This is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, and we have focused our attention this Advent season on the Christmas hymn or Advent Carol, joy to the world, and we have seen that we should shop for joy and sing the praises of our great God because he reigns and he rules. He has won the victory. We sing for joy because he has come. We receive him as King. And this 3rd Sunday in Advent, we look at the 3rd verse. We sang it already. No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessing flow far as the curses found. Because Jesus is our victorious King and because he is the focus of our songs, we no longer are to let the weeds grow. We're not to let sadness and sin grow in our lives because he comes to make his blessing flow far as the curse is found. This morning I want us to look back to the beginning, where the curse was first pronounced and focus on that for a few minutes and consider that aspect of the hymn far as the curse is found. And then look at him who in his first coming came to defeat the devil and did conquer him at the cross and then focus our attention on the blessings that are ours and that have flown from our great King our Lord Jesus Christ as we anticipate his coming again to judge the world. I'm reading this morning from Genesis chapter 3 starting at verse 14. The context is Satan has already come in the guise of a serpent and deceived Eve and tempted her to eat of the fruit and she has done so and her husband with her and God and they went and hid themselves and God called them to himself and said what have you done and they have confessed their sins and God begins to speak in verse 14. It tells us the Lord God said to the serpent because you have done this cursed are you more than all the cattle and more than every beast of the field on your belly you will go and dust you will eat all the days of your life and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. To the woman he said I will greatly multiply your pain and childbirth and pain you will bring forth children yet your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you then to Adam he said because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you saying you shall not eat from it first is the ground because of you and toil you will eat of it all the days of your life both thorns and thistles which I'll grow for you and you will eat the plants of the field by the sweat of your face you will eat bread till you return to the ground because from that you were taken for your dust and to dust you will return now the man called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed him far as the curse is found where we start this morning and there's two points with little sub points underneath each one the first one is this the the cause of the curse and I'll start by asking you the question what is the cause of the curse why why the curse sin is the answer isn't it that's exactly right in fact there are two sins I want us to consider this morning from this text the first one is the rebellion of Adam and Eve the text tells us we didn't read this but in verse six it tells us that having been deceived Eve looked at the fruit it says in verse six when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was desirable to make one wise she took from its fruit and ate and she gave also to her husband with her and he ate I want to point out a few things about this the first one is this is this is rebellion it's it's sin it's the cause of the curse it's not so much that they ate fruit it's that they ate the forbidden fruit and it's not so much eating forbidden fruit it's it's rebellion against God it's God who said you shall not eat from it and gave the warning and the day you eat of it you will surely die the the next thing I want to point out is that that we find justification in this verse of why she could eat of it it tells us very clearly it was it was good for food it was it was desirable it it was aesthetically pleasing it was pleasing to be eye and and it was a desire that you know the desire to be wise but those are good things and also there is a stimulating circumstances after all the the devil himself is tempting and deceiving she didn't know we may try to justify our sin but it's unjustifiable right it's sin and the curse of God came as a result of the sin think about that is there a sin you're entertaining you know the justification for it you may have three there must be there may be some aesthetic value in it some desire to be wise or to get things done or to do God's will or who knows what you have your justification why you're angry or why you're going to buy something you know you shouldn't buy or why you're going to view something you know you shouldn't view or why you're going to twist the truth so that things work out there is a justification but you need to know before God with with the devil tempting you sin this sin and it brings a curse it makes me one more thing I want to say about this it's quote from color I've given it to you before and I'll just give it to you again he says you don't do sin sin does you and we see that doesn't it don't we in this text you know it's and this is the way it happens in our lives we have the justifications for why we are going to say or think or do what we are going to say or think or do and we see the benefits the aesthetic quality the desire to be wise the goodness of the fruit whatever it is and we we see the benefit and we go for it but we don't realize that when we do that it does us in a very real sense Eve and Adam are victimized by their sin before the fall they were naked and the text tells us not ashamed they were naked they were transparent with one another they were vulnerable to one another they were known by one another and there was no shame but when they said they know they are naked and all of a sudden it's all together different they are vulnerable to exploitation they are taken advantage of they are fearful and they want to run and hide that which was a blessing to them has now been cursed and they didn't do the sin the sin did them another way of putting it is this sin always has it's unintended consequences always has it's unintended consequences they didn't mean to be afraid they didn't mean to be estranged from one another they didn't mean to be afraid of God and estranged from him they didn't mean for their first time to kill their next son they they were deceived they repelled of their own free will and they found that there were unintended consequences to their sin
