The Fall - Sermon Outlines. Org



(Around The Word In 100 Sundays – Part 2)

The Fall

(Genesis 3:1-24)

Introduction: As we begin this morning, I want to refer to seven statements found in Genesis 1…

(Genesis 1:4) And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

(Genesis 1:10) And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

(Genesis 1:12) And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

(Genesis 1:18) And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

(Genesis 1:21) And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

(Genesis 1:25) And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

And then the summary of all this is seen…

(Genesis 1:31) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Now if everything was so good then, how did it get to be so bad? In order to understand this, we must look to Genesis 3.

J. Vernon McGee said…

We come now to what some consider to be the most important chapter of the Bible. Dr. Griffith Thomas called chapter 3 the pivot of the Bible. If you doubt that, read chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis, omit chapter 3, and then read chapters 4–11. You will find that there is a tremendous vacuum that needs to be filled, that something has happened. For instance, in Genesis 1 and 2, we find man in innocence; everything is perfection, and there is fellowship between God and man. But the minute you begin with chapter 4 of Genesis and read just as far as chapter 11, you find jealousy, anger, murder, lying, wickedness, corruption, rebellion, and judgment. The question is: Where did it all come from? Where did it begin? Where did the sin originate? Actually, I do not think it originated in chapter 3 of Genesis, but as far as man is concerned, here is where it began.

What took place in Genesis chapter 3 is commonly referred to as “The Fall of Man.” And this is a label that fits the situation very well, for man did indeed fall … from innocence to guilt, from dominion to death, and from fellowship to fear.

The testimony of Adam (and of his sons and daughters after him) can be summed up in the catchphrase from the popular LifeCall commercials of the early 1990’s: “I’ve fallen … and I can’t get up!”

And as Ray Stedman said…

The most striking thing about this chapter is that we find ourselves here. You can’t read through this story without feeling that you have lived it yourself, because, of course, you have. This account of the temptation and the fall is reproduced in our lives many times a day. We have all heard the voice of the Tempter. We have all felt the drawing of sin. We know the pangs of guilt that follow.

In one respect, the fall of man was a one-time incident described in Genesis 3, but it is also like an ongoing freefall that continues to affect the human race and continues to accelerate so that “evil men and seducers … wax worse and worse” (2 Timothy 3:13).

Genesis chapter 3 affects us all. Paul gave us the condensed version of this chapter and mentioned the implications of what happened in Romans 5:12 …

(Romans 5:12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

It’s on my heart this morning to preach on The Fall of Man from Genesis chapter 3. As we come to this chapter…

I. Let’s Think About The Cause Of The Fall (Gen. 3:1-6)

A. Man Fell Because Of Deception

Note: We Have The Revelation Of The Deceiver

(Revelation 12:9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old (ancient) serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

(Revelation 20:2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old (ancient) serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

We Have The Reason For His Deception

(John 8:44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer (manslayer) from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The reason for his lie was that he was a murderer, a manslayer; he wanted man to die.

1. Notice The Subtlety Of The Serpent

(Genesis 3:1) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

serpent – Hebrew 5175. nachash; from H5172; a snake (from its hiss):--serpent.

5172. nachash; a primary root meaning to hiss, i.e. whisper a (magic) spell; gen. to prognosticate.

The serpent was the “lie whisperer.”

subtle – Hebrew 6175. 'aruwm; pass. part. of H6191; cunning (usually in a bad sense):--crafty, prudent, subtil.

6191. 'aram; to be (or make) bare; (has the idea of smoothness) to be cunning (usually in a bad sense).

This word “subtle” tells us that the serpent was a smooth operator.

2. Notice The Seduction Of The Serpent

(Genesis 3:13) And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

beguiled – Hebrew 5377. nasha'; to lead astray, i.e. (mentally) to delude, or (morally) to seduce:--beguile, (it has the idea of being greatly and utterly deceived).

B. Man Fell Because Of Desire

(Genesis 3:6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

saw – means to look at, gaze upon, think about, have regard for.

1. Eve’s Desire Involved The Charm Of The Forbidden Fruit

pleasant – Hebrew 8378. ta'avah; a longing; by implication a delight (satisfaction, a charm):--dainty, desire, exceedingly, lust (ing).

2. Eve’s Desire Involved The Coveting Of The Forbidden Fruit

desired – Hebrew 2530. chamad; to delight in:--beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, ( X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).

The progression is clear: she listened, she looked, she lusted, she liked.

And the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says, “The same way as it appears there in the first man, it repeatedly takes place among ourselves.”

