Longing for Purpose, Paradise and Life (Adam and Eve)

Readings 11:28

Sermon 22:00

Florence Thompson's Testimonial 27:58

Blessington Velagapalli's Testimonial 36:10

Genesis 1:24-2:3, 7-8, 15 - purpose and blessing

Psalm 1

Genesis 3:6-24 - curse and solution

Before handing it off to Blessington and Florence, I wanted to give you a brief introduction to our next sermon series, called Precursors to Christ. The idea behind it is that God was preparing us and showing us our need for God to become incarnate as a human among us. Pointing our way towards the hope of Christmas.

It all started back in creation when God blessed and purposed humanity in some really special ways. With his image, to bear his goodness where ever we go. To be fruitful and multiply, so to join his creative work by bringing order and giving life. To tend the garden, so to increase the creative potential of others. To rule, and so to exemplify our godly king to others. To join in his rest, and so to bring peace and comfort into everything. To be a divine helper and so to be who others truly need, for it is not good for us to be alone. There is more, but already these are some really big blessings and purposes as we are meant to spread the garden, rest and creation. 

As we get to the third chapter of Genesis we see Adam and Eve and humanity as a whole cannot live into this created potential as they don’t trust, as they would rather rule their way, as they destroy instead of create, as they take instead of help. Almost immediately, we find ourselves waiting for someone who can truly live into what humanity was always meant to be. We need someone who can save us from ourselves and change us to be more like God. 

We are kicked out of garden and denied eternal life, forever planting in us this three part longing. We want paradise, we want an end to suffering and death, and we want to be more like God.

But God does not leave us just in our longing, or our waiting. He gives us a promise and hope, even in the midst of our natural consequences and punishment. As God tells us that all of our relationships will be strained, and that pain will accompany all of our attempts to create, we also hear that one child shall arise that will step on the snake at the same time that he is bitten. The snake that was the beginning of temptation, sin, broken relationships, broken creation and more - all of that will be vanquished and done away with. The one that will do this will suffer greatly, but he will defeat the snake. And so we are now looking for that human that will overcome temptation and sin, that will be like God and return us to paradise and eternal life.