We dare to search for the fin\u00adger\u00adprint of God on us!<\/p>\n
My wife recei\u00adved a beau\u00adtiful wall calen\u00addar for Christ\u00admas entit\u00adled \u00abThe Most Beau\u00adtiful Gar\u00addens\u00bb. I am con\u00advin\u00adced that the Gar\u00adden of Eden was even more beau\u00adtiful than all the gar\u00addens in the\u00adse 12 calen\u00addar pic\u00adtures. Adam and Eve were able to enjoy a sple\u00adndour of flowers that would put any flower show to shame. During their plea\u00adsu\u00adre walk through para\u00addi\u00adse, they admi\u00adred the birds and their sin\u00adging! They obser\u00adved the beha\u00adviour of the ani\u00admals with inte\u00adrest. They deligh\u00adted in streams and lakes who\u00adse water was even clea\u00adrer than the water of Lake Hall\u00adwil! Then the\u00adre were the deli\u00adcious fruits. When I think of a fruit bas\u00adket from the Gar\u00adden of Eden, my mouth waters. And then this air, wit\u00adhout any pol\u00adlut\u00adants! No exhaust fumes, no cli\u00adma\u00adte pro\u00adblems!!! But enough raving. \tLet\u2019s be honest: How would you have dealt with this tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon in the Gar\u00adden of Eden? We dare to search for God\u2019s fin\u00adger\u00adprint on us! My wife recei\u00adved a beau\u00adtiful wall calen\u00addar for Christ\u00admas entit\u00adled \u00abThe Most Beau\u00adtiful Gar\u00addens\u00bb. I am con\u00advin\u00adced that the Gar\u00adden of Eden was even more beau\u00adtiful than all the gar\u00addens in the\u00adse 12 calen\u00addar pic\u00adtures. Adam and Eve could enjoy a sple\u00adndour of flowers that would have put any flower show in\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7030,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[35],"wpfc_sermon_series":[81],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-bernhard-hohl","wpfc_sermon_series-creatio","wpfc-sermon-single","post-3863","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nHave you ever put yours\u00adelf in the shoes of Eve and Adam? They had ever\u00ady\u00adthing and still wan\u00adted more!
\nHow would you have reac\u00adted in this tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon? As a woman in front of the tree with the\u00adse \u00abdeli\u00adcious\u00bb fruits; or as a man when Eve holds out the for\u00adbidden fruit to you?
\nThe ser\u00adpent was Satan hims\u00adelf. He sedu\u00adced Eve very nasti\u00adly: \u00abYou will not die; God did not say that; on the con\u00adtra\u00adry, you will be like God and know what is good or evil.
\nJesus once threw the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing at the hypo\u00adcri\u00adti\u00adcal Jews: \u00abYou have the devil for a father: you love to do the evil things he does. He has been a mur\u00adde\u00adrer from the begin\u00adning and has always hated the truth. The\u00adre is no truth in him. When he lies, it is accor\u00adding to his natu\u00adre, for he is a liar and the father of lies\u00bb (John 8:44 NLB<\/span>).
\nAfter the deep fall of Adam and Eve, it is striking how the cou\u00adple tri\u00ades to get out of the noo\u00adse befo\u00adre God: first they hide and then they bla\u00adme the other. Eve says, \u00abThe ser\u00adpent decei\u00adved me, so I ate.\u00bb And Adam: \u00abIt\u2019s the woman\u2019s fault, the one you gave me, she took the fruit and gave it to me, so I ate it.\u00bb All that remains is for both of them to reproach God: \u00abYou crea\u00adted us the way we are!
