Dear Father, I just pray now that you would use this time, Lord, that your word would be known, that truth would be known, Lord, that freedom would come. Lord, we just ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Kath, did you have something to do before I started? No? I was told she was going to come up and do a cheer for me this morning. But now she's backed out, I guess. Along those lines, one of the blessings of being called upon to fill the pulpit, I learned this week, was all the goodwill that is passed on to the person that has the responsibility. Got text message this morning, had any number of people this morning said praying for you. It's always been a blessing to have a reason to spend so much time in the Word and mull it over and mull it over and mull it over, but it's great to also have the support of the congregation. The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old-fashioned potbelly stove. An eight-year-old boy named Glenn Cunningham had the job of coming to school early each day so that he could use kerosene to start the fire and warm the room before his classmates and teachers showed up. One cold morning, someone mistakenly filled the kerosene container he used with gasoline, and disaster struck. Cunningham's legs were very badly burned in the explosion, and his 13-year-old brother Floyd died in the fire. When the doctors realized that he was going to live, they recommended that his legs be amputated. But he was so distressed, his parents would not allow it. The doctors predicted he might never walk normally again. He had lost all the flesh on his knees and shins and all the toes on his left foot. It was early summer of 1919 when he first tried to walk again, roughly two years after the accident. On that sunny day, his mother wheeled him out in the yard to get some fresh air. This day, instead of sitting there, he threw himself from the chair. He pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him. He worked his way to the white picket fence bordering their lot. With great effort, he raced himself up on the fence. Then, stake by stake, he began dragging himself around the fence, resolved that he would walk. He started to do this every day until he wore his path around the inside of their fence. This great determination, a positive attitude, and a strong religious faith, coupled with hours upon hours of a new type of therapy, enabled him to gradually regain the ability to walk and eventually to run. His favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 40, 31. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." And run, he could. In 1932, in the 1932 Olympics, he took fourth place in the 1500 meter. In 1934, he set the world record for the mile run at 406, which stood for three years. In 1938, he set a world record in the indoor mile of 404. It would be another 16 years before Roger Bannister would be the first to break the four minute mile. Once told he would not live, let alone walk, Glenn Cunningham became perhaps the best American miler in U.S. history. The life of Glenn Cunningham is a tremendous story of overcoming a particular obstacle. His story contains the three essential requirements of a good story, as lined out by Tim Keller's book, Every Good Endeavor. According to Keller, there are three things that make a good story. And that's all I'm asking you to remember today, is three things. The first thing is, having a good story has understood environment. Everyone understands what should be. The second thing it has is some conflict that keeps things being from what they should be. And lastly, there is a resolution to that conflict. Keller has a point. Would you and I even know the story of Glen Canningham if it were not for that fire? I doubt it. The devastation to his legs and the eventual victory over it are not only what forged the character in Cunningham that propelled him to his remarkable achievements, but they also highlight the key essentials for a great story. Not only do stories or narratives inform and inspire us, and you can think of any number of people that you've known the stories of, incredible people that have overcome very much But they're not just stories. They actually form the stories we know, form the way we think, and consequently, the way we live. We make sense out of life by the way we view the big picture. This narrative of story that is the framework by which we organize reality is called our worldview. Individuals and cultures alike require worldviews in order to function. Individuals and cultures must both answer three questions. How should the world be? Why is it not as it should be? And what is the solution? Let's think about the answers to these questions as proposed by the world. Question number one, how should the world be? If you are a naturalist, a natural Darwinist, you would balk at that question. Because if we believe for a moment that everything is by chance and just happens to be what it is, then there is no should in what the world should be. It was what it was, it is what it is, it will be what it will be. There's no purpose, there's no direction, there's no plan. It simply is. So the world does not offer an answer to what the world should be. The problem with that worldview is that you'll find very few people, if any, that would look you straight in the eye and say the world is as it should be. Everyone knows that there's got to be something different. There has to be some change, that they would want some change to the world. And so although it is the The typical answer, that the world is what it is, so few are actually willing to admit that it needs to change. And how is it that they get these ideas about the fact it should change? Why aren't they satisfied with the fact it is what it is? So as far as the way the world should be, the world does not have much of an answer for that. Question two. Even though they don't, they would say that they want some changes, when you ask them what should change or why isn't the world what it should be, what is the main problem, you're going to have a variety