Life’s Big Questions: What’s Wrong With The World?

What’s wrong with the world? (Genesis 3:1-13)

The Christmas season is often a festive and busy time for most. Amidst the hustle and bustle, however, we may still be struggling with issues of life and wonder if there is lasting joy and hope. In this, the first of a series of messages on Life’s Big Questions, it seeks to address how the Bible speaks honestly about our struggles and also offers true hope and joy. This is why Christians can celebrate Christmas.

Hear from Elder Caleb Yap, Grace Baptist Church (GBC) as he addressed the topic on the most fundamental issue that is at the root of all problems faced by humanity through the ages. The big idea: We have dishonoured God and are hiding from Him, but He has hope for us still.

The outline of his message is as follow.

Introduction: Surveys around the world indicated deep concerns and worries about violence and war, global climate crisis with its resulting calamities, and loneliness epidemic and mental health crisis. So, what is wrong with the world? Genesis 3 tells us that human beings experience and live out of a deep brokenness because we do not have peace with God.

A. We have dishonoured God (Gen 3:1-6)

• Believing the liar of lies (Gen 3:1)
• Believing lies about God (Gen 3:4-5)
• Preferring created things over God (Gen 3:6)

B. We are hiding from God (Gen 3:7-13)

• Guilt and shame (Gen 3:7)
• Avoiding God’s presence (Gen 3:8-13)
• Blame shifting (Gen 3:10)

C. Yet hope still endures (Gen 3:8-9)

We are a people who have dishonoured the living God. Our condition is to hide from Him in lives of spiritual confusion and corruption, everyone one of us. But praise God that hope springs eternal.

Application Questions:
1. How are you dishonouring God in your life?
2. In what ways are you hiding from God and pursuing your own self-righteousness?
3. What is God saying to you this Christmas about the hope of Christ?

Watch the video or read the text for the actual message.

Would you like to know God personally? Find out about the good news of Jesus Christ which provides the true hope and lasting joy you can have in Him.

The above speaker has also mentioned about climate crisis as an effect of the fundamental issue in Genesis 3. See a related article by Rev Dr Jarred Jung, an EAST Resident Faculty, on the subject of Climate Change: A Theological Primer.

Others in the series of Life’s Big Questions:

• Why is Life So Hard? (Genesis 3:14-24)
• How Will Things Get Better? (Romans 5:21-21)
• Where is Jesus? (John 3:16)

The above sermon was preached at GBC’s Sunday Service on 8 December 2024. We have members of EAST community (faculty and student) who are active members of GBC.