Jesus Christ. 362 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:23,400 And Jesus Christ has lived in such a way, died in such a way, rose again in such a way 363 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:30,040 to counteract all the effects of the curse for those who put their faith and trust in 364 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:31,040 him. 365 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:35,880 It's really an amazing picture that God is giving us through this first Adam and this 366 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:36,880 last Adam. 367 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:41,280 The first Adam brings bad news but the last Adam brings the good news, that's Jesus. 368 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,520 The last Adam is Jesus. 369 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,800 The last Adam reverses the curse. 370 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:51,120 The last Adam will convert the bad news to the good news of the Gospel. 371 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:56,280 Now I'm here today because I want you to hear the bad news but I don't want you to check 372 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,200 out too early because you need to hear the good news. 373 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:00,200 Amen? 374 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:06,240 And the good news is all that bad news God takes care of and cataracts and reverses through 375 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:10,280 the person of Jesus Christ and through the work that he did on the cross. 376 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,960 I'm going to show you how it works. 377 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:18,920 There's one ultimate text in this passage, one ultimate line that gives us the promise 378 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,840 for salvation as in verse 15. 379 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:26,240 In your Bible look at this verse for a moment. 380 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:31,000 He shall bruise you on the head, speaking about the seed of the woman as he speaks to 381 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,200 the serpent. 382 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:37,480 He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. 383 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:42,160 Now when you study this passage you're going to come to the conclusion that this is the 384 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:47,760 very first prophecy of Scripture and it is a clear statement about the coming of the 385 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:49,680 Savior that we know as Jesus Christ. 386 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:54,720 In other words, as the consequence of sin there is the curse but as a consequence of 387 00:23:54,720 --> 00:24:01,120 the curse there is the cure and that Jesus is going to restore us in every way. 388 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:06,560 And the promise given here is this, the offspring of the woman will one day bruise the head 389 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,440 of Satan. 390 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:13,920 What sounds vague and non-defining at first becomes very clear as you read through the 391 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:15,340 Bible. 392 00:24:15,340 --> 00:24:19,960 As you look at the seed of the woman, as you look at the offspring of the woman and you 393 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,520 see that God will put a Savior on this planet. 394 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:29,480 Born 2,000 years ago with a virgin, he walked on this earth in a perfect way, died on the 395 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:36,240 cross, rose three days later from the dead and conquered all those things that kept us 396 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:37,240 in the curse. 397 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:41,880 And I want you to see how he counteracts the curse bit by bit. 398 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:45,040 Let's look at these five things that are counteracting the curse. 399 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:50,600 First of all, Jesus restores our spiritual separation. 400 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:55,160 By the way, when I talk about Jesus today I'm not talking about him as a superhero, 401 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,800 nothing so mundane, nothing so trivial as that. 402 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:02,600 I'm talking about Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the one conquering warrior 403 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:04,040 that we have. 404 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:08,680 I'm talking about him that has all power, he's all knowing, he's all powerful, he's 405 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,080 everywhere, he's able to do all the things that we're talking about today. 406 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,200 He has no lack of power, no lack of deficiency. 407 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,640 He is able to counteract the effects of the curse. 408 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:23,520 As he first of all restores our spiritual separation. 409 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:29,720 One of the first statements made about Jesus when he walked into ministry and on the planet 410 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:31,840 was in John chapter 1 verse 29. 411 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:37,360 John the Baptist saw him and Jesus by this time was 30 years of age about to go into 412 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:38,360 public ministry. 413 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:44,000 He was going to ask John the Baptist to actually baptize him to fulfill all righteousness sake 414 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:45,000 as Jesus said. 415 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,120 And John saw Jesus and made this statement. 416 00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:51,800 He said, behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. 417 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:55,400 Now do you remember what caused us to have the curse? 418 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:56,400 Sin. 419 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:00,920 That's what happened to bring the curse upon mankind. 420 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,880 Sin against God who has given us clear commands in the Garden of Eden. 421 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:10,600 But Adam and Eve chose to sin and now the Bible says that Jesus is coming to take away the 422 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:12,080 sin of the world. 423 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:17,120 It shouldn't surprise you that Jesus wants to come and reverse the curse that took place 424 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,120 in the garden after all the world was created through him. 425 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:22,160 He was present in the garden. 