sermonette: Moldy Bread and Spoiled Milk
A World of Corruption
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Given 26-Sep-26; Sermon #FT26-01AMs; 19 minutes
Description: (show)
Everyday decay—spoiled milk, rotting bread—illustrates entropy, a natural process God designed from the beginning, evidenced by Adam's pre-fall mandate to tend the garden. Far from being merely a consequence of sin, decay serves vital ecological functions, recycling minerals for new growth. Romans 8:18-23 reveals creation's subjection to futility as a hopeful "groaning," anticipating redemption. Genesis 3:17-23 describes the curse not as destruction but as discipline: nature's productivity throttled and human lifespans shortened, while pollution and erosion signal these current struggles. Yet these are birth pangs, not death pangs, pointing toward restoration where nature will flourish within enduring natural cycles. As living stones in a spiritual house (1 Peter 2), Christians are called out of this corrupted age. Decay thus serves as a potent reminder of our temporary exile, directing gratitude toward an incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance secured by Christ's resurrection (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Have you ever gone out to your kitchen? To get a little breakfast in the morning. Filled your bowl with your favorite cereal. And poured the milk over that mounted goodness in your bowl. And Rubbing your hands in anticipation. You put that first spoonful into the the bowl of cereal. You raise it to your mouth. You put it into your mouth. And discover to your horror that the milk is sour. A whole bowl of cereal. And a carton of milk absolutely wasted. Same happens when you grab the moldy cheese from the the drawer. Or you find mold on your bread. Or you find that your meat has spoiled. What a disappointment. What waste. Now, what I've described. In general, is the process of decay. According to some Protestants, it's all a result of Adam's sin in the garden. And I do not think so, at least not completely. It's a natural process that God created for physical matter. I get the impression that these particular Protestants believe everything would have continued in a perfect pristine condition if Adam had not sinned. That is so I ask Why did God command Adam to tend and keep the garden? This was before his sin. Just that command. Tells me That it would Begin to go wild. If you did not tend it, then things were, would automatically end up. In a state of. Mess, for lack of a better word you should see, have seen some of my gardens at home. I did not keep that law very well. But this process is called entropy, where things just automatically go toward chaos, they break down. So I think God intended from the very beginning for food, food to spoil. For metals to oxidize, leaves to brown and fall in the autumn. Grass to wither under the sun, moths to eat holes in your nice wool suits. And so forth. Everything breaks down. Everything physical breaks down. Even water goes stagnant. He created this process, I'm sure. Not just as a natural cycle with all sorts of benefits. If you did not have rotting you would find that after a little bit of time, it would be hard to grow anything. Because those minerals go back into the soil and feed another generation. But he created this process for spiritual reasons as well. We can always get a a spiritual principle out of a lot of these physical laws. Now one of those spiritual reasons. Is as a constant reminder to humanity and specifically to us that. We are flesh. We are physical We're caught in the same cycle with the rest of creation, of birth, of life. Of decline. I happen to be in that stage. And death. As all other physical things in this world. More than that, it is a reminder that God provides a way. Past that. A way to eternal life. With never after that, the possibility of decay or death. Let's go to Romans the 8th chapter. We're going to see a few things here in the writings of Paul. We'll start in verse 18 and we will go down through verse 23. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope. Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God, for we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. And not only they, but we also who have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves. Eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption. Of our body Now in this passage, Paul writes about the sufferings. Of the sufferings or corruption. Of our present age as compared to life in his kingdom. Our coming glory. It is so wonderful that there is actually no comparing the two. One is just terrible and the other one is just so amazing that there is no middle ground, it seems. And part of the reason why they do not compare well is that this age is a physical age, a material age it's an age of flesh, of carnality. In the age to come, of course, is spiritual. You cannot compare an age of sin and corruption. To one of righteousness and eternal life. I mean, look at II Peter 3:13. I'll just go there. Uh, myself here, II Peter 3:13 says, nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. That's so very different from the age we live in. So What does Paul mean then by the By saying the creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. In verse 20 Paul says that sin has indeed affected the entire physical creation. And what he's doing here is he's referring to God's curse. In Genesis 3:17 through 19. We might as well look at that too, just so we all know what we are talking about here. Genesis 3:17-19. Then to Adam he said, Because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it. Cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken, for dust you are, and to dust you shall return. So Here in the, the curse upon Adam as we call it, uh. God did something to nature. Nature Was confined, you might say it was throttled. To make it more difficult for man to survive and thrive. God did something to nature. To keep it from reaching its full growth and potential productivity. He did this to mankind as we went through the, the first few millennium of human existence. We went from men like Adam living 960 years down to David telling us in Psalm 90 that we are lucky if we get to 80. We get our score and 10, and if we are healthy and strong, we, we get to 80. Man's lifespan was throttled down to less than 10%. So At present, nature is not free. Nature is not at liberty to do what God designed it to do. God designed into physical nature immense productivity, immense fruitfulness. But to make it hard on man because of his sin against him, not obeying what he had said. And he said, OK, Now you're really in for it. You're going to have to work hard. This is a result Of your sin But we have other scriptures, we will not go to them, where it says that in in the millennium, God's going to restore that productivity and beauty. So, like I said, at the present time, it's not free or at liberty to do what God originally designed it to do. What that tells me is in God's kingdom, when he finally turns on nature's ability to produce once again, The natural cycles will continue. Physical life forms. Well, still mature. They'll produce Uh, they will decline They'll die And they will rot. Because that's all a part of the cycle that he set up. For physical life on this earth. We do not have to worry about immortal string beans. Or hamsters that run their wheel forever. But they will reach their full potential, whatever that is. So, through this curse that we read there back in Genesis 3, God subjected the material creation to futility or frustration. In the hope, he says, of the glorious future of the children of God. And what does this mean? It means that he made nature suffer the abuses and catastrophes of sin while he worked out his plan for the salvation of mankind. We see evidence of the sufferings of nature, the frustrations of nature. All across this world. Due to human sin. We have foul air, polluted rivers, trash in our oceans. Depleted soil, erosion everywhere. Uh, eradicated and endangered species, denuded landscapes, etc. These are all affecting nature because of what we do to it. But did you notice as we came through Romans 8? And verse 22 especially, that Paul expresses these groans and labors of nature, not as death pangs, but as birth pangs, which is incredible. In other words, These pains that nature is going through. are Pains labors, what have you, out of which God is producing his children. And we groan too, it says, because we are going through the painful process of overcoming sin and it's terrible and corrupt consequences. Yeah, it's not easy being a Christian in a world that is full of sin. We eagerly await our change to spirit life just as the creation waits to be free of the ravages of sin so it can flourish once again as God intended. Let's go to I Peter 2. I Peter 2 We'll read the 1st 5 verses and skip down to verse 9. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking. As newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, coming to Him as a living stone rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious, you also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood. To offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Verses 9 and 10, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Sour milk And moldy bread. Give us a literal smell and taste of a world and an age trapped in a state of corruption. It should be a reminder. That we do not live in God's world, but in one corrupted by sin and darkness, decay, and death. But that thought should immediately be followed by thanksgiving to God. That he chose us. Each as an individual to come to Christ, to come to the way, the truth, and the life. To become his holy special people, to serve him and rule with him in a kingdom that will never fade away. In a kingdom where rot and rust and spoilage and those type of things will never come to mind, ultimately, uh. After the great white throne judgment. Looking verse chapter 1, verses 3 through 5. Expresses this idea. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last day or the last time. Now, think about this as we take up the offering. Deuteronomy 16:17 in God's instruction concerning holy day offerings says, every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God, which he has given you. So ask yourself this. How much is God's calling? To an incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance worth to you.
RTR/aws+/
Sermon Topics
The Gospel
