Grace at the Gate of Eden (Genesis 3:20–24)

All right, before I even say it, people who've heard me up here,

y'all know I'm petty and y'all know the expectations on the

level of energy and engagement before I even say it.

So we all on the same page. All right, All right, good

morning. Look at that.

Amen. Amen.

Well, hey, what up everybody? I am.

Will I have the privilege of being on the preaching team

Again, we're continue to trudge through Genesis.

We're on Genesis 3. We're actually wrapping up

Genesis 3 today. And again, I've said this

multiple times, I do love that how we're doing this, that we're

taking our time to go through it.

I do believe that Genesis is one of the most well known books.

It's the book that you know, everyone starts in January when

they're trying to read the Bible through the year.

It's the book that everybody typically, even if you're a

believer or not, can just know that that's the first book of

the Bible. But with that being said, I I

believe it's the most underappreciated book in the

Bible. So again, I'm pumped with taking

our time through this last week, Cole really sat in verse 315 and

we dove deeper into the prophecy that God kind of proclaimed.

And the week before that Cole again shout out to Cole.

We we learned the the consequences of sin coming into

the world. You know what what's happened to

the serpent, what happened to Adam and and what happens Eve in

the the punishments that were dealt out this week.

We're going to dive into the immediate reactions of Adam and

literally immediately after, like, wow, he he just got

chastised by God. And then even after being

chastised God or doing the chastising God still is, is

gracious and merciful. But before we we dive into all

that, I really want to kind of give you guys a, a play by play

of how this is going to go down. So we're going to go through the

word or we're going to read it the all the verses together.

We're going to then pray. We're then going to break it

down and kind of go verse by verse.

Here's a little spoiler. Every verse, everything we're

going to break down literally points back to Jesus and I'm

going to beat it over the head with y'all today.

So we're going to so be ready for that.

We're going to then do some, some heart evaluation and then

some reminders on where our hearts should be at.

Then I'm going to give you all some go dues because y'all know,

I like application and then we going to pray it out.

I'm I'm, I'm not going to lie to y'all today or, or try to kind

of sugarcoat it. I don't really have a, a cool

story. I don't have like that

illustration where I can give you a little piece of it at the

beginning, a little nitpit in the middle, and then somehow I

bring it all together and everybody has a ha moment.

I ain't got that today. I'll be real.

Like I honestly, all I got is exhaustion from a busy and

stressful couple of weeks. That's what I got today.

And that this text itself for me was such a beautiful reminder of

whom I hope and my salvation rest.

That's what I got for y'all today.

But we do have quite a bit to cover.

I already thank the roots people ahead of time.

So let let's stand who's who's able for the reading of God's

Word. The man called his wife Eve,

because she was the mother of all living.

And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of

skins and clothe them. Then the Lord God said, Behold,

the man has become like one of us, and knowing good and evil

now, lest he reaches out his hand, and take also of the tree

of life, and eat and live forever.

Therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden to

work the ground from which he was taken.

He drove out the man and at the east of the garden he placed the

cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard

the way to the tree of life. Heavenly Father, thank you so

much for your word. Thank you so much for your word.

Father this this message of how even after chastising you

restore this message. Even after dishing out the the

curse and punishment, you have a plan still for redemption.

Thank you for your mercy and your grace.

We we still need it today. Father, I said you give comfort

to those who need it. We ask for wisdom as we going

through this text. Convict those who need to be

convicted, encourage those who need to be encouraged, and draw

near to those who have drawn far from you.

Speak, Lord, Your servants are listening.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

All right, so like I told you, I ain't got nothing like cool.

So let's jump right in. Genesis 2320 the man called his

wife's name Eve because she was the mother of all living.

Y'all a lot just happened to that man, to Adam he just saw

for the first time in all creation.

This is literally the first time it happened according to

scripture where God just snapped like he he snapped on a snake

obviously for deceiving Eve. Then he saw Eve get chastised as

well. And don't worry God has

something left for Adam as well. Like he he just this just

happened after for the first time feeling shame and his

immediate reaction. His immediate reaction was to

name his wife Eve. Again, Adam just got scolded and

he learns the consequences of his actions.

For example, earlier Genesis, it says because you have listened

to the voice of your wife and you have eaten of the tree which

I have commanded you, you shall not eat of it.

Curse is a ground because of you.

He he even just learned how his job that he was given is now

going to be extremely difficult in pain.

You shall eat of it all the days of your life.

Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you

shall eat the plants of the field by the sweat of your face.

