["Pomp and Circumstance"]
You
Hey, man, welcome to first works Baptist Church, we're gonna get started with song number 246
song number 246 as you find your seats and let's all stand together if you are able to
246 redeemed
First verse we deem how I love to proclaim it seen on that verse
Oh
This child and forever I am
We deemed and so happy in Jesus the language
His
I think of him all the day long
He saw his love is a theme of my son
I
Know I shall see in his beauty the king in whose law I divide
Guarded my footsteps and give it me song in the night
I
Redeemed by the blood of the lamb
Redeemed
His child
Amen wonderful scene the start of our service with a word of prayer dear God only father
We thank you so much with God for just allowing us to be here this morning
Thank you so much for everybody that made it here safely look God
I pray that if there's anybody that's still traveling to come to church with God
I do pray that you please just bless her way. Keep them safe on the road
Just please also just be with us as well in the congregation look out that you please just
Set our hearts right look out to hear the preaching of your word and most of all
I pray that you please just bless pastor me here as he preaches your word
I pray that you please just fill in with your Holy Spirit
I am through the scriptures with God and I pray that you'd also just help us with God to just to be attentive today this
Morning in Jesus name. Amen. You may be seated song number two hundred and ninety six follow on song number two hundred and ninety six
song number two hundred and ninety six
Seen on that first verse
Down in the valley with my Savior I would go
Where the flowers are blooming and the sweet waters flow?
Everywhere he leads me I would follow follow on
Walking in his full steps till the ground be won
follow follow
I would follow Jesus
Anywhere everywhere I would follow on
follow follow
I would follow Jesus
Where he leads me I would follow on
Down in the valley with my Savior. I would go
Where the storms are sweeping and the dark waters flow
Me I will never never
Anywhere everywhere I will follow
Everywhere he leads me I would follow
Down in the valley or upon the mountain sea
Close beside my Savior would my soul ever keep
To where they gather on the hills of God
Anywhere everywhere
All right, great singing thank you for being here this morning just a few announcements here before we sing our next song
Which will be two hundred and nine if you want to get that ready in your songbooks
Sunshine in my soul song number two hundred and nine if you did not get a bulletin
Go ahead and raise your hand and one of the ushers can get one for you some important information on there
Of course, our services are as follow Sunday morning is at 1030 Sunday evening at 5 p.m
And then we have our Thursday night Bible study at 7 o'clock
We have the sowing times and teams there and the list of expecting mothers if you can continue to pray for them
And then of course the important reminders there at the bottom some of the upcoming church events
We have the ladies prayer breakfast coming up on Saturday, August 27th. You can see him as Janelle Gonzalez for more details about that
She's the one who heads up the the ladies prayer meeting there and then on Sunday September 4th
We have the birthday breakfast as well as the Judea zoning and then we have a homeschool field trip coming up on
Wednesday September 14th to the discovery cube in Orange County
And of course all the activities at our church are free
And so just make sure you contact my wife to just touch bases with her as far as the details are concerned
But that will be on the 14th of September and then we have a men's prayer night coming up on Friday September 30th
And then there at the bottom no food or drink allowed in a main auditorium except for water and coffee
Please make sure you respect that and then Lord earring in the foyer or fellowship hall during the preaching service
And of course quiet time is this afternoon from 3 p.m. To 4 15 throughout the entire building
Of course
the lights will be turned off and then everything will resume after 4 15 and then
Please make sure you silence your phones during the preaching so as to not be a distraction during the service
All right, and that is pretty much it. Let's go to sing our next song song number 209 in your song books
sunshine in my soul song number 209
Amen song number 209 sunshine in the soul seen on that first verse there is sunshine
Then
There is sunshine in my soul
There is music in my soul today
And Jesus
When Jesus shows a smiley face there is sunshine
There is springtime today
Ah
This my face there is sunshine
There is glad my soul today
Is me now for joys
When the peaceful happy moments roll
There is sunshine
Amen wonderful seeing and at this time our ushers will be receiving the offering and please turn your Bibles to Genesis chapter 2
You
In Genesis chapter number two this morning
Genesis chapter number two Bible reads
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the hosts of them on the seventh day
God ended his work which he had made and he rested on the seventh day from all his work
Which he had made and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he had rested from all his work
Which God created and made?
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created and the day that the Lord God made the earth
And the heavens and every plant of the field before it was in the earth and every herb of the field before it grew
The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth and there was not a man to till the ground
But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a
living soul
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed
Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the site and good for food the tree of
Life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden and from thence it was pardoned became into four heads
The name of the first is Pison that is it which compass at the whole land of Havilah where there is gold and the gold
Of that land is good
There is Delium in the onyx stone
The name of the second river is Gihon the same as it that compass at the whole land of Ethiopia
The name of the third river is Hiddico that is it which goes toward the east of Assyria and the fourth river is Euphrates
And the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it
The Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden that may us freely eat
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil I shall not eat of it
For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall surely die
And the Lord God said it's not good that man should be alone
I'll make him in help meet for him
Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast to the field and every fowl of the air and brought them into Adam to
See what he would call them and whatsoever Adam called every living creature
That was the name thereof and Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl of the air and every beast of the field
But for Adam there was not found and help meet for him
and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the
Flesh instead thereof and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man made
He a woman and brought her unto the man and Adam said this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh
She should be called woman because she was taken out of man
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh
And they were both naked the man and his wife and were not ashamed. Let's pray dear Lord God
I would just thank you for your word. Thank you for preserving it for us and to this day
I just ask that you wouldn't be with Pastor Mahir now as he preaches it. Please just fill him with your Holy Spirit and
Please just help him to manifest your word through the preaching and give us ears to hear it and in Jesus name we pray. Amen
Amen, okay. We're in Genesis chapter 2 this morning and
Look down your Bibles at verse number 7
It says here in the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul and the Lord planted a garden eastward in Eden and
There he put the man whom he had formed and out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree
That is pleasant to the sight and good for food
The tree of life also is in the midst of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil
And the title of my sermon this morning is the Garden of Eden
I want to preach on the subject of the Garden of Eden and just kind of explain a couple things here regarding
This particular garden that got planted in Eden before the fall
What it signifies and then some of the layered meanings behind it some of the things that we're gonna look at in the future
So let's get right into it first and foremost go to Genesis chapter 1 if you would we're gonna come back to Genesis chapter 2
In just a bit go to Genesis chapter 1. Let me just say this right off the bat is that Eden
Was God's original intent for humanity and what I mean by that is the fact that you know during this time
everything was perfect everything was good and
God would essentially come and fellowship with man
He would walk in the garden in the cool of the day to commune with man to fellowship with man
And that is literally God's intent that was his purpose
That was his plan originally before the fall and in a sense that is still his plan today, which is why?
