I’m in charge of taking sermon notes (to send to the parents) for our church’s youth program, and I keep finding myself writing it for a more elaborate adult audience rather than exactly what was told in the youth version. Our youth pastor doesn’t mind that, and since I’ve enjoyed it so much I’ve decided to share it here too. So… yeah. I’m going to miss a couple weeks soon so unfortunately I won’t be able to post those. But this was last night’s notes :
Rooted (pt.1)
This is week 1 of a short series on gospel basics. This week we discussed creation, how it went wrong, and what God did to make things right.
In the beginning, everything was made in perfect condition by our perfect God. But mankind decided that wasn’t enough. Part of our human nature is always wanting more, even when we have more than we need. And the spiraling consequences of that began with Adam and Eve in the garden. God gave them everything, only creating one boundary. They could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Well, it’s not that they couldn’t. It’s that they shouldn’t. But they did.
God gave Adam the land in the garden to work and take care of. It was a blessing and an occupation. God gave Adam the command not to eat from the tree. We don’t know who told Eve about the rules – but we do know that she was the one who caved to the temptation. The serpent started by questioning her about the rules. (Genesis 3:1) Then, upon hearing her answer, he told her that she didn’t know the full story. (Genesis 3:2-5) There wasn’t only temptation, but also deception involved. Because Eve did not stand on God’s word, she was swayed by doubt and temptation, leading to the ultimate rebellion and downfall of humanity. The bit often overlooked is that Adam is most to blame. It was his job to pass on the command from God accurately and firmly. It was his job to take care of his wife. It was his job to be the head of humanity and keep everything else in order. But he was there, and he did nothing. (Genesis 3:6) That’s why Romans 5:15-18 reflects on the power of Jesus’s love and sacrifice. One sin condemned both people who partook of it, and all their children followed the same path. But even from the moment Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden, God was already working on a way to make things right.
If they stayed in the garden, they may have been tempted into eating the fruit of the tree of life. And with that comes immortality. Without death, we have no hope of being redeemed. No hope of being with God in the end. Our rebellion would endure forever.
Have you ever come across a creek, river, or similar trench that you wanted to cross over? How did you go about that? If there was no bridge, you probably ended up getting your feet wet. Once you discovered jumping wouldn’t get you far enough, you probably tried to build a way across by yourself. But that probably failed too, right? At the end of the day, faith is like that. You have to acknowledge that you can’t do it on your own and you need God’s help. That’s why he sent Jesus. In the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were used as a way to get right with God. Only the purest, most perfect animals were counted as worthy. But that ultimately couldn’t give the people total, lasting salvation. That’s why God sent his son, Jesus, to die for us. Jesus lived a pure and blameless life to become the only sacrifice that mattered. Through his sacrifice, the world turned upside down. As previously discussed, Romans 5:15-18 shows us what it truly means to be forgiven. Nothing can undo what he did on the cross. He lived a perfect life and died one of the most horrible, painful deaths available during that time. But his physical suffering, which began long before then, was nothing compared to the weight of being separated from God.
Steam and ice are simply water outside of its liquid state, just like Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both also God. Jesus was both fully God and fully human, so we can’t even understand how horrible it must have been to endure that separation. Normal crucifiction could leave the victim alive and suffering for days, but Jesus only lasted six hours. Three were spent in the light and three in the darkness after sunset. Then he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The context of this phrase is often forgotten in modern-day casual reading. But the Jews there recognized what he was referencing. It is the first part of Psalm 22 – a Psalm which ends in the most powerful proclamation of victory. The horror that must have spread over those present is unimaginable. The man they had waited centuries for had finally arrived – and they had just murdered him. Does that mean everyone who was present suddenly believed? No. Humans are very stubborn creatures who don’t like being wrong. But even the centurion and his fellow guards, who were not Jewish, recognized that Jesus was the Son of God and that a terrible mistake had just been made (Matthew 27:54). The incredible movement that had started only a few years earlier seemed to come to a complete stop – but it was, in truth, only the beginning.
When the stone was rolled away and Jesus was raised from the dead three days later, the world turned upside down. Jesus’s sacrifice changed everything for anyone who opened their heart to listen. And that hasn’t changed. He is still turning lives upside down today. Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you will ever make. And as long as you have breath in your lungs, it’s not too late. But I caution you not to wait – we do not know when we will take our last breath. We do not know the day or the hour that he will return (Matthew 24:36). Some say that you should “live a little” before you give your life to Christ, but that is unwise in every way. Today may be your last opportunity to get right with God, and he is the only way to experience a full life (John 10:10). You are missing out on more by denying Christ than you could ever miss by accepting him. That is why this conversation is so important. Not just to save souls, but to instill the truth in hearts that are searching for purpose. To reach the lost and tell of the good news we have found. There is no time to waste – it’s not that everyone should know, it’s that everyone MUST know.
Jesus calls us to come as we are, not stay as we are. Because his life-changing love can only be experienced when we “let go and let God”. Only he can rebuild the bridges that we burned. Only he can help us cross the creek, the river, and the trench. Only he can let us pass through the sea or even walk on the water. Through God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). He didn’t just cross out your record of sins – he tore up the paper and threw away the pen. And because we have that hope, we can walk in the confidence of one who has been made new.
Verses referenced during sermon:
~ Romans 3:23
~ Romans 6:23
~ John 1:1
~ John 1:14
~ Romans 10:9
~ John 3:16
Other verses that came to mind:
~ Genesis 3
~ Psalm 22
~ Romans 5:15-18
~ Matthew 27:54
~ Matthew 24:36
~ John 10:10
~ Matthew 19:26
~ John 14:6
~ Romans 12:2
~ Ephesians 2:8-9
~ Proverbs 3:5-6
~ Philippians 2:11
~ Proverbs 3:26
~ Isaiah 41:10
~ 2 Corinthians 3:4-5
~ Hebrews 13:6
Gorgeous songs covering this message:
~ Skippy ♡
