- [00:00:00] I just looked up this morning the top 20 billionaires in the world, the richest people, and they all live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Just in Silicon Valley alone, there are around 56 billionaires with a combined net worth of $56 billion. Across the entire San Francisco Bay Area, there are almost 82 billionaires. Recently, one CEO made headlines demanding a $1 trillion pay package, aiming to become the first trillionaire in the world. I don’t know exactly where he lives, whether here or in another state. - [00:00:47] These billionaires didn\'t make their money easily. They were pioneering, innovative, and had terrific startup ideas, which made them rich and famous. I also looked into the philanthropic giving of the top 10 richest people in the Bay Area. They give only about 1.5% to a maximum of 2% of their wealth to any philanthropy. The reason they keep most of their money, I was told, is to invest in the next big startup idea that could change the world. But really, there seems to be little heart for those living in poverty or brokenness around them. - [00:01:30] The question is, why should they give more? They made this money, and it’s theirs to do what they want. Now, shifting the focus, we’ve been examining who God is from the Bible. We all know God’s attributes: He is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-wise), and sovereign—controlling all things that happen in the world and in our lives. Just knowing this is wonderful, but there is one thing that truly distinguishes God from powerful humans. - [00:02:21] God, despite being all-powerful and sovereign, chooses to step down and make a covenant with humanity. There was no need for God to do this, yet He chose to make an unbreakable promise. In a young adult small group discussion, someone described a covenant as “an unbreakable promise.” Before time began, in the covenant of redemption, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Trinity—had perfect community. They chose to make an unbreakable promise to create and restore humanity. - [00:03:52] We saw how Jesus Christ entered the world and used His blood to establish that covenant forever, so that we could have a relationship with God for eternity. Last week, we examined God’s first covenant with Adam and Eve, giving them a simple command: do not eat from the tree of knowledge. They failed, and the fall occurred. Today, we will look at a covenant God makes after the fall, called the covenant of grace. - [00:05:15] After humanity’s fall, God did not turn His back on us. Instead, He moved toward us because of His covenant of grace. Today’s message is a five-point sermon: God walks, God calls, God covenants, God covers, and God guards. - [00:06:01] First, God walks—He seeks us lovingly. In Genesis 3:8, it says, “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.” Despite mankind’s rebellion, God continues to pursue us, which is unusual in human relationships. Usually, when someone hurts us, we want to distance ourselves, but God actively seeks us. - [00:07:30] Man’s response is to hide from God, which is a default human response even today. Many people, especially in places like Silicon Valley, are uncomfortable with spirituality or religion and prefer to keep it at a distance. They want to live as if God does not see or know, but God still pursues us. - [00:09:21] Second, God calls us to judge justly. In verse 9, God asks Adam, “Where are you?” God calls twice, showing His desire for relationship. Adam replies, “I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.” Sin creates disconnection—between us and God, ourselves, and others—and breeds fear and shame. Adam’s response reveals the anguish of realizing his brokenness. - [00:10:48] This fear and shame manifest as a sense of lostness. People try to cover their shame with “fig leaves” — performance, achievements, relationships, or identities—thinking that once they get their lives together, they can approach God. But Genesis 3 says the opposite: God walks toward us first, not the other way around. - [00:11:59] When God questions Adam and Eve, both deflect blame: Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent. This is a classic pattern of avoiding responsibility, common to all humanity. Despite this, God remains gracious. He asks pointed questions to bring conviction and self-awareness, not just to punish but to restore. - [00:16:46] God’s judgment follows the order of the fall: first the serpent (Satan), then Eve, then Adam. God curses the serpent, saying it will crawl on its belly and eat dust all its life. This curse signifies enmity between Satan and humanity, a conflict that continues today. - [00:25:12] The “offspring” mentioned are not just Adam and Eve’s immediate children but ultimately refer to Christ, who will defeat Satan. This promise in Genesis 3:15 is known as the protoevangelion—the first gospel proclamation. - [00:29:21] God then addresses Eve, declaring that childbirth will be painful, and that her desire will be contrary to her husband, who will rule over her. This introduces pain and conflict into human relationships, especially marriage, as a consequence of the fall. - [00:32:26] To Adam, God says the ground is cursed because of him. Work, which was originally a blessing, will now be hard and painful. Adam will toil to produce food, and eventually, he will return to dust. Death enters humanity as the ultimate consequence. - [00:34:57] Despite the doom and gloom, the passage offers a beautiful promise: God declares enmity between the serpent and the woman’s offspring, promising that the offspring will bruise the serpent’s head while the serpent will bruise his heel. This promise points to Christ’s victory over Satan. - [00:36:22] This covenant of grace means God Himself will fix what humanity broke. Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection fulfill this covenant. Unlike religion or works-based systems, salvation is God’s initiative and gift. - [00:39:23] God then covers Adam and Eve with garments of animal skins, symbolizing atonement. This act shows God’s grace in covering their shame, rather than leaving them to hide behind fig leaves. It is a picture of substitutionary atonement—God providing a covering for sin through sacrifice. - [00:41:22] The concept of penal substitution is introduced, where Jesus fulfills the justice required by God’s law, taking on the punishment we deserve so we can be clothed in righteousness. - [00:42:49] Finally, God guards humanity by preventing access to the tree of life, to stop humanity from living forever in a fallen state. He places cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life. - [00:43:59] Adam names his wife Eve, meaning “mother of all living,” signifying faith in the covenant promise of restoration and life through Christ. - [00:46:03] Satan’s strategy against Jesus in the wilderness mirrors his temptation of Adam and Eve—offering lies about becoming like God. But Jesus resists, unlike Adam and Eve, and willingly exposes Himself to God’s wrath on the cross. - [00:46:49] When we put our faith in Jesus, we receive God’s presence through the Holy Spirit and can walk daily with God as Adam once did in Eden. This restored relationship is secured by Jesus’ covenantal blood and righteousness. - [00:48:14] In closing, redemption is God’s work, not ours. Genesis 3:15, the protoevangelion, assures us that we are not our own saviors. We should stop carrying burdens that Christ has already borne on the cross. Our culture pushes us to be better, do more, and try harder, but Jesus offers grace to do what we cannot. - [00:48:51] If you feel spiritually discouraged, remember God’s covenantal promise of grace is not based on your perfection or consistency. So come out of hiding, stop deflecting, and trust in our covenant-keeping God.