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Pastor Wade Burleson




Curse-filled or Grace-full?

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Genesis 3:16-19 (KJV)
  1. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
  2. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
  3. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
  4. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

"Curse-filled or Grace-full?"

Genesis 3:16-19

When there is a problem it is helpful to trace the history of the problem back to its source. In this text, we see the beginning of all our problems as human beings. Sin brings a curse, and both Adam and Eve felt its power, but "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Galatians 3:13). Are we living lives that are "curse-filled" or are we "grace-full?"

  1. The Curse Is Revealed by God . . . "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow . . ." (v.16).
    The sorrow that comes to both men and women as a result of the original sin is . . .
    1. Personal sorrow -- during birthing for women and during working for men.
      This sorrow for the woman is more than just the physical pain of giving birth. The redundancy of words (v.16) indicates sorrow throughout the child's life. For the man there is sorrow in working, "In sorrow shalt thou eat of it" (v.17). This sorrow is simply the man asking himself, "Is this all there is to life?"
    2. Relational sorrow -- for the man and the woman began to experience conflice.
      "And thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Genesis 3:16). This is the curse, not a command. What does it mean for Eve to "desire" Adam? Eve began to make demands of Adam as if he were the "source" of her joy! Adam began to dominate and control Eve as if she were the source of his joy!

      Controlling - My sense of well-being comes from you so you better perform.
      Unforgiving - I must keep bringing up the past in order to maintain control.
      Reactive - How you behave affects me, so I must react to anything you do.
      Shaming - I must keep you believing that every problem is your fault.
      Ego-Driven - Everything revolves around me; I must be on top and in control.
  2. The Curse is Removed by God . . . Why does God "greatly multiply thy sorrow?"
    The curse is extended so the cross can be exalted. You will never begin to see your need of the Savior until you begin to feel the misery of your sin. Sometimes God will bring conflict in your marriage so you will find your satisfaction in the Messiah. God will transform His child from the insider out. But what is a "grace-full" person like?
    1. Out-loud affirming vs. out-loud shaming . . . words like "I love you" or "I'm glad God brought you into my life" are words that affirm.
    2. People oriented vs. performance oriented . . . "We all need an environment where we feel our needs are met because of who we are and not because of what we do" David Seamonds in his book "Healing Grace."
    3. Clear communication vs. coded language . . . "Will you get me a glass of tea?" instead of "It would sure be nice if someone got me a glass of tea."
    4. Reality vs. appearances . . . what is true is more important than how things look. The curse leads to hiding, blame, and then shame. Grace-full people accept truth.
    5. God is my source vs. idolatry . . . ultimately, the sign of a curse-filled person is the inability to find satisfaction in the grace of God.
    "If you are a believer, your value and identity is settled because of Jesus.
    May you learn to act toward others out of your own fullness"     Jeff VanVonderen



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Pastor Wade

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