Humanity needs to be reconciled back into God through Jesus Christ so that we can again
Commune with our God and fellowship with him and speak to him and he threw up to us through his word now
Let me also say this is they Eden was created on day three of the creation period looking for summer 11
It says in God said let there be let the earth bring forth grass
The herb yielding seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind
Whose seed is in itself upon the earth and it was so and the earth brought forth grass and
Herb yielding seed after his kind and the tree yielding fruit whose seed was in itself after his kind
And God saw that it was good and the evening in the morning were the third day now when you look at Genesis chapter 2
Eden is already mentioned as already being there
It's not that it was created
It's already basically there because he talks about the garden being planted in
Eden and that's the first time we hear about Eden
But that's because of the fact that Eden was already created by day three when these trees and the fruits
Fruit yielding trees and whatnot were created on that third day now the garden
Particularly that's in Eden was potentially planted on the sixth day along with the creation of man
Okay, and let me also say this is that when we think about the creation period this isn't referring to thousands of years
You know the Bible doesn't teach an evolutionary type of a teaching when it comes to the creation. It's six literal days. Amen and
people who try to
Excuse this away and reason this away and say no, you know, it happened over a period of thousands of years
These are people who just want to compromise and don't think that God is capable of creating the world in six literal days
So they wanted to fit in with evolution and with science falsely so called in order to appease the world
But you know, we're just gonna believe the Bible and if God said that he created in six literal days
That's what we're gonna believe and that's what the Bible says and that's what exactly what happened
God is capable of doing these things and so he created everything in six literal days on the six days where he created man and
Where I potentially believe that he also created this particular garden. Okay?
Now, let me also say this is that you know during this time the world essentially is perfect, but there's a part of the world
That's the best part so to speak and that is Eden
And even within Eden eastward up Eden is this particular garden where he chose to place man?
now
Eden the Garden of Eden no longer exists today
Okay
and so, you know people who want to you know, try to discover where Eden is and let's just go to the deepest part of
The ocean or let's look for some archaeological discoveries to find out where Eden is. You're not gonna find it. It's gone
Okay, it was destroyed in the flood
And possibly maybe even prior to that we don't really hear it mentioned prior to that
But go with me if you would to Ezekiel go to the book of Ezekiel if you would chapter 36 hold your place there in
Genesis go to Ezekiel
You see the Bible talks about Eden being described as paradise
Because of the fact that the tree of life is in the midst of the garden which it refers to as paradise
Well, the Bible also says in Revelation chapter 2
Excuse me 2nd Corinthians 12 verse 4 that the Apostle Paul was caught up into paradise. Okay, and
He heard unspeakable words, which is not lawful for man to utter
Revelation 2 7 says he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches to him that
Overcometh another way of saying that it's to him that believes on Jesus Christ
Tim that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life?
Listen to this which is in the midst of the paradise of God
Okay, so essentially telling us that the tree of life is in the paradise of God which is in heaven
Which is exactly where the Apostle Paul went because he was caught up. He was not caught down
Okay, the reason it's important to note that is because you have this dispensational teaching that paradise is like the next-door neighbor of hell
Or something, you know, it's this vacancy that's no longer there right next to hell and the reason they want to teach
This is because of the fact that you know, they want to propagate this false teaching of Abraham's bosom
Essentially stating that every Old Testament saint when they died went to the second compartment of hell
You know you have the motel known as hell, but then you have the hotel known as paradise Abraham's bosom
Just a little better. It's still under the earth. Okay. Now that's a complete farce. It's not true. It's make-believe. It's made up
Paradise is obviously in heaven because of the fact that that's where the tree of life is but look at Ezekiel 36 verse 35
It says here and they shall say
this land
that was desolate is
become like the Garden of Eden and the waste and the desolate and ruined cities are become fenced and are
Inhabited Joel chapter 2 you don't have to turn there says a fire devoured before them and behind them a flame burneth
The land is as the Garden of Eden before them and behind them a
desolate wilderness essentially saying that these cities and these lands were destroyed by God and they essentially became
Desolate like a wilderness and then he likens it unto the Garden of Eden
Essentially saying that the Garden of Eden is also desolate. It's non-existent. It's destroyed. Okay, and
So, you know that's important to know because of the fact that so many people out there
Place such a heavy emphasis on the physical aspects of the Bible these archaeological discoveries
They want to find the Ark of God still and you know
They talk about the tauren
right
the the cloth is supposedly Jesus Christ was covered in and they want to find the cup that he drank out of they put so
much emphasis on that which is earthly and not that which is heavenly and let's just be honest if they were to discover for
Example the Ark of God so called it's probably it's a forgery. Okay, it's a fraud
Okay, someone built it years ago in order to make money
You know to deceive people into thinking that they actually have something that is from the Bible
All right, but you know one thing that they're not going to discover
According to the Bible for sure is number one the Garden of Eden, but number two Sodom and Gomorrah
Completely made desolate now you can go to where Sodom and Gomorrah was but at the end of the day, it's not there. Okay
You're not gonna find it. It's completely destroyed by God. Okay now go back to Genesis if you would
But at the end of the day, you know, it doesn't matter
You know whether Eden
The physical place Eden exists or not because that's not what's important
What's important is the spiritual truths that the Garden of Eden signified what it?
