by Fleming Island United Methodist Church on Jul 14, 2024
### Summary
Today, we explored the profound narrative of the Garden of Eden and its significance in the broader context of God's covenants with humanity. We began by acknowledging the power and majesty of God, praising Him for breaking the chains of sin and death through Jesus Christ, our living hope. As we transitioned from worship to the study of Scripture, we delved into the story of Eden, situated in the fertile land of Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. This story, though ancient and undateable, sets the stage for understanding the foundational covenants between God and humanity.
We discussed the five major covenants of the Old Testament—Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David—and how they trace the journey of God's people. The first covenant with Adam, though not explicitly stated as a covenant in the text, lays the groundwork for understanding God's relationship with humanity. This covenant, though broken by Adam and Eve's desire for control and knowledge, sets the stage for the entire biblical narrative of redemption.
Moses, who recorded the book of Genesis, emphasized the structure of authority established by God during creation. Each day of creation not only brought forth new elements but also established a hierarchy of authority, culminating in humanity's dominion over the earth and God's ultimate authority over all. This structure was disrupted by the fall, leading to a broken relationship between humanity and creation, and between humanity and God.
The narrative of the Old Testament is a continuous effort by God to restore this broken relationship, culminating in the new covenant through Jesus Christ, the second Adam. This new covenant restores humanity to its intended place as people of God, living in His presence. As we reflect on this, we are reminded of our own struggles with control and the need to surrender to God's authority.
In our time of communion, we are invited to let go of our need for control and embrace the grace of the new covenant. As we partake in the bread and the cup, we remember Christ's sacrifice and the restoration it brings. We are called to live as people of the new covenant, sharing God's love and hope with a broken world.
### Key Takeaways
1. **The Significance of the First Covenant**: The covenant with Adam, though not explicitly stated, is foundational. It establishes the relationship between God and humanity, highlighting humanity's role in caring for creation and living in God's presence. This covenant, though broken, sets the stage for the entire biblical narrative of redemption. [31:25]
2. **Authority and Creation**: The seven days of creation not only describe the formation of the world but also establish a hierarchy of authority. Humanity is given dominion over the earth, but God retains ultimate authority. This structure is disrupted by the fall, leading to a broken relationship that God seeks to restore throughout the biblical narrative. [36:26]
3. **The Role of Oral Tradition**: Before the written word, stories like those in Genesis were passed down orally. Moses' recording of these stories marks a significant transition, preserving the foundational narratives of God's covenants with humanity. This oral tradition underscores the importance of remembering and retelling God's acts of faithfulness. [34:00]
4. **The New Covenant through Christ**: Jesus, the second Adam, restores the broken covenant. His life, death, and resurrection bring humanity back into right relationship with God. This new covenant emphasizes grace and redemption, calling us to live as people transformed by Christ's sacrifice. [45:29]
5. **Surrendering Control**: The fall of humanity is rooted in a desire for control and knowledge. This struggle continues today as we seek to understand and control our lives. True peace and restoration come from surrendering to God's authority and trusting in His plan, even when we do not see the full picture. [48:00]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[25:02] - Opening Prayer and Children's Dismissal
[28:46] - Introduction to the Garden of Eden
[29:31] - The Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia
[30:29] - The Five Major Covenants
[31:25] - The First Covenant with Adam
[32:19] - Understanding Ancient Contracts
[33:05] - The Profile of a Covenant
[34:00] - Oral Tradition and Moses' Role
[35:35] - Genesis 1 as an Introduction
[36:26] - The Seven Days of Creation
[37:14] - Authority in Creation
[38:43] - The Suzerain Vassal Contract
[39:29] - The Seventh Day and Rest
[40:26] - The Story of Authority
[41:33] - The Land Grant of Eden
[42:19] - The Broken Covenant
[43:06] - The Consequences of the Fall
[44:01] - God's Effort to Restore
[45:29] - The New Covenant through Christ
[46:10] - The Temptation of Knowledge
[47:27] - Trusting God's Plan
[48:00] - The Struggle for Control
[49:08] - Preparing for Communion
[50:10] - Confession and Forgiveness
[51:24] - The Lord's Table
[52:04] - Communion Instructions
[54:02] - Closing Announcements
[01:04:49] - Vacation Bible School Reminder
[01:05:19] - Closing Blessing
