Which Way Out: Trouble in Paradise Sermon Answers

Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (GNT)

GOD WILL HELP ME FIND A WAY OUT IF I WILL. . .

1. RESOLVE TO LISTEN TO & OBEY GOD. 

The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it.  The Lord God commanded him, “You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die!”  Genesis 2:15-17 (NCV)

Now the snake (naw-khawsh’) was the most clever of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day the snake said to the woman, “Did God really say that you must not eat fruit from any tree in the garden?” 2 The woman answered the snake, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But God told us, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch it, or you will die.’” 4But the snake said to the woman, “You will not die. 5 God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree, you will learn about good and evil and you will be like God!”  Genesis 3:1-5 (NCV)

• Adam and Eve were CLEAR on what the Lord God said,

                                                but lost their RESOLVE to obey.

Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves. 23 Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror 24 and doing nothing about what you saw. You go away and immediately forget how bad you looked. 25 But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard. James 1:22-25 (ERV)

You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them. John 13:17 (CEV)

2. REFUSE TO LOOK FOR GRATIFICATION OUTSIDE OF HIM.

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. Genesis 3:6-7 (NLT)

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:15-16 (NIV)

Let us ·live [walk] ·in a right way [properly; decently], like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or get drunk. There should be no ·sexual sins of any kind [L sexual immorality or debauchery/sensuality], no ·fighting [strife; quarrels] or jealousy. But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and ·forget about satisfying [or give no opportunity to the desires of; or don’t think about ways to gratify] ·your sinful self [the sinful nature; T the flesh].  Romans 13:13-14 (EXB)

3. REMEMBER, BAD CHOICES HAVE BIG CONSEQUENCES!

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 …So they hid from the LORD God among the trees . 23 So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden… Genesis 3:7, 8b, 23a (NLT)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Galatians 6:7-8 (NASB) 

4. REMAIN COMMITTED & CONNECTED TO GOD’S FAMILY.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him…The man answered, “That woman, the one you gave me, gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Genesis 2:18, 3:12 (GW)

My friends, you are spiritual. So if someone is trapped in sin, you should gently lead that person back to the right path… Galatians 6:1a (CEV)

If a ·good [righteous] person ·punished [L hit] me, that would be ·kind [an act of loyalty]. If he corrected me, that would be like perfumed oil on my head. ·I [L My head] shouldn’t refuse it… Psalms 141:5a (EXB)

5. REVEAL & REPENT OF MY SIN.

Then they heard the Lord God walking in the garden during the cool part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden.  Genesis 3:8 (NCV)

If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong we have done. 1 John 1:8-9 (ERV)

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord… Acts 3:19 (NIV)