\nAnd God loo\u00adked at all that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Was it? Or not so good after all? This ques\u00adti\u00adon might come up in some people\u2019s minds: \u00abWhy did you crea\u00adte human beings so temp\u00adtingly? The\u00adre is only one ans\u00adwer to this ques\u00adti\u00adon: Of cour\u00adse God could have crea\u00adted us dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly: with much less free\u00addom! But he did\u00adn\u2019t want pup\u00adpets as his coun\u00adter\u00adparts! And God crea\u00adted man in his image, in the image of God he crea\u00adted him; and crea\u00adted them male and fema\u00adle. God deli\u00adbera\u00adte\u00adly crea\u00adted us so that we could choo\u00adse. Just like this elec\u00adtion weekend! We can judge, weigh, exami\u00adne, deci\u00adde, say yes or no, obey or reject, lis\u00adten to what God says or hide from Him.
\nWe are inge\u00adnious beings crea\u00adted by God, who are able to per\u00adcei\u00adve their respon\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty and act accor\u00addin\u00adgly! That is uni\u00adque! The Hebrew word bara, which is used three times abo\u00adve for crea\u00adted, refers to God\u2019s acti\u00advi\u00adty when he crea\u00adtes some\u00adthing new, some\u00adthing that has never exis\u00adted befo\u00adre. But just: God\u2019s qua\u00adli\u00adty of crea\u00adti\u00adon is not only admi\u00adred, but also some\u00adti\u00admes doubted.
\n\u00abWhy did you make me the way I am?\u00bb You look at yours\u00adelf in the mir\u00adror and are hor\u00adri\u00adfied: \u00abNo, that\u2019s not pos\u00adsi\u00adble, this nose, this hair, this pos\u00adtu\u00adre\u2026\u00bb \u2013 and you compa\u00adre yours\u00adelf to others. \u00abI want to be like them too.\u00bb \u00abI want to be able to do that like him.\u00bb \u00abWhy was I born with this defect, with this or that han\u00addi\u00adcap?\u00bb \u00abI would rather be a man or a woman!\u00bb How shame\u00adl\u00adess\u00adly God is doub\u00adted and cri\u00adti\u00adcis\u00aded as Crea\u00adtor today. Man places hims\u00adelf abo\u00adve the Crea\u00adtor. Yet God crea\u00adted human beings so inge\u00adnious\u00adly and endo\u00adwed them with crea\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty and crea\u00adti\u00adve power!
\nHe has ent\u00adrus\u00adted bara crea\u00adti\u00adon to us. This \u00abcrea\u00adting some\u00adthing that has never exis\u00adted befo\u00adre\u00bb! How often in the past mil\u00adlen\u00adnia have peo\u00adp\u00adle mana\u00adged to crea\u00adte some\u00adthing that has never exis\u00adted befo\u00adre! Of cour\u00adse, the\u00adre were also some things that we can\u00adnot be proud of. But we owe the good things to God, who gave peo\u00adp\u00adle the neces\u00adsa\u00adry wis\u00addom and skill. Man is a tin\u00adke\u00adrer, an explo\u00adrer, an inven\u00adtor! You per\u00adso\u00adnal\u00adly belong to this unpre\u00adce\u00adden\u00adted group. After nine months, your par\u00adents rejoi\u00adced at the baby they were allo\u00adwed to mar\u00advel at in their arms. A uni\u00adque spe\u00adci\u00admen, a new\u00adborn human being that has never exis\u00adted befo\u00adre in this world and never will. \u00abYou crea\u00adted ever\u00ady\u00adthing in me and for\u00admed me in my mother\u2019s womb. I thank you for making me so glo\u00adrious and excel\u00adlent! Won\u00adderful are your works, I know that well\u00bb (Psalm 139:13\u201314 NLB<\/span>).
\nAfter being thrown out of the Gar\u00adden of Eden, peo\u00adp\u00adle could not hand\u00adle this free\u00addom to do good or evil. They wan\u00adted to do good, but evil resulted.
\nWan\u00adting to deci\u00adde for ones\u00adelf often ended in a dead end. Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, had alre\u00ada\u00addy plan\u00adned his fra\u00adtri\u00adci\u00adde and no lon\u00adger lis\u00adten\u00aded to God, who came to him and said: \u00ab \u00abWhy are you so angry?\u00bb the Lord asked him. \u00abWhy do you look so grim\u00adly at the ground? Is it not so: If you have good in mind, you can look around free\u00adly. But when you plan evil, sin lies in wait for you. It wants to bring you down. But you shall rule over it!\u00bb \u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 4:6\u20137 NLB<\/span>).
