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[0:00] Please do open up your Bibles back to Genesis chapter 5. We'll be looking just at chapter 5 today.! Then you go to their house and you finally meet their family and you realise, oh, that's why he's like that.

[0:39] That's where he gets it from. He's just like his family. Knowing where someone comes from, it explains why they are the way they are.

[0:50] And this is why genealogies, bloodlines, are so important in the Bible. They show us why we are the way we are. And this chapter in Genesis, it's doing just that.

[1:03] Stepping into this chapter, it's a bit like stepping into that family's house. But we're not meeting someone else's family. Did you notice whose family, whose bloodline this belongs to? Verse 1.

[1:16] These are the generations of Adam. We are going back to the origin of humanity. Where we all came from.

[1:27] And we're stepping back into our family tree. Every single person here. Your bloodline traces back to this one man.

[1:39] And so we can look at this bloodline and we can see why we are the way we are. And after the fall, this is especially important because if we follow the line after Adam, if we follow Adam's bloodline and see what that family is like, we can see what the fall has done to man.

[2:03] What sin has done to us. It's kind of like following the bloodline of sin. But also, bloodlines are really important in the Bible because do you remember the promise God made after the fall?

[2:17] Do you remember the promise that humanity left with as we went east of Eden? What are we waiting for this side of the fall?

[2:29] We're waiting for a family. And we're waiting for a son to come from that family to save the world. And so if you want to know what God is doing, if you want to follow the promise, if you want to find salvation, you need to watch the bloodlines.

[2:49] And this is what we have here. We're following the promise. Because this isn't only Adam's bloodline. This is specifically Seth's bloodline. So remember, Abel died.

[3:03] And remember, Cain isn't a part of God's chosen family. But now we have Seth. And so all eyes are on Seth. And so I want us to see two things today from this bloodline.

[3:17] I want us to see why we are the way we are. And I want us to see what God is doing in this family. Which matches up with the two things that we're always on the lookout for in these chapters.

[3:31] Remember, we're looking at chapters 4 to 11 over the next few weeks. And there are two things to look out for this east of Eden. Remember, it's sin and a son.

[3:43] Remember, get your magnifying glass out. And we're always looking for sin and a son. These chapters post-fall, they have a double focus. It's showing us what sin is like in this broken world east of Eden.

[3:57] And it's showing us how God is bringing a son out of this brokenness. So keep out your magnifying glasses. And keep looking for sin and a son.

[4:10] Because it's here in this bloodline. But the first thing we need to spot is this. It's something about us. We now belong to a mortal bloodline.

[4:23] That's my first point today. I've just got two points. My first one. We now belong to a mortal bloodline. So this genealogy, this bloodline, it begins with a recap.

[4:34] A reminder of how we're created. Look at verse 1. This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female, he created them.

[4:46] And he blessed them and named them man when they were created. So if we go back to our family home, we find out this about who we are.

[4:58] We are made in the image of God. We are made with a special design. In a special way. We are made to reflect who God is.

[5:10] Made male and female. Made to rule in this world. And made to reflect God in this world. With a pinnacle of creation. That's how we were originally created.

[5:23] That's the design. But a question remains after the fall. What has happened to the image? If everything has changed.

[5:34] If Adam has brought sin into this world. If there now exists a monster inside of us. What has happened to this image? What has happened to humanity?

[5:45] Can we even still be called the image of God? God. Because if you look around the world right now. If you look at what humanity is doing.

[5:56] If you look into your own heart. It feels like we're not. But look at verse 3. When Adam had lived 130 years.

[6:08] He fathered a son. In his own likeness. After his image. And named him Seth. Look what this is saying.

[6:19] Adam was originally created in God's likeness. After his image. And when Adam had children. Seth. He was born in the same likeness.

[6:32] And after the same image. Even after the fall. The image of God continues. Adam passes the image down the bloodline.

[6:44] It's like this genealogy is saying. From now on. East of Eden. Every human who is born. You, me, everyone. We are all born very, very special.

[6:58] Not just animals who wear clothes. Not just a bag of cells. Not just atoms colliding. No. We are born as precious. Invaluable images of God.

[7:08] Amazingly. This side of Eden. God still cares about humanity. We're his crowning jewel of creation.

[7:20] So, you need to know this about yourself. Never think that your life is worthless. You are just like Seth. The image of God continues in you. Now, we will see over the coming weeks.

[7:33] We will see that we are broken images. East of Eden. But we're still images. Still special. This is why we are the way we are.

