Where Are You Adam?

Introduction:

1. Our study this morning takes us back to the beginning – to Genesis 3 [turn to in your bibles]
- This is the 4th question that we have studied in the series Questions that God Asks.
2. This actually the 1st question asked by God in the Bible – but definitely not the last.
- The context of the passage is right after Adam and Eve sinned and ate of the tree of Life
> the very thing (and ONLY restriction) that God had given them (chp. 2)
- Adam and Eve are ashamed of what they had done (guilt became very real to them)
[READ Genesis 3:1-13]
Input: At this point, what should they have done?
[ran TO God – instead they ran FROM God]
[Note: There are parenting (discipleship/counseling implications here – this is a good question to ask to help people (kids) think about the next they are faced with a temptation/decision]
Input: What specific steps did Adam and Eve take to deal with their sin?
• Cover up – they sought to cover themselves with fig leaves.
• Run from God – the hid in the bushes
• Excuses – they said they were ‘afraid’ (interesting how quickly fear enters into the picture – the wrong kind of fear]
• Blameshifted – Adam accused God – ‘the woman YOU GAVE ME . . . “
3. We pick up our study after they ran from God and hid in the bushes (not smart – make the point that sin is never LOGICAL – God, the Creator, would surely have the knowledge to know where they were – sin never makes sense!]

Example: Jonah tried to hide from God later in the Old Testament. We can never hide from the all-seeing eyes of God.
 Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.

1. Adam and Eve knew they were guilty. God has placed in every person the knowledge of right and wrong. No one had to tell them they had sinned. God did not have to tell them, they knew.
a. What is our attitude when we sin?
i. Do we hide from God
ii. Do we make excuses
iii. Do we even know we sin? Is our conscience biblically informed?

• This question has huge implications to our lives. Where Are YOU? Where is your relationship with God?
o Are you keeping short sin accounts with God?
o Are you handling sin with your friends and family?
o Do you admit when you are wrong or act like Adam?

• Adam and Eve find themselves in the bushes hiding from God. They know that there is something really wrong with their relationship with God, but do they know the far reaching implication of that sin? Do we know the far reaching implications of our sin?
• Do we really know where we stand with God? How would you describe your relationship with The Almighty? WHERE ARE YOU?
- Let’s think about this:
The Nature of God – desires to communicate with His creation
The Nature of Man – seeks to avoid communication
The Nature of the Question – what it makes us do/think

I. God Seeks to Communicate with His Creation

A. God sought out Adam and Eve.
- God was actually walking in the Garden (3:8) – as is usually the case, He initiates the development of the relationship with His creation – He-desires fellowship with us!
> It was God that took the initiative with Adam and Eve. God sought them out
> Adam actually heard his voice in the cool of the day . . . and he ran!
Input: Other examples in the Bible where God sought out mankind when man should have sought out the God of heaven?
 Jonah / children of Israel in the wilderness / the incarnation is evidence of God wanting to reach out to man / Jesus going to the house of Nicodemus
Input: What attributes of God does this truth (God seeking man) help us to focus on?
 His love / patience / mercy / grace (others)
B. God spoke to Adam
- Then in v. 9, the Lord God called to the Man (another evidence of God’s desire to communicate with His creation), and said unto him, “Where are you?” (3:9)
> Being the Creator, He doesn’t ask questions for information – nor does He try to find out something that He did not already know
- If we’re honest, the question God asks demonstrates that God reveals Himself to us – He is wanting us to think in His level?
• John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
- God has revealed Himself to us through His word – when He speaks – it is our responsibility to respond in a way that is pleasing to Him

II. Man Seeks to Avoid Communicating With God

A. The question makes us examine ourselves.
- obviously, the question revealed where Adam was and the problem that existed between him and His Creator
- the very nature of the question requires a Adam had to evaluate where he was in relationship to where he should have been!
- this running from God response NEVER works –it might buy you some time, but eventually, you’re going to have to face God and His questions about your life!
Input: What are some of the reason that we do not actively seek those we have sinned against? What are the reasons that we do not take the initiative to restore those relationships?
- as Adam stated, “I was afraid” [talk about the fear of man vs. fear of God]
- Christ tells us in Matthew 18 to go to our brother if we have sinned against him.
- That is not the easy thing to do sometimes – we always need God’s help when we are trying to do the RIGHT thing and our flesh is telling us to do the EASY thing!
B. The question reveals man’s guilt
1. Guilt makes you run and rationalize and justify your sin!
• Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
- When we feel guilty everything inside of us is telling us to remove ourselves from the situation and hide – cover it
- you can do this by excusing your behavior, blaming your conduct on someone else, or even RUNNING from the problem instead of communicating with God and the appropriate people!
- The Creator put within us a conscience that helps us to determine right and wrong – but since the curse of sin, we cannot trust that conscience
> instead, we need to keep our conscience biblically informed so that we can make wise choices
2. A guilty conscience can help us keep our relationship with God pure if we take care of the problem biblically.
- We need to let the Word of God CONTROL our conscience and allow TRUTH to help us make decisions
- People who we would view as “normal” people will do the wildest things when they think they are cornered, like hide in the trees from the God of the universe!
 Did Adam and Eve think that God would not see them?
 Did Jonah think God didn’t know where he was?
 Do you tend to block God out of your mind, life situation?
 Are you running now?
Point: A guilty conscience is a powerful thing – it’s given by God to help us please Him!

III. The Nature of the Question

A. You have to think and evaluate your situation.
- just like when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” or when God asked Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” or when Jesus asked the disciples, “Where is your faith?”
Point: Good questions make you think!
Quote: “Questions convict the conscience; accusations harden the heart.”
Input: Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Why or why not?

