The Mosaic Covenant, Passover, and Communion | A Sermon on Exodus 19:5-6

Introduction
In the Bible, God made 5 covenants with humanity.  I challenge you to memorize them because it will help you remember a simple outline of the Bible and God's plan to rescue humanity.  The 5 covenants are the covenants of:  1) Noah, 2) Abraham, 3) Moses, 4) David, and 5) Jesus.

Today we will explore God’s covenant with Israel through Moses, but first let's do a pop quiz as an overview of the biblical story leading up to the Mosaic covenant  You'll find the answers in the pictures at the end of this blog.
Abraham’s son was:  A. Tom  B. David  C. Isaac  D.  Israel

Isaac’s Son Was:  A. Jack  B. Harold  C. Jacob  D. Israel

How Many Sons Did Jacob (aka Israel) have?  A. Three B. Seven  C. Ten  D. Twelve

What was the name of Jacob’s Son Who Was Sold Into Slavery?  
A. Joseph  B. Judah  C. Benjamin  D. Joshua

How Long Were the Israelites in Slavery in Egypt?

A. 40 Years  B. 400 Years  C. 100 Years  D. 1000 Years

Who Did God Use to Deliver the Israelites from Slavery?

A. Jesus  B. Joseph  C. Moses  D. Jacob

How Many Plagues Did God Send on the Egyptians?

A. Three  B. Seven  C. Ten  D. Twelve

What Special Meal Did God Give the Israelites to Remember His Deliverance?

A. Thanksgiving  B. Hannukah  C. Yom Kippor  D. Passover

Now, let's read about the day God instructed the Israelites to remember His covenant with them by celebrating the Passover.

Exodus 12:17, 24-27
¹⁷ “Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.

²⁴ “Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever. ²⁵ When you enter the land the Lord has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony. ²⁶ Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ ²⁷ And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.

God’s Covenant with Moses
As we remember the 5 covenants God made with people as part of His grand rescue plan to save the world from sin, we come to the covenant God made with Israel through Moses.  This should be a familiar story.  God saved Israel through a series of 10 plagues, culminating in the death of every first-born son in Egypt that was not sheltered in a house whose doorpost was painted with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. 

Afterward, God commanded Israel to observe the Passover feast every year to remember their deliverance from Egypt establishing them as His chosen people.  The Passover was both a celebration of freedom and a reminder of Israel’s covenant relationship with God—a commitment that would require obedience, holiness, and faithfulness.

The Passover is rich with covenant elements that point to God’s commitment and Israel’s role as His chosen people.  There are promises and obligations: God promised to delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt (and He did) and His promised to bless them, protect them, and provide for them.  If Israel was faithful, God would take care of them in every way.  Israel’s obligation was to obey God, live righteously, and worship Him alone.  The people of Israel were to be God’s holy priests—representing God to the whole world.

The celebration of Passover every year was one of the signs of God’s covenant.  The blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts was a sign that distinguished Israel from Egypt, marking them as God’s protected people.  And every year Israel celebrated the Passover meal, it reminded them of their covenant with God as well witnessing to their non-Israelites neighbors.

Additionally, the many unique and (to us) odd ritual laws God gave Israel testified to non-Israelites that Israel was different.  No pork (in a world of subsistence farming…) Circumcision…

Israel’s covenant included blessings and curses.  If Israel was obedient, God would bless them.  If they neglected their call, they would be cut off from God’s favor and protection.

A summary of the covenant between God and Israel was written down on two stone tablets (the ten Commandments).  The tablets were kept in the Ark of the Covenant—which represented God’s throne on earth. The Ark, with the tablets inside, were kept in the most holy place—first in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem.  The full covenant was written down in the Torah scrolls (the Law of Moses).  The full covenant was read publicly at least every seven years during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). This practice reminded the people of God’s laws and renewed their commitment to the covenant.

Israel’s Role as God’s Royal Priests
God said of Israel, “...you will be my treasured possession...a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6).  God didn’t just save Israel for Israel’s sake—He called them to be a light to the nations, a witness to His power, faithfulness, and love.  Their covenant relationship came with a mission: they were chosen, not to be exclusive, but to represent God’s holiness, justice, and mercy to the world. 

