I'd like to welcome everyone out to the service this evening, and we welcome back as our preacher this evening, the Reverend Paul Hannah. Remember the children's meeting tomorrow night at 7 p.m., and on Thursday at 8 p.m., the Bible study and prayer meeting, and the Reverend Leckie will take that meeting. Next Lord's Day, the service is at the usual times of 11, 30, and 7, and the preacher will be the Reverend Leckie, and communion will be held after the morning service next week. Also, after the services next week, there's a retiring offering for the Uganda appeal. And I think it also may be building fund Sunday, so if you put in a building fund offering, if you put it in the building fund envelope to keep it separate. The church dinner has been organized for Friday, the 23rd of February, at 7 p.m. in Sally's Restaurant in Oknitloi, so if you can keep that date free. Thank you very much, brother, for those kind words of welcome, and indeed to be allowed back again tonight to take the service here in Six Mile Cross. Hymn number 270, you'll find it in your hymn books on page 285. Down at the cross where my savior died, downward for cleansing from sin I cried, there to my heart was the blood applied, glory to his name. 207 day, standing please as we sing. Standing please. And at the cross where my Saviour died Land where for cleansing from sin I cried, there to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to His name! Glory to His name! I am so wondrously saved from sin. Jesus so sweetly abides within. Here at the cross where he took me in. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. is the blood of night. Glory to his name. All precious blood did not save from sin. I am so glad I have entered in. Here Jesus saves me and keeps me clean. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. Glory to his name. Come to this fountain so rich and sweet. Cast thy purse o'er at the Saviour's feet. Watch Him today and be made complete. Glory to His name! Glory to His name! ♪ Glory to his name ♪ ♪ And to my heart is another kind ♪ ♪ Glory to his name ♪ Amen, that's good singing. Let us still our hearts, please, in the attitude of prayer. Maybe you've been busy this afternoon. You've been involved in good, profitable, proper things. but let us still our hearts please as we come together in this fashion. I'm so conscious of the fact that it's possible to be here in body, possible to have tuned in to the broadcast here from Six Mile Cross, but to miss a blessing, to miss out with the Lord. Let us therefore still ourselves, let us plead With the Lord himself, would he not speak to us and challenge us individually and collectively today? Let us pray. Our Father and our God, we do thank thee that we're found yet again this Sabbath evening in the place of prayer. We're found, Lord, in the place where prayer is one to be made. We're found, dear Father, in the place where we're able, without let or hindrance, We're able to open up thy precious word. We're able even to lift our voices and sing at the very top of our voices here in this thy house. We're able, Lord, to have the preaching of thy word central in our worship service, central in our praise. Lord, I pray tonight that heaven might condescend to touch earth. I pray tonight that they would speak individually and powerfully to individuals such as are found in here under the sign of the word. And Lord, we're not forgetting those that aren't able to come out tonight. Those that are maybe in their own homes. We'll pray Lord especially for such a one. Lord, we're easily distracted here. But how much more easily is it to be distracted sitting in our own homes, maybe in our kitchen, in our living room? And Lord, I pray that thou would be pleased to take away every distraction, take away every sideways thought, every sideways glance, that we might hone in and tune in and indeed focus upon what thou would have for us tonight. I pray, Lord, for the preacher, because I need thy blessing. I need thy help. I need thy strength. I need thy guidance. I need thy direction. I need the prompting of the Holy Spirit, even in what I ought to say. That's about knowledge. But equally, Lord, about what I ought not to say, that's about wisdom. So give us the wisdom, dear Father, to be able to conduct this service and especially the message that those laid upon our hearts tonight for this people gathered. I pray, Lord, for special help. Lord, I pray for each and every individual member of this congregation here today. I pray, Lord, that thou would speak to us, that thou would challenge us, that thou would, Lord, even eternally move us, dear Father. In fact, Lord, we pray that every time we come in contact with thy words, whether it be in the private individual setting in our own homes, maybe our own quiet time, or whether it be for corporate praise and worship such as this. Lord, every time we come in contact with thy word and hear thy speaking voice, Lord, that we might be changed, sanctified, cleansed afresh. So Lord, to that end, we pray for a special blessing. Pray especially today, Lord, to this evening and this gospel evening service for those that are without Christ, outside the fold. I pray, Lord, for such a one, even maybe perhaps in the meeting. Wilt thou not speak, wilt thou not move in the way that only thou can do? So, Lord, bless us as we continue on in our praise and our worship in this service tonight. In thy precious and holy name, we do ask. Amen. 286 asks a question. Standing please, as we stand. Would you be free from your burden of sin? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you, or even a victory win? There's wonderful blood. Would you be free from your passion and pride? There's heart in the blood, heart in the blood. There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Beginnings. This morning we had you in the New Testament and Luke's Gospel, but today or this evening we want to turn to Genesis chapter 2 and 3. Genesis chapter 2, want to break into that chapter at that 15th verse. Why the Lord God took man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Then we want to read of the fall of man. Scripture records everything we need to know regarding our salvation. Here we have it even in these passages right back in seed form in the book of beginnings. I trust you found the place going by the rustle of the pages of Scripture here in God's house, Genesis chapter 2. Want to read from that verse 15? We've highlighted that already. The words, and the Lord God took the man, that's Adam, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Man is commissioned here with a task. I believe men are made to work. Certainly that's the case here with Adam. Verse 16, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, look at the commission that he was given, of every tree of the garden thou mayest grow." I'm about to say, very often in Scripture, whenever the Lord tells us that we're to do or not to do something, we're not just left with that arbitrary command, but we're given the reason for that command as well. This is case in point for that. Thou shalt not eat of it, verse 17, for, that word for really means because or for, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him and help meet for him. And out of the ground, the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air and brought them on to 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 to every beast of the field. But for Adam, there was not found and help meet for him. 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 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 shall 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. Now verse 25 is a key verse, and we'll see how it is so as it's played out in the next chapter. Verse 25, and they were both naked, the man and his wife, and then we're given this additional information here, and were not ashamed. Chapter three, verse one. Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Now the devil is a sly old fox. We will by dissect and lift the layers on his actions and what he did. opportunity to give him an answer. He asked him, where art thou? And he said, Adam said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And he, that is God speaking now, verse 11, and he said, who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commandest thee that thou shouldst not eat? And then Adam started in his finger-pointing exercise, look at it in verse 12, And the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. The Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, Thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and thus shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And then in verse 15, we have what is the first, the very first, in all of Scripture, the very first messianic promise. In other words, the promise of the one who would come in the fulfillment of time, the Savior. For God addressing this, Satan's serpent said, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, that is Christ. It shall bruise thy head, how Christ shall give that mortal wound, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Does that not speak to us at the cross? And he continues on, we'll not read all of these verses for the sake of time, but I do want to read one more verse, look at verse 21. And unto Adam also unto his wife, look at this, did the Lord God make coats of skin. Again, another reference, another foreshadowing of the cross, of how the innocent one would have to die. God made coats of skin. and clothed them. We'll end the reading there, please, at that verse, Mark 21. And we do trust, and indeed we do believe, that the Lord himself not only will but has already blessed this, the reading of his own inspired word. We want to turn again to our hymn books, 248, please. 248 on page 276. Unto the burdens of guilt and care, many a spirit is grieving. who in the joy of the Lord might share life everlasting receiving. 248, remaining seated, please, as the tithes and offerings are received for the work here in Six Mile Cross on another day. ♪ Under the grave ♪ The joy of the Lord, my share, life ever has been receiving. One life, eternal life, Jesus alone is the giver. Jesus. Down, please, for that third verse. Let's start it off. Heard it one by one, you no longer bear Sorrows of which he releases. Open your heart and rejoice in share Life more abundant and dear. Amen. You can take your seats again and turn please with me to that portion that we've read just a few moments ago. in Genesis chapter two, but especially into Genesis chapter three, please. Genesis chapter two and Genesis chapter three, let us, with God's word open before us, let us take a moment to instill our hearts yet again in his holy presence. Let us pray. Father, I pray for clarity of thought tonight in these closing minutes. I pray, Lord, that thy spirit might move in a mighty way I pray, Lord, that thou would move from heart to heart, from seat to seat. Lord, that thou would speak to and through this preacher and his people. Lord, how we need thee. How we need thee, Lord, to move. Because, Lord, without thy presence, without thy blessing, this and every other meeting for that matter, this meeting would be in vain. You know, I once heard a particular story or a particular issue of a thing that was a problem in a little Sabbath school many, many years ago. You see, there was this Sabbath school teacher who was trying faithfully