East of Eden

Genesis 4

Sermon Notes:

1) Sin Wins | 1-7

2) Blood Cries Out | 8-11

3) Curse Carries On | 11-14

4) Vengeance Saves | 15-17

5) Culture Advances | 16-24

6) Remnant Calls | 25-26

Reflections questions:

1. Does it ever feel like sin or sinners are winning in this life? See Psalm 73; how did Asaph wrestle with that same feeling?

2. Does it ever feel like sin is winning in your life? Read Romans 7:1-8:1 (just like last week), but also read James 1:14-15. How does sin gain the victory over us? What are some of the preliminary steps? Does God provide a way out? Also see 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.

3. Why doesn’t God wipe out all sinners the minute they sin? Is this a sign of His weakness, slowness, or some kind of idle threat? Or is it good news? See 2 Peter 3:8-10 and Romans 2:3-5.

The First Gospel

Genesis 3:8-24

Sermon Notes:

1) The Presence that Exposes | 8-13

2) The Promise that Sustains | 14-15

3) The Punishment that Reminds | 14-19

4) The Propitiation that Covers | 20-21

5) The Protector that Foreshadows | 22-24

Reflection questions:

1. Do God’s attributes (His presence/omnipresence, omniscience, holiness and more) cause you to run from Him, or to invite Him in? Compare Genesis 3:1-13 to Isaiah 6, Luke 5 (especially v8), and Psalm 139. What does David see in Psalm 139 that causes Him to invite God in (vv23-24)?

2. How is Genesis 3:15 a promise to God’s people and not simply bad news for Satan? Trace the promise through the following passages: Galatians 3:13, 16; 4:4; Romans 16:20; Revelation 12 and 20.

3. How do the continuing effects of sin, the fall, and the curse remind us of our need of (and provision of!) a Savior? See Romans 7:1-8:1.

4. How does God offer us a better covering than the one we can make for ourselves? See Genesis 3:7-8, 21; also see Isaiah 61:10; 64:6; Revelation 19:6-9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:6-9.

Paradise Lost

Genesis 3:1-12

Sermon Notes:

1) Naked Aggression | 1-5

2) Naked Ambition | 5-6

3) Naked and Afraid | 7-12

Reflection questions:

1. How does Eve mishandle/misremember/misstate the Word of God when talking with the serpent? (Compare Genesis 2:16-17 to 3:1-3.) How might an accurate remembering of the Word of God have helped her? See Psalm 119 (Especially vv. 9, 105) and Revelation 22:18-19.

2. Read I John 2:15-17. How do you see Eve being tempted by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life in Genesis 3:6? Now read Matthew 4:1- 11. How is Jesus tempted by the same temptations (and by the same tempter)? How does Jesus defeat those temptations?

3. How does Adam respond (v.12) when God directly confronts him about his sin in v.11? Does his reaction show us anything about our own natural tendency to run from God when confronted with our sin? How does confidence of God’s love counteract this natural/SINFUL tendency to run? See Psalm 139; compare vv.1-7 to vv.23-24.

You Can't Get to Heaven on Roller Skates

Colossians 2:6-23

Sermon Notes:

1. Dwelling in the Gospel | vv. 6-15

a. The Emptiness of Creaturely Artifices

b. The Fullness of Christ's Work

2. Deliverance from Mere Shadows | vv. 16-23

Reflection Questions:

1. Paul says that we have been rooted, built up, and established in the faith in Jesus (v. 7) These verbs describe what God has done for us, and how he works in us. The last verb in that verse is our response: abounding in thanksgiving. How can habitual thanksgiving help to dwell in the gospel, and live in accordance with the gospel, instead of drifting towards empty philosophies and burdensome traditions?

2. As Paul begins to tell the Colossians how they ought to live, he again reminds them of what Jesus has done for them (vv. 9-15). Look back at Colossians 1:1- 2:5. How many times has Paul reminded the Colossians of what Jesus has done? How many ways has he shown them the gospel? Why do you think Paul emphasized what Jesus has done in this way before telling the Colossians how they ought to live?

3. The burdens and shame that come from self-made religion and asceticism (v 23.) seem at first to be helpful tenants of religion, but they cannot change the heart. What is a struggle in your life that you have tried to conquer with rules and practices? How might resting in your union with Jesus in his death and resurrection lead to real heart change?

At Last!

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon Notes:

1) Mankind’s Paradise | 4-14

2) Mankind’s Purpose | 15-17

3) Man’s Partner | 18-25

Reflection questions:

1) How do you see hints of God’s goodness in creation in Genesis 2:4-14? What does mankind need that he doesn’t have in the home that God created? How will God one day restore all that we need in our future home?