\nCain could no lon\u00adger con\u00adtrol hims\u00adelf and beat his brot\u00adher Abel to death. Adam and Eve could no lon\u00adger con\u00adtrol them\u00adsel\u00adves! The fruit loo\u00adked so temp\u00adting! They were con\u00advin\u00adced, \u00abIt has bene\u00adfits for us in it, we will be like God.\u00bb Eve takes a fruit in her hand, alt\u00adhough God has alre\u00ada\u00addy wise\u00adly for\u00adbidden this: \u00abDo not touch it!\u00bb Now it is only a small step: har\u00adve\u00adst and bite into it\u2026
\nWhen was the last time that hap\u00adpen\u00aded to you? Sud\u00adden\u00adly you could\u00adn\u2019t con\u00adtrol your hand \u2013 and it hap\u00adpen\u00aded. You were too clo\u00adse. You did\u00adn\u2019t mana\u00adge to look away or clo\u00adse your eyes! You did\u00adn\u2019t mana\u00adge to keep quiet and kept on tal\u00adking. The devil is a bril\u00adli\u00adant temp\u00adter. And the\u00adre is no place whe\u00adre you are safe from him! Therefore:
\n\u00abBe pru\u00addent and vigi\u00adlant and be rea\u00addy at all times for an attack by the devil, your ene\u00admy! He prowls around like a roaring lion, loo\u00adking for a vic\u00adtim to devour. Resist him by your stead\u00adfast faith\u00bb (1 Peter 5:8\u20139a NLB<\/span>).
\nAdam and Eve, even Cain, could have said no! They all should have lis\u00adten\u00aded to God, but they were no lon\u00adger in con\u00adtrol of them\u00adsel\u00adves. Don\u2019t we often feel like Paul: he con\u00adfes\u00adsed: \u00abWhen I want to do good, I don\u2019t do it. And when I try to avo\u00adid evil, I do it any\u00adway\u00bb (Romans 7:19 NLB<\/span>).
\nJust as with Adam, Eve and Cain, our trust is requi\u00adred that God means well and it is bet\u00adter to lis\u00adten to him. For\u00adt\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, we live in the A.D. age! We know grace! \u00abSo just as sin reig\u00adned over all men and brought them death, so now God\u2019s won\u00adderful grace reig\u00adns. By it we are jus\u00adti\u00adfied befo\u00adre God and gain eter\u00adnal life through Jesus Christ our Lord\u00bb (Romans 5:21 NLB<\/span>).
\nNow God\u2019s won\u00adderful grace reig\u00adns through Jesus Christ! Isn\u2019t that to brea\u00adthe a sigh of reli\u00adef! We can go into a new day every mor\u00adning and give thanks for God\u2019s grace and mer\u00adcy. We once had a bud\u00adgie in our house\u00adhold that could talk. We also taught him Bible ver\u00adses, such as, \u00abGra\u00adcious and mer\u00adciful is the Lord.\u00bb That was so deli\u00adcious to be con\u00adstant\u00adly remin\u00added by him of God\u2019s grace!
\nWhat does God expect from us, his coun\u00adter\u00adparts? God has said it many times in the 5 books of Moses. Jesus repea\u00adted it and a scri\u00adbe con\u00adfirm\u00aded it in Jesus\u00bb time: \u00abYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And love your neigh\u00adbour as yours\u00adelf\u00bb (Luke 10:27 NLB<\/span>).
\nI was struck by how God con\u00adtin\u00adued to love peo\u00adp\u00adle after the dis\u00adap\u00adpoin\u00adting expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces in paradise.
