You know, we've been
through some interesting times,
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haven't we?
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Since, we entered
into the new millennium.
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Remember Y2K?
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I think most of us that's
kind of ancient history now
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but you know all of the
worries we have back then,
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we had no idea what was ahead
of us in this decade, didn't we.
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We had no idea
what was gonna happen.
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And our subject
tonight I've entitled the
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"Present World Order
and Impending Future."
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I know that's a mouthful.
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But let me tell you
we have been through lot
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and we're gonna be through a lot
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and yet we had the
promise that we are never alone.
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I want to remember that
promise that Jesus gave.
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He said "I'm with you
always even to the end."
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He has promised that
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and we need to take
Him at His Word, don't we.
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But let me tell you we have
all kinds of problems tonight.
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We have economic problems.
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Who would have
guessed just two years ago
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that we would be in the
mess we are financially today,
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foreclosures all
over the banking system
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and Detroit is
in the middle of it.
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And even oh, even,
even Honda and Toyota
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are having their problems.
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You have been
watching the news, haven't you?
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And some of us may be
are in financial distress.
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And all of the uncertainty
that that breeze is just,
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you know, it's distressing
when you take a look at it.
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And then we go back historically
and it almost seems like,
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you know, that happens
almost so long ago but 9/11.
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And again the mess that
we have been in ever since
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and the problems but, you know,
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the present
issues that we are faced,
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we are faced with have
almost led us to forget
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what we've gone
through with 9/11.
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I mean, we're still in a war.
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We are in two
wars you know this.
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We're in Iraq still.
We're in Afghanistan.
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Where is this all going?
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What's going to happen?
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And that's, that's
one of the questions
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we want to find as we
open God's Word together.
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We want to know what is ahead,
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what does God
have in mind for us.
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And I think as
become apparent to all of us
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that there are terrifying forces
at working this world of ours
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representing an
evil that is undermined
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our sense of security.
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Where, where do we find
God in this kind of a world
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with all of the
problems and the uncertainties
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that we find ourselves in?
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And what is His
plan, does He have a plan
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and is relevant to me.
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Is it relevant to you?
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And that's where God's Word
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is going to give
us some real insights.
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For this opening
weekend we will discover that
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the scriptures
offer us some real answers
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to the dilemma that
we find ourselves in.
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This evening we will
discover what God's purpose are,
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what they were at
the very beginning.
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We are gonna find
out what happened,
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what went wrong and
we're gonna find out
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what God's gonna do about
the problems that we are facing.
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Our study tonight
is going to layout the
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fundamental
underlying theme of the Bible.
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You might well
call it a template.
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And there're
gonna be parts of what
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I'm gonna be sharing with you.
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For those of who you
have been Bible students that,
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you know, this is going
to seem almost fundamental.
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This is gonna
seem almost elementary.
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But I want you to
put the different parts
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of our study together tonight
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because they are
absolutely relevant
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as we will get into the
heart of our study tonight.
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We're going to begin in the
Book of Genesis, Genesis tonight
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we are going to end up
in the Book of Revelation.
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And I'm not promising you
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I'm gonna take
through every book in between.
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I'm not gonna be
able to do that tonight.
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But we are gonna end up
in the Book of Revelation.
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Remember, Alex Haley,
do you remember that name.
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Alex Halley and his
number one seller Roots.
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I mean this is
going back to the 70s.
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I think for some of you
the 70s is not even a memory,
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something that's
in the history books.
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But Alex, you know, Alex Haley
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traced his
ancestry back to Africa.
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Alex Haley is an
African American,
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he traced his
ancestry back to Africa
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and put together the
story of what happened
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when his family in the
past was taken into slavery
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came to United States and traced
them right on down to his time.
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If you've never read the book,
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if you know
nothing about the story
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it is really a fascinating
story as you take a look at it.
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In his introduction he
makes a fascinating statement.
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He said "In all of us
there is a hunger, marrow-deep,
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to know who we are
and where we came from.
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Without this
knowledge, there is an emptiness
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and the most disquieting
hollowness and yearning."
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And I want to take
that, those sentiments
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and I want to apply it
to where we're at in life.
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That, that
philosophical question,
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where did we come
from and where are we going
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is a significant one
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and we could thank to Lord that
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He has given us a
Revelation in His Word
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that helps us understand
the past where we came from
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and also tells us
where we're headed.
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And my friend, you
know, we have that insight.
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Take your Bibles and
turn with me to Genesis 1,
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it's the Old Testament, page 1.
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Genesis 1:1.
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It seems like a good
place to start our study tonight
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in the Book of Genesis and
again these are gonna be words
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that in their
simplicity are yet so profound.
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Look at it
Genesis 1:1 where it says
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"In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth."
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My friend, God
is the source of all
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is what the Bible
tells us and again
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I know that's fundamental, I
know that's pretty simplistic.
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But my friend, we didn't
come to be by happenstance.
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This earth the life
that we live on this earth,
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this universe did not just
happened to come into existence.
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There was a master
designer behind all of it
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what we call creation
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and that's what
the Bible indicates.
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"God created the
heavens and earth
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in the very beginning."
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And as you go
through chapter one,
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you will discover that the
Bible tells us that God did it.
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Let me tell you
God is so powerful.
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God did it, it says
in the Bible in six days.
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Now I know some of you
may be thinking six days?
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I know what some
people are saying you know
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they're talking
about long periods of time
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here is what they're
trying to read into the text
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but let me tell you when you
look at the Hebrew word for day
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it means evening-morning that is
a exact 24 hour period of time.
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You know, the far of this
point that we have discovered
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with our instruments of
exploration in universe.
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The last report I heard is
13 billion-light years away.
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I don't know that we can really
comprehend these distances.
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You know how fast
light travels don't you.
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Remember this, light travels
at how many miles per second,
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hundred and eighty six
thousand miles per second.
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If you could travel that fast
could we ever reach to point
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where we could develop the
ability to travel that fast.
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I don't think so.
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But anyway hundred and eighty
six thousand miles per second
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and you traveled
for a 13 billion-years
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that's just hard to comprehend
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we will reach this
point that we discovered
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in the outer
reaches of the universe.
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The nearest
star in comparison is
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four and half light years away.
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And if you could travel
at a 100, 000 miles per hour
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do you know it would
take you 29,000 years
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to reach the nearest star to us.
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And then when we talk
again about the universe
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there are several 100
billion galaxies alone.
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The Milky Way galaxy, Art
galaxy is a 100, 000 light years
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from one end to the other.
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We're talking about
something that is immense.
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And you know as you
look at it philosophically,
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philosophically as you look at
the phenomenon of the universe
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there has to be a first
cause powerful enough to account
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for the vastness that first
of all we see in the universe
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and secondly, as
we look at creation
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and particularly as
we experience it here
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upon this earth that God
created intelligent life.
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And my friend, that
first cause is that, it is God.
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It did not
happen by coincidence.
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And there is no answer
scientifically when you go back,
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can you go back
far enough in time
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where there was nothing?
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Can you go back in time,
could you go back in time
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where the universe began?
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Well, what brought
that first, you know what,
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what brought that first
substance into existence?
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My friend, you can't get
something out of nothing.
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Can you? You can't.
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And my friend, I think
it's a compelling argument
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for the fact
there has to be God,
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there has to be something
that has always existed.
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And my friend, the
Bible tells us that was God
00:10:04.76\00:10:06.53
and that was God
that came to this planet
00:10:06.56\00:10:09.80
and again put this
creation in all in six days
00:10:09.83\00:10:12.50
and on the sixth day as
we are looking at verse 26
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He said "Let us make man
00:10:15.69\00:10:17.15
in our image,
after our likeness."
00:10:17.18\00:10:20.09
And I will tell you
that is an interesting text
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as you take a look at
it because it's talking--
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God is talking in
the plurality of it.
00:10:25.13\00:10:28.72
He said "let us make man
00:10:28.75\00:10:31.51
in our image
after our likeness."
00:10:31.54\00:10:37.14
So you know
what's going on here?
00:10:37.17\00:10:40.44
Why is, you know, what us are?
00:10:40.47\00:10:44.50
What's going on here?
00:10:44.53\00:10:45.66
I'm going to share
with you a principle
00:10:45.69\00:10:47.94
in interpreting the
Bible that we will be using
00:10:47.97\00:10:50.68
night after night and
this is the principle.
00:10:50.71\00:10:54.65
We interpret the
Bible by the Bible
00:10:54.68\00:10:58.46
that is we find the
relevant passages of scripture
00:10:58.49\00:11:01.19
that throw light
on a given text, text
00:11:01.22\00:11:03.71
that help us to understand
and properly to interpret it.
00:11:03.74\00:11:07.00
And I'm gonna
give an example of this
00:11:07.03\00:11:08.82
as we are looking
here at Genesis 1:26
00:11:08.85\00:11:11.07
where it talks about us.
00:11:11.10\00:11:12.36
By the way, in the Hebrew
00:11:12.39\00:11:14.22
the word that we
translate God is the word Elohim
00:11:14.25\00:11:17.87
which is a plural term.
00:11:17.90\00:11:20.60
Further more, the
Hebrew word Adonai
00:11:20.63\00:11:23.44
is most often
in the plural term.
00:11:23.47\00:11:26.99
So again in what sense does God,
00:11:27.02\00:11:30.32
God say here, "Let us
make man in our image."
00:11:30.35\00:11:32.72
Well, go back
and look at verse 2.
00:11:32.75\00:11:36.23
Genesis 1:2 where it says,
00:11:36.26\00:11:38.99
"The earth was
formless and void,
00:11:39.02\00:11:41.77
and darkness was over
the surface of the deep,
00:11:41.80\00:11:44.18
and the Spirit of God was moving
00:11:44.21\00:11:46.32
over the surface of the waters."
