Go back with me to Genesis chapter
1. The story of Adam and Eve. Cain and Abel. It's the story
of mankind. The beginning of the human race. Mankind. It's our story. It's an ongoing story. What the
first man, woman, family experienced is our experience. It hasn't
changed. Nothing's changed. Six thousand
years later, it's the same. Our lives are the same. Happiness? Sadness. Goodness, innocence,
sin, evil, guilt, shame. Joy? Unspeakable joy. Sorrow? Unspeakable sorrow. Bliss? Paradise, life, tragedy,
trouble, death. Story of man. Genesis, the book
of Genesis means generation. It's the beginning, how God generated
life, created life. It begins with life, in the beginning
God created. He made all things that are living. Man became a living soul. Genesis. The very last words in the book
of Genesis end this what? A coffin in Egypt. Let's say it ends. It begins
so wonderfully, so marvelously, so joyfully that it ends tragically
in death. But the story of man doesn't
end in tragedy, but triumph. Let me sum it up
with a couple of verses, okay? Since by man came death, by man
came also the resurrection of the dead. In Adam all die. But in Christ, all made in heaven. It doesn't end, sadly, for those
in Christ. It doesn't end at all. And I'm
giving you way... I just told you the end of this
story. Here's the story. True story. I just want to tell this story. Genesis 1. The first man, Adam. Genesis 1, in the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth. I'm not going to argue. I'm not
going to try to answer the questions and the arguments and all the
things that man tries to pose as arguments, proofs. God doesn't prove himself. Though
the heavens declare his glory and the firmament showeth his
handiwork, man is without excuse. Everything clearly shows his
power and his Godhead. And man rejects Him, so God blinds
him, and he's blinded. So I'm not going to argue with
blind people. I'm not going to argue with deaf
people, dumb people, dead center. I'm not going to argue with dead
center. That's not what we're called to do. And how you know
God is, is God reveals Himself to you. You're not convinced
by me or any education or whatever. God is a person. And He must reveal Himself to
you. And once He does, you know. You know. In the beginning, God created.
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. These three
are one. One God. All one God. Okay? And they said, verse 26, God
said, let us make man in our image. after our likeness. Let us make man in our image. Okay? God made man. He didn't evolve from a monkey. He became one. The Colossians
1 says this. Now, here's the reason, here's
the purpose, here's the story, okay? In the beginning, God spoke. That's the word, Christ. Colossians
1 says this, in Colossians 1 verse 15, Christ is the image of the
invisible God. The firstborn of every creature. The first man, right? By Him,
by Jesus Christ, were all things created. What does that make
Him? God. Without controversy. By Him were all things created.
By Christ. The Lord that formed man in the
garden out of the dust. And the animals were made of
the dust. Who made those creatures? Jesus
Christ. I read to you, by Him were all
things created, they're in heaven, they're in earth, visible, invisible,
whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, Satan
is a created being. He has no authority, no power,
he owes his very existence to Jesus Christ. This is the one who has all power,
Jesus Christ. Though a man, He's God. All things
were created by Him and for Him. For Him. He's before all things,
by Him all things consist. He's the head of the body, the
church. He's the second Adam. I'm getting
way ahead of myself here. He's the second Adam. And his church is his bride,
like Eve. God created man, the first man. All came from Adam. But Christ
is the second man, the head of a different race. People aren't the children of
God, they're the sons of Adam. Understand? Adam is called the
son of God. God made him. Everyone else comes
from Adam. They're called the sons of Adam. Adam was created in the image
of God, but that image was lost in the fall. But the express
image of God came. The second Adam, who is Jesus
Christ, The first man is of the earth earthy, the second man
is the Lord from glory. The first man was made a living
soul, the second man a quickening spirit. A new generation, a new
people, a spiritual people in Christ. In Adam all died. Back
to the dust. In Christ, from his side. I'm really getting
ahead of myself now. is a new race of people, spiritual
people, that never ends. Eternal life. You can't lose
it. You have to kill Him in whom
we live for us to lose our life. So the first man was created,
Adam. He's a picture, a type of Christ.