(James 1:14-15) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. {15} Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

(Genesis 3:6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Note:

Adam Loved Eve Prior To The Fall

(Genesis 2:23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

He thought she was so beautiful that he called her “Woe Man!”

Adam Loved Eve In Partaking Of The Fall

Cf. (1 Timothy 2:14) And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

He partook willingly to be with his bride. (This aspect of the situation sort of points us to Christ who partook of death for the sake of His bride.)

Adam Loved Eve Past The Fall

(Genesis 3:20) And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

“Eve” means “life-giver.” The circumstances might have caused him to name her “death-bringer” instead of “life-giver.”

C. Man Fell Because Of Disobedience

1. There Was The Truth Of God’s Command

(Genesis 2:16-17) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: {17} But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

commanded – Hebrew 6680. tsavah; a primary root word meaning to constitute, enjoin:--appoint, (for-) bid. (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command (-er, ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.

2. There Was The Transgression Of God’s Command

(Genesis 3:6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

took – Hebrew 3947. laqach; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive (-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

II. Let’s Think About The Consequences Of The Fall (Gen. 3:7-24)

The great commentator Matthew Henry said…

The story of this chapter is perhaps as sad a story (all things considered) as any we have in all the Bible. In the foregoing chapters we have had the pleasant view of the holiness and happiness of our first parents, the grace and favour of God, and the peace and beauty of the whole creation, all good, very good; but here the scene is altered. We have here an account of the sin and misery of our first parents, the wrath and curse of God against them, the peace of the creation disturbed, and its beauty stained and sullied, all bad, very bad. (And then Matthew Henry quoted Lamentations 4:1 which says) “How has the gold become dim, and the most fine gold changed!” O that our hearts were deeply affected with this record!

A. Sin And The Fall Brought Distance Into Our Human Existence

1. There Is A Distance Seen In The Evidence Of Guilt – Fear Is Branded In The Heart Of Mankind

(Genesis 3:7-10) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. {8} And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. {9} And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? {10} And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

afraid – Hebrew 3372. yare'; a primary root word meaning to fear; to revere; to frighten: --affright, be (make) afraid, dread (-ful), (put in) fear (-ful, -fully, -ing). (be had in) reverence (-end), X see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).

Cf. (Hebrews 10:31) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

2. There Is A Distance Seen In The Expulsion From The Garden – Fellowship Is Broken In The Heart Of Mankind

(Genesis 3:22-24) And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: {23} Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. {24} So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

drove – Hebrew 1644. garash; a primary root word meaning to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce: --cast up (out), divorced (woman), drive away (forth, out), expel, X surely put away, trouble, thrust out.

John Gill said that this phrase “behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil”

… is generally understood as an irony or sarcasm at man’s deception by Satan, who promised man, and he expected to be as gods, knowing good and evil; behold the man, see how much like a god he looks, with his coat of skin upon his back, filled with shame and confusion for his folly, and dejected under a sense of what he had lost, and in a view of what he was sentenced to.

B. Sin And The Fall Brought Difficulty Into Our Human Existence

In addition to the curse upon the creature in verses 14 and 15, there was a curse pronounced upon the couple in verses 16 thru 19.

1. This Curse Brought Difficulty To The Family Experience Of The Woman

a. There Would Be Sorrow In Motherhood

(Genesis 3:16) Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception (pregnancy); in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

multiply thy sorrow – Hebrew 6093. 'itstsabown, its-tsaw-bone'; worrisomeness, i.e. labor or pain:-- toil.

This sorrow may involve the pains of pregnancy as well as the process of parenting.

in sorrow – Hebrew 6089. 'etseb, eh'-tseb; from H6087; an earthen vessel; usually (painful) toil; also a pang (whether of body or mind):--grievous, idol, labor, sorrow.

b. There Would Be Submission In Marriage

(Genesis 3:16) Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

desire – Hebrew 8669. teshuwqah; from H7783 in the original sense of stretching out after; a longing.

rule – Hebrew 4910. mashal; a primary root word meaning to rule:--(have, make to have) dominion, governor, X indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule (-ing, -r), have power.

2. This Curse Brought Difficulty To The Farming Experience Of The Man

(Genesis 3:17-19) And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; {18} Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; {19} In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

a. There Would Be Sorrow In Man’s Livelihood

sorrow – Hebrew 6093. 'itstsabown; from H6087; worrisomeness, i.e. labor or pain:--sorrow, toil.

This is the same word that is used first in Genesis 3:16. Women are going to worry about their children and their marriage relationships, and men are going to worry about their jobs.

b. There Would Be Sweat In Man’s Labor

sweat – Hebrew 2188. ze'ah; perspiration:--sweat.

