God's First Messages to Man - (2) Forty Messages From Genesis Chapters 1 to 11 — Zac Poonen

It's a wonderful thing To find God speaking to man in the very first chapters of Scripture and Some foundational truths in the first 11 chapters of Genesis. We looked at 10 of them last Sunday from Genesis 1.

Ten Lessons from Genesis Chapters 2 and 3

We want to look through 40 altogether in these four messages today, we're going to look at 10 more from Genesis chapters 2 and 3. The first thing we see here After God had completed all his work and man was created on the sixth day and He looked at everything that he saw saw it was very good and In Genesis 1 31 We read then the seventh day.

Genesis 2 verse 2 God completed his work and he rested on the seventh day from all his work, which he had done and As I've often said that was man's first day. Because he was created towards the end of the sixth day.

So man's first day was a day of rest. And so the first lesson we learn Is that God wants you to fellowship with him first. Before you do anything That is more important to you to him Than any amount of work that you may do for him or any sacrifices that you make anything else God wants you to fellowship with him first of all.

Fellowship with God Before Christian Service

But do you think Christians have learned that lesson. I don't think so. In the story of Mary and Martha we read how Martha was so busy in the kitchen working not for herself but for the Lord and his disciples and That is how many Christians think that if I am doing something not for myself, but for the Lord and his disciples or if I sacrifice something for the Lord or help the poor or Give money for God's work.

God must be immensely happy with me. Wrong he was not happy with Martha at all. In fact, he rebuked her. You believe it's possible that the Lord will rebuke you. For spending years serving him and sacrificing Serving his people helping the poor giving money and At the end of it all he says all your troubled and worried about many things.

I have no time for you. You know what I really wanted from you your fellowship. What would you think of a wife who? Serves his her husband. Very diligently sacrificially, but has no interest in him no interest in fellowship with him.

I Don't think any good husband would want a wife like that. God doesn't. God wants fellowship first of all. That's the first lesson he taught man as soon as he was created. If there's work in the garden, let it wait till tomorrow.

There's work to be done during the day. Good wait. Learn to fellowship with me. First of all, let that be a rule in your life. It's there in the first chapters of Genesis. But even after 6 ,000 years.

Even those who claim to be spiritual Christians have not learned it and It's very easy to find out who are the Mary's and who are the Martha's? When Martha's come together they're always talking about what they did for the Lord.

I Did this and I went for that meeting and we organized some public meetings here and some prayer meetings here. And we did that and did that did that did that these are the Martha's? When the Mary's come together They say this is what the Lord spoke to me.

I was so encouraged. I thought I'd share it with you. Somebody else says that's what the Lord shared tips with me. You know, that's why we decided that we would never send a report of our work. Every word for the week has zero report of our work.

We're only sharing with people what the Lord spoke to us. Because it's not that reporting the work is wrong, but there's such an overemphasis on that 99 .99 of Christian workers are only reporting the work.

It's good to balance it at least with point zero one percent of people who speak about what God was speaking to them. That's about the percentage of Mary's there are in Christendom today because we haven't learned that first lesson.

And you know if Adam had learned that lesson. Isn't it interesting that the devil never never came to trouble Adam on that first day of his life because he was with God and the God's purpose was that God.

Adam would carry the presence of God with him when he went into the garden the next day. But he forgot all about that the devil will be far away. If you are living in a Sabbath rest with God. And that is the meaning of the Sabbath which our dear seven-day Adventist friends have not understood.

It's not a question of keeping the seventh day not working not lighting a fire not cooking anything. That was a picture of what was to be fulfilled in the new covenant of an inward rest. That comes through fellowship with God.

Our all our unrest Is because fellowship with God is not primary in our life. All our anxiety all our tension even Defeat with anger and lust very often is because we haven't given a priority to fellowship with God.

We think That the most important thing God wants us to serve him. There's a motto called saved to serve. I Don't agree with it. I say save to fellowship with God to be like him. From that will flow service.

Which is far more effective. I wouldn't dream of serving God if I was not living in fellowship with him. So please remember that it's the first lesson that we read that God wanted man to learn. God rested.

