Find Genesis chapter three in your Bible. It should be very easy. It's way to the left. Genesis chapter three. We're going to do a two part series on these seven verses today and next week.

As you're finding that, though I wanted to, I need to do some pulpit work and some leadership work right now. I thought the Lord had given me a word this week about some special prayer that can happen at the end of our service. And that word was, I think God wants us to pray, especially for those who have this severe sense of betrayal. Something's happened to you in the past and it might be last week or it might be 10 years ago, but you felt stabbed in the back. You felt really betrayed by someone you love, someone close, maybe someone you work with.

Whatever it was, it wounded you and it wounded you in a way that when you think about it, you wince or you see these folks, you might avoid them in public or whatever. It still hurts and you know that it's still there. So this sense of betrayal, sometimes it connects with a spirit or stronghold of unforgiveness. And unforgiveness will destroy you faster than betrayal will. And so I think there's a word, and it might be for you, it might be for many.

I tested this word first. I said, lord, if you want me to share it, I'd like for you to show me. Last night I got a text out of the blue from a guy whose name I thought I recognized. Thought it was someone who had been in our church before. 12 years ago.

He was still in my phone. Out of the blue, I remembered when I saw his name, I was like, oh, isn't that that guy? He and his wife, they. Their feelings hurt somehow. Something was frustrating.

And they left our church. We didn't have a chance to reconcile. And so I wonder what he's going to text me. And here's what it said. I know that you're well studied and prepared for tomorrow morning.

I pray for your rest tonight. I pray that the Holy Spirit will use you and your words to guide others in his calling. I have no doubt that he'll do that through you. I love you, brother. Well, that sounds like a text I'd get from somebody that's inside here.

A small group leader or an elder or somebody close that's connected to our church. But this was someone who left our church, not on great terms. And he tells me he loves me. You know, that'd be a great text for some of you to send me every now and then, like on Saturday night, just saying.

So I said, hey, old friend, thanks for the encouragement. How are you and your family? And he says, hey, we found a church. We've been members there for four years. The Lord's moving in our lives in, quote, unbelievable ways.

We're doing this ministry and that ministry. All's well. Just wanted to say that I'm deeply indebted to Great Commission. That church was God's tool to call me to himself. And he goes, sorry for the random text.

I was like, your random text is God speaking to me. You were just on my mind. After I saw you at Huey's last Thursday. I missed him there. Didn't see him.

Saw everybody else in Olive Branch, just not him. He said, I hope you and yours are well. I love you, brother. More love, right? This is great.

I looked at Angie and I said, hey, why'd they leave now? My wife has the mind of an elephant. She forgets nothing, especially if I did it. And so I know she's gonna know. She goes, this blew my mind.

She goes, I can't remember. I said, me neither. It's been 12 years. Out of the blue, the Lord's working in this guy's life. And then he sent me one more text, and this is the one I want you to see.

He says, please give the elder board my best. I failed them in a time of frustration, but I'm where the Lord has called me to be, and it's all for his glory. Please tell them that I'm sorry and I beg their forgiveness. I love each and every one of them. I replied, oh, man, you have it.

You have our forgiveness. Now press on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here's what I'm going to tell you. Forgiveness feels better than bitterness.

And there's a word for you, and if that's for you, you've had this sense of betrayal and this anger and stuff on the inside. It's a stronghold, and the Lord wants to break it. Today, I told you, I tested that word twice. I tested it with that text message that came out of the blue, and I shared it with the first service. And up they came.

And, I mean, there were tears shed, there was freedom given. The Lord moved right here after the first service because of that word. And so I don't want you to miss it. That's you pray about that. Try to listen to this sermon.

We'll get to it in a minute. Alright, now, Genesis, chapter three. I'm going to read the first seven verses. Was it okay that I Shared that with you. It dug into my preaching time.

Do you want me to do the whole sermon anyway? That wasn't very convincing. You know, that was a rhetorical question. I'm just going to do it anyway.

Verse 1 of Genesis chapter 3. Now, the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, has God indeed said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, we may eat 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 it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Then the serpent said to the woman, you will not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. This is the word of the Lord.

