December 3rd, 2016
ICA Sunday Pulpit Message
Family Which Receives the Offspring of Woman (Gen 3:14-21)
(Intro)
It’s good to see you. Greet those around you. Have you had a good week? Today’s title is, “Family which receives the offspring of woman”. Something happened in 1852. A US citizen passed away in Algeria. After 31 years later, the American government transported his body. They even sent a military ship for that body. This body arrived at New York Harbor. According to the newspapers, a great number of people gathered. Even the president was there, along with politicians. When they were bringing down the coffin, instruments were playing. However, that deceased body wasn’t a politician, general, scientists nor a renowned person. He was a normal individual. Why did so many people come to remember him? He composed a song. He made the song, “Home, Sweet Home”. He was John Howard Payne. The British don’t really treat Americans well. They say that they have better houses. It wasn’t easy to perform as an American. It wasn’t easy for him to perform in England. There was a Civil War in the US. They were divided. They were all weary because of the battle. This one soldier was playing this song with his harmonica. It made the other soldiers from the other side, emotional. They decided to take a break from the war. During that time period, they would write letters to their family. Even President Lincoln liked this song. Home is the place which creates happiness. God created the entire universe, as well as man and woman. If you pick the 3 English words that are the most touching, they were mother, heaven and home. We are going to talk about home. We know the spiritual facts. We make records of movements. We must be able to see with spiritual eyes. The Bible always talks about the beginning of incidents. It talks about the beginning of the world, mankind, sin and death. How did everything start? It was from Genesis 3. It took place in Adam’s home. The first problem of mankind happened in the family. Satan attacks the home first.
1. Adam’s family problem could happen to anyone
(1) The interpersonal relationship that only puts demands on each other (Gen 3:16)
(2) The world’s field is filled with hard labor and suffering (Gen 3:17-18)
(3) An empty life in vain (Gen 3:19)
Adam’s family problem could occur anywhere. If you look at Genesis 3:16, it details the issues. It talks about the labor of woman. They have to deliver children. You may think that it is rightful for us to bear pain to deliver a child. However, men are made to conquer women. Women started to prioritize men. How was it like before Genesis 3? Women were equal to men in front of God. They were originally not the ones who were supposed to be conquered, but not they suffer. The wife Adam was sent by God. When Adam saw Eve for the first time, he saw her as flesh and bones. She received compliments. Women were created to help husbands. However, later they sinned. That changed everything. Now, they are conquered by them. Instead of helping them, they are desperate. They have descended into an unstable being, who are acknowledged by their husbands. They have to obey and be conquered by their husbands. Women are supposed to obey their husbands. I am not saying that women are inferior. Yesterday, my wife and I were moving the furniture. My wife was working more efficiently. She said that she was better than me. Women can be smarter than men, but that’s not what I mean. However, they are supposed to be obedient to their husbands. Women don’t want their men to look at other women and have expectations. They only want attention for them. I am not trying to belittle them, but that is how they have descended. What does it say in verse 17 and 18? There is a problem that men have started. Mankind was supposed to grow in numbers and multiply, but they were cursed. If they don’t work the ground, they would starve. They have to sweat. Man has to work. How does the world describe this? This world is filled with hard labor and suffering. They have to go through a lot of hard labor. What does it say in verse 19? Since you came from the ground, you will return to it. You live with hard labor and die. Original man was not like that. it explains it in Genesis 2. He gives a breath of life. Having lost their original authority, we get buried after we die, rather than ascending into heaven. This happened in Adam’s family and could happen to us. They had demands for each other. Spouses have high demands of each other. The husbands demand rest from their wives. They won’t be able to prepare for the eternal life after death. This problem is happening even now. God gave a solution. He gave the offspring of woman. Adam receives that and repents. There’s no other way to solve familial problems, other than the Gospel. Having the Gospel means that you put your existential value on God, not others. The parents nag their kids. Husbands and wives always fight. They might compare themselves with other couples and have high demands. Only if you place your value, reason and purpose for living to God, then those problems will be solved. You have to place your value on God. You could say that the reason why you got married was not because of your appearance nor ability, but it is because of God. Change your thought process. You can date someone. Those things will pass. God sent me to you. Husbands should save their wives. It says to conquer them, with the word of God. Plant the covenant and raise them with spiritual knowledge. It is until the point where she becomes your co-worker. There are people who say that the pastor’s wife shouldn’t do anything related to the church. I could understand that because they can cause a lot of problems. Many church members struggle because of them. Because of that, many say such things. What God wanted them to do was become co-workers. They should help the pastor’s true ministry. There are many terrible incidents in Korean history due to women, so this mindset is imprinted. What does God want? To that point, the husbands must raise their wives. It is to the points where they do not become hindrances. Many American pastors ordain their wives. This won’t work yet in Korean churches. This is how the time schedule of God is flowing. The wives must cover the mistakes of the husband and embrace them. Wives must enjoy the mystery of spiritual fact with holding onto the word of God to help husband. Because of that reason, God has sent me to you. If you don’t do this, you will have problems. As long as you have this covenant, you will go to heaven together. You await for the kingdom of God. People are losing this.
