10.25.9 – In the Garden

Genesis 3

Have you ever wondered what life would have been like if Adam and Eve hadn’t disobeyed God? What if, when Satan tempted Eve, she had just said “No”? What if Adam had obeyed God, and stood up for his wife saying, “No, we’re not going to listen to you”?

The Cup
God receives our offering and offers it back to us as the Body and Blood of his Son. 

Last week, we talked about the loaf as the body of Christ- we looked at the loaf and found that it was so much more than just unleavened bread. We learned that the world that we see is fallen and distorted and that we need to see things through the perspective of the Cross to see things how they really are.
This morning, let's look at unexpected connections and the Cup.

I really should be used to this by now. Whenever I do word studies, I'm usually surprised by what God shows me.

I want to preface this sermon with a simple statement: I am an ignorant man.
Why would I say this? Because it is true. How am I ignorant? I am as most of us are – I do not see the world clearly for what it is. I do not see other people clearly for what they are. I do not see myself clearly for what I am. And most importantly, I do not see God for Who He Is.

[We now interrupt our on-going series on the book of "Genesis" to bring you this special, necessary, sermon from October 18, 2009.]

10.18.9 – The Sermon Never Preached

About two and a half years ago I preached a couple times for a church in east Texas. I was looking for a ministry and had talked with one of the leaders of this church and he invited me to preach. I liked them and they liked me, so we went back a couple weeks later. The second time was a more “formal” tryout for the position of minister.

10.4.9– Civilization Begins

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." (ESV)

That's not just a cliché, or the name of a rock band. It's a Biblical truth. Yet, compare it to the beginning of the story of mankind:

Genesis 2:15-25
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

9.27.9 – And God Created Man

Psalm 8:4
What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (ESV)

Genesis chapter 2

The Psalmist asked a question that mankind still wonders about and debates today. What is man? See, some people think man is no different from the animals and of no more value. Some think of man as being the “end all and be all” of everything, with infinite capabilities, even to being some sort of god or supernatural being.

Where is the truth in the matter?

9.20.9 – God Rested

This morning, we’re going to cover days 5-7 of creation, but as we do that, I want to back up and consider something that was said earlier that has great import on what we’re looking at today:

Genesis 1:2
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (ESV)

Chance or Purpose? What’s the Difference?

Some people want life to be random because then nothing they do will ever matter. Good or bad, it’s no big deal. Just so long as it makes them feel good, that’s all that matters.

Other people desire purpose, though, because they find the idea of a universe without purpose incredibly depressing. Have you ever helped someone? Made you feel good, didn’t it? But if there’s no purpose in the universe, what’s the real difference between helping someone and kicking them?

Genesis 1:1-19

We spent this past summer looking at the key beliefs of Christianity, what I called our “Faith Pyramid”. As we were coming to the end of that, I started praying about what to do next. You remember what the pyramid started with? “God is.”

I kept thinking about that and felt led to look deeper into the beginning. So, over the next few Sundays, we’re going to be looking at the book of Genesis. And today, especially, may remind you a little of the first Sunday of our pyramid because …

It all starts with God.

Genesis 1:1

We’re going to be talking on Sunday nights in September and October about the Christian Church and what is distinctive about us, especially as compared to other Christian traditions in the U.S. This summer, though, I’ve wanted to talk about what we Christians—of most theological stripes—have in common.

So, I want to take this Sunday and wrap up what’s built into this “Faith Pyramid” we’ve been talking about.