Essentially allegorizes and what it represents. So let's look at the Garden of Eden in the Genesis account in chapter 2
Look at verse number 7 again
it says the Lord God formed a man out of the dust dust of the ground and
Breathe into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul and the Lord God planted a garden eastward
In Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed and out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree
That is pleasant to the site and good for food
The tree of life also is in the midst of the garden and listen to this in the tree of knowledge of good and evil
So think about this, you know, he plants this garden in eating
He places the man there and there's all types of trees there
but the two of the most specific most
important trees that the Bible highlights is the tree of life and then the tree of knowledge of good and evil look at verse 15 and
the Lord God took the man and
put him in the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it and the Lord God commanded the man saying of
Every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat
But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shall not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof
Thou shalt surely die now another thing I want to point out because I hate dispensationalism so much is the fact that
We see here God placing a restriction on eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and dispensationalists will often teach this
heresy called dispensational salvation that people were saved differently throughout the ages and
They'll often point to this particular story and say that the way people were saved
During the Garden of Eden was by not eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil
But think about this folks think about how stupid that is because of the fact that Adam and Eve
weren't unsaved
They were completely innocent. They didn't need salvation because they were already there with God in his presence. They didn't have any sin
Okay at that point so for them to say well the way they get saved is by not eating of the tree of knowledge
Of good and evil is completely nonsensical because of the fact that they didn't need salvation at the time
They were already in the presence of God communing with them absent of sin
Okay, but another thing that I want to point out is that God's laws always provide more liberty than restrictions
Because he tells them out of all the trees of the garden thou mayest freely eat
There's just one you can't eat of right. He's essentially saying look, you know, you can have the mangoes
Strawberries you can have whatever, you know, the the watermelons. I know those don't necessarily grow on massive trees, but you get the picture here
Okay
You're like none of those are trees, you know, you can have the oranges you can have the apples you can have anything you want
You have various options to choose from just don't touch that one tree
Now here's the thing is that although God's laws provide more liberty than restrictions
God's restrictions at the end of the day still brings deliverance from death
So it's not like he's withholding the tree of knowledge of good and evil because he doesn't want you to have fun
He doesn't want you to enjoy life. He doesn't want you to you know, just kind of bask in you know
It's not like the tree of knowledge of good and evil was tastier than any other to treat understand
The reason he told them that they could not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil is because if they did they
Were gonna die and what we know how we can apply that today is that you know
When God commands us to do something or it commands us not to do something
We should never view it as oh man God's keeping me from having fun or something, you know
Oh God's just trying to hold back or you know
God's laws are so grievous because if we're not allowed to do all these things, but you know
Here's the thing is that God's laws are placed there to save you from the consequences of sin
Because disobedience that God has within itself a built-in consequence that can eventually destroy your life
Okay, and so God's restrictions brings deliverance from death when God commands us not, you know to abstain from alcohol
It's not like you know, he's just trying to keep you from having fun on a Saturday night
You understand and getting all belligerent and drunk. He's trying to keep you from you know, I don't know getting cirrhosis of the liver
He's trying to keep you from I don't know getting raped
He's trying to keep you from destroying your brain
He's trying to keep you from being a complete fool and a complete idiot potentially placing yourself in a position to destroy your life
It's not like oh man. I'm missing out on so much. Yeah, you're missing out on the pool of vomit
that comes the next day or something. Oh, man, and
So, you know God's laws always provide more liberty than restrictions
but even the restrictions that he gives us brings deliverance from death and
That's how we need to view it. Okay, never, you know, the laws God's law should never be grievous unto us
We should never complain about rules
We should never complain about the restrictions that God places on us or how about this?
You should never complain about the restrictions that that your parents place on your life
You know the Bible talks about the law of your mother the law of your father
You should never complain about that because of the fact that at the end of the day those restrictions are there for your benefit
Okay
So he tells them
Freely eat have a good time. This is paradise. I mean this is living right here. Okay, now you think to yourself
Yeah, but where's the meat though?
There are vegetarians. Yeah, there are vegetarians back then
Okay, and the reason there were vegetarians is because of the fact that there was no death present
understand
The reason meat was introduced later on is because you know the sacrifice had to be made
For the sin of Adam and Eve in order to clothe them with animal skins and
You know, you're not just gonna skin it and just not do anything else with the with the body
You know, you got to you got to eat it. Amen
And so the reason we're able to consume meat today. Yes, it is because of sin, of course
But the reality is this is that God also sanctions man and allows man
Gives man permission to consume animal based products
You
Know every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused
That's what the Bible says if it be received with Thanksgiving
Okay, and so, you know a lot of people want to point to this and say see we need to go back to being vegetarians
And vegans but that's this you're basically insinuating that we need to go back to being sinless, which is completely impossible outside of Christ
Okay, we need Jesus Christ to cleanse us from all our sin
And even then it doesn't mean that we can just become vegetarian because we still have this corruptible flesh
One day we will return back to these types of conditions Edenic conditions, but that's like way out there in the future
Okay, God has to wean us, you know off of meat literally for like a thousand years
The millennial reign that's you know now look at chapter 3 if you would so everything is good
Paradise communion with God he walks with God. I mean Adam is walking with I mean, how much more can you ask for?
You know, I'm sure it's about 72 degrees there in the Garden of Eden
It's not blazing hot. It's not blazing cold. Not blazing cold. It's not freezing. It's not uncomfortable
Got your lady there with you, you know, everything's great
But then Eve, you know
Had to be Eve, you know, I'm just kidding look at verse number one of chapter three
it says now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made and
He said unto the woman yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden
I'm not gonna spend too much time talking about Satan in this particular passage because I preached a sermon a couple months ago
Called the biography of Satan where I actually go into great detail
Why Satan is here during this time and what his purpose was?
but I want you to notice that the first thing that comes out of his mouth is
Ye have God said right essentially casting doubt on God's Word
But the second thing I want you to notice is that he says ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden
Now Satan will always exaggerate the commands of God in order to make them look grievous
Because he actually told him you could eat of every tree
There's only one tree you can't eat of and then Satan comes and say yea have God said
Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden kind of just making it look like oh, man
You got these rules and you can't eat of everything
Look at verse 2 the woman sent into the serpent
We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden
But of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden God had said ye shall not eat of it
Neither shall ye touch it lest ye die now
Eve now is exaggerating
So first Satan was exaggerating, but obviously that has some some influence on Eve because she says this we can't eat it
Nor can we touch it, but God never said you can't touch it
Okay, he just says don't eat it or else you'll die now we'll say this it's probably a good idea not to touch it
Because eventually, you know that'll lead you to
Eating of the fruit, you know kind of like the way the Bible says it is good for men not to touch a woman
Because of the fact that it could potentially lead you into fornication
Okay, it could lead you into sexual sin, etc
Verse
4 and the serpent said unto the woman he shall not surely die
Now this is a half truth
Because they're not literally gonna physically die as soon as they eat of the tree
the fruit of the tree
however, they will die spiritually and
One thing that we can learn from this is that Satan never comes at you with a full lie
Because then you wouldn't believe it
He has to come with a lie mixed in with some truth
Okay, it has to have some truth in order to deceive you into doing whatever he wants you to do
Look at verse 5 for God does know that in the day ether of then your eyes shall be open
He shall be as gods knowing good and evil
and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree does to
Be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit and did eat and gave also unto her husband and he did eat
So another thing that we can learn from this is that we got to be careful what we look at
because often what we look at can cause us to covet it can cause us to desire and then
Ultimately when we desire something if we gaze upon it long enough eventually we'll give in to that particular sin
Okay, which is exactly what Eve did and by the way Eve didn't fall alone. She took her husband with her
Now let me talk about the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life for just a minute here, okay
Go to Ezekiel chapter 31 hold your place there in Genesis chapter 2
Let me give you a just a bit of a comparison of what these two two trees symbolize here
The tree of knowledge of good and evil. I think when you look at it scripture can be compared to Satan himself
Okay, and I'm explaining why
you see the tree of knowledge of good and evil is
Contrasted with the tree of life and the tree of life is represent represents who Jesus Christ
Because Jesus Christ is the tree of life
He's the one that when we eat thereof we shall live forever, you know
If when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he gives us everlasting life
Whereas the tree of knowledge of good and evil is unto condemnation so to speak
but the reason I believe he's compared it's compared to unto Satan is
Because of the fact that when you look at the biblical description of Satan particularly in the book of Ezekiel
You'll see that the Bible talks about that he was perfect in wisdom and beauty talks about how he was decked out
how he had all these pearls and stone not pearls, but he had all these precious stones and
He was you know, essentially the anointed cherub. He's very much
Different and distinctive from all the other cherubs in the sense that he was very beautiful to look upon
Okay. Now look at Ezekiel 31 in verse number one with that in mind
When in the Old Testament God addresses a king of heathen nations
You'll often see that he's talking to that King
But then he kind of deviates into giving characteristics that don't seem to seem to fit that King
Often it's because he's actually talking about a demonic entity that is influencing that particular King, right?