to teach his little class. He had a class of maybe seven or eight-year-olds, boys and girls mixed, inner city. And no matter how much or how hard or no matter what illustrations he tried to apply to that little class, he couldn't get them to take in and to fully understand the very account that we're reading from this evening, how man failed. Even though he had so much in the beginning, even though he had everything that he could ever have wanted, everything he could have ever hoped for, why and how they would have taken up the forbidden fruit whenever they had so many other things on offer. couldn't get it into their head. And he came home to his wife and he told her about the burden that he had and about the desire that he had that they might understand this scripture teaching of why and how Adam and Eve sinned. Our first parents failed from the estate in which they were created. And between the two of them, they come up with a plan, a brilliant plan. They lived a wee bit out of the inner city, maybe into the more to-do parts, more into the suburbs of the city, and they decided what they would do one lovely, one lovely sunny afternoon was to invite all the children from his class, every single one of them, to their house for a lovely lavish spread, a big supper. And they did that. Not one miss. They all looked forward to it, and they all arrived out on that Saturday in question, And they come into that lovely spread room that they had, one of those big oval tables. You couldn't really see what the table was made of. Covered with everything. Covered with all sorts of exotic foods like pineapple. The sort of things we take for granted now. But the sort of things that would have cost a fortune back in the day. Things like pineapple and fruits and meats and of all types and all kinds. But you know, right at the very center of that table was one of those big stainless steel serving trays. One of those big stainless steel trays that was shining with a big lid on it and a big handle on the top. And as he pointed out, everything to that Sabbath school class, everything around the table that they were allowed to eat freely of, didn't matter what order they wanted it, you can eat in as much of it as you like. And what order, if you like, it was like an all-you-can-eat buffet for those little children. But he did warn them that you're allowed to take anything you want, but you're not allowed to take anything of that center spray. Not allowed to lift the lid. Not allowed to touch it. Not allowed whatever is underneath that lid. Well, they all jumped in and started to eat, both hands going, you can imagine the scene. Now this is all planned. This is all set up. because suddenly a knock came to the door of the dining room. And he opened the door, and his wife was there, and she said, there's someone here to see you. It's very important that you come out now. And he said, OK, tell them I'll be with them in the drawing room in a little second or two. And he went to leave. But just before he left, he turned around one more time, and he sounded out one more warning to all those children that were gorbing themselves with that food. I'm sure you would know what the word gorbing means. My mother actually put a note on the fridge one day, no garban. There was seven of us, and we could eat. I'm the eldest of seven, I fought my way to the trough, then he said, hey. And there they were, garban away, and stuffing stuff into their mouths as quick as they could reach it with two hands going. And before he exited the room, one more time he said, now you can eat as much as you like, but be warned, do not touch what's in the center. You're not allowed that. And with that, he was away. It was a lovely day. And the windows were open, and the breeze was coming through. It was a lovely summer afternoon, a Saturday afternoon. and the breeze was coming through that room and they were all eaten away. But you know it wasn't very long until one, well really it wasn't, it was immediately until all the talk and all the attention turned from the lovely lavish foods around the outside of the table and all eyes and all fingers and all attention was pointing toward that center spray. Now some warned, don't touch it. We were warned not to touch it. But then, of course, there were others in the room, one brazen little lad in particular. And it wasn't long before he was standing on his seat, ready to reach across, that he might grab the lid just to lift it, just a wee bit, just to see what was inside. You see, his nosiness had got the better of him. And, of course, the girls outside of him were warning him, don't do it, don't do it. But he did, he left at the edge of that bowl just a crack to see what was in it. Just there, and a big gust of wind came in from the side window. You see, the man and his wife had gone down to the market the day before. And they had bought, as much as they could, two pillowcases full of the finest goose down that they could get their hands on. You can imagine the scene. The goose down sprung out of the stainless steel tray, and it was into everything. It was stuck in everything. It was stuck in the juices, and stuck in the chicken, and the turkey, and the ham, and stuck in everything that they had put out. And there was no putting that down back into the box. Now, of course, it was all set up. Of course, that man and his wife were actually watching outside of the window, waiting for that very moment to happen. And as soon as it did, they both sprang into the room and they said, ah, we've caught you. What have you done? Of course, the wee boy that lifted the lid went bright red with shame. And all the fingers began, rather than pointing at the center spread, all fingers