From Eden to the Kingdom

Order and Life

Genesis 6:1-8: Men and fallen angels may sow disorder and violence that God judges, but Christ has come to bring order and life through his life, death, and resurrection.

The Curse Of Freedom

From Genesis 5, Human freedom is lauded as the greatest good (even the greatest gift of God) in our day, but the example of Lamech shows the true curse that freedom is. Enoch, on the other hand, is given as the example of a life that is dependent on God, and one that is delivered from the judgment of God.

Worldly Wisdom and Ultimate Guilt

From Genesis 3:1-24. Seeking wisdom apart from God leads to guilt and shame. Though we try to cover our guilt and shame, we cannot escape it. Even in the midst of God's judgment on Adam's sin, he still provides grace through the promise of a seed of the woman. That Seed was Jesus Christ, who bore our guilt and shame on the cross. Because we have been forgiven and restored, we can now work to forgive and reconcile others.

Relationship as God Intended

From Genesis 2:18-25, we see relationship as God intended it to be. The pagans of the time believed that men and women were created for conflict and today's society believes that we cannot escape our instincts, but God created man and woman as a picture of himself. God is relational and covenantal, and we can see this in his relationship to Israel. We see it fully in Jesus Christ, who died to sanctify his people, the Church.

A New Beginning

From Genesis 1:26-31. We, like the ancient pagans, find satisfying purpose in this life, even though we believe that we can define life by our own terms. God has created us in his image, and yet we don't exemplify that image in the world. Jesus has come to rightly bear the image of God, and in so doing he has restored the image of God in us. We respond by bringing all things within our rule under the authority of God's Word.

Cain and Abel

The story of Cain and Abel from Genesis 4.

The Woman at the Well

During a trip to India, I had the opportunity to preach at a local seminary. The sermon is from John 4:1-26, on the Woman and the Well.

The Worth of a Sheep

The Parable of the Lost Sheep from Luke 15:1-7