Turn in your Bibles please to Genesis, Genesis chapter 5.
Thanks Rob.
Genesis chapter 5, starting at verse 1. We're going to read the whole chapter together.
I could have been very mean and asked someone to read this chapter, but as we get into it,
you'll understand why I spare you.
Well, let's read together. This is God's Word, all of it recorded for our good and for our blessings.
So let's read from verse 1.
This is the written account of Adam's family line.
When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.
He created them male and female and blessed them.
And he named them mankind when they were created.
When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image.
And he named him Seth.
After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years and then he died.
When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enoch.
And when he became the father of Enoch, Seth lived 107 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years and then he died.
When Enoch had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.
After he became the father of Kenan, Enoch lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 905 years and then he died.
When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalel.
After he became the father of Mahalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years and then he died.
When Mahalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared.
After he became the father of Jared, Mahalel lived 830 years and, well, he had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Mahalel lived a total of 895 years and then he died.
When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.
After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years and then he died.
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.
After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.
Enoch walked faithfully with God.
Then he was no more because God took him away.
When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech.
After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years and then he died.
When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son.
He named him Noah and said,
He will comfort us in the labour and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.
After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters.
Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years.
And then he died.
After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Jephthah.
Well, interesting.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you that every person created and every name recorded is precious to you.
Just as we are precious to you and our names are known to you,
you know us intimately.
You knew the day we were born.
And you know the day of our passing.
And so we pray and ask that you, Father God, the Lord of Life,
would speak to us all today.
Speak to us in such a way as if we are hearing your very words,
that you may cause us to look to you in faith
and trust you for life.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Well, what's the point?
Why bother reading a boring list of names that no one can properly pronounce?
It's like counting sheep.
It would put you to sleep.
Well, these genealogies, these lists of names that we have in Genesis
are crucial to the story of God's promise of redemption.
Look how it's introduced in verse 1.
This is the written account of Adam's family line.
The purpose is to help us follow God's redemptive plan
through God's chosen family.
To follow God's redemptive plan through God's chosen family.
Remember, God had promised that a seed from the woman,
one of her offspring, a son would come
who was going to destroy the work of Satan.
The seed would crush Satan's head.
A son would come and redeem broken lives
and restore this disordered world.
And that promise is traced through the son of Adam and Eve.
So go back to chapter 4, verse 1.
Adam made love to his wife Eve and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.
She said, with the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man.
Expectations are running high that Cain is the promised redeemer.
But instead of defeating Satan, Cain sided with Satan
because he murdered his brother Abel.
But all is not lost.
Look at the end of chapter 4, verse 25.
Adam made love to his wife again and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,
saying, God has granted me another child in place of Abel since Cain killed him.
God's promise of a deliverer would come,
but not through the family line of Cain,
but through the family line of Seth.
You see, these names that are listed for us in chapter 5
is not a boring genealogy.
They are reminders of God's promise.
Every name written, every generation that passes
should encourage our faith that God is working out his plan of redemption.
In the course of history, people may reject God and rebel against God,
but no one and nothing can stop what God has promised.
Not surprisingly, the New Testament opens up with a genealogy.
Keep your finger in Genesis 5 and jump all the way to Luke chapter 3.
In the New Testament, Luke chapter 3.
Just as Genesis opens with the genealogy of the family line of Adam,
so the New Testament opens with a genealogy.
Luke chapter 3, and we're going to pick it up in the middle of verse 22.
Here the author Luke introduces us to Jesus.
Jesus at his baptism.
And during the baptism, verse 22,
middle of verse 22, a voice came from heaven.
God is speaking.
You are my son,
whom I love.
With you I am well pleased.
Now Jesus himself was about 33 years old
when he began his ministry.
He was the son,
so it was thought of Joseph,
the son of Heli,
the son of Matat,
the son of Levi,
the son of Melchi,
the son of Janai,
the son of Joseph.
We won't keep going.
Let's jump to verse 37.