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 1:1-31 (The Creation Story)
2. Genesis 2:1-3 (The Seventh Day, God Rests)
3. Romans 5:12-21 (The New Covenant through Christ, the Second Adam)
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the five major covenants of the Old Testament mentioned in the sermon? ([31:25])
2. How does the structure of the seven days of creation establish a hierarchy of authority? ([36:26])
3. What role did oral tradition play in the preservation of the stories in Genesis before they were written down by Moses? ([34:00])
4. How does the new covenant through Jesus Christ restore the broken relationship between humanity and God? ([45:29])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is the covenant with Adam considered foundational even though it is not explicitly stated as a covenant in the text? ([33:05])
2. How does the fall of humanity disrupt the hierarchy of authority established during creation? ([37:57])
3. In what ways does the new covenant through Christ differ from the old covenants mentioned in the sermon? ([45:29])
4. How does the desire for control and knowledge, as seen in the fall of humanity, continue to affect our relationship with God today? ([48:00])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the significance of the first covenant with Adam. How does understanding this covenant impact your view of your relationship with God and your role in creation? ([31:25])
2. The sermon mentioned the struggle for control and the need to surrender to God's authority. What areas of your life are you trying to control that you need to surrender to God? ([48:00])
3. How can you actively live out the new covenant through Christ in your daily life? What specific actions can you take to share God's love and hope with others? ([45:29])
4. The sermon emphasized the importance of oral tradition in preserving God's acts of faithfulness. How can you incorporate the practice of remembering and retelling God's faithfulness in your family or community? ([34:00])
5. During communion, we are invited to let go of our need for control and embrace God's grace. What specific steps can you take this week to let go of control and trust in God's plan for your life? ([49:08])
6. The fall of humanity was rooted in a desire for control and knowledge. Identify a situation where you are seeking control or knowledge that belongs to God. How can you shift your focus to trust in God's wisdom and timing? ([48:00])
7. The sermon mentioned the restoration of humanity through the new covenant in Christ. How can you remind yourself daily of this restoration and live as a person transformed by Christ's sacrifice? ([45:29])
Day 1: The Foundational Covenant with Adam
The covenant with Adam, though not explicitly stated in the text, is foundational for understanding God's relationship with humanity. This covenant highlights humanity's role in caring for creation and living in God's presence. Despite Adam and Eve's failure to uphold this covenant, it sets the stage for the entire biblical narrative of redemption. The brokenness introduced by their desire for control and knowledge underscores the need for God's continuous effort to restore the relationship between Him and humanity. This foundational covenant is a reminder of our intended purpose and the grace that God extends to us despite our shortcomings. [31:25]
Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV): "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'"
Reflection: How can you actively participate in God's creation today, acknowledging your role in His divine plan?
Day 2: Authority and Creation
The seven days of creation not only describe the formation of the world but also establish a hierarchy of authority. Humanity is given dominion over the earth, but God retains ultimate authority. This structure was disrupted by the fall, leading to a broken relationship that God seeks to restore throughout the biblical narrative. Understanding this hierarchy helps us recognize our place in creation and the importance of submitting to God's ultimate authority. The disruption caused by the fall serves as a reminder of the consequences of stepping outside of God's established order. [36:26]
Psalm 8:4-6 (ESV): "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to acknowledge God's ultimate authority, and how can you begin to surrender those areas to Him today?
Day 3: The Role of Oral Tradition
Before the written word, stories like those in Genesis were passed down orally. Moses' recording of these stories marks a significant transition, preserving the foundational narratives of God's covenants with humanity. This oral tradition underscores the importance of remembering and retelling God's acts of faithfulness. By understanding the role of oral tradition, we can appreciate the depth and richness of the biblical narrative and the importance of passing down our faith stories to future generations. [34:00]
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV): "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."
Reflection: What is one story of God's faithfulness in your life that you can share with someone today to encourage their faith journey?