Some Foreigners God Included as His Chosen People
And we find again and again, God welcomed foreign people into the Kingdom of Israel as long as they were willing to give up their false God’s and worship the God of Israel alone.  Among these were Ruth (a Moabite), Rahab (a Canaanite prostitute), Uriah (a Hittite), Caleb (a Kenezzite), and Naaman (an Aramean).  There was even Egyptians who left Egypt with the Israeltes, adopting the practices of Israel and living among them as God’s chosen people (Exodus 12:38). 

The Church – The New Kingdom of God
God’s plan has always been for the whole world, but He started with one people—the Israelites.  As Christians, we recognize that the ancient covenant with Israel points toward the church’s mission today. While modern Israel is a nation with its own history and politics, it is not the same as biblical Israel. The Church now serves as God’s chosen people in a spiritual sense, called to be a “royal priesthood” and a “holy nation”.Listen to 1 Peter 2:9 – Speaking to Christians, Peter said, “You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

Christians are not confined to just one country.  We are spread throughout the whole world.  There are Christians in America and in Pakistan, Africa, Guatemala, North & South Korea, China, Russia and Ukraine.  And like yeast in a loaf of dough, Christians are sometimes hidden or seem insignificant, but we make all the difference when we are faithful to our covenant to follow Christ and live as salt and light in a dark and unsavory world.

Just as ancient Israel was set apart, the Church is called to live in a way that honors God and draws others to Him, embodying the love, forgiveness, and justice that Christ demonstrated.

Choosing to Remember and Live in Covenant
The Passover was a reminder that Israel’s identity was grounded in God’s deliverance, not in their own efforts or accomplishments. Each year, they remembered the cost of their freedom and God’s ongoing commitment.

When Jesus gathered His disciples for the Last Supper, He celebrated Passover, but He gave it new meaning. He presented Himself as the Passover lamb, whose blood would bring deliverance—not just from physical slavery but from sin and death.  This New Covenant, sealed by Jesus’ sacrifice, fulfills and surpasses the covenant through Moses.  For Christians, Communion becomes the sign of this covenant, replacing Passover as our way of remembering God’s deliverance.

For Christians, remembering our identity in Christ helps us stay grounded. We are called to live in a way that reflects the reality of our deliverance from sin and death, continually reminding us that we belong to God.

Holy Communion
As we come to the Lord’s table today, we remember that we are part of a covenant sealed by Christ’s blood. Communion isn’t just a ritual; it’s a reminder that Christians have been delivered, chosen, and called to live as God’s people in this world.

In Communion, we remember Christ’s sacrifice and the deliverance He brings, committing ourselves once again to live as His covenant people—a people who love, serve, and witness to His goodness.

Just as God called Israel to remember their deliverance from Egypt, He calls us to remember our deliverance in Christ. As we celebrate Communion, we declare that we belong to God, saved by His grace, called to live in holiness and love.  And we also remember our commitment to follow Jesus—to be His royal ambassadors, to share His love with the world, to call people to repent of their sin, and to offer the Good News of Christ’s forgiveness and salvation to all who do.

So, let us come with grateful hearts today, remembering that God has brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Through the New Covenant in Christ, we are His holy, chosen people.

 

Abraham's Covenant | A Sermon on Genesis 12:1-3

Introduction
As I write this, we just "fell back" one hour on our clocks for daylight savings time.  Have you ever wondered why there are twelve numbers on a clock face?  Why not ten?  The reason goes back over 4,000 years to the Sumerian Empire.  The Sumerians counted to twelve on their fingers.  Yes, they had 10 fingers just like us, but they counted the knuckles on their fingers instead of the fingers themselves.  If you look at your hand, you will see the fingers (excluding the thumb) has three knuckles (or creases) on each finger.  If you use your thumb to point to and count each crease, you will count to twelve on each hand.  So, the based their number system on twelve instead of ten like us.  And

by their reckoning, there were twelve hours of daylight (one hand) and twelve ours of night (the other hand).  And that is why today, we still have the tradition of twelve hours of day and night adding up to 24 hours.  It is also the reason there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour (60 is divisible by 12).  And it is also the reason we have 12 months in a year.