The son of Methuselah,
the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared,
the son of Mahalel,
the son of Kenan,
the son of Enosh,
the son of Seth,
the son of Adam,
the son of God.
Go back to Genesis 5.
You see,
God always delivers on his promise.
Of course,
it doesn't always look that way.
Humanity is suffering and struggling.
The world,
the physical world,
is creaking and groaning.
It seems like we're in free fall.
Well, all these genealogies,
the promised Redeemer would come,
and he did come.
He came in the person of Jesus.
So whenever you think that life is out of control,
re-read your genealogies.
Plod through those unpronounceable names,
and as each generation passes,
as we tick off every year,
remind yourself,
God is in control.
God delivers on his promise.
God is redeeming humanity,
and he will restore this broken world.
Rather than put you to sleep,
it's going to build your faith.
Well, we're getting ahead of ourselves,
aren't we?
You see,
this genealogy of Adam
is not just history in the past.
It's our story
and our future to come.
It's a story that moves us
from death into life.
Three things we're going to see
about ourselves
from this list of names.
First,
our family likeness.
Our family likeness.
The beginning of Adam's family line
reminds us of
our own family line.
First,
we're created in the likeness
of God.
Look at verse 1.
When God created mankind,
he made them in the likeness
of God.
It reminds us straight out
that we were created
to be like God.
For as we've seen already
in God's image,
when you look in a mirror,
as you did this morning,
you see a reflection of yourself.
It's not your true self,
but an image of yourself.
You see something of your likeness.
Now,
God has created us
to be
his likeness,
to reflect him.
We are to be a
visible representation
of the invisible God.
We are here
to display
his love,
his justice,
his mercy,
his purity.
God's intention
is that
he is reflected
in human form
and character.
So,
God wonderfully
creates
mankind
in his likeness,
and we have been
created
in that likeness.
Now,
God's likeness
is seen
in mankind.
Verse 2,
he created them
male and female
and blessed them
and he named them
mankind
when they were created.
There's
different kinds
of mankind
and the different
kinds
are male and female.
Both equally
reflect the
likeness of God.
One is not better
or less than the other,
equal in value
and worth
and dignity.
And while there's
maybe
male and female
in God's likeness,
that doesn't mean
to say that God
is 50% male
and 50% female.
No,
God is distinct
from humanity.
He's not like us.
He's not restricted
to physical body.
But yet,
together,
as man
and woman,
we reflect
his likeness,
we display
his character.
This
is who
we are.
This is
God's
beautiful
design
for humanity.
It's not
just history
in the past.
This
is our
identity.
This
is our
story.
But sadly,
it's not the
full story,
is it?
Because not
only are we
created in
the likeness
of God,
we are
fallen
in the
likeness
of Adam.
Look at
verse 3.
When Adam
had lived
130 years,
he had a
son in
his
own
likeness,
in his
own
image,
and he
named
him
Seth.
Like
Adam,
we are
now
cracked
image
bearers.
Instead
of reflecting
God's
beautiful
image,
we reflect
our own
broken
image.
Yes,
we're still
capable of
displaying God's
love and
justice,
but now it
is tainted
and distorted.
We are
not as we
should be.
we've
used this
illustration
before in
Genesis,
but I
want us to
think about
it again.
Imagine you're
looking in
the mirror
and reflecting
back at you
is your
image.
In fact,
the image
can appear
to you
almost
identical.
Now,
lift that
mirror off
the wall
and smash
it to the
ground.
Bits
fly everywhere,
chips and
cracks and
sharp edges.
Now look
down again
at those
pieces of
mirror on
the ground
and look
into it.
It's hard
to make out
your face,
isn't it?
The image
is now
distorted
and twisted
and out
of shape,
full of
cracks and
sharp edges.
Well,
that's what
we've become.
We no
longer reflect
the purity
and beauty
of God
fully.
it is
marred
and tainted
by our
life of
sin.
Instead
of reflecting
God to
each other,
we have
crushed and
corrupted
one another.
You see,
that's what
verse 3
is telling
us.
We have
inherited
Adam's
sinful
nature.