Look at verse 27 of chapter 1. God created man in his image.
The image of God created he him. Male and female created he them. Male and female. Now this is
important. Go with me to, we have to look at chapter 2 first.
Chapter 2, verse 18. You have it? Chapter 2, verse
18. It's not good that man should
be alone. He was alone first. God created
man first. Adam. This is vital. He said, I will make and help
meet for him. Right? This woman is going to
be for him, for his glory, to serve him. This is vital. Are you with me? All right? And verse 19, out
of the ground, well, verse 21, the Lord God caused a deep sleep
to fall upon Adam. A deep sleep to fall upon Adam. And he slept, and he took one
of his ribs and closed up the flesh thereof. Now look at 1 Corinthians 11
with me. 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 3, I would
have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the
head of the woman is the man. Who said that? I said I wasn't going to argue
with these people. Modern effeminate Feminist, religious
women think Paul was just a bigoted bachelor and he hated women.
No, this is God speaking. And it all started in the garden,
okay, in God's purpose, God's will, God's mind. It's all the
purpose not to show the superiority of males over females or men
over women, but the superiority of Jesus Christ, heavenly preeminence,
that all things were created by him and for him and for his
glory. You understand? When men and
women fail, they're both just nothing but sinners. But this
is the order, this is the rule that God set forth for His glory,
Christ's glory, and for the good of the peace, the unity of man
and woman. Alright? The man was created
first and the woman before the man. It says, the man indeed
ought not to cover his head, for as much he is the image and
glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. The man
is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was
the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. Do
you see that? Is that what that said? That said, I'm not going to argue
with unbelieving, rebellious women. I'm talking to godly women,
believing women this morning, okay? And you see the wisdom
in all that. You see the purpose in all that.
You see the purpose in all things. Christ, His preeminent. Okay? So God created man for
His glory in His image. Christ is the firstborn, the
eternal Son. And His bride was later created
for Him. Christ was with the Father in
the beginning like Adam was with God before Eve ever existed. Ephesians 5. Now go over to Ephesians
5 with me. We're talking about marriage.
This is something that is important to every male and
female in this room. There are those that are married. There are those that would be
married. What's it all about? Well, it's all Christ and His
church. This is the purpose of it. And here's the order of it.
Man, woman. Man, the head, the woman. Ephesians
5, verse 22, For wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands,
as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and He is
the Savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
What follows that? A period. Right? There's no but after that. Is
there? No, there's not. He talks about
this is the order of things. Man or woman. If we reject God's purpose, if
we reject God's revealed will right here, if we reject God's
order and rule, If a man or a woman does not fulfill their role and
their place and their responsibilities as a wife, as a husband, there
will be confusion, there will be chaos, there will be division,
there will be separation, and it will end in divorce. You can
count on it. Is that not right? And many in
this room have painfully experienced that, painfully. Okay? That's what God's Word says.
Doesn't it? No argument. And it's good. It's
good. This is marriage, as we submit
to Christ. Husbands, verse 25. Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave
himself for it. Down in verse 30, it says, we
are members of his body. His flesh, His bones, are you
ready to look at verse 31? Every eye. For this cause shall
a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his
wife and those two shall be one flesh. That's Genesis 2 verse
24. What's this all about? Verse
32. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ
and the church. This is the way it is. This is
what God said. No question. No argument. No
ifs, ands, or buts about it. This is the way it is. And this
is all God's will, God's purpose, for God's glory, because of Christ,
God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our head. And we come from Him. Okay? Go back to the text. When
God created woman, He caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam,
and he slept and took one of his ribs, and out of his side
he made his bride. That's Christ crucified. Before
Genesis 3.15, right there is a picture of Christ crucified
in it. When Christ hung on the cross
and shed His blood for the remission of the sins of who? His bride,
His wife. He gave His life for His sheep,
His bride. He paid the redemption price
like Hosea did for Gomer for His bride, His forlorn bride. And when Christ hung on that
cross and He died and His blood was shed, a soldier came by,
remember? This had to be done according
to Scripture. Not only the prophet that said,
they shall look on Him whom they have pierced. The soldier took
a sword and pierced His side and out of His side came what?