It doesn't mean he doesn't work. It's work from a place of rest. Let me show you a verse. When John's Gospel in chapter 5. Where we read. You know when Jesus healed the lame man at the pool of Bethesda it was on a Sabbath day.

Jesus had a great delight in healing people on the Sabbath day because he had this tremendous ministry of irritating the Pharisees. It's a very important ministry in the body of Christ. Not all are called to do it, but some are called to do it.

Jesus used to irritate the Pharisees constantly by healing people on Sabbath day and he healed these this man on the Sabbath day and people came to Jesus and Asked him how can you do these things. They persecute John John 5 16?

They persecuted Jesus just because he healed somebody on the Sabbath day. They couldn't understand the Sabbath. See what Jesus said. Let me paraphrase verse 17. My father has had no Sabbath ever since man sinned.

He's been working working working working working, and I am also working. So outwardly Jesus never had a Sabbath he worked seven days a week. Inwardly He was having a Sabbath all the time. This is the new covenant life where We never stop working.

For the Lord we never retire never in The Lord's Word we're always working all the time seven days a week 365 days of the year but inwardly at rest. That's the meaning of the Sabbath. Now the second lesson.

The Breath of God and the Holy Spirit

We learned from Genesis 2 and 3 is this. In Genesis chapter 2 and verse 7 We read the Lord breathed into Adam the breath of life and man became a living being on the sixth day God created the animals first and then man.

Now you know according to my thinking I the thought God should have made the animals along with the fish and all on the fifth day and Given one day specially for man alone. Honor him by saying on the sixth day Adam.

I only made you and Eve. But God didn't do that the first part of the sixth day he made the animals and Then the second part of the sixth day he made man and the animals were made of the same dust. That man is made and if you look inside the animals their internal organs are almost 100 like that of man.

But there was one big difference. God breathed into man and he became a living soul. Thereby God was this the second lesson? Only the breath of God Makes you different from animals. Only the breath of God makes you different from animals.

And today The breath of God is the Holy Spirit. We read the same Jesus Who breathed into Adam in Genesis 2 7 the Son of God? When he came to earth in Genesis John 20 he breathed upon his disciples and Said receive the Holy Spirit.

That is in the New Covenant breathing into Adam Immediately made him different from all the other Adam all the animals in the world even though Physical features internal organs may have been very similar one thing made him different.

I want to tell you there's only one thing that will make you different. When Jesus breathes into you and fills you with the Holy Spirit. That will make you different from other Christians. It'll make you different from other human beings if not.

Even though you have the breath that Adam got which all human beings have got you will live at the level of animals. Animals are crazy after sex. You can see that with the dogs on the roads you think men are not.

What's the difference between many men and dogs. They are crazy, too. They would chase after any woman if they had the opportunity. But once they are filled with the Holy Spirit the breath of God lifts them into another level.

That's the answer to overcoming pornography and sexual Unhealthy sinful sexual fashion. You can go to any number of meetings and hear pep talks and challenges and Get people frighten you into not sinning.

It won't work. It'll keep you for a little while. To be frightened into avoiding sin keeps you from sin for a little while. Threats of judgment or you get sick. You'll get AIDS. Yeah, it's all okay. But ultimately the only thing that lift you way above the level of animals and all other fallen human beings is the breath of God being filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

See how interesting that is. Genesis 1 begins with that when the world was cut up the Spirit of God breathed and Here also in Genesis 2 you see the importance of the breath of God. That's another lesson very few Christians Have understood or They testify to one experience in the ancient past.

When they had some emotional experience, which they call the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I Want to breathe every day. And I want the breath of God in my spirit every day. That's one of the lessons God is teaching right at the beginning.

It's the only thing The only thing that will make me different from animals and yet look at the things that Christians boast about that Bible knowledge. Bible knowledge won't even make you different from the devil.

He's got more Bible knowledge than any of us. Activity. No Christian can beat the activities of the cults the Islamic fundamentalists. Communists they work much higher. It's only one thing that can distinguish us from the rest of humanity and animals is the breath of God the Holy Spirit.

Penetrating permeating every part of our being. I want to encourage you my dear brothers pursue that seek constantly every day. To be filled with the Holy Spirit. Honor the Holy Spirit. Imagine if Jesus was living in the next street and You didn't bother about him except once in a while drop by and visit him.