426 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,160 He grieved. 427 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,800 He determined to restore all that was lost. 428 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:31,960 But to do that Jesus had to take away the sin of the world. 429 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:36,400 John's statement had to do with the Old Testament sacrificial system where innocent animals 430 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:41,520 would be slain so that their blood would atone for the guilty. 431 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:43,640 And that picture was a part of Old Testament worship. 432 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,160 But more than that he made a bold statement of declaration. 433 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,280 The sin of the world is going to be taken away. 434 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:57,440 The idea behind the word is a violent ripping away of sin by this one Jesus Christ. 435 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,720 That he's going to die in the place of all the guilty from Adam onward. 436 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:02,400 So he's going to pay for the sin. 437 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,320 He's going to bear it on his body. 438 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:09,680 He's going to carry it away with a forcible removal. 439 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:14,440 The idea behind that forcible removal is like the tearing down of a dividing wall. 440 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:19,360 Have you ever seen a massive wall that separated one group of people from another and that 441 00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:22,720 wall is blown up or somehow torn down? 442 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,760 There are several historic moments where walls are torn down in history. 443 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:29,200 The Berlin wall is one that comes to mind and there are others. 444 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:33,360 But something cataclysmic happens and all of a sudden that wall comes down and all of 445 00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:38,360 a sudden there is no more barrier between the two places that are separated. 446 00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:40,400 Jesus does that with sin. 447 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,760 Jesus removes the sin of the world. 448 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:48,120 That's so powerfully, so clearly does he remove the sin of the world that he pays the 449 00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:50,960 way to peace with God. 450 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:56,040 And the same human beings that are separated from God because of Adam's sin and our own 451 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:01,480 sin now have peace with God through the removal of sin by Jesus Christ himself. 452 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,760 Listen, do you want to know why you can be right with God and at peace with God? 453 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:07,280 It's not by your performance. 454 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:09,800 It's because of what he did on the cross. 455 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:14,800 It's because his blood shed for sin and the wall was torn down. 456 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:19,520 In the book of Ephesians there is a great line that says for he himself is our peace. 457 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:24,080 And he broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. 458 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:31,920 So what Adam lost in sin through temptation and rebellion, God restored through Jesus 459 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,480 Christ's blood that was shed on the cross. 460 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:41,280 And we now have no longer any spiritual separation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 461 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:44,040 That's something to say amen about. 462 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,920 That's something to be glad about. 463 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:51,720 Number two, he overcomes the adversary. 464 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:56,280 Paul writes in Romans chapter 16, he says the God of peace will soon crush Satan under 465 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:57,560 your feet. 466 00:28:57,560 --> 00:29:01,160 The grace of our Lord Jesus will be with you. 467 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:05,920 Paul is simply talking about a believer walking side by side with Jesus Christ that's going 468 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:12,520 to have enough power to overcome the temptation of the enemy and live a life that is true 469 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,520 to Christ. 470 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:20,080 Now we saw Jesus overcome the tempter all the way through his earthly life. 471 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:23,880 We see him overcoming temptation that was placed on him by Satan. 472 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:28,600 There's a famous scene called the wilderness temptation where Jesus was taken out led by 473 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:30,080 the spirit into the wilderness. 474 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:35,000 For 40 days and nights he did not eat and yet the tempter came to him at the end of 475 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,120 those days and tempest him in every possible way. 476 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:43,480 Then so that later on he could say, and we could say we don't have a high priest who's 477 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:49,800 not tempted in all ways as we are yet without sin, but we have one that has been tested 478 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,400 and yet proven righteous before God. 479 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:58,040 But secondly, we have that temptation to remind us that God through Jesus withstood all of 480 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,280 the temptations that Satan could possibly throw at him. 481 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:06,280 He also overcame the tax of the enemy through people who hated and reviled him. 482 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:10,320 Jesus overcame death which held every other person in bondage. 483 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:17,640 In Romans Paul simply summarizes Jesus will soon finally and completely crush Satan. 