Restoration Through Christ: Addressing Humanity's Spiritual Loss

The eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons and they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and their demand his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. [00:18:12]

The first thing that followed as the consequence from this act of rebellion and sin was this they at once became conscious of a loss now there's a very interesting phrase yeah the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked what does that mean well nobody knows exactly what it means but at any rate it suggests this doesn't it that they were conscious at once that they were deprived of something that they had before. [00:31:44]

There is nothing more obvious about men as he's in this world tonight then that every one of us has got this sense of loss haven't we all got an idea that somehow or another we are missing something we've all got an idea that there is something better something higher we all know something about the longing for what a poet is called an amplifier and a diviner air you can't explain it away you've got it everybody's got it. [00:51:11]

What's the meaning of this restlessness that in human nature what's the meaning of this searching constantly for something which we haven't gotten which we don't seem to find what's it all based upon well there's only one adequate answer ma'am has got this innate feeling that he was meant for something bigger than something higher what is it well I'll tell you what it is there is in every one of us a recollection a memory of what we once were. [00:57:17]

Having become aware of this loss they then tried to deal with it they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves April you see at once they were aware of this and they felt well now something must be done about this we can't remain like this how can we cover over this thing that we've lost so they did what we are told here and thus they made their effort and their attempt to cover themselves. [01:16:00]

What's men been doing any supposed civilization he simply been sighing together fig leaves to hide his own nakedness that is precisely the meaning of what we call civilization consider some of the ways which men has tried in order to do this he is always tried to do it along cultural lines he says yes what we've lost of course is knowledge there must be some understanding somewhere life is an enigma life's a problem things seem to be contradictory men himself is contradictory. [01:32:29]

Men as always believed and still believes that some or another by means of legislation he can put things right all these deficiencies that we are aware of all these legs well he says let's get together let's organize this thing that's politics that's political action that's the philosophy of politics it's the attempt I say to put together the fig leaves once more to cover over the nakedness to make life whole and complete and rounded and so deal with this sense that we have been deprived of something. [01:41:44]

Man has a sense of guilt and a sense of fear 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 you remember that formerly they'd accepted the statement of the devil ye shall not surely die there's no need to be afraid miss it you just use your mind and assert yourself and stand up for yourself and express yourself and there's absolutely nothing to fear at all but they heard the Vice and they ran and they hid themselves why well sense of fear sin. [01:55:53]

We like to say on paper and we do say in theory don't we well that we are masters of our fate and captains of ourselves that we no longer are going to be governed by these phobias and fears that we take a thoroughly rational scientific view of life and that we do what we want to do and believe in doing and we're not going to be frightened by anything but unless unfortunately like Adam and Eve before us it's one thing to say that but it's a very different thing to experience that. [02:10:59]

The whole tragedy of mankind tonight is this that man is in this contradictory position he says he is not afraid and yet he's terrified he says he doesn't believe in sin and in God but he's got a sense of condemnation he's got a vise within him that accuses him and condemns him he is filled with a sense of shame he's unhappy he said to himself last night there's nothing wrong in bed a temptation came he said it's all right I'm no longer living in the mid Wiktoria Neera I'm not going to be frightened by the Shibboleth of the religion I'm not going to be alarmed. [02:22:22]

The next thing is this and it's here we see the unutterable folly of men in sin in his trouble and in his misery and wretchedness he runs away from and hides from God and they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the evening and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God from the midst of the trees but God called to him again Adam where after and this is the saddest and the most tragic thing of all about men he runs away from God he runs away from the call of God the voice of the God that comes to him in the garden in the cool of the day in his shame and misery and wretchedness. [02:50:55]

There is nothing under heaven tonight and there is no one saved Jesus Christ and him crucified who can meet your need you are aware of the restlessness the thirst the hunger the searching for something you cannot find what are you searching for what you really need oh let Agustin answer again in the great word thou has made us for thyself and our souls are restless until they find the rest in thee my dear friend you are made on that scale there is nobody that can satisfy you there is nothing less than the mighty almighty eternal God himself and you see he does so in Jesus Christ he brings you back to himself. [03:08:55]