and
This is what we see here in Ezekiel 31 look at verse number one who came to pass in the 11th year in the third
Month in the first day of the month that the word of the Lord came unto me saying
Son of man speaking to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude whom art thou like excuse me
Whom art thou like in thy greatness?
behold the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches and with the shadowing shroud and of a high stature and his topples among
The thick bowels the waters made him great
The deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants and
Sent her little rivers unto all the trees of the field
Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field and his bows were
Multiplied and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters
which he shot forth all the fowls of heaven made their nest and it's in his bows and
Under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young under his shadow dwelt all the great nations
Thus was he fair in his greatness in the length of his branches for his root was by great waters
Let's end of this the cedars in the garden of God
Could not hide him
The fir trees were not like his bows
The chestnut trees were not like his branches nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty
I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches so that all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God
envied him
So what we see here is they obviously he's talking about this earthly King
but we know who he's talking about because he makes reference to the Garden of Eden and
There was one particular cherub who's more distinctive than all the other who's more beautiful than all the other angels and that is
Lucifer himself and I particularly believe that
Lucifer if you listen to that sermon on the biography of Satan
He was actually designated to oversee the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Which is why he's present to tempt Eve with that particular fruit of that tree
so forth so I believe that you know just as Lucifer was just as beautiful and he was
You know
Decked out with all these precious stones that he was perfect in wisdom
I believe also physically the tree of knowledge of good and evil was likewise beautiful
Okay
because we see that comparison being made here that
there's no other tree in the Garden of Eden that was like unto this particular tree that he's referring to and
obviously, he's talking about Satan himself as
Noted before verse number seven says or go back to Genesis. Excuse me
Genesis chapter three, so I believe that the tree of knowledge of good and evil can be compared unto Satan
Which is understandable because of the fact that the cherub sent to protect the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Was the anointed cherub also known as Lucifer, but then also of course the tree of life represents Jesus Christ
okay, and
Jesus Christ if you excuse me the tree of life if you remember at the end of Genesis
Who was covering the tree of life we had the cherubs right with who were
Essentially covering that tree of life always with the flaming sword. Well these cherubs that were covering the tree of life
Can be seen in Revelation chapter 4 having four faces
The face of a man the face of an eagle the face of an ox and the face of a lion
Essentially representing what the four Gospels
So those four gospel these cherubs represent these four Gospels and it's these four cherubs that are essentially covering the tree of life
Understand so we can see clearly how the tree of knowledge of good and evil can represent
Satan based upon the description that we see in Ezekiel
But we can also see how the tree of life represents Jesus Christ because he is the source of all life
He is the way the truth and the life
No man cometh unto the Father but by him but also because of the fact that the cherubs are covering him
Okay, so let's talk about the tree of knowledge of good and evil
So that is one comparison that we see but also I believe the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Essentially represents the conscience and the law. Okay
You think about this, okay because after the six-day creation
What did God say that everything was what?
Good
right and
Which is another reason why in Genesis chapter 3? I don't think Lucifer had fallen yet
Because how could you know everything be good if Lucifer who's a fallen angel is going about you know to deceive Adam and Eve
I think he's still essentially
Lucifer as the anointed cherub not yet a fallen angel
But also the tree of knowledge of good and evil it's called the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Even though everything is good. So it's kind of kind of a paradox here. You think to yourself
How is it that everything is good if you have the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
So is there something evil in the Garden of Eden? Well, how does that work?
well, here's what I believe is the fact that
There's nothing inherently evil of the tree. Okay, and
I believe that for that reason that this tree represents the conscious because of the fact that the tree is the tree of knowledge
Of good and evil. It's the ability to discern between good and evil
Understand now turn with me if you would to Romans chapter number seven Romans chapter number seven
How do you think we could point to the tree of knowledge and say that's an evil tree?
It's not an evil tree because God made everything good
It's not an evil tree because everything was good at the end of the six-day creation period
You say well, what's then is there anything bad about the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
No, the only thing that's bad. The only thing is sinful is if you eat of it
You say why then that would make it sinful
No
Because of the fact that the sin is the fact that you broke God's commandment to not eat of it
You understand and here's here's a real simple way to kind of describe this or
liken this unto you think of the physical relationship between a man and a woman it's
Not inherently sinful, but it can be if it's done outside of the confines of marriage
So just as you know
The physical relationship is
Not inherently sinful if it's done within the confines of marriage
You know
There's nothing inherently sinful of the tree of knowledge of good and evil
Unless you break God's commandments to actually eat of it when he told you not to okay
But look what the Bible says in Romans chapter 7. We'll read a couple verses here in verse number 7
It says what shall we what shall we say then is the law sin?
So think about this anytime we talk about the law just think of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is the law sin
God forbid nay
I had not known sin but by the law for I had not known lust except the law had said thou shall not covet
But sin taken occasion by the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence
For without the law sin was dead for I was alive without the law once
But when the commandment came sin revived and I died the commandment which was ordained to life
I found to be unto death for sin taken occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me
Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good
yeah, of course because everything was good when it when God created in six days and
There's nothing sinful about the law either
The law is holy. It's just and it's good
It's when you break the law
That it kills you
Verse 13 was then that which is good made death unto me God forbid but sin that it might appear sin
working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful for we know that the law is
Spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin for that which I do
I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I if then I do that which I
Would not I consent unto the law that it is good
So based upon this particular passage we can compare the tree of knowledge of good and evil as representing the the law
Because of the fact that as soon as they ate of the tree it slew them just as the law slays us today
understand and
This is an important doctrine because of the fact that there's this really weird stupid doctrine by the Catholics
called original sin and
The teaching there is that as soon as the baby is born they come out sinning
You know, they they're just sinful and you know, they're they're they're they're I mean they come out just
Committing sin and so in order to put away the sin of a child
They that's why they baptize babies
Because their belief
Okay, is that if a baby dies in its original sin?