Let's pray together. Father, we approach your word today with humble hearts than when we came in more humble hearts. We've sung your praises. We've heard about church planting work. We've been to the table.

We've remembered your sacrifice and the new covenant and all the promises you've made us. And Lord, we confess together that our hearts are ready. They're ready to hear your truth. They're ready for you to do your will in us, come what may, whatever it means. So here we are, Lord.

It's us. We're here for you in Jesus name. And a faith filled church said. All right, I want you to know. Do you know this text?

Is that the first time you've ever heard it? This scripture passage reports how sin entered the human race. It tells how naive innocence turned into conscious rebellion against God.

And I wonder, did you know that Genesis chapter three is the perfect test case for the topic of temptation in the Bible? And the reason it's the perfect test case is because temptation in Genesis 3 can't be blamed on heredity and it can't be blamed on environment. Because. Because Adam and Eve had no parents, so they had no bad genes passed down to them. And they were there in the paradise of God, his garden.

It was the perfect environment. And my friends, I want you to know that if mankind fails in this setting, there's no hope for any of the rest of us to remain faithful anywhere else. And I want you to know if this. Tell me if this is true or false. Temptation is something we all face.

True. No one's immune to it. That means you need this sermon. If we're honest, we've all fallen for it at some point. And it's been that way since the beginning in Genesis chapter three.

And I want you to know that these verses we read are not just for your historical knowledge. It's not just an historical account. Genesis 3 is a warning.

It reveals how temptation works. It reveals why temptation is so dangerous. Let me ask you a question. What makes both men and rivers crooked? The answer is the path of least resistance.

Rita Mae Brown a long time ago once joked, lead me not into temptation. I can find the way myself. And we don't need much help falling into sin, do we? But we do need help recognizing how temptation threatens us before it's too late. That's the title of my sermon, How Temptation Threatens Us.

And I'm going to answer that question with two answers from verses 1, 2, and 3. Really? We're going to back up just one verse before that. So if you're ready, say yes. I'm going to tell you today that temptation puts me at risk when.

Temptation puts me at risk when. Number one, I'm unprepared for it. Now. I started reading in Genesis 3:1. You need to know that Bible scholars came behind the Bible text much later and put in the chapter and verse divisions in your Bible.

When Moses was writing the Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, he didn't go chapter one, verse one. And whatever came out, he wrote a narrative. We put the chapter and verse divisions in and we divided Genesis 2:25 from Genesis 3:1 as if they're separate thoughts. But they're not. They're meant to be stacked on top of each other.

And I'm going to show you why. Let's read them first. Genesis 2:25. And they were both naked, and the man and his wife and were not ashamed. That's different than how we live.

Nakedness is shameful. And we cover ourselves up. Now, the serpent, verse one of chapter three. The very next verse. Now, the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made in your Bibles.

I want you to circle the word naked in Genesis 2:25 and draw an arrow to the word cunning. And in Genesis 3:1. These two verses are meant to be read together. And the word naked and the word cunning are key words. They're rival words.

They contend with each other. You're supposed to see them together.

God initially created Adam and Eve in a state of complete innocence. Do you believe this? They were naked and unashamed. In Genesis and in your Old Testament, the word naked is sometimes translated innocent, vulnerable, even oblivious to evil. Unaware.

And then one more time in Genesis, later in the book, we learn one more meaning. For the word naked. In Genesis, to be naked is to be undefended. In Genesis 42, Joseph, sold into slavery 13 years before by his brothers, is now vice president of the world, prime minister of Egypt, and the only one with food within 1,000 miles. His brothers and his dad are starving.

His dad sends his brothers to Egypt to beg for food. They stand before Egypt's prime minister. They don't know it's the brother they betrayed. Like any younger brother with power over their older brothers, he starts to mess with them.

He wants to see what they're made of. He wants to see what their angle is. So we read in Genesis 42, 8, 9. So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him. Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them.

And he said to them, you are spies. You come to see the nakedness of the land. You come to spy on us. Your motives are not pure. You're here pretending to be hungry, but really you're just scoping out.

You're scouting the weaknesses of our defenses. You want to see the nakedness of our land. You want to see where we're undefended. That word is important in understanding Genesis chapter three.