Day 4: The New Covenant through Christ
Jesus, the second Adam, restores the broken covenant. His life, death, and resurrection bring humanity back into right relationship with God. This new covenant emphasizes grace and redemption, calling us to live as people transformed by Christ's sacrifice. The new covenant is a fulfillment of God's promise to restore humanity, offering us a path to reconciliation and eternal life. Embracing this new covenant means living in the light of Christ's sacrifice and sharing His love and hope with a broken world. [45:29]
Hebrews 8:10-12 (ESV): "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."
Reflection: How can you live out the grace and redemption of the new covenant in your daily interactions with others?
Day 5: Surrendering Control
The fall of humanity is rooted in a desire for control and knowledge. This struggle continues today as we seek to understand and control our lives. True peace and restoration come from surrendering to God's authority and trusting in His plan, even when we do not see the full picture. Surrendering control is a daily act of faith, requiring us to let go of our own desires and trust in God's greater wisdom and love. By doing so, we can experience the fullness of His peace and the joy of living in alignment with His will. [48:00]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to God? What steps can you take today to trust Him more fully in that area?
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.
You have broken every chain, the salvation in your name, Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.
You have broken every chain, the salvation in your name, Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.
You have broken every chain, the salvation in your name, Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.
You have broken every chain, the salvation in your name, Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.
You have broken every chain, the salvation in your name, Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.
You have broken every chain, the salvation in your name, Jesus Christ, my living hope.
Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free.
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me.
You have broken every chain, the salvation in your name, Jesus Christ, my living hope.
But you, God, you are all-powerful, you are a God of peace, and you are our loving Father.
As we worship you this morning, Lord, I pray that you keep that forefront in all of our minds, hearts, and souls.
As we shift from singing about who you are, I pray, Lord, that you bring the scriptures alive to us, whether we're in this room or in the children's spaces, that you show your love through your story.
You are alive in your spirit within us, and that we be refreshed and renewed and rejuvenated, and we may go into this broken world and show the love of Jesus to people.
In our own struggles, in our own shortcomings, that you give us strength and words of grace so that we may help bring comfort and healing to someone in this week.
Bless the study of your word, and bless our children and their teachers today that we may be drawn closer to you.
We pray this in your glory and honor. Amen.
We invite our children that are going to head to Kids Club to head on back.
Reminder parents, you can go on to the e-news and find a link to access what your kids watch today. Parent guides, that kind of thing.
Well, I'm sure many of you know that story by heart, right?
Probably one of the first stories, the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, that we're taught if we went to Vacation Bible School or Sunday School.
And I think even people who don't go to church know some parts of Eve eating the apple, don't they?
If you want to see those images up close, you can find them here.
You can find them in the sermon notes.
The sermon notes are not loading right now.
We've reported it to our web design people.
And I'm sure by the end of the day it will be up.
So just note that that has been sorted.
But later today you can find the images and the quotes that I'm going to be putting up, so if you want to look back at them.
So I just want to recap and remind where we are in things.
We've been talking about the threads that go out of the Old Testament and how all these things happen.
And real places.
And remembering these real places and where they are helps us to understand the Old Testament stories better.
Specifically in this green crescent that we call the Fertile Crescent because it is shaped as a crescent and the land is fertile because of the four rivers that live there in the Middle East.
Now our story today takes place in Mesopotamia.
And that word actually means the land between the rivers.
It is, according to all archeology, the first location of civilization for all that we can find of records.
And according to the scriptures, the Eden existed between the Tigris and the Euphrates along with two other rivers that don't exist today.
It was couched in the middle of four rivers, making it a very fertile land.
And the people of Mesopotamia had the very best of knowledge and technology for the region because they were the longest standing civilization.
When Israel, the people of God, came on the scene, they were the youngest civilization.
So compared to Mesopotamia and Egypt, they were the little, like, kind of hillbilly type people that came in.
I'm not calling them hillbillies, but that's the relationship, okay?
Y'all, I'm from Alabama, I can say that, alright?
So the historians refer to this area as the cradle of civilization, which matches with our biblical story.
Now, we don't know exactly where Eden was, but we do know it is here in the midst of these two rivers.
Now, we also know that these stories took place in real time.
Now, I say they took place in real time, but yet we don't actually know when the Garden of Eden story happened.
We can't date it, but we do know most of the stories can be dated.