second sin in this text is the sin of the devil the sin of tempting another of deceiving of causing another to stumble and there's an important thing we need to know about that that there are some sins in themselves that are more heinous in the sight of God than others there are some sins that offend God to a greater extent a greater amount and the sin of deception the sin of causing another to stumble is one such sin Jesus will talk about this in Matthew's gospel chapter 18 there's a excuse me a discussion among the disciples and they asked Jesus who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and perhaps you remember the story Jesus caused a child into their midst it tells them unless you're converted and become like a child you you cannot see the kingdom of God verse five of Matthew 18 he says whoever receives one such child in my name receives me listen to verse six but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble it would be better for him to have a heavy mill stung kind around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea the consequences the causing another to stumble and that does take us to the extent of the curse there is the cause of the sin we saw that it is sin it is rebellion it's unexcuseable it's unjustifiable it's sometimes more or less worse but and it does us in but there is the extent to this curse this is I found fascinating in my studies follow you want to have your notes handy so you can look at the text as we look at it there is the curse that is pronounced on the devil in verse 14 it says because you have done this deceived and tempted he cursed or you the Lord says and that makes sense doesn't it's the more heinous sin and God starts by cursing Satan himself and says cursed are you in fact it makes sense that the next one would be more cursed are you more heinous sin to cause someone to stumble one of these little ones who believes in our Lord what confuses me is what follows cursed are you more than the beast of the field more than all the cattle more than every beast of the field what is up with that why why are they caught up in the curse you know if we look at it God speaks to Satan and he curses him very clearly cursed are you more than the cattle then he speaks to Eve verse 16 no mention of curse I think that's significant and then he speaks to Adam and again there's a curse but listen to how it reads look you can see for yourself in verse 17 Adam to Adam he said because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you saying you shall not eat look what it says cursed is the ground because of you what's up with that if that gets your curiosity going I want to encourage you to study it out and study it carefully and if you come up with some good answers I want you to share them with me because I don't have it all the way figured out here some some ideas of what's going on there but but I don't I don't get it all together but the scriptures teach that and it's very clear cursed are you Satan more than Adam cursed is the ground because of you and the scriptures speak of it we could look it's very interesting by the way to see how God cursed the ground when he flooded the earth and how he makes covenant not only with Noah and his family and his descendants but with the beast of the field it tells us in Romans chapter 8 verses 20 and verse 20 and verse 22 for the creation was subject to futility not willingly but because of him who subjected it for we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now isn't that interesting language subjected to a curse suffers the pains of childbirth together until now second Peter chapter 3 verses 10 through 12 but the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away and with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be burned up now it's clear from the text that humanity has caught up in the curse as well but the but the language is interesting is it not cursed are you more than the animals cursed is the ground because of you but there's punishment to Eve isn't there huh you will have pain and childbirth and your desire will be for your husband and he'll rule over you and there's certainly frustration in the you know the aspects of the curse on Adam by the sweat of your brow by the sweat of your face the thorns in and thistles the ground will grow it's going to be hard work but the words cursed I think maybe the reason has to do or the answer has to has to do with verse 15 this is where God is still speaking to the serpent to Satan and having cursed him more than everything else he says in verse 15 and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the field interesting isn't it think about the serpent for a second the seed of the serpent the seed of the serpent is to be crushed its head is to be crushed who is the seed of the serpent maybe who are the seed of the serpent let me just read some verses for you I think it'll answer that question it's important to think of seed of the serpent the seed the descendants those who who come from the serpent if you will Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 and 3 you hear these often quoted but they fit so well to this text and you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formally walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air of the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we too all were formally lived in the lust of our flesh indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind and whereby nature children of wrath stretches out further but let me just give you kind of as the extent of the curse as far as it found as found the seed of the serpent the children of wrath those who are led by the prince of the power of the air all of us who haven't been redeemed revelation chapter 20 verse 11 and following then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it from whose presence earth and heaven fled away and no place was found for them and I saw the dead the great and the small standing before the throne and the books were open and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged from the things that were written in the books according to their deeds and the sea gave up the dead which were in them and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them and they were judged every one of them according to their deeds then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire this is the second death the lake of fire and if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life he was thrown into the lake of fire the seed of the serpent the extent of the curse the seed of the woman what strange language the seed of the woman where in the Bible do other than here do we find such such language the seed is often translated descendants the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the descendants from them we understand that but but seed is referred to as coming from the man from you know from sperm to do with the seed of the woman I think I think the way we know the answer to that I know you know but I think it's just beautifully put in that other advent passage Luke chapter one now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the descendants of David the virgins name was Mary angel comes and greets her and such and when the message is given it's this and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you will name him Jesus he will be great and will be called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end Mary said to the angel how can this be since I am a virgin who answered and said to her Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you and for that reason the holy child shall be called the son of God Isn't that beautiful it's the seed of the woman that is the Lord who has come once already and who will come again it's the seed of the woman who is the king who reigns who has defeated the works of the devil at the cross where he rendered them powerless it's the seed of the woman who is prophesied out in Genesis and who the angel Gabriel comes to speak to Mary about it's the seed of the woman who is the seed of the virgin Mary that great sermon Fred preaching let's out for joy the curse that we deserve fell on him though and he was bruised for us Galatians 313 tells us Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree and there he was naked exposed condemned rejected crucify and the extent of the curse for the seed of the woman fell at Calvary