of answers. Some answers to the main problem have grown great, a great following and have shaped societies and cultures. In Leslie Stevenson's book, Seven Theories of Human Nature, he points to the following influential thinkers. and what they saw as the biggest problem facing humanity. Plato saw the problem as being our physical body and its weaknesses. Marx saw the problem as unjust economic systems. Freud's issue was with inner unconscious conflicts. Skinner, B.F. Skinner, says it was a failure of us to realize we are completely the product of our environment. And Lorenz, For him, it was our innate aggression because of our evolutionary past. So many problems to choose from. Are they the problem? Do any of them account for the mess, any one of them account for the mess this world is in? Not all worldviews are so dominant that they form cultures and societies. Most worldviews are very unique and private. An individual can focus themselves exclusively on a cause like saving the environment or a quest for true love or finding success by overcoming social origins or expectations. In every case, individuals are living out a story which they become the protagonist and are overcoming what they see as the biggest obstacle. So neither, question number three, what is the solution? Well, if society and individuals can't agree about what the problem is, obviously we can't agree about what the solution is. As Christians, our gospel is our worldview. It, more than any alternative worldview, has specific answers to all three questions. Question one, how should the world be? You need only to turn to Genesis 1 and begin reading and you understand what God's initial plan was for this planet and this universe. and think about what Adam and Eve had in their environment. In fact, take a moment just as an aside, for the first time I really thought about, you've been around young children, and when their wheels, their mental wheels really get turning, and they start thinking things through and start asking questions, and you hear their thoughts and hear their questions, and just how that one question leads to another question, leads to another question, And there's just no end to the questions. You tire of answering questions. For the first time, I really thought about, with all that was new, and all that Adam and Eve were experiencing, I suppose they had some questions. And the beauty of the whole thing is not only they had questions, but they had the all-knowing God to answer them, and they had all the time in the world. Just that one was for free. When you think about the specific characteristics of Eden, I want to just point out a few of them. Obviously, there was bountiful provision, and that provision was all-encompassing. It was for body, mind, and soul. So there was bountiful provision in Eden. Secondly, there was intimacy that had never known fear or conflict, only peace, unity, and love. Think in your own mind what a different person you would be if you had never been afraid to be vulnerable. Because there had never been a reason to be vulnerable. You had never known anyone that thought ill or wished you harm. That had never occurred in the history of man and was not a reality in the minds of Adam and Eve. So the intimacy, provision and intimacy. Also think about that their days were full of meaningful, fruitful, and accomplishable tasks. That book I mentioned by Keller is actually a book, his book about how the gospel view affects your work. Excellent book, I'd recommend it. And of course, he elaborates on all that the gospel does to change our work, the way we view it, the way we do it. But think about Adam and Eve. They had things to do. They were able to do them. There wasn't anyone standing in the way of them doing them. They got things done. They enjoyed what they were doing. Days full of meaningful, fruitful, and accomplishable tasks. It also included the Garden of Eden, the security, significance, satisfaction, and beauty that is only found in God. Security, significance, satisfaction, and beauty that is only found in God. Man was, in that environment, able to completely love God and love his neighbor. The world should be, according to Genesis, a perfect human existence. More accurately, perfect coexistence between mankind and God. We are to love God and love our neighbor. That is how it should be. Question number two. Answer to question number one is Eden, by the way. Question number two, why is the world not as it should be? Well, in his finite wisdom, man thought and still thinks he can improve upon perfection. Adam and Eve chose to believe that a departure from obedience and their perfect existence could give them something more desirable. They chose to act in a direct, indirect defiance of what God had asked of them. As a consequence, the relationship they had with God was severed. All that they had was gone, the security, significance, satisfaction, and beauty. all of the perfection they had enjoyed was gone. And sad as that is, that's not the worst of it. That heart of defiance and the resulting consequences have been passed down to us. Sin affects every part of our life, especially our attempts to gain back perfection. Romans 3.23 says, For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. Many of you know that verse very well, but I want you to think about it again. What difference does it make that all have sinned, the reality that each of us has sinned? Well, unlike the problems that the world would say are the problem, when I understand that all have sinned, it's no longer that group of people staying in the way of what the world should be. It's no longer this society or that society that is the main problem. When we understand that all have sinned, it's no longer an external problem. It's no longer pointing the finger and saying, if they would act differently, the world would be as it should be. When I understand that all have sinned, that includes me. I'm part of all. I'm part of the problem. the problem is in and among all of us. And that is the big hindrance to most of the world's