The two we can't date of our major stories is Adam's story and Noah's story.
But we've been talking about that we can kind of place everything that happens in the Old Testament around five major stories, and I'm encouraging you to memorize these in order.
Say them with me.
The first one is Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David.
They're the five big covenants of the Old Testament, and they also track the movements of the people of Israel through the crescent.
We can't date Adam because it was so long ago.
Now, when we think about this story of Israel and where they were in everything, we realize the fact that it is the beginning of the story.
It's the beginning of everything.
And last week, we talked about the legal layout of a covenant and how it was the form of a contract in the Old Testament, not just the Old Testament, but all of the region of the Fertile Crescent, is how people outside of a tribe worked with another tribe.
And it was important for them to connect together.
And so our historian is teaching us on our Wednesday night Bible study.
By the way, if you'd like to join, it's not too late to jump in.
You don't have to do the homework.
You can just watch the videos.
This is a great week to do it because she's going to go really in-depth on Genesis, which is a cool lesson.
We meet at 6:30 in the other room.
Just a little while.
We'll throw out that for you, okay?
So she talks about that Adam is the very first covenant, but it doesn't have all the things that we learned last week.
It doesn't have somebody writing something down, and it doesn't have the two parties agreeing that if this doesn't happen, then you'll be cursed.
And if this does happen, you don't see all the portions.
You don't see the two parties and who witnessed it, all the stuff we talked about last week.
So we're going to look at how it's done.
It's laid out in the sense of why it is considered the first covenant made with God.
Now, although there's no specific declaration, this is what Sandra Richter, the historian, says about this passage.
She says, "There's no specific declaration of covenant made in Eden, but we find a profile of a covenant throughout the narrative," meaning very early in human society, you see the foundations of covenant.
See, the book of Genesis is believed to have been written down by Moses.
Think about that just for a second, because last week we talked about Moses on Mount Sinai after he took Israel out of Egypt, and God gave him the parameters for the covenant.
And it's believed that Moses recorded on stone or papyrus or whatever he had to record on, he recorded Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
They called them the law, or the books of Moses, or the Pentateuch.
And that Moses put them down.
But before Moses, Genesis is what we call passed down by oral tradition.
See, society said this for a long time because they didn't have the ability to write.
And before a language was written, we had hieroglyphics, right?
You all know what that is.
We all studied Egypt in school.
Maybe I had an art class.
My art teacher, when I was a kid, asked us to try to create our own hieroglyphics.
Anyone do that in school?
I was really bad at it because I can't draw.
But then we had these activities when we studied Egypt in the hieroglyphic languages.
And so when there was a season of only oral tradition, because people couldn't write, and then a season of hieroglyphics when they didn't have a letter-based system, and then eventually they got to a letter-based system when we have Hebrew coming around.
And so when Moses recorded Genesis, he's recording what's been passed by generation and generation for the first time.
So the reason I point this out is because chapters 2 through 50 of Genesis is the oral tradition.
And it's believed that chapter 1, when Moses recorded, chapter 1 is the introduction to the oral tradition.
The reason being is Moses is saying, "Okay, we got the covenant now. Let's see how God does it."
God has been setting up all of this with the covenant.
Now it doesn't mean chapter 1 is any less important, but we look through this lens of why 1 was put in as an introduction to the rest of Genesis, and how it teaches us about God and us.
Because there's two questions we need to ask.
Who is God, and what is his relationship to us?
This is what Genesis 1 teaches us.
Now there's a structure, obviously, the seven days of creation in Genesis 1, but I want to pose to you a different way to look at the seven days.
And I'm going to go through this a little quickly because there's a lot of information in it.
But there's a pattern for us to see.
See, in day 1, God creates day and night, light and darkness.
In day 2, he creates the waters above and the waters below.
That's also considered the heavens and the oceans.
They believe the heavens is where the deities reigned and there was like a separation between the heavens and the earth.
So there we have the waters above and the waters below.
And day 3 is land and plants.
Land and plants.
And day 4, this is where it gets interesting.
Day 4, we have the sun and the moon.
You see, the sun has authority or governing over the light.
And the moon has authority or governing over the dark.
So, now we have a parallelism.
God is saying that he is now creating the authority structure over light and darkness of the creation.