484 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:21,080 Now you may know because you've read the Bible and if you've gone to the very last 485 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,840 book of the Bible, the book of Revelation tells us that he will cast Satan into the 486 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:26,480 bottomless pit. 487 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,200 The one who was so traumatizing in the Garden of Eden will be removed completely. 488 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:37,280 The one who opposes us and tempts us in every way will be put away by Jesus finally and 489 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:41,400 permanently because he's no match for our Savior Jesus Christ. 490 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:46,080 So friends, here's what Jesus has done. 491 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,000 He has removed that barrier. 492 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:53,680 He has overcome the adversary and will ultimately overcome him completely. 493 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:58,360 Thirdly, he reconciles our pain and conflict. 494 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:04,160 In the book of Colossians there's a great statement about how he has reconciled all 495 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:08,200 of that unrecognizable thing that's in our lives. 496 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,520 It was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him and through him 497 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:16,200 to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross 498 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:17,200 through him. 499 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:22,320 I say whether things are on earth or things on heaven. 500 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:27,200 Whereas mankind has been marked since the Garden with conflict from day one, and you 501 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:29,920 know we've all experienced this conflict in our personal relationships. 502 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:38,000 Some of us are self-conflicted inside our own lives, but Jesus brings reconciliation. 503 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:39,800 Reconciliation is a phenomenal word. 504 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:45,160 It brings to bring the two together, to remove all the barriers and make us right with each 505 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:46,840 other and ultimately right with God. 506 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:48,520 And that comes through Christ. 507 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,960 It comes through the Gospel. 508 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:56,600 And since Christ has come and given us forgiveness and given us the ability to be reconciled 509 00:31:56,600 --> 00:32:02,400 to each other, you have these phenomenal relationships that take place on a very convoluted planet 510 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:07,240 where people can be towards each other in a loving way, where they can interact with 511 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:08,240 each other. 512 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:09,240 They don't have to agree with each other. 513 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:15,000 They can be family in the kingdom of God because of the reconciling power of Jesus Christ. 514 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,720 Look around this room today. 515 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,960 We are different people, different backgrounds. 516 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:24,120 We have different interests, but we have one common denominator and that is Jesus Christ 517 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,840 and that makes us the family of God. 518 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:27,840 It really does. 519 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:33,560 And in some cases, we're closer to the family of God than we are our biological family because 520 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,320 of the reconciling power of Jesus Christ. 521 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:42,720 And even more than that, because of Christ, we are given the ministry of reconciliation. 522 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:48,160 We can actually help others come to be reconciled because of the power of Christ. 523 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:55,400 Overcoming all that was in the curse and the garden, we are reconciled with Christ. 524 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:59,000 Such a powerful thing that Jesus has done and is doing. 525 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:04,600 But even beyond all that, that conflict, that pain, is going to go away permanently. 526 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:10,600 Again, the book of Revelation brings incredible hope and encouragement. 527 00:33:10,600 --> 00:33:13,080 Chapter 21 verse 4 is one of my favorite sections. 528 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:19,080 Here's what it says about heaven, the ultimate moment where God brings us to heaven and He 529 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:22,200 will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 530 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,680 Don't you just love that? 531 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:27,000 And there will no longer be any death. 532 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:34,080 There will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain for the first things that passed away. 533 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:38,680 Who can promise this except the creator of heaven and earth and the creator of the new 534 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:40,480 heaven and earth, only Jesus. 535 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:44,040 He completely, completely restores. 536 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,680 Then number four, Jesus gives grace and hardship. 537 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:48,840 What about till then? 538 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:50,520 What about till Christ comes back? 539 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:54,040 How do we handle the hard stuff in life? 540 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:58,080 And I've got one word for you, the word grace. 541 00:33:58,080 --> 00:33:59,080 The word grace. 542 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:03,520 You know, we have a verse that we quote quite often, that we're to come to God in prayer 543 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:08,760 boldly before the throne of grace, that we can find mercy and grace to help in time of 544 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:10,180 need. 545 00:34:10,180 --> 00:34:13,360 How many of you have ever experienced the grace of God to help you in time of need? 546 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,200 Would you raise your hand? 547 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:18,760 Well you did not think you could possibly make it through what was ahead of you. 548 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:23,160 Didn't think you could possibly make the pain, the hardship, the difficulty go away. 549 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:29,280 But somehow in those moments, God enabled you with His grace to get through it. 550 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:30,860 And here's what we have. 551 00:34:30,860 --> 00:34:33,160 No grace in the garden wants Adam's sin. 552 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:38,000 They couldn't find a way, but there's grace now in Christ for every person that puts their 553 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,160 faith and trust in Christ. 