Men And Women

Date: 19 July 2008
Speaker: Pastor Tan Ye Peng
Venue: City Harvest Church

Genesis 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The devil challenged God's integrity; To undermine His authority.

Men and women are supposed to be a team, and they are given the ability to have dominion over all earth.

Genesis 3:11-12
And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

From that moment on, there was a tear in the relationship.

Genesis 3:14-16
So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“ Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.

And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you."

When God blessed men and women, He gave them dominion over the world, but now they are trying to dominate each other.

Men + Women = Christ + Church

John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

After Adam was cut off from God, the blessing did not stop immediately but slowly dwindled noticeably. Adam lived 930 years. Seth 912 years. Enosh 905 years.

When life diminishes, light dims.

John 3:3-7
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

We need to be born again. The life of God now then resides in us. When the Holy Spirit lives in you, you start speaking in Tongues and start seeing visions and dreams.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to you on your new birth, to have dominion over the world (our original purpose).

Upon moving in the Spirit, start moving in the Gifts of the Spirit as well.

2 Corinthians 5:16
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

Hebrews 5:13-14
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

You have to pray and connect yourself to God. Learn to hear His voice.

John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.