17th Sunday after Pentecost, Morning Worship, October 5, 2025
Sermon Series: Rick Warren’s Transformed – Week 5 Relational Health
Sermon: Facing the Fears that Ruin Relationships
Accompanying Scripture: Genesis 3 : 8 – 15
Facing the Fears that Ruin Relationships
Genesis 3:8-15
It was perfect.
In the second creation story, “God formed the man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.” (Gen 2:7)
As we continue reading in Genesis 2, we learn that God planted a garden in Eden and placed the man in it. Trees and all kinds of plant life that were pleasing to see and eat could be found there. Including the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The man’s job was “to till and to keep the garden.” Everything was permitted to the man, with the exception of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God completed the instruction with these words, “…for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
That was clear. The entire garden is yours to enjoy and care for. Hands off one tree.
God, being a relational God, decided that more was needed. The man should not be alone. He began with animals. After each animal was created, the man named it. But they weren’t the right companion for the man.
So, God created woman. It was love at first sight. They lived together in the garden, and the story is completed with the words, “they were not ashamed.”
Their world was perfectly perfect.
What could possibly go wrong? Right?
Actually, a lot could go wrong, and it did.
Why is it that when life is going well for us, something happens to mess it up? Some are fond of the saying, “expect the worst and hope for the best.” Or, “Expect the worst and you won’t be disappointed.”
I suppose we say that because life happens. We no longer live in that lovely Garden of Eden. We try our best, but we trip and stumble. We try our best, but sometimes others provide the
stumbling blocks.
Enter the serpent. Temptation. Lies. Spinning of the truth. We all fall into the trap. It’s how we handle it, that matters.
The woman listens and tries a taste. Then she offers the man a taste. And that was it. Their eyes were opened and they were ashamed.
And afraid.
God appears in the garden at the “time of the evening breeze.” This is meant to be a time with the creator, enjoying all the goodness of God. Instead, it’s zero hour.
Let’s turn to our bulletins and fill in some blanks.
Three Fears
- The fear of exposure makes me distant.
But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:9-10)
The damage is done. Shame, cover-up, and distance from God own the day. - Fear of disapproval makes me defensive.
12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12)
The woman created to be “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” is thrown under the bus. Shame has led to cover-up and blaming. So, of course, she has to find someone to blame: the serpent. - Fear of losing control makes me demanding.
The man and the woman lost control of their future and their destiny. What was beautiful, loving, and caring has been destroyed. Things will never be the same again.
The antidote to fear is…Love.
We read in I John 4:18 the following: “18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in
love.
It will be perfect love who will sit down at the sewing machine to create clothing for the man and woman. There will be consequences to pay, but God is still in love with them.
It was perfect love that suffered on the cross. God is still in love with us.
How to live in God’s love:
Every day, I surrender my heart (the center of my emotions) to God.
Every day I remember the way God loves me.
- I’m completely accepted
- I’m unconditionally loved.
- I’m considered extremely valuable.
It doesn’t get better than that, does it? We’re going to make mistakes. It’s how we handle them that matters to us and to God. We don’t have to ruin relationships; we don’t have to blame others; no one needs to suffer so that we may feel unashamed. Mature love calls us to own what we’ve done. Mature love reaches out to our Savior with repentance and a prayer for new life made whole.
Love does four things:
- Extends grace.
- Expresses faith.
- Expect the best
- Endures the worst.
The Good News is that every single day, God loves us, accepts us, forgives us, and considers us extremely valuable. We resist because we fear exposure, disapproval, and losing control. And
so we hide.
Say yes to surrendering to God daily. Say yes to remembering all the ways that God loves us. Say yes to extending that love to others.
Face the fears that ruin your relationships.
You’ll be amazed at the results.
All glory and honor be to God.
Amen.