00:11:46.35\00:11:49.02
So who else was there at
the very beginning of time?
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Who else was there?
00:11:52.66\00:11:54.74
My friend, the Spirit of God.
00:11:54.77\00:11:57.22
Fascinating, but the
second verse of the Bible
00:11:57.25\00:12:00.39
introduces us
to the Holy Spirit.
00:12:00.42\00:12:04.23
And it is in the context
of the creation and my friend,
00:12:04.26\00:12:07.72
it becomes apparent as we
study about the Holy Spirit
00:12:07.75\00:12:10.89
that wherever
God is in the process
00:12:10.92\00:12:13.43
of establishing life
00:12:13.46\00:12:16.06
whether we are talking
about physical life or spiritual
00:12:16.09\00:12:18.96
there we find the mighty power
00:12:18.99\00:12:21.13
and movement of
the Holy Spirit, amen.
00:12:21.16\00:12:24.87
The Spirit of God was
there at the very beginning.
00:12:24.90\00:12:27.73
So that gives us a
partial answer to why it says
00:12:27.76\00:12:30.46
let us make man in our
image after our likeness
00:12:30.49\00:12:33.67
but there was somebody else
00:12:33.70\00:12:34.73
that was there in
the very beginning.
00:12:34.76\00:12:36.50
And we find, we find
the clue to this in John 1:1
00:12:36.53\00:12:42.26
where John begins with
the words in the beginning.
00:12:42.29\00:12:47.06
When John begins with
this phrase in the beginning
00:12:47.09\00:12:50.05
where it was not coincidental
that he was using this phrase
00:12:50.08\00:12:54.01
that we just
read in Genesis 1:1.
00:12:54.04\00:12:56.88
He very particularly
and very specifically
00:12:56.91\00:12:59.32
was seeking to draw our
attention back to that verse
00:12:59.35\00:13:04.58
that opening verse
of the Book of Genesis.
00:13:04.61\00:13:08.18
And so he says
"In the beginning."
00:13:08.21\00:13:09.50
Let's read it.
00:13:09.53\00:13:10.56
"In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God."
00:13:10.59\00:13:14.87
That we have the
idea plurality, don't we,
00:13:14.90\00:13:16.89
whoever the word is,
the Word was with God.
00:13:16.92\00:13:19.21
"And the Word was God.
00:13:19.24\00:13:21.04
He was in the
beginning with God."
00:13:21.07\00:13:23.30
And then he says, "All
things came into being by Him,
00:13:23.33\00:13:25.98
and apart from Him
nothing came into being
00:13:26.01\00:13:28.49
that has come into being."
00:13:28.52\00:13:31.62
So when we talk
about the universe
00:13:31.65\00:13:33.24
its saying of the Word
all things came into being,
00:13:33.27\00:13:39.02
came into existence by the Word.
00:13:39.05\00:13:43.20
And then as we
dropdown to verse 14
00:13:43.23\00:13:46.24
we find the
identity of who the Word is.
00:13:46.27\00:13:48.95
In verse 14 it says
"And the Word became flesh,
00:13:48.98\00:13:51.65
and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory,
00:13:51.68\00:13:54.43
glory as of the only
begotten from the Father,
00:13:54.46\00:13:56.95
full of grace and truth."
00:13:56.98\00:13:59.24
So who were that
be talking about?
00:13:59.27\00:14:02.27
It's talking about Jesus.
00:14:02.30\00:14:05.40
Oh, Jesus was there at
the very beginnings of time.
00:14:05.43\00:14:08.54
Jesus was evolved in
the creation of this planet
00:14:08.57\00:14:10.89
and of the universe.
00:14:10.92\00:14:12.43
Well, that's what verse 3 says.
00:14:12.46\00:14:13.88
All things came
into being by Him
00:14:13.91\00:14:15.90
and without Him
nothing came into being.
00:14:15.93\00:14:18.95
Does that what it says?
00:14:18.98\00:14:20.72
Exactly.
00:14:20.75\00:14:23.02
Many of us have
not paused to consider
00:14:23.05\00:14:25.11
what the Bible teaches
about the preexistence of Jesus.
00:14:25.14\00:14:29.87
And Jesus was there at
the very beginnings of time.
00:14:29.90\00:14:35.75
We will discover in the Bible
00:14:35.78\00:14:37.28
and we see it
clearly indicated here
00:14:37.31\00:14:38.98
He was the
active agency by which
00:14:39.01\00:14:41.95
the universe
came into existence.
00:14:41.98\00:14:45.04
And remember as I share
with you in the orientation,
00:14:45.07\00:14:47.84
really this all about
a relationship with God
00:14:47.87\00:14:50.46
through Jesus Christ.
00:14:50.49\00:14:52.23
That's is-- what this
book is really all about.
00:14:52.26\00:14:55.08
And He is the Creator.
00:14:55.11\00:14:56.39
He is the Creator
and He is our Savior.
00:14:56.42\00:15:00.99
An interesting connection
when you think about it.
00:15:01.02\00:15:03.94
The one who created us
is the one who died for us.
00:15:03.97\00:15:08.31
And through His
death we're redeemed.
00:15:08.34\00:15:13.00
But there's something more as
we're looking here at verse 26.
00:15:13.03\00:15:16.15
We're still there
in verse 26, aren't we?
00:15:16.18\00:15:18.83
We want to
discover in what sense
00:15:18.86\00:15:21.55
were we made in
the likeness of God?
00:15:21.58\00:15:24.53
Now, we can just
scratch our heads
00:15:24.56\00:15:26.08
and we give, you know,
put our imaginations at work
00:15:26.11\00:15:28.43
and tried, you know,
come over some ideas,
00:15:28.46\00:15:30.56
you know, but, you know,
00:15:30.59\00:15:32.53
we want to be
scriptural about it.
00:15:32.56\00:15:34.41
And one of the
things we ought to do
00:15:34.44\00:15:35.73
when we are studying the Bible
00:15:35.76\00:15:36.79
we always ought
to look at the verse
00:15:36.82\00:15:38.47
and we always ought to
look at it in its context.
00:15:38.50\00:15:42.01
And so let's look at the
context as we go further.
00:15:42.04\00:15:44.03
I'm gonna read the
first part of that again
00:15:44.06\00:15:46.18
so we get the flow of it.
00:15:46.21\00:15:47.66
It says "Then God said,
'Let us make man in our image,
00:15:47.69\00:15:50.50
according to our likeness
00:15:50.53\00:15:52.11
and let them rule
over the fish of the sea
00:15:52.14\00:15:54.08
and over the birds of
the sky and over the cattle
00:15:54.11\00:15:56.61
and over all the earth,
00:15:56.64\00:15:57.90
and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth."
00:15:57.93\00:16:02.38
" It said God
said "let them rule."
00:16:02.41\00:16:06.11
The King James Version
says, let them have dominion
00:16:06.14\00:16:10.05
or dominion ship over
the earth, let them rule.
00:16:10.08\00:16:15.76
And my friend, that is one sense
00:16:15.79\00:16:17.76
in which we were
created in the likeness of God.
00:16:17.79\00:16:21.35
It's in this sense in
the much in the same way
00:16:21.38\00:16:25.50
that God
exercises His sovereignty
00:16:25.53\00:16:28.72
and His
dominionship over the universe
00:16:28.75\00:16:32.13
God intended for the human race
00:16:32.16\00:16:35.31
to exercise
dominionship over this planet.
00:16:35.34\00:16:39.49
But there is something else
00:16:39.52\00:16:40.58
as we look at the next
verse that is verse 27.
00:16:40.61\00:16:44.16
It says "God created
man in His own image,
00:16:44.19\00:16:46.47
in the image of
God He created him
00:16:46.50\00:16:48.85
male and female
He created them."
00:16:48.88\00:16:52.80
There is something about
the fact that God created us
00:16:52.83\00:16:55.88
male and female
that related to us
00:16:55.91\00:16:58.76
being created in His likeness
00:16:58.79\00:17:01.38
and it is not that there is male
and femaleness in the God head
00:17:01.41\00:17:05.60
because there is
no indication of that.
00:17:05.63\00:17:08.84
But there is something here
00:17:08.87\00:17:11.05
when He created
as male and female
00:17:11.08\00:17:13.71
made-- created
us with the capacity
00:17:13.74\00:17:17.30
and with the ability to
recreate in our likeness.
00:17:17.33\00:17:22.17
Now remember, when He
created the, the human race
00:17:22.20\00:17:26.15
it says "that we were created
in His likeness, in His image."
00:17:26.18\00:17:30.56
He gave us that ability
00:17:30.59\00:17:32.09
to recreate
after our own likeness
00:17:32.12\00:17:34.55
and it's a
wonderful thing isn't it.
00:17:34.58\00:17:37.07
Let me ask you I
mean, if your parents.
00:17:37.10\00:17:40.03
You have got
children so the word we use
00:17:40.06\00:17:43.15
as procreation for this,
00:17:43.18\00:17:45.81
ability to
recreate after our likeness.
00:17:45.84\00:17:48.10
And so I saw quite
a few hands going up.
00:17:48.13\00:17:50.27
There's been a lot
of procreation going on
00:17:50.30\00:17:53.20
represented by you folk here.
00:17:53.23\00:17:55.58
And then Genesis 1 is
all wrapped up in this.
00:17:55.61\00:17:58.25
It says "God saw all
that He had made, and behold,
00:17:58.28\00:18:01.94
it was very good
and there was evening
00:18:01.97\00:18:04.60
and there was
morning, the sixth day."
00:18:04.63\00:18:07.87
So when God
finished His handiwork
00:18:07.90\00:18:12.65
and He stood back to
look at what He had done.
