The Garden In Between Two Trees: Restoration All of scripture is a story of our way back to the tree of life Genesis 2:5-9 Pastor Kevin Syes 7/1/2012 I want everyone to check the bulletin for a second and notice the title of this sermon. Now, I want to start by saying forget the title of this sermon printed in the bulletin. After a lot of thought and prayer, I decided to change the focus of this message a bit. I really felt God giving me a different direction as I read and studied this passage. So, I want to start by giving the message a new title. Instead of seeing the forest through the trees I want you today to see two trees through the forest. So, the title instead is In Between Two Trees: Restoration. See, because I think you will see today the Bible is a story of two trees. Our story begins with a tree and it ends with a tree. That is what I want to look at today. I want to look at our place between these two trees and what that means. But before we get to that story, I want to talk about a different story. The story of this ring. Actually it has two stories. This is my wedding ring, and it has the obvious first story. The story of how I met the love of my life at Grove City College. The story of our first kiss and our wedding day. But there is another story that this ring could tell. About three months after Laura and I got married we were at a cookout in early fall. We were hanging out with our small group and we were just enjoying life together. We had just finished some burgers when the girls were all inside talking and the guys were outside throwing a football around. It was a little wet and a little cold, but it didn t bother us. We were having a great time. After some time I will never in all my life forget looking down at my hand after catching a pass and noticing that something was missing. Something that normally would be right here. But it wasn t. Immediately the game stopped and my friends understood what had happened. I was desperate. I started by looking where I was, but quickly realized that it could be anywhere in this large backyard. And desperation turned into despair and maybe even a tinge of panic. I will also never forget going in to tell my new bride that I had lost the token of fidelity and undying affection. What did this mean? It certainly seemed like a bad sign only three months into our new marriage, right? Well, Laura was awesome. She took it in 1
stride, but the rest of the night included everyone there combing the entire yard step by step like FBI search party style to find this ring. Nothing. When in doubt, go to Walmart and buy something to fix your problem. That is what I did. I went and bought the nicest metal detector I could find. This thing had like gold radar and I was sure this would solve the problem. For hours I walked around with this stupid thing and the most interesting thing I found was a soda can from the 80s. That is when it finally hit me. I had done something that could never be undone. The thing that was most important to me in my entire life was lost. Forever. And no matter what I did to try to fix it, I couldn t fix it. A medal detector couldn t fix it. A search party couldn t fix it. It was irreparably lost. Gone. Have you ever lost something of great value? Maybe you lost a wedding ring in the sink. Maybe you lost a relationship with a friend because of a terrible word you said. Maybe you ve lost a loved one. And no matter what you did, no matter what a doctor tried, they couldn t bring them back. Then there is that moment. That terrible moment. The moment when you realize that you can t change things. You can t fix things. What has been done can t be undone. And as much as we wish that we could catch the words we said out of the air and pull them back into our mouth, we can t. As much as we wish we could hit the rewind button and save our loved one from death we can t. We simply can t put the broken pieces back together ever again. Every loss we have ever felt is an echo of the first loss. The death of your family member. The broken relationship with your friend. And all of these losses have their origin in the choice between two trees and the passage we are reading today. And as I read this, I want you remember that this is your story. Who likes going to family gatherings and hear family stories about days past? Well, this is the story of your great, great, great grandparents. Genesis 2 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Can I admit something to you? I love trying to imagine what the Garden of Eden was like. Do you ever do that? It is described as the most amazing place the most beautiful place you can conceive. And right in the middle of all this beauty sit two trees. 2
And right here in the middle of paradise the stage is set for the rest of scripture and really the rest of eternity. Two trees. And a choice. And here is the choice in verse 15 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. This never ceases to amaze me. We are talking about absolute perfection, and one painfully simple rule. We are talking about a place that blows away the Caribbean, Bermuda, Puerto Rico just don t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We are talking about the most amazing fruit you imagine its peach season anyone like Georgia Peaches? Yeah, well Eden peaches were better. Anyone like Florida Oranges or orange juice? I love it. I can drink gallons of true Florida orange juice. Guess what Eden orange juice was better. Anyone love sunsets? Eden sunsets were better. God is saying You can have all of this, you can do all of this just one little thing. Don t eat from this tree over here because if you do, you will surely die. God is clear here, if you eat it, you will surely die. Its not you might die, there is a good chance you will die, its not looking good, but you will surely die. But a serpent comes and tells a different story. He says are you sure you will die? Did he really say that surely die? Did he really mean that? And Eve begins to doubt. Genesis 3 4 You will not surely die, the serpent said to the woman. 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 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. And they chose death. Paradise lasted for about two chapters. To right about here. They ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the results have been echoing throughout history ever since. And your life and my life have been shaped as a result of this decision, and the curse that came of it. 3
This is God s reaction 22 And the LORD God said, The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever. 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Paradise lost. This is more than, lets write a country music song about my dog dying and my truck breaking down. This is more than, I lost the winning lottery ticket. This is more than losing a wedding ring. This is more than losing a best friend or a broken relationship. This is more than even the death of a loved one. This is loss on a scale that we can t truly conceive. Adam and Eve where in direct communion with their creator, God. This is the very reason that they were created. And that relationship, that connection with him was shattered. And its in this moment on the outside of the Garden that they realized that they had done something that could not be undone. And for the rest of their lives they tried to put the broken pieces back together again. And they realized that there was no reset button. No way to rewind. They had their choice between life and death, and they chose death. And because they chose death, the tree of life is off limits. And there is this amazing passage describing how the passage into the garden and into the tree of life is blocked. And God takes this tree here, the tree of life, and He protects it. He places a cherubim, an angel with four wings and a flashing sword that flashes every which way to protect the way to the tree of life. And in this moment we are cut off from the tree of life and death results, and we have been trying to find our way back ever since. It is a theme of finding a way back to the tree of life is woven throughout Scripture like a tapestry. It is theme running from the very beginning to the very end. When the Solomon builds his temple, the very center of the temple in the holy of holies is marked by the imagery we just read in Genesis of the tree of life being guarded. It says 1 Kings 6 29 On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. And when you entered the holy of holies in the temple you entered, Scripture is very specific, on the East side. Noah receives a tree branch as a sign of hope in the Arc. 4
