WEBVTT 00:00:00.780 --> 00:00:06.259 Good morning and happy Easter. My name is Adam Wingrove and so I wanted to talk to you about 00:00:06.259 --> 00:00:10.700 the Garden of Eden and I know what you're thinking. Adam, it's Easter Sunday. Why are 00:00:10.700 --> 00:00:16.679 we looking at Genesis? I've been asking myself the very same question the last few days trying 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:23.039 to write this sermon. But I think we need to look at where it all began in Genesis. It's 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:28.920 a story most of us will be familiar with. God created Eden and Adam and Eve. God gave 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:35.240 them everything and they were in God's presence and in his blessing with only one condition. Don't 00:00:35.240 --> 00:00:41.760 eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And we know Adam and Eve fell for the temptation 00:00:41.760 --> 00:00:47.340 and ate the forbidden fruit. We start to see God's character come through where he is full of love 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:53.520 and compassion for his beloved creation. In the call of the evening both Adam and Eve heard God 00:00:53.520 --> 00:01:00.080 walking and hid because of their nakedness, shame and guilt. God's voice is calling out to them, 00:01:00.260 --> 00:01:07.920 where are you? Who told you you were naked? Which I think just shows the character and love of God that 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:13.700 even in our sin, shame and disobedience, he is still searching and calling out for us. 00:01:14.659 --> 00:01:19.200 Now I don't know about you, I can sometimes relate to that feeling of needing to hide. 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:27.159 But it is good to know that God still wants us even in our worst place. Now to my point of why I'm 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:35.900 starting in Genesis. Even here God speaks out his plan. He cursed the snake and said that Eve's 00:01:35.900 --> 00:01:41.900 descendants will crush the snake's head and that the snake will strike his heel. Even here God is 00:01:41.900 --> 00:01:48.200 talking about victory over Satan. Jesus's death and resurrection is the foot on the head of the snake. 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:55.579 God had a plan to save you from the beginning of sin. Ever since the fall, God has been trying to 00:01:55.579 --> 00:02:02.740 reconnect his people and they repeatedly turn away from him. We can read in the Old Testament that the 00:02:02.740 --> 00:02:09.080 high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and make a sacrifice on behalf of the Israel so God 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:15.780 would forgive their sins. Only the high priest could go behind the curtain into the Holy of Holies 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:23.699 where God's presence dwelled. And this was only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. He had a rope tied 00:02:23.699 --> 00:02:29.479 round his waist, bells attached to him, so that just in case he died he could get pulled out without 00:02:29.479 --> 00:02:36.219 anyone entering into God's presence. Even with these sacrifices being made, it wasn't enough. 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:43.099 Jesus became both the high priest and the sacrifice by being blameless, sacrificing himself by dying on the 00:02:43.099 --> 00:02:51.240 cross. God had a plan to save you from the beginning of sin. We jump into the New Testament and God brings 00:02:51.240 --> 00:02:58.680 Jesus into the picture as human. He brings himself fully God and fully human, with the intent to die 00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:07.979 on the cross to cover the sins of those he loved ever since the beginning. Just as the snake tricked Adam 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:14.539 and Eve, the same lies are spoken over me and you, where we have sinned, filling us with guilt and shame. 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:21.000 And so we hide. We hide from God and we hide from his blessing and more importantly, we hide from his 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:29.120 presence. Satan is jealous and wants to keep us from God. However, it is God who has the victory over 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:36.339 Satan because he conquered death. God had a plan to save you from the beginning of sin. When we hide, 00:03:36.340 --> 00:03:43.640 God is asking, where are you? Who told you you were naked? Because the victory over sin that has been 00:03:43.640 --> 00:03:51.420 spoken over generation after generation of sinners is ours to take hold of today. He said it is finished 00:03:51.420 --> 00:03:58.199 and we are free and we need to cry out in the praise for God's goodness and mercy has broken our chains 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:06.159 and called us into salvation. So this Easter Sunday, we celebrate, we worship and we thank God for 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:12.300 his master plan of redemption. As we head into Monday and the rest of the week, let us walk with the 00:04:12.300 --> 00:04:21.000 salvation that God died to give us. In this year of national crisis that we have faced, there has been 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:29.560 huge losses. On this Easter Sunday, we can rely on the hope that Christ offers. God's consistent love he has 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:36.699 for us. God's plan to save you from the beginning of sin. God has a heart which is longing to be with you 00:04:36.699 --> 00:04:47.279 just as you are. And so my challenge for you today, God accepts just, God accepts us just as we are 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:54.639 with all of our faults too. Maybe you're in a good place with God and so this Easter Sunday, maybe reach 00:04:54.639 --> 00:05:03.019 out to someone on your heart and share the same love God has loved you with. Maybe this year has been 00:05:03.019 --> 00:05:10.599 hard for you and you can't take it anymore. Jesus has his arms wide open. He has seen your hurt and pain 00:05:10.599 --> 00:05:18.719 and he welcomed you with a hug of embracing. No matter where you are or whatever circumstance, 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:26.500 just come because God has a plan to save you from the beginning of sin. If you don't know Jesus and 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:32.740 want to have a relationship with him or you already know him and you want to make afresh your relationship 00:05:32.740 --> 00:05:40.300 with God, then let's say this prayer together. Lord Jesus, I am sorry for the things I have done 00:05:40.300 --> 00:05:50.460 wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that is wrong. Thank you that you 00:05:50.460 --> 00:05:59.220 died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free. Thank you that you offer me forgiveness 00:05:59.220 --> 00:06:07.100 and the gift of your Holy Spirit to be with me forever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen. 00:06:10.300 --> 00:06:15.379 If you would like to get connected or would like some further prayer, please do contact the church 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:20.960 office and they'll be able to pass all details onto the right people. Thank you for listening 00:06:20.960 --> 00:06:26.100 and I pray that you will have a blessed and joyous Easter Sunday. Amen.