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S.O.A.P. – “Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer”
Scripture:
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 all his work of creation.
This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. Instead, springs came up from the ground and watered all the land.
Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit.
In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed from the land of Eden, watering the garden and then dividing into four branches. The first branch, called the Pishon, flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found. The gold of that land is exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. The second branch, called the Gihon, flowed around the entire land of Cush. The third branch, called the Tigris, flowed east of the land of Asshur. The fourth branch is called the Euphrates.
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:1-17 NLT
Sermon Insights:
The human story is one of our failure, our sin, our disobedience, our drifting away from God, and our great God, the “Redeemer.”
Can you imagine what the world was like before sin entered the world?
A “redeemer” is one who “buys back” something or someone they consider valuable. In what way has God “redeemed” you and your life?
We know it is very possible for someone to be “redeemed” and still take a long time to live like it. What area of your life needs to look more like God now owns it?
Lord, even though our hearts and minds became dark, you never left and your heart never wavered to redeem us. Thank you for not giving up on us but sending your Son to pay the price to forgive and redeem us…so we could live a new life!
Scripture:
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Genesis 3:1-13 NLT
Sermon Insights:
Human beings have a choice, we have free will, and there are consequences to choices.
The Bible is clear: God does not tempt people to do evil. Why do you think God allowed Eve to be tempted?
When God asked Adam if he had disobeyed, he did not simply say, “Yes.” He was desperate to avoid punishment—so he blamed Eve. When you sin, are you tempted to distrust God and blame others?
God gives forgiveness BEFORE we “clean up our act,” not AFTER. This reestablishes trust based on God’s kindness, not our performance. Why is it important to listen to what GOD says about me rather than what my guilty conscience says? (STILL UNSURE? Read 1 John 3:18-20!)
Lord, thank you for giving me the power to make choices and the realization that there are consequences for my actions. Thank you for giving me grace and forgiveness when I needed it, not when I deserved it!
Scripture: Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”
Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”
So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:14-24 NLT
Sermon Insights: This is the first prophetic mention of Jesus who comes in response to the very first sin. This is the first act of Redeemer God, to give the first beacon of hope. The second act of Redeemer God was for God to make clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. This is very significant: God is covering them so that they can come into his presence without shame. Innocent blood is shed so their shame might be covered, so their fellowship with God could be redeemed. Our redemption comes at a price. God is setting the stage to come to earth and die.
“Our redemption comes at a price” – someone innocent must die for the guilty to go free. God was setting the stage for Jesus to come pay the price for our forgiveness. This should not increase feelings of guilt but of gratitude—God WANTS to save you. What is your response to God?
How is God forgiving you vastly different from you forgiving someone else?
God provided something we could never earn or buy. Forgiveness is a gift. Based on God’s forgiveness of you, are you able to forgive yourself…and others?
Lord, I simply do not deserve for Jesus to pay for my sins. I was guilty, and he was innocent. Thank you for loving me enough to make the way for me to be connected with you again. Thank you for covering me!
Scripture:
The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.”
But Noah found favor with the Lord. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!
“Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.
“Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.” So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him. Genesis 6:5-22 NLT
What does this passage teach you about God’s character and heart?
While God could have legitimately destroyed everyone, he allowed Noah and the human race to continue—even when it meant he would sacrifice his own Son, Jesus, to make his enemies his family.
How should this impact your approach towards those who are still enemies of God in their mind and heart? Does your approach to attracting people to Jesus match God’s approach to attracting them to himself—patience, kindness, and generosity?
Lord, thank you for not giving up on us. Thank you for sending Jesus so we could be reconciled to you through his blood. I had an unpayable debt. Thank you for buying me back through Jesus so I can live a new life!
Scripture:
NOTE: This happened AFTER the Flood: At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.)
Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”
In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. Genesis 11:1-9 NLT
“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.” Job 19:25 NLT
We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:11-14 NLT
Sermon Insights:
The cycle of sinful choices, consequences, and God’s redemptive work continues. We need a Redeemer because you and I are headstrong and self-determined like Adam and Eve. The whole point of the prologue in Genesis is to say, “God has not given up on anyone yet!”
Lyrics of a recent worship song include a prayer to God, “If I’m not dead, You’re not done! Greater things are still to come!” What new thing is God wanting to accomplish in your life?
“I know that my Redeemer lives!” How does this give you hope for what is concerning you right now?
God has not given up on you…who do you need to “not give up on”?
Lord, thank you for transferring me from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of your dear Son—Jesus! Thank you for purchasing my freedom and forgiving my sins!
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