00:18:12.68\00:18:16.42
What did he say about it?
00:18:16.45\00:18:18.75
It was very good.
00:18:18.78\00:18:19.82
And let me tell
you when God said
00:18:19.85\00:18:20.99
it was very good it was perfect.
00:18:21.02\00:18:24.06
What God created in the
beginning was a paradise
00:18:24.09\00:18:26.56
and this is so vitally important
00:18:26.59\00:18:28.59
because it also
helps us understand
00:18:28.62\00:18:30.91
what God's original purpose was
00:18:30.94\00:18:33.10
for the human race
and for this planet.
00:18:33.13\00:18:36.14
And my friend, let me
tell you just right up front.
00:18:36.17\00:18:38.55
The mess that we find
ourselves in the world that
00:18:38.58\00:18:41.05
we inhabit is not what God
purpose in the very beginning.
00:18:41.08\00:18:46.15
What God purpose for you
and for me was a paradise,
00:18:46.18\00:18:51.71
a perfect place with
a perfect environment
00:18:51.74\00:18:55.80
inhabited by perfect people.
00:18:55.83\00:19:00.32
Obviously,
something went wrong, right.
00:19:00.35\00:19:05.81
And we are gonna
discover what went wrong
00:19:05.84\00:19:07.78
was a departure for
God's original plan.
00:19:07.81\00:19:10.74
You see this is
so vitally important
00:19:10.77\00:19:12.64
because it goes to God's
original intention for us.
00:19:12.67\00:19:15.43
It goes to God's intention
for the kind of life that He
00:19:15.46\00:19:18.64
that, He wanted you to
live in for me to live.
00:19:18.67\00:19:22.87
And prophecy is going to tell
us about what He is gonna do
00:19:22.90\00:19:25.43
about the mess that
we are in but in anyway
00:19:25.46\00:19:28.49
and by the way, when you
talk about it was perfect
00:19:28.52\00:19:32.07
you see it even in
nature today, the beauty of it.
00:19:32.10\00:19:36.16
As you look at
the various life forms
00:19:36.19\00:19:38.10
that God created on the
planet they were perfect.
00:19:38.13\00:19:41.03
They were beautiful
in the very beginning
00:19:41.06\00:19:42.88
now they are tainted by evil.
00:19:42.91\00:19:46.42
But yet we see much of
the original perfection
00:19:46.45\00:19:50.38
that God, that God
created at the very beginning.
00:19:50.41\00:19:55.20
As we turn in Genesis 2:16, 17
00:19:55.23\00:19:58.38
God did
something fascinating here.
00:19:58.41\00:20:01.05
In verse 16 it says "The
Lord God commanded the man."
00:20:01.08\00:20:04.17
I mean that's a
pretty strong word.
00:20:04.20\00:20:05.60
Isn't it "The Lord God
commanded the man saying,
00:20:05.63\00:20:08.68
'From any tree of the
garden you may eat freely,
00:20:08.71\00:20:12.71
but from the
tree of the knowledge
00:20:12.74\00:20:14.13
of good and evil
you shall not eat,
00:20:14.16\00:20:15.84
for in the day that you eat
from it you will surely die.'
00:20:15.87\00:20:21.57
" I think probably
it's pretty apparent
00:20:21.60\00:20:23.86
at this point in
our opening night
00:20:23.89\00:20:26.12
and our opening
subject that the approach
00:20:26.15\00:20:29.09
we are taking to
the Book of Genesis
00:20:29.12\00:20:31.26
is a literal approach.
00:20:31.29\00:20:34.79
I know that there are
those who will represent
00:20:34.82\00:20:36.91
that the first few
chapters of the Book of Genesis
00:20:36.94\00:20:40.01
are the things of myths,
the things of fairytales.
00:20:40.04\00:20:45.54
But I believe that the Book
of Genesis is just as inspired
00:20:45.57\00:20:50.44
and therefore just as accurate
00:20:50.47\00:20:52.15
as any other part of
the book of the Bible.
00:20:52.18\00:20:54.68
After all in 2
Timothy 3:16 Paul said
00:20:54.71\00:20:58.67
"All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God
00:20:58.70\00:21:02.62
and is profitable for doctrine,
teaching" You know it says all.
00:21:02.65\00:21:08.43
Jesus Himself said
as, as He was tempted by,
00:21:08.46\00:21:13.67
by the devil in the wilderness
00:21:13.70\00:21:15.44
He said in response
to won the temptations
00:21:15.47\00:21:17.96
He said "Man shall not
live by bread alone but by."
00:21:17.99\00:21:21.96
How much of the word?
00:21:21.99\00:21:23.72
"Every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God."
00:21:23.75\00:21:27.76
And I, you know,
to be consistent,
00:21:27.79\00:21:31.32
you know, we just can't
go through the Bible say,
00:21:31.35\00:21:33.15
I'm gonna skip
this, this sounds good,
00:21:33.18\00:21:34.77
I like this, I'm
not sure about this.
00:21:34.80\00:21:37.96
And you know when we
start down that track
00:21:37.99\00:21:40.42
where do we end up with.
00:21:40.45\00:21:42.09
What really is reliable?
00:21:42.12\00:21:43.90
What is, you
know, what is truth,
00:21:43.93\00:21:46.92
and then it becomes
very subjective, doesn't it.
00:21:46.95\00:21:51.84
My friend, the
Revelation we have in God's word
00:21:51.87\00:21:54.48
is objectively sound.
00:21:54.51\00:21:56.71
Every, every element of truth
00:21:56.74\00:21:59.60
that is revealed
there is the truth.
00:21:59.63\00:22:01.94
This is exactly what
happened in the very beginning.
00:22:01.97\00:22:05.00
So this tree of the
large of good and evil
00:22:05.03\00:22:06.71
let's get back to it I again
00:22:06.74\00:22:07.94
I know this is the
stuff of myths for some people
00:22:07.97\00:22:10.10
but let me tell you there is
something that was going on here
00:22:10.13\00:22:13.02
that is of more
significance than
00:22:13.05\00:22:15.03
may be a casual reading
of this verse would indicate.
00:22:15.06\00:22:19.67
God said at the
tree He commanded them
00:22:19.70\00:22:21.55
you shall not eat of the tree
for in the day that you eat it
00:22:21.58\00:22:24.57
you will surely die.
00:22:24.60\00:22:27.42
You see, when God
created us in the beginning
00:22:27.45\00:22:29.99
He gave us the power of choice.
00:22:30.02\00:22:34.85
But when you're
living in paradise
00:22:34.88\00:22:37.72
and everything
around you is good
00:22:37.75\00:22:39.68
how can you
make any other choice
00:22:39.71\00:22:41.87
than the choice that
God made in the beginning
00:22:41.90\00:22:44.50
when He created it
the way that He did.
00:22:44.53\00:22:47.82
We're gonna
discover tomorrow night
00:22:47.85\00:22:49.80
that there was
an alternative way
00:22:49.83\00:22:53.37
already broody in the universe
00:22:53.40\00:22:57.68
and we're gonna discover
00:22:57.71\00:22:59.66
that the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil
00:22:59.69\00:23:02.65
is of great significance
00:23:02.68\00:23:04.07
because it represented
a choice for Adam and Eve.
00:23:04.10\00:23:08.36
A choice between God's
way and we know what God's way
00:23:08.39\00:23:12.04
what His intention was
that we would inhabit a paradise
00:23:12.07\00:23:15.30
a perfect world or
the alternative way.
00:23:15.33\00:23:18.45
That's what it represented.
00:23:18.48\00:23:20.41
And trust in God will be
revealed by the fact that
00:23:20.44\00:23:24.96
Adam and Eve will not eat--
00:23:24.99\00:23:26.17
I mean they had
all of the other trees
00:23:26.20\00:23:28.08
that they could eat
up but not this one.
00:23:28.11\00:23:30.60
Not this one.
00:23:30.63\00:23:33.42
And as I said it represented
00:23:33.45\00:23:35.50
a vital choice
that they're faced with.
00:23:35.53\00:23:38.13
You know God, when
you think about this
00:23:38.16\00:23:39.95
God could have created
us in the very beginning.
00:23:39.98\00:23:42.60
Just like we would,
you know, create a robot.
00:23:42.63\00:23:47.09
You know, He could, He
could have embedded in us,
00:23:47.12\00:23:50.30
He could have
programmed us in such a way
00:23:50.33\00:23:52.77
that we would love
Him with all of the order
00:23:52.80\00:23:55.62
and with all of the
intensity of the human heart.
00:23:55.65\00:23:59.18
God could have
created such a way
00:23:59.21\00:24:00.92
that it was impossible for
us to make any other decision
00:24:00.95\00:24:04.80
than the one that
He programmed us with.
00:24:04.83\00:24:07.45
But, you know, God did
not program us that way.
00:24:07.48\00:24:10.66
God gave us a choice.
00:24:10.69\00:24:13.16
He could have but, you
know, sooner or later, you know,
00:24:13.19\00:24:16.70
He could have
programmed us to love Him
00:24:16.73\00:24:19.50
and I think sooner than later
God will say you're only saved.
00:24:19.53\00:24:24.25
You love me because
I made you that way.
00:24:24.28\00:24:28.82
No, love must arise
spontaneously out of the heart.
00:24:28.85\00:24:33.09
It must be a spontaneous thing.
00:24:33.12\00:24:34.59
It must be a choice
00:24:34.62\00:24:37.41
and that's what it
represented a choice between,
00:24:37.44\00:24:41.38
again as I mentioned God's
way or the alternative way.
00:24:41.41\00:24:45.62
Yes, and then we
move to Genesis 3.