We now
bear his
likeness.
We reflect
his image.
We don't
become sinful.
We are
born
sinful.
In other
words,
I don't
sin because
I do
bad things.
I sin
because I
am sinful.
We enter
this world
as children
of Adam.
And as
hard as it
is for us
to read,
this is
my
history.
This is
your history.
This is
your family
history.
This is
who we
are.
We've
gone from
beauty
to
brokenness.
In fact,
we've
gone from
life
to
death.
So first,
our family
likeness
and second,
our impending
death.
Chapter 5
of Genesis
is actually
the second
genealogy,
the second
account
in Genesis.
the first
genealogy
comes for
us in
Genesis 2.
Have a
look back
at Genesis
2.
Verse 4.
Genesis 2,
verse 4.
This is
the account
of the
heavens
and the
earth when
they were
created,
when the
Lord God
made the
earth and
the heavens.
This is
the history.
This is
the story
of creation
and it
is all
marked by
life.
Everywhere
at creation
is the
beginning of
life.
Humanity
is given
life.
God
breathed
life
into the
dust
and it
became a
living being.
And in
the middle
of the
garden,
you'll
remember,
was what?
The tree
of life.
This is
the world
as God
intended.
Mankind
enjoying life
in all its
fullness.
the one
thing that
is not
present in
creation
is
death.
Everything
is growing
and flourishing.
But all
that is
about to
change.
Back to
chapter 5.
All of
us
must die.
You see,
reading chapter
5 is like
taking a
stroll
through a
graveyard.
the family
line
continues,
but every
person
dies.
Verse 5,
Adam
lived a
total of
930
years and
then he
died.
Verse 8,
Seth
lived a
total of
912
years
and then
he died.
Verse 14,
Kenan
lived to
a total
of 910
years and
then he
died.
Verse 17,
Mahalal
lived a
total of
895
years and
guess what?
He died.
Verse 20,
Jared
lived a
total of
962
years and
well,
he died
too.
Verse 27,
Methuselah
lived a
total of
969
years.
The
oldest
person
recorded
in
scripture
and
then,
well,
he died.
And
verse 31,
Lamech
lived a
total of
777
years and
then he
had his
funeral as
well.
Now,
I don't
want you to
get distracted
by the
number of
years and
say,
come on,
nobody
could live
that long.
Don't
focus on
that.
Focus on
the fact
that there
is an
end to
the years.
Satan's
promise to
Adam and
Eve, do you
remember it?
You will
not certainly
die.
It's not
true.
It's a big
lie.
But we
live as if
it is true.
Every one
of us here
in this
room lives
with the
expectation
that you'll
go to bed
tonight,
you'll close
your eyes
and sleep,
and you
will open
up your
eyes and
wake up
tomorrow
morning.
Isn't
that what
we expect
to happen?
But there's
no guarantee.
The day
is going
to come,
maybe sooner,
maybe later,
when every
single one
of us here
will draw
our very
last breath
death, and
life will
end.
Jonathan
Mark
Grant
lived a
total of
49 years,
59 years,
and then he
died.
He died.
when we
die,
a post-mortem
will be
carried out
to determine
our cause
of death.
Perhaps it
will be a
terminal illness
like cancer,
maybe a
heart attack,
maybe it
will be
because you
were involved
in a serious
accident and
well, you
were maimed
in such a
horrific way.
maybe the
cause will
be unknown,
but some
reason will
be given
as people
talk.
How did
they die?
Well,
according to
scripture,
the cause
of every
single death
that takes
place on
planet Earth,
mine and
yours included,
is sin.
We die
because we
have rebelled
against God,
because we
have set
up to
overtake his
rule and
authority and
sit in his
place.
Death is not
just a
consequence of
sin, it's
the punishment
for our
sin.
Remember
what God
has said to
Adam?
If you
eat from
the tree
of the
knowledge of
good and
evil, you
will certainly
die.
If you
reject my
rule, if
you seek to
take my
place, I
am the
creator, but
if you
want to
put yourself
in place
of me,
you will
die.