began pointing at him. And that Sabbath school teacher said, ah, yes, I've caught you. But then he changed his tune. He acted like he was cross. But he said, perhaps now each and every one of you realize, and perhaps now you can take it in, what drove Adam, or even then Adam, to take of that which was forbidden, the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. That day, for each and every one of those little kids, every one of those children, that day the penny drops for them of how Adam and Eve fell from their first estate, our first parents fell from the first estate in which we were created by sinning against God and taking up the forbidden fruit, by doing what God had commanded them not to do. I want us to think tonight for the few moments that we have at our disposal remaining in the meeting. I want us to think tonight about this subject, the subject of sin and salvation in the garden. You know, there are many today who will refer to sin and to the state of things in the world, the state of things in the country, the state of moral decay and all of that, and they will talk of that in terms of it's the fault of the state and the fact that people have no money and austerity and all of those sort of reasons. But it is not what the Word of God teaches in these early chapters of Genesis. In fact, when we look at these passages, Does it not jump off the page at us, the privileges that Adam and Eve enjoyed? That is my first point this evening, very simply, the privileges that they enjoyed. In fact, whenever we do think of that, I don't believe that we can fully fathom, fully plumb the depths of just how privileged Adam and Eve really were in the beginning. They really did have it all in the Garden of Eden. I want you to turn to the first chapter. We're only in chapter 2 and 3 now. It's only back a page turn for most of you, depending on what way your Bibles are. But I want you to look at what we have contained and recorded for us there in that first chapter of Genesis, because no less—think of this. No less than six times in that first chapter of Genesis do we read a little phrase, just four words, referring to God's wonderful creation. We're thinking here of the privileges that they enjoyed. And those words are recorded for us six times, verse four, verse 10, verse 12, 18, 21, and 24. Do you see what that phrase is? And it was written. Six times we read that for you. In fact, we come across it in an even stronger form in the very final verse of that first chapter. Look at verse 31. And God saw everything that he had made. This is to sum up in the creation. Everything that he had made. And behold, it was, you see that strengthening word there? Behold, it was very good. and the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Adam and Eve had it all. Adam and Eve had every privilege that they could enjoy. In fact, whenever we turn to chapter 2, do that. Look at chapter 2, verse 8, and down through that chapter, we have some very vivid descriptions of the Garden of Eden. Say, wonder for nothing. Look at verse 10 and 11 of that little section there, we read of the river that flowed from from Eden. Rivers in Scripture speak of provision. We have running water now. We don't need to put our settlements beside rivers so much as they used to not very long ago. But they had that river that flowed from Eden. Verse 10 and 11 speaks of that. Verse 12, the first part of it, speaks of the gold of Eden. You can think of the privileges that they have. Verse 12, the latter part, speaks there of the precious stones that were abundant there. They really did have it all. In fact, in verse 9 and verse 16, the latter part of verse 16, we read of the provision that they had there by way of the food that was provided for them by God, intended solely for their purpose, for man. You know, I thought of it that way. Do we realize the privileges spiritually as well as every other way today? Do we realize the privileges that we have today? We have such a goodly heritage, as we mentioned this morning. In fact, my bookshelf, I have a whole section, a section filled with historical accounts, not only of the history of the church, but of this very denomination, right back to our inception as a church, as a denomination, way back on the 17th of March, 1951. How rich we are with those blessings of the past. As a church, we enjoyed such blessings in those early days, even before my memory would permit it. What about you today in the meeting? What about your own saved in the meeting? Do you realize that you're all saved? Do you realize, do you appreciate the blessings that you enjoy even being able to come out to a place like this? Blessings in the gospel, blessings of what we refer to and call common grace. and the fact that you're told faithfully from puppets like this, week in, week out, not only what you want to hear, we're not here to tell you what you want to hear, but to tell you what you need to hear week after week about the gospel message, about how the Lord Jesus Christ left the splendor of heaven's glory, of how he came to this sinful earth to die for sinners such as you and I. But the blessing that you're told, That's a blessing that you have these opportunities in the gospel. You realize the privileges that you have. Adam and Eve had all the privileges, yet we read how they sinned in the beginning. But let us move on. Let us think of another aspect of what we're told here. We have here the precepts or the instructions given by the Lord himself. You see, Adam and Eve really had everything that they could have wished for in the beginning. They were able to take, look at verse 9 and verse 16, they were able to take up the fruit of the ground and of the trees, which brought forth abundantly, however there was one exception to that rule. What does it tell us there in Genesis 2 verse 17? How God said, God was the speaker. How God said, but, that's the exception. That word, but, really always is a hinge word. It is always a word of contrast. Verse 16 tells of how they were able to take of any fruit and of every fruit in the garden except this exception. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden I mayest freely eat, but, verse 17, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. You know, it's wonderful, and really this is just as an aside, even as a reed does sit. It's very obvious and very clear to me. It is wonderful how, and really we ought to take note of this every time we read our Bibles and read Scripture and study Scripture. Whenever the Lord gives us a command, as He did with Adam and Eve here in verse 17, something that they weren't to do, whenever the Lord gives us a command, He almost always gives the reason for that command as well. In fact, think of the fear nots that we have in Scripture. Fear not, Abram. You shouldn't just leave it at that. Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. That's an example so many times throughout the Scripture. But this precept, this instruction that God gave to Adam was given for his good. You're not to touch of this. free of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. What I want you to notice today, we need to be wise, we need to be aware, we need to be clued in and know about the activity, the plan, the ploy of Satan in this old world. The devil really is a sly old fox, as they teach the children in the Sabbath school and in the meeting. How does the chorus go? If I could catch him, I'd put him in a box, lock the lid, and throw away the key. Why? For all the tricks he's played on me. Adam could have said that. Eve could have said that. In fact, we were thinking this morning of how Peter was called into active service for the Lord, of how he was called, challenged, commissioned into the work. Oh, Peter learned so much throughout his long career, throughout his ministry, laboring for the masses. Does he not write in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8 and 9? We know the words so well. Does he not write from the storehouse of his own experience? Does he not write from what he had learned throughout that lifetime spent serving the Lord? Does he not write, be sober, be vigilant of the devil here, because your adversary, the one who opposes us, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Adam and Eve knew that in the beginning. We are not to be deceived this evening. No matter what spiritual state tonight finds you, we're not to be deceived. The devil is, and I'm deadly serious when I say this, the devil is doing what he can to rob you of your joy tonight. If you're not saved, he's doing what he can to rob you of your salvation, to keep you from bowing the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. He did so with Adam and Eve. even though they had it all. We've thought already about the privileges that they enjoyed, even though they had it all. Let me tell you this evening, we used that little story, that illustration at the very beginning of how that Sabbath school teacher taught his class. But what Scripture actually teaches is, it teaches, there are some that actually believe that Adam and Eve were created in a state of equilibrium. They could have fallen either way. They could have gone just as easy for the good as for the evil. In fact, Scripture teaches that that is not the case at all. They were actually made in God's image, made with a state of bias towards God. That is, in fact, part of how their fall was so great Our first parents failed so far, taking not only them down into sin, but every single one of us that followed them in natural generation. Every one but the Lord Jesus Christ, the second Adam, every one but the Lord Jesus Christ himself fell in and through Adam in his first transgression. That is how serious the sin pollution was. You think of the tactics, you think of the ploy, you think of the plan that was put into place by the devil here against our first pardon. In fact, let's look at it here. Look at chapter 3, verse 1. Have you read that verse? Look at some of the things that the devil did here. Look at the words that he used. Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said unto Adam, no. He bypassed Adam. He said unto the woman, yea, have God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. You see, he targeted Eve, not Adam. He targeted Eve, that weaker vessel. You see how he did that? I always ask, I drive a bus with primary school children on it. And I always get them going, and I always get the crack going, and get them talking, and all the rest of it. And teach them Bible stories and all as we drive around. There's two different schools on my run, and it's going to be good crack at times. It's always very good-hearted conversation. But you can see there's a vast difference between the boys and the girls. And sometimes they argue, and sometimes they fight. Well, they don't physically fight. I try to keep a lid on that. but you can hear them chatting away in the background. And I asked them a question. There's one particular question that I would ask them. Who's best, the boys or the girls? Of course, the boys are saying the boys are the best. The girls say the girls are the best. And I'll give my answer. I'll say, no, I'll tell you what the real answer is. The answer is yes. What do you mean? That doesn't make sense. What does yes mean? Well, there are things that boys are better at, and there are things that girls are better at. Ah, I sort of see what