Essentially not being baptized they go to hell
So in the eyes of the Catholic Church
Hell is filled with a ton of babies if they have not been baptized now
They won't say that publicly because they know how wicked that sounds
Okay
You know and then you have your reform
Theologians out there who want to condemn that but they essentially believe almost something as similar or if not worse
Because they believe in predestination election
They'll teach you that, you know, if that baby's not elect and that baby dies that baby goes to hell this is wicked folks
It's satanic. Okay
Whereas what the Bible actually teaches is that just as Adam and Eve were completely innocent
They were without sin
They were essentially perfect in like manner when a baby is born. It's the same way now
Obviously we understand that a baby has corruptible flesh
Which eventually right will have the propensity to commit sin
But that happens after they're slain by the law now
What does it mean to be slain by the law?
It essentially means that when they recognize that they sin against God they recognize they're breaking God's laws
Okay, it slays them then they become dead and their trespasses and sin and this is why the Apostle Paul says I was alive
once
Right. What is he saying? He's not saying like he died before or something and then he came back
He said when he says he was alive just talk about spiritually his spirit was alive
But then the law came and he died
That's why he was dead in his trespasses and sin and that's why an individual needs to be quickened by the gospel
Okay, when we are born again when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ the Bible says not by works of righteousness
Which we have done but according to his mercy
He saved us listen to this by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost
So when we get saved the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and he regenerates our dead spirit it brings it back to life
Okay, and that's why this is important my friends
You know, so the law
Was never meant to save anybody law can't save you. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law
For by the laws the knowledge of sin the Bible says, okay
And so, you know, we have people out there who think well you just got to keep God's commandments
You gotta get you know, I missed the part in Genesis chapter 3 where Adam and Eve said alright from here on now
We just got to not touch the tree of knowledge of good and evil if you want to be saved
Apparently that was just out of the equation because they already did it and
Like manner when people say well, you got to keep the law, but we already broke it though
It's a gabble from here on out though
Well from there is no from here on now you're you're just you broke it he that keep it the whole law you defend in
One point is guilty of all that's what the Bible says and there's not a just man upon earth that do with good and sin
If not, there's none righteous. No, not one. There's none that do with good. No, not one and
So if someone breaks the law, it's not like you just get a second chance or something like that
You get another shot at it doesn't work that way. Okay, the law is meant to show you God's perfect standard and
In light of his perfect standard and the fact that you can't meet that perfect standard makes you want to go look for the tree
of life
Okay
Now look at Romans chapter 2 if you would Romans chapter number 2
So the tree of knowledge of good and evil is essentially a
tree
That awakens the conscience to help them to discern. Oh, I'm doing wrong understand. This is wrong
We've we've broken God's commandments were naked right they recognize that they were naked and they recognize that they did wrong. Okay
Romans to look at verse 14 for when the Gentiles which have not the law
By the way, this is a good verse to use
When someone gives you that weird?
Illustration or that question. What about like the African and the jungles of Congo who's never heard the name of Christ
What if that person dies and goes to hell? I mean, what if that person never heard the gospel?
Then they die and go to hell
There's no alternative to the gospel my friends
It's not like well, you know, God makes an exception for them because they never heard it or something like that. No wrong
Okay, and here's the proof verse 14 for when the Gentiles which have not the law
Listen to this do by nature the things contained in the law
So even though they may not have the Word of God, they don't have you know
Genesis Exodus Leviticus numbers in Deuteronomy
They don't have the Pentateuch. They don't have the Word of God
That's okay because by nature they do the things contained in the law
So we have societies out there and cultures out there. They still think that murder is wrong even apart from the Bible
Because of the fact that they already know by nature that those things are evil. Those things are wrong
He says do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves
Verse 15 which show the work of the law written in their hearts
So according to the Bible every individual has the law of God written in their hearts
That's why they know the difference between good and bad evil, etc. He says which show the law of God
Work of the law, excuse me written in their hearts
Their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the meanwhile
Accusing or else excusing one another now, what does that mean?
That their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or excusing. Well, that's how the conscience works
Conscience tells you. Oh you did wrong
It accuses you in like manner it can excuse you and say no you're fine. This is okay. This is not bad and
So, you know, there's nothing evil about the conscience. It's just there to show you to give you the knowledge of
Good and evil understand just like the tree of knowledge of good and evil is not inherently evil
It was just there to accuse Adam and Eve to say you broke God's commandment. Okay, what I do
It's just like I don't know my only job is to tell you like
You broke God's commandment. That's not my department
Okay
So we see here that in Genesis
The tree of knowledge of good and evil can represent the law because it slew them
But it also represents the conscience because it helped them to discern between good and evil
This is how we know that everything was still good during that time because there's nothing inherently simple about this particular tree
It's just there to awaken their conscience to help them to know they broken God's commandments
But once that happened they were expelled from the garden
They were expelled from Eden and they were removed to no longer be in the presence of the tree of life. Okay
now
Go with me if you will go back to Genesis chapter 2 and then we're gonna go to John 14
So go to Genesis 2 and John 14
So we see here of course the garden the Garden of Eden we have these two trees
tree of life the tree of knowledge of good and evil and what they represent they were the tree of knowledge of good and
Evil represents the conscience or represents the law the tree of life, of course represents Jesus Christ who is the source of all life
Now, let's give some layered meanings to the Garden of Eden in particular. Okay, look at verse number seven here
The first thing we're gonna look at is the fact that God the Father is pictured by Eden. Okay
look what it says here in
Genesis chapter 2 and
Actually, we'll look at verse number
8
Look at verse number 8 the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed
and out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight good for food the tree of
Life also in the midst of the garden the tree of knowledge of good and evil and a river
went out of Eden to water the garden and from thence it was parted and became into
Four heads so we see here that you have this particular garden or you have a ticket this particular area called Eden
Eastward of Eden you have the garden that's planted within the midst of that garden
You have the tree of life and then you have a river that goes from Eden
To water the garden and then after it waters the garden it goes out and then it parts into four heads and then it goes
on to all the world
So what are some symbolic representations that we can gather from that?
