Sermon Notes

KILLJOYS
Genesis 3:1-13 // The Garden and Our Pride & Rebellion

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” -John 15:11


SERMON IN A SENTENCE:
The pride and rebellion that started in the garden is still at work today and must be fought; for God’s glory and our joy!


“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.” Genesis 3:1a


1. Doubt and Perversion of the Word of God

“He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Genesis 3:1a-3

“But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5


2. Distortion of The Goodness of God

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:6

The Fall
“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Genesis 3:7

“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:11-13

“It was through pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.” -C.S. Lewis

“Pride is a villain with a thousand faces” -Kevin DeYoung


1. Doubt and perversion of the Word of God

Some of us are not experiencing the joy of the Lord in our Christian lives today simply because we’ve allowed pride to lead us to doubt and perverting the word of God and rebelling against what is best for us!

“It’s often a subtle thing, going on almost unnoticed, but it has huge implications for the war we live. You and I step over God's boundaries because there are moments in our lives when we are able to convince ourselves that we are smarter than God. We tell ourselves that what he says is wrong, isn't so wrong after all. We convince ourselves that we can disobey God and it will all work out in the end…It is the lie that was first told, embraced, and acted upon in that terrible moment in the garden of Eden. Human beings have fallen into believing that lie ever since.” -Paul David Tripp


2. Distortion of the goodness of God

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” -John 10:10

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."
-James 1:14-15


SERMON IN A SENTENCE:
The pride and rebellion that started in the garden is still at work today and must be fought; for God’s glory and our joy!



How Do We Fight? How Do We Wage War?

1. Read the Word of God

“We always find time to do the things we really want to do. Every time we go out of the house without having spent time with God we are saying that we don't really need Him.” -Clyde Cranford


2. Remember the Work of God

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NIV)


Recommended Genesis 3 Commentaries:
Enduring Word

The Genesis Record