First, we need to learn about the word cunning. Now, the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made. In your Bible, the word cunning, depending on the English version sitting in your lap today or on your screen, it's going to be either cunning, shrewd, crafty, subtle. And it means being alert and aware. Have you ever seen a deer?

If you haven't, just drive 1 mile down, 302 right now, any time of the day. They're everywhere. They're a nuisance around here. The deer herd is overpopulated here. But if you watch deer, their head's on a swivel all the time.

They're just nervous and alert and aware. That's this word, cunning. You see, cunning in the book of Genesis means to know where the dangers are and know where the traps lay.

Now we put Those together. The humans were naked. They were undefended. They didn't know where the dangers lay. And the serpent was cunning, alert, aware, crafty, and subtle.

He was intent on exploiting them.

Sit with that for a second.

Because you're Eve in the story, you're Adam. I have another question. Additional question. Why did the tempter. You see, we Learned in Revelation 12 that the serpent in the garden was Satan.

He's called the serpent of old, the tempter. Why did the tempter appear in the form of a serpent? You know what the answer is? It's to show us that temptation often comes in disguise. See, your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

But he doesn't look like a lion when he does it. He disguises himself. Paul wrote that he masquerades as an angel of light. If he was just explicit and out front and showed you the evil, showed you that the bridge was out ahead of time, you would avoid it. But if he slithers like a snake in the grass, if he disguises himself, you'll be more vulnerable.

Remember, temptation puts me at risk when I'm unprepared for it. It seemed innocent enough because this temptation came from a subordinate creature. Isn't it true that God had given Adam and Eve dominion over the animal kingdom? Not only did they rule over them, he named them complete authority over all the animals. This is someone under whom Adam has authority.

Over whom Adam has authority. The humans were given dominion over the animal kingdom. How then could one they rule over be a threat to them? They're higher up. Do you see how it comes in disguise?

I want you to think of a snake in the grass. Raise your hand if you don't like snakes. Wow. Raise your hand if you like snakes. You are the ones who need to come for prayer after the service.

All right? No, not really. I've actually got a. I have a newfound respect for serpents and snakes because of a group I'm on on Facebook that's taught me a lot about them. But I have a friend named Eric, and Eric and I played football and basketball together in junior high and into high school.

And Eric just has a black and white view on life. And Eric is deathly afraid of snakes, and he thinks they're all dangerous. And one day he told me, trevor, you know, there's only two kinds of snakes in the world. I said, oh, really? Tell me more.

And he said, yeah, there's two kinds of snakes. There's rattlesnakes and there's water moccasins. And I was like, well, I know there's more than that. He goes, no, no, there's only rattlesnakes, water moccasins. I said, well, how can you tell the difference?

He says, it's so easy if they're on the dry ground. Rattlesnake in the water. Water moccasin. That's it. They're all bad.

That joke was so much funnier 12 years ago when I told it to you the first time. Now listen. Because Eve was carefree, because she wasn't alert, if she lived in our days, because her head was stuck in her phone, the serpent easily disarmed her. And he did so by distorting her perspective of God. In his excellent commentary on Genesis, noted Bible scholar Bruce Waltke wrote, with subtle guise.

The adversary speaks as a winsome angelic theologian. Everybody, look at me. The devil knows your Bible better than you know it.

And if he knows it better than you know it, he can twist it, send you on the wrong path away from God. All the while, you're thinking you're doing your religious duty. Eve was not expecting an enemy. She didn't recognize the threat. And.

And that's why temptation is so dangerous, brothers and sisters. It catches us off guard when we're not prepared. It sneaks in when we least expect it. Temptation puts me at risk when I'm unprepared for it. That's number one.

Here's number two. Temptation puts me at risk when I listen to others judge God's commands. I just want to tell you now, before I preach this point, your closest counselors need to have a high view of Scripture.

The people that you trust the most and influence you the most need to exalt God's name and God's word. When they don't, look at what God has said as something that they can change, something they can twist, something they can get to later. High view of God's word.

Here's Genesis 3, verse 1, second part. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? That looks innocent enough? Let me ask you this question. Look at the verse on the page or on the screen.

Does Satan begin his tempting work by denying God's word outright? The answer is no. In fact, he doesn't even make an argument. Instead, he makes a suggestion. And he makes that suggestion in question form.

