Every great story that makes it to the silver screen has a memorable line. The mere mention of that line triggers in us, the drama that drives the story. I know you know this one:
“Houston, we have a problem.”
In Apollo 13 the problem was this: an on-board explosion deprived their spacecraft of much of its oxygen and electrical power. The crew had to have a working knowledge of all the onboard systems to fix the problem. If they don’t fix it, the crew won’t get home. They would be doomed.
But that drama pales in comparison to the drama triggered with the line, “Adam, where are you?” That line is from The Seed: The Greatest Story Ever Told. At the dawn of creation, Adam and Eve have problem—sin. The source of their problem—the dark angel—Satan, the Tempter. If they don’t find a solution, mankind is doomed. Mankind will not make it home. “Humanity, we have a problem.” You need a working knowledge of the ways of Satan—, primarily, temptation.
How does Satan work his work that causes us problems even today? How does temptation work?
Genesis 3:1-7 is a blueprint of how temptation works like it worked the first time. In the second installment of our Genesis Series: The Seed: The Greatest Story Ever Told, we will see how temptation works and how we should address it.
First, you need to be precise with God’s word when you are tempted so you won’t be detoured. Second, you need to be obedient to God’s word to protect you from the power of your senses so temptation won’t detour you. Finally, be encouraged by the promise of God’s word to overcome Satan’s temptation so you make it home.
Humanity had a problem. It was doomed. But in God’s word is the ultimate solution to mankind’s ultimate problem—sin. In the greatest story ever told is one of the greatest lines ever spoken: “And the Seed of a woman will crush the head of the snake.” It should trigger in us to a hopeful living; that we will get home. Until we splash down, we’ve got stay the course, un-detoured by the Tempter.
First, be precise with God’s word so temptation will not detour you. The last time we met, God brought order—cosmos—to the chaos in six days with his Word and rested on the seventh day. In those six days, God created his greatest creation—man. But the dark angel, disguised as a serpent, was not done with creating chaos.
Now the serpent was more-crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" Genesis 3:1-3
First, beware that Satan’s temptation begins with disguise that suites his purposes. He showed up as a serpent, easy on the eyes and subtle in his ways. Second, Satan’s temptation is rooted in getting you into dialogue to get you to question God’s word. He is banking on your impreciseness of what God has actually said as seen in Chapter 2 with Eve.
· Eve made an error of omission. God said, “You may eat freely (2:16). Eve said, we may eat in 3:1a. Deuteronomy12:32 calls for us not to add or take away from His word. He said freely eat, indicating the liberal grace on God’s part. Eve, on the other hand, toned God down.
· Eve made an error of addition. God said, “You shall not eat” in 2:17a. Eve said you may not eat or touch. Eve has added a stipulation that God had not prescribed, making God look more stringent. This addition smacks of being Pharisaical like the Judaizers who added circumcision to faith in Christ as requirements of salvation.
· Eve made an error of emphasis. God said, “You shall surely die in 2:17b. Eve said. “Lest you die”. God made an emphatic statement of the certainty of his judgment for disobedience. Eve lessened the tone by saying “Lest.” It’s like grandma saying, “If you touch that pie, your behind is mine.”, as opposed to Granny saying, “If you touch that pie, I’m gonna pop that hand.” You know which one gives you the best chance for a couple big slices, and a chance to live and tell about it.
The point is: be precise in God’s word or be detoured. Followers of Dan Brown were. It was bible illiteracy that propelled people to believe in Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code’s premise that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a baby whose bloodline lives today. It made for good fiction but bad theology. But many Christians swallowed it, book, line, and sinker. It was bible illiteracy that allowed David Koresh to deceive hundreds of his followers. It led to a fiery, fatal finish on the plains of Waco, Texas at the hands of zealous government agents.
Church, Houston and humanity, we have a problem. Satan’s temptation fueled by biblical illiteracy lives today, creating chaos, causing unnecessary confusion. Be precise in God’s word. “The Seed: The Greatest Story Ever Told” is our only way home. Trust the story, so you won’t be detoured.
Second, be obedient to God’s word to protect you from your powerful senses so temptation will not detour you. God’s prohibition is our protection. Adam and Eve underestimated the power of their senses in four areas: the practicality, the beauty and the spirituality and conformity.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Genesis 3:6
The power of the practical took over, and took Eve down. Through the eye gate, she saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food. Food is practical. We were made to eat. That’s what food is for. She rationalized: what could be wrong with that. We do the same with sex. It’s practical. We are sexual creatures. So, you are tempted to ignore the barriers to protect you in those natural urges until there is a safe environment like marriage to engage in them.
