Introduction

Imagine turning on a movie and the opening scene shows a beautiful city at peace. The markets are full, families are happy, children are playing and everything seems safe and secure.

Although you are enjoying the peaceful scene, your mind can’t help think: “Something bad is about to happen.” Why do you think that way? Because movies almost always start with everything being like it is supposed to be then comes the evil twist. At some point an enemy will invade the city and everything will change.

Then it happens. The music changes. The scene darkens. Chaos breaks out. The peaceful city suddenly becomes a place of fear, confusion and destruction.

That is Genesis 3

Genesis 3 is the chapter where the Bible storyline takes its first major turn.

Romans 5:14	“Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses,….”
Romans 5:17	“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; ….”
Romans 5:21	“That as sin hath reigned unto death,….”

But Genesis 3 is also the chapter where God introduces His plan to redeem and restore His earthly Kingdom. His plan begins with a PROMISE.

Before we examine that promise, let’s review what we have learned about the Earth.

Earth

God created earth by speaking it into existence. He said let ‘there be land and there was land.’

God created the earth to be His kingdom.

God created earth as a permanent place, where He would dwell with mankind and the rest of His creation.

Earth Invaded

Satan cannot create his own earth, so he invades God’s.

His goal is to establish his kingdom here.

This invasion and Satan’s partial victory means:

Prior to Genesis 3, this was not true!

If there had been no Genesis 3:

Genesis 3 is the chapter when Satan launches his first attack on God’s earthly kingdom. His attack ended with results that shape the rest of the Bible Storyline.

Result # 1 – Satan Won A Victory

Satan walked away from this attack with a partial victory. Sermon #7 explained what each kingdom is fighting for in this war. We called these “Objectives”:

Let’s review those objectives:

In Genesis chapters 1-2

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.

But in Genesis 3, Satan invades the earth and interrupts God’s kingdom plan.

Genesis 3:1–10

1 Now the serpent was more subtil 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? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 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. 7 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.

The War Objectives!

To establish his own kingdom on earth, Satan must take what belongs to God. To accomplish this, he must convince Adam and Eve to follow Him and not God.

He first approached Eve and planted the seed of doubt about God’s motive regarding the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Command & Motive

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.

Adam trusts God; and this trust results in obedience:

As long as Adam & Eve interpreted God’s law as protective and loving, they obeyed God’s law with joy and appreciation, not resentment.

Our Beliefs Shape our Behavior.

Satan needed to change what Adam and Eve believed about God before he could get them to change their loyalty to God.

His lie about God caused doubt that quickly grew into:	Mistrust
	Disobedience to God.

Eve no longer believed God was protecting them with His law.

She believed God was holding them back from something good.

The distrust Eve felt toward God replaced former emotions when she looked at the tree and thought about God.

Finally, they defected from God’s kingdom and followed Satan’s voice to eat of the tree.

Satan’s Partial Victory

Satan became the prince and power of the air, and he would wield influence over all of Adam’s descendants:

Ephesians 2:1–3

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

2 Corinthians 4:4

4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1 John 3:8	8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
John 8:44	44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer 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.

Pause: Let the reality of what Satan accomplished sink in.

If Nothing Changes

If nothing changes,

If nothing changes

That is the partial, and short -lived victory Satan won in the Garden.

Result #2 – God Plans Ultimate Victory

But God responded with a counter attack and lays out a plan for ultimate victory.

God’s Options

God chose option #4 – Redeem, Recover, and Restore all things to Himself

As hopeless as the situation was God exceeded all expectations.

He Made A Promise: Gen 3:15

Genesis 3:15

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.

Gen 3:15 is God’s announcement that the war is NOT over and that God will have the final and ultimate victory.

Contrasting Kingdoms

Adam’s descendants enter Satan’s kingdom through our first birth – We enter God’s Kingdom through our second birth

John 3:3

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Satan used deception to lure Eve into his Kingdom – God uses truth to draw us into His.

John 8:31–32

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 

Satan must blind the eyes of his citizens to keep them in his kingdom – God opens the eyes of the spiritually blind to draw us into His.

Acts 26:18

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

God’s Plan

God’s Promise

Did you know that Gen 3:15 and Jn 3:16 are inseparable?

John 3:16	16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Genesis 3:15	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.

The storyline of the Bible does not end in Gen 3 when Satan won a victory. The rest of the Bible is the unfolding story of the two kingdoms at war with one another.

Every story from this point forward presents God marching toward victory and overcoming every counterattack by Satan and His kingdom.

The Choice is Yours

You must make a choice between serving Satan and his kingdom, or God and His Kingdom.

The choice is not where do you want to live when you die, but which kingdom will you serve until you die. That alone will determine your eternal destination.

Joshua 24:15

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

These words by Joshua to the children of Israel are just as relevant for us today. If the Israelites wanted to live in the promised land of Canaan. If they wanted to enjoy the protection, provision, and peace of living in Canaan with God, then they must choose to serve and obey God.

Romans 6:6	6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans 6:16	16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

God accepts no excuses for sin and no exceptions for disobedience to His law.

Consider the words of Elijah the prophet. When Israel was trying to mix the worship of God with the worship of a pagan deity known as Baal. Elijah warned them:

1 Kings 18:21

21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

Final Thought – Your choice is not finalized until it is backed up by your actions.