Did God really say that? Are you sure?

What was the purpose of that question, friends? It was to engage the woman in a discussion about the commandment, hey, can we talk about what God really said? Let's be sure.

And when he did that, it gave Eve two opportunities. The first opportunity it gave Eve was to justify herself. And the second opportunity it gave Eve was to decide whether she would defend God or not.

See, it's subtle but effective. The moment Eve starts questioning truth, she's already on dangerous ground. And look at how she responds in verses two and three. And the woman said to the serpent, we may eat 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 it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Told you a couple of weeks ago that discernment is not the ability to distinguish between right from wrong.

Discernment is the ability to distinguish between right, almost right. And in Genesis 2 and 3, when Eve responds to the serpent with what she thinks God has said, she was almost right. But she wasn't right. She got that from her husband. Because she wasn't even created yet.

When God gave the command in Genesis 2:16 and 17, it means that Adam passed it along to her in a sloppy way. Sloppy Bible teaching led to the first sin. That's why it matters. The kind of preaching you sit under.

Eve makes three significant changes to God's word in verses two and three. I'm going to give them to you and explain them and illustrate them so that we don't make these same mistakes. Are you ready? Couldn't hear you. The first change that Eve makes, she downplays God's generosity.

She says, we may eat of the fruit of the trees. But she leaves out God's original phrase, freely eat. Now God sounds less generous. We can eat when it was we can freely eat. This is the same sin as the complaining Israelites in the wilderness.

In numbers, chapter 11, verses 4 and following. They're out there in the desert. Listen. Every morning on the rocks and on the ground, this stuff forms, this white bread stuff. It's called manna.

Manna means what is it? What is it forms every morning they harvest it. It's good for the day. In the desert where there's no food and no water, God is just dropping bread from heaven, and none of them are starving to death, but they don't like the way it tastes and they want to go back to slavery. This is how sin is insane.

You can't explain it. It's not supposed to make sense. It's ridiculous. Now, the mixed multitude who were among them, the all the men and Women older and younger, and the children. Basically, that's what the mixed multitude means.

Who were among them yielded to intense craving. They're like, oh, I'm starving to death. So the children of Israel also wept again. Now they turn on the emotions and the waterworks start, and they're wanting to look sad. And they said, who will give us meat to eat?

We remember the fish, which we ate freely, Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic. And now our whole being is dried up. There's nothing at all except. By the way, that's an oxymoron. It cancels itself out.

Nothing at all except. Except cancels out the nothing at all. If it's nothing at all, there are no exceptions, right? There is nothing at all except this manna, this. What is it before our eyes?

Do you understand what's happening in this text? The Israelites diminished the blessing of God's miracle meal. Instead of recognizing that God freely gave them bread from heaven every day, they acted as if they were deprived. And they even said, we freely ate when we were slaves in Egypt. Does that sound right to you?

Slaves don't freely eat. Now God sounds less generous. Well, that's a Bible example. Can you give me an everyday example, Pastor? Thank you for asking.

Yes, I can take that everyday complaint that many of us would have when we're just talking to our best friends and going, hey, you know, just between you and me, just between you and me and the fence post. You know, this company doesn't pay me enough.

They don't value my effort and my expertise and my years of experience when they say that my company doesn't pay me enough. Often they forget the benefits package and the health insurance and the dental insurance and the paid time off or even the fact that they have a secure job when many others don't. And they look and they say, you know, in my life, God's less generous to me than he is to others. It's as old as Genesis 3. She downplays God's generosity.

Number two, she adds to God's prohibition.

She adds to God's Prohibition.

In verses 2 and 3, Eve claims that God said, you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it. But if you were to go back and look where God actually spoke these words in Genesis 2:16 and 17, probably one page over in your Bible. God never said they couldn't touch the tree. He said they just couldn't eat of its fruit. See, now God sounds harsher.

Now God sounds like a scolding second grade teacher. He's scolding McSkolderton. God, he's worse than you think he is. She adds to God's word something he never said.

Let me give you a Bible example of that. It just happens in the very next chapter. You're in Genesis chapter three. Tell me what the next chapter in your Bible is. Genesis, chapter four.