You shall eat bread again. Just got told light is going to

get real hard for you and and and then even even more he hears

how there will even be some friction between him and his

wife. You know the the woman he saw

and immediately wrote a poem bone of my bone, flesh of my

flesh. I shall call you woman love at

first sight. And God just told him, Oh no,

y'all, y'all going to have some issues because her desire shall

be for her husband, and he shall rule over you.

And then Adam was just sentenced to death.

To death till you return to the ground, for out of it you were

taken. For you are dust, and to dust

you shall return. Yeah, that's a lot to process

from the creator of everything. But his reaction, immediate

reaction after getting chastised and sentenced to death wasn't to

wallow, continue to argue his case or or place blame.

Not to ask why me, but to name his wife E In Hebrew, it's

pronounced hovah. That's why I spent the week

trying to figure out how to do it, by the way.

But hava means life or life giver, or to make alive.

Martin Luther highlights this by saying the name which Adam gave

his wife is the name of full joy and delight.

For what is better, more precious, more delightful than

life? For neither gold, nor gems, nor

glory of the whole world can be compared with the preciousness

of life. This Christ imitates in Matthew

625 and 1626. The thing is hence the the Jews

generally give their children names taken from roses, flowers,

jewels, etcetera. The name of Eve, however, was

not taken from the preciousness of anything worldly, but from a

life itself which in value exceeds all.

That was his reaction. But why?

Why would Adam react that way? Why?

Like what could even compelled him to do that?

What hope could he have after just been sentenced to death by

God? At this point, according to

scripture, to Eve hasn't even bore any children.

She hasn't done anything impactful at that time to

receive a name like Life Giver. So why?

It's because God said it and he believed it.

He said in verse 15, Cole again broke this down completely.

If you have time and you didn't have a chance to listen to it

last week, I, I strongly encourage you to do so.

Listen to the full, full breakdown again.

I'm just going to skim the surface, bro.

This is nothing compared to kind of how that went down last week.

But it says, I will put enmity between you and the woman and

between your offspring and her offspring.

He shall bruise your head or crush your head and you shall

just bruise his heel again. She hasn't even had offspring

yet. And we know now in 2026, again,

thanks to cold, that that is the foretelling of Jesus.

We have thousands of years of text recorded history affirming

the the life of Jesus. We have again, biblical

scholars, we have movies, we have TV shows, we have songs, we

have psalms. We have all the themes of

evidence that can give us hope in that.

We even have Romans 519 For as by the one man's disobedience

that many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the

many were made righteous. We have that.

We have scriptures, but Adam didn't.

But he does have the spoken word of the Lord and that was enough

for that faith in that word. It was also acknowledgement of

the important role his his wife plays in and being the the

mother of the offspring who is set to make right what Adam has

has broken. Another theologian, Kenneth

Matthew, says this assumes A progenous posterity, and it is a

tribute to Adam's faith in the prospect that God had revealed

Adam had learned, albeit through the most calamitous lesson, to

accept God's Word in faithful obedience.

Another implication of Adam's naming the woman is his exercise

of responsible headship because obviously lack responsibility at

the at the time of just not crushing the serpent, but before

and after the fall, the man is still exercising the same

prerogative of naming. In the former case, he, he is

her, he is her source of life. And naming her woman, he

acknowledges her companionship. But here he admits his

indebtedness to her or his life's future.

Great example of walking by faith and not by sight.

Amen. Let's try it again.

That's a great example of walking by faith and not by

sight. Amen.

OK, OK, act like y'all been here with me before.

So now I don't want to say this is a church.

Adam did not see Eve as Lesnar when he first laid eyes on her

and he called her woman. It was the first time he saw

something in all of creation that was similar to him and

equal. And he recognizes the importance

for all of humanity that God placed on her womb.

And he named her E mothers. You have been given a a gift to

bring life into the world and spiritual mothers, because

regardless if you have a biological child or not, you're

still a mother. They're called to be spiritual

mothers who may not have any biological children for whatever

reason. Jesus has saved you spiritual

mothers, so that you can speak spiritual life into the day.

Do not take either gifts for granted.

Happy Mother's Day, let's continue Genesis 321 and the

Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin and

clothe them. This is one of the earliest

examples of of God's grace. Grace is the undeserving gift

where that is freely given by God.

They just blatantly disobeyed God's word.

They literally broke his Shalom that he created and tainted all

of creation. These creatures made from dust.