00:24:45.65\00:24:47.53
I'm gonna get you
Revelation before we're done.
00:24:47.56\00:24:49.51
But we have got
to look at Genesis 3.
00:24:49.54\00:24:52.05
Oh, the serpent.
00:24:52.08\00:24:53.46
Oh, yes, that's in,
00:24:53.49\00:24:55.60
that's in the first
part of Genesis isn't it?
00:24:55.63\00:24:58.90
And again I know there are
those who are saying fairytales
00:24:58.93\00:25:01.80
this is how you know
we explain to children,
00:25:01.83\00:25:04.32
you know, in simplistic
terms about good and evil
00:25:04.35\00:25:07.54
and how it all happened.
00:25:07.57\00:25:09.41
Again I want to go on
record I believe historically
00:25:09.44\00:25:12.20
this is exactly what happened.
00:25:12.23\00:25:14.31
And as you look at it I think
it's gonna make a lot of sense.
00:25:14.34\00:25:17.46
May be little bit more
sense than we have seen before
00:25:17.49\00:25:19.86
just with a
casual reading of it.
00:25:19.89\00:25:21.87
So as we turn to
Genesis 3:1 it says
00:25:21.90\00:25:24.99
"Now the serpent was more crafty
than any beast of the field
00:25:25.02\00:25:28.88
which the Lord God had made.
00:25:28.91\00:25:31.22
And he said to the
woman, indeed, has God said,
00:25:31.25\00:25:34.12
'You shall not eat from
any tree of the garden?'"
00:25:34.15\00:25:37.76
Talking serpents it
seems pretty fantastic.
00:25:37.79\00:25:42.51
Again I don't know exactly
00:25:42.54\00:25:44.19
how soon after the
creation this happened.
00:25:44.22\00:25:49.56
And I'm not so sure that
Eve understood the implications
00:25:49.59\00:25:54.38
what was happening but this was
something that was captivating
00:25:54.41\00:25:58.29
when she came
across this creature
00:25:58.32\00:26:00.85
and he began to
communicate with her.
00:26:00.88\00:26:04.89
I mean that
grabbed her attention.
00:26:04.92\00:26:08.27
Now you know, you and I know
00:26:08.30\00:26:09.96
that's snakes
aren't' supposed to talk.
00:26:09.99\00:26:12.65
Now remember the snakes
that we have, have been cursed.
00:26:12.68\00:26:15.24
That happened in
chapter 3, by the way.
00:26:15.27\00:26:17.63
The animal was cursed.
00:26:17.66\00:26:19.14
But what we have
really going on here is
00:26:19.17\00:26:21.43
what we call
channeling or a media
00:26:21.46\00:26:23.84
and I will share
with you what's behind,
00:26:23.87\00:26:26.62
what's going on
here in Genesis 3:1.
00:26:26.65\00:26:30.59
But, you know, just imagine
00:26:30.62\00:26:31.82
what it must have
been for Adam and Eve
00:26:31.85\00:26:34.30
when they were
created the sixth day
00:26:34.33\00:26:35.36
everything was put in order.
00:26:35.39\00:26:36.87
All of the life forms have
been created ahead of them,
00:26:36.90\00:26:40.19
this was a beautiful
place that they were gonna have.
00:26:40.22\00:26:42.37
Just think of the
days of exploration
00:26:42.40\00:26:45.58
that Adam and Eve were enjoying.
00:26:45.61\00:26:49.29
I mean, can you
imagine the first time
00:26:49.32\00:26:51.31
that Eve picked up a, a cat
00:26:51.34\00:26:54.15
and when she stroked
its fur it began to purr.
00:26:54.18\00:26:57.98
Can you imagine
those kinds of experiences
00:26:58.01\00:27:01.11
the first time
experiences that they had?
00:27:01.14\00:27:05.29
And I mean, and
then we come in Genesis 3
00:27:05.32\00:27:07.56
and on this occasion
here it comes to this tree
00:27:07.59\00:27:10.21
he sees this
creature that God's created
00:27:10.24\00:27:12.45
and he begins to talk to her.
00:27:12.48\00:27:14.88
I don't know that she
understood that, you know,
00:27:14.91\00:27:18.33
and was it supposed to
be able to talk to her.
00:27:18.36\00:27:21.98
And there's some
implication may be
00:27:22.01\00:27:23.54
because of that
fruit of the tree
00:27:23.57\00:27:26.58
that's why that's serpent
had that capability of speaking.
00:27:26.61\00:27:31.57
But let me tell you,
let me share with you
00:27:31.60\00:27:33.19
as we look it at another text.
00:27:33.22\00:27:34.50
Let me share with you
who was actually behind
00:27:34.53\00:27:37.27
what was happening in the tree
00:27:37.30\00:27:38.45
of the knowledge
of good and evil.
00:27:38.48\00:27:40.16
Revelation,
Revelation Chapter 12
00:27:40.19\00:27:42.23
and we are
looking at verse, verse 9.
00:27:42.26\00:27:45.48
Where it says
"And the great dragon,"
00:27:45.51\00:27:47.65
the great dragon
"was thrown down,
00:27:47.68\00:27:49.49
the serpent of old who is
called the devil and Satan,
00:27:49.52\00:27:54.06
who deceives the whole world."
00:27:54.09\00:27:57.02
So who was behind the serpent?
00:27:57.05\00:28:01.09
My friend, Satan
was behind the serpent.
00:28:01.12\00:28:04.96
And you have-- if
you have the question
00:28:04.99\00:28:06.40
where does Satan come
from you come tomorrow night
00:28:06.43\00:28:09.62
as we look at
"Battle Beyond the Stars"
00:28:09.65\00:28:12.24
and will find exactly
what the Bible teaches about
00:28:12.27\00:28:14.92
where the devil came from.
00:28:14.95\00:28:16.81
It's gonna be a real
surprise to find out really
00:28:16.84\00:28:20.28
what the Bible teaches
about this whole matter.
00:28:20.31\00:28:23.14
And so it was the
devil, it was Satan
00:28:23.17\00:28:27.25
who was working
through the medium of a serpent
00:28:27.28\00:28:31.17
to bring temptation to Eve.
00:28:31.20\00:28:36.08
So he is asking the question.
00:28:36.11\00:28:38.70
Indeed as God
said you shall not eat
00:28:38.73\00:28:40.50
from any tree of the garden.
00:28:40.53\00:28:41.62
Notice verse 2.
00:28:41.65\00:28:44.86
Verse 2 it says "The
woman said to the serpent,
00:28:44.89\00:28:46.83
'From the fruit of the
trees of the garden we may eat
00:28:46.86\00:28:50.17
but from the fruit of the tree
00:28:50.20\00:28:51.42
which is in the
middle of the garden,'
00:28:51.45\00:28:53.85
"in the middle of the
garden " God has said,
00:28:53.88\00:28:55.61
'You shall not eat from it
or touch it, lest you will die.'
00:28:55.64\00:29:00.45
" Lest you die.
00:29:00.48\00:29:02.71
So when we talk
about Eve being deceived
00:29:02.74\00:29:06.04
there is a sense of
which she was deceived
00:29:06.07\00:29:07.68
but she was not
deceived in the sense
00:29:07.71\00:29:09.93
that she did not
clearly understand
00:29:09.96\00:29:12.33
what God has
said about the tree.
00:29:12.36\00:29:14.77
Her response makes that clear.
00:29:14.80\00:29:16.32
She understood that God said
if you eat of it or you touch it
00:29:16.35\00:29:19.40
you will surely die.
00:29:19.43\00:29:20.66
That's what Jesus said.
00:29:20.69\00:29:23.74
But I want you to notice
00:29:23.77\00:29:25.38
what the
serpent says in response
00:29:25.41\00:29:27.20
as we come to verse 4.
00:29:27.23\00:29:30.21
Verse 4 says "The
serpent said to the woman,
00:29:30.24\00:29:34.04
'You surely shall not die!'
00:29:34.07\00:29:38.20
" I don't know that you
and I can really appreciate
00:29:38.23\00:29:40.84
what that did to Eve.
00:29:40.87\00:29:45.28
You see, up to this point
00:29:45.31\00:29:46.55
everything that
Eve had ever heard,
00:29:46.58\00:29:48.64
everything that
Eve had ever seen
00:29:48.67\00:29:50.74
and had experienced in her life
00:29:50.77\00:29:53.88
had been in harmony
00:29:53.91\00:29:55.44
with the God
that had created her.
00:29:55.47\00:29:57.59
And now for the very
first time in her existence
00:29:57.62\00:30:00.15
she is face
with a contradiction.
00:30:00.18\00:30:04.39
Now you and I live in a
world of contradictions.
00:30:04.42\00:30:07.47
I mean, this is
way its just way it is.
00:30:07.50\00:30:10.31
That's not the way that
it was at the very beginning.
00:30:10.34\00:30:14.44
And so for the very
first time she heard
00:30:14.47\00:30:16.59
God directly being contradicted.
00:30:16.62\00:30:18.94
And let me tell you it put
her immediately into a crisis.
00:30:18.97\00:30:23.41
It did and by the
way, again remember,
00:30:23.44\00:30:27.70
the contradictions
we are living with
00:30:27.73\00:30:29.37
is because of what comes out of,
00:30:29.40\00:30:31.95
what happened here in Genesis 3.
00:30:31.98\00:30:36.67
That's the contradictions,
that's where it pulls out off.
00:30:36.70\00:30:39.97
And again I want to point out
00:30:40.00\00:30:41.21
it was never
God's intention for us
00:30:41.24\00:30:42.75
to live in such a world
with the contradictions.