You guys are Bible geniuses. Genesis chapter four. There's a guy named Cain. He's Eve's oldest son. Older son Cain offers God token worship.

God doesn't accept his sacrifice. He accepts little brother Abel's though. And Cain.

You understand that? Look how sin devolves, how quickly it does. In chapter three, it's just eating forbidden fruit. And in chapter four, it's murdering a brother. It goes fast.

Cain kills his brother Abel, and God holds him accountable. And here's what God says in Genesis 4:10 and following. What have you done now? Did God know the answer to that question? Yes.

God can't learn. God was learning for Cain.

I'm holding you accountable. What did you do? What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth. Remember when I said that Eve makes God sound harsher? Look what Cain says. My punishment is greater than I can bear.

You know what he's doing? He's accusing God of evil. It's unequal weights and measures. Your punishment doesn't fit my crime. Wandering in the earth and being homeless and not having a place of my own and all of that, that's.

That's worse than me killing my brother. You see, you can't make sin make sense to people. It's irrational. God, your sentence is too harsh. One chapter later.

Let me give you an everyday example. This has got to rise out of the first service, the worldling. The one who's not in Christ but knows you. Here's what they think about God. They will tell you.

To live as a Christian means for me to give up pleasure. If I'm going to walk with God. That means no sex, no alcohol, no partying, no sleeping in on Sundays, no more gambling. It means that on one side. On the other side, it means if I follow God, I have to start enjoying things that I find boring and embarrassing.

See, God's simply no fun. He's Harsh. He says no to everything I want. Do you see how the lie of the enemy that got in in Genesis chapter three is still alive and well today? Now God sounds harsher.

She downplays God's generosity. She adds to God's prohibition. And number three, she weakens the consequences.

Eve weakens the consequences. This is all in what she said to the serpent. Remember, he knows his word of God.

She says, lest you die. But God said, you shall surely die. See now, now God sounds less resolute, like he's not as resolved to judge sin. He's less decisive about evil. Now she took, you shall surely die.

And she made it, lest you die. Now it sounds like you might die, or if you do that, you could die. When God says no, surely the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus Our Lord. Romans 6:23.

Let me give you a biblical example of this in Peter's second letter, chapter three, verses three and four. I'm going to read something to you, and it's going to be the Bible defining the worldview called uniformitarianism. Have you ever heard of uniformitarianism? Even if you hadn't heard the term, you've been indoctrinated with its teachings most of your life, especially if you went to a public school, no doubt about it, or a secular college. Everybody say, uniformitarianism, I'm going to drop some knowledge on you today.

Ready? Here's Second Peter, chapter three, verses three and four. Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming?

For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. All things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. How long ago did Jesus say, go make disciples of all the nations, and I'm going to come back. How long ago was that? A couple thousand years, right?

About 2000. About 20, 21 years. That's when he gave the Great Commission and he said, I'm going to be back in this generation, the generation of the last days. It's been 2000, 20 something years. Where is the promise of.

Of his coming? That's what the unbelievers say. These scoffers mock the idea of divine judgment and they argue that since it hasn't happened yet, it never will. This is the apostate worldview of uniformitarianism. Uniformitarianism states this, the present is the key to the past.

And it goes something like this. All the geological and natural processes that happen in the world today. They've been happening since the beginning of time. The present is the key to the past. It's all uniform.

Nothing's different, nothing's shaken the world. Nothing's ever happened geologically or scientifically that changed anything. Or as Peter wrote, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation from the lips of the scoffers.

So the scientific processes and the way people understand truth continue as they were from the beginning of creation. Let me put it in modern language.

The scoffer will say to you, jesus will not hold us accountable. He's not serious about sin. Where is the promise of his coming?

This is weakening the consequences of God. In his definitive commentary on Genesis about creation, the late great brother Henry Morris wrote, it's always dangerous to alter God's word either by addition, as do the modern cultists, or by deletion, as do modern liberals. Let me explain that to you. Pseudo Christian cults today add to God's word and theological liberals today take away from it. The other day, last night I got on my computer and I brought up the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible.

