Genesis 1:26-28

Subdue the Earth

 

26        Image

            - not physical

            - rational (animals are not)

            Dominion

            - lion the king of the jungle?

            - shoot them (magazine by animals to kill humans?)

28        Subdue

            - bondage, subjection, keep under

            - Luke 16--investment and return; plan ahead

            - "What shall I do?

 

 

Gen 2.15-17

Paradise Lost

Gen 1--6 days.  Gen 2--6th day.

 

15, Garden

            Location        

Purpose:  2:5

            Work—not result of sin

                        Dress:  to serve

                        Keep:  to have charge of (1 Cor 4.2, be entrusted with another’s property)

 

16, Freedom

            Sovereignty of God; Calvanism

            Moral culpability/Love

            Hath God said? (issue:  no trust; God is holding good back)

                        1 Jn 2:3 and trust

 

17, Death

            Result of Disobedience (Mt 4)

            Spiritual/Physical (Rom 5:19)

            They tried to cover up with leaves

 

 

Genesis 3:1-6

Don't Doubt God's Goodness

Satan comes in disguise and attacks God's character so that we doubt God's Word and his goodness.

Introduction:
Illustration:  The story of Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, early 80s and late 80s.

What would cause someone to pay the price of sin, to be lured into destruction?
Genesis 3:1-6 is a study in temptation, and a study in Satan's methods.

How does Satan tempt us?

Gen. 3:1a--He comes disguised in his person and in his purposes

            Subtle--shrewd, crafty (not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, but he's been around for awhile)

            Is. 14:12, son of the morning, "shining one", akin to "praise" (halal) (Lk. 10:18)

            Venus fly trap

           
Gen. 3:1b--He subtly and slyly shifts our focus from God to things we shouldn't focus on.

            Gulf War diversion

            Rev. 12:9, He deceives the world

            Misrepresents God, "Of every tree?"

            2 Cor. 4:17

 

Gen. 3:2-3--Eve was not grounded (she got it wrong)

            2 Tim. 2:15, Study

            J. Edgar Hoover, "Study the real thing"

            We send out div. and reg. recon to get as much information about the enemy as possible

           
Gen. 3:4--He attacks God's Word, as he did with Eve: "You don't believe that, do you?"

            2 Cor. 11:2-4, Paul was afraid the same would happen to the church in Corinth

            JW Bible


Gen. 3:5--He goes deeper and attacks God's character, attacking his goodness

            Accusing God of withholding something that would have been beneficial to them

            Jn. 10:10, His rules are designed for our benefit (our vision is blurred, 1 Cor. 13)

Once we disobey God's Word and doubt his goodness, Satan has done his work.


Gen. 3:6--When that happens, what once was out of bounds becomes the thing we desire.

            The Lust of the Flesh, "Good for food"

            The Lust of the Eyes, "Pleasant to the eyes"

            The Pride of Life, "Make one wise"

            Mt. 4:1-11

            She usurped her husband's authority, never consulting him.  Eve was deceived, but Adam acted willfully and in deliberate rebellion against God.

 

In the words "she took of its fruit and ate" lie the explanation of all the sickness, sorrow, suffering, fear, guilt, and death that have plagued the human race ever since that time.  The wreckage of the earth and a million billion graves attest that God is true and Satan is the liar

Conclusion:
Satan tempts not with a piece of fruit, but with disobedience of God's Word and distrust of God's goodness.  Bakker and Swaggart are big names that fell hard.  We can fall just as hard, especially when we underestimate our opponent, when we shift our focus to temporal things, when we fail to study God's word, and when we give in to the lust of this world.  So study, focus, and fight hard every day.

 

 

Gen. 3:15

Origin, Purpose, Destiny

Why is Jesus here?

 

1.  To destroy the works of Satan

            Seed of woman

                        Gen. 3:15

                        Gal. 4:4

                        1 Jn. 3:8

                        Mt. 1:18-20 (perfect sacrifice)

            Destroy Satan's works

                        Mt. 4--temptaition

                        Is. 25:8

                        Rev. 21:4

 

2.  To seek and save that which is lost

            Luke 15

            Luke 19:10

            Mt. 9:10-13

 

3.  To come again and receive us

            Jn. 14:3

            1 Cor. 15:51-52

 

 

Gen 10-11

Gen. 10:  Table of Nations--a list of 70 names of Noah's descendants through S, H (Canaan would eventually serve the others), and J

 

Gen. 10:6-12, sons of Ham--Nimrod

 

Nimrod

            Name--from the verb, "let us revolt"

            Mighty Man, Gen. 6 (Nephilim)

            Became a tyrant leading an organized rebellion

            Hunts souls of man (Jewish Talmud)

            Cain had started first cities before the flood, Nimrod after (Babylon, Nineveh)

 

Babylon

            Baa-gate, and el-god

            Babylon becomes the fountainhead for false religion--to gain earthly power and prestige by means of religious authority (Jn. 19:11)

            Rev. 17-18

            Marduk, god of Babylon.  His wife--Semiramis.   Son--virgin-born.  Jer. 44:17, "Queen of Heaven"

                        Egypt--Isis and Osiris

                        Greece--Venus and Adonis

                        Hindu--Ushas and Vishnu

                        Catholic--Mother and Child

 