The indication is that it would not come easy.

C. Sin And The Fall Brought Death Into Our Human Existence

(Genesis 2:16-17) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: {17} But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Though Adam did not die physically on the same day that he partook of the forbidden fruit, he did die spiritually. But…

1. Death Would Be The Result Of Adam’s Life

(Genesis 3:19) In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

2. Death Would Be The Reality Of Adam’s Legacy

(Romans 5:12-14) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: {13} (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. {14} Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

(Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(1 Corinthians 15:22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Somebody said, “When I get to heaven I’m going to kick Adam in the shin.” Well, he may kick you back because you did the same thing in disobeying God.

Illustrate: All of these consequences reminds me of a situation with a wayward son whose lifestyle led his parents to withdraw and distance themselves from him. His lifestyle brought further difficulties as time went on. And eventually his lifestyle and choices brought death. But all the time, though his parents did not approve, they still loved him.

III. Let’s Think About The Cure For The Fall

As we read and study Genesis chapter 3, we realize that interwoven into the fabric of the curse are the threads of the cure.

A. There Is A Remedy In The Searching – We See The Call Of God

(Genesis 3:9) And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

1. Notice How God Is Identified

LORD – Hebrew 3068. Yehovah; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord

L. H. Grant wrote…

The name “Jehovah” is significant of the kindness of God in drawing near to mankind in blessing. Thus it is used consistently in regard to God’s covenant relationship with Israel (Exodus 6:2-8).

God – Hebrew 430. 'elohiym; gods in the ordinary sense; but specially used of the supreme God.

2. Notice How God Is Interested

called – Hebrew 7121. qara'; a prim. root [rather identified with H7122 (encounter) through the idea of accosting a person met]; to call out to (i.e. properly address by name).

B. There Is A Remedy In The Seed – We See The Christ Of God

(Genesis 3:15) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

1. There Is A Reference To The Seed Of The Woman

John Gill said…

By the seed of the woman may be meant the Messiah; the word “seed” sometimes signifying a single person, (Genesis 4:25) and particularly Christ, (Galatians 3:16) and He may with great propriety be so called, because He was made of a woman and not begotten by man.

Spurgeon said, “The promise plainly teaches that the deliverer would be born of a woman, and carefully viewed, it also foreshadows the divine method of the Redeemer’s conception and birth.”

Eve may have thought that Cain was the promised seed…

(Genesis 4:1) And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten (procured or purchased) a man from the LORD.

Cf. (Genesis 4:25) And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

Cf. (Galatians 3:16) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

2. This Is A Reference To The Savior Of The World

Matthew Henry said…

A gracious promise is here made of Christ, as the deliverer of fallen man from the power of Satan. Here was the dawning of the gospel day. No sooner was the wound given than the remedy was provided and revealed. … It was by death that Christ destroyed him that had the power of death, (Hebrews 2:14). Christ’s heel was bruised when his feet were pierced and nailed to the cross.

Cf. (Hebrews 2:14) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

C. There Is A Remedy In The Sacrifice – We See The Covering Of God

(Genesis 3:21) Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

1. This Was A Bloody Sacrifice

coats – Hebrew 3801. kethoneth; from an unused root mean. to cover: a shirt:--coat, garment, robe.

skins – Hebrew 5785. 'owr; from H5783; skin (as naked); by implication hide, leather:--hide, leather,.

2. This Was A Blessed Sacrifice

(Romans 4:7) Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Cf. (Psalms 32:1) A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Conclusion: Some months ago, before my grandmother broke her hip, she had a previous fall. She was outside on a cold day, and as it was getting on into late afternoon she fell down and was unable to get up. No one was around, so she just laid there for quite a while. But then one of the neighbors drove out the old dirt road by her house, and he saw her laying there. He was strong enough to pick her up and get her inside.

A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out. A Christian Scientist came along and said: “You only think that you are in a pit.” A Pharisee said: “Only bad people fall into a pit.” A Fundamentalist said: “You deserve your pit.” An IRS man asked if he was paying taxes on the pit. A Charismatic said: “Just confess that you’re not in a pit.” An Optimist said: “Things could be worse.” A Pessimist said: “Things will get worse!” Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

Isaac Watts wrote…

Alas! and did my Saviour bleed, And did my Sovereign die!

Would he devote that sacred head For such a worm as I!

Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree!

Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in,

When Christ, the mighty Maker, died For man the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face While his dear cross appears;

Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt mine eyes in tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay The debt of love I owe;

Here, Lord, I give myself away, 'Tis all that I can do.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download