The First Temptation and Fall
Pastor Tan Thai · May 7, 2017
This sermon analyzes Satan's first temptation of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, focusing on two main parts: temptation through deception and the consequences of the fall. Satan used lies to make humanity doubt God's word, resulting in sin and three consequences: broken relationship with God, broken relationships with others, and the loss of the soul.
This sermon was delivered on Sunday, May 7, 2017, continuing from the previous week's message on Satan and demons in spiritual warfare. The pastor establishes that Satan is the ancient serpent of Genesis 3, as confirmed in Revelation 12:9. Satan was originally a glorious, wise, and beautiful angel as described in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14, but was cast out of heaven due to pride and became God's enemy.
The first section analyzes Satan's strategy of temptation through deception. Rather than targeting Adam directly, Satan chose Eve because she had only heard God's command secondhand through her husband. Satan planted doubt with a seemingly innocent question: 'Did God really say you cannot eat from any tree in the garden?' He then contradicted God entirely by claiming the fruit would not cause death but would make them like God — essentially projecting his own ambition onto humanity. The pastor connects this to the present day: Satan uses evolution, science, and materialist arguments to make unbelievers doubt God's existence, and uses doubt about God's goodness and love to destabilize believers.
The second section outlines three consequences of the fall. First, humanity lost its close relationship with God: Adam and Eve hid from Him in the garden, and Isaiah 59:2 confirms that sin creates separation from God. This resulted in three forms of death — spiritual death through separation from God, physical death over time, and eternal death for those who do not receive the redemption of Jesus Christ. Second, human relationships were broken, evidenced immediately when Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent, escalating to Cain murdering Abel out of jealousy, and further to Lamech's vengeful violence.
The third consequence is the loss of one's own soul, as humanity becomes captivated by the 'fruit' of material wealth, money, fame, lust, and power — just as Eve was drawn to the forbidden fruit. The pastor examines the power of money through biblical figures: Delilah sold Samson, Judas sold Jesus Christ, and the Pharisees were lovers of money. Yet the Bible does not equate wealth with sin, as figures like Abraham, Job, Joseph of Arimathea, and Lydia were wealthy but used their resources for God's glory.
The sermon closes with a call for the congregation to examine their own faith: Do you truly believe the soul is more important than material things? Do you trust God's promises in Scripture? Every life decision ultimately rests on this central question: do I truly believe in God and trust His Word? Those who genuinely believe will not view church attendance, Bible study, prayer, or giving as burdens.