28 Jan Discussion Guide: Genesis Week 3
PRAYER
Take the first few minutes of your time together to listen to what God is doing in one another’s lives and pray for any specific needs people in your group may have.
Today’s Discussion
This week we continue a new series titled Genesis, where we will be walking through the first book of the bible by the same name. We will be exploring who God is, what was His purpose in creating the world and humanity, and how, in the midst of all the brokenness our sin has brought to His creation, how is God putting it all back together again. I want to challenge us over the course of this series to think deeply, speak honestly, and perhaps even learn how to love more passionately. Let’s get started with the beginning.
Discussion Questions
Why is the concept of sin important to a society? And if it is important, why do so many people push back against the concept of sin?
Porque el concepto del pecado es importante para una sociedad? Y si es importante, porque tanta gente están en contra de este concepto del pecado?
Genesis 3:1-3
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’
What was at the heart of the serpent’s question posed to Eve?
Why do you think that question was so enticing and alluring to Eve?
Why do you think cynicism and sneering at God, the Bible, and Jesus is so popular in our culture, and so tempting even for us to do at times?
Génesis 3:1-3
‘La serpiente era más astuta que cualquiera de los animales del campo que el S eñor Dios había hecho. Y dijo a la mujer: “¿Conque Dios les ha dicho: ‘No comerán de ningún árbol del huerto’?” La mujer respondió a la serpiente: “Del fruto de los árboles del huerto podemos comer; pero del fruto del árbol que está en medio del huerto, Dios ha dicho: ‘No comerán de él, ni lo tocarán, para que no mueran.'” ‘
Que estaba detrás de la pregunta que la serpiente le hizo a Eva?
Porque crees que esa pregunta fue tan tentadora y attractva?
What was at the heart of the serpent’s question was the questioning of God’s authority. It was the same thing that got Lucifer kicked out of God’s presence. He no longer wanted to submit to and obey God, he wanted to usurp God’s authority and become his own authority in the process. When the serpent poses the question he is planting that seed in her heart that she doesn’t really need God telling her what she can or cannot do, she can decide what is right and wrong, good and evil for herself. She can be wise apart from God. She can be her own authority and do whatever she feels is right, whatever she feels will give her ultimate freedom.
This question is so enticing to her, and in our own day and age and culture, because the idea of being our own authority, our own god, getting to call the shots and getting to decide what is best for us gives us the illusion of control and power. See, when satan posed the question to Eve, the love she had been walking in was replaced with a sliver of fear and doubt. Once fear creeps in our hearts start looking for something to grab hold of, something that will provide a sense of stability or at least predictability. Like teaching a teenager to drive and your hands never leave that little handle at the top of the window, or maybe pressing on the dashboard, or like riding a roller coaster and grabbing for the lap bar when it get’s too “out of control” for you, human nature wants to grab for control when fear grips our hearts. The thought that God may not be for her produced fear in Eve’s heart which lead to her grasping for control by eating the fruit that would make her become like God rather than having to submit to and trust God.
This is also why cynicism towards God and the Bible and Jesus are so widespread in our culture today. We live in a culture ruled by popularity, power, and a sense of significance. People posting on Facebook, uploading YouTube videos, trying out for “reality tv” shows, chasing after the promotion, or the relationship, or the reputation all because the perception in our culture is that the “winners” are the wealthy, the beautiful, the powerful, the sexually active ones. To be anything other than that is to be a reject, a loser, and that produces fear in our hearts. We then hear of this God who tells us the purpose of life is the opposite of pursuing those things. He tells us the first shall be last. He tells us we are all so weak and helpless that we needed saving. He tells us to look not to our own needs, but to the needs of others. This God, and His Bible, threatens our every pursuit of cultural significance, and yet He demands our obedience and submission to Him as King. So, we have two options. Trust and obey, or critic, sneer, discredit and remove Him from the equation all together.
Genesis 3:4-5
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
What was the serpent really accusing God of here?
Have you ever felt like God wasn’t for you, that He didn’t have your best in mind? If so, how did that belief affect your choices and behavior?
Why does the belief that God doesn’t love us lead to sinful choices?
Génesis 3:4-5
”Y la serpiente dijo a la mujer: “Ciertamente no morirán. Pues Dios sabe que el día que de él coman, se les abrirán los ojos y ustedes serán como Dios, conociendo el bien y el mal.” ‘
Alguna vez has pensado que Dios no estaba contigo y no tenia tu bienestar en mente? Como ese pensamiento afecto tus opciones y comportamiento?
Martin Luther
“The sin underneath all our sins is to trust the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and must take matters into our own hands”
How does/can trusting God’s love for you affect your relationship with Him? Your relationship with yourself? Your relationships with others? Your relationship with creation?
How can we know beyond a shadow of doubt that God loves us and is indeed for us?
Martin Luther
“El pecado bajó todos nuestros pecados es confiar en la mentira de la serpiente que no podemos confiar en el amor y gracia de Cristo y debemos de tomar las cosas en nuestras propias manos.”
Como el confiar en el amor de Dios para ti, afecta tu relación con El? Tu relación contigo mismo? Tu relación con los demás? Tu relación con la creación?
Como podemos saber sin ninguna duda que Dios nos ama y quiere lo mejor para nosotros?
Romans 5:8 tells us, “God demonstrates His love for us in that while we are yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
This is telling us, that when we were at our worst, when we were in outright rebellion and idolatry, when we had made ourselves enemies with God, He still loved us unconditionally and was willing to do whatever it would take to bring us back home to His embrace. This is telling us that Jesus loved us when it was most difficult and least deserved. Therefore, we can know beyond a shadow of doubt that God is for us, and that He absolutely has our best in mind.
Romanos 5:8 nos dice, “Dios demuestra su amor por nosotros en que aún cuando éramos pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros.”
Esto nos dice, que cuando estábamos en lo peor, cuando estábamos en total rebelión e idolatría, cuando nos habíamos hecho enemigos de Dios, El todavía nos amó incondicionalmente y haria lo que fuera para traernos de regreso a su afección. Esto nos dice que Jesús nos amó cuando era era lo más difícil y lo menos merecido. Entonces, podemos saber sin ninguna duda que Dios es por nosotros, y que El absolutamente tiene nuestro bienestar en mente.
Closing Thought
How can we live in a such a way that demonstrates God’s love to the people around us who may have a hard time believe that to be true?
Pensamientos de Cierre
Como podemos vivir de tal manera que demuestre el amor de Dios a los que nos rodean a quienes tal vez se les hace difícil creer que eso es verdad?