Sin is
serious, it
is destructive,
and God
cannot allow
sinful humanity
to go on
wrecking their
lives and
destroying the
lives of
each other,
which is what
we do.
do.
So God
said to
Adam, you
will return
to the
ground since
from it you
were taken,
for dust
you are,
and to
dust you
will return.
Every
single
funeral, my
funeral and
your funeral,
yes, we
hope many
wonderful things
will be said
about us,
about our
wonderful life,
but it
will stand
before every
single person
as a reminder
that the
reason I
am in a
coffin and
I will be
buried in
the grave
is because
I'm a
sinner.
The
apostle Paul
reminds us of
exactly the
same, doesn't
he?
Romans 6,
23,
the wages
of sin
is
death.
At the
end of your
working week
or month,
you receive
your wage,
maybe it
comes in
direct into
your bank
account or
somebody gives
you an
envelope, but
you receive
your wages
for the work
you do,
you get
your payment.
Well, at
the end of
our life,
we're going
to receive
our wage
too.
We're going
to receive
our payment
for the
way in
which we've
lived our
life.
The wages
of sin
is death.
Our
family
likeness
are
impending
deaths.
Thankfully,
the story
doesn't end
there.
The story
of God's
redemption
moves us
from death
into
life.
Our new
life.
First,
death has
been interrupted.
As we
walk through
the graveyard
of chapter
five,
we come
across something
that should
fill us
with joyful
expectation,
where celebration
will overtake
the sorrow
and the
sighing.
Adam dies,
Seth dies,
Enoch dies,
Kenan dies,
Mahalel dies,
Jared dies.
Now look at
verse 21.
When Enoch
had lived
65 years,
he became
the father
of Methuselah.
After he
became the
father of
Methuselah,
Enoch
walked faithfully
with God
300 years
and had other
sons and
daughters.
Altogether,
Enoch lived
a total of
365 years.
Enoch
walked faithfully
with God,
then he
died,
because God
took him
away.
What?
Did you
read verse
24 carefully?
He didn't
die.
Enoch
walked faithfully
with God,
then he
was no
more,
because God
took him
away.
Death
has been
interrupted.
Death,
death,
life.
God
has
intervened
and spared
Enoch
from death.
Why?
Well,
twice we're
told in
those few
verses that
Enoch had
walked faithfully
with God.
That is,
he was a
man who
walked by
faith.
He trusted
in God's
promise of
a
redeemer.
He knew
that the
son of a
woman was
to come
who was
going to
crush
Satan's
head,
and he
longed for
God's
promise
redeemer.
Hebrews
helps us
to understand.
You can
follow it
on the
screen here.
I'll have
to go over
here and
read it
like this.
by faith
Enoch
was taken
from this
life so
that he
did not
experience
death.
He could
not be
found because
God had
taken him
away.
For before
he was
taken,
he was
commended
as one
who pleased
God,
and without
faith it
is impossible
to please
God.
It's not
because Enoch
was better
than anybody
else or
that he
sinned
less.
It's
because he
had faith.
It's
because he
trusted in
God's
promise to
deliver him.
You see,
death doesn't
have to have
the last
word.
God has
the last
word.
God is
saying
through Enoch,
although death
is the reward
of our sin,
although you
deserve death,
I am over
death, and I
can deliver
from death.
you can
have life.
You see,
God is not
vengeful.
He's not
joyfully
delighting in
judgment.
God longs
to deliver
us from
the curse
of death.
In fact,
this is only
the beginning.
God has
not only
promised to
interrupt
death,
but God
has promised
to undo
all the
brokenness
we see
in the
world.
there is
the undoing
of the
curse.
You see,
as we
trace
the family
line of
Adam,
as we
follow
God's
redemptive
plan,
God
shows us
what we
can expect.
Look at
verse 28.
When Lamech
had lived
182 years,
he had
a son.
He named
him Noah
and said,
he will
comfort us
in the
labour and
painful
toil of
our hands
caused
by the
ground
the Lord
has
cursed.