Blood and water. Ladies, when you give birth,
What came out of your womb? Blood and water. What else? A baby. Life. What came out of Christ? Blood.
Water. Redemption. Justification. Sanctification. His bride came out His side. They are bone of His bone and
flesh of His flesh. Because Christ died, we live. Because we live, He lives, we
shall ever live with Him. I'm going to end it that way. So, our Lord Jesus Christ, the
second Adam, He slept. He slept this sleep of death
for us and out of His side we are taken. Now look at the first
marriage here. Look at verse 21 or 22. And the rib which the Lord God
had taken from man made he a woman and brought her to the man. God made this woman out of the
riven side of Adam and closed up the side thereof. Did Adam
keep a scar on his side? Maybe. I doubt it, but Christ
has scars, doesn't He? In His hands, His head, His feet,
and in His side. A reminder forever, eternal reminder
that we came from Him, that He died that we might live. We come
from Him. We owe our life to Him. But He
brought her to the man, didn't He? And presented her, this is
marriage. This is the first marriage ceremony. God did it. Christ. I believe Christ was the one
who officiated it. Marriage is of the Lord. Two people love each other. They're to be married. It's commitment. It's a ceremony. God did this.
Marriage is of the Lord. God sanctioned it. God ordered
it. Paul wrote of it. Many times in the Scripture. 1 Corinthians 7, he said, marriage
is honorable. He said, but in the Lord. We're to be married in the Lord. This was a man and a woman that
both knew the Lord. Right? We're not to be unequally
yoked to unbelievers. The first marriage, God performed
it, and they were two believers. And He blessed them. He hallowed
them. And here's the thing, people.
If this marriage, if two people are in the Lord, joined together
by the Lord, nobody's going to separate them. Nothing's going
to separate them. You understand? That's the only
union that will last. You're going to see here in a
moment, trouble? Oh, yeah. Trouble in paradise? Oh, yes.
Paul said that. You'll be married only in the
Lord, but you're going to have trouble. Why? You've got male
and female. After the fall is when the two,
male and female, became at odds. You know that? Not before. And they blamed this and blamed
each other, and they had the first argument after the father. First marriage, God performed
it. Picture of Christ and His bride,
you know it? And the Lord brought this woman
to the man. Didn't Christ say, all that the
Father giveth me shall what? Come unto me. Canticles, that
song of Solomon, verse 4, chapter 1, verse 4 says, The king, the
king hath brought me into his chambers. Psalm 45, the psalm of the king
says, the king's daughter shall be brought unto the king in arraignment
of needlework. We belong to Christ. If we're
his bride, God will bring us to him. And we're going to find
out we owe our life to him. And nothing and no one shall
separate us from him. Christ said, Not a bone of my
body will be broken. The Lord didn't break Adam's
rib. He removed it and made a woman with it. Closed up the side. And Adam said, This is bone of
my bone. That's the first time Adam spoke. The very first time
the man spoke was this. This is now bone of my bones,
flesh of my flesh. She shall be called. He named
her woman His name. John, are you listening? He gave
her His name because she came out of Him. And Jehovah Sidkenu,
out of whom we came, the Lord Jesus Christ, our righteousness,
named us Jehovah Sidkenu. And he said this, his words to
his bride, to his servants, his apostles, his bride, though men
they were his bride. He said, take, eat, this is my
body broken for you. You're bone of my bones and flesh
of my flesh. Take, eat, this is my blood that
was shed for you for the remission of sin. Who can separate her
from the love of God? Where is it? In Christ. If two
people are not in Christ, they can separate. They probably will. The only way your marriage will
last is if you're in Christ. And I want to say so much about
this. They were naked. They're not
ashamed. Those of you who got that outline from me, did you
look up Isaiah 54? You need to. It says, we will
not be ashamed. His bride is not going to be
ashamed. Why? Christ was stripped naked that we might be clothed
like those skins of the animal in there, that we might not be
ashamed. Alright, the first marriage was
in the Lord, two believers. I made it a rule years ago. My
father had this rule as a pastor for many years. I made a rule.