00:30:42.78\00:30:45.45
And my friend,
it's the contradictions
00:30:45.48\00:30:48.91
that we're away
at the life force
00:30:48.94\00:30:52.75
that God created within us.
00:30:52.78\00:30:55.04
It's a powerful evil thing
00:30:58.13\00:31:01.49
the contradictions
that we are talking about.
00:31:01.52\00:31:05.88
It puts, it puts
everything out of harmony
00:31:05.91\00:31:08.39
again with what God
intended in the very beginning.
00:31:08.42\00:31:10.75
You surely will not die,
is what the serpent said.
00:31:10.78\00:31:12.99
And then and then he goes
on to say he goes on to say.
00:31:13.02\00:31:16.49
"For God knows that in
the day that you eat from it
00:31:16.52\00:31:19.44
your eyes will be opened."
00:31:19.47\00:31:21.16
Notice the representation
he is making here.
00:31:21.19\00:31:23.15
"And you will be like
God, knowing good and evil."
00:31:23.18\00:31:29.36
Now did you know
something about good?
00:31:29.39\00:31:31.90
She knew lot
about what was good.
00:31:31.93\00:31:34.29
It was all around her,
it was the environment,
00:31:34.32\00:31:36.44
it was a place that
God created for her,
00:31:36.47\00:31:38.29
it was a life that God
intended for she and Adam
00:31:38.32\00:31:41.45
and their descendants.
00:31:41.48\00:31:44.00
That was His intention.
00:31:44.03\00:31:45.52
That she knew much about good
00:31:45.55\00:31:47.83
but here is a
representation by the evil one.
00:31:47.86\00:31:50.13
You will come to know evil.
00:31:50.16\00:31:51.80
You will become like God
knowing both good and evil
00:31:51.83\00:31:55.48
as if God was holding something
back of significance from them.
00:31:55.51\00:32:00.82
And verse 6 says
"When the woman saw
00:32:00.85\00:32:02.71
that the tree was good for food,
00:32:02.74\00:32:04.99
and that it was a
delight to the eyes,
00:32:05.02\00:32:06.72
and that the tree was
desirable to make one wise,
00:32:06.75\00:32:09.39
she took from its fruit and ate
00:32:09.42\00:32:11.45
and she gave also to her
husband with her, and he ate."
00:32:11.48\00:32:15.80
Now you're
following this progression
00:32:15.83\00:32:18.45
up to, up to verse 5
we have a conversation
00:32:18.48\00:32:23.58
that's taking place
between the serpent and Eve.
00:32:23.61\00:32:27.22
The indication is that Adam was
not in the immediate vicinity.
00:32:27.25\00:32:31.16
At least he was
not participating
00:32:31.19\00:32:32.94
in the conversation
that was taking place,
00:32:32.97\00:32:34.67
right that's clear.
00:32:34.70\00:32:36.87
Okay, so it was
Eve that was confronted
00:32:36.90\00:32:39.49
with the talking serpent
00:32:39.52\00:32:40.86
and with his
deceptive temptations
00:32:40.89\00:32:44.43
but who was Adam faced with
when it came to the temptation.
00:32:44.46\00:32:50.46
The temptation
did not come to him
00:32:50.49\00:32:52.43
directly by
means of the serpent.
00:32:52.46\00:32:56.27
The temptation came by
means of Eve, you've got it Eve.
00:32:56.30\00:33:02.00
How deadly of a
temptation was that.
00:33:02.03\00:33:06.07
I mean he loved her.
00:33:06.10\00:33:08.68
God created the
two for each other.
00:33:08.71\00:33:11.61
That was His
part of the original
00:33:11.64\00:33:13.99
you know purpose in
creating Adam and Eve.
00:33:14.02\00:33:18.07
And Adam just could not
imagine living without Eve.
00:33:18.10\00:33:21.34
He loved her deeply.
00:33:21.37\00:33:23.60
And here she comes,
this beautiful creature
00:33:23.63\00:33:27.82
and she picks some of
the fruit out of the tree
00:33:27.85\00:33:30.55
she has been eating of it
00:33:30.58\00:33:32.04
and she says "Adam,
you got to try this."
00:33:32.07\00:33:36.34
She was exhilarated
initially, exhilarated.
00:33:36.37\00:33:40.36
You know sin
could do that to you.
00:33:40.39\00:33:42.34
He could be the
initial exhilaration
00:33:42.37\00:33:44.48
of sin in transgression.
00:33:44.51\00:33:46.54
But let me tell you it
always has a bitter aftertaste.
00:33:46.57\00:33:50.67
And that many of us know
that by experience, don't we.
00:33:50.70\00:33:53.46
So here's she
comes bringing that fruit
00:33:53.49\00:33:56.22
it was almost, almost
irresistible for Adam.
00:33:56.25\00:34:02.21
And so he took and
ate the fruit as well
00:34:02.24\00:34:06.01
and now they
were in this together.
00:34:06.04\00:34:08.72
And now the fate
of the human race
00:34:08.75\00:34:12.16
was pretty much set
for what was gonna follow
00:34:12.19\00:34:15.82
and what's been
playing down historically
00:34:15.85\00:34:17.66
down to our own time.
00:34:17.69\00:34:20.21
Before we leave Genesis here
I want you notice immediately
00:34:20.24\00:34:25.82
how when they
gave into the tempter
00:34:25.85\00:34:28.03
and they ate
the forbidden fruit.
00:34:28.06\00:34:30.69
And listen, I know, I know
on one hand some people will say
00:34:30.72\00:34:33.84
you know it's
just a piece of fruit.
00:34:33.87\00:34:35.31
I mean, how could
all of the tragedy
00:34:35.34\00:34:37.51
and all of the horrible
things that have followed down
00:34:37.54\00:34:40.48
through the
centuries a millennia time
00:34:40.51\00:34:42.14
down to old day.
00:34:42.17\00:34:43.34
How could that, you
know, it's a piece of fruit.
00:34:43.37\00:34:47.30
My friend, it's what the
fruit represented that's key.
00:34:47.33\00:34:52.03
It wasn't so
much the fruit itself
00:34:52.06\00:34:54.47
it's what the fruit represented.
00:34:54.50\00:34:56.46
And again it
represented a choice.
00:34:56.49\00:35:00.59
It represented on one
hand the choice for God's way
00:35:00.62\00:35:03.57
as I mentioned
earlier on the other hand
00:35:03.60\00:35:05.57
it represented choice
for the alternative way.
00:35:05.60\00:35:09.32
And again I want you to notice
00:35:09.35\00:35:10.71
as we come down
to verses 8 and 9
00:35:10.74\00:35:12.84
I want you to notice
the first thing we notice
00:35:12.87\00:35:16.44
that their view of God went
under a fundamental alteration.
00:35:16.47\00:35:23.99
Immediately, it was changed.
00:35:24.02\00:35:26.43
Because we read in verse 8
in verse 8 it says "they heard."
00:35:26.46\00:35:32.29
That's Adam and Eve.
00:35:32.32\00:35:33.35
"They heard the
sound of the Lord God
00:35:33.38\00:35:35.09
walking in the garden
in the cool of the day,
00:35:35.12\00:35:38.09
and the man and
his wife hid themselves
00:35:38.12\00:35:40.06
from the
presence of the Lord God
00:35:40.09\00:35:41.50
among the trees of the garden."
00:35:41.53\00:35:43.73
So they hear, they sensed
00:35:43.76\00:35:46.41
the presence of
God in the garden.
00:35:46.44\00:35:49.12
What does that indicate?
00:35:49.15\00:35:52.77
I think it indicates that God
was in the practice of coming
00:35:52.80\00:35:58.04
and communing with Adam and Eve.
00:35:58.07\00:36:02.30
I don't think
this was the first time
00:36:02.33\00:36:04.06
that God had
been in that garden.
00:36:04.09\00:36:06.10
Do you?
00:36:06.13\00:36:07.21
I don't think so at all.
00:36:07.24\00:36:09.35
But something
fundamentally has changed here.
00:36:09.38\00:36:11.39
Because when they sensed
00:36:11.42\00:36:13.59
the presence of
God in the garden
00:36:13.62\00:36:14.87
what are they doing?
00:36:14.90\00:36:15.93
They're not
running after to greet Him.
00:36:15.96\00:36:18.07
What are they doing?
00:36:18.10\00:36:19.83
They're running, they're hiding.
00:36:19.86\00:36:22.68
What's the
dynamic that's going on?
00:36:22.71\00:36:25.27
Well, they
remembered, now see this is
00:36:25.30\00:36:27.93
the initial exhilaration
of sin and transgression
00:36:27.96\00:36:31.45
now has changed to fear.
00:36:31.48\00:36:35.14
And for the very
first time in the existence
00:36:35.17\00:36:37.91
they're sensing real fear.
00:36:37.94\00:36:41.69
And what is so very
disturbing about it,
00:36:41.72\00:36:43.30
they're sensing fear of
the one that Lord created them
00:36:43.33\00:36:47.93
and gave them this
perfect place to live in.
00:36:47.96\00:36:51.26
Isn't that disturbing
when you think about it.
00:36:51.29\00:36:53.24
They're fearful of Him.
00:36:53.27\00:36:55.71
And they're fearful because now
00:36:55.74\00:36:57.24
they begin to realize,
you know, we ate that fruit.
00:36:57.27\00:36:59.31
And He said, if
you eat it you'll die.
00:36:59.34\00:37:01.29
They have never seen, they
have never experienced death
00:37:01.32\00:37:04.69
but they
certainly knew that it must,
00:37:04.72\00:37:06.50
they must at least know
00:37:06.53\00:37:07.60
that it meant
the end of existence.
00:37:07.63\00:37:11.70
And so now they now see God
00:37:11.73\00:37:15.30
as the great hunter
and they're the prey.