The Sumerian empire was the cradle of civilization nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  It is near where the Biblical Garden of Eden is described to have been

located.  We have a lot for which to thank the Sumerians.  They invented the wheel, cities, writing, and the rule of law to govern civilization.  

The reason I mention all this is because a man three major world religions revere was from the ancient city of Ur in the Sumerian empire.  We call him Father Abraham, though he was called Abram before God changed his name to Abraham.

Genesis 12:1-3
¹ The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. ² I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. ³ I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

God’s Rescue Plan
We are studying the five great covenants in the Bible that reveal God’s plan to rescue humanity from the brokenness of sin. Last week, we learned when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they "fell" from grace.  They became spiritually broken (along with all humanity and all creation).  We used the analogy of a of a mountain climber who fell 100 feet in a climbing accident.  He is severely injured, but still alive.  His rescue and recovery will be long and arduous, recurring a life flight rescue, ICU treatment and a long stay in a hospital with multiple emergency surgeries.  Then, even if he survives all that, there will be a long healing process with lots of physical therapy before the injured climber can return to a normal life.  

Similarly, God's rescue plan for humanity is a long and difficult process that has taken thousands of years and many different steps, which we can corelate to the different covenants in the Bible.

Today, we look at God’s covenant with Abraham.  In a covenant, there are promises and there are responsibilities.  God’s promises to Abraham:  I will make you into a great nation.  I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.  These are promises that are appealing to Abraham and that tells us some about Abraham's character: he wanted to be a blessing to others.  

Most people are self centered.  We would find God's promises to bless Abraham and make him a great nation appealing.  But not everyone would be as enticed by the promises to use us to be a blessing to others.  But Abraham did want to be a blessing to others and God made a covenant with him.

God’s ask for Abraham was: “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.”  Now, the reason I started by telling you how great Sumeria was is because I wanted you to understand something about what God was asking Abraham to give up.  Leaving his relatives and his father's family would be difficult.  But Abraham would also be walking away from the greatest, most advanced civilization on earth at the time.  Abraham would be giving it all up for the unknown.  God didn't even tell Abraham where he was going.  He just said for a land He would show him.  

Let’s think about why God would ask Abraham to leave his home in the wealthy Sumerian empire and go to the unknown land of Canaan to receive His blessings. These reasons matter for our own journeys of faith, too.

1. It Requires Faith in God
Leaving behind the comforts, security, and success of Ur meant Abraham had to rely completely on God. This journey wasn’t easy; it was an act of trust and obedience. Abraham showed he was willing to put his faith in God above any human security.

Like Abraham, sometimes God asks us to leave behind our “comfort zones” and trust Him fully. Maybe that means stepping into a new role, forgiving someone, or starting a project we’re unsure of. Faith means trusting that God is with us, even when we don’t have all the answers. 

2. It Forms a New Identity
God wasn’t just calling Abraham to a new place; He was calling him to a new life and purpose as the father of a chosen people. Leaving Ur meant letting go of its influences and forming a new identity based on worshiping the one true God.

When we follow God, we’re called to live differently, letting go of influences that pull us away from Him. Our faith should shape our actions, relationships, and even our purpose. Who we are in Christ becomes our true identity, guiding us in every part of our lives.  This may be extremely important for us all to remember this week during the presidential election.  Let’s remember that our true identity isn’t found in a political party, a leader, or even our nation.  Our identity as Christian is in Christ alone. No matter the outcome, we belong to Him, and our hope rests securely in His unchanging love and purpose for us.

3. It Set Abraham Apart for a Divine Mission
Moving to Canaan separated Abraham from a society filled with idols and complex politics. In this simpler place, Abraham and his descendants could focus on their relationship with God, staying faithful to His covenant without the distractions of a worldy empire.

God calls us to be “set apart” too, living in a way that honors Him even when it’s different from the world around us. Staying true to God’s mission for us means choosing His ways over what culture might tell us to value. This means focusing more on love, humility, dependence on God, and service than status or success.

4. It Kept Abraham Humble
Canaan wasn’t powerful or prosperous like Ur. God brought Abraham to Canaan to keep him humble and grounded. God wanted Abraham to rely on Him, not on wealth or status, as He blessed and built Abraham’s family.