Galatians 314 and ordered that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentile so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith so let's talk about the blessings for a moment shall you know it started with blessings when God created them in chapter 1 he blessed them and he spoke to them and he told them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth in rule and we know about Lord Jesus the text that will be up there it's kind of long but follow along with it and see if you can't count out the blessings in fact I'm not going to read it word for word I'm just going to hit some of the blessings from Ephesians chapter 3 and following we are told in verse 3 that in Christ Jesus God has blessed us with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places right we're blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ verse 4 we are blessed in that we would be holy and blameless before him in verse 7 that we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses in verse 9 that he has made known to us the mystery of his will according to his kind intention verse 11 that we have obtained an inheritance verse 13 that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who has given us a pledge of our inheritance which is in verse 14 every spiritual blessing given to us in Christ Jesus that's the already you are already blessed in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places he's already pronounced you holy and blameless it's in the book of life you've already been washed by his blood it's in the book of life you already have an inheritance he has already made known to the majesty and mystery of his will he has sealed you with this holy spirit it's done
praise the Lord revelation picks up and tells us even more you'll if you look at the outline on your paper you can maybe note some verses by each one of these I've done them in my notes I won't do them for you in this sermon but I'll read the text for you and you can see them starting with revelation 21 and verse 1 then I saw a new heaven and a new earth remember what's going to be destroyed with intensity I saw a new heaven and a new earth and the first heaven and the first earth passed away and there's no longer any sea then I and I saw the holy city new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God made ready as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying behold the tabernacle of God is among men and he will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be among them and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes there will no longer be any death there will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain the first things have passed away and he who sits on the throne said behold I am making all things new and he said right where these words are faithful true verse chapter 22 and verse 1 then he showed me a river of the water of life clear as crystal coming from the throne of God and of the lamb in the middle of its streets on either side of the river was the tree of life tree of life tree of life bearing 12 kinds of fruit yielding its fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations listen to this verse 3 there will no longer be any curse and the throne of God and of the lamb will be in it and his bondservants will serve him and they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads and there will no longer be any night and they will not have need of the light or of a lamp nor the light of the sun because the Lord God will illuminate them and they will reign for ever so they just make you tingle the reverse of the curse he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found
all those who are in Christ Jesus so application we saw last week we should sing and shout for joy we reminded you a couple of times that we should do that the verse tells us the application for this week doesn't it no more that sense and Sara's grow I want to read just a passage what a passage for you from Romans chapter 8 I read to you about the the curse on creation you remember from verse 20 and 22 I'm going to start at verse 18 and and just draw a few things about this no longer no more let sins and Sara's grow Paul says for I consider that the sufferings of this present time how did Fred say that last week something about the blues in the Christmas time joy in a broken and fallen world for I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that has to be revealed to us we've seen it we've we've looked at it for the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God for the creation was subject of futility not of its own will but because of him who subjected subjected it in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God for we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of child birth together until now and not only this but also we ourselves having the first fruit of the spirit even we ourselves grown within ourselves waiting eagerly for the adoption of sons the redemption of our body for in hope we have been saved but hope that a scene is not hope for why does one hope for what he already sees but if we hope for what we do not see with perseverance we wait eagerly for it in the same way the spirit also helps our weakness but we do not know how to pray and on the text we wait eagerly we hope we hope we we have this solid hope because it's based on the promises of God it's not wish it's it's the biblical notion of hope the promises of God have made it so we wait eagerly for it in the spirit helps I think there's a there's a clue there and then just just one more thing and I won't go back to the Ephesians one passage but but I have to comment on it over and over and over it said in him in Christ in the beloved how do you let sins and sorrow no more let sins and sorrows grow how do you stop what you look to Jesus in him is the blessing in him is the curse put away in him is their life that's why Paul when he gives that testimony of his life in Philippians three and he he lists out hey I was you know a certain born of Benjamin Hebrew of Hebrew circumcise on the eighth day of Pharisee very zealous according to law found blameless but whatsoever was gained to me those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ more than that I count all things to be lost and you have their surpassing value of knowing him and being found in him not having the righteousness of my own and on he goes no more let sins and sorrows grow or thorns and fests the ground put your faith in him and strive toward him and fight the good fight by focusing on him and accepting his righteousness with the only one living in you just do what he does faith and obedience because he's already lifted the curse it's already gone you've already been blessed we're just holding on waiting eagerly we praise you for the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ we marvel at your mercy we thank you to Jesus Christ our Lord