Preaching on Genesis (last updated: 14th January 2024)
The early chapters
I had the pleasure today to listen to a sermon from one of the churches currently covering Genesis chapter 3, and it is not
difficult to understand why many Church Leaders are hesitant about delivering this area of the Bible to their congregations.
The previous Sunday the same Church covered Genesis 1 & 2 and the link with
intelligent design was made clear explaining how it supported the Creation story. Churches that decide to embark on coverage of
Genesis are committed to covering all the salient points including chapter 3, the contents of which may seem harsh to some people:
verse 16 referencing increasing pain in child birth.
verses 17 and 18 referencing the harshness of life outside of the Garden of Eden.
Clearly this is not good news for men and women, but the Bible makes clear that we brought it upon ourselves.
We chose to go our own way from the very beginning, and this has often led to bad choices that we come to regret.
We could not be trusted
to live out our lives in accordance with God's perfect plan which was designed to give us an idyllic life in
a gloriously trouble free setting. However, God has not abandoned us, far from it, even though we abandoned Him at this point and
of course many have chosen to continue to do so to this day.
There is something important that can be gleaned from verse 16 that is easily overlooked. It is a warning fulfilled, evidence of
God in action. He always carries out His promises to mankind:
Giving birth is in fact painful for women, for some more than others.
We can only assume that had Eve not succumbed to temptation,
giving birth would have been pain free for all future generations. Men would not have to strive to earn a living often in
stressful and unrewarding situations.
God's creation of the heavens and earth in six days according to Genesis
In conclusion, we now acknowledge that it was relatively easy to argue the case for Creationism based on the findings of modern
research in molecular biology but there is much more to Genesis than that, for example the message contained in Chapter 3 which
could deter some people from attending Church, or believing in a loving Creator.
This understandably may act to deter some Church Leaders from embarking on an in-depth study of Genesis with their congregations.
Full marks to those leaders therefore who are prepared to preach on aspects of the Bible wrongly dismissed by modern society as myth,
such as the Genesis account.
It would be helpful if churches prompted to run a series on Genesis after studying our website, or for any other reason,
were to let us know. We will only reveal the identify of such churches if they request it.
We could be accused of being overly critical of the church for continuing to downplay the part played by God in
Creation, with little or no focus on the Creation account in Genesis. As there is a continued marked reluctance to open up any
line of communication with us we are left in the dark about what churches are actualy doing to address this issue. We would gladly
and rightly remove criticism of the Church if it were to act to set the record on the origin of life straight with its parishioners,
in tune with God's word, and they made us aware of their steps.
Whether we like it or not it cannot be denied however that we are all sinners to a varying degree.
Once the famous two had disobeyed
God He immediately realised this was just the beginning, and the fallen nature of the beings He had just Created. Mankind was set to
go down through the ages with the same God challenging mindset as the first two.
However He has made provision for us in the form of His Son Jesus, together with the Helper, The Holy Spirit, so all is not lost. We
have absolutely no excuse for rejecting the truth that God Created us in His own image, just as He said He did in Genesis:
John 8:
27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.
28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing on my own
but speak just what the Father has taught me.
29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."
30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
The Glory of God's Creation
1. Creation sings the Father's song.
He calls the sun to wake the dawn
And run the course of day
'Til evening falls in crimson rays.
His fingerprints in flakes of snow,
His breath upon this spinning globe;
He charts the eagle's flight;
Commands the newborn baby's cry.
Refrain:
Hallelujah!
Let all creation stand and sing, "Hallelujah!"
Fill the earth with songs of worship, tell the wonders of creation's King.
2. Creation gazed upon His face;
The ageless One in time's embrace
Unveiled the Father's plan
Of reconciling God to man.
*A second Adam walked the earth,
Whose blameless life would break the curse,
Whose death would set us free
To live with Him eternally.
3. Creation longs for His return,
When Christ shall reign upon the earth;
The bitter wars that rage
Are birth pains of a coming age.
When He renews the land and sky,
All heav'n will sing and earth reply
With one resplendent theme:
The glory of our God and King!
Words and Music: Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend
* The explanation for this is in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Also Romans 5:19,
'For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one
man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous.'
We were challenged to find an alternative, simpler, more succinct way of explaining what took place. We soon realised the Bible
summed up perfectly and concisely what had transpired, illustrating just how well written the Bible truly is.
Finally, appealing again to the Bible, the linking of Adam and Jesus is logical because both were special, unique, human beings;
noone can ever again repeat what they did. On the female side Eve and Mary the mother of Jesus were also unique because their
existence and actions can never be replicated.
What does it mean that Jesus is the second Adam / last Adam?