Well, number one is the fact that God the Father is pictured by Eden. God the Son is pictured by the garden
Okay, you say how's that well look at John 14 in verse number 9 because remember where is the garden it is within
Eden look what it says in verse number 9
Jesus saith unto him have I been so long a time with you and yet has thou not known me Philip
He that had seen me had seen the Father and how sayest thou then show us the Father
Believe is thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me the words that I speak unto you
I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me
He doeth the works
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me or else believe me for the very works saith. Now
What is this particularly teaching? It's teaching the fact that Jesus Christ and God the Father are deity. They're God
But hold on a second, but they're also separate entities because you have God the Father and God the Son
Well in like manner that's how the way the Eden works because although even it's it's its own particular
Location within that location is where you have the actual garden itself
Okay, but hold on a second if Adam is in the garden
He can essentially say he's also in Eden
Because you can't get into the garden without getting into Eden first, right and in like manner, you know, you can't go to God the Father
but through Jesus Christ
Okay
That's why Judaism is also a fraud
Because they claim to have the true God of the Bible. They believe in Jehovah God and but they reject Jesus Christ
Well, you can't have God the Father without going through Jesus Christ
And if you reject Jesus Christ, then you're essentially rejecting God the Father as well
okay, because God the Father sent Jesus Christ the Son of God to this world and
So God the Father pick is pictured by Eden
God the Son is pictured by the garden and
Then you see you have the tree of life that is in the midst of the garden
You said what does that represent?
well
it represents the life that God gives to this world and in fact the Bible specifically says in the beginning was the word and the
Word was with God and the Word was God
The same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made
Listen to this in him was life and the life was the light of man
Where was the tree of life in the garden who does the garden picture Jesus Christ?
So in him was life and the life was the light of men. Well, here's another picture
The river pictures the Holy Spirit
Go with me if you went to John chapter 15 John chapter 15 Genesis 2 10 says in a river went out of Eden
to water the garden and
From thence it was parted and became into four heads. I think you see where I'm going with this
Look at John 15 in verse 26
Jesus speaking here says this but when the Comforter is come
Whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father
He shall testify of me. So where does the Comforter known as the Holy Spirit coming from? It's coming from God the Father and
It's coming to Jesus Christ. And of course that same spirit is going to go to the disciples
Verse 27 says and he also shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning
Look at John chapter 7 if you would John chapter 7
John chapter number 7
So just as the river goes from Eden
To water the garden and eventually parts into four heads in like man of the Holy Spirit the Comforter proceeds from God the Father
To the garden known as Jesus Christ and then goes out and by the way, whoever believes on him receives this same spirit
John 7 look at verse 38
He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow
rivers of
living water the Bible says
Well, I mean something else
Verse 39, but this he spake of the Spirit
Which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus because that Jesus was not yet
Glorified okay, pretty pretty interesting, right? So what we have here, by the way, what John chapter 7 is referring to is the fact that
In the Old Testament
It's not like the Holy Spirit just was non-existent. Okay, because a lot of people think that this is just like a
New Testament phenomenon New Testament occurrence that the Holy Spirit now, you know dwells within us
Well, actually he also dwelt Old Testament believers. It just wasn't a permanent indwelling
Because the New Testament talks about how the prophets of old
Did signify and talked about the sufferings of Christ by the Spirit that was in them?
Okay, and
Here's where the dipsticks
They think they have a checkmate on us when it comes to this
Because you know, they're like this is it, you know, how can you say salvation was a different were the Old Testament believers?
about the Holy Spirit
And obviously it's like no they weren't oh there you go then salvation is different right? How many of you ever heard something like that?
they're just like well if the Old Testament saints weren't indwelled by the Holy Spirit and
Ephesians 1 13 says in whom he also trusted after that you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and whom also
After they believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise
Which is the earnest of our inheritance unto the redemption of the purchase possession that means salvation was different. No, it doesn't
It just means that the location of where the Holy Spirit dwells has changed
Now, let me make something very clear
Okay in this regard and I think this is important to know because a lot of people get confused about this
Because when we go out and preach the gospel
We'll often talk about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as confirmation that they're saved forever, which I think is a great point
Amen, I mean the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4 that we're sealed with the Holy Spirit of God unto the day of redemption
Which is a great verse to prove that you can never lose your salvation
Because it doesn't say that you're sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, you know until until you're you sin or whatever
Until you break God's commandments until you know, you rebel against God or something like that until you live in disobedience
It just says you're sealed unto the day of redemption
Implying that he's never gonna leave you. Oh, wait, doesn't the Bible say that? Yeah, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. Okay
Well, how do we how do we explain that then? Well?
Listen to this salvation
Or should I say the Holy Spirit's role in salvation?
Isn't necessarily based upon where the Holy Spirit dwells, but rather who he regenerates
That's what is based upon because as we talked about in Titus chapter 3 verse number 5
by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost
So Old Testament saints, although they were not indwelt permanently with the Holy Spirit
They were regenerated by the Holy Spirit when they believed on the Lord
Okay, he went in he quickened their dead spirit
He brought it back to life and to some the prophets who wrote the Word of God who were used by God
To write the Bible, you know, he indwelt them for a season to write the Bible
Understand because holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost
understand
You say then but that still doesn't explain. Why didn't he indwell them?
What's what was wrong with indwelling believers in the Old Testament nothing wrong with it? Okay? He did it from time to time
The reason why he didn't permanently dwell the believers of the Old Testament
Was because of the fact that his permanent dwelling place at that time was the tabernacle and or the temple
That's where the presence of God was. I don't know if you noticed this we don't meet in a temple anymore
Okay, you know we don't meet in it
I mean we've been in a tabernacle for a season when we didn't have a building, you know tabernacle means a tent
Okay
You know, but but it's not like the presence of God was only in that tabernacle
the New Testament teaches that our bodies are referred to as
Tabernacles or also as what temples and in fact, it says that we are the temple of the Holy Ghost
Which is in you which you have of God and you're not your own
So the reason that he no longer he doesn't he didn't indwell believers of the Old Testament
Because of the fact that he was in the temple
He was in the tabernacle and since that particular
Administration has switched as far as the temple the tabernacle is concerned now he indwells us
That's simply what that means but folks eternal security still eternal security in the Old Testament
Bottom line you say why because anybody who's saved in the Old Testament has passed from death unto life
No, that's a New Testament teaching and that's in John chapter 5 which is still considered Old Testament
Jesus Christ
John 3 16 is in the Old Testament. Did you know that like well?
I thought it was physically in the Newton
Yeah
physically in your Bibles is referred to as the New Testament because it's highlighting the events leading up to the
inauguration of the New Covenant
The Gospels is referring to the the life death and burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ
so the reason that the Gospels are
Physically in your Bibles as in the New Testament
It's because of the fact that it is simply highlighting the events leading up to the introduction of that New Testament
Also known as New Covenant. So every time that Jesus Christ preached believe in the book of John
Okay
That's Old Testament
Because the Gospels never changed. Okay?
