Week 2 - REBELLION
In order to learn how to practically follow Jesus, we’ll continue using what is called the 3/3s Format (Connect-Discover-Live)
CONNECT
What are you thankful for?
What challenge are you facing?
How has God been answering our prayers for you from last week?
How can we pray for you this week?
Pray for each other.
Did anything stand out to you from last week’s follow-up Bible readings and connection prompt?
How did your “I will …” statement from last week go?
How did your sharing goal from last week go?
DISCOVER
Let’s start with a review.
CREATION
God created everything and as humans, we have been made in God’s image to rule the world on His behalf.
And now …
REBELLION
Through Satan’s temptation, humans rebelled against God, but God promised One who would destroy Satan.
Ask God to speak to you as you read His Word.
Genesis 2:15-22 (NLT)
15 The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 19 So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. 20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
Genesis 3:1-24 (NLT)
1 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?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 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. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
13 Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
14 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.
15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”16 Then he said to the woman,
“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
and in pain you will give birth.
And you will desire to control your husband,
but he will rule over you.”17 And to the man he said,
“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
though you will eat of its grains.
19 By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.”20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
22 Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Have someone retell these passages in their own words. Just the highlights will do.
What stands out to you in these passages?
Do you have any questions about these passages?
What does these passages say about God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)?
What does these passages say about people, including ourselves?
What does these passages say about the life God is calling us to live?
Dig Deeper
Talking Snake?
What is this serpent? How could it talk? This passage from the last book of the Bible may help.
Revelation 12:7-9 (NIV)
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Though Revelation 12 isn't describing the original rebellion in heaven but a later spiritual conflict, it introduces us to some important characters in the Story, namely, angelic beings.
There’s more to creation than what meets the eye. There’s an invisible part of creation called the heavenly realm. And one of these angels named Satan or the devil led a rebellion against the rule of God. The timing and details of this heavenly rebellion aren’t all that clear. But it’s clear that this heavenly revolt preceded and provoked this earthly revolt. And it all started when Satan showed up in the Garden of Eden as a __________.
Anatomy of Rebellion
Let's examine the progression of Adam and Eve's rebellion.
1. Doubting Truth
Genesis 3:1 (NLT)
“Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
Why does Satan start by putting a question mark where God has put a period?
How should Adam and Eve have responded here?
2. Listening to Lies
Genesis 3:4-5 (NLT)
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
Why does Satan move from creating doubt to outright denial and deception?
How should Adam and Eve have responded here?
3. Entertaining Desires
Genesis 3:6 (NLT)
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.
Consider these New Testament passages that echo Eve’s struggle with fleshly desires.
1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Romans 13:14 (NIV)
Do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
How do Satan's lies appeal to the desires of our flesh?
How should Adam and Eve have responded here?
Rebellion rarely begins with an outward act. It begins in the heart when we question God's truth, believe Satan's lies, and desire something apart from God's will. Those inward choices eventually lead to outward disobedience.
4. Disobeying a Command
Genesis 2:16-17 (NLT)
16 But the LORD God warned [the man], “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”
Genesis 3:6 (NLT)
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.
Why does God give commands?
What do God's commands reveal about His character and His love for us?
How are God's commands an expression of both His truth and His grace?
Where was Adam and what was Adam doing or not doing during the temptation?
Why did Eve share the fruit and her rebellion with Adam? Why do we often recruit others to join our rebellion?
How should Adam and Eve have responded here?
5. Hiding in Fear
Genesis 3:7-13 (NLT)
7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
Why did Adam and Eve hide from each other and God?
How should Adam and Eve have responded here?
6. Blaming Others
Genesis 3:11-13
11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
13 Then the LORD God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
Why does God respond to Adam and Eve with questions instead of immediate condemnation?
Why do we often blame others instead of taking responsibility for our own sin?
Who does Adam ultimately blame for his rebellion?
How should Adam and Eve have responded here?
7. Reaping the Consequences
Genesis 3:14-24 (NLT)
14 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.
15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”16 Then he said to the woman,
“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
and in pain you will give birth.
And you will desire to control your husband,
but he will rule over you.”17 And to the man he said,
“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you,
though you will eat of its grains.
19 By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.”20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.
22 Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
What were the consequences for the serpent, Eve, and Adam?
How do these consequences still affect life today?
Where do you see God's grace even in His judgment?
Summary
What did Satan promise Adam and Eve?
How did reality turn out differently than what was promised?
How does the Anatomy of Rebellion describe your own struggle with temptation and sin?
Doubting Truth
Listening to Lies
Entertaining Desires
Disobeying a Command
Hiding in Fear
Blaming Others
Reaping the Consequences
What temptation do you face most often? How can we pray for you and support you as you seek to overcome this temptation?
Any Hope?
What does this passage say about God’s commitment to rescue us?
Genesis 3:14-15 (NLT)
14 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.
15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
Any idea who this “He” in He will strike your head may be?
Although Adam and Eve rebelled against God, God did not abandon them. Even as He judged their sin, He promised a Savior who would one day crush the serpent and rescue His people.
Looking Ahead
The Bible is divided into two major sections—the Old Testament (sometimes called the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, God makes promises. In the New Testament, He fulfills those promises.
Here's a passage from the New Testament that points to the fulfillment of God's promise that a descendant of Eve would destroy the serpent (Satan or the devil).
1 John 3:8 (NLT)
When people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
Who is the Son of God?
We’re getting way ahead of ourselves. So stay tuned.
Faith’s Memory Work
We’re going to start working on memorizing a theme Bible passage for FAITH. As we continue our discipleship journey, you’ll understand why this passage is a great summary of the Good News.
Colossians 1:13-14
13 For [God the Father] has rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Connection Prompt
Last week, we began praising God as our Creator using this connection prompt:
Lift UP Your Praise - Lord, I praise you for …
This week, because of our own rebellion and sin against God, let’s add this connection prompt:
Bow DOWN in Repentance - Lord, I repent of …
LIVE
What truth is God highlighting for you from the passages?
What would keep you from believing or obeying this truth?
What blessing would you experience if you believed and obeyed this truth?
How will you live out this truth this week? (“I will…”)
Who needs to hear this truth? How will you share it?
Who will facilitate next time?
Pray for God’s help as you seek to follow Jesus this week.
FOLLOW-UP BIBLE READINGS
After each group meeting, there will be 3 Bible readings to help you dig a bit deeper into what we have discussed.
Here are the Bible passages you are encouraged to read this coming week:
BUDDY SYSTEM
It’s recommended that you set up a buddy system for ongoing encouragement and accountability. Buddy people up and have them contact each other for a midweek check-in. Think of this as a five-minute phone call, rather than an in-person sit-down meeting. Touch base and ask these questions of each other:
How are your readings going?
How’s your “I will …” statement coming along?
How’s your sharing goal coming along?
How can I pray for you?