Keith Battle - It's A Trap - Part 4

I’m going back to Genesis chapter 3, which is where I was last week as I conclude this series called «It’s a Trap.» This is part four. If this is your first time hearing any of this series, you will not be lost; everything will be connected for you in a way that you won’t miss anything. I am in Genesis chapter 3 today, and I know typically I have everyone stand for the reading of those Scriptures, but I don’t want you to stand today because of the length of the Scripture. I’ll probably be making some commentary while reading the Scriptures, and I don’t want you to stand too long and pass out or something like that. Amen? I’m in Genesis chapter 3. All right, hey, do me a favor: wherever you are right now, I want you to tell two people—just two—no matter how far you have to reach to point to them, and just tell them, «I’m glad you made it to church today.» Amen. What’s up, Zion Landover? What’s up, Zion for Washington? I’m glad you all made it to church today. What’s up, Zion Woodbridge? I’m glad you all made it to church today. Amen. I’m glad you all made it to church today. In Genesis chapter 3, I’m going to begin at verse 1, which says, from the New Living Translation, «The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, 'Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden? '» Hmm, we called that last week the doubt trap. Let me say a word about the doubt trap; the doubt trap is when you are in a situation where you know what you’re thinking about doing is wrong. When you’re a little more spiritual in a moment, you’re like, «Nah, I ain’t doing that.» But then that same thing comes around and catches you in a weak moment, and you’re like, «Well, is it really all that wrong? I mean, come on now, did God say that?» Did God say that? You go King James, «Hath God said that?» One of the tricks of the devil is that if he can just get us wrestling with doubt over something, then the time it takes us to fight that demon takes away from what we should be doing productively. So he’s kind of winning, and it has taken us so long to overcome the temptation that we show up two hours late for the Zoom meeting, coming in there, and they don’t even know we are off-camera because we’ve been fighting a devil. Amen? But that’s how it happens sometimes. I know some of y’all can either relate to that or act like you can’t, but that’s cool.

So her response, when the serpent says, «Did the Lord say you can’t eat from any of these trees?» was, «Of course we may eat from the trees in the garden,» the woman replied. «It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden"—somebody say, «in the middle"—"that we’re not allowed to eat. God says you must not eat it or even touch it. If you do, you will die.» Verse 4: «You won’t die,» the serpent replied to the woman. That’s that minimizing potential consequences trap. «God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it.» When you eat from this tree—this is the tree right here—you will be like God, knowing both good and evil. That’s that exclusivity trap: you can’t get this anywhere else. Um, yeah, but at what cost? And is the meal worth the bill?

You know, verse 6 says the woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful, and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it too and never opened his mouth. «Go, let the silent accomplice trap.» At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness, so they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking in the garden, so they hid from the Lord God among the trees. And the Lord God called to the man in verse 9, «Where are you?» He replied, «I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.» «You’re naked, huh? Who told you you were naked?» the Lord God asked. «Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?» «Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?» «Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?» «Rest well,» the man replied. «It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.» Then the Lord God asked the woman, «What have you done?» «The serpent deceived me,» she replied. «That’s why I ate it.» Then the Lord God said to the serpent, «Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.» Did you notice something? You notice something? When God came—when all this went down—when God came to Adam and Eve, he asked them what happened. He’s like, «Adam, did you do what I told you not to?»