Joseph Smith is the false prophet and charlatan that started the Mormon Church. And he also wrote and added to made his own Bible. And I brought up, because I remembered this, I brought up Genesis chapter 50. I put Genesis chapter 50 on one side of the screen of the Joseph Smith translation, and on the other side I just put like my new King James. Genesis chapter 50 in the Bible ends at verse 26.

Genesis chapter 50 in Joseph Smith's translation goes well into the 30s of the verses. And in verse 33, Joseph sneaks his own name into it. He says, there shall come a prophet from the loins of the Lord's prophet and his name shall be Joseph. Because if you want to start your own religion, make your own rules and have people follow you, you have to add to the scriptures to make it say things that it doesn't say and to do theological gymnastics to get around other things. See the cults.

And by the way, the largest cult in the world is the Roman Catholic Church. And the reason that that's a threat is because the enemy often will case a lie with a threat of the truth around it. And so at the end of the first service, when I mentioned that the Roman Catholic Church is a cult, it adds to scripture, it has apocryphal books and makes up, makes up ceremonies and things about the Pope and others, just not in the Bible. Had people come forward, they wanted to talk to me about that. And this lady says, I've been Catholic all my life.

She said, but when I came here and I began to hear the Gospel, I'm getting away from it. And you said that today, so tell me more. I was like, hey, we baptized so many Catholics. Now they're believers and we can help you. You're not alone.

She said, I knew something didn't feel right. And then I said to her, but I want you to know that Roman Catholics are not our enemies. They're our mission field. And look, her husband and she had. They went to small group last week and they heard about.

We're praying for our ones, right? We're praying for the ones that we're the 99. And Jesus leaves the 99 to go after the ones to evangelize. Her husband says, oh, I'm so glad to hear you say that. Now that means all of our Catholic friends are our ones.

Yeah, you're getting it. That was a glorious prayer time. All right, listen to me. The consequences of changing God's word are two. Number one, if you add to it, it's reproof.

If you take away from it, it's death reproof. In Proverbs 36, do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. If you add to God's word, you're going to be reproved and rebuked, and you'll be exposed. What if you take away from it? Revelation 22:19.

If anyone takes away from the words of this book, of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city, from the things that are written in this book. Here's what's interesting to me. The penalty for adding to God's word is to be rebuked. And the penalty for taking away from it is death. And Eve did both.

Not only that, Eve is already slipping. Satan didn't have to twist God's word for her. He does that next week's sermon. She does it all herself. And now you know that these theological problems and these cult groups and all of that, it's not anything new.

It started back in the garden at the first temptation.

Let me illustrate it this way. Have you ever heard anybody say, well, when you're talking about spiritual truth, that's just your interpretation. Raise your hand if you've heard somebody say that. Just your interpretation. That's the same thing as did God really say?

Let me explain this to you. If you've ever had somebody say, that's just Your interpretation when you share biblical truth with them. That's the same text tactic Satan used in the garden. It's a passive aggressive attack on logic and reason. And it all too often leaves Christians wondering, well, what in the world do I say now?

We're a whole lot more like Eve than we want to tell ourselves. Well, if someone says to you about some truth you believe from the scriptures and in your life about God, that's just your interpretation. Here's what you say. You ready? First you just gently ask, do you mean that your interpretation should be preferred over mine?

If so, I would like to know why you chose your interpretation. Because I know you and you must have a good reason.

I learned this tool from a Christian apologist, somebody who defends the faith. He's alive now, still writing books. His name is Paul Copan. He's an esteemed Christian defender of the faith. He tells how when he was learning all these things when he was in college, on Fridays, he would regularly visit the Muslim mosque in his town to learn more about Islam and to make friends with those of another religion.

This was his practice. One Friday, a Muslim man named Shabazz said to Paul Copan, hey, you know what you Christians believe about Jesus being the only way? That's just your interpretation. Now, in Islam, there's a man named Jesus and they think highly of him. They just say he's a prophet, but not a prophet like Muhammad, and he's certainly not like the son of God.

Copan opens his Bible when Shabazz says, that's just your interpretation. And he opens it to Acts chapter four. Acts chapter four is the aftermath of a healing done by the apostles Peter and John in Acts chapter three. And it was a great miracle. And so they are now have the opportunity to the unbelieving to preach the gospel to them.