Now,
we know
what that
is to
experience,
don't we?
We live
in a
world
full
of
painful
toil.
we live
in a
world
that has
been
cursed.
The
effect
of
God's
curse
caused
by our
collective
sin
has
frustrated
this
physical
world
in which
we live.
That's
what
COP26
is all
about,
spread
across
our
news
every
single
day
on
every
news
programme.
The
world
coming
to
terms
with
climate
change
and
the
problems
that
man
has
caused.
Yes,
carbon
dioxide
is
causing
floods
and
famine
and
is
wrecking
lands
and
nations
and
people.
But
look
beneath
the
surface.
Behind
it all
is the
curse
of God
because
of
sinful
man.
We
have
not
looked
after
the
world
as
God
had
said.
We're
beginning
to
reap
what
we
have
sown.
And
while I
agree
we all
need to
work
hard
at
becoming
carbon
neutral
we
need
to
do
and
play
our
part
but
here's
the
problem
broken
humanity
can
never
fix
the
problem.
We
are
the
problem.
History
has
proved
that
with
every
new
generation
we
are
more
corrupt
than
ever
before.
We
need
a
redeemer.
We
desperately
need
a
savior.
And
our
redeemer
is not
Gretchen
Thunberg
or the
United
Nations.
God
has
promised
to
undo
the
curse
and to
bring
comfort.
Look at
verse 29.
He
had
promised
one
Noah
and he
said he
will bring
comfort
to us.
A
comforter
has been
promised.
Of
course the
ultimate
comfort that
we could
ever have
is one
who would
come to
deliver us
and undo
the curse
that we
live with.
When this
broken world
could be
redeemed
and this
disordered
world
could be
renewed.
Isn't that
the kind
of world
we all
long for?
Where death
has been
interrupted
and everything
broken is
made right
again?
well the
good news
for us
is God
has
interrupted
death
for us
and God
is undoing
the curse
for us.
This is
the solution
and here's
how.
Through
Jesus.
Turn with
me please
to Romans
chapter 5.
It will
help if you
follow along
in these
verses.
Romans
chapter 5.
I want us
to be
really clear
about this.
We've been
thinking about
how God
brings us
from death
to life.
how he
interrupts
death
and how
he's
undoing
the curse.
And if
we're to
experience
this for
ourselves
that is
to no
longer
stay in
death
but move
to life
then there's
some things
we've got
to be
real about
and we've
got to
understand
here's the
first one
we've got
to recognise
that we
are
children
of Adam.
Look at
verse 12.
Therefore
Romans 5
verse 12
Therefore
just as
sin entered
the world
through one
man
came through
Adam and
death
through sin
and in
this way
death came
to all
people
all of
us
because
all
sinned.
Do you
get it?
We've got to
recognise this.
Because we
are children
of Adam
we too
will die.
it's the
wages
of our
sin.
That's
who we
are.
Now sinful
humanity
can't fix
that problem.
We need
a redeemer.
We need
redemption.
And that
redemption
is found
in another
man.
A better
Adam.
A greater
one to
come.
It's found
in Jesus.
So we
just don't
recognise
we're
children
of Adam.
we need
to receive
the gift
of
righteousness.
Look at
verse 17.
For if
by the
trespass
of one
man
death
reigned
through
that one
man.
So because
of the
sin
of Adam
death
has
reigned
through
that man.
How much
more
will those
who receive
God's
abundant
provision
of grace
and of
the gift
of
righteousness
reign
in
life
through
the
one
man
Jesus
Christ.
You see
Jesus
Christ
God's
Son
has
lived
the
perfect
obedient
life
for us.
He has
lived a
righteous
life.
A
life of
justice
and
purity.
Of all
the people
in Adam's
line
there was
one who
came
born of
a woman
Jesus
Christ
who
did
not
sin.
And
God
now
gives
to us
the
gift
of
Jesus'
righteousness
so that
our
sin
is
covered
so that
instead
of
sin
instead
of
death
there
is
life.
Think
of it
like
this.