The only difference is is that he didn't indwell believers, but here we see
That in John chapter 7
He's saying you know, whoever believes out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water
It doesn't mean you have a full bladder or something like that
It's referring to the fact it's signifying. It's picturing the Holy Spirit
Because out of us flow rivers of living water
We're filled with the Spirit wherever to preach the gospel and you know out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water
Essentially what it's saying is that we have the ability to preach the gospel with power
We can preach the Word of God with power we can give life unto others not because we're the source of life
But we're conduits of that life
understand
God uses man
God uses women he uses children to preach the gospel to get people saved
you know when you know this afternoon there's gonna be a
slew of believers out there
spewing out rivers of living water
Okay
And I think that's a great thing because you know, there's a lot of congregations and churches out there that are just dry
It's like nothing. It's just like you turn the thing and it's just like drip drip drip
Didn't pay the water bill
And you know why because they're not saved because you don't have to pay your water bill someone's already paid it for you
Huh
Jesus Christ paid that water bill and you know what we shall never thirst
It's gonna be a continuous flow of the Holy Spirit and
If there's believers out there that are not allowing the Holy Spirit to just flow freely through them
It's not because they don't have it's because they're just being carnal. They're quenching
the Spirit
They're keeping him from actually using that person using that vessel
To get people saved to turn people to righteousness to disciple others to fulfill God's will
This is what this is referring to when it talks about the spear flowing out of it
And by the way, you know John chapter 7 the disciples in John chapter 7. They're already saved
Well, how does that work in the dispensational, you know economy? This is my
You know
This is bad punctuation right here, you know
How does that work in the dispensational economy if they don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them?
But we see in Matthew chapter 16
That the Apostle Peter he confessed Christ as being the Son of God
Right. He's saved they referred to as disciples. We see them preaching the gospel
Well, how does that work if they don't have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within them?
Well, that's because it was a different gospel presentation. No, it wasn't they preached the same exact thing in John
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. How about John the Baptist?
Verse 36 of chapter 3 he that believeth on the Sun hath everlasting life
He that believeth not the Sun shall not see life with the wrath of God abideth on him
Same exact gospel that we preach today. In fact, we all use John 3 36 at one point or another in our gospel presentation
Because there is no different gospel between what they were preaching and what we preach today and this is such a
Heretic it's such damnable heresy to say that
Because of the fact that those same idiots also believe that the gospel will change in the end times. It'll be by works
So don't tell me you believe that if someone tells you oh, yeah salvation is everlasting
But then they also put up an end to that everlasting gospel in the book of Revelation. That's not everlasting
That's stupid
Everlasting means it never ends according to their economy. It ends at the book of Revelation
Hello
Think about that for a minute
It's nonsensical to say that you know, the Apostle Peter and look how about this? I mean think about how blasphemous this is
because the Apostle
Paul
Sending Galatians 1 a but if we are an angel from heaven preach any other gospel into you than that which we have preached into
You let it be a curse
Surprise Peter didn't come up to him like hey, man, you can't be saying that stuff. You know, Jesus preached a different gospel
Dude we were preaching another gospel before what do you mean? Are you calling us out?
No, because so they're what are they saying the same that Jesus is a curse based upon that statement and and look
Dispensationalist will will readily side with the Apostle Paul, too
Because they consider themselves under the Pauline era right now. They're under grace right now
I mean just I was gonna say listen to them, but I don't recommend you listen to them unless you want to go to sleep
So we see here
that
What it signifies?
The Holy Spirit is pictured by this river that proceeds from the Father waters the garden
But wait a second. There's more it also parts into four heads
Now the Bible tells us that when it parts into four heads after it parts into the four heads it goes into all the world
Well think about this if you have these four heads, you know, what in the Bible has four heads
the cherry bibs in
Revelation chapter 4 which picture the Gospels so this river goes into these four heads
Basically carrying that which Jesus has into all the world which is exactly what the gospel does and it goes into all
The world the rivers parts into four heads
Signifying representing the four gospel the four gospels that goes into all the world and the Bible tells us in Mark chapter 13
And the gospel must first be published among all
Nations the Bible says okay now go to Revelation chapter 21 Revelation chapter 21
Revelation chapter 21
You know these four heads obviously they picture cherry bims
But they also picture the four Gospels which we're to take into all the world, right?
That's the responsibility of every Christian not just pastors not just deacons not just evangelists
This is for every church member. Okay, and let me say this, you know
Believers don't have this thing where it's or you know, the Bible doesn't teach, you know, Jesus do your own way. All right
Just get it done your way, right, you know be a lifestyle evangelist type of a person
You know or you know, no the Bible says to open your mouth boldly to make known the mysteries of the gospel
Okay, and you know one thing about soul winning is that it's it can be uncomfortable
We're you're talking to strangers you go into strangers doors
You're walking with your family to strangers doors
Knocking on their doors and you have to bring this grievous news to them that they deserve help or their sinners
Okay, now some people's like that's not grievous to me. I like telling people that stuff. I
Enjoy condemning people or whatever, you know, but to normal people, you know
They're just like this this is on it could be uncomfortable trying to tell this person this and this is why the Bible tells us
That we should speak to people in meekness and in fear
right because we're not out there to try to offend people and and
You know get them mad at us so we can we can put one on our belt and say yeah
I got me five offenses today. You know, I got someone yelling at me today. What'd you get kind of thing?
No, we actually we sincerely want to see people saved
Okay, and we want them to know that they're sinners
We want them to know that they deserve help because they do
And we never want to go on the opposite side of that spectrum and say well
I'm just not gonna talk about hell
Well, if you're not gonna talk about hell then don't preach the gospel sit home and don't don't do anything
You'll do more harm to the cause of Christ
If you don't want to talk about the fact that they're sinners and the fact that they deserve help
Well, I rather use shield then, you know, just not to be as I'll use Hades and shield and you know
That other place down there. You don't want to go, you know down there right, you know, just hell that's what it's called
Well, I need another word, okay, here's another word the lake of fire
How did I describe it? Well, they burn forever and ever it's not symbolic either
Okay, they're tormented day and night where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched
Okay, but you know most people out there understand what hell is
Okay, but we need to make sure that they know what it is and not this. Oh, yeah, we're in hell right now, are we?