Tower

            Represents man's attempt to reach (according to the) heaven by his own works (Gen. 9:1); they could've started on a mountain if they really wanted to make it to heaven

            Abr. looked for a city, Heb. 11:8-10

            Signs of the Zodiac on top; astrology originated in Babylon

                        Sphinx:  head of a woman (virgo-first sign), body or lion (leo-last sign)

                        Satan and his hosts are being worshipped in the guise of the planets and stars (Is. 47:12-13)

                        Rom. 1:25, worshipping the created

            "Let us make a name for ourselves"--Glory to Man in the Highest, for Man is the master of things

            Man wants to share the Glory with God--participate in salvation

            Fallen people do not want to be responsible to anyone, they want to rule themselves

            Dan. 4:30

 

Languages

            Pentecost reversed this (Acts 2:1-11)

            They said, "Come...";  God said, "Come..."

            Defies explanation in any naturalistic framework

            Phonetic, Semantic, Syntactic differences

            Has defeated attempts to create a one-world government/religion (my Greek Prof. volunteered to learn a UN language)

 

 

Gen. 18:20-32

Lk. 11:1-13

Persistence and Victory

 

- Children and cookies; Harry Truman (in his memoirs):  "Being president is like riding a tiger--you keep riding or get swallowed" (Book of Virtues, W. Bennett)

- God encourages us to be persistent with Him

 

1.  The Need--Daily

            - Father-because He delights in giving

            - Give us our bread-today's (Mt. 6:34) (Ex. 16:4-5)

            - Give me three loaves

                        - embarrased

                        - none available

                        - Bedouin law of hospitality

                        - travelled late for coolness

 

2.  The Request--shameless persistence

            - Bedouin bargaining

            - four times

                        - don't bother me

                        - door locked (not to be disturbed)

                        - children with me (family slept together)

                        - I can't get up

            - not because he's a friend, but because of "shameless persistence"

            - created in image of God; coin; salvation; 1 Pet.5:7

 

3.  The Answer--quickly

            - unwilling householder got up-God does it earlier (parables of likes and contrast)

            - Lk. 18/Gal. 6:9/Ja. 4:2

 

- Children and cookies

- Us and God

 

 

Preaching portion:  Genesis 32:9-12, 24-28

Subject:  Power with God.

Theme/Proposition:  How can we have power with God?

 

Introduction:

            When I was a Marine, we had a combined arms exercise in the Mojave Desert.  We met up with a unit from Hawaii and worked with them.  But there was a problem.  There was none in our group which rank higher than sergeant, while the group from Hawaii brought a Captain along with them.  That group got all the good stuff while we settled for what trickled down.  But things changed during the second half of the exercise.  We finally got someone with significant rank to represent us there in the field.  Things got better and eventually evened up.  We finally got someone who had power with the field commander.

            In the 32nd chapter of Genesis, Jacob had a big problem on hand.  He had run out of places to go. He was running from his father-in-law, whom he had just rightfully deceived.  And running into Esau, whom he deceived during his youth.  There was no where to turn but up, to God.  He knew it.  And he was about to go through a life-changing experience that would leave him never to be like he was before.  He was about to find out what it means to have power with God.

 

1A  By remembering God's promises  vv. 9-12

            1B  Jacob knew God's promises:  "Thou saidst . . ."  v. 12

                        1C  So did Moses--Ex. 32:13

                        2C  So did Solomon--2 Chr. 6:14-20

            2B  All God's promises come to pass

                        1C  They did during the occupation of the promised land-           -Josh. 21:45

                        2C  They did at the death of Ahaziah--2 Kings 1:16&17

                        3C  They did at the birth of Jesus--Matt. 1:23

2A  By reducing ourselves  vv. 10&11.

            1B  We are to humble ourselves--Ja. 4:10

                        1C  Don't wait for God to do it

                        2C  HE shall lift us up

            2B  It is required by the Lord--Micah 6:8

            3B  There are rewards involved

                        1C  Exaltation--lifting up  Isaiah 40:4

                        2C  Shall be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven  Matt. 18:4

                        3C  God will listen to us  2 Kings 22:19

3A  By removing to God  v. 24

            1B  Jesus suggested a closet  Matt. 6:6

                        1C  He assumed we all pray

                        2C  Prayer in secret to the Father

            2B  Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall  2 Kings 20:1-8

                        1C  No one on earth could help him

                        2C  Therefore, he got alone with God

                        3C  His prayers were answered

            •  I can only get intimate with my wife when we are alone

            3B  Even Jesus got alone with the Father  Luke 9:18

4A  By resolving to stick to it

            1B  Paul fought a fight, and won  2 Tim. 4:7&8

                        1C  He finished the course

                        2C  He kept the faith

                        3C  He expected the crown

            •  Medical student told me Med School is a "Heck of a haul."

            2B  Jesus endured the cross and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God  Heb. 12:2

            3B  Jacob got power with God after refusing to give up  Gen 32:28

 

Conclusion:

            How can we have power with God?  By remembering God's promises.  Also, we need to reduce ourselves.  There needs to be a time each day when we get alone with God.  And finally, we need to resolve to stick to it no matter what the consequences.

            Do you know God's promises?  Have you humbled yourself?  Is there a time during the day you get alone with God?  And are you resolved to stick to it no matter what the consequences?  It's a "heck of a haul," but you can have power with God.