HEALTHY HERITAGE (1)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) Our success in Christ is not measured merely by our own personal spiritual growth and ministry, but much more so, by the spiritual and character success of our descendants to the 3rd and the 4th generations (Deuteronomy 5:9-10, 7:8-9).
i) 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:9-10 NIV)
ii) 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:8-9 NIV)
b) Our Christian walk to be effective must impact both our present generation and cross the generational boundary to motive faith and godly living to all our descendants.
c) In order to have a powerful ministry to our descendants, we need to ask the Lord to grant us a very healthy body that will live out all the years the Lord has assigned us. With a long and healthy lifespan, we can then gain the wisdom and experience and the physical health and strength to impact our children's children both a godly and a healthy heritage.
1. God's original plan
a) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and also mankind. The Psalmist expressed his gratefulness to God "14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalms 139:14 NIV). Mankind was not an accidental by-product of chance and evolution but the Scripture further clarified "7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NIV)
b) The Lord gave to the first couple this command, saying "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 from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 NIV)
c) God created within man the potential to live forever without death. Death came only as a result of eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is the natural consequence of rebellion towards God 's command. So, originally our physical body has the potential to live forever and ever. God also pronounced that everything he had made was very good.
i) 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31 NIV)
d) There was not meant to have sickness, pain and sorrow. God put them in the beautiful garden of Eden and gave Adam and Eve the responsibility of dressing and keeping the garden. What a beautiful lifestyle and creative responsibility. In such a blissful environment God visited them daily in the cool of the evenings. This was meant to go forever.
2. God's future promise
a) However, the blissful, healthy and happy environment with perfect and sweet fellowship with God was destroyed by Adam and Eve's sin. Consequently Eve experienced sorrow and pain in childbirth while Adam's work became labourious and the ground was cursed.
b) Now Adam and Eve will experience death.
i) "15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” 16 To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:15-19 NIV)
f) God's future promise to us is that, there shall be no more pain, nor death, nor sickness; a healthy and happy heritage is ours from the Lord.
i) 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:4-5 NIV)
ii) 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. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelation 22:2-3 NIV)
The End ...
0. Introductiona) Our success in Christ is not measured merely by our own personal spiritual growth and ministry, but much more so, by the spiritual and character success of our descendants to the 3rd and the 4th generations (Deuteronomy 5:9-10, 7:8-9).
i) 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:9-10 NIV)
ii) 8 But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:8-9 NIV)
b) Our Christian walk to be effective must impact both our present generation and cross the generational boundary to motive faith and godly living to all our descendants.
c) In order to have a powerful ministry to our descendants, we need to ask the Lord to grant us a very healthy body that will live out all the years the Lord has assigned us. With a long and healthy lifespan, we can then gain the wisdom and experience and the physical health and strength to impact our children's children both a godly and a healthy heritage.
1. God's original plana) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and also mankind. The Psalmist expressed his gratefulness to God "14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalms 139:14 NIV). Mankind was not an accidental by-product of chance and evolution but the Scripture further clarified "7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NIV)
b) The Lord gave to the first couple this command, saying "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 from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 NIV)
c) God created within man the potential to live forever without death. Death came only as a result of eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It is the natural consequence of rebellion towards God 's command. So, originally our physical body has the potential to live forever and ever. God also pronounced that everything he had made was very good.
i) 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31 NIV)
d) There was not meant to have sickness, pain and sorrow. God put them in the beautiful garden of Eden and gave Adam and Eve the responsibility of dressing and keeping the garden. What a beautiful lifestyle and creative responsibility. In such a blissful environment God visited them daily in the cool of the evenings. This was meant to go forever.
2. God's future promise
a) However, the blissful, healthy and happy environment with perfect and sweet fellowship with God was destroyed by Adam and Eve's sin. Consequently Eve experienced sorrow and pain in childbirth while Adam's work became labourious and the ground was cursed.
b) Now Adam and Eve will experience death.
i) "15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” 16 To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:15-19 NIV)
c) The whole creation was affected by man's sin.
i) 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Romans 8:21-22 NIV)
i) 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Romans 8:21-22 NIV)
d) Violence, sickness, pain, sorrow, tears, hardships etc, now became man's normal experience. The whole environment, plan and animal kingdom etc. were also affected.
e) Nevertheless, God in his mercy had sent his Son, who died on the cross to redeem mankind and all creation from the curse of sin and finally restore all things. Health and life, peace and joy will finally be restored to all of us who believe in Jesus.
e) Nevertheless, God in his mercy had sent his Son, who died on the cross to redeem mankind and all creation from the curse of sin and finally restore all things. Health and life, peace and joy will finally be restored to all of us who believe in Jesus.
f) God's future promise to us is that, there shall be no more pain, nor death, nor sickness; a healthy and happy heritage is ours from the Lord.
i) 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:4-5 NIV)
ii) 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. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelation 22:2-3 NIV)
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