We're in hell right now how many you've ever heard that before it's just like you believe in hell why believe this is hell
No, this is earth
This is Orange County
This is not Los Angeles County, I'm just kidding
You know, this is we're not you're not weeping and wailing and gnashing your teeth right now
Okay, hell is a literal place where people go to and you know what as as as as much as you deserve hell
You know God commanded his love toward us and that while we were we have sinners Christ died for us
What are we doing? We were trying to breathe be that vessel
That is spewing out the rivers of living water to help them to get saved
And so we see what it signifies there Eden the Garden of Eden
the river that represents G represents the Holy Spirit that goes
Breaks it into parts into four heads that eventually goes out into all the world
Well, that's why it's important that we do missions as well. Amen
Because we want the gospel to go into all the world now look at Revelation 21
Here's the last thing and I've talked about this multiple times
but I think it's necessary to mention because we're talking about the Garden of Eden is the fact that the Garden of Eden in
Genesis chapter 2 and 3 is
Essentially a microcosm of the new heaven and the new earth
Okay, and what I mean by that is that although the Garden of Eden was a literal place that existed at one time
It's essentially picturing something a lot bigger than that in the future more specifically the new heaven and the new earth
Revelation 21 verse number 1 it says and I saw new heaven and a new earth
For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea and I John saw the holy city new
Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying behold the tabernacle of God is with men
And he will dwell with them and it shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God look at
chapter 22
Now what is this talking about specifically maybe there's some people in here they may not know
Exactly how the new heaven and new earth works. I'm not gonna go through the entire Daniel
70th week timeline. Okay
Ulysses always reminds you that you always say
I'm not gonna spend too much time and then I end up going through the entire time line
Okay, I'm only gonna be I'm only gonna talk about the new heaven New York
But after those seven years
Okay, you have the millennial reign a thousand years after the completion of the millennial reign
You have the great white throne judgment and then after the great white throne judgment, you have the new earth
Okay, and the new earth is essentially referring to the day that God will transfigure the physical world that we're in today
It's gonna make it new
Okay, so forget this world
Okay
Forget your possessions forget this world. Don't save the trees
You know nuke the whales or whatever. I'm just kidding, you know
This is all gonna go away anyways
He's gonna make a new one. He's gonna transfigure
this physical world to meet his
specifications because this is where he's gonna dwell in you understand and the reason why
The world is transfigured to become new is because it pictures our salvation
You see the millennial reign essentially pictures
When we get saved because of the fact that Jesus Christ comes to live on this world for a thousand years
But Jesus Christ being present along with all believers who are regenerated doesn't mean that there's no longer unsafe people
So you have the old man there so to speak along with the new man, just like when we get saved
we have Christ in us the hope of glory, but we also have the old man dwelling within us as well and
Just as Jesus Christ subjugates this world to obey his laws in like manner. We need to make sure that we subjugate the flesh
understand
And so let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies that you should obey it and the lust thereof neither
Yield to your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin
But yield yourselves unto God as those that are of life from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God
So we make our bodies do what God wants us to do
So that takes place for a thousand years, but then you have the great white throne judgment where Satan
Death and hell are cast into the lake of fire permanently
Well, the Bible says in 1st Corinthians 15 when talking about the resurrection
That death is swallowed up in victory and is referring to the fact that our bodies become regenerated
But they become glorified. Okay, and we get a new body and
You know capable of being in the presence of God one like man or the redemption of the earth takes place as well
Okay, because death is swallowed up
Satan is no longer present, you know all unsafe people are gone. The old man is completely gone at that point and
Then you have this new earth. Well in this new earth you have something descending from the heaven
Which is the new heaven what I believe to be that tabernacle that new Jerusalem
So if you're if you think about the rapture, for example, you know
The Bible talks about that we will meet the Lord in the air
right and you know the bodies they we excuse me, the dead in Christ shall rise first, right and
We'll meet the Lord in the air and in twinkling of an eye everything changes
Well, the big example of that is when the tabernacle comes down from heaven upon the earth
That's when that regeneration of that earth takes place
Understand but here's the thing is that that tabernacle
The New Jerusalem, where is it planted in the Middle East?
You know kind of like the way the garden was planted eastward of Eden
Understand and guess what's in that tabernacle? You have the tree of life. Okay
now what I have you turn to Revelation 22 look at verse number one, and he showed me a pure river of
Water of life clears crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb and
the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river was there the tree of life which bare twelve manner of
Fruits and yielded her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations now
You know, we call ourselves
Christians because we follow Christ one like manner
Jesus Christ is the tree of life
But we see here in the new heaven a new earth the believers are referred to as trees of life and
It actually shows the trees of life that on either side of the river. That's where those trees are located
Okay. Well the Bible tells us in Psalm 1
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season
His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever you do it shall prosper and here it says that the leaves of the trees were for
The healing of the nations, you know who God uses to heal the nation's us
We're like trees as long as we are abiding in the vine
We're producing fruit
We are used to heal the nation's by preaching the gospel to every creature by teaching the counsel of God by repairing
Marriages by repairing individuals by helping people get right with God
By helping people to repent of their sin and clean up their lives and live righteously
The leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations
It's not just so you could just look all beautiful and and be all holy and like all fundamental Baptist
right
You're like, you know, I clean up my life so I can look good in a suit now, you know
No, it's so you can actually go out and heal the nation's
by the leaves what you produce by abiding in the vine and
So, you know and and this has another meaning that I'm not going to get into
So, sorry, you know, we're out of time
But the the most important meaning though is the fact that these trees represent believers that yield fruit every month
Every season 12 manner of fruits, but also heal the nations thereof
And so that is what I believe the Garden of Eden signifies that we saw it in the beginning for the creation period
We see the underlying layered meanings of the tree of knowledge of good and evil along with the tree of life
We see how it represents God the Father God the Son and the Holy Spirit along with the four Gospels and we see what it
Signifies in the future to come. Amen. Let's pray and we'll be dismissed father
we thank you so much for your word and thank you for the the wonderful truths the unsearchable riches of Christ and
Gives us a greater appreciation for your word
and I
Prayed that there was this would motivate people to study the Bible because there's so much treasure found in the Word of God
so many precious stones and and wonderful things that we can learn and
Lord so we can be in awe of your word
I pray that you bless our time Lord and bless the soul winning the Sunday night service and all there is Lord
We love you. We thank you pray these things in Jesus name. Amen
Man song number 263 barely barely song number 263
We
Saw number
263 as our last song see on that first verse. Oh
What a Savior that the Lord me
from condemnation
I say
Message ever knew he that believeth on the son
All my iniquities on him were they
All my indebtedness by him was pain
Oh believe on him the Lord and said
Message ever knew
He
Though poor and needy I can trust my Lord though
Message every child
Last
Barely barely
Barely barely message ever knew he that believeth on the son
Yet I will not down
That comment he will not cast out
He that believeth all the good news child
Barely barely message ever knew he that believeth on the son
Oh
Amen wonderful scene you are dismissed
You