That's how a lot of people treated him when he was on the earth. Today the third person of the Trinity is not in the next street. He's right there and Most of the time he is ignored. We wouldn't dream of ignoring Jesus physically if he was there.

Imagine if Jesus came to visit your home. Would you leave him alone sitting in the sitting room ignore him? No. But I am absolutely convinced most believers Ignore the Holy Spirit. They don't resist him.

They just ignore him. They got many things to do. No wonder our Christian life is so shallow. No, when you try to read God's Word without going to the author sitting next to you. Crazy Christians who try to use their brain instead of the author the Holy Spirit is right there.

You don't ask him the meaning. You go to books to study the meaning. That's one example of ignoring the Holy Spirit number three in Genesis 2 verse 17 The Lord told him from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.

Because in the day you eat from it, you will surely die. God made tens of thousands of trees in that Garden of Eden and he could have told Adam just go ahead and eat. Whatever you like that would have been no test of obedience.

But if when God said there are tens of thousands of trees and you can eat all of them. But one tree don't eat it then that becomes a test when one thing you tell somebody not to do it's a very very small test of obedience and The lesson we learned there is only through testing.

Can you become holy? Only through testing can you become holy. God could not make Adam holy. That had to come when Adam responded positively to that test. That's why testing is so important or what we call temptation.

The word temptation and testing is the same. It's the same word and We should not be afraid of it. Children are afraid of examinations. But parents are not. They force their children to go for the examination, even if they've got fever.

Because they know the class the final examination is so important. Only through testing. Can you be holy? So if you pray God make me holy. Well, then be ready for temptation. Otherwise don't pray that prayer.

Only through temptation and testing can you become holy? So there's something God has to say to you don't do that and then he tests you on that one point. He's not testing you on all the other good things that you did.

I mean if Adam went and ate all the other hundreds of trees there and said Oh God, I obeyed you. But he disobeyed in one point He failed. It's no use saying I obeyed God in a hundred areas. It's like Adam saying I ate from a hundred trees that you made God.

Yes, but you disobeyed in this one area. That's what God says. So often we boast about the hundred areas where we have obeyed God. But the one area where God said don't do it you do it. You can't be holy.

Only through testing comes holiness and what God has forbidden Is a tremendous lust in man. To do what God Told him not to do. I mean it's it's in children. Supposing one day you're leaving home for a little while and you tell your little children.

Listen, listen, you can do whatever you like in this House there's one little drawer in my eye in the kitchen. Don't open it. You know what those children are going to do as soon as you leave that'll be the very first thing they run for.

You see that nature there. That's exactly what happened to Adam. I Think they went straight for that tree. They didn't even look at the other trees straight. God's forbidden something. Hey, there must be something there.

You find you see the reason why your nature longs. To go to those areas that God has forbidden. If only you would see that if you would say no to what God has said no to you'd become holy. And Almighty God himself cannot make you holy without your responding.

We sometimes say oh, I wish God would just make me holy. But he'd have to make you a robot. To automatically obey him that would not be holiness. Think of the planets. They've obeyed God for thousands of years, but they're not holy.

No planet is holy. Jupiter Mars. They're not holy. Why even though they obeyed God they never disobeyed God for one second. Because they have no power of choice. Animals can't be holy because even though they have a power of choice.

They don't have a conscience. You need a conscience plus free will to be holy and Then you must exercise your free will and your conscience to say no to what God says no to. Of course we can ask God for help.

That's why the Holy Spirit's called a helper. You remember those verses. You must see the context of these two verses. Luke John 14 verse 15 and. Sometimes we read verses independently and miss the context.

Let me paraphrase for you John 14 verse 15 if you love me. You will keep my commandments and my commandments are so tough. That is impossible for you to keep them. That's why next verse. I'm gonna ask the father to give you a helper.

A Helper to keep my commandments. Not a helper to help you speak in tongues. Not a helper to help you do miracles or heal the sick. A helper to help you keep my commandments. Read a verse in its context.

