What's your location
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 8/1/2023Genesis 3:9
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41:09
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez explores God's question to Adam, 'Where are you?', challenging listeners to evaluate their spiritual condition, stop making excuses for their mistakes, and reclaim their God-given identity as leaders and creators.
Key points
- •God does not ask questions because He lacks information, but to prompt self-reflection and a change in condition.
- •Sin causes a shift in perception where things once holy and natural, like nudity in the garden, become sources of shame and fear.
- •Every person has a 'Godly sound' chasing them-a conviction from the Holy Spirit intended to draw them back into fellowship even when they are hiding.
- •Accountability in the family starts with leadership; God holds the man responsible for the direction of the home, regardless of who initiated the mistake.
- •Redemption is found when we stop making excuses (blaming others or the enemy) and start speaking life and identity over ourselves and our families.
Scripture
Purpose
Repentance
Discipleship
Family
Authority
Life application
Identify one area where you have been hiding from God or avoiding responsibility, and instead of making excuses, pray for the courage to admit your 'location' to Him this week. Take a step of leadership in your home by speaking words of life and purpose over your spouse and children, just as Adam named Eve in the midst of their trial.
Reflection questions
- When God asks 'Where are you?' in your life right now, is He referring to your physical location or the condition of your heart?
- Who have you been blaming for your current circumstances, and how does that blame prevent you from hearing God's voice?
- What 'forbidden fruits' of society have you been consuming that are causing you to lose sight of your God-given identity?
- How can you better 'listen for the sound' of God this week instead of running away in fear or shame?
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Full transcript
0:01I'm going to ask you to turn in your
0:04Bible
0:07to the Book of Genesis chapter 3.
0:11we're going to go to the beginning
0:14Genesis chapter 3
0:18begin at verse 9.
0:26the Bible says but the Lord God called
0:29the man and said to him
0:33where are you
0:35and he said I heard the sound of you in
0:38the garden and I was afraid because I
0:41was naked and I hid myself
0:46he said who told you you were naked
0:51have you eaten of the tree of which I
0:54commanded you not to eat
0:59the man said
1:01the woman whom you gave
1:04to be with me
1:07she gave me the fruit of the tree and I
1:11act
1:13then the Lord God said to the woman
1:16what is this
1:19that you have done
1:21the woman said
1:24the serpent deceived me
1:28and I it
1:30nobody wants to take responsibility
1:35bless this word today we pray in Jesus
1:38name amen
1:41I want to ask a quick question before I
1:43let you go today
1:46what's your location
1:49where are you
1:52on this journey of life
1:57the life that we're supposed to be in
1:59the will of God
2:01where are you
2:03do you know where you are
2:06and maybe a more important question
2:09do you know where you're going
2:12you see this is a question all of us as
2:16men need to answer
2:19we need to state where we are as it
2:22relates to our identity
2:24purpose vision
2:28relationship with God
2:31where are you
2:33do you know who you are brothers
2:38fathers do you really know who you are
2:40as it relates to being a father
2:43the importance of stepping up to the
2:46plate
2:47stepping up to your responsibility
2:50and be a father
2:53do you understand your purpose as a man
2:55are you getting it mixed up
2:58your role as a father and as a man with
3:02something else
3:04do you have a vision
3:06do you have a vision
3:08could it be that our society is so
3:11screwed up today is because men the
3:13leaders we have no vision and you know
3:16what the Bible says without a vision
3:19people will perish
3:22and where are you with your relationship
3:24with God
3:26do you know him do you care to know him
3:31and perhaps you knew him once
3:35but you've turned your back on him
3:39it is a fact that today we have a crisis
3:42around the world
3:45and it has nothing to do with crime the
3:50economy nor racism
3:53even though those are issues we need to
3:56deal with but that's not our problem
3:58today
4:00you see the crisis is our inability to
4:04stay on course with God's plan for our
4:07lives
4:08that's the struggle how do we stay on
4:12course how do we stay on the path that
4:16God has for us
4:19the question is still being asked today
4:21where
4:23are you
4:25where are you are you in the will of God
4:28for your life are you being at your best
4:32for God are you just living an average
4:35life
4:36are you being the best man or woman
4:39you were created to be or are you hiding
4:45from God because you know you are off
4:49course with where he wants you to be
4:54you've drifted
4:57and only you know that
5:00you can try to sugarcoat it or hide it
5:03but you ought to know where you are it
5:05is a sad condition to be in when you
5:08don't know your location
5:11when you don't you cannot definitively
5:14say at this stage of your life I'm here
5:17I'm here I'm here I know I'm doing this
5:20and I know this is my purpose I know
5:22this is my vision
5:25it's a sad state to be in if you don't
5:28know where you are so let's be honest
5:30most of us as men and fathers can say
5:34that we have allowed the enticing
5:37distractions of life to derail us
5:42from God's path
5:44for our lives
5:46that a whole lot of enticing things out
5:48there
5:49somehow it has derailed us
5:52so we've lost our sense of purpose
5:56verse 9 of Genesis 3 tells us that God
5:59called the man and asked him where are
6:05you what a question
6:08what a question
6:10God who knows everything
6:14God who has a GPS and every one of us we
6:19cannot hide from him we cannot turn off
6:22our GPS on him
6:26he knows you he knows when he created
6:28you he know where he has placed you he
6:31knows every move you will ever make on
6:34the earth and here it is he created the
6:38man and he was asking the man
6:42where
6:44are you
6:47for one moment you would think
6:49the man is lost
6:53for God to be asking the man where are
6:55you you see you need to understand this
6:58God wasn't really asking the man his
7:01location
7:06because you cannot hide from God
7:10what God was really asking the man
7:13was what kind of condition
7:17are you in
7:20how did you get to where you are
7:24that's not my plan for your life
7:28and I believe that there are men in this
7:30room men who are streaming Around The
7:32World God is asking you this question I
7:35know what country you live in I know
7:37what city you live in I know your
7:39address
7:41but I do not know
7:44the condition you're in because that was
7:46not a part of my plan for your life
7:50[Applause]
7:56up until this point
7:58in the text of Genesis chapter 3.