I will not marry two unbelievers. These are two who knew God, loved
God, and united by the Lord, in the Lord. Male and female,
man to head. You see that? Unbelievers don't
believe that. They believe it's a partnership. Man to head, the woman the servant. However, the man who knows Christ
and loves Christ, he will serve her as much or more than she'll
serve him. He'll love her. And she'll willingly
follow him. That's just the way it is. If
not in Christ, it won't be that way. All right. By love, he says,
serve one another. So Adam and Eve were married.
They were happy. They were ecstatic. Do you remember? I do. Although I fell asleep
on my honeymoon. But I do remember it. Don't get
married at five o'clock in the evening and drive five hours
to where you're... Don't do that, man. Don't do
it. I'm sorry, man. I'm still sorry about that. But they were married. They were
happy. Do you remember when you were
married? John and I, I know it was a hundred years ago. It was
the happiest day at that time. It was the happiest day of your
life, wasn't it? You were so ecstatic. You didn't need anything. What did Adam and Eve have? What
did they have? Not one material thing that man
thinks he needs to be happy. That marriages start out with.
Say, well, we've got to have a brand new house, got a brand
new car, got a brand new bus. They didn't have any of this
stuff. What did they have? Christ, in whom are all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. They were rich. And they loved
one another. That's all they needed. That's
all we need. Christ said to them, food and
rain, but be content. He's your husband. But do you remember when you
were first married? Nearly every one of these older couples, I
don't know where it starts, 68 and over. Do you remember you didn't have
much? You didn't need much. You didn't care. You didn't care
where you were living. You didn't care. You didn't care
what your car looked like. You didn't care what your house
looked like. You didn't care. Why? You were in love. You had to
marry one another. You were in love. That's what
love means. You can't live without this person.
You want to live with this person. Commitment. No love. No commitment,
no love. No love, no commitment, no marriage. Adam and Eve were so happy. They
were together. They were united in bliss. But something happened. And it ruined everything. It nearly destroyed them. It
did. It ruined Adam and Eve. And it nearly destroyed their
marriage. Sin. Why do we talk so much of sin?
Why is it that every time you come in here, we're going to
talk about sin? Because this is the problem. And this is why Christ came. Not to make you happy here on
earth, you know, and you have a good marriage and this and
that. No, no. He came to put away sin. And sin is the problem. And there's
only one remedy. Not fig leaves. Not marriage
counselors. Christ crucified. Sin. How did it happen? The woman. Right? Satan came to the woman. Look at chapter 3. Is this important? False religion is headed by women. The great whore, she's called. The serpent, verse 1, was more
subtle than any beast of the field. He said to the woman, where is Adam? Why is she talking
to Satan? What is she doing speaking to
Satan, usurping her husband? She has no business speaking. She's not permitted for her to
speak. but to be in Sabbath. Is that
not what 1 Corinthians 14 says? 1 Timothy, does it? To the woman. And she said, she
spoke on behalf of her husband. No, she didn't either. She spoke. And so much here we've looked
at many times. Satan first questioned God's
Word. Is that what he said? Did he
really say that? Did he mean it? That's not what
he meant. The woman took upon herself to speak and said in
verse 2, we, the woman's not to speak on behalf of her husband.
The man's ahead. We may eat of the fruit of the
trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree
which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall
not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. He
didn't say that. God didn't say it like that.