Day 5, we see birds and fish being created where the birds rule the heavens and are an authority over the skies and fish rule the seas and are an authority over the water.
You see the parallelism.
We go on to day 6.
Day 6 is actually in two parts because we get the land animals who have authority over the plants and the land.
But on the second part of day 6, we get humanity being created who have authority over everything.
The animals, the fish, the birds, the plants.
Everything that God has created to that point has authority of humanity.
But then we get to day 7.
On day 7, the suzerain rested.
Now y'all remember this word if you've been with me the past couple weeks.
If you haven't been with me the past couple weeks, we talked about a specific type of contract called the suzerain vassal.
The suzerain is the king, the lord, the authority of all.
And the vassal is the subject.
See, it was very common in that day when the suzerain has done lots of things like maybe he's conquered a new nation that he would then rest.
And in this case, day 7, the suzerain, the creator, the god of all things has rested after doing all that is very good.
Historians believe the beginning of chapter 2 is actually supposed to be part of chapter 1.
I'm not going to go into why that numbering system is.
If you come on Wednesday, we'll explain.
But listen to chapter 2, verse 1.
So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed.
On the seventh day, God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.
And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation.
And this is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.
So what does chapter 1 teach us?
It teaches us the story of authority.
Who has authority over what?
Humanity was given authority over all the earth and God had authority over humanity and creation.
Humanity couldn't control the sun and the moon.
But God could.
God had authority over all.
This is what Moses wanted to emphasize when he wrote down the book of Genesis.
They already knew the rest of it.
They already knew chapter 2 with the fall of man.
But he wanted to remind Israel who had what power and who had what responsibility and who had what control.
Because, see, remember in that suzerain vassal contract, the suzerain asked something of his vassal, but he gave something to the vassal too.
What God gave was the earth.
And what he asked in return was honor and respect.
He asked them to follow his rules.
He asked them to respect him.
To respect that he was God.
To honor that he had knowledge that they didn't have.
That he was above them.
I want to read this second quote for you here.
The suzerain, or Yahweh, God, offers his vassals, Adam and Eve, the land grant, or Eden, with the stipulation that humanity care for it and protect it.
So that's the requirements of the covenant.
This was God's perfect plan.
This was the intent of all things.
The people of God, in the place of God, dwelling in the presence of God.
Yet, as with all covenants, God's perfect plan was dependent on the choice of the vassal.
Do you all see the covenant language there?
Yes or no?
Okay, I can only see parts of your faces.
I need to know you're with me, all right?
So the plan was the people of God, in the place of God, dwelling with the presence of God.
That was the covenant.
That was the agreement.
That God created humanity to be of him, in his land, in the land that he gave, dwelling in his presence.
But the plan was broken and the covenant was broken because humanity wasn't happy with what they were given.
You can give all sorts of reasons of, was it a literal fruit or a figurative fruit and all that.
I don't care about all that part.
The part is what happened when the covenant broke.
Because see, when we broke the very first covenant, creation became disconnected.
Everything in the created order became unbalanced.
And no longer did humanity have complete authority over everything God created.
And no longer did everything God created have balance with itself.
Now as humans, when we tried to do the things of earth, we had to work hard.
And it cost us pain and sweat and toil and suffering and death.
Because we no longer had connection with the created order that God gave us.
Because our agreement was broken.
And the relationship with God was broken.
If you notice from the image behind me, the suzerain is no longer in it.
Because we broke ourselves off in that agreement.
So then the entire narrative of God is trying to bring it all together.
And so Moses is here at Sinai and he's trying to remind them that their new covenant that they're just now receiving is trying to redeem all of this brokenness that they have been continuing to hear.
Because these stories of Genesis, of Noah, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been passed down to remind them that God is trying to have relationship with the people he created to be in relationship with.
And Moses is saying, don't miss it.
We're the ones who messed it up.
He didn't mess it up.
He's a good, faithful suzerain.
We're the ones who messed it up.
See, Israel lived within the remnants of Adam's broken covenant.
And eventually, eventually, those remnants get renewed when the second Adam comes.
You may or may not have heard that term before, but Jesus is often referred to as the second Adam.