2) Was man’s obedience to God (see God’s purpose for and command to man in Gen 2:15-17) an act of worship? How should our whole lives be lived in worship to God even now, on this side of the Fall? See Romans 12:1-2.

3) How can the first marriage (and the institution of marriage) inform our conduct today in our own marriage relationships? What does verse 23 (as well as v18, 20, 24-25) teach us about how we are each made for the other? (Also compare them to Ephesians 5:21-33.) How is it instructive even for those who are currently single? (Compare Genesis 2:18a to Hebrews 10:24-25 as one example.)

Male and Female He Created Them

Genesis 1:26-28

Sermon Notes:

1) Created by God | 26

2) Created male and female | 27

3) Created for glory and honor | 28

4) Re-Created in Christ | See: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 7; Philippians 1:6; 3:20- 21; I John 3:2-3; 1 Cor. 15:49

Reflection Questions:

1. Are all mankind made in God’s image? What is one implication of being made in God’s image? See Genesis 1:26-28.

2. Has our sin marred the image of God in man? Has it been completely destroyed; is it irrecoverable? Can the image of God be redeemed in Christ? See Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 8:29; Col 3:9-10; Eph 4:24; 2 Cor 3:17-18; Col 1:15- 20; I John 3:2-3 and 1 Cor 15:49.

3. In heaven, will God only redeem our souls (the spiritual, immaterial part of us), or will He also redeem our bodies? See Philippians 3:20-21; I John 3:2-3.

Very Good

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon Notes:

1) God is Creator | 1:1

2) God is Trinitarian | 1:1-3, 26-27

3) God is Extraordinary | 1:3, 5-7, 14

4) God is a Detailed Designer | 1:26-28

5) God is a Delegator | 1:28-30

6) God is Good | 1:31-2:3

Reflection questions:

1. If God created all things, then why is mankind so tempted to create meaning and purpose outside of God’s Word? Why are you tempted to do this?

2. Loneliness is mentioned in Genesis 1-2, but was God ever lonely? Why/why not? (See John 1:1-5; Acts 17:23-26.)

3. Do you ever struggle with the thought that God’s promises are too good to be true? How is that thought similar to the way that Satan would tempt Adam and Eve? (Cf Gen 3:1.) What would you tell a friend if they said that (His promises are too good to be true) to you?

The Church’s Generosity, Discipline, and Growth

Acts 4:32-5:14

Sermon Notes:

1) Great Power | 4:32-35

2) Great Grace | 4:33-37

3) Great Deception | 5:1-11

4) Great Gear | 5:5-14

Reflection questions:

1) Why might it be easier if we were commanded as Christians to relinquish our private property? What difficult decisions could we avoid? (No, I am not suggesting we should or that the Bible says we should.)

2) Does this passage say why Ananias lied? How do you think Satan tempted him to lie? What reward was he seeking? (Cf. Matthew 6:2-4 for one possibility.)

3) Is the great fear that fell upon the church an encouraging note to you? What does it mean to fear God? See Hebrews 12:18-29.

Praise Amidst Persecution

Acts 4:23-31

Sermon Notes:

1) The Servants released | 23

2) The Servants raise their voices | 24

3) The Nations rage | 25-27

4) The Lord reigns | 27-28

5) The Lord responds | 29-31

Reflection questions:

1) What aspects of the disciples’ prayer stick out to you? How can the circumstances and the words of this prayer teach us to pray?

2) Read Psalm 2. What parallels do you to the story of Acts 3-4 (see vv. 25-27 for a hint) as well as the story of the entire Bible?

3) The disciples prayed for boldness to speak God’s Word, and their prayer was answered. (In a way, it’s answered again at the end of Acts – see Acts 28:30-31.) Is there one person (or more) to whom you want courage to speak God’s Word?

Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord!

Psalm 126

Sermon Notes:

1) The great things He has done | 1-3

2) The gladness we have | 3

3) The restoration we seek | 4-6

Reflection Questions:

1. “The Lord has done great things for us.” (v3) What great things has the Lord done for you?

2. “We are glad.” (v3) Does joy (and gladness) characterize your life as much as the Bible suggests it should? See 1 Thess. 5:16-18. What can you do to cultivate joy in your life, while still leaving room for Biblical lament?

3. “Restore our fortunes, O Lord!” (v4) Are your prayers as bold as this one? Can you be bold in prayer while still holding your earthly wishes loosely, accepting whatever outcome God sends?