Creation, Fall, & the Flood

September 14, 2022

From Pastor Ky Martin's sermon on September 11, 2022.


Creation


In the beginning, God made everything from nothing.


Like an artist or an engineer, our eternal God gave structure, order, beauty and purpose to our world. Nothing He created was incidental or accidental, but all according to His good purpose and plan.


God’s masterpiece in the Creation narrative was when He made man in His own image. 


Genesis 1:26 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”


This tells that (1) we are similar to God; that (2) human life is sacred; that (3) we have dominion; and that (4) we have instructions.


The instructions God gave humanity were to help operate within His rule and design. Because He created the world, He alone gets to define how things work. He created man and woman; He made marriage between one man and one woman; He gave man work; He gave man authority to rule; He told man to be fruitful and multiply.


God created everything and it was GOOD. Earth was a perfect paradise, just as God intended it to be. God and man had a relationship. Everything was awesome.


Until… man ruined it.



The Fall


Genesis 3 tells the story of paradise lost, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘you shall now eat of any tree in the garden?’” This made Eve resent God’s authority and painted His instruction in a negative light.


The serpent continued to suggest that God was not trustworthy, “...and the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”


Adam and Even knew guilt and shame, and they wanted to hide. 


When God walks through the garden and calls to them, He asks, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”


This is where the great tradition of blame shifting began.


Even though Eve was the one who took the fruit, Adam was the one who did not lead and take responsibility and dominion over the snake.


In response, God curses the snake along with both Adam and Eve. He curses the snake to slither on the ground.To woman, He curses with pain in childbirth and resentment over her husband’s authority. The irony here is that she will want to resist her husband’s authority, and he will want to domineer.


Rebecca Merkle author of Eve in Exile writes, “The intent of the designer matters. And we, as women, as God’s creatures, are designed by Him to fulfill a particular role. Adam was not brought into the picture to be her sidekick, and she was not brought into the picture to live an independent life, fulfilling her own dreams while Adam did his thing separately.”


Jami Lee Gainey writes, “My nature is fierce independence, I have an opinion about almost everything, and submission does not come naturally for me. But I can tell you that when I more fully embrace God’s sanctification of my own heart through understanding of my role as a biblical wife, joy is found there. Peace is found there. Purpose and abounding fruitfulness are found there.”


Man’s curse is that work will be painful and laborious. The irony here is that the ground is now cursed. Man was supposed to be in charge of the plants and animals, but he failed. So now work is cursed.


Man and woman were also cursed with death. They were proven unworth to rule the earth, so back to dust they must go.

Everything for man and woman became a lot more difficult, and is still. Our relationship with this earth and with our Creator is beautiful, but broken.


The Flood


From Adam and Eve, all mankind inherited a sinful nature. Their sins have been passed down to us and their curses we bear.


Genesis 6 tells the story of The Flood and how one man’s righteousness saved all mankind.


In this story – in the very first chapters of our Bibles – we see the metanarrative of scripture already playing out: Creation - Fall - Redemption - Restoration.


Author John Eldredge writes, “All the great stories pretty much follow the same story line. Things were once good, then something awful happened, and now a great battle must be fought or a journey taken. At just the right moment, a hero comes and sets things right, and life is found again… Every story shares the same essential structure because every story we tell borrows its power from a Larger Story, a Story woven into the fabric of our being.”

Shepherds & Sheep

July 2, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 29, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 5:1-4 Gen. 1:1-2 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Churches should be led by a plurality of elders. Acts 11:30, Acts 14:23, Acts 15, Acts 16:4, Acts 17:1, Acts 20:28, Acts 21:17, Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Timothy 5:17, Titus 1:5, Titus 1:7, James 5:14 Instructions for Pastors: Shepherd God’s flock The words “God’s flock” remind the elders that the congregation does not belong to them. It is God’s church, and they are given the privilege and responsibility of shepherding it. -Thomas R. Schreiner Exercise oversight Oversee willingly (not under compulsion) 1 Cor. 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! Oversee eagerly (not for shameful gain) 2 Cor. 2:17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Lead by example (not domineering) Strive for Humility 1. Pure Christian humility disposes a person to take notice of everything that is good in others, and to make the best of it, and to diminish their failings. - Jonathan Edwards The Chief Shepherd is Coming Shepherds God’s flock Exercises oversight 1 Peter 2:25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Oversees willingly (not under compulsion) Oversees eagerly (not for shameful gain) 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. Leads by example (not domineering) Hebrews 2:8b-9 we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Discipleship Questions: What are some of the benefits of having multiple elders? How would you define the job / responsibilities of an elder? If you were to move to a new area tomorrow, what would you be looking for in a new church? Why, do you think, the “younger” are specifically instructed to be subject to the elders? How does someone who is “clothed in humility toward one another” behave in the church? Out of the five pastors at Crosspoint, who is your favorite? (just kidding, don’t ask that).

Not Surprised

June 24, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 22, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:12-19 We shouldn’t be surprised when we encounter suffering John 15:18–20 [18] “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. [19] If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. [20] Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted We can rejoice knowing we are sharing in Christ’s suffering Matthew 5:11–12 [11] “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. We don’t bring glory to God when we suffer for doing wrong We should choose to glorify God instead of being ashamed We should live in light of the coming judgment of God “Peter shows the meaning of our suffering from two sides. First, our suffering for Christ finds its significance in Christ’s suffering for us. We share now in suffering for him as we shall one day share in glory with him (4:13; 5:1). Secondly, our suffering does not destroy us, but purifies us. The fire of God’s judgment that we endure is not the fire of wrath that will consume the unbelieving.” —Edmund P. Clowney, The Message of 1 Peter We can entrust our souls to our faithful Creator Discipleship Questions: Why is it our tendency to be surprised when we encounter suffering? What are some reasons for rejoicing when you encounter suffering? Why is it so tempting to classify all suffering as persecution, even when we suffer for doing wrong? How can you resist feeling ashamed when you suffer for being a Christian? How do you think God uses suffering to purify His church? How does entrusting your soul to God help you find hope?

Unhindered and Healthy

June 18, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:7-11 Would you know if your prayers were hindered? How would you know? What causes prayers to be more fruitful? What causes prayers to be interrupted? What hinders our prayers? Not living with your spouse in an understanding way A lack of sober mindedness and self-control Hindered prayers hurt our relationships A lack of self-control… letting your flesh rule you will never result in healthy relationships. A lack of sober mindedness… letting your thoughts rule you will never result in healthy relationships. Self-control and sober minded prayer are those inward things that result in outward expressions. They ready us to set our focus and affections on other people. Application: Keep loving one another earnestly Aim to cover a multitude of sins Make your home available to others Make your gifts available to others Speaking Serving Discipleship Questions: Have you ever become aware that your prayers are hindered? How did you know? What are some practical steps that we can take to strengthen our prayer lives? How do hindered prayers hurt our relationships? How do unhindered prayers strengthen our relationships? What are some practical ways that we can aim to cover a multitude of sins? Define at least 2 practical ways in which you will make your home and your gifts available to others this week. How has your life been impacted by others who have made their homes and their gifts available to you?
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