you mean now. Men and women are very, very different. In fact, it's set up here right in the beginning that man was to be the head of the home. My mother used to always say, my father is going to be with the Lord, over eight years ago now. But my mother used to always say, you know, your father is the head of this home, but I'm the neck that turns the head. Isn't that right, women? In fact, whenever I was in Belfast, I was in a church in Belfast for over four years, and I got into school after school after school. I think we're in about 11 different schools in that area. And I always worked in the principal, or on the principal, that the three most important people in the school are, yes, of course, the principal or the headmaster or headmistress. And the other one was the, caretaker of the school, because if you couldn't get in past the caretaker, you weren't going to get in. But a very, very close third, in fact we could say a joint third, was the secretary. I always worked in that principle that the secretary is joint first as the most important person in that school. Because if you don't get past the principal, you'll not get in. If you don't get past the caretaker, you'll not get in. But if you don't get past the filter mechanism that's set up in every single school, and that is the secretary, you don't have a hope. Yes, Mummy was right. Your father is the head of this home, but I'm the neck that turns the head, and the devil knew that. He knew that. He knew to bypass Adam. Remember, it was highlighted there in the reading of how Adam was with her. Isn't that right? of how he was not really taking the place of the head of the home. Well, he was targeted, or she was targeted, rather. He went round his back. If the thief is going to come and rob your house, break up your house, because he knows you're a faithful, free Presbyterian, and you're a church from seven to nine. I'm only joking. Seven to eight. You think he'd go through the front door? You know what the easiest point of access to your house and mine is? It's the back door, or the patio door. or that weaker back door. Maybe the door that we forget to close. Maybe that door that doesn't have the same level of security on it. Maybe that door that doesn't look out onto the street that your neighbors don't see. Maybe it's in darkness and secluded. That's not exactly what the devil did here. He said unto the woman. And then he whispered those questions into her ear. Look at what he said in verse one. Yea, hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? He tried literally here. unfiguratively here, he tried to question the word of God. Is that any different from what the attackers and those that stand opposed to the gospel are doing right now? Is that any different? He tried to question God's word. In fact, he questioned what God had already clearly stated and said in verse 17 of the previous chapter. Yea, half God said, verse one says, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden. And then he proceeded further. He went further down that track into verse four. Look at the latter part of verse 4 of chapter 3. The serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die. What did he do? He flat out denied the express word of God. That's the tactics that he used. And let me say, if you're not saved tonight, I don't know what's keeping you from the cross. I don't know what's keeping you from coming. I don't know what stumbling block or what hurdle is keeping you from bowing the knee. I very recently led a man who I know very well in my home village of Drumara to the Saviour. He's in my band. I'm a paper in the band. He's the leading drummer. And I spoke to that man. He was burdened about sin for weeks and weeks and weeks. And every time I talked to him, he put up this reason for not getting saved, and that reason for not getting saved. And just one reason after the other, it was a hundred meter hurdle. Until finally, one Friday night, after a gospel mission, The Lord cleared away every single hurdle from his path and he came to the door. What about you, taking this meeting tonight? What about you, as you watch along online in this meeting? Would you not come? The devil has that plan and purpose to keep you from coming, to keep you from this evening. Are you in certain grasp? Are you in his hold tonight? Are you in his bicep grip? I want you to look here about how Satan drew Eve after what he wanted her to do. In fact, I want you to think of it this way. I don't know if you've ever thought of it this way before. I didn't before I really studied this and looked at it. The devil used, think of this, The devil used, and we're gonna back this up as we look, especially at verse six, but verse one is way up. The devil used every single sense that Eve had in order to draw her out after what he wanted her to do. When who were five senses? Look at them here with me. Look at verse one. He said unto the woman, what's that? That's a feeling, a sense of feeling. And then I said, most of them are here in verse six for us. The woman saw. So we'll have her hearing. Now we have her sight. I thank God every day I go out over the mountains on my bus run for my sight. My doctor told me that I would lose my sight in one eye definitely and I might lose it in the other. And then God's people started to pray. The devil used her sight against her. He used her hearing in verse 1. He used her sight. And the woman saw. And then what do we read? She took of the fruit thereof. That was her touch. That's another sense that was employed here. And she did eat. What senses are employed in eating? That is our taste and our smell. Both employed in eating. Every single sense that God gave her was employed by the