God sometimes places us in humbling situations so we can learn to rely on Him. It can be easy to think we’re strong on our own, but true blessing and growth come from depending on God’s strength, not our own. Humility reminds us to stay close to God, especially when He blesses us.

5. Israel as the Center of the World
The Promised Land, Canaan, what would eventually become Israel, sits at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe--where three continents come together. This location made it central to major empires for thousands of years. Moving Abraham here set the stage for God’s salvation plan for the whole world, as Abraham’s descendants would grow into a nation that shines God’s light to all.

Just as God placed Israel at a crossroads, He places each of us in unique places to influence those around us. Whether it’s at work, school, home, or church, God has a purpose for where we are right now, using us to reflect His love and truth to others.

Saints Among Us
I am who I am today because of so many people of faith who influenced me.  I originally thought I might share a touching story about someone who , because of their faith in God and gracious love, helped shape me.  But then I thought, who would a name.  There have been so many!  Would I tell of my mom or me grandma?  Or what about my karate instructor or a pastor or Sunday school teacher.  There were even people who didn't know me well, but who said an encouraging word that made all the difference.  And then, there have been so many anonymous people who have helped that I'm not even aware of.  If I tried to name them all, it would take too long and I would certainly leave someone out.  But the point is, I have been shaped by many saints in my life.  And you have too.  And we are called to be saints to others as well.  Like Abraham, God has blessed us to be a blessing to others.  But we have to have the faith to follow Jesus and god where God sends us.  Sometimes, we even have to have the faith to walk away from something we've known and trusted in order to trust God more and enter the Promised Land He has for us.

All Saints Celebration
As we close today, we have the privilege to remember and honor the saints who have gone before us.  In our tradition, “saints” refers to all persons who were saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  In other words, all Christians. 

Hebrews 12:1 says, “we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith…”  They are cheering us on as we run our race of faith.  And we recognize and honor them today.

Instructions:
First, we will read the names of two saints who passed away over the last year who were members of our church.  We will say their name and ring a bell as people stand in their memory.

Then, we will allow you to name any person who has passed that you would like to remember and honor as a saint.  We will ring the bell as you stand in their memory.

Finally, we will remember that all who repent of their sins and follow Jesus as Lord are saints.
But first, let us pray:

“Lord, we gather in gratitude today, remembering the saints who have walked before us and the faithful among us today. May their lives of faith inspire and strengthen us as we carry on the work You have given to each of us.”

Members:

Helen Gross
Feb 13, 1932  -  Feb 10, 2024

Lorene Smith
Mar 8, 1942 - Sept 24, 2024

Others:
At this time, we invite you to stand and name a person who has passed that you would like to remember and honor as a saint.  We will ring the bell as you stand in their memory.

All:
Today, I would also like to honor each of you, the living saints who carry the faith and hope of the gospel into our world. You are the church, God’s people, called and loved, bearing witness to His love and grace.  Therefore, please stand, all of you (if you are able).

“May the light of Christ guide you and may the faith of all saints inspire you. Live as the beloved community, serving, loving, and carrying the hope of Christ into a world that needs His light. Amen.”  

Living in Covenant with God | A Sermon on Noah from Genesis 9:8-17

Introduction
Kids sometimes say to each other: “Cross my heart and hope to die.  Stick a needle in my eye.”  It’s a way of saying: “You can trust me.  I’m telling the truth” or “I will keep my word.”  We all want to be able to trust others are telling the truth or will keep their word, but we’ve learned from experience:  not everyone does.

For thousands of years, people used covenants to make important promises to each other.  Sometimes covenants were between equal partners.  One king might say to another king:  “If your enemy attacks you, I’ll come help you.  If my enemy attacks me, you come help me.  And if I break our covenant, may I suffer divine curses!”  Sometimes covenants were made between powerful emperors and their vassals: “If you serve me as a faithful subject, I’ll protect you and treat you fair. 
But if you rebel against me, I will destroy you and everything you love!”

In the Bible, God made covenants with people to build, repair, and strengthen His relationship with them. These agreements show that He wants to be close to people, even though they make mistakes and do wrong things. Covenants also give people guidance on how to live in peace with God and each other.

