Sermon Series: Break It Down- Week 2: Our Sin Genesis 3

INTRO> Many years ago when I was in high school, I was in the play 42nd Street. It was a musical and a huge production. I was Andy Lee the Tap dance director. I remember during one rehearsal I got really tired of doing the same routines and stepped out in front and did a few extra moves, I thought it was awesome. Our director, Mrs. Holmes did not think it was awesome. I still remember her slamming down her cup and yelling, “JJ, I don’t need your extra movies…. stick to the script!”

APP> That’s what we are talking about today, how humanity has strayed away from the script. In our series, “Break it Down” we are using this Gospel acronym to help us break down the gospel to be better prepared to explain it. God Our Sins Paying Everyone Life. We have defined the gospel by using this definition:

• • • • • • “The Gospel is the good news of God loving and saving lost mankind through the ministry in word and deed of his Son, Jesus Christ.” – “To be a Christian” Anglican Catechism pg 23

CONTEXT> Today, we learn about the not so fun but rather crucial part of this good news, the bad news. This passage before us today, is not only my fav chapter in the Bible, it is also the most consitrated teaching on the origin of sin, it’s effects and cure. But what do we mean when we are talking about sin?

• • • • • “Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.” Systematic Theology, pg 490 (“Sin is lawlessness” 1 John 3:4)

APP> Remember the story about me and the play, I strayed away from the script, the standard, why? Because I wanted to write my own story and I wanted to star in it.

Big Idea> Sin is the self-absorbed desire to reject God’s story and write our own.

CONTEXT> Today we are looking at the most central passage on sin, we will see the cause of sin, the consequences of sin and the cure for sin. (*This outline and section have been impacted by many sermon from pastor Tim Keller)

1. The cause of Sin. v1-5

• • • • • We have to back up a little bit here, because in the creation account we see that God has created everything good. v24 of chapter 2 tells us.
        • “did God really say….” This is all it took! It was a little seed of doubt to think that God’s word wasn’t enough. You see there is a progression here. Look what happens next.
        • “God knows that when you eat it you will be like God” You see the enemy can’t create he can only imitate and lie.

APP> The fundamental human problem is that we are naturally born not loving God because we are trying to be God.

• • • “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:18-19
    • And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:1-3

APP> This is what theologians call original sin and we hate it because it is offensive to us and we don’t think it’s fair. But think about it, if you believe in this, then nobody is better than anybody else.

2) The consequences of sin. v7-13

• • • • There are many consequences from sin but in this passage the w rite show us 4 major ones that encompass every area of our life.

1. Vertical– my relationship with God. v8-9“they hid from God” isn’t that line so heart breaking! Later we see that in the last verse that God drives them out of the garden. This is mans fundamental problem, that we are at odds with our creator, this is the very fabric of the Bible!
2. Internal– my relationship with myself. v7 “they knew that they were naked.” This is literally the first ever cover up in the history of the world! You’ve got to understand in ancient times and even know, nakedness = shame. That why when Jesus died on the cross he was naked, it was a shameful understanding. That’s why we have so many problem with guilt, shame and the like. “See the one thing we don’t want to believe is that we’re utterly dependent on God. We want to think we need God occasionally or maybe not at all, but in our heart of hearts we know we’re utterly dependent on God, and therefore, we are in denial about who we really are. That’s where the shame comes from, and that’s where the guilt comes from, and that’s where this lack of ease with being able to admit who we are comes from.” – Tim Keller, sermon Paradise Lost
3. Horizontal- my relationship with others. v7 & v12 Do you see the relationship break down here. Blaming, shame guilt, all of this.
4. Eternal– my relationship with life. v19 “from the dust you shall return” This is many second biggest problem which results from the first, death happens now.

*ILL> Erma Bombeck who used to write humors columns and books a few years ago wrote an article about dirt. she said this. “You know, my life is dominated by dirt. At this end of the house there’s dirt. There’s dirt in the bathroom, dirt on the plates in the kitchen, dirt in the rug. So I work to get rid of the dirt and by the time I get to the end of the house, the first end of the house is dirty again. It never ends. And in the end, after all these years of struggling against dirt, what do I get? Six feet of dirt!”

3) The cure for sin. v15

• • • “ he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel…” This is what is known as the “protoevangelium” the first gospel. Preached by God himself. with the prediction of Jesus.
    • The creibumn with the flaming sword.
    • “Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns; you shall make them with cherubim skillfully worked into them.” Exodus 26:1
    • “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” Matthew 27:5-51

APP> The cure for a self-absorbed humanity is a self sacrificing God.

Big Idea> Sin is the self-absorbed desire to reject God’s story and write our own.

*Close> We went to branson on a family vacation a few weeks ago. Measuring station. Roman didn’t meet the standard he missed the mark, he sinned. But he could ride almost all the rides, with me. He needed me to get a greater access to the park .

Application:

• • • Do you make light of sin?
    • Do you wallow in sin?
    • Do you see the way out?

Close and read corporately together Pslam 51: 1-12