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Text: Genesis 1 PREFACE: All I have to offer you on any given Sunday is simply the overflow of what is taking place in my own heart (overflow). Sometimes that leads to an ability to make bold statements about life and God; sometimes it’s merely comments on a narrative; sometimes it’s “working out my own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12-13). * I do this because I don’t want to be disingenuous in what I am doing. I would rather go and do something else if I weren’t convinced of the value of Jesus’ interpretation of life. And much of that recently has resulted in probing; asking a lot of questions (of God, myself and others). * In the midst of all of this, one thing is continually becoming more clear to me: that the goal of life is to BE WITH God and BE WITH others. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear somehow you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to Christ, just as Eve was deceived by the serpent”. * I have a tendency to believe that there’s more out there! That God’s been holding out on me. I have a tendency to complicate things! And it’s not that I’m particularly “rebellious”, it’s just that I am too easily deceived! * I’ve also concluded that in order to BE WITH someone, I have to be present (profound truth, huh?!); attentive. I cannot be preoccupied with other issues. * And, however you would identify “sin” (missing the mark, falling short, failure to live up to God’s creative purposes for us, etc.), it keeps me from being with God and being with you. * Sometimes, I don’t want to be with God (or with you), so sometimes I hide. We, as Christians, have made an “art form” out of covering ourselves; we have developed an elaborate network of hiding places (all shapes and sizes of leaves: religious activity, emphasis on appearing righteous, our own dialect (known only to the insider!). Jeremiah 32:38-41 1. Connection- relationship with Him. 2. Clarity- we would be so inspired by his love that he would become the sole object of our desire; we would not become easily distracted. 3. Conviction- his promises of unconditional love and relenting faithfulness would motivate us to give ourselves to him. * The point of discovery in all of this is… God creates out of longing. Not longing in the sense of deficiency (as if he is trying to fill some void in his life). His purpose in all of this (according to Acts 17) is that… “men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each of us” (vs.27). GOD LONGS FOR ME! Imagine God creating for the sheer joy of relationship. Not out of boredom or obligation, but for the sheer joy of the “shared-life”. It’s this simple, yet profound awakening in my heart, causes me to long for him! * In the midst of embracing God’s longing for me and my desire for him, I realize that sin interrupts that fellowship; that connectedness. Genesis 2:9 “In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. (2) trees representing (2) ways of life: Tree of life- according to God (lasting quality to it) Tree of the knowledge of good and evil- life according to me (it’s where I decide and also deal with the destructive consequences). * Note that the trees were not off in some remote corner of the garden, but in a place of prominence; they were centralized because they represent the central issue of life. James 4:6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”. Not that God stands “defiantly against us”. It means that God has nothing to offer to those who think they can do life without him. God cannot provide what we are unwilling to receive. Experiencing God, in any capacity, requires that I posture myself to receive. But, he offers himself (his life) to those who readily admit that hopelessness in need of him…that we are “broken”. * I have concluded, both through personal experience as well as from the experience of others, that brokenness cannot be defined, it must be experienced. It’s an inner-quality which is magnified by our circumstances, but not created by them. Circumstances merely help you become more aware of your condition. Brokenness is the open-handed approach to life that we define as humility. Brokenness might be best described as “dysfunctionality”…we don’t’ work right! * So God offers us this gift which enables us to BE WITH him and WITH others (to be present; to eliminate distraction)…it’s called “confession”. Reflections… Confession is an exercise that God gives to us partially due to our inability to receive grace. God’s love for me in the midst of my tendencies toward self-absorption is incomprehensible. So, confession is more for our benefit than God’s. Man was created with this incredible capacity for life…connectedness with Creator and creation; what we would call fully functional. But, their choice to seek life elsewhere caused an essential part of them to cease functioning properly. * It explains why we can live and respond in and to our world, yet remain so disconnected from the real source of life. * I think we perpetually live with the gnawing feeling that this is not the way that life is supposed to be. * My point is, I’m not just interested in being “forgiven”…I’m interested in being “restored”; being made into the person that I was originally created to be. Repentance (this journey toward who God has created me to be) begins with confession. Confession chips away at our self-sufficiency and stubborn determination to do life without God. Confession is bringing who you are to God, not who you would like to be! Confession is about coming out of hiding. What do you think God was feeling toward Adam and Eve as they were crouching in the bushes, scrambling for some leaves? What was his response? (He pursued them!) What was his first question? (“Where are you?”) A longing for relationship; for companionship. * Their posture indicated that they did not want God to find them; they didn’t want God to see them this way! Sin is always big enough to “block our view of God”, but not big enough to “block his view of us”! (i.e. when our kids hide behind a skinny pole or tree; they think because they can’t see you, that you can’t see them!) God asks (3) questions as part of what I will call the “Divine Investigation”:
“We were naked…”- their confession proved to be self-incriminating (i.e. with your kids: “Have you seen my new glasses? “I didn’t break them!”)
A simple “yes” or “no” is all that was requested. Instead, Adam breaks into this “laundry list” of excuses (sometimes our protests and elaborate explanation only serve to highlight our guilt). Taking it home… “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) If the goal is to be present (with God and others), it’s vital that I be able to honestly answer this question. - What aspects of your life are you currently attempting to cover up? - Are you ready to come out of hiding and deal honestly with God and yourself? “Who told you you were naked?”(Genesis 3:11) - Is your relationship with God characterized by fear (devotedness) or shame? - What effect has the shame you are experiencing had on your relationship with God? With others? “Did you eat from the tree?” (Genesis 3:11) - Who or what are you blaming for your current lack of growth and fulfillment? - In what ways are you justifying some existing sin? What excuses are you offering?
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