God’s Rescue Plan
I once heard the true story of two men who went rock climbing together out in the wilderness.  One man held the safety rope for his partner while he climbed up the side of a cliff.  But something went wrong and the safety rope failed and one man fell a hundred feet.  He was broken and severely injured, but still alive.  His partner called for help, but the rescue mission was very difficult.  A rescue team had to hike in to retrieve the injured man.  A helicopter had to life flight him to a hospital and an ICU team had to work with him for weeks to get him stabilized, perform multiple emergency surgeries to repair shattered bones and ruptured organs.  Even then, the rescue wasn't complete.  it took months for the injured climber to heal and years of physical therapy before he could walk again and begin to return to a normal life.  Today, thanks to God's healing and so many people who contributed to his rescue, that injured climber is able to work again and carry on a normal life with his family and friends.

Bible scholar and teacher, Sandra Richter, compares the way God rescued humanity from the brokenness of sin to the rescue of an injured climber--it is a long, difficult, and very costly process.  We call the original sin of Adam and Eve "the fall".  It's an apt description because after the fall, humanity (and all creation) were broken physically, mentally, and spiritually and we were unable to rescue ourselves.  We need God to save us.   

There are five covenants God made with humanity in the Bible as art of His rescue plan.  First, God made a covenant with all living creatures in the story of Noah and the flood.  Then, God made a covenant with one man, Abraham to bless his family line.  Next, God made a covenant with a people though Moses to make the Israelites His own people.  Then, God made a covenant with the Kingdom of Israel through David.  Finally, God made a new covenant to save the world from sin through Jesus.  We will go through all these covenants over the next few weeks.  But today, let’s start with Noah.

God’s Rescue Plan Starts with Noah
In Genesis 6:5, it tells us “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.”  Humanity was so broken, the best thing our good, companionate, merciful, and patient God could was to start all over with creation--to wash the world clean with a flood.  God decides to start over with one man, Noah.  God instructs Noah to build an ark to save his family and pairs of all the animals.  Then God sends a great flood that destroys the earth and every living thing not in the ark.  Afterward, God makes a covenant with Noah and all creation.  Let's read it.

Genesis 9:8-17
⁸ Then God told Noah and his sons, ⁹ “I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, ¹⁰ and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. ¹¹ Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

¹² Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. ¹³ I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. ¹⁴ When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, ¹⁵ and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. ¹⁶ When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” ¹⁷ Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”

God made a covenant with Noah
This is an important moment in our relationship with God. It might be understandable if God decided to give Up on humanity. We rebelled against Him for no good reason. But despite our treachery, God did not give up in us. He looks over the disgusting mess we made of His world, and God decides to save what He can. And starting with Noah, God begins to rescue the world. And He starts with a covenant. 

Components of a Covenant
A typical covenant in the Bible and the ancient world usually included these components:

1. The Parties Involved – the parties in the 1^st covenant are God and Noah & all living creatures.

2. Promises – what each party commits to.  In this 1^st covenant, God will not destroy the earth with a flood verse 11.  People will not murder and will be fruitful and multiply and repopulate the earth (verses 5-7)

3. Consequences – Specifies the blessings for obedience and the penalties for breaking the covenant.  God says He “will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life.” (verse 5)

4. A Sign – to serve as a tangible reminder of the agreement.  What was the sign of God’s covenant with Noah?  The rainbow.  In the ancient world, it was common to carve a picture into a stone monument as a sign of a covenant between a conquering king and the people he conquered…

5. Witnesses – In the first covenant, God and all living things are witnesses to the promise.

What God’s Covenant with Noah Teaches Us
God’s covenant with Noah teaches us something important:  God is faithful, even when the world around us is not.  God kept His promise to Noah, and He continues to keep His promises to us today.  But this covenant also challenges us to live as people who reflect that same faithfulness.  In a world where broken promises are common—where commitments are often abandoned when things get hard—we are to be true to our word.

Think about the promises you’ve made. Maybe it’s to your spouse, your kids, or a friend.  Maybe it’s a promise you made to God—something you committed to in prayer or during a tough time. These promises matter.  Just as God’s word never fails, He calls us to be people who keep our word.