The first time he spoke to his disciples about the Holy Spirit. He was telling them about giving them a helper to keep his commandments. So when Adam came to the tree that was forbidden if he had said Lord Help me.

I'm being drawn to this tree. God help me. You know the story might have been very different in Genesis chapter 3 and When you are tempted drawn to something, you know in your conscience God is forbidden.

If you will cry out for help You'll find the helper is very nearby. The Holy Spirit's not far away. He delights to answer every cry for help. You'll find that you'll become holy. Because you choose to the Holy God makes you holy, but he won't do it unless you choose number four.

Holiness Through Testing and Obedience

In Genesis Chapter 2 we read about God Saying verse 18. It's not good for man to be alone. I Will make him a helper same title as the Holy Spirit suitable for him and then It says God made all the now notice the sequence.

I'll make him a helper then God brought all the animals that he had created. He had created them before he created Adam and said Adam I want you to give them all a name and they all came in pairs. You know the lions and the lion and the lioness the dog the cats they all came in pairs.

Everyone had a pair. Adam named them to the cattle the birds and the beasts he gave names and Adam looked at all of that and at the end Of it. He said hey, I'm the only one who's alone. And he wasn't attracted any of those ones that passed by.

But for Adam notice it says in verse 20 the middle but for Adam there was no helper which means he looked at all of that and said no, I don't want any of these and when he said no to that then God made him a helper put him into a deep sleep and took out a rib and Closed up the flesh and fashioned a woman.

Husband and Wife as One Flesh

Now the lesson we learned there is God wants husband and wife to be one just like head and body. Because that's why he took Eve the rib out of Adam's body. He had made Adam first took The rib out of the body and made a helper.

Always to remember that she came from his side. God wants husband and wife to be one. Like head and body. That's there in Genesis 3. Like the other questions I ask has man learned that lesson. Have Christians learned that lesson.

All these are God's first messages to man. But even Christians haven't learned that lesson. How many of you husbands have recognized that your wife is to be like your body. You have to you care for your body you protect your body so you must care for your wife and protect your wife.

You're useless without your body. You'd be useless without your wife. In your home. How many wives recognize that? I'm not separate from my husband. I'm part of him. I mean Yeah, you were born From a mother.

But yet it was another Another person inside your mother's womb. When you were born there was only a little umbilical cord connecting you to your mother, but it was a separate creation. Something else that God made there Detached from your mother linked only with a cord.

But when it came to your husband You're part of him. Closer than to your mother a rib. That's why it says a man must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. And a woman must Leave forget about her parents and be united with his husband.

That's the way God wanted it to be. I Tell you it's difficult to find even 1 of born-again believers. Whose married life is like that? They haven't learned from God's first messages to man. God wants Man to be like husband like head and body with the man being the head.

That's you see in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 17. You know God didn't tell Adam your sin. Is that you ate from the tree. No. Most people you ask them. What is it? What is the sin that Adam committed? It's a way he ate from the tree.

That was sin number two. What is this first sin? Genesis 3 17 you listen to your wife. Did you know that was Adam's first sin. Is that such a great sin. To listen to your wife. Not if she tells you to obey God.

Oh, then it's a very good thing. But if he's trying to say something to you to lead you away from your creator. That's a terrible sin and there are a lot of wives like Job's wife. Who tried to lead him away from God?

There have been many evil women like that Jezebel who took Ahab away and in The Revelation chapter 2 you read elders wife was like a Jezebel. There are many like that in Christendom also. You listen to your wife.

You were supposed to be the head. You should have stopped her When you saw her talking to that snake. When she was being tempted that discussion was going on and Adam Stood there with his mouth open wondering what to do like a lot of husbands today.

Who are not head of the home? Who allow all types of things to go on in their home and They say what to do brother. What God appointed you as the head. Why in the world did you get married if you had no interest in being the head of your home?

Why in the world did you have children if you had no interest in being their head? You shouldn't have got married. You shouldn't have had children if you had no ability to be the head. Go and be a sanyasi or something somewhere a sadhu.

But if you're going to be married, you must be the head of your wife. You're gonna have children. You must be the head of your children you determine. What happens in that home? God's first messages to man.