[7:46] And the original command for humanity. The command to be fruitful and multiply. It's happening, isn't it? Our purpose still remains this side of Eden. And we see this in the genealogy.

[7:58] We get a bloodline of ten generations. Nine different sons, grandsons, coming from Adam. Which, again, is promising, isn't it? We're on the lookout for a son.

[8:11] God is doing something. And look, we have nine of them. And so, our image continues. And our purpose continues. And get out your magnifying glass.

[8:24] God's provision of a son continues. But, it's not all plain sailing in this bloodline.

[8:36] Something eerie, something ominous looms in this bloodline. Did you notice about the ages of each son's lifespan?

[8:49] Did you notice the numbers? Just look at the numbers. You don't need to be good at maths for this. So, look. All the days of Adam were 930 years. And then look at Seth, 912.

[9:02] Enosh, 905. Kenan, 910. Mahalal, 895. All the way down to Lamech, 777 years. Did you notice something about the numbers?

[9:15] They're all going down. Yes, you kind of have a few sons who live a little bit longer than their dads. But overall, the line is going down. Sin is eating away at these lifespans.

[9:29] It's like Adam was so close to eternal life. But as you get further away from Eden, and as sin eats away at the generations, life gets shorter and shorter and shorter.

[9:47] Further and further from eternal life. And then, there is an ominous, painful drumbeat in this bloodline.

[9:59] Did you notice how each generation ends? The same three words. And he died. Adam lived. And he died.

[10:09] Then there was Seth. And he died. And then he died. And he died. And he died. And he died. It's like this drumbeat.

[10:24] This inescapable, eerie drumbeat. Running through the bloodline of humanity. And this says something crucial about who we are this side of Eden.

[10:38] We are now mortal. We now belong to a mortal bloodline. We are a dying race. A people trapped under the curse of death.

[10:54] God promised Adam, if you eat this fruit, you shall surely die. God cursed Adam and said, you are dust and to dust you shall return.

[11:06] And here it is. Here are the dusty bodies. And he died. And he died. And he died. Adam let in the monster of sin.

[11:20] And he let in the monster of death. And this is who we are now. This is why we are the way we are. When we left the gates of Eden.

[11:33] As a family, we all entered a valley. We all now walk in this life through the valley of the shadow of death. And so there is a painful, relentless drumbeat in all of our lives.

[11:52] A drumbeat that follows us everywhere we go. And sometimes it's quieter. And you almost don't notice it.

[12:04] But sometimes that beat is very loud and painful. As you enter through the sliding doors of the hospital, you can hear it, can't you?

[12:15] As we prepare hymns for the funeral, you can feel it. And it's like this repetitive, painful, full stop at the end of each life.

[12:27] When we lived in America, Bethany and I, we lived right by a graveyard. And it was actually a Jewish graveyard. And it was really beautiful and well kept.

[12:40] And there was a path going around the whole graveyard. And we would go on walks and do loops of the graveyard. And we began to notice, as we spotted all the tombstones, we noticed that there were plots of land where everyone had the same surname.

[12:57] On the tombstones. And it turns out families would buy plots of land and be buried there all together as the generations went on. And so you'd see these big tombstones on one plot of land with a list of names and death dates at the top of the big tombstone.

[13:18] Just like this bloodline, kind of a generation going by. But there was a big empty space at the bottom. of these tombstones.

[13:30] And that space was there to add more names as time went on. And so you could be a grandson going to visit your grandfather's graveside and realize on the tombstone, my name's going to be there one day.

[13:47] And it may seem like a bit of a morbid walk I took Bethany on. But it was actually, it was really helpful. Because we so often forget that we're mortal.

[14:02] When we're younger, we try to drown out the drumbeat. When we're older, we try to run away from it. But seeing those tombstones, it helps us tune our ears back into that drumbeat.

[14:17] Wise living is knowing that there is a space on the tombstone waiting for us. But why is God showing us this about our bloodline? But why turn up the volume of this drumbeat?

[14:32] Well, it is to tune our ears into it. But also, this bloodline is here to show us that death is an unnatural intruder in this world.

[14:47] You may hear that death is just kind of a natural part of the natural circle of life. Death has always just been.

[14:58] But no, this bloodline shows us death is an unwelcome intruder from the fall. These numbers shouldn't be going down.

[15:10] In fact, these numbers shouldn't be there at all. Death isn't a part of God's design. And even if you're not a believer here today, I'm certain you already know this.

[15:24] You may say death is just normal. You may say it's just the circle of life. But when those tears come, you know, you know this isn't the way things should be.