\nExam\u00adp\u00adle 1: God could have sim\u00adply thrown Adam and Eve out the door. They had cover\u00aded their shame with plai\u00adted lea\u00adves from the fig tree. Can you ima\u00adgi\u00adne how uncom\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble that was?! What hap\u00adpen\u00aded? Even befo\u00adre they had to lea\u00adve the Gar\u00adden of Eden, God comes and stret\u00adches out garm\u00adents of skins for them! And God hel\u00adped them to put them on, as the Bible says: \u00abAnd the Lord God made Adam and his wife clo\u00adthes of ani\u00admal skins and put them on them\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 3:21 NLB<\/span>). This sce\u00adne of God pro\u00advi\u00adding com\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble clo\u00adthes for the two losers is beau\u00adtiful to weep over. So much love! Isn\u2019t God ama\u00adzin\u00adgly for\u00adgi\u00adving and merciful?!
\nExam\u00adp\u00adle 2: After his fra\u00adtri\u00adci\u00adde, Cain com\u00adplains to God: \u00abMy guilt is too gre\u00adat! Now I am a home\u00adl\u00adess fugi\u00adti\u00adve becau\u00adse I must always be afraid that someone will take reven\u00adge on me. Con\u00adstant\u00adly I will have to hide!\u00bb What does the loving, gra\u00adcious God do? \u00abAnd he pro\u00advi\u00added Cain with a sign so that no one would kill him\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 4:15b NLB<\/span>). What that sign was, we can ask Cain in heaven!
\nExam\u00adp\u00adle 3: After the Flood: God made a coven\u00adant with Noah and gives him the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing pro\u00admi\u00adse: \u00abNever again will I cur\u00adse the earth for man\u2019s sake and des\u00adtroy every living thing as I have just done, even though man\u2019s thoughts and deeds have been evil from child\u00adhood. As long as the earth endu\u00adres, the\u00adre will be sowing and rea\u00adping, cold and heat, sum\u00admer and win\u00adter, day and night\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 8:21\u201322 NLB<\/span>).
\nOnce the Flood, but never again. Such bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adges make us impres\u00adsi\u00adve\u00adly awa\u00adre of how much God loves human beings. His crea\u00adtu\u00adre man gets a second chan\u00adce, alt\u00adhough he knows us only too well! The Fall in Para\u00addi\u00adse chan\u00adged things, but God\u2019s love for human beings, his crea\u00adtures, is still gre\u00adat and it cul\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtes in Jesus Christ dying for our sin and guilt. The pro\u00adphet Isai\u00adah descri\u00adbes it this way: \u00abLet the wicked for\u00adsa\u00adke his way, and let the evil\u00addoer turn from his sche\u00admes! Ins\u00adtead, let him turn back to the Lord, that he may have mer\u00adcy on him. Yes, turn to our God, for with him the\u00adre is much for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 55:7 NLB<\/span>).
\nMy last sen\u00adtence of the ser\u00admon is the last sen\u00adtence of the Bible: \u00abThe grace of the Lord Jesus be with all\u00bb (Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 22:21 NG\u00dc<\/span>).
\nAmen.
\n
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups<\/p>\n
\n\tCan you find any\u00adthing good about the\u00adse two for\u00adbidden trees in para\u00addi\u00adse, or do you think it\u2019s just a real\u00adly nasty trap?
\n\t\u00abYou will be like God\u00bb: Satan was not so wrong with this enti\u00adce\u00adment when we read 1 John 3:2!
\n\tAre Satan and his angels (demons) \u00abfal\u00adlen angels\u00bb as we are \u00abfal\u00adlen men\u00bb? Bible pas\u00adsa\u00adges on this: Reve\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon 12:7\u20139; Luke 10:17\u201319; Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 6:12.
\n\tWhat is most cri\u00adti\u00adcis\u00aded by peo\u00adp\u00adle today about our Lord and God?
\n\tHow can we help each other when we are under attack from Satan?
\n\tMar\u00advel tog\u00ade\u00adther for some time at God\u2019s grace and rave about His almost unbe\u00adlie\u00adva\u00adble love for us humans!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"