You listen to the voice of your wife Adam. You're gonna go out of the garden right now. It's a serious thing. God wants husband and wife to be one with the husband as the head. That's why the first commandment given in the Bible is in Genesis 2 24 a man shall leave his father and mother and Be joined to his wife.

He's got to leave before he cleaves. And they shall be one they shall be one. In those days they could only be one flesh. But now that the Holy Spirit has come if husband and wife are filled with the Holy Spirit, they can be one in the spirit to united.

With a wife helping the husband in his ministry. God did not create the man. To help the wife in her ministry. You see that all of very many places in the world today. Some is happening very much in the Gulf and American Indians will marry some nurse and tell her wife please go and get a job somewhere in the Gulf and Then I'll come and join you.

I look after the babies when they are born, but you please earn the living. This is their Christians doing this. Because you might as well make her the head. You listen to the voice of your wife. You made her the head.

God created the woman to be the helper for the man. Not the man to be the helper for the woman. That's why the Bible says act like men. It says in 1 Corinthians 16. Very important word in today's world where you have so many effeminate Men who allow the woman to run them, you know to determine what happens in the home number five Genesis 3.

Satan Questions God's Word

Satan questions God's Word that is the Fifth lesson. I want you to see Satan questions God's Word. Genesis chapter 3. The serpent. Satan coming through the serpent says in verse 1 has God really said this and He's been saying that for 6 ,000 years.

Has God really said this. Right from cover to cover. He will question God's Word and That is how he leads us into sin. By making us put some doubt into our mind is that really God's Word. It could be the opinion of some man it could be the word of a man there are so many areas where The devil tries to modify God's Word and say well that was only for that time and it's not for now.

And it's a cultural thing and all that type of stuff so many things. But ultimately his aim is to lead you away from God because once he's sowed a seed of doubt in your mind about God's Word. Is that really God who said it and you begin to think about it?

Yeah, I must give some serious thought to this suggestion the devil has given me perhaps. It's not God. He's got the victory then it's just a short time before he will lead you into sin. I have studied this book the Bible for 52 years, and I can honestly say I Have never found anything in it, which is not the Word of God.

It is the Word of God. I Must read oh I mustn't read verses and pick out a meaning. If you read the context you understand the meaning of a verse and If you understand the context and the meaning of a verse it is God's Word every bit of it.

Whether it is a command saying I must love my neighbor or a command as small as a Woman must wail her head wail her head when she prays or prophesies. It doesn't make a difference to me, but it's a big command or a small command the question is who said it Almighty God.

So I don't make a distinction between big commands and small commands. I make a distinction between big people and small people who said it some small fellow said it forget it. I'm not interested Almighty God said it.

I'm gonna take that seriously. Small things big things. I'm not saying that we make big issues out of small things. We don't major on minors. No, we major on the major things in Scripture. But we do minor on the minor things in Scripture as well because all of Scripture is God's Word but what I'm trying to say is the devil's aim is always to get you to Compromise a little bit on God's Word and the danger there is this.

If you have compromised in one passage of Scripture any passage of Scripture in the New New Testament Particularly and see that's not for us today. You must allow another fellow also to compromise on another passage of Scripture and say that's not for us today.

For example marriage he may say marriage is not for today. Why should we get married? We just live together where it is in the Bible does it say you must have a marriage certificate and You'll have to allow him to do that because you compromised on some other passage of Scripture saying that's not for today.

I See a lot of Christians like that. They determine some passage of Scripture. That's not for today. But if somebody else says marriage is not for today, they say hey, you can't do that. God's Word says that but if he has some sense, he'll say but you said this passage of Scripture is not for today.

Then your mouth is shut. The devil is very clever. He's smarter than all of us and if you're not in touch with the Holy Spirit He will just lead you astray. From so remember this and what the devil says is sin is not serious here.

He says, you know, he questions God's Word saying has God really said that you can't you you will die. Oh No, you won't die. You won't die. He makes you feel that sin is not serious. For example you eat of it.

God said you'll die. You will not die. Look look how certainly he said it. Verse 4 Genesis 3 4. Certainly you will not die. Boy with what assurance the devil says certainly you will not die. Can you think of something in the New Testament like that which he's telling believers today you shall not die.