The truth is, being faithful isn’t always easy. There will be times when it’s tempting to walk away from commitments—when relationships feel too hard, when life gets overwhelming, or when sticking to your word feels inconvenient. But it’s in those moments that faithfulness becomes a powerful witness. When you keep your promises, even when it’s hard, you show the world a glimpse of God’s character.  You reflect His truth and reliability in a world that desperately needs both.

So, how can you live out faithfulness today?  Maybe it means forgiving someone you’ve been holding a grudge against because you promised to love as Jesus loves.  Maybe it means staying committed to a relationship that’s difficult right now.  Or maybe it’s about showing up and following through on the small promises you’ve made, even when no one else notices.

Faithfulness in small things adds up to a life that points others to God.  When we are faithful with what we say and do, we become part of God’s ongoing story of redemption—reflecting His goodness and reliability to those around us.

As we leave today, I challenge you to ask: What promises have I made that I need to keep? How can I be more faithful in my relationships and commitments? Remember, we serve a God who never breaks His promises—and He calls us to live with that same kind of faithfulness.

Rainbow Ceremony
As we close today, I want to invite you to come to the altar while the praise band sings.  The are pens and slips of paper on the altar.  Each paper has a rainbow on it and it says:  Write down one promise to God you intend to always keep.

I invite each of you to come to the altar and pray for a moment about the promises you’ve made.
And then I invite you to write down one promise to God you intend to always keep.  Then, take the slip of paper with you and put it someone where it will always remind you of your promise, just like the rainbow in the sky reminds us of God’s promise.

Free Will - Reflections from Eden | A Sermon on Genesis 3

Introduction
Last Sunday, we learned God designed us to be good stewards of His creation and all that He entrusts to our care.  Everyone in church last Sunday received a $5 bill and was asked to pray about how they could use the $5 to bless someone.  How did you use your $5 “talent” to be a blessing?  Don’t forget to place your stewardship survey on the altar today.  I look forward to reading how everyone used their talent.

Today, we are going to read about free will in Genesis 3.  God wants us to be able to love Him and love cannot be coerced.  It must be freely given.  So, God created us with free will, the ability to make choices freely, without being forced, allowing people to decide between right and wrong.  Of course, the freedom to love and obey God also comes with the possibility people will choose to hate and disobey Him.  All this plays out with tragic consequences in Genesis 3.

Genesis 3:1-7
¹ 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?”

² “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. ³ “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.’”

⁴ “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. ⁵ “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.”

⁶ 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. ⁷ At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

The Temptation
Our reflection from Eden takes a pivotal turn in chapter 3. The serpent, described as the shrewdest of all the wild animals, slithers onto the scene with a deceptive question: "Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?" (Genesis 3:1). This was no innocent question. It was designed to introduce doubt into Eve’s mind—doubt about God’s words, intentions, and authority.

Notice the serpent’s strategy: he doesn't outright deny God's command. Instead, he twists it, planting the idea that God may be holding something back from Adam and Eve. The serpent tells her in verse 5, "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 suggestion is subtle but powerful: What if God isn’t as good as He seems? What if He’s keeping something wonderful from you?

This is the same tactic the enemy uses on us today. How often are we tempted by the thought that God’s way is too restrictive, or we’re missing out if we follow His commands? Temptation often comes disguised as something good—a chance to get ahead, pleasure, or fulfillment—convincing us that what we want is better than what God offers.

Eve was faced with a choice. She could trust God’s command, believing He knew what was best, or she could trust her own desire. In verse 6, we see the tragic moment unfold: “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.”

And I want to point out verse 6 says Adam was with her when all this happened.  Adam is just as guilty as Eve.  He stayed silent while Eve listened to the serpent and chose to disobey God.  And then Adam also actively disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit when Eve offered it to him.  Martin Luther King, Jr. once remarked, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  Sometimes, our sin is not in what we say or do, but in what we don’t say or do.  Adam was silent when Eve trusted Satan and disobeyed God.  Then Adam disobeyed God and ate the fruit too.

Adam and Eve had free will and they chose disobedience. That’s the challenge with free will—it requires us to trust God’s wisdom and love Him, even when we don’t fully understand His reasons.