She changed it. She added words. It was her interpretation. No scriptures of any private
interpretation. And a woman is not supposed to
speak or preach or teach or use the authority of a man. The woman
was deceived. I'm quoting a scripture kid.
The woman was deceived. The man was not deceived. The
woman was deceived. This is what happens. This is
what happened. This is probably where touch
not, taste not, handle not come. God didn't say don't touch it.
She did. And then Satan just plain said,
you won't die. You'll have free will. You'll be like God. You can choose
what you want, who you want. You have free will. This is where
all the lies of Satan started. It started with a woman. There
was a woman. I was going to take you to 1
Timothy 2 where it plainly says a woman is not to teach, you
serve authority over a man, but you are commanded to be in silence
and she will learn anything. 1 Corinthians. Alright, Adam
was not deceived. Here is the title. Here is the
wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Adam was not deceived. He willingly, knowingly took
Of that fruit, the woman said, here, it's good, nothing happened
to me. Now he's brilliant. He named her. He named everything. He's brilliant.
He's an image of God. He has a mind and will. And he
saw, if I take of this, I know what God said. She's already taken of it. This is going to happen to her. She's going to die. If I take
this, I will die. Which will it be? Her or God? And He knowingly, willingly chose
that woman over God. Are you with me? That was not noble. That was
rebellion. But in Adam all died, not Eve. Adam, the seed of man. In Adam all died. He's the federal
head. By one man, though it was her
fault, one man, willingly, knowingly, not being deceived, willingly,
knowingly rejected God and said, I choose this woman over God. Sin over life. And in Adam all die. Free will? Uh-uh. Bound by sins. Guilt. Man hates God. Man won't choose good. He'll
only choose evil. God said that. Christ said that
in Genesis 6. The imagination of his heart
from his youth up is only evil continuum. Man died in Adam. All died. But now, that's a picture
in Romans 3. Talks so much about Adam, doesn't
it? The second Adam. The Lord from glory. Knowingly,
willingly, cheerfully, lovingly, left the Father to come to this
earth because of this worthless bribe. We were deceived. We were tempted. We are the weaker
vessel. We are the ones that Satan has
in captivity. But Christ came. Our great Husband
came willingly, knowingly, lovingly, To be rejected by God, to be
condemned by God, to be made sin for us, he who knew no sin. Why? That we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. 2nd Adam said, she's dead. If I don't partake with her,
she's going to die alone. She's going to be alone. She's
going to be cast out. I will remain with the Father.
And so he said, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book, John,
it is written of Him. Do you see why? It's man, man,
man. It's Him. The God-man. The second
man. Our second Adam. Our Lord from
below. Our Husband. This is all about
Him. Hmm. Adam's sin wasn't noble. It was rebellious. It was wicked.
It was awful. Christ's sin was wonderful. The great love were with him.
He loved him. Oh, what sin did to man. Oh,
what sin did to mankind. What sin did to... You want to
know what sin is and what God thinks of sin and what sin does?
The end of sin, look at Christ on the cross. You'll never see,
you'll never know sin until you see Christ being made sin on
the cross and what God says about sin. What sin did to God's Son. Adam and Eve, when sin happened,
and this happened, they turned against God. They ran from God. They turned against each other.
Sin. They turned against each other.
They'd never had an argument. They'd never had a falling out.
They'd never had trouble. They were united. They were one
in mind and heart and love with God. But when sin entered all
the trouble in their marriage, didn't it? And if this marriage, this first marriage,
would have ended in separation and divorce, wouldn't it? What
happened to save their marriage? Somebody tell me. What happened
to save their souls? The Lord preached the gospel
to them and the promise of the woman's seed. And they saw Him
kill an innocent lamb, a substitute that they might be clothed with
the skins of that animal and the blood shed. That's Christ
crucified. It saved their soul, but it also
saved their marriage. It's the only thing that will
save our souls and the only thing that will save our marriages.
