BOTTOM LINE: Sin separates us from God. 

INTRO

Story: Separated in Panamá at the Chagres

What are the worst things to be separated from?

  • Family, WiFi, phone chargers, home, bed, BF/GF?
  • Being separated is hard
  • Makes you feel anxious, lonely, even hopeless

TENSION

Do you feel separated from God tonight?

How close do you feel to God?

If there is space between you and God, there is only one culprit… sin.

We are all sinful.

Tonight, we ask “How can we get to God if he cannot be near sin?”

Our sins separate us from God. BUT there is HOPE.

TRUTH – Let’s get some backstory – How did we end up like this?

Read: Genesis 3 What happened?

  • Context: Read Gen 3 main text
  • The Takeaway from the text (below).

1. Our sins separate us from fellowship (relationship) with God.

Sin breaks his commands.

  • Cf. 2:17 – The command (2:17)
  • Cf. 3:1 – Satan: “Did God say?”
  • Cf. 3:11 – God: “The tree I commanded you not to eat?”
  • God’s law is written on our hearts and written in his Word.

Sin attacks his character.

  • Cf. 3:5 – Satan: “God knows you will be like him…”
  • Satan calls God’s trustworthiness into question.
  • I Know Better Syndrome – They think: “Good for food, pleasing to the eye…”
  • What they didn’t know: They couldn’t handle the fruit. 
  • Your sin, doing wrong when you know what’s right, ultimately tells the world what you think of God.

Sin misses his mark. Hebrew – חָטָא “Khata” Greek – ἁμαρτία “hamartia” (archery term – to miss the mark).

  • Cf. 3:7 – Their first act with their new “knowledge” – making clothes with leaves (STUPID!). 
  • They “missed the mark” of obeying what God had said.
  • Cf. 3:8 – God came, and Adam hid. Why? 
  • Cf. 3:23-24 – Paradise was lost – Separated from God.
    • Sent out, drove out, banished (Cf. 3:23)
    • No more walking and talking with God as it had been. No more seeing him face to face. 

2. Our sins separate us from the blessings of God.

Because of sin, people are going through hell.

  • Shame replaced innocence (v.10).
  • Blame replaced intimacy (v.12,13).
  • Pain replaced pleasure (v.16).  
  • Lack replaced plenty (v.17). 
  • Work replaced purpose (v.19). 
  • Even believers experiences these consequences of a broken relationship with God.

Because of sin, people are going to hell.

  • Sin caused an immediate spiritual death.
    • Eph. 2 – Dead in our sins & following Satan
    • Cf. 3:15 – Spiritual warfare
    • Rom. 5:12 – We’re born dead in our sins inherited from Adam.
    • Would you drink a bottle of water with a drop of poison?
  • Sin causes a future physical death.
    • Cf. 2:17 – “You will surely die” 
    • Cf. 5:5 – Came true – Adam died.
    • Casket at Refuel “back in the day” – we still see death, maybe some of you more than others.
  • Sin causes an impending eternal death.
    • Rev. 21:15 – Anyone not in the book of life is thrown into the Lake of Fire
    • Jesus mentioned hell more than he did Heaven! Mind blown

How do you see people? Do we care about the hell people are going through, and the hell they’re headed to?

There is HOPE

3. Our sin isn’t the end of the story.

Look at Gen. 3:9 – “Where are you?” -> Adam hid, but God came looking.

A Pictures of Jesus in Genesis 3…  (protoevangelium – first gospel)

  1. The Seed (3:15)
  • Before God cursed man (3:16-19), he promised Jesus.
  • Gal. 3:13 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”
  1. The Sacrifice (3:21)
  • Innocent animals died so Adam & Eve could be in fellowship w/God (the clothing).
  • Heb. 10:4,10 – For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins…we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 

The Lies We Believe

  • I am who I am because there are things I DON’T do (identity crisis). 
  • I am a Christian because I work hard not to sin (works based salvation).
  • Sin feels good, it won’t hurt anything (short term pleasure). 
  • Since God forgives, I can do whatever I want (cheap grace).

The Truths We Should Know

  • I am who I am because God calls me His. (Rom. 8:16-17; 1 Jn. 3:1)
    • (Rom.) 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
    • (1 Jn. 3:1)See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
  • I am a Christian because God’s grace saves me from my sin. (Eph. 2:8)
    • 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
  • Sin is destructive, and will eventually expose itself in the long run (James 1:14-15)
    • 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
  • God does forgive me for my sin, but I want to value and hold true what he says is right (Psalm 119:11). 
    • I have hidden your word in my heart, that I may not sin against you.

Sins separate us from God. But Jesus made a way for us to be restored.

APPLICATION – Defeating Sin: Easy as ABC

#1 – Advance the gospel.

  • Care about the hell people are going through, and the hell they’re headed to.
  • How?
    • Invite to Refuel, Church at LMBC
    • Develop relationships with those who are unsaved (they are closer to you than you think!)
    • Pray – ask God to move in their lives and to reveal himself to them.
    • Ask God to use you – He wants to!

#2 – Believe in Jesus.

  • Sin is big, but Jesus is bigger – Remember what Easter is about? He made a way to defeat sin and death. 
  • There’s only one way to be saved, and it’s by believing in Jesus (Acts 16:31). Trust him tonight.

#3 – Confess sin often.

  • Christians! Is the Holy Spirit working on your heart, exposing a sin in your life?
  • Confess it to God and remove the space between you and him (1 Jn. 1:9).

LANDING

As the music plays…

  • Pray for people in your life who do not know Jesus.
  • If you’ve been struggling, rededicate your life to God.
  • If you’re not a Christian, ask Jesus to be your Savior.