Genesis 3:8-24
⁸ 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. ⁹ Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

¹⁰ He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

¹¹ “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?”

¹² The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

¹³ Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

¹⁴ 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.
¹⁵ 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.”

¹⁶ 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.”

¹⁷ 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.
¹⁸ It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
    though you will eat of its grains.
¹⁹ 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.”

²⁰ Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. ²¹ And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

²² 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!” ²³ 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. ²⁴ 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.

The Consequences
After Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit, everything changed in an instant. Genesis 3:7 says, "At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves." What was once a state of innocence was replaced by guilt and shame. They become painfully aware of their vulnerability and tried to hide it.  But you can’t hide anything from God.

This is what sin does. It distorts our relationship with God, with others, and even with ourselves. Where there was once openness and trust, now there was shame, fear, and hiding. Adam and Eve’s choice broke their connection with God and corrupted everything else about the world.

And isn’t that how sin works in our own lives? When we make wrong choices, it creates distance—between us and God, between us and others, and even turmoil within our own hearts. We try to cover up our mistakes, hoping no one will notice, but deep down we know things aren’t right.

But even in the midst of this brokenness, God doesn't abandon Adam and Eve. Though they face consequences, God still cares for them.  He gives them clothing made from animal skins (Genesis 3:21). This act foreshadows the ultimate hope we have in Jesus, who would come to cover our sin and restore our broken relationship with God.  God’s grace is always at work, offering hope and restoration. The question for us is: Will we continue hiding, or will we come to God for healing?

A Touching Story
I want to end with a touching story in the Gospel Mark (5:25-34) about a woman who suffered for 12 years with constant bleeding.  Can you imagine?  I had a nose bleed once that wouldn’t stop bleeding for about 15 minutes.  Imaging bleeding for 12 years!  Not only would it be embarrassing, it would make you feel awful to constantly lose blood.  And in Jesus day, given the Jewish ceremonial laws, bleeding would make this woman an unclean outcast from society.  I’m sure she would do everything she could to hide her embarrassing problem.  But then she heard about Jesus—a man they said could heal any sickness.  A man full of love and compassion.  A man with the power and authority of God.  And the woman was faced with a choice:  keep hiding her shame or come to Jesus for healing.  She decided to seek healing from Jesus.

I’m sure this poor woman would have preferred to come see Jesus privately and ask for healing.  But Jesus was constantly surrounded by crowds so it had to be done in front of everyone.  One day, she thought If I could just touch the hem of His robe, it would heal me.  So she got on the hands and knees and crawled through the crowd and reached out and touched the hem of his robe.  And as she did, she was immediately healed. 

Jesus said to the whole crowd, “Who touched my robe?”

Mark 5:33-34 – ³³ Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. ³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

We have a choice too.  We may not be bleeding like the woman in the story, but we all have sinned.  And our sin makes us feel ashamed.  We don’t want anyone to know.  We keep our dark deeds hidden away.  But we know in our hearts we are broken.  And when we hear about Jesus, a man who can heal our sin and makes us whole and restore our relationship with God, we have a choice.  Do we keep hiding in shame or do we come to Jesus and seek healing?

Today, you have a choice.  Are you going to be like Adam and Eve who sinned and realized they were naked and then tried to hide from God?  Or are you going to be like the women who set aside her pride and crawled through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe?

We all have a choice.  God created us with free will.  How will you use your freedom today?

Stewardship & Responsibility - Reflections from Eden | A Sermon on Genesis 2:15-20 & Matthew 25:15-30

Introduction
Last week in our message, we explored the importance of relationships that the creation story in Genesis 2 emphasizes.  There are so many interesting ideas and themes to explore in the creation story, but today I want to focus on the idea of stewardship and responsibility.  Let’s start by reading part of the Garden of Eden story and consider what it may teach us about stewardship and then we’re going to look at what Jesus said about stewardship.

Genesis 2:15-20
¹⁵ The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. ¹⁶ But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— ¹⁷ except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” ¹⁹ So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. ²⁰ He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.