00:37:15.33\00:37:20.86
And God is there to do
what He said would happen
00:37:20.89\00:37:24.02
if they ate of the tree.
00:37:24.05\00:37:25.73
That's why
they're running into the
00:37:25.76\00:37:27.91
inner recesses of that garden.
00:37:27.94\00:37:30.01
They're hiding, their
heart are pumping, they're,
00:37:30.04\00:37:32.78
you know, with a bait
of breath they're hiding
00:37:32.81\00:37:34.95
as they sense
the presence of God.
00:37:34.98\00:37:36.51
The adrenaline is
flowing through their system
00:37:36.54\00:37:39.33
because they are
so fearful of God.
00:37:39.36\00:37:42.53
And my friend, a lot of
that has been transmitted down
00:37:42.56\00:37:47.34
through the
ages to our own time,
00:37:47.37\00:37:49.65
a
miscomprehension of who God is.
00:37:49.68\00:37:54.21
You know, you know,
yes He is God of love
00:37:54.24\00:37:57.32
but, you know, He's got this
big ugly stick behind His back
00:37:57.35\00:38:01.18
and if you blow it you discover
there is this other side of God.
00:38:01.21\00:38:08.38
And I want to tell you
fear is something very real
00:38:08.41\00:38:10.29
for lot of people in
relationship with God
00:38:10.32\00:38:12.71
because of sin
that's what sin has done.
00:38:12.74\00:38:15.75
It disrupted the relationship
and so we often miscomprehend
00:38:15.78\00:38:21.22
or miscomprehend
who God really is.
00:38:21.25\00:38:25.19
And that's one of the reasons
this book has been given to us
00:38:25.22\00:38:28.38
to share with us the real
truth of what's being going on
00:38:28.41\00:38:31.94
and the real truth
about who God really is.
00:38:31.97\00:38:35.86
This study will become as
we move on into nice ahead
00:38:35.89\00:38:40.67
will become clear how vital
this subject really is tonight
00:38:40.70\00:38:44.15
that we began with this subject.
00:38:44.18\00:38:46.22
So there they're,
they're hiding in fear,
00:38:46.25\00:38:49.31
they're running in fear and then
and then here He comes verse 9.
00:38:49.34\00:38:54.65
Verse 9 "Then the
Lord God called to the man,
00:38:54.68\00:38:57.17
and said to
him, 'Where are you?'
00:38:57.20\00:39:00.06
" Now do you have that picture,
they ran, they ran new garden,
00:39:00.09\00:39:03.71
they're hiding
and here comes God
00:39:03.74\00:39:07.40
and He is calling out.
00:39:07.43\00:39:09.00
Adam, Eve, where are you?
00:39:09.03\00:39:13.01
Then He know where they were.
00:39:13.04\00:39:16.00
Can one really hide
from God, you tell me?
00:39:16.03\00:39:18.23
Can one really hide from God?
00:39:18.26\00:39:20.31
Jonah tried to, didn't he?
00:39:20.34\00:39:22.08
Ended up in the
belly of the whale
00:39:22.11\00:39:23.68
and you know the
rest of the story.
00:39:23.71\00:39:25.81
Nobody can really
run and hide from God.
00:39:25.84\00:39:30.70
God comprehends it all.
00:39:30.73\00:39:32.13
He knew, He knew
exactly what had happened.
00:39:32.16\00:39:35.26
He knew exactly
what was going on
00:39:35.29\00:39:37.43
in their hearts and minds.
00:39:37.46\00:39:38.67
That's why He showed up
at the point that He'd hid.
00:39:38.70\00:39:44.43
That is they had eaten
up the fruit of the tree
00:39:44.46\00:39:47.31
then God stepped
into the picture.
00:39:47.34\00:39:49.91
And that tells us something
00:39:49.94\00:39:50.97
pretty important
about God, isn't it.
00:39:51.00\00:39:53.17
And some of us has discovered
that in our own experience
00:39:53.20\00:39:55.74
when we gone through tragic
and difficult and hard times.
00:39:55.77\00:40:00.94
We sense that God steps in
00:40:00.97\00:40:04.66
and we find that
you know there's,
00:40:04.69\00:40:06.49
there's someone there for us.
00:40:06.52\00:40:08.63
And there they were
just experiencing this.
00:40:08.66\00:40:11.58
So here is God, He
calling that where are you.
00:40:11.61\00:40:14.35
Do you know this is
the first gospel call
00:40:14.38\00:40:17.43
right here.
00:40:17.46\00:40:19.40
For this, this
call has been acquaint,
00:40:19.43\00:40:22.65
this call of God is
been acquainting down
00:40:22.68\00:40:25.10
through the
centuries and millennia time
00:40:25.13\00:40:26.77
down to our own day.
00:40:26.80\00:40:28.45
God is still looking
for His lost children.
00:40:28.48\00:40:32.00
You know, Dick, where are you?
00:40:32.03\00:40:33.93
Jane, where are you?
00:40:33.96\00:40:37.44
Where are we? Where are you?
00:40:37.47\00:40:40.33
Where am I?
00:40:40.36\00:40:42.38
That's the search of God
00:40:42.41\00:40:45.09
for His as I said
His lost children.
00:40:45.12\00:40:48.31
And then I'm gonna
end up in verses 23 and 24
00:40:48.34\00:40:51.60
we'll wrap it up
here in Genesis 3.
00:40:51.63\00:40:54.12
I still got to
get you to Revelation,
00:40:54.15\00:40:55.45
just a little bit in Revelation
to get the full picture here.
00:40:55.48\00:40:59.31
So as we come to Genesis 3
00:40:59.34\00:41:01.69
and we're looking at verse 23.
00:41:01.72\00:41:04.14
Notice what we
find here verse 23
00:41:04.17\00:41:06.32
"Therefore the
Lord God sent him"
00:41:06.35\00:41:09.06
that's Adam and his wife Eve
"out from the garden of Eden,
00:41:09.09\00:41:13.16
to cultivate the ground
from which he was taken.
00:41:13.19\00:41:15.75
So He drove"
notice the terminology
00:41:15.78\00:41:18.23
"He drove the man out
00:41:18.26\00:41:19.98
and at the east
of the garden of Eden
00:41:20.01\00:41:21.90
He stationed the
cherubim and the flaming sword
00:41:21.93\00:41:24.63
which turned every direction
00:41:24.66\00:41:25.82
to guard the way
to the tree of life."
00:41:25.85\00:41:29.48
Notice they were
driven out of the Eden home.
00:41:29.51\00:41:33.85
I mean, that's
pretty horrible isn't it.
00:41:33.88\00:41:37.07
I mean, think of the millions
00:41:37.10\00:41:40.63
today right now that are
going through foreclosure.
00:41:40.66\00:41:43.14
May be there is somebody
here going through foreclosure.
00:41:43.17\00:41:45.45
You're been
forced out of your home.
00:41:45.48\00:41:49.08
That's traumatic,
that is stressful,
00:41:49.11\00:41:53.33
that is depressing.
00:41:53.36\00:41:56.10
The Savior is, isn't it?
00:41:56.13\00:41:58.78
So, you know, we can
have some understanding
00:41:58.81\00:42:02.54
you know for our own experience
or the experience of others.
00:42:02.57\00:42:05.92
You know what it was
00:42:05.95\00:42:07.50
what was happening Adam and Eve
00:42:07.53\00:42:08.90
when they were driven
out of the Garden of Eden.
00:42:08.93\00:42:13.19
Was God being mean?
00:42:13.22\00:42:15.43
Was God being arbitrary?
00:42:15.46\00:42:19.12
Is God really love
or what's going on.
00:42:19.15\00:42:23.86
My friend, the
point is in paradise
00:42:23.89\00:42:29.33
in the Garden
of Eden in paradise
00:42:29.36\00:42:31.72
there is no place for
sin, transgression, rebellion
00:42:31.75\00:42:37.95
and the suffering
that comes out of it.
00:42:37.98\00:42:41.37
And if you think of
it we actually would say
00:42:41.40\00:42:44.21
"Praise the Lord."
00:42:44.24\00:42:46.32
Then in paradise
there is no place for sin
00:42:46.35\00:42:49.18
and in the end
we're going to discover
00:42:49.21\00:42:51.19
it's not gonna be a
place for sin in this planet
00:42:51.22\00:42:53.64
either that's
where prophecy comes in
00:42:53.67\00:42:56.41
because He is
gonna deal with it.
00:42:56.44\00:42:58.54
So it also has
an other implication
00:42:58.57\00:43:01.19
you see this
planet that we inhabit,
00:43:01.22\00:43:03.19
this place that we live
in Corvallis as wonderful
00:43:03.22\00:43:06.24
as it is the State of Oregon
00:43:06.27\00:43:08.11
and I know you
have got the beaches
00:43:08.14\00:43:09.96
just I don't know 50,
60 miles down the road,
00:43:09.99\00:43:12.42
you know I'm 34
00:43:12.45\00:43:14.05
as beautiful as the
state is and so advantageous
00:43:14.08\00:43:19.28
is nothing compared to what
God originally intended for us
00:43:19.31\00:43:24.77
in the very beginning.
00:43:24.80\00:43:28.09
It means that
this is not the place
00:43:28.12\00:43:31.02
that God intended
for us into inhabit.
00:43:31.05\00:43:33.74
What God intended for us inhabit
was a perfect, perfect world.
00:43:33.77\00:43:38.69
And so they were driven
out of he garden of Eden.
00:43:38.72\00:43:42.22
And now God have a choice.
00:43:42.25\00:43:44.16
Yeah, God have a choice
00:43:44.19\00:43:46.37
because He said if you ate
of the tree you will surely die.
