“Our World Belongs to God – THE FALL” by Mike C – March 8 2026

13. In the beginning of human history,

our first parents walked with God.

But rather than living by the Creator’s word of life,

they listened to the serpent’s lie

and fell into sin.

In their rebellion

they tried to be like God.

As sinners, Adam and Eve feared

the nearness of God

and hid.

Genesis 3:1-8

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

6 So 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 to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.         

GENESIS 3 IN THREE WORDS

FALLEN

ESTRANGED

LOST

Ephesians 4:18

18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

14. Fallen in that first sin,

we prove each day

that apart from grace

we are guilty sinners:

we fail to thank God,

we break God’s laws,

we ignore our tasks.

Looking for life without God,

we find death;

grasping for freedom outside the law,

we trap ourselves in Satan's snares;

pursuing pleasure,

we lose the gift of joy.

John 10:10

10  The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy…

15. When humans deface God’s image,

the whole world suffers:

we abuse the creation or idolize it;

we are estranged from our Creator,

from our neighbour,

from our true selves,

and from all that God has made.

Isaiah 59:1-2

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,

    or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

2 but your iniquities have made a separation

    between you and your God,

16. All spheres of life—

family and friendship,

work and worship,

school and state,

play and art—

bear the wounds of our rebellion.

Sin is present everywhere—

in pride of race,

arrogance of nations,

abuse of the weak and helpless,

disregard for water, air, and soil,

destruction of living creatures,

slavery, murder, terror, and war,

worship of false gods,

the mistreatment of our bodies,

and our frantic efforts to escape reality.

We become victims of our own sin.

17. In all our striving

to excuse or save ourselves,

we stand condemned

before the God of truth.

But our world,

broken and scarred,

still belongs to God,

who holds it together

and gives us hope.

Isaiah 57:16-19

16 I will not accuse them forever,

    nor will I always be angry,

for then they would faint away because of me—

    the very people I have created.

17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;

    I punished them, and hid my face in anger,

    yet they kept on in their wilful ways.

18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal them;

    I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners,

19     creating praise on their lips.

Peace, peace, to those far and near,”

    says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”