[15:35] You know you should never have to say, and he died. And you're right to feel that. Because this isn't the way things should be.

[15:49] That is what this bloodline is showing us. Death may be common in this world, but it's not normal. That this drumbeat shouldn't be there. It is because sin has been eating away at our lives.

[16:06] And so this is showing us a sobering truth. This, this is what happens when you walk away from God. This intruder isn't here by accident.

[16:20] It's here because of our sin. We let him in, and now this is God's curse, weighing upon a world that has turned their backs on him.

[16:32] And so this drumbeat in our lives, it's a constant reminder, this is what happens when you walk away from God.

[16:44] This is why we are the way we are. And so when you hear this drumbeat in your life, realise what it is. It is a call to come back to God.

[16:57] It is a cry telling you that you need God. And amazingly, God cares. He cares that this intruder has entered his creation.

[17:11] He cares that his precious image is walking through this dark valley. And in fact, he cares so much that he gave his only son to join this list of names.

[17:27] To have those three painful words next to his own name, Jesus Christ lived 33 years, and he died. But, we know something else came after those three words.

[17:43] That wasn't the end of the story. There is a hope. And that hope can actually already be seen in this bloodline. Because there's something else going on.

[17:55] Yes, this shows us we belong to a mortal bloodline. But also, we see something else. We see God is creating an immortal bloodline.

[18:07] That's my second and final point today. God is creating an immortal bloodline. I want you to notice two names in this genealogy. Enoch in verse 21 and Lamech in verse 28.

[18:21] Now, this isn't Lamech. This isn't the bad Lamech from last week. This isn't Cain's descendant Lamech. This is the same name Lamech, but this is great Lamech. And I want you to to notice that these two sons, because there's something special, something out of the ordinary happening in this mortal bloodline.

[18:42] Look at Enoch, verse 21. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.

[18:55] Thus, all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. What stands out about Enoch's life?

[19:09] It says it twice, did you notice? Enoch walked with God. Now, what does this mean? This means Enoch had faith in God.

[19:19] Enoch knew the Lord. He prayed to God. He had communion with him. He devoted his life to him.

[19:30] When life was shaky, when the drumbeat was loud, Enoch trusted God. He lived his life. He walked through this dark valley, not on his own, not aimlessly, but Enoch walked through this valley by faith with God.

[19:46] And this, this is the life of everyone in the family of God. When you trust in God, God is not distant. He's not a backseat passenger in your life.

[19:59] No, when you trust in God, something remarkable happens. God walks with you. God stays by your side. That is, that's the blessing of the Christian life.

[20:13] And notice how this affects Enoch's biography. Firstly, it's the main thing mentioned about him, isn't it? We don't hear about his achievements, his bank balance, the size of his house.

[20:26] No, the most important thing about his whole 365 years on this planet is that Enoch walked with God. At the end of each of our lives, when the drumbeat hits, this is what matters.

[20:43] this is what we should pray people can say of us. He, she walked with God. And secondly, notice how this affects his ending.

[20:56] Did you notice there's no drumbeat at the end? It's missing three words. There's no and he died. Instead, it just says Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him.

[21:13] Enoch is one of two people in the Bible who never actually faced death. There's Elijah. Do you remember Elijah? He was taken up into heaven and then there's Enoch whom God took from this world.

[21:28] And like Elijah, God took him straight to heaven. Hebrews 11 even confirms this. Hebrews 11 says, by faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death and he was not found because God had taken him.

[21:47] And we don't know what this looked like. Maybe he was actually lifted up like Elijah or maybe he just disappeared. Maybe he was hanging out with a friend like, oh, Elijah, can you just pass me that?

[21:58] Oh, must have gone home. We don't know how it happened, what it looked like, but we do know why he was taken. Because Enoch walked with God.

[22:14] God loved Enoch so much. God loved Enoch so much that he didn't let Enoch face the drumbeat of death.

[22:30] And this is showing something remarkable this side of Eden. this is showing us, yes, this world is cursed. Yes, this drumbeat is everywhere, but actually there is a way to escape the curse of death.

[22:49] Yes, this world is filled with death, but there is a way to escape death itself. And how? It's not by running, it's by walking.

[23:02] walking with God, that is how you escape. This world is a valley of the shadow of death, but by faith we walk with God and God walks with us through this valley and he leads us out the other side, out of death itself.

[23:27] You walk away from God and there's only death, death, but you walk with God and there is life. And so get your magnifying glass out again.