Exactly the same words Romans 8 and verse 13. Romans chapter 8 and there in Genesis 2 was if you eat of this tree of knowledge good and evil you will surely die. Romans 8 13 is written to brethren born-again believers verse 12.

So then brethren. What is he's telling born-again believers if you born-again brethren verse 13 live according to the flesh. You will surely die and the devil says You will surely not die. Because you accepted Christ.

So you are safe forever. Doesn't matter if you live according to the flesh. It's the same old devil. With the same old words and there are theologians among Christians who also say You will not die if you live according to the flesh.

Because you remember 30 years ago. You said those magic words Lord Jesus come into my heart. The devil's fooled the theologians as well. Be careful when God says something he means it and Adam and Eve discovered it and all the Christians who've been fooled by the theologians who tell them you shall surely not die.

Will discover it when Christ comes again. So listen to God's Word number six. Satan questions God's love. Now that's implied in the statement here. You know, it's not directly evident, but the meaning is this.

Satan Questions God's Love

The implication is this it says in verse 6 the tree was good for food delight to the eyes. Desirable to make one wise wonderful qualities in the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Good for food wasn't poisonous.

Delight to the eyes. Can you think of sinful things that are a delight to your eyes? Sinful things that you feel like having whiskey and things like that. And Desirable to make you wise. To give you a kick some drug or something like that.

And The devil says why would a loving God? If he really loves you. Not allow you to have something which is so delightful and so tasty. So good for you. The implication is God doesn't really love you because he knows Verse 5 that if you eat it your eyes will be open and you will be like him.

And he doesn't want any competition. Can you imagine believing some stupid lie like that? You will be like him. The devil wanted to be like God. Now he puts the same poison into the mind of Adam and Eve.

You'll be like him. God doesn't love you. You find that sometimes the devil whispering in your mind. Why didn't God allow you to have that you prayed for it for how many years. And yet God didn't give it to you.

Wasn't it something delightful. Wasn't it something so pleasant which you asked for? God said no. He doesn't really love you or he doesn't have time for you. Once you allow that seed in your mind. You're in great danger.

So God's first messages to man. The sixth thing he warns us is remember. Satan will question my love for you. Don't ever doubt it. We must be established in the truth that we never never never doubt the love of God.

He not only questions God's Word. He questions God's love. What shall we do when he questions God's love. What what should Eve have done. And Satan's suggesting to her. Why would a loving God not give you this wonderful fruit?

What she should have replied is Satan. I don't know. My mind is not clever enough. My cup is not big enough to contain the ocean of God's wisdom. My cup is so small my mind. I can only understand a little bit of God's wisdom.

But one thing I know my God loves me so much. And If he did not answer my prayer. If my child died in spite of all my prayers, I don't know why God could have done healed him, but he didn't heal him. I Still don't question God's love one day when I stand before him.

He will explain to me Why his will was best? And I will thank him. And Above the rest this note shall swell in that day. My Jesus has done all things. Well, I believe Every Christian will say that in eternity Jesus has done all things.

Well the man of faith Says it now. Whatever may happen My Lord has done all things. Well, I know he loves me even at times when I can't understand one bit. Why God did that why God allowed that why God didn't do that?

Resisting Bodily Desires and the Love of Created Things

Number seven in this temptation one of the warnings that comes to us is Beware of what your bodily senses are feel attracted towards. Beware of things that your bodily senses feel attracted towards. There are a lot of things that our bodily senses feel attracted towards which can lead us to sin and away from God.

Even food. The Bible speaks in Philippians 3 about those whose stomach is their God. Who worship their stomach. Beware of worshiping what God has created more than the Creator. One reason why God has allowed many things he has created to be so attractive.

Like the tree of knowledge of good and evil was to test us whether we will value the created more than the Creator. Even in the Christian life you can value the gifts God gives you more than the giver himself.

Like we AB Simpson sings in that song once I sought for healing now, I seek for him. There's a lot of difference between seeking for healing and seeking for the healer. I Don't want healing. I don't want gifts.

I want the giver. Look at the number of people in Christendom today pursuing after healing pursuing after gifts and pursuing after the things God has created very attractive. Oh, I want this. I want this.