seeking at to solve its problems is not admitting that the problem is internal instead of external. As long as we accept that the problem with the world and with us is something other than sin, it usually means that there is something out there we need to avoid and rail against. Sin, in this verse, is described as falling short or missing the mark. I want you to think about that. Whether you're describing it as falling short or missing the mark, understand that there is a path being taken, whether it's towards a target and it comes up short, or it's towards a target and it just misses. But either way, there is an attempt at a target. There is something being done. There are so many things out there that can be a target. One of the effects of sin is that we aim at the wrong target. Some targets are obviously foolish and detrimental, and so we don't shoot for those. Some may not be as obviously bad choices. Is it easy for us to find something that is good and make it a target, the ultimate goal? This elevating a good thing to an ultimate thing, the ultimate thing, was what God addressed in the very first commandment. God says that nothing should be put above him. You shall have no idols, is what he said. Well, what is an idol? Well, I've found several good descriptions of what an idol is. One said, good things, as I said, made to be ultimate things. Calvin said that evil in most things is not in what we want, but that we want them too much. Someone else says an idol is to more love, serve, and derive meaning from anything other than God. Someone else says making an idol is imagining and trusting anything to deliver control, security, significance, and satisfaction, and beauty that only God can give. Here's a list of things that, just from my own mind, I thought about that are made idols. And the order of these is significant, because what you're going to find is, as I mentioned before, there are some of these that are not a temptation to us, that they're obviously detrimental and we don't have any interest. but I'd ask you to hang with me as I go through the list. Wealth. Again, none of these things are in and of themselves evil. These are all good things that people try to make the ultimate meaning in their lives. Power, fame, influence. material possessions, talent, staying young, sex, hobbies, recreation, leisure, being healthy, education, work, reputation. And here's where I want you to really stop and think, because this is where I think it hits the majority of us, when you realize that there is a difference between having a reputation of being generous and kind and thoughtful and making that my pursuit rather than it being a benefit of having known and walked with God. How often do we pursue those things that we know to be of God or godly instead of allowing the Spirit to create those things in ourselves? So reputation, however you want to frame that, can easily become an idol and become something that falls short of seeking the glory of God. Even things like family can be an idol. We all have the best desires and best hopes for our families. And we know that what Christ gives in the way of us being able to relate to each other is a blessing and that families can be strong and families can prosper. But it's not the ultimate thing. As soon as I make my family my ultimate goal, I'm going to begin to destroy what I'm trying to do. Because family is not meant to be the ultimate thing. Marriage, same boat. We all want strong marriages. We want intimate marriages. We want someone to stand by us, to be strong with us. And yet when I seek that marriage above God, it becomes an idol. Having a church that you can be proud of can be an idol. It's been said many times, not even last Sunday, just how much this church is appreciated by so many people. And yet if my goal is to just simply find a church that I can be proud of, that's not the main thing. In fact, if that's my goal, then I need to be listening to what's coming from the pulpit and not be worrying about what anyone else might think about the place I attend to worship. Even our ministry, even the things I do for God can be an idol. I can begin to set those things as the way I judge how I'm doing with God. You know, I can begin to make those things the priority. how much I judge my ability to minister the gospel, how much I pride myself in what I've done for Christ. Why do we create idols? Are not all idols some attempt to circumvent the plan of God in order to have something that comes naturally from God? When you think about these different things that can become idols, they're all attempts to recapture, to get back what was in Eden. Whether it's close communion, you know, whether it's the security, the significance, the satisfaction, just the sheer beauty. Any one of these things, when you think about it, are some attempt to just grab a part of what God is and try to manufacture that without having to answer to God. without wanting to say that God has within himself everything that I could ever desire. Think of all these things that are used to just create a sense of security. Armies, weapons, life insurance policies, alarm systems, superstitions, and religious rituals. Add to those things that are done just for security all the ways that people attempt to create significance, satisfaction, and beauty. The number of ways we try to recreate Eden is only surpassed by the degree of devotion we will give to maintain those idols. I want you to think about the scenario at Mount Carmel as we think about how earnestly people will hang on to their idols. 