A Fresh Start

2021-01-03 

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Last week’s key verse: Phil. 3:13 (CSB) Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead 

1. What are you hiding from? 

Genesis 3:8-10 (CSB) Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”  10 And he said, “I heard You in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 

• Our past will always keep us from moving forward, if we let it
• Adam could not have truly believed that hiding would keep God from finding out what he had done
• What are you hiding from?
  • Sin, fear, calling 

2. Stop playing the “blame game” 

Genesis 3:11-13 (CSB) Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”  12 Then the man replied, “The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”  13 So the Lord God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “It was the serpent. He deceived me, and I ate.” 

• Adam quickly blamed Eve for this transgression, but he also tried to put the blame back on God (…the woman you gave to be with me…)
• Eve blamed the serpent (Satan) for her sin
• Where was really the cause of this sin?
  • Pride, isolation, independence from God rather than dependence on God
  • Our sin is never caused by the actions of others, it is always caused by the consent of self 

3. God has promised His presence…and His power 

• God promised Adam and Eve that He would care for them, even in their punishment (Gen. 3:14-19)
• He also promised us all He would care for us, even in our sin 

Genesis 8:21-22 (CSB) When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, He said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, even though man’s inclination is evil from his youth. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done. 22 As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.” 

• Psalm 23 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me…”
• God promises to always be with us, no matter the circumstance
• So, the greatest thing we can do is stop hiding, stop blaming, and start living the life God has called us to live 

John 14:16-18 (CSB) And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.