And Mary is often referred to as the second Eve.
The humanity is redeemed through the birth of Christ, the death of Christ, and his resurrection.
That that very first covenant that fractured everything brought the covenant back together in the new covenant.
And if you remember from a couple weeks ago, we said the word testament means covenant.
That we live as new testament people.
We live as new covenant people.
Because we are the product of the second Adam's come.
That he restored us back to being people of God, created to be in the presence of God.
Now that doesn't mean we don't get tempted today.
Amen?
I know about y'all.
I've been reading some things of Wesley this week in preparation for our next sermon series.
And I'll tell you, our founder, he convicts me.
Two hundred years ago, he wrote and he still convicts me.
Whew.
I spent a lot of time going, oh God, I need your help on that.
We get tempted.
And I think wanting knowledge that is God's knowledge is maybe the biggest temptation.
And is that not what Eve was tempted with?
She wanted the knowledge of God.
And how many times do we want to know what God's plan is?
Is that not the knowledge of God?
How many times do we want to know how God is going to fix something and not have to just walk through it?
But know the big plan of all the fifty million steps?
Anybody want to know to see the workflow?
I'd like to see the workflow.
I'd like to know how he's going to take a chaos and make it work.
I'd like to know for sure it's going to work.
That would be at least nice to know there is an outcome that's positive sometimes.
Sometimes it's hard to see.
Sometimes I'd like to know from him that there is a future where I don't know and I don't have to fear for the salvation of our children.
Because there are some days I wonder what the world is going to be like 80 years from now.
And if I'm going to do enough in the raising of my children and grandchildren, I don't have any yet, but eventually I will, to help instill the future of our faith.
And I would love for him to tell me in his knowledge that it's all going to be okay.
But that's God's knowledge.
But in the end, that's a control issue, is it not?
I think the fall of humanity was control issues.
And we all still struggle with it in some shape, form, or fashion today.
And almost every time I sit at my prayer table and I confess to God, it's related to something around control.
Whether it be in my own life, related to people that I love, struggling to make sure the direction that we go is in history, the direction not ours.
And I think that's the same sin that Adam and Eve convicted all those years ago.
We may say it was the fruit, but it was the sin of wanting control over their decisions, control of what they ate.
As we come to the Lord's table this morning, I'm curious, what knowledge are you envious that you don't have?
Or what control do you need to give up?
Because we are thankful, at least I sure am thankful, that we live in the New Covenant.
Not the brokenness of Adam, not the wickedness of Noah's time, not even in the rules of Mount Sinai.
We live in the grace of the New Covenant.
So whatever it is that's on us today that's weighing us down or is holding us from being 100% the person God wants us to be, He wants to receive it from us today, so we can let go and be fully the person He wants.
And we can't do that unless we let it go.
So as you prepare to come to His table, we are all invited to come to this space.
If you're watching online, please join us as well.
But from wherever you are, I encourage you to think as we share this confession together about what it is He wants you to give to Him this morning.
Would you join me with these words on the screen?
Most merciful God, forgive us.
We imagine that we can live without You when You give us our very breath.
We seek control over others rather than strive to live in unity.
We allow fear to overtake us even though our lives are in Your hands.
Draw us back to Your steadfast love and shape us into the likeness of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
In whose name we pray.
Take a moment and lift any confessions in your heart you need to give to God.
Almighty God, I'm thankful for You hearing the things of our hearts that we need to give.
I pray, God, anything that we've been doing on our own power and we need to do in Your strength that You receive these confessions.
You help us to let go so that we may walk in Your Spirit.
We want to be people of the new covenant.
We lift these things to our Lord Jesus.
Friends, as Jesus sat with His disciples, He took the bread and He broke it.
He said, "This is my body which has been broken for you. Eat in remembrance of me."
He also took the cup and He said, "This is the blood of the new covenant. Shed for the sins of all people. Drink just as you eat in remembrance of me."
Almighty God, send Your Holy Spirit upon this bread and juice and on us in this room.
Transform us to be the body of Christ, redeemed by His blood so that we may be Your witnesses in the world.
We pray this in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Friends, in the name of Jesus Christ, You are forgiven.
Would you join me?
In the name of Jesus Christ, You are forgiven.
