Basic Christianity 7 -- Living the Christian Life.

18th November, 2018

Basic Christianity 7 -- Living the Christian Life.

A sermon preached on 18th November, 2018, as part of our Basic Christianity. series.

Genesis 2:8-9, 15-25 & 3:1-14

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Details

Readings are Genesis 2:8-9 & 15-25 at start, and later Genesis 3:1-14.

About the Speaker

Phil Marsden

Phil Marsden

Phil received his call to full-time ministry as a child and since the age of 19 has served with Youth For Christ, the Baptist Missionary Society and several large churches before taking up his present role as Ministry Team Leader at Central Baptist Church. Phil’s a visionary leader with a heart to share the good news of Jesus and to see the church grow.

View all sermons by Phil Marsden.

Basic Christianity.

Transcript

Living the Christian Life

Adam…and the very first choice (learn about making choices and God’s will)

The Gift of Choice

Gen 2:8-9; 15-25

God didn’t make us like robots. The Christian life is not all about rules, restrictions etc God always intended us to have lots of choice in our lives

Choice 1 Eat from any tree except one (v9 all kinds, pleasing to eye, good for food) (2:16) Choice 2 Name all animals and birds (2:19) and woman (v23) and later named Eve (2:19)

God’s permissive will

God’s ideas about naming animals…he’d already named day and night, sky, land & seas Would Adam be sinning/failing God in some way if he didn’t name them as God would? No, God gave that gift of choice to man, as He did with where he went in garden and ate I find this helpful, because it’s easy to get worried about not knowing God’s will in situations I think God gives us more choice/freedom in life than we give Him credit for at times e.g. relationships and marriage partner…or…church to go to or be minister at!

Just like Father God gave Adam choices, I used to give my children choices each day e.g. what to eat or play. I might have a preference, but I really enjoy letting them choose If my children said: ‘No I can’t, I’m scared I won’t choose what you want’, I’d be sad

The Framework of Choice

Gen 3:1-6

The Devil tries to tell us God’s restrictive/legalistic, doesn’t give us choice, unfair (3:1) …he picks on the one boundary God gave (1 tree) to make his case…Adam fell for it! Choice 3 Adam & Eve choose to disobey God & eat the one fruit they shouldn’t have (3:6)

The boundary was given for Adam’s good…a clear framework for him to operate within We need such a framework…without it we’d have anarchy…theft, murder etc. (Quote)

‘All the ideologies, all the Utopian promises that have marked this century have proven utterly bankrupt. We’ve achieved what modernism presented as life’s great shining purpose: individual autonomy, the right to do what one chooses. Yet this has not produced the promised freedom; instead it has led to the loss of community and civility, to kids shooting kids in schoolyards, to citizens huddling in gated communities for protection. We discovered that we cannot live with the chaos that inevitably results from choice divorced from morality’ (Chuck Colson)

Need morality/value structure underpinning our choices…God gave 10 commandments etc.

God’s specific will

Some things clear: Theft, murder, gossip, blasphemy, no unwholesome talk etc. (Eph) …no adultery…or sex outside of marriage! Some are discerned: Drugs (be of sound mind) / Smoking (it kills and God loves us!)

How to discern: The Bible, biblical teaching, the Holy Spirit, conscience, prayer Acts 15:28 “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” Sometimes God does speak specifically to us re His will…be ready

Some try to find God’s will in everything…tea or coffee...we worry we might choose wrong! Some ignore it in everything…God didn’t stop me having an affair, he wants me to be happy! Balance needed and clear biblical understanding of boundaries/framework God’s given us

The Consequences of Choice

Gen 3:7-14

Q) What was the first game in the Bible? A) Hide n’ seek!

Choice 4 Adam & Eve choose to try and hide from God and deny responsibility (3:8)

But there are consequences with all our choices…and we have to accept responsibility Adam’s apple – constant reminder for men (sticks in throat!)

Consequence 1: Realise naked…ignored God/framework…aware exposed without God

Before: Like child on beach running around naked, playing, accept ice cream from parent After: Like awkwardness of adult changing in a towel, questioning is ice cream ok or not!

Consequence 2: Punished, banished from the garden and separated from God by their sin

But God didn’t give up on them entirely…still loved them and provided help (3:21 clothed) And more…provided way back into relationship with him through Jesus (repent & believe)

Conclusion

We’re faced with lots of choices in life…enjoy them, but look for God’s guidance in them

Reflect: On good and bad choices of past year…did you try to discern God’s will in them?

Pray: for any still struggling with the consequences of choices they’ve made in the past …sorry for bad choices…ask for help to make right choices…recommitting to God’s way …thank God for the choice he made in sending his son, loving, forgiving and saving us

Supplementary Reflections

Adam experienced God’s permissive will (didn’t mind) and specific will (did mind) Q) Do you agree with this understanding of God’s will? Q) Which of the following do you think God might have a view on?

God gave Adam the freedom to choose lots of things (food to eat, names of animals)
Q) Have you thought about freedom of choice as a gift before? Is that liberating?
Q) Do you worry about making right choices, not care enough, or strike a good balance?

Adam had lots to choose, but wanted something he shouldn’t have
Q) Are there things you’ve sought after that you know God wouldn’t approve of?
Q) How can we learn to be more content with what we have than what we don’t have?

God gave Adam boundaries for a reason, because He knew the consequences
Q) Do you tend to think of God’s laws as restrictive or helpful, giving clear boundaries?
Q) Which of the following do you think are within God’s boundaries (ok), or outside it?

God didn’t want Adam to be alone, so He specifically made Eve for him
Q) Does God have a perfect partner for us (the chosen one) or is that a choice left to us?
Q) Can we end up with 2nd best (3rd, 4th etc.) and how can people make a good choice?

In the N.T., even close followers of Jesus seem to get God’s will wrong sometimes. Was one party right and the other wrong in discerning God’s will here:

Ac 19:21 Paul decides he should go to Jerusalem
Ac 20:22 Paul believed the Holy Spirit wanted him to go to Jerusalem
Ac 21:4 The disciples ‘through the Spirit’ believed Paul should avoid Jerusalem
Ac 21:14 Paul wouldn’t have it, so they gave up, said “The Lord’s will be done”
Ac 21:15 Paul went to Jerusalem

Q) Can we sometimes discern God’s will wrongly as individuals and at church meetings?
Q) How can we tell and what can we do to try and minimise the times this might happen?

Paul also found that people can sometimes get in the way of God’s will happening
However, God can bring good out of bad…and the ultimate victory is always His!

Ac 20:3 Paul tries to sail from Greece to Jerusalem, via Syria, but Jews stop him
Ac 20:12 While on new route, Paul raises dead Eutychus…still gets to Jerusalem!

Q) Do you think it’s possible God’s will isn’t always done? How does that make you feel?
Q) Have you ever felt as though something or someone has stopped God’s will for you?