They're both guilty of what? Everything. And so God showed
them all, you're both guilty, you're both sinners, you're both
rebels against me. But this is what I've done for
you. This is what I did for my son,
for you. Now, forgive one another. Love one another. Don't blame
the other one. You take the blame. Adam, he
said, that woman. No, Adam, you did this. Eve,
it's the serpent. No, Eve, you did this. And they both were guilty. But
God took this lamb. Eve saw it. Adam saw it. Innocent,
without spot, without blemish, which is Christ, the Son of God,
right before their eyes, Kathy. Eve loved that lamb. Harmless. Separate from sinners. Undefiled. And God slit his throat. He died. They didn't know what death was
to watch that lamb kick and quit breathing. Died blood everywhere. Gory, awful, awful sight. a living
creature, an innocent animal, die right before their eyes.
And God stripped the naked, stripped the covering off that lamb and
wrapped it around those two shivering, guilty, worthless sinners that
sinned against grace and mercy and love and wisdom, sinned against
the willful act. And God covered them in that
skin of that animal. And you know how you're covered
is the robe of Jesus Christ Christ. He was stripped on Calvary's
tree. His blood shed for the remission of your sin. Now, we're
guilty. And no marriage will last if
it's not in the Lord. And no marriage will last if
you both don't see your guilt in Christ's sacrifice. Husband, love your wife as Christ
loved the church and did what? Gave Himself for her. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your husband. It's the only thing. The only thing. Oh, so the man
and the woman, they were cast out of the promise of the paradise. But the Lord is merciful. The
Lord God is good. He does not retain His anger.
He sent them out with a promise, an exceeding precious promise. The first family, and this happened,
I'm reading between the lines, but it happened, they found some
land, a pretty little piece of land, going to build a house. You've got to have a place to
live, don't you? You've got to have shelter. He's going to build
a house. Oh, now everything's just fine.
Have you ever built a house? Have you ever done it with your
wife? Have you ever put wallpaper up
with your wife? You're going to have trouble.
Honestly. It's tough, isn't it, Stephen?
If a marriage survives that. It's not funny. Because it's
covetousness and self and pride and all that. That's the reason
for it all. Strife, arguing, self. Adam comes
in. I'm tired. Where's my supper?
I'm tired too. But I've been working all day.
Well, I have been too. Yeah, but it's your job. Where
does it say that? Where in this book does it say
that? That a woman's supposed to cook every meal and clean
all the clothes and do all the dishes. Where does it say that?
Somebody show me. Well, the man is supposed to cut the
grass, the woman is supposed to… Where does it say that? It
doesn't say that. It says, by love what? Serve one another. Christ came, He said, to serve
the whole time. He never let them serve Him.
He did all the serving. That's a man. That's a husband
who loved his wife. Wouldn't that make you want to
serve him? Sure did. Well, trouble in paradise and
now trouble in their first little house. And one day, they build
a home and one day Eve feels something. Adam, I just don't feel this
right now. I feel like I've got butterflies
in my belly. Something's wrong here. She gets
a little nauseous. I believe the
Lord Jesus Christ came. She doesn't know what's happening.
She's never seen this before. And I believe the Lord Jesus
Christ was right there with them. Showing Adam how to make a wheel,
how to make a fire. I know it was. Noah building
that ark. Christ was right there with them.
Yes, He was. He's the one who shut the door
and pitched it. Eve, you're going to have a child. Do you remember Melanie? Wesley? Abigail? You remember? Will you
ever forget that? Will you ever forget that? Happiest day of your life. Wasn't
it? Are you with me? He's the happiest
day of our lives. First, it was marriage. What marred it? Sin. Happy, sad. Joy, sorrow. A child, a boy,
a son. I've gotten a man. Oh, now our
lives, we've got hope for the future. Our dreams. This boy is going
to give us comfort. He's going to break. Your hope is not in that woman. Your hope is not in that house.