00:43:46.40\00:43:49.33
They've eaten of the tree.
00:43:49.36\00:43:51.02
And one thing you
could be sure of God,
00:43:51.05\00:43:52.94
God is always faithful.
00:43:52.97\00:43:54.61
God is always true.
00:43:54.64\00:43:55.93
When God says something
00:43:55.96\00:43:57.10
He is always
faithful to His word, right.
00:43:57.13\00:44:01.78
But there's
another aspect of God
00:44:01.81\00:44:03.48
that we need to appreciate too.
00:44:03.51\00:44:05.14
God is a God of
love and compassion
00:44:05.17\00:44:09.34
and this is the dilemma
that God was placed into
00:44:09.37\00:44:13.52
when the human race
take into the tempter
00:44:13.55\00:44:16.70
what was He going to do.
00:44:16.73\00:44:18.37
Now, listen God could
have just walked away.
00:44:18.40\00:44:21.08
God could have
said "you made your bed
00:44:21.11\00:44:23.44
you're gonna
have to sleep in it."
00:44:23.47\00:44:24.66
He could have said that, right.
00:44:24.69\00:44:26.05
He could have
washed His hands of it
00:44:26.08\00:44:28.06
and He could
have just walked away
00:44:28.09\00:44:30.12
and just unless
you're gonna start over
00:44:30.15\00:44:33.53
but you know God
didn't do that, right.
00:44:33.56\00:44:37.32
God didn't walk away.
00:44:37.35\00:44:39.93
And the question is
why did He not walk away?
00:44:39.96\00:44:44.13
And, my friend, the
answer is because He loves us.
00:44:44.16\00:44:50.28
Love could not let us go.
00:44:50.31\00:44:55.91
I want you to think about that,
00:44:55.94\00:44:57.49
love could not let us go.
00:44:57.52\00:45:00.40
And it was
gonna be become impair
00:45:00.43\00:45:01.83
as we move in a
little bit further into,
00:45:01.86\00:45:04.58
into our study tonight.
00:45:04.61\00:45:07.34
What it cost God to
deal with the problem
00:45:07.37\00:45:10.65
that came from
that faithful choice?
00:45:10.68\00:45:14.57
And let me tell
you it cost God a lot.
00:45:14.60\00:45:17.57
God, no, He
didn't walk away from us.
00:45:17.60\00:45:19.79
God has put to work
every resource of heaven
00:45:19.82\00:45:23.79
for our salvation.
00:45:23.82\00:45:25.98
He has so
troubled himself over us
00:45:26.01\00:45:28.94
simply because He
could not let us go.
00:45:28.97\00:45:32.77
And, my friend, it's
just not Adam and Eve,
00:45:32.80\00:45:35.54
God still loves His children.
00:45:35.57\00:45:39.01
God still loves you.
00:45:39.04\00:45:41.83
You may have lived a, a
really terrible life of sin.
00:45:41.86\00:45:44.85
May be you have done some really
horrible things in your life,
00:45:44.88\00:45:47.88
God has a reason why,
00:45:47.91\00:45:50.70
you know, all of this
has played out for so long
00:45:50.73\00:45:54.00
and we'll see this
as we study further.
00:45:54.03\00:45:55.79
God just simply can't let us go.
00:45:55.82\00:46:00.12
Now there is an
end that's gonna come,
00:46:00.15\00:46:02.53
so had this dilemma.
00:46:02.56\00:46:04.92
On one hand He said "if you eat
at the tree you're gonna die."
00:46:04.95\00:46:08.20
God must always
be true to His word
00:46:08.23\00:46:09.83
God is always righteous
00:46:09.86\00:46:11.71
but again as I
mentioned He is God of love.
00:46:11.74\00:46:13.79
So this was the dilemma,
how could He be true to His Word
00:46:13.82\00:46:17.36
and yet in love somehow save us
00:46:17.39\00:46:21.58
out of the mess
that has followed.
00:46:21.61\00:46:24.30
And He came up
with a masterful plan,
00:46:24.33\00:46:26.90
a masterful plan as we find it.
00:46:26.93\00:46:29.16
Yeah, Satan had taken control
00:46:29.19\00:46:30.76
but God was gonna
let us stay there.
00:46:30.79\00:46:33.35
God was gonna act to
wrench it out of his hands.
00:46:33.38\00:46:36.92
And so His solution was as
we find it in here on the screen
00:46:36.95\00:46:40.29
John 3:16 you
know this texts it says
00:46:40.32\00:46:43.62
"For God so loved the world."
00:46:43.65\00:46:46.68
And we're not talking of
the trees, the mountains,
00:46:46.71\00:46:49.43
the animals, you
know God loves creation
00:46:49.46\00:46:52.08
but He is
talking about you and me.
00:46:52.11\00:46:53.78
"For God so loved the world
00:46:53.81\00:46:54.84
that He gave His
only begotten Son
00:46:54.87\00:46:56.95
that whoever believes
in Him should not perish
00:46:56.98\00:46:59.77
but have everlasting life."
00:46:59.80\00:47:05.01
That's pretty powerful.
00:47:05.04\00:47:07.44
Everlasting life,
could you handle that?
00:47:07.47\00:47:11.98
I think I could handle that.
00:47:12.01\00:47:13.77
Especially, with
what we will discover
00:47:13.80\00:47:16.42
God has in mind for the future,
00:47:16.45\00:47:18.80
this beautiful
future that God has in mind.
00:47:18.83\00:47:21.91
Now, God sent His
only begotten Son,
00:47:21.94\00:47:24.71
Jesus was the
answer to the dilemma.
00:47:24.74\00:47:28.06
And this is how it worked.
00:47:28.09\00:47:30.25
It means that Jesus had
to come down to this earth.
00:47:30.28\00:47:32.69
He had to take all
humanity upon Himself
00:47:32.72\00:47:34.83
because He became
the representative
00:47:34.86\00:47:36.64
of the human race.
00:47:36.67\00:47:38.47
As He hung upon the
Cross of Cavalry the sins,
00:47:38.50\00:47:41.41
you know the story, don't you.
00:47:41.44\00:47:43.76
Just, you know, we
just glibly talk about
00:47:43.79\00:47:46.17
what Jesus did at
the Cross of Cavalry
00:47:46.20\00:47:47.78
but really think about this.
00:47:47.81\00:47:49.97
God laid upon Jesus
in the person of Jesus
00:47:50.00\00:47:53.94
the weight of the
sin of every one of us
00:47:53.97\00:47:57.69
that is ever
inhabited this planet.
00:47:57.72\00:48:01.29
He stepped in, He
experienced the consequence,
00:48:01.32\00:48:07.60
a consequences that sin brought.
00:48:07.63\00:48:10.61
That is He
experienced the wrath of God
00:48:10.64\00:48:13.08
against sin in His person.
00:48:13.11\00:48:14.64
He experienced on our
behalf the abandonment
00:48:14.67\00:48:19.49
that sin has
brought into our lives.
00:48:19.52\00:48:21.46
Remember He cried on
the cross my God, my God,
00:48:21.49\00:48:24.62
why have you forsaken Me?
00:48:24.65\00:48:27.15
It's because He
was bearing our sins.
00:48:27.18\00:48:29.96
So He took our place that's was
the genius of the divine plan
00:48:29.99\00:48:34.40
that Jesus would bear our sins,
00:48:34.43\00:48:36.52
He would die in our
place that was required
00:48:36.55\00:48:39.92
God said "if you eat at
tree you'll surely die."
00:48:39.95\00:48:43.60
And my friend, and the person
of Jesus death was satisfied,
00:48:43.63\00:48:47.87
justice was satisfied
in the death of God Son.
00:48:47.90\00:48:51.22
So that through faith in Him
God in His love could save us.
00:48:51.25\00:48:58.87
That is the divine
transaction that takes place
00:48:58.90\00:49:02.19
at the Cross of
Cavalry by faith.
00:49:02.22\00:49:05.44
And that is essential.
00:49:05.47\00:49:07.66
And I want you
to take note in our
00:49:07.69\00:49:10.01
as I'm talking about this
tonight there are two trees,
00:49:10.04\00:49:13.10
there was the tree
in the Garden of Eden
00:49:13.13\00:49:14.86
that choice was
faithful for the human race.
00:49:14.89\00:49:18.97
But 2000 years ago
God erected another tree
00:49:19.00\00:49:22.71
we call it the Cross of Cavalry.
00:49:22.74\00:49:25.00
And it is at that tree
00:49:25.03\00:49:27.25
and what God has done
for us in Jesus Christ
00:49:27.28\00:49:29.73
that we must make a decision
and eternity is at stake.
00:49:29.76\00:49:36.06
Absolutely yeah, stake.
00:49:36.09\00:49:38.12
In Matthew 24:14 let's get
into the prophetic side of this
00:49:38.15\00:49:42.40
as we draw the
steward conclusion.
00:49:42.43\00:49:43.88
In Matthew 24:14 it says,
"And this gospel of the kingdom
00:49:43.91\00:49:47.76
shall be preached
to the whole world."
00:49:47.79\00:49:50.10
What is the gospel?
00:49:50.13\00:49:51.43
The gospel is the good news
00:49:51.46\00:49:52.86
of what God has done
about this problem of sin.
00:49:52.89\00:49:55.31
What God is doing
about the problem of sin
00:49:55.34\00:49:57.00
in your life and my life.
00:49:57.03\00:49:59.61
It says "When this gospel
the kingdom shall be preached
00:49:59.64\00:50:02.86
or proclaimed to the whole world
00:50:02.89\00:50:04.28
for a witness
to all the nations"
00:50:04.31\00:50:06.58
then the this is the scariest
of the prophecy you know.
