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SERMON NOTES

East of Eden
Genesis 3:8-24
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor

Overview: Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their sins and hide from the Lord proves to be futile as they are called to account for their actions. It is immediately clear that neither will admit their fault; instead, they shift the blame elsewhere. Nevertheless, God pronounces judgment beginning with the serpent, who will be cursed and crushed; continuing to the woman who will experience hurt and heartache; and concluding with the man who will suffer from fatigue and frustration. The first couple is then banished from the garden with no opportunity to return. And yet, despite their reversal of fortune, they are called to live in the hope that the Lord who has pronounced a curse upon their world will take that curse upon Himself for their complete redemption.
01. Hiding ourselves from the Lord and blaming others for our sin will not release us from the judgment to come. Everyone will give an account of their lives before God.

02. Presenting ourselves to the Lord and relying upon His promise to forgive our sin will free us from the judgment to come. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

03. Living our lives before the Lord and participating in His purpose to overturn sin will relieve us from futile living on this earth. Everyone who knows the Lord has this hope.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY

1. Describe the difference between Adam and Eve’s relationship with God and with each other prior to the events of Genesis 3. In what ways were their lives changed after the events of Genesis 3? How did their particular suffering correspond to their sin?

2. Since God knows all things, why does He ask questions in Genesis 3:9 and 3:11? Why is it important for Adam to give an account of what happened? How does Adam’s accounting before God point to the ultimate accounting we all face before God?

3. Note the judgment pronounced on the serpent. How will his status as a creature be changed as compared to livestock and other beasts of the field? What is the significance of Genesis 3:15 for the history of salvation? Why is it important to note that the serpent and the ground were cursed, but not Adam and Eve?

4. Given the hardships mentioned in our text, what signs of God’s mercy are evident throughout? How do these instances of God’s mercy remind us of His goodness to us in a fallen world?

5. In what ways have the immediate effects of the fall, such as pain in childbirth and hard physical labor, been minimized over time? How do such advancements point to a gradual reversal of the effects of the fall? What effects of the fall still remain and can only be resolved by the return of Jesus Christ?

For Further Reading: Chris Morgan and Robert Peterson, Fallen: A Theology of Sin (Crossway, 2013)