Sunday, February 14, 2021

God’s Timeline – Part 13 Evil Fills the World

 

God’s Timeline – Part 13

Evil Fills the World

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

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This Document is a Sermon Outline. You may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files are located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church

 



SERMON INTRODUCTION

 Creation Week

-         Adam, Eve, and the Fall

-         Cain and Abel

-         NOW – Evil Fills the World

 

From the time of Seth’s birth (Genesis 5:3 tells us Adam was 130) to the birth of Noah was 1,056 years. The Flood took place when Noah was 600 years old, making it 1,656 years from Seth's birth to the Flood.

 

Genesis 4 tells us about Cain and Abel and shows us that God instilled an animal sacrificial system for a covering of sin in Genesis 3 after the fall and expected man to continue to do this. When Cain failed to offer a first-born lamb as an offering, but items from his garden instead, he was not accepted by God because of his disobedience. This is what led to Cain's jealousy of Abel and the murder of Abel.

 

Cains punishment mirrored Adam and Eve’s, the ground he farmed was cursed, and Cain was expelled from the land and marked.

 

Genesis 5 gives us the lineage from Adam’s family line. Adam to Noah.

 

Why Noah? Because there is another big event about to take place.

 

So, the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God establishes the timeline for us.

 

Now we reach Genesis 6 and the description of sin, once more, and the discipline God gives.

 

 

 

SCRIPTURE READING

Genesis 6:1-8

“When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with[a] humans forever, for they are mortal[b]; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

 

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

 

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

 

 

 

                I.         THE SONS OF GOD

a.         Who were the Sons of God?

                                                                i.      VS 2 states, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of HUMANS were beautiful…”

                                                             ii.      Therefore, we know the Sons of God are NOT humans.

 

                                                          iii.      It continues to say they married any of them they chose. So, there were physical relationships with them.

 

                                                           iv.      The result of these marriages were a mix-breed of humans and Sons of God, who may have been angels

1.         They may have been angels in good standing with God

2.         They may have been fallen angels from the war Satan had in heaven

3.         They may have been demons, since we are never told in scripture what demons are

4.         Or, they could be a completely different type of “angel” we are unaware of

 

                                                              v.      Many scholars agree though, it was fallen angels

 

 

 

b.        Who were the Nephilim?

                                                                i.      The Nephilim were the children of this mixed breed

 

                                                             ii.      Why would they do this? To spoil the lineage of man, prevent the birth of Jesus, and stop man's redemption.

 

                                                          iii.      Why does Satan want to stop Jesus and redemption? Because Satan will lose everything he has gained through sin, ruler of the air and earth, commander of the disobedient to God, and he will also receive eternal punishment once the Lord Jesus comes and redeems humankind and ushers in Judgment Day, which cannot take place if Christ is never born!

 

 

c.         Who were the “heroes” of old?

                                                                i.      This may be where many of the false religions and stories of “gods” on earth in different cultures comes from.

 

                                                             ii.      It is said they were giants, powerful, and stronger than man

 

                                                          iii.      Job 1:6; 2:1 we see Satan and angels presenting themselves to the Lord before the fall, continuously trying to destroy man and break the Lord’s plan of redemption

 

 

 

            II.         THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL NOT REMAIN IN CORRUPT MAN

a.         My Spirit will not contend with humans forever

                                                                i.      The Lord is speaking of the Holy Spirit

 

                                                             ii.      “will not contend” should have been translated “will not remain.”

 

                                                          iii.      The word of God is saying, “My Holy Spirit will not remain in humans forever because they are “mortal.”

 

 

b.        They are mortal

                                                                i.      Because of the Fall mankind is now “mortal,” or in other words, “corrupt.”

                                                             ii.      God’s Holy Spirit cannot reside in unforgiven, corrupt flesh

                                                          iii.      This statement is a precursor to reminding us “WHY” the cross!

                                                           iv.      To redeem us, so that His Holy Spirit MAY reside within us FOREVER.

 

 

c.         Their days will be 120 years

                                                                i.      Basically, I believe the Lord is saying if a person does not turn to the Lord, confess and repent within 120 years of life, they NEVER WILL.

 

                                                             ii.      So why let them continue to live (as before the 120-year limit) and fill the earth with sinful evil to flourish and grow?

 

                                                          iii.      So, God limited the lifespan

 

 

 

         III.         THE LORD SAW HOW GREAT THE WICKEDNESS ON EARTH WAS

a.         Every inclination of thought was only evil all the time

                                                                i.      Something important about this statement, later in scripture, we are told that one of the signs of the coming end and Day of Judgment is the fact that “it will be as it was in the days of Noah,”

 

                                                             ii.      Are we getting there? How does the world look today?

 

                                                          iii.      Are the thoughts and inclinations only evil all the time?

 

                                                           iv.      This does not mean God did not find favor in Noah or some of us! But speaks of the world, not individuals.

 

 

b.        The Lord regretted that He made humans, and His heart was deeply troubled

                                                                i.      The Lord regretted? The literal translation says “repented,” which means to “turn away from” or “go in the opposite direction.”

 

                                                             ii.      God’s Holy Spirit DID go in the opposite direction of corrupt man, and would not reside within him forever.

 

                                                          iii.      The Lord’s heart was deeply troubled? The literal translation says the Lord “grieved in His heart.”

 

 

                                                           iv.      Mankind’s turning from obedience, making their mortal flesh corrupt and unsuitable for God’s Holy Spirit to reside in forever broke God’s heart.

 

 

c.         I will wipe them from the face of the earth; I regret making them

                                                                i.         This may sound like payback or revenge, but it is another step that shows that God is a righteous Judge!

 

1.      The Lord knew He would have to be the perfect sacrifice, and explained as much in Genesis 3 after the fall, teaching us about blood sacrifice of the firstborn for a covering until He died on the cross.

 

2.      However, being the perfect and just God He is, just as it was with Adam and Eve, He allowed them to confess and repent, not because He thought they may, but because He will not pass Judgment until they had the opportunity to correct their mistakes.

 

3.      God gave humankind many years to be obedient, and it was clear now, 120 years is all anyone ever needs.

 

                                                             ii.         I regret making them?  No, the literal translation states, “I have repented that I have made them,” He turned from creating and will not create a NEW man. How do we know? Because in the next verse, we are told the Lord found favor in Noah.

 

 

 

CONCLUSION –

 

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

 

Because the Lord turned (repented) from making mankind, He will not make more but SAVE those who He finds favor with.

 

How do we find favor with the Lord?

 

He told us in Genesis 4 while speaking with Cain when Cain was tempted to commit sin;

 

Genesis 4:6-7 “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

 

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

 

We find favor and acceptance from the Lord when we “do what is right, “ or, when we are OBEDIENT, as Christ says, “to all that I command.”

.

 

Next week we will read about Noah and the Flood.

 

 

 

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