554 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:44,480 The Apostle Paul gives one of the greatest statements he's made. 555 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:46,560 It says this in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. 556 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:51,920 He has said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. 557 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:56,920 Most gladly therefore, Paul said, I will rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power 558 00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:59,200 of Christ may dwell in me. 559 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:02,300 I love this because it's his testimony. 560 00:35:02,300 --> 00:35:06,720 If you read chapter 11 of 2 Corinthians, you're going to find out that Paul was in prison. 561 00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:07,920 He was physically beaten. 562 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:11,200 He was lashed five times with a whip, nearly to death. 563 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:12,920 He was beaten with rods. 564 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:13,920 He was stoned. 565 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:15,120 He was shipwrecked. 566 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:17,020 He was nearly drowned. 567 00:35:17,020 --> 00:35:22,880 He was in what he calls river danger, robber danger, people danger, wilderness danger, sea 568 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:23,960 danger. 569 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:28,240 Through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirsting, through cold and exposure, 570 00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:29,440 he faced it all. 571 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:33,840 And yet after he says that in chapter 11, he said, but the grace of God met me in the 572 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:38,480 middle of all of it, and no matter how weak I was, God's grace was powerful enough to 573 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:39,480 get me through. 574 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:41,800 That's what Jesus brings. 575 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:46,240 The grace of God in hardship. 576 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:51,160 And the grace of God is simply just Jesus Christ living inside of us and living through 577 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:52,160 us. 578 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:58,880 It's also the promise of a greater world one day and the restoration of a perfect kingdom. 579 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:03,200 You have immediate grace, but you're going to have ultimate grace one day when it comes 580 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:07,320 back, future grace that every one of you will have in Christ. 581 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:11,920 And then finally, finally, he overcomes death. 582 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,480 Jesus resurrects from death. 583 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:20,680 Do you remember that great story in John chapter 10 and 11 where they call for Jesus because 584 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:25,240 Lazarus, who is the brother of Mary and Martha, has died. 585 00:36:25,240 --> 00:36:27,600 And they say, summon Jesus. 586 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:29,400 Lazarus is dying. 587 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,320 And Jesus waits about four days before he shows up. 588 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:36,400 And by the time Jesus shows up, Lazarus has died. 589 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:42,320 In fact, the sisters say to him, if only you had come, you could have helped him. 590 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:44,880 But he didn't come in time, and he's dead. 591 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:48,200 In fact, he's so dead that his body is decaying. 592 00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:49,520 The body stinks by now. 593 00:36:49,520 --> 00:36:53,160 Those are the statements made in John chapter 11. 594 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:59,040 So Jesus looks at these sisters and he says this statement to them, I am the resurrection 595 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:04,080 and the life, he who believes in me will live even if he dies. 596 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,960 And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. 597 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:12,240 And then he pointedly asked them, do you believe this? 598 00:37:12,240 --> 00:37:13,240 This is a big moment. 599 00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:15,880 I mean, after all, this is the big deal. 600 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:20,400 The death that we all fear, the death we're all concerned about, the death that was pronounced 601 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:22,640 by the curse in the Garden of Eden. 602 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,240 That's happened to everyone since that time. 603 00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:26,640 This is a big deal. 604 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:30,480 And Jesus made this statement just before raising Lazarus who'd been buried for four 605 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:31,480 days. 606 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:35,920 And when Jesus spoke to him, he came out of the grave and he lived for years afterwards. 607 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:41,160 In fact, the Jews wanted to put Lazarus to death because of his testimony. 608 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:42,320 We've got to shut this guy up. 609 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:46,560 He was dead for four days and now he's walking around alive and we have to shut him up because 610 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:48,400 he's pointing to Jesus. 611 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,380 I mean, it's a crazy, crazy story. 612 00:37:51,380 --> 00:37:56,440 But not only did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus himself, in one of the most 613 00:37:56,440 --> 00:38:03,600 documented facts in human history, died on the cross, was buried, rose the third day 614 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:08,680 from the dead and hundreds, likely thousands saw him three days after this very public 615 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:11,120 and undeniable, indeniable death. 