If you
can imagine
this hand
my hand
here
is
Adam.
We
have
been
born
into
Adam's
family
line.
We
share
his
likeness.
We
have
his
image.
This
is who
we are.
In all
its mess
and all
its
brokenness
death
is to
come.
Now
think of
this hand
as the
life of
Jesus.
One of
the family
line of
Adam
but a
better
Adam
a
perfect
Adam
an
obedient
one
who
never
sinned
who
never
failed
who
bears
God's
image
fully
and
completely
who
reflects
the
likeness
of God
in all
its
beauty
and
God
says to
us
I
give
you
the
righteousness
of
Jesus
and I
can
cover
you
children
of
Adam
I
can
cover
you
with
the
righteousness
of
Jesus
so
that
your
sin
is
covered
and
dealt
with
so
that
when
God
now
looks
at
us
he
doesn't
see
broken
Adam
and
broken
children
of
Adam
but
he
now
sees
the
beauty
the
perfection
the
greatness
of
Christ
covered
in
Christ
how
could
we
possibly
receive
that
how
can
we
move
from
death
to
life
well
look
at
verse
17
again
the
middle
of
verse
17
it's
for
those
who
receive
God's
abundant
provision
of
grace
and
the
gift
of
righteousness
in
other
words
it's
a
free
gift
what
better
gift
could
we
possibly
have
than
something
that
God
does
for
you
and
for
me
he
gives
us
his
righteousness
which
we
receive
by
faith
so
that
we
may
be
covered
once
and
for
all
remember
Enoch
who
didn't
die
but
God
just
took
him
Enoch
looked
forward
in
faith
to
the
coming
promised
redeemer
this
gift
of
righteousness
is
ours
as
we
look
back
in
faith
to
Jesus
Christ
the
one
who
died
our
death
the
one
who
was
raised
again
defeating
death
destroying
death
and the
grave
for
us
we
look
in
faith
to
him
you
see
what
God
did
for
Enoch
for
just
one
God
can
do
for
all
who
will
trust
in
him
yes
you
and
I
each
one
of
us
we
will
die
physically
we
will
have
our
funeral
people
will
mourn
us
and
grieve
for
us
but
you
know
what
if
we
are
trusting
in
Christ
our
funeral
our
death
is
only
the
blink
of
an
eye
it
is
the
beginning
of
eternal
life
in
the
new
creation
this
is
our
true
comfort
in
our
painful
toil
in
our
struggle
through
this
life
our
true
comfort
is
the
promise
that
is
yet
to
come
a
world
that
will
never
break
and
where
people
will
never
ever
die
a
world
without
the
curse
and
without
sin
let me
tell you
this
and I
don't
want
any
of us
to
leave
this
room
without
being
clear
you
are
either
born
into
Adam
which
we
all
are
or
we
are
now
in
Christ
through
faith
where
are you
this
morning
are you
in
Adam
with
death
to
come
or
are
you
in
Christ
by
faith
one
or the
other
Christ
has
done
it
all
Genesis
5
is not
just
history
this
is my
story
and your
story
it
tells
of
our
future
Jesus
Christ
our
redeemer
who
can
move
us
from
death
into
life
itself
where
are you
let's
pray
in
Adam
by
birth
or
in
Jesus
by
faith
father
I
ask
of
one
thing
that
each
and
every
one
of
us
here
this
morning
would
have
our
eyes
open
to
understand
clearly
that
we
need
to
have
our
faith
in
Christ
father
please
impress
that
upon
our
hearts
please
help us
to
know
the
joy
of
the
righteousness
that we
can
receive
to be
covered
by
Christ
so that
we might
have life
today
and life
for all
eternity
father
be
gracious
to
us
it's
in
his
name
we
pray
amen
well
we're
going to
sing
and this
song
that we're
going to
sing
is a
vision
a picture
of the
life
that is
to come
that we
are looking
forward to
it tells
of a
life
where there
is no
more
death
no more
sorrow
is a
partaken
who
or
are
going to
say
same
as