devil to draw her out after himself. What sin, let me ask you tonight, what sins have such a grip of you this evening to cause you to pull back from what you know is right and proper and the right thing to do, coming to the Lord Jesus Christ? And how sin polluted. Sin caused him to be cast out of the Garden of Eden. You see, man failed from that original, that perfect state in what he was created. He failed in that probationary state. And look at verse seven, he knew it. He was very aware of it. In fact, one of his first actions, if not his first action, was to try to cover up, try in vain, try to cover up his sin. Look at what it tells us there in the heart of verse seven. And then it was to hide from God at the end of verse eight, we read of that. And then it was to engage in a finger-pointing exercise against others. He blamed his wife, he blamed the devil, he blamed everybody else, and yet it was his sin. What did he try to do? He tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. You know what? They acknowledged, they actually acknowledged themselves that it didn't work. You see, our own efforts do not work. Doesn't that what we read in Isaiah 64? But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. I'm not going to go into a meeting like this to broadcast live on the internet exactly what that little phrase means, but it is more vile and filthy than we can imagine. And that's what our own righteousnesses are likened to. You see, in verse 10 there, I want you to look at it. In verse 10 there, he said, I heard thy voice in the garden. Now, this is whenever he was covered with fig leaves. This is after he had attempted to cover his own nakedness with fig leaves, with the bloodless fig leaves. I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because, he admitted it here, even after his own man-made covering had been put upon himself, I was afraid because I was naked. He acknowledged here that he was still naked, even though he was at this man-made covering. And that's why I read verse 21 in particular, because there, we have a picture of Christ in that verse. Yes, verse 15 is the first messianic promise in all of scripture, where the Lord addressed Satan, and he gave this promise of the one that would come, of the Lord Jesus Christ. But in verse 21, we have a little bit more added to that lovely picture in time. Unto Adam also, and to his wife Eve, did the Lord God make coats of skin. Let's boil that down to say what it really means. that the first innocent animal had to die in order to cover Adam and Eve's sin. Does that not point us through to the Lamb of God? Does that not bring us right through to Christ, the one who gave us all upon the tree of Calvary? Does that not bring us all to the Messiah? 100 times yes. Christ is portrayed here, even in the very essence of verse 21, as it's given to us. In a most graphic way, we find Calvary prefigured here. Let me ask you tonight, yeah, let me ask you again, let me challenge you, let me plead with you, if you've never come to the cross, could you not come tonight? Lay down your own puny arms of rebellion. Lay down whatever you're using as your own righteousness, and put on Christ. That's what Adam and Eve did. I believe Adam and Eve today, even though they sinned, even though they fell from their own estate, their first estate, their perfect estate, their God-like estate, I believe Adam and Eve right now are in heaven. Why? Because they look forward to the cross, just as the way we look backward to the cross. That's what covenant theology is. I thank God tonight that the victory has already been won. Let me bring you right through to the cross. Let me bring you, in fact, to what we read in John chapter 19, verse 30. Jesus, therefore, having received the vinegar, he said, and I have this verse, or part of it, right in front of me at my desk in my study at home. I can picture it right now. It is three words in the English, John 19, verse 30, and it is only one word in the original language. It is finished. Let me bring you to that cross today. You know, I can't save you. But what I can do is point you to the one that can. That's what this did. It pointed Adam and Eve to Christ, to the one that would come. To Christ, the fulfillment of verse 15. To Christ, the fulfillment of verse 21. To Christ, the fulfillment of all those Old Testament types and shadows that are fulfilled in the central event of all time. And that is the cross. That central cross. I may ask you one more time because time is gone tonight. Would you not simply come as so many before you have? As the hymn writer says, there's room at the cross for one. Would you not come? Would you not simply ask the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart and into your life? You know, you can do it right now where you sit. I would gladly, as I'm sure the office bearers and Christian workers of the church here would, I would gladly take time with you, but all I can really do is point you to the one who can see it, to those called on to see it. Would you not ask him to come into your heart and into your life tonight? I pray that it might be so. We'll just sing one verse of our closing hymn. It is 228. We'll sing that first verse in chorus, please. I have a message from the Lord. Hallelujah, says the hymn writer. The message unto you I'll give, that's recorded in his word, hallelujah. It is only that you look and live. 128 and page 268. Standing to sing that first verse as we think of the words. Standing please as we sing. Come in, please. I have a message from the Lord, hallelujah. A message unto you, I am here. It's recorded in His Word, hallelujah. It is only a killer you can be. Look with me. I love your lips. Look to Jesus.