1 Kings 18 says, Then Elijah said to the prophet Baal, Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your God, but put no fire to it. And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it, and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon. saying, O Baal, answer us. But there was no voice, and no one answered. They limped around the altar they had made, and at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, Cry aloud, for he is a god. Is he a god? He is either musing, or he's relieving himself, or he's on a journey, or perhaps he's just fallen asleep and must be awakened. And the prophets cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering, but there was no voice, no one answered, no one paid attention." Now we would stand and we'd say, how foolish, and yet there are people that never have the luxury of having a prophet of God stand before them and say, try your idol out. Let's see what this idol can do. There are people that will spend their whole lives in pursuit of their idols and never have that challenge. They assume that when it comes time, they can call on their idol and they will answer. So question number two, what is the main problem? The main problem is sin. and our ability and our desire to perpetuate sin. And that's what our reading in Romans 1 was about, is how we able and willing and desirous we are to follow our own desires and the fallout therewith. Question number one, what should the world be? Eden is the answer. Question number two, what is the solution to the problem? Sorry, what is the main problem? The main problem is sin. Question number three, what is the solution to the main problem? If you would turn to 2 Corinthians 5, we will read from there. What is the solution to the problem of sin? 2 Corinthians 5, starting in verse 16. Again, verse 16, "...from now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All of this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you, on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." This is the answer to the problem of sin. God is reconciling sinners to himself. If the problem is that sin has caused us to lose relationship with God, then the answer is a solution for our sin. More accurately, the forgiveness of our sin leading to reconciliation with God. That is exactly what the gospel or good news is about. We stood guilty before God because of our sin. The sentence for that sin was death. But for every true believer, there is an unthinkable transfer that has taken place. Jesus, who himself never sinned, took on our sin and died. Think just a minute about the contrast between Christ and those prophets of Baal. The prophets did everything they could think of to generate some infinitesimal amount of divine presence. You know they generally wanted their faith to be validated. They would have given anything to have created a rival to God. But it says no one paid attention. Then you have Christ, who for all eternity past had known equality with God. The prophet Baal would have given anything just to have a sliver of the divine, and Christ had known equality with God. And yet Philippians 2 says, he did not regard that equality with God as something to be grasped or to be clung to, but he emptied himself. So he became man. He humbled himself, submitting himself to obedience, even obedience to the point of death on the cross. In addition to our sin being paid for by Christ, the perfect record of sinlessness that Jesus had lived was given to us and restored us to a right stand with God. The end of that passage I just read says, he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. Having been restored to relationship with God, many of the things that were part of Eden have also been restored, because they are found in God, namely security, significance, satisfaction, and beauty, all from God. And let me just remind you again, those things in and of themselves can serve as idols, Whether it's security, significance, satisfaction, or beauty, those things also can serve as idols that we can pursue and give our lives to instead of a relationship to God. As Daniel Madison reminded us last week, in Christ, our trials are only for our good. The good we know is for eternity, and it only gets better. So although we do not yet see all that we will be or even all that the creation will be, the restoration has begun. The worldview of the gospel changes everything. Instead of trying to manufacture a piece of the perfect existence apart from or even in defiance of God, we can have God and we can have those things that are of God. Without the gospel we have two choices. We have to believe something other than sin is the problem, or that something other than Christ is the solution. By believing something other than sin is the problem, we only end up demonizing things that are not bad enough to explain the mess we're in, and thereby we become cynical and disillusioned. We can't name a problem that's bad enough to represent everything that we see around us. By believing in a solution other than Christ, we de-idolize things that are not powerful enough to get us out of the mess. Your life will be determined by the way you answer three questions. Is your life what it should be? Are you able to admit that the real problem is not outside of you, but that it's in your own heart? And lastly, are you able to believe that Christ is the only answer? Let's pray. Dear Lord, the gospel is not complicated. Lord, I just pray that you would help us to have a framework by which we operate day in and day out. Help us to not lose track of the fact that you have Eden planned. Not only does the scripture start with Genesis, but it ends with Revelation and restoration of the things that were destroyed by the fall. Lord, help us to know that. Help us to long for that. Thank you for the things we have in us that are glimpses of the glory to come. Lord, help us to endure. Lord, help us to confess. that the problem lies within us, that we don't have to look any further, or that we don't have to find an enemy. outside of ourselves. We can spend our time, our efforts pursuing a solution to that problem. And lastly, help us to see Christ. Help us to see that he has paid the price. Lord, that I don't have to walk in darkness or that I don't have to wonder where I'm going to find the things that I most long for. Lord, I won't have to wonder how I find my way back to you. Lord, I just pray the realization of Christ in our hearts would be clear today. Lord, we'd understand Eden, we'd understand sin, and we'd understand Christ. In Jesus' name, amen.