[23:40] This is what God is doing in this world. Yes, we belong to a mortal bloodline, but from that mortal bloodline, God is creating an immortal bloodline.

[23:51] a new family whom God is leading out of this valley to escape the curse of death, who will live forever, who will be raised to immortality.

[24:05] Now for us, it won't be like Enoch. Unless the Lord returns, we will still face the drumbeat of death. But for those who walk with God, death will never be the end.

[24:18] died won't be the final word of your biography. Because like Christ, something comes after death. Something comes after this mortal life, the resurrection, everlasting life, immortality.

[24:38] And in that life, the drumbeat stops. And there is only, only rest. that's what lies at the end of this valley.

[24:52] And that is what God is doing in this world. From this mortal blood line, God is creating an immortal bloodline. And he's doing that by walking with his people.

[25:06] This drumbeat is eerie. It is too much to bear by ourselves. The grief is too painful. And so how do you escape this curse? come and walk with God.

[25:22] Walk by faith with God. And it may be a weak faith. The walk may be a struggle. You may not understand why God is taking you through this. But when you live by faith, there will be an end to this cursed world for you.

[25:39] There will be a finish line. And as you walk it, you will never be alone. death. This is why, as Christians, we don't need to run from death.

[25:52] Why we don't need to be scared about it. When death comes knocking on your door, when you walk with God, you can actually embrace death. Because you know this isn't the end.

[26:06] And the world can't do that. The world can't do anything like that. The world offers no hope after death. death. But when you walk with God, you know immortality runs through your blood.

[26:21] So ask yourself, after you die, what will your biography say? Will it just say, and he died? And she died?

[26:33] And that's it? Well, walk with God, and it will say so much more. And how is God doing this?

[26:45] How is God bringing this rest? Well, he's bringing us there by sending a son. And did you notice that there is someone else who passed this immortal bloodline, Lamech?

[26:57] And he's a man walking with God too, because look, he's a man clinging to God's promises. He knows a son is coming. He remembers Genesis 3.15.

[27:08] He's waiting for a son, and he knows what that son will bring, because look, get out your magnifying glass. When a son is born to him, verse 29, he calls him Noah.

[27:21] And Noah, it means rest in Hebrew. It's like calling your son rest face, right? Noah means rest. And so Lamech says very appropriately, out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief, rest, from our work, and from the painful toil of our hands.

[27:47] As he looks at his little son, he knows we can only escape this curse through a son. God is only bringing rest through a son, and he thinks this could be him.

[28:03] And so Noah is a very fitting name. and in a way Lamech is right. Noah is a son who will bring rest from the curse.

[28:14] And we'll focus on Noah in the coming weeks as we think about the flood. But Lamech is absolutely right about something here. Only a son can bring rest. But we know Noah only brings temporary rest.

[28:30] rest. We leave this blood line realizing we need a son who will bring final rest. A son to actually bring immortality to the mortal.

[28:44] And that is only found in the son of God. If you keep following this genealogy, and if you keep following the line of Seth, and if you keep seeing how God has been creating and protecting an immortal bloodline for himself, and if you keep following that bloodline down and down, son after son after son, eventually you get to a final son.

[29:13] You get to a boy born in Bethlehem to bring this world rest. And in the Lord Jesus, God has come down into this valley to experience this valley of death for us.

[29:33] To actually feel the drumbeat in his soul, to have the words, and he died next to his name. And to not only feel the curse of death, but to bear it.

[29:46] To carry it all on that cross for us. As he cried out in agony, as he took his last breath, that was the full weight of the curse of death, landing on the son of God.

[30:00] And he did this to walk with his family, to know the pain that you go through in order to lead us out of it. Because he's already come out the other side.

[30:15] As Jesus left that tomb, that was the final son being clothed in immortality. that was the final son bringing rest to this world.

[30:29] And for everyone who walks with God, for everyone who walks with faith in his son, Christ shares this immortality with you. And so the church, we are the immortal blood line.

[30:46] But not simply because we were born with the right blood, but because we are cleansed with the right blood. And so we can look back at this blood line and we can actually see as Christians why we are the way we are.

[31:02] Why can we sing no guilt in life, no fear in death? Why can we proclaim Christ our only hope in life and death? Because we are now part of an immortal blood line.

[31:17] That is why we are the way we are. It's all because of the sun. So as you walk this dark valley, we will all face mortality.

[31:30] We will all hear this drum beat, but there is a way to escape it. Walk with God and you will belong to something immortal. Let's pray.

[31:42]  Let's pray.