Input: What do you think was going through the minds of Adam and Eve when they sinned?
[various answers – but what Adam says reveals what was in his heart – “I was afraid”
> Do you think that God expected an answer from them?
> Does the response that Adam gave lead you to believe that he thought about what he was saying? Adam’s response was very foolish.
Input: What are some of the rationalizing thoughts that go through our minds when we sin?
[various answers]
- How do you and I sound when we are trying to explain why we sinned?
- When we sin against God there is no line of reasoning that can be use to make sound any better – we just keep digging the hole deeper and deeper.
Point: Questions make you think about why you do what you do.
B. The Question assumes a standard of right and wrong.
- the very nature of the question implies that Adam wasn’t where he was suppose to be
- it’s like when you’ve told your child to do something, and a few minutes later you hear a sound that does not sound like what he/she is suppose to be doing
- so you ask the question, “Son, what are you doing?” – implying that he is NOT doing what he is suppose to be doing
Input: Is truth Relative? Is there such thing as absolute truth?
[our culture would say NO – but Pastor Viars dealt with the answer to that question a few weeks ago in our worship series]
- to say there is no truth is to make a truth claim – (that there is no truth!)
- This is becoming more and more of an issue in our nation every day.
- People are “doing that which is right in their own eyes” and calling that “right for them.”
- There are example in the bible of destruction that came upon those type of people!
- You can’t do or live outside the boundaries established by the Creator and expect to face NO CONSEQUENCES!
- Each one of us has to decide whether we are going to take that authority seriously or not. Some have chosen to reject it all together.

IV. Apply This Question to Your Life!

- This is the hard part – the rubber does meet the road here.
- Since scripture is meant to change our lives and the “Things that were written in old times were written for our learning” then there are some truths that we need to come away with.
- Our lives should be different as a result of studying this passage.
- we are to be DOERS of the Word, not HEARERS only (James 1)
- God is not so much interested in where we have been.
> We can’t change the things In the past.
- God is much more interested in knowing where we are headed. So truly the question is “Where are you?”
- Let’s ask ourselves a few questions:
 How does your life stack up to the absolute truth of the scriptures?
 Where do you fall short?
 How should your life be different?
 What are you doing to change?
* Some areas to consider: Where are you in your. . . .
1. Marriage
2. Parenting
3. Relationship to your boss/fellow co-workers
4. Service to Christ in the church
5. Faithfulness to Church
6. Giving
7. Outreach
8. Reputation
9. Attitude
10. Personal Holiness

Questions God Asks That Deserve an Answer
Where are you? – Genesis 3:1-13

Introduction:

Input: At this point, what should they have done?

Input: What specific steps did Adam and Eve take to deal with their sin?

I. God Seeks to ______________ with His Creation
A. God ___________ _________ Adam and Eve.
Input: Other examples in the Bible where God sought out mankind when man should have sought out the God of heaven?

Input: What attributes of God does this truth (God seeking man) help us to focus on?

B. God _____________ to Adam

II. Man Seeks to ______________ Communicating With God
A. The question makes us ___________ ourselves.
Input: What are some of the reasons that we do not actively seek those we have sinned against? What are the reasons that we do not take the initiative to restore those relationships?

B. The question reveals man’s guilt
1. Guilt can make you ________ and ____________ and _____________ your sin!

2. A guilty conscience can help us keep our relationship with God _________ if we take care of the problem biblically.

III. The Nature of the Question
A. You have to __________ and ____________ your situation.
“Questions convict the conscience; accusations harden the heart.”
Input: Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Why or why not?

Input: What do you think was going through the minds of Adam and Eve when they sinned?

Input: What are some of the rationalizing thoughts that go through our minds when we sin?

B. The Question assumes a __________ of __________ and ___________.
Input: Is truth Relative? Is there such thing as absolute truth?

IV. Apply This Question to Your Life!
* Some areas to consider:

Questions God Asks That Deserve an Answer
Where are you? – Genesis 3:1-13

Introduction:
Input: At this point, what should they have done?
Input: What specific steps did Adam and Eve take to deal with their sin?
• Cover up
• Run from God
• Excuses
• Blameshifted
 Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good.
I. God Seeks to Communicate with His Creation
A. God sought out Adam and Eve.
Input: Other examples in the Bible where God sought out mankind when man should have sought out the God of heaven?
Input: What attributes of God does this truth (God seeking man) help us to focus on?
B. God spoke to Adam
• John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
II. Man Seeks to Avoid Communicating With God
A. The question makes us examine ourselves.
Input: What are some of the reasons that we do not actively seek those we have sinned against? What are the reasons that we do not take the initiative to restore those relationships?
B. The question reveals man’s guilt
1. Guilt can make you run and rationalize and justify your sin!
• Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2. A guilty conscience can help us keep our relationship with God pure if we take care of the problem biblically.
III. The Nature of the Question
A. You have to think and evaluate your situation.
“Questions convict the conscience; accusations harden the heart.”
Input: Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Why or why not?
Input: What do you think was going through the minds of Adam and Eve when they sinned?
Input: What are some of the rationalizing thoughts that go through our minds when we sin?
B. The Question assumes a standard of right and wrong.
Input: Is truth Relative? Is there such thing as absolute truth?

IV. Apply This Question to Your Life!
* Some areas to consider:
1. Marriage
2. Parenting
3. Relationship to your boss/fellow co-workers
4. Service to Christ in the church
5. Faithfulness to Church
6. Giving
7. Outreach
8. Reputation
9. Attitude
10. Personal Holiness