Second, the power of beauty took over and took her down. The forbidden tree was good to look at. If it looks good, how can it be bad for you is the rationale. That was David’s rational when he saw the beauty of a bathing Bathsheba. It skewed his judgment of his power to withstand temptation. The longer he looked, the weaker he got. The rest, they say, is history.
Third, the power of the desire to be spiritually wise over took her. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be wise. But if wanting to be as wise as God is your goal, then that wisdom will not serve you. It didn’t serve Lucifer. Neither did it serve Eve. Over- spiritualization is at work here. It makes you judgmental, difficult to be around and prideful. That’s why the world shuns church. Too many little “g” gods. You are better served staying in your lane. There is one God, and you ain’t it.
But there was one more sense that played a factor that day Adam and Eve were tempted: the power of the sense of conformity, of going along. Adam without Satan’s disguises, beguilement, or dialogue, took the fruit from Eve and ate it willfully. He just went along. No questions asked. Maybe he was preoccupied with other things: ESPN, NBA, NFL, NRA, and was not attending to his wife and family bible study.
Church, Houston, humanity, we have a problem—under estimation of the power of the flesh. Be obedient. God’s prohibition is our protection against temptation. We underestimated our senses in four s: the practicality, the beauty and the spirituality and conformity. Through these gateways, temptation enters in and can easily detour you with lies. “The Seed: The Greatest Story Ever Told” is our truth, our only way home. Don’t be detoured by your ears, eyes, nose and ego.
Finally, be encouraged by the promise of God’s word so temptation won’t detour you from your journey. Temptation’s strategy is to erode the promises of God, to entice distrust of the integrity of God. In verse 4, the tempter has the woman denying that there will be any consequences. “You won’t die.” If Satan can get you to believe there will be no repercussion to your actions, that there is no hell, that God won’t judge you, then what’s the point in obeying him. You can just do what you want to do.
God told the priests not to touch the ark. But when the oxen pulling the ark cart stumbled, Uzzah tried to catch it. And God zapped him. Satan wants you to believe there are no consequences. “You won’t get caught”. “One drink won’t hurt you. One affair won’t ruin your marriage.” Pregnancy won’t happen on the first time.” One time will get you. Ask Uzzah.
Not only is God’s integrity questioned regarding the consequences of disobedience, His integrity is questioned regarding His motives. In verse 5, Satan paints God as a jealous god, not wanting you to be as wise as him. God doesn’t want the competition. God is a hater, holding back on you.
Satan’s temptation strategy is to also have you to distrust God’s compassion. “God is a meanie. He really doesn’t love you. He won’t forgive you.” But God is a gracious God. Why else would He ask Adam the question of all questions in verse 3:9:
But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” Gen. 3:9
It wasn’t that God didn’t know where Adam was. God knows everything. He wanted Adam (and you and I), to know where we are with Him? What’s your relationship with God? Houston, we have a problem when we miss the mark with God. It’s called sin. Its penalty is death —total separation from God. In a word: kicked out of the house; no way home. But God is a god of grace. He wants to have a relationship with you. So, the question of “where are you, Adam?” wasn’t just a question of condemnation—ejection from Eden—but also a question of compassion. The question was God saying, “I can get you home. The Seed is the way.
The seed of the woman is Christ. He has already crushed Satan on Calvary. What lies ahead, Houston, Humanity, is the voyage home. Our splash down is certain.
Church, be encouraged by this promise. Don’t question God’s integrity. He will judge whom He will judge: the Tempter Satan, for sure—a judgment that will lead to his death. He will also judge us, but with that judgment will come atonement, and life everlasting with Him in heaven. Don’t question His motive. God has your best in mind. That’s what “The Seed: The Greatest Story Ever Told” is all about—getting home. Don’t give up on the odyssey.
CONCLUSION:
Houston, and all humanity, we have another problem. Satan, the author of chaos is defeated, but not done. He is active in causing as much chaos as He can to God’s cosmos. His chief weapon is still temptation. But you don’t have to be detoured from your journey home.
First, you need to be precise with God’s word when you are tempted. Second, be obedient to God’s word to protect you when you are tempted. Finally, be encouraged by the promise of God’s word to overcome whatever temptation Satan throws your way.
The odyssey is long; the elements, foreboding. The trip is froth with temptations at every mile along the way. But do not be detoured. Our destination is assured, our recovery is secured because of the God-man—the Seed of a woman. For those who make the “Seed’s” story your story as The Sons of the Seed, Houston, all Humanity—we have a problem whose solution is certain. What awaits you are the last two words of the greatest story ever told,
“Welcome home.”
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