And after he chastised them, after he reveals the

consequences of their actions, after he sentences them to

death, He lovingly, graciously clothed them and covered up

their shame. One commentary says the Lord

acts immediately on the behalf of the vulnerable couple by

providing adequate protection to cover their embarrassment, to

preserve them also in the new hostile environment to which

they will be banished, to covering them with adequate

garments to help them through their consequences that they

have. Matthew Henry also says, though

he corrects his disobedient children and put them under the

marks of his displeasure, yet he does not disinherit them, but

like a tender father, provides the herb of the field for their

food, and coats of skin for their clothing.

Gracious God, God showed him in Adam and Eve grace and how does

he do that? Previously in Genesis, whenever

it is said God made it was the creation of something new out of

nothing or something new from something IE Eve and bringing

again life into the world. But not this time, not this

time. Blood must immediately be

spilled for their actions. Earlier, Adam and Eve learned

the consequences of their actions and how it impacts the

world they live in their in their lives going forward.

But here they see that there's a cost for their sin.

There's a difference between a consequence and a cost.

God shared with them the consequences of what brokenness

would look like, but a debt still needs to be paid and God

pays the first ever cost for sin through the sacrifice of an

animal. To also cover up what has now

even been changed in Adam and Eve, God replaces their clothes

that they made with their hands from fig leaves and gives them

animal skin that he made. These these fig leaves that Adam

and and Eve made those clothes were to to hide them their shame

and then still be able to make themselves presentable to God.

To justify themselves in the presence, to be able to even

fight for their case as to why they broke his law.

But God still saw that as insufficient and a debt that has

not been paid. Matthew Henry says these coats

of skin had a significance. The beast whose skin they were

must be slain, slain before their eyes to show them what

death is, that they may see that themselves were were beasts,

mortal and dying. It is supposed that they were

slain, those animals not for food but for sacrifice, to

typify the great sacrifice which in the latter end of the world

should be covered once and for all.

Thus the first thing that died was a sacrifice.

So God takes their man made clothes that they use to cover

their shame and present themselves right before God pays

their debt that they owe because they sinned against God, and

then clothes them. So God traded their filthy rags,

their deeds, their good intentions, their shame, and

makes the first sacrifice to pay a debt of those actions instead

of smiting them right then and there and then close them with

garments. Be prepared.

So again, God pays the first debt of sin and does this again

with the final pay or satisfying of the debt of sin through

Jesus. And you all thank God for Jesus

because the fig clothes that we put on in 2026 are are nowhere

equivalent to the precious righteous robes that Jesus

sacrificed himself for us to have.

We got to be mindful of that. There is nothing we can do to

earn our salvation. There is nothing we can do to

make ourselves the right with God.

And if there was a way to do it, if there was a way it could be

done, we would not have a need for Jesus.

Your thick clothes cannot make you right in God's eyes.

Even in 2026, some modern day examples of a thick clothes.

Maybe I'm saved because I go to church, but maybe it's I'm saved

because I'm a good person. I'm saved because I tithe or no,

no, I'm I'm saved because I might sin, but I don't sin like

that. I'm saved because I'm not that

broken. Well, I'm saved because I I do

good things, etcetera, etcetera. But it's crazy because Isaiah 64

six says we have all become like one who is unclean and all of

our righteous deeds are like polluted garments.

If your answer and your security and your salvation has anything

to do with your actions or things that you have done and

not solely on what Jesus has done, you need to put those

thick clothes down and put on the righteous robe that Jesus

has waiting for you. 2nd Corinthians 521 tells us for our

sake He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we

might become a righteousness of God.

God made the first sacrifice for sin and the last sacrifice for

sin so that all may be saved in faith in Jesus Christ.

Amen. Let's keep going.

Genesis 322 through 23. Then the Lord God said, Behold

the man has become like one of us, and knowing good and evil

now, lest he reaches out his hand and take also the tree of

life and eat and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him

out of the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he

was taken. Now there is quite a bit of

debate in regards to the phrase one of us.

Some believe it is another reference of kind of call back

of Genesis 126 referring to the Trinity.

Let us make man in our image and some believe that is God talking

to the angels wherever you fall. I mean, I, I personally fall in

the, in the former camp, you know, Satan tempted them to, to

no good and evil to be like God rather than the angels.

And God is above and set apart from the angels.

Again, That's, that's just where I stand.

You know, I'm, I'm not going to like, say this determines your

salvation like a but that's, that's where I stand, though.

So be but anyway, because Adam and and Eve ate from the

forbidden tree, they are now from forbidden from eating the

tree of life due to now their divine sentencing.