God Created Us to Be Stewards
God places Adam in the Garden of Eden and instructs him to work and take care of it, showing humanity’s role as caretakers of creation.  God also has Adam name all the animals.  In ancient Middle Eastern culture, knowing someone’s name often meant having power or authority over them.  Adam’s job of naming the animals shows his responsibility and authority over nature.  This story reveals part of our purpose in life is to watch over and manage God’s creation.  We are to be stewards.  That is why we can use the resources of creation to help sustain us.  But, that doesn’t mean we abuse creation, because it belongs to God.

A steward, from a biblical Christian perspective, is someone entrusted by God to manage and care for His creation and resources. This includes everything from the environment to personal relationships to our talents and our finances. A steward is called to faithfully use these gifts with responsibility, wisdom, and obedience, reflecting God’s will and purpose. Ultimately, a steward’s role is to honor God by fostering growth, serving others, and making choices that align with God’s plan.  Jesus told a parable to remind us of our purpose as God’s stewards.  The parable is found in Matthew 25:15-30.

Matthew 25:14-18
¹⁴ “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. ¹⁵ He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

¹⁶ “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. ¹⁷ The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

The Effect of Inflation on Money
I want to point out a basic financial principle about “interest” here, because it answers a question people often have about this parable.  Money doesn’t hold its value.  If someone gave you $100 50 years ago and you put it in a mason jar and buried it in the ground, and then dug today, how much would it be worth?  Still $100, right?  But $100 today doesn’t go as far as it did 50 years ago, right?  Because of inflation, you would need at least $634 today to have as much buying power as $100 had 50 years ago.  So, the two servants who invested their master’s money ensured the money didn’t lose value.  But the money the third fearful servant buried has lost value.

Matthew 25:19-30
¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁰ The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

²¹ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

²² “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

²³ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

²⁴ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. ²⁵ I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

²⁶ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, ²⁷ why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

²⁸ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. ²⁹ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. ³⁰ Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Which Servant Do You Want To Be?
Jesus’ Parable teaches us the importance of being good stewards and managing the resources God has given us. In the story, a master gives his servants different amounts of money and expects them to use it wisely while he is away.  But this is a story about us.  We are the servants in the story.  God is the Master.  He made us.  He placed us on this earth.  He entrusted to us all the talents and resources we have.  We are responsible for using what God gives us and God expects us to use it all for His glory, not just for our own selfish desires.  And we are to be fruitful with God’s resources.

Jesus’ parable also gives us a warning.  One day, the Master is going to return and ask each and everyone of us to give an account on how we managed God’s resources.  Were we fruitful?
Now which one of the servants do you want to be when the God asks you to give an account?

Stewardship involves every aspect of our lives, because everything we have and all that we are is a gift from God.  Jesus came to call us back to this way of living.  A life where we fulfill our God given purpose to be good stewards who view everything in our lives as a way to honor and glorify God.  Glorify Him with the work you do.  Glorify Him with the money you have.  Glorify Him by the way you lead your family.  Glorify Him by the way you treat you friends, raise your children, serve in your church…  Honor and glorify God as a good steward in every part of your life.

Stewardship Challenge
In my church, we did a special activity to practice what it means to be a good steward.  Each person who came to worship that day received a $5 bill as part of a stewardship challenge. Their task was to pray and ask God how they could use the $5 to bless someone that week. They were free to spend the money however they felt led, but the goal was to make a positive impact in someone else’s life. I encouraged them to be creative, thoughtful, and prayerful in how they choose to use this gift.

What would you do if you received $5?  Would you:
Buy a meal or a coffee for someone in need or surprise a stranger by paying for their order.
Purchase a small gift to give someone (like a greeting card or flowers).
Buy supplies (such as snacks, bottled water, or hygiene products) to give to someone in needs.
Combine your $5 with others to make a larger impact, such as buying groceries for a struggling family.  

Part of the point of this exercise is to make it plain to everyone that the money is not theirs.  It was given to them to be used for a purpose:  to be a blessing to others.  When we think of our own resources--our money, our talents, our time--these also are not our own.  They were given to us by God.  And we are to use them in ways that align with God's values and purposes for our world.  We are to be good steward who use God's resources in ways that honor and glorify Him.  Are you being a goof steward?  How do you need to change to do better?