Your hope is not in that boy or that child. Your hope should
be in one place. Everything. Everyone else will
break your hearts. Christ is our only hope. This
is why we are to be married in Him. This is why we want our
children to know Him. Everything brings sorrow and
pain and suffering. As great as the joy is at the
beginning, in the end it ends with death. Right? Had another baby. Oh, this one's
going to be different. Oh, got another child. A boy,
Abel. Oh, now we've got two boys. It's
going to be live happily ever after. A fine family. The first
family. Man and wife and two boys. Well,
the two boys are out in the field. And it's over religion. It's over the truth. Wish I had
time to develop that, but you've heard it. Cain brought his works. Abel
brought the blood of the Lamb. Cain didn't like it. Cain hated
God. Adam and Eve saw that. He doesn't
like the truth. Abel did. Why? God chose him. God revealed to him. Gave him
fame. Cain rose up and killed his brother.
And Adam and Eve walked out in the field one day and saw their son. And there
can't possibly be a greater pain and see the death of your child.
And that's what we all got to look forward to if we don't go
first. Why? Sin. But it doesn't end like this. It doesn't end like this. And
this message is not going to end like this. Okay? Turn with
me now to 1 Corinthians 15. Okay? And I close. 1 Corinthians
15. Oh, my. How can you preach this
sweeping saga, 6,000 years of mankind, in 30 minutes? You can't
do that. 1 Corinthians 15. The story,
in Adam all died. I highly recommend suggests that
you read Ecclesiastes 7 and Job 1. Job said, naked I came out
of my mother's womb and naked I shall return. The Lord gave
and the Lord taketh away. It's going to happen. In a day
of prosperity, be joyful. But in a day of adversity, consider
that God puts one against the other to the end that you're
not going to find anything here. The whole book of Ecclesiastes
begins, vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities. You know what Abel's
name means? You know what Abel's name means? Vanity. You're not going to find hope.
You're not going to find happiness. You're not going to find anything
lasting joy in it because man is vanity. Man is born of woman
who is a few days and full of trouble. Vanity of vanity began,
and because the creature was wise, he ended it with vanity
of vanity. Here's the conclusion of the
matter. Fear God. Worship Him. Know Him. The story for all in Adam is
all in Adam die, but in Christ, all in Christ, all in Christ
be made alive. It ends gloriously. In fact,
it doesn't end at all. It goes on, world without end.
You want to live happily ever after? You want your marriage
to? You want your marriage to last
happily ever after? That when she dies, she hasn't
died. She's just asleep. And you're
going to sleep and you're going to be back together again. How? In Christ. No other way. This story of life in Christ
has no end, world without end. Look at 1 Corinthians 15. Oh
my, isn't this wonderful? 1 Corinthians 15 verse 54 says
this, When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and
this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought
to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin. The strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ, the second Adam. Do you remember when he was leaving
his apostles, his disciples, his bride? He's going away. He said, I go. What did he say
he was going to do? Do you remember the story, Adam?
He was going to build a little house for her and go, we're going
to be happy now. No, we're not. That house was going to fall
down. They no sooner built that house than he had to start fixing
the roof. And on and on it goes. He had children and all. Nope,
they won't laugh. That's not happiness. Christ
said in John 14, He said, I go to prepare a place for you. Our husband. I go to prepare
a place for you. And if I go, I'll come again
and receive you unto myself. That where I am, you may be also."
Where? A home forever with him, our
husband. And if our former wife knew the
Lord, she's going to be there too. If our former husband knew
the Lord, he's gonna be there too. And we're both gonna be
together. And nothing and no one shall
ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. Ever. And you talk about happily
ever after. Scripture says it's gonna be
joy that you can't even talk about. You say I'm gonna wipe
away all tears? Be no more sorrow? No more pain,
no more suffering, no more death. This is true. This is the story
of mankind. This is the story of Jesus Christ.
This is the story of God's people, our life in Christ. Okay. John, come lead us in.