That's Acts chapter four. And then he opens it to Acts chapter four. And he shows Shabazz Muslims have great respect for the Scriptures. And he says, would you read to me verse 12 of Acts chapter 4? Here's verse 12 of Acts chapter 4.

There's no other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved. And Copan says, Shabazz, Acts chapter 4, the name given to men by which we must be saved. If you just read three and four, you know that's the name Jesus of Nazareth. And then Paul Copan politely said, I understand this verse to mean that Jesus is the only one by whom we must be saved. How do you understand it?

And then he said he took a drink of his coffee. And he waited.

And there was awkward silence. And then Shabazz began to squirm. And then he just got up and left and didn't say a word. You see, it's my experience that those who say, that's just your interpretation. The ones who they don't know, they're hearing a dark voice say to them, did God really say that?

They haven't thought through their own position, and consequently they won't be able to offer valid reasons for their viewpoint. The goal is to make us second guess God's commands, to create confusion and doubt. It's what Satan whispers in Genesis 3. Satan whispers, are you sure that's what God meant?

And then he whispers, maybe there's another way to think about this. I know that throughout all of Christian history, the church has been clear on this doctrine, but we've discovered something new.

And he also whispers, well, that's just your perspective. Other people interpret it differently. You see, if the enemy can get us to debate God's truth instead of obeying God's truth, he's already won half the battle. And this early on in Christian history, creation history, in Genesis 3, Eve simply didn't have the tools in her tool belt to do Christian apologetic. She wasn't ready yet to give sound answers when her beliefs were challenged.

And that's where our sermon ends today. Temptation doesn't always appear as obvious evil. It often disguises itself. And it catches us off guard. And it starts by distorting God's word, making him seem less generous, making him seem more restrictive, making him seem less serious about sin.

And once we begin questioning God's commands instead of trusting God's commands, we're already on thin ice. And that's why, my brothers and my sisters, we must recognize temptation for what it is. It is an attack on truth. An attack on truth that is designed to separate us from God. And the moment we let doubt take root, we started down the same road Eve walked.

But there's good news. And I'm not going to tell you the good news until next week. We don't have to fall for it. Next week, we'll learn how to overcome temptation before it overcomes us. Do you receive this word today?

Let's bow for prayer then. Lord, it is with great thankfulness in my heart that you allowed our church to see this truth today, to pray for one another. And the work that you're doing in hearts is just. I can't get enough of it. Lord, we pray for more.

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Come and join us this Sunday at the Great Commission Church for a truly remarkable and uplifting experience. Great Commission Church is not just any ordinary place of worship; it's a vibrant community where faith comes alive, hearts are filled with love, and lives are transformed. Our doors are wide open, ready to welcome you into the warm embrace of our congregation, where you'll discover the true essence of fellowship and spirituality. At Great Commission Church, we are more than just a congregation; we are a family united by a common mission – to follow the teachings of Christ and spread His love to the world. As you step inside Great Commission Church, you'll find a sanctuary that nurtures your faith and encourages you to be part of something greater than yourself.

We believe in the power of coming together as a community to worship, learn, and serve. Whether you're a long-time believer or just starting your spiritual journey, Great Commission Church welcomes people from all walks of life. Our vibrant services are filled with inspiring messages, beautiful music, and heartfelt prayers that will uplift your soul. Every Sunday at Great Commission Church is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and connect with others who share your faith and values.

At Great Commission Church, we believe that faith is not just a solitary endeavor but a shared experience that strengthens and enriches us all. Our church is a place where you can find purpose, belonging, and the encouragement to live a life in accordance with Christ's teachings. Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church and experience the transformative power of faith in action. Be part of a loving and supportive community that is committed to making a positive impact in our world. Together, we strive to fulfill the great commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations. We look forward to having you with us at Great Commission Church this Sunday, where faith, love, and community intersect in a truly amazing way.

Great Commission Church is a non-denominational Christian church located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We are a short drive from Germantown, Southaven, Collierville, Horn Lake, Memphis, Fairhaven, Mineral Wells, Pleasant Hill, Handy Corner, Lewisburg and Byhalia.

See you Sunday at Great Commission Church!