The book of Proverbs describes a wise man pursuing the tree of life. And throughout all of scripture this theme continues to be woven. But what I want to show you now is the most amazing news I can give you today. And to show you this I want to literally make perhaps the biggest jump you could make from the very beginning of time and the origins of man and the tree that marked that time to the very other side to a promise way into our future and a tree that will mark that time. And literally jump from the first chapters of Genesis to the very last chapter in the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible. What we are going to read here is the closest thing you will find to seeing heaven on this side of eternity. This is an image of heaven. 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. This is absolutely amazing. This is amazing because our promise is that while the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the death that came from it, the curse that came from it, the pain the came from it, and the loss that came from it that may define our past but as believers it will never define our future, Amen? See, it begins with a tree and it ends with a tree. Just as in the center of the first paradise there stood a tree, when paradise is regained the very center of the city there will be a tree, the tree of life. The very tree that was blocked in Genesis 3. And these two trees are like the bookends of our history. The first three chapters of the Bible talk about the first tree the tree of the knowledge of good and evil--brought death and pain and destruction beyond imagination, the last three books of the Bible talk about the second tree the tree of life that will bring healing and restoration beyond imagination. And this one here defines our past and this one here defines our future, and we find ourselves right about here. Somewhere in between two trees. And while this is our future hope, this is our future promise; we aren t there yet, are we? So, the question is the same question that has haunted man from the moment that God blocked the way to the tree of life in the first place. How can we be sure that we will get back to the tree of life? If you read just a little further on, Revelation 22:14 provides us the key. 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 5
This is the answer. The answer to the question that has been asked throughout scripture, is answered in this passage. If you want to get to the tree of life, you must wash your robes. What does this mean? Does that mean go to the dry cleaner? Does it mean get out the tide stick? Revelation 7 says 13 Then one of the elders asked me, These in white robes who are they, and where did they come from? 14 I answered, Sir, you know. And he said, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. If you want get to the tree of life, you need to be washed in the blood of the lamb. In the words of the beautiful hymn Jesus paid it all Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. For nothing good have I Whereby Thy grace to claim, I ll wash my garments white In the blood of Calv ry s Lamb. -Elvina Hall See, friends, after years of wandering in the dessert, after thousands of years of searching for a way back to the tree of life this guy named Jesus came onto the scene saying things like I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. What do you think he was talking about when Jesus said I am the way here? He is going all the way back to Genesis 3 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. You have been searching for a way back to life? I am the way! But Jesus is saying here, not only am I the means, but I am the end too. I am the way and I am the life. I am the way to the goal, and I am the goal itself. I am way to the tree, and I am the life promised in the tree. See, in the beginning there was a tree. At the very end there was a tree. But there was a tree in the middle too. It s the tree Jesus hung on in Calvary. Do you think it is an 6
accident that God choose to use a tree to reverse the curse of the first tree? God doesn t do these things on accident. The Bible says that cursed is any man that hangs on a tree. Jesus became a curse for us, a curse for you, took the curse of death that came from the very beginning, and through his death on that cross brought life. And because of this you will never see the tree of life unless you first look at the tree that Jesus hung on when he died for you and took your place. And when you believe in him your identity is no longer found in this tree, but is found in this tree. Is it just me or do we sometimes just need to get back to the heart of the matter to get back to the gospel? This is it! This is your story! This is our story. This is your past. This is your future. And this is your hope. The way. Friends, our story begins in a garden, but it ends in a city. The story of scripture is the story of paradise lost, and the promise of paradise restored. Our story is one of two trees. As your pastor, I have the sacred honor of helping lead the way back to the tree of life. As we walk down the way together. I believe with all my heart that there will be a time in the future when you and I will be standing on the street looking at the most beautiful tree we could ever imagine together. Standing in heaven during the cool of the day, you will say to me remember that sermon you preached about the tree of life? It is more beautiful than you said. It is more amazing than you said. I believe that in the very depth of my soul. I want to end by declaring over you the promise that was made to you in Revelation. The promise that the pain, the loss, the struggle, and the tears caused by the first tree will one day be gone forever and all will be made new in Christ. Revelation 7:16-17 15 [as you will one day be before] the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over [you]. 16 Never again will [you] hunger; never again will [you] thirst. The sun will not beat upon [you], nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be [your] shepherd; he will lead [you] to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from [your] eyes. 7
---------------------------------------- Today God wants to wipe away your tears. He wants to take the broken and fragmented pieces of our lives and put them together in Jesus. If you want to one day stand before God with your robe washed white, we want to give you a time to respond today. So we are going to move into a time of prayer, and I am going to just ask everyone to bow their heads. No eyes are looking. This is a moment between you and God. If you want to accept what Jesus has done for you today, pray this prayer with me quietly. 8