2. You must find the cause of Adam’s family problem
(1) When you don’t take God’s desire as vital (Gen 2:17)
(2) When you choose to follow the demon’s temptation (Gen 3:1-6)
(3) When you stay inside the status that the demon wants (Gen 3:14)
God told them to not eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve knew it. She knew that she could do everything, but eat it. She didn’t take this as vital. She didn’t make the word of God as her conclusion. For her, that was not her lifelong covenant. She didn’t take what God wanted as vital. In the Bible, there are numerous words of God. if you could just hold onto 1 verse, you will be successful. All the successful people in the Bible held onto 1 verse. Noah held onto the demand by God to build an ark. Noah would drink naked. If that happened now, you would be incarcerated. God said that He would give Abraham a son and he held onto it. Abraham was a mean person. How could he abandon his wife twice? Abraham held onto the one word of God and completed his life’s covenant. May you take God’s word correctly. Moses held onto the blood sacrifice. Joseph held onto his dreams. David would become king. Peter fed Jesus’ lambs. George Muller wasn’t a great individual. In his anecdote, a lot of strange things happened. He only held onto the fact that God would answer him. Rockefeller didn’t even hold onto many Bible verses, and obeyed his mom’s word of coming to worship early. He went to worship every Sunday. When you choose to follow the demon’s temptation, then you will fall. They were supposed to deny his temptation. This brings arrogance because you think you could be like God. It is the self-centered. When you make a selfish, God might leave you to suffer. You would lose thanksgiving and blame God. Everything looks unfair. You might wonder why there are so many problems in this world. You might question the actions that occurred in the Bible. You might even take pity upon Satan. Satan used to praise God, but became Lucifer. You might wonder why Judah had to be abandoned. They will think centered on themselves and be powerless. They would become confused spiritually. They would be spiritually mad. In Revelations, it talks about judgments. We will know that it will be God’s disaster. In Genesis 3:14, what does it say about the serpent? What does it eat? It says that it eats dust. There is no snake that eats dust. If you maintain yourself like the level of dust, you will be eaten by Satan. Even though I am lacking, I will pray. I will continue to share the Gospel. If you make choices that Satan wants, you will fail. I bless that you will realize this. You are a child of God with Salvation who will pray.
3. When one member of the family acknowledges the Gospel, the problems will be solved (Gen 3:20)
(1) He will cover our shame (Gen 3:21)
(2) He will never place us under the eternal curse (Gen 3:22-24)
(3) He will raise the descendants of faith (Gen 4:2,4)
When one member acknowledges the Gospel, the problems will be solved. It says in verse 20. The man called his wife, Eve. It means the mother of all living. Adam heard the word that the offspring of woman will crush the head of the serpent. The offspring of woman will have revenge on our behalf. It is the offspring of woman. Through your descendants, your offspring will come. He acknowledged and accepted it. He acknowledged the value of his wife. God chose you. God will bless you. Why? I will pray. There is a plan for you. Do not belittle nor criticize others. Abraham was called the father of all nations by his wife. Sarah was called the mother of all nations by her husband. Even if one person could just hold onto God’s covenant, then the problem will be solved. God made Adam and his wife some garments of clothing. It is uncomfortable. God covered their shame permanently. He covered their shameful body. If one member of the family realizes this, then He will cover all the shame within the family. God will pour blessing. You can ask my mother. My family failed. God overturned my family. He overturned my family to the point where he overturned my shame. In verse 22, they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. God was blessing them. They were prohibited from eating from the tree of life. In order to redeem them from their cursed status, they had to leave the Garden of Eden. To redeem them, God sent them out. If one person believes in the offspring of woman, God will bless the family. And God will raise the descendent of faith. It was Abel who did so. One may ask what kind of answer Abel received? He had a bad brother who killed him. Is that not a tragedy? You can see it like that. Think about it carefully. After the incident of Genesis 3, what is our reality? You cannot redeem yourself. The entire earth has been tilted. All of mankind who were born after were tilted. Once you hold onto the Gospel of the offspring of woman, God will bless you. Even if Cain didn’t committed murder, someone else could have. The world is conquered by darkness. In the midst of that, God gave them Seth. Through the descendants of Seth, they fulfilled the lineage all the way to Christ. Even if everyone fails, God will raise the descendants of the Covenant. That was the answer that came to his family.
(Conc)
May you take God’s desire as vital. May you receive the filling of the Holy Spirit so that you won’t be tempted by Satan. May you take part in spiritual battle vs Satan so you can have victory. Why? Jesus already guaranteed victory. Jesus crushed Satan’s head. Once you confess the name of Jesus, your spiritual status will be overturned. Visible answers will appear. You only need one person. Pray so that God’s strength and power will come. You have to eat spiritual food. You have the receive spiritual strength. The family that receives this blessing is a Gospel Noble Family. This is the family that accepts the offspring of woman.
(Prayer)
Dear precious Lord, I give thanks. May you pour down your mercy. Holding onto your mystery, may you save families and raise descendants. May the families be utilizes as the Gospel Noble Family. In Jesus Christ name I pray, Amen.