616 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:18,180 And he's alive because he's overcome and conquered death and sin and he promises to do the same 617 00:38:18,180 --> 00:38:19,680 thing for us. 618 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,680 See, this is the big picture. 619 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:28,560 Jesus cataracts all the effects of the curse so that we can now walk in harmony with God, 620 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:33,240 so we can have grace in time of conflict, so we can be able to interact with each other, 621 00:38:33,240 --> 00:38:37,840 reconciled fully with God and with each other to have all the strength we need to do the 622 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:43,120 things we need to do and that once we face death, have a brand new death that we call 623 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:48,360 and a new life that we call eternal life and we will never die again because we're with 624 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,200 him forever and ever and ever. 625 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:55,760 He resurrects the dead through Jesus Christ. 626 00:38:55,760 --> 00:39:03,000 Man, I'm grateful for all this, but the question he asked Martha and Mary is the question you 627 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:08,920 need to be asked today, all of us need to be asked, do you believe this? 628 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:13,680 Do you know who Jesus promises all these things to? 629 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:20,960 Not every citizen on the planet, but everyone who puts their faith and trust in him. 630 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:22,960 Everyone who puts their faith and trust in him. 631 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:25,040 You say, well, what about me? 632 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:29,400 You too, if you'll put your faith and trust in him. 633 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:33,440 That's why we make it our mission to tell the good news of the gospel to the whole world. 634 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:37,640 That's why you should have as your mission to tell the good news of the gospel to all 635 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:42,300 in your sphere of influence, but even more, that's why you should make it your mission 636 00:39:42,300 --> 00:39:47,920 to know where you stand in terms of belief in Christ. 637 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:52,360 And if you've never placed your faith and trust in this one who counteracts all the 638 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:57,880 curse of the world that the world is experiencing today, you have a picture of trust in him. 639 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:00,840 Today's the day to do that. 640 00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:05,800 We have decision stations at the back of our room and as you leave today, you'll be able 641 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:07,260 to see those. 642 00:40:07,260 --> 00:40:08,780 We light them up with lights. 643 00:40:08,780 --> 00:40:13,600 We have people behind tables just ready to converse with you, just ready to talk to you. 644 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:14,600 And my prayer is this. 645 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:19,920 My prayer is that you will pause as you go through a very difficult life, which life 646 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:25,080 is difficult for all of us because of sin and the curse. 647 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:29,960 And think about your need to have all that reversed in Jesus Christ. 648 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:31,760 To have all sin forgiven. 649 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:35,920 To have all the effects of the curse done away with so that you can have the grace of 650 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:41,560 Christ, the forgiveness of Christ, the eternal life of Jesus Christ by putting your faith 651 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:42,560 and trust in him. 652 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,560 And we can talk to you about that. 653 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:49,120 We can lead you in a moment of putting your faith in him. 654 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:53,040 I want to ask you today to consider stopping by our decision stations. 655 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:55,560 It may be today that you want to go to the guest reception room. 656 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,240 I would love to meet you today if you're a guest today. 657 00:40:58,240 --> 00:40:59,240 Love to visit with you. 658 00:40:59,240 --> 00:41:01,280 Make that spiritual decision first. 659 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:03,760 But then quickly if you will, get to our guest reception room. 660 00:41:03,760 --> 00:41:08,240 It's outside the center exit doors and behind the glass room and you'll see it. 661 00:41:08,240 --> 00:41:10,400 I'd love to have you stop by for a few moments. 662 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:14,880 I want to tell you why we believe God is doing something special here at our church. 663 00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:19,720 And thirdly, as you leave today, I want to encourage you to pick up an origins card and 664 00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:24,840 invite somebody back next week as we talk about more good news on the other side of 665 00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:25,840 the bad news. 666 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,360 It will be important for people to hear this. 667 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:33,320 Would you stand with me as a closing word of prayer? 668 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:38,880 Father, I am so thankful for this day and every person in this room. 669 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:42,200 For this past hour we've worshiped you. 670 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:46,080 We've remembered your death through the Lord's Supper. 671 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:51,040 We've opened your word and we are grateful for you. 672 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:57,560 Lord, I am so grateful that you counteract the curse that took place through Adam and 673 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:01,280 Eve's sin and that's upon all of mankind. 674 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:05,800 Thank you so much for the promise of eternal life you offer to every person here today, 675 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:10,560 to every person who will respond to you and your offer. 676 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:15,960 And I ask you today to allow us to make decisions that are life changing, each of us. 677 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:32,560 I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.