A sentencing that was not merely for for punishment but to ensure

the fulfillment of the prophecy. If Adam and Eve became immortal

and they cannot die one, they would also live eternally broken

forever. Also with man being mortal and

the offspring that also allows the offspring of Eve who is

fully man and fully God that can live or did live a perfect life

to be the perfect sacrifice is now he's able to die because the

wages of sin is death and because he is fully God he

raised on the third day defeating sin, Satan and death.

Amen. I think we talking about Jesus.

He, he rose on the third day to defeat sin, Satan and death and

now we have salvation. Amen.

OK, say it like you mean it now. But again, Adam and Eve, they do

not know this. All they know is God is kicking

them out of the the only place they've really known.

And Adam is going to have to actually work to yield food from

the land and do all the work. And it's completely different

from the way he was able to just kind of harvest.

And even they are being removed from God's presence due to their

sin and the tree that they were originally permitted to eat,

they can no longer even look at. They also are now wearing

garments that will forever be reminders of where they should

be living if not for sin, reminders of separation from God

because of their sin, and reminder as to why their work is

hard, again because of their sin, and a reminder of their

brokenness because of their sin. But God.

But God, this action, this state of mind, likely for Adam and

Eve, truly reminds me of John 13, seven, when Jesus tells

Peter what I'm doing. You do not understand now, but

afterward you will understand. They have no idea what's going

on, they don't understand. But God I assure you in that

moment God is more grieved about kicking out Adam and Eve then

they are. He sees his children feeling

ashamed, probably freaking out and stressed out.

This is the same God who wept with Lazarus family about the

death of Lazarus, even knowing, even knowing he was going to

resurrect them. But he knows God knows this must

be done. This is the way it has to be in

order to redeem His creation, to restore Shalom, to fulfill the

prophecy. So though Adam and Eve may not

fully understand why God is doing this, they only see the

consequences of their actions. We know Romans 828 that for

those who love God all things work together for good.

For those who are called according to His purpose is

working together or their good. We know God is doing everything

for a much bigger purpose, but also church like Adam, even

after being clothed by God, he is still called to do work.

After we are clothed by God through Jesus, we are called to

go and make disciples. And yes, because of the fall,

the work is hard. It's only by God's grace we are

no longer naked and ashamed. So as we're doing our work,

making disciples, remember where we we came from, but God

remember who really made us righteous.

Amen. All right, let's continue 3/24

He drove off the man and at the east of the Garden of Eden, he

placed the cherubim and the flaming sword that turned every

way to guard the way to the sea of life.

So initially God, after cleansing out the garden of

Eden, God placed a cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the

way. Let's bro, we got to we got to

talk about this real quick. So let's let's really describe a

cherubim. It is not like the the, the

little naked, naked baby with the with the wings.

So it talks about an Ezekiel 1/5 to 14.

They had human likeness, but each had four faces, each of

them four wings. Their legs were straight and the

soles of their feet were like the sole of a cast foot.

I'm already freaked out personally but.

And they sparkled like burn burnished bronze under their

wings. On their four sides they had

human hands. Still creepy.

And As for the likeness of their face, each had a human face, a

lion face on the right side, an ox face on the left side, and

another face of an eagle such where their faces and their

wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings and

each had two had touched another while also covering 2 covering

their bodies. I'm not going over there if I

saw that personally, that's just me.

I look, maybe y'all build different.

That's kind of creepy. Again, this is not the the

little baby with the diaper and the little little little arrow

trying to make people fall in love.

This is literally a celestial warrior tasked with guarding the

garden and the the way to the tree of life.

I mean, even Tim, Tim Keller talks about this.

He says the only way to gain access now to God's garden is to

the into the tree of life is through the sword.

You must be put under the sword. God is a just God and sin must

be put under the sword. But God, because Jesus goes

under the sword for us, covers us with his robes, and with

those robes they're evidence of payment so we can enter God's

garden. So the question I have for

Frontier Church today is, are we living and resting in the robes

and covering of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ or are we still

trying to justify ourselves with clothes made from figs?

Do we have faith in the Word of God or are we hedging our bets

with the actions and the approval of man?

When we die, we are put before the righteous judge.

We're going to need proof of payment.

There is life in the covering of Jesus who gladly takes our

filthy rags and cleans us and make us white snow.

But there is a fiery sword for those who have their faith in

their cover in fig leaves. Let me remind everyone there is

no need to make a fig outfit. You don't have to do it.

Jesus robes is enough. Romans 5 tells us that we are

justified by our faith in Jesus and have peace in that.