00:50:06.61\00:50:10.44
"Then the end shall come."
00:50:10.47\00:50:14.09
My friend, I'm telling
you there is an end coming
00:50:14.12\00:50:16.73
and it is not so
scary and so horrible
00:50:16.76\00:50:21.27
as you and I might
00:50:21.30\00:50:22.33
again with the sevice
consideration of it think
00:50:22.36\00:50:24.28
and then the what,
00:50:24.31\00:50:25.91
and end of all of
the suffering and misery,
00:50:25.94\00:50:28.25
pain and death that sin
has bought to this place.
00:50:28.28\00:50:32.77
God is going to end it
and He is going to do it
00:50:32.80\00:50:36.13
through what Jesus did for
us at the Cross of Cavalry.
00:50:36.16\00:50:39.30
That means that Cavalry
is the gateway to the future.
00:50:39.33\00:50:46.99
It's going to
bring an end to this mess
00:50:47.02\00:50:49.74
but it's gonna be a
glorious new beginning
00:50:49.77\00:50:52.90
for those that love Him.
00:50:52.93\00:50:54.98
That's what
prophecy really comes in.
00:50:55.01\00:50:56.53
If prophecy has two
significant aspects of it.
00:50:56.56\00:51:00.37
It's bringing to an end
the rain of sin and death
00:51:00.40\00:51:04.06
rebellion upon this planet.
00:51:04.09\00:51:07.30
And wow, I will read
you the second part of it
00:51:07.33\00:51:10.19
as we turn to Revelation
21 the New Testament page 200.
00:51:10.22\00:51:14.13
Revelation 21 and beginning,
00:51:17.59\00:51:23.98
I'm sorry
beginning with verse 1.
00:51:24.01\00:51:25.83
Are you there?
00:51:29.27\00:51:31.61
Revelation 21:1 "Then I saw
a new heaven and a new earth."
00:51:31.64\00:51:37.28
Boy, think of the
implications of this.
00:51:37.31\00:51:39.24
John envisions he is a
new heaven and new earth.
00:51:39.27\00:51:41.50
He is looking
down in the future,
00:51:41.53\00:51:43.37
he is looking
down to the end of time
00:51:43.40\00:51:46.08
and this is what he finds.
00:51:46.11\00:51:47.16
"A new heaven and a new
earth for the first heaven
00:51:47.19\00:51:49.84
and the first
earth has passed away."
00:51:49.87\00:51:55.67
The world is gonna
come to an end, my friend.
00:51:55.70\00:51:58.27
But in its place
God's gonna create
00:51:58.30\00:52:00.64
a new heaven and new earth.
00:52:00.67\00:52:03.95
There are actually three heavens
00:52:03.98\00:52:05.15
that the Bible
talks about you know.
00:52:05.18\00:52:07.17
There is heaven that we usually
think about what God dwells.
00:52:07.20\00:52:10.69
There is the heaven's in
regards to this all universe.
00:52:10.72\00:52:14.79
The Bible speaks of that.
00:52:14.82\00:52:16.46
And then the heavens
00:52:16.49\00:52:17.82
when it talks about the
earth and there's heavens
00:52:17.85\00:52:20.05
it stalking about the
earth and its atmosphere.
00:52:20.08\00:52:23.10
And that's what it
is talking abut here.
00:52:23.13\00:52:24.62
When it says a new
heaven and a new earth
00:52:24.65\00:52:26.36
it's talking about an earth
with a restored atmosphere.
00:52:26.39\00:52:29.75
Do we need a
restored atmosphere?
00:52:29.78\00:52:32.13
Now we know something about
00:52:32.16\00:52:34.35
what's happening to
our atmosphere don't we.
00:52:34.38\00:52:36.72
So "He makes a new
heaven and new earth
00:52:36.75\00:52:39.11
and the first earth passed away
00:52:39.14\00:52:40.43
and there is no
longer any, any sea."
00:52:40.46\00:52:42.72
Think about that.
00:52:42.75\00:52:43.78
There is not gonna
be the great oceans
00:52:43.81\00:52:45.15
that we know
today and then verse 2.
00:52:45.18\00:52:47.46
"And I saw the
holy city New Jerusalem
00:52:47.49\00:52:49.82
coming down out
of heaven from God
00:52:49.85\00:52:52.63
made ready as a bright
adorned for her husband."
00:52:52.66\00:52:56.71
The holy city the New Jerusalem
00:52:56.74\00:52:58.95
that is the capital
city of the universe.
00:52:58.98\00:53:01.92
It is the city of God.
00:53:01.95\00:53:04.17
And verse 3, says
"And I heard a loud voice
00:53:04.20\00:53:06.60
from the throne saying
00:53:06.63\00:53:07.94
behold the tabernacle or dwell
in place of God is among men.
00:53:07.97\00:53:13.67
And He will dwell among them
and they shall be His people
00:53:13.70\00:53:18.76
and God himself
will be among them."
00:53:18.79\00:53:22.94
My friend, this,
this is the other
00:53:22.97\00:53:25.62
significant point of prophecy.
00:53:25.65\00:53:27.20
Again the first point is
that God is gonna do away
00:53:27.23\00:53:29.80
with all the sin
and suffering and death
00:53:29.83\00:53:31.84
that has fallen
because of transgression.
00:53:31.87\00:53:34.34
It's all been-- its all possible
00:53:34.37\00:53:36.38
because of what Jesus
did at the Cross of Cavalry.
00:53:36.41\00:53:38.89
Remember Jesus cried out
on the cross, its finished.
00:53:38.92\00:53:43.26
And, my friend,
this placed out overtime,
00:53:43.29\00:53:44.93
it's gonna be done.
00:53:44.96\00:53:46.63
It's gonna be over with.
00:53:46.66\00:53:49.79
And we are living in those days.
00:53:49.82\00:53:51.75
We will be studying
this form the prophecies.
00:53:51.78\00:53:54.57
And the other significant
thing is God's going to
00:53:54.60\00:53:58.33
make this new
heaven and new earth.
00:53:58.36\00:53:59.87
God has this wonderful
powerful glorious future
00:53:59.90\00:54:05.17
for those that love Him.
00:54:05.20\00:54:06.76
Paradise is gonna be
restored to this planet.
00:54:06.79\00:54:10.11
Sin and all of
the contradictions
00:54:10.14\00:54:13.04
that we have been living with
00:54:13.07\00:54:14.75
that just been
wearing down our life forces
00:54:14.78\00:54:17.18
is going to be removed.
00:54:17.21\00:54:20.47
Love is going to be
principle of every relationship.
00:54:20.50\00:54:23.48
Can you imagine this?
00:54:23.51\00:54:24.57
You're not gonna need, you're
not gonna get any locks in there
00:54:24.60\00:54:27.26
up there in the new earth.
00:54:27.29\00:54:29.44
You're not have locks and keys
00:54:29.47\00:54:31.75
and you know all
of the stuff that we,
00:54:31.78\00:54:33.77
there is no more arguments,
00:54:33.80\00:54:35.46
no more anger, no more conflict
00:54:35.49\00:54:37.54
can you imagine
that kind of existence.
00:54:37.57\00:54:40.76
Because those are
gonna inhabit this place
00:54:40.79\00:54:42.61
are those that love God
00:54:42.64\00:54:44.66
who have accepted this wonderful
invitation of salvation
00:54:44.69\00:54:49.10
and who will be the
inhabitants of this place.
00:54:49.13\00:54:52.69
And not only are we
going to be love in God
00:54:52.72\00:54:54.45
we are gonna love each other.
00:54:54.48\00:54:56.97
And there is gonna
be beautiful harmony
00:54:57.00\00:54:59.09
and peace and quietness and joy.
00:54:59.12\00:55:03.52
This is what God
has prepared for those,
00:55:03.55\00:55:06.06
for those that truly love Him.
00:55:06.09\00:55:08.04
it says,
00:55:08.07\00:55:10.18
"All these" speaking of men
and women of faith of the past.
00:55:10.21\00:55:13.53
"All these died in faith,
without receiving the promises,
00:55:13.56\00:55:18.30
but having seen them
and having welcomed them
00:55:18.33\00:55:20.42
from a distance, and
having confessed that
00:55:20.45\00:55:22.54
they were strangers
and exiles on the earth."
00:55:22.57\00:55:25.84
Strangers and
exiles on the earth,
00:55:25.87\00:55:28.90
the last verse
in Revelation 21:4
00:55:28.93\00:55:31.22
just says it as
good as any verse.
00:55:31.25\00:55:34.88
You know, we got the
new heaven and new earth
00:55:34.91\00:55:36.68
and New Jerusalem coming down.
00:55:36.71\00:55:38.08
God drawing among His people
and there's says in verse 4
00:55:38.11\00:55:40.93
"And He will wipe away
every tear from their eyes."
00:55:40.96\00:55:45.39
God is going comfort His people.
00:55:45.42\00:55:47.13
"And there will no
longer be any death,
00:55:47.16\00:55:49.40
there will no longer be any
mourning, or crying, or pain
00:55:49.43\00:55:54.01
the first things
have passed away."
00:55:54.04\00:55:56.31
It's all done.
00:55:56.34\00:55:58.65
Can you imagine no more
pain, no more suffering,
00:55:58.68\00:56:00.52
no more moaning.
00:56:00.55\00:56:01.58
A place of everlasting joy
00:56:01.61\00:56:04.09
that's what God has prepared
for those that love him.
00:56:04.12\00:56:07.43
And, my friend, we
can be a part of it
00:56:07.46\00:56:09.17
but there is only one
way, it's the way of the cross.
00:56:09.20\00:56:13.58
It's through what
Jesus has done for us.
00:56:13.61\00:56:16.41