Amen.
I'd like to invite those who are going to help me serve communion to come forward.
As they come, just a word of instruction.
You'll come up the center and ask to come out the outside.
As you come, we'll give you a small piece of bread to dip into the juice.
If you would like your communion not to be touched, we'll have prepackaged communion here in the center along with gluten-free bread if that's something that you need.
Give me just a moment to serve my helpers and then I'll invite everyone forward.
The Lord's table is all ready and welcomes everyone.
By being in the service today or online, you are invited.
It does not require that you be a part of our church or a part of any church to come.
So please know that the Lord welcomes you.
We'll start in the back and come up the center then out the outside.
The kneeling rails are available as well if you'd like to stop and pray.
You may come now.
Friends, as you leave, I just want to give you one reminder.
This week we have multiple days we're going to be decorating here at the church for Vacation Bible School.
Hey!
You're not excited.
There you go.
It's time to get the VBS energy on.
Okay.
Which is next week.
I know.
I know.
All of you should be very like getting ramped up for that.
So just if you whether you're like with us next week or not, if you want to check the dates to see if you can help remember that we have some event lists in the back and they're on the doors.
You know check and see that it's a great way to be a part even if you can't be here.
So and please be in prayer starting now for Vacation Bible School for our kids that are going to be here, our adults that are going to be here, just everybody.
And that you know God will be present and do great things.
Right?
Amen.
Alright.
Hear this blessing as you go.
God send us from this space not as people of the broken covenant of Adam, but as people of the renewed covenant of Christ.
So that we may be redeemed and filled by your spirit and share that love and hope with the others we come in contact with.
Because we know our world needs the wholeness not the brokenness.
We pray this in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "But you, God, you are all-powerful, you are a God of peace, and you are our loving Father. As we worship you this morning, Lord, I pray that you keep that forefront in all of our minds, hearts, and souls. As we shift from singing about who you are, I pray, Lord, that you bring the scriptures alive to us, whether we're in this room or in the children's spaces, that you show your love through your story." [25:02] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We live as new testament people. We live as new covenant people. Because we are the product of the second Adam's come. That he restored us back to being people of God, created to be in the presence of God. Now that doesn't mean we don't get tempted today. Amen?" [46:10] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We live in the grace of the New Covenant. So whatever it is that's on us today that's weighing us down or is holding us from being 100% the person God wants us to be, He wants to receive it from us today, so we can let go and be fully the person He wants. And we can't do that unless we let it go." [49:40] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "So the plan was the people of God, in the place of God, dwelling with the presence of God. That was the covenant. That was the agreement. That God created humanity to be of him, in his land, in the land that he gave, dwelling in his presence. But the plan was broken and the covenant was broken because humanity wasn't happy with what they were given." [42:19] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Because see, when we broke the very first covenant, creation became disconnected. Everything in the created order became unbalanced. And no longer did humanity have complete authority over everything God created. And no longer did everything God created, have balance with itself. Now as humans, when we tried to do the things of earth, we had to work hard. And it cost us pain and sweat and toil and suffering and death." [43:06] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "The suzerain, or Yahweh, God, offers his vassals, Adam and Eve, the land grant, or Eden, with the stipulation that humanity care for it and protect it. So that's the requirements of the covenant. This was God's perfect plan. This was the intent of all things. The people of God, in the place of God, dwelling in the presence of God. Yet, as with all covenants, God's perfect plan was dependent on the choice of the vassal." [41:33] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We get tempted. And I think wanting knowledge that is God's knowledge is maybe the biggest temptation. And is that not what Eve was tempted with? She wanted the knowledge of God. And how many times do we want to know what God's plan is? Is that not the knowledge of God? How many times do we want to know how God is going to fix something and not have to just walk through it?" [46:51] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Friends, as you leave, I just want to give you one reminder. This week we have multiple days we're going to be decorating here at the church for Vacation Bible School. Hey! You're not excited. There you go. It's time to get the VBS energy on. Okay. Which is next week. I know. I know. All of you should be very like getting ramped up for that." [01:04:49] (329 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Hi, I'm an AI assistant for the pastor that gave this sermon. What would you like to make from it?
© Pastor.ai