It tells us that while we were still sinners, God shows his

love for us just like He did for Adam and Eve when he clothed

them. It also tells us again Romans

519 For as by one man's disobedience the many were made

sinners, so by one man's obedience the many will be made

righteous. Rest in the fact that Jesus has

done enough, that your faith in Jesus is enough and the only

requirement for salvation. With that being said, that does

not mean we say we have faith and go on living life as if that

we don't have to demonstrate our faith because faith without

works is dead. James 217 But when you truly

rest in the robe that Jesus covers you in, the Holy Spirit

changes your heart behind your works.

And you do things because you love him, not to earn his love.

You do things to be closer to Him, not to earn your way to

heaven. And you show his love to others

not to be seen as holy, or to be seen as righteous, or to be seen

as good, but to help bring people closer to him because

Jesus. Because of Jesus, we can boldly

approach the throne as heirs rather than castaways.

This can be summed up in our big idea.

God covered our shame and paid our debt through Jesus Christ so

we can enter His into His eternal Kingdom.

The work is done, the work is done.

He has given us a spirit to guide our actions, change our

hearts, convict us, encourage us, and ingrain the Word on our

hearts. Again, Keller says Jesus

objectively covers us so we can be saved.

The Holy Spirit subjectively sanctifies us to be more like

Jesus with than mine. Let me give you guys some some

applications this week and I promise I'm going to get out

your hair when it when it comes up.

Please take photos of it or notes and discuss these

applications in your CG this week kind of rather than

questions or, or your fighter group.

So first, pray. Pray.

Ask God to reveal some figs you are attempting to cover yourself

up with. Pray, and it's a hard prayer.

Pray. Be willing to also ask God to

help you accept what He's revealing to you.

Humble yourself. It was only one perfect person

to ever walk this earth. None of us is it.

So pray on that. Next read Romans 5.

It's not that long, I promise. And James 2 read, meditate,

discuss SCG Romans 5 is is a solid book to talk about our

assurance and in the magnitude of our faith.

And James 2 is a is a great reminder that faith isn't

passive. Faith isn't lazy, faith isn't

content. We are called to be the light of

the world, and that light comes from Jesus.

Amen. Not from us, not from us.

And then lastly, read John 316 at least three times when three

separate days this week and also read it out loud at CG.

Read at least three times on three separate days.

Some of us me can be procrastinators.

Cool, I'm just going to cram me to see and I read it 3 times.

Or heck, I I even read it 9 times in one day.

Let's let's get in the habit of reading and meditating on

scripture more than just before CG so you can have something to

say. More than just I know this is

where we're going to be at on Sunday.

Let me try to read ahead. Just make it more of a daily

practice. You can't have faith in

something you don't know about when you do.

That's how a lot of people's faith is shook and rocked by the

minor inconveniences that life will give you.

Don't forget this. This ground we work is cursed.

We do live in a broken world. Our faith need to be in Jesus,

in the word of God. Not in our opinions, not in our

politics, not in our friends children, not in your parents

because we're flawed to even grown children who have kids and

still have their parents. Not in your parents.

And you are not God to your children.

We're supposed to point our children to God never supposed

to be an example. Let's be an example.

We're all called to be spiritual parents and spiritual siblings.

That comes with expectations. We still are given a job and

call to work even after the fall.

Therefore, go and make disciples.

And if anyone here is not sure where their faith is, honestly

not sure if you even believe in this book or I don't even know

why you're here today. Or maybe you're here 'cause your

Mama dragged you. Or maybe you're here 'cause you

dragged your Mama to make it seem like you.

Good. I've been guilty of that before

in the past. And take them fig leaves off.

You don't need them. Still wear clothes though.

But no, if anybody is not sure man, there are.

There are pastors, elders, CG leaders and members of this

church that would love to pray with you, talk with you, and

walk through whatever season of life you're going.

No one's too far gone. There's no such thing as too

broken, because Jesus is also fully God.

Lay down your yoke, man. Pick up his.

Lay down your burden. Rest and your Savior.

And we thank him for His Amazing Grace.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you.

Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy.

Thank you for shielding us. Thank you for loving us.

Thank you for holding us. Thank you for caring for us.

Thank you, Thank you for your consequences.

Thank you for your discipline, because you only discipline your

your children and whom you love. Thank you for Jesus.

Father, as we go into this week, please ingrain these scriptures

on our hearts, please reveal the clothes we've made out of Fig,

and please direct us back to rest in your righteous roads.

We love you. Jesus name we pray, Amen.