8:03this man that we later know as Adam
8:07was only referred to as a man
8:10I'm gonna show you something powerful
8:11here
8:12a man who was given the ability
8:15to do and to reproduce and to be great
8:20and was given the authority to name
8:24things
8:27to name things
8:30this man according to the scripture we
8:34did not know his name
8:36all we know
8:38him as a man and we certainly didn't
8:42know his wife as Eve
8:47chicken all the way
8:49to verse 13.
8:52we didn't know even to verse 19 we
8:55didn't know them as Adam and Eve all we
8:59knew is that the Bible referred to them
9:01as man and woman so it's very important
9:05that you and I remember this especially
9:08to where this message has taken us that
9:13up until the point when God asked them
9:17or asked the man where are you
9:21they were only referred to as man
9:25and woman
9:27very interesting here
9:28God called The Man
9:31but don't miss what happened next verse
9:3510 tells us that the man answered and
9:38said because God
9:40ask him where are you he responded
9:46and the Bible says I heard the man
9:51answered I heard
9:54the sound
9:56of you in the garden
9:59close your eyes everybody for a moment
10:01it's a quick exercise just just be being
10:02for a minute close your eyes
10:06I want to take you back
10:09from 2023.
10:12back to the beginning
10:14boom open your eyes
10:17it's the beginning
10:21Adam said
10:24I heard you
10:26how I heard you
10:28I heard your foot
10:35you're watching a movie Bigfoot
10:39it was like God
10:41well just walk in
10:44around
10:46and Adam said I didn't see you
10:49because no man can see God
10:52and live
10:55for some reason
10:57before this point
11:00he not only could hear God but he could
11:04experience God
11:07but when he sinned
11:10all he could say
11:12I heard
11:16a sound
11:19of God
11:21in the garden a sound
11:24anytime you walk out of the will of God
11:28there's always going to be a Godly sound
11:32chasing after you
11:36oh somebody better receive that
11:40you want to know why you're feeling
11:42uncomfortable right now in this sermon
11:44you want to know why every time you turn
11:47on television or radio or somebody
11:49speaking to your life somehow there's a
11:52sound trying to bring you back to God
11:55you cannot hide from God he will climb
11:59mountains he'll cross rivers to find you
12:05he said I heard the sound of you in the
12:08garden and I was afraid why would you be
12:10afraid it's not that you're not used to
12:13the presence of God but something went
12:16wrong man
12:19something went wrong
12:22I was afraid
12:23somebody is streaming somebody's in this
12:26room and you're afraid
12:27you're afraid of God
12:30but why was the man afraid
12:33the man in Genesis gave us the answer he
12:36said watch this I was naked
12:41and I was afraid
12:43this is very interesting here
12:46because the man and the woman being
12:48naked was never something God considered
12:53shameful
12:55nudity was never an issue with God
13:01man's mind was so pure
13:06was so holy
13:08that Adam man and the woman were all
13:13walking around the garden butt naked
13:17and they didn't have a smutty thinking
13:19like you
13:21the moment I say butt naked oh all of a
13:24sudden you woke up out of your sleep
13:26because I was putting you to sleep
13:30before fact
13:33we didn't have a nasty think in mind
13:38he said I was naked
13:40somehow
13:42he had a different revelation of nudity
13:49somehow
13:52he allowed the enemy to come in and take
13:54what was
13:56holy and normal and natural
14:01make it something
14:03shameful
14:05there are parts of the world today as we
14:07live
14:08there are people walking around nude
14:11it's normal
14:13if you and I look at it oh God
14:16it's normal
14:18but when your definition
14:22of nudity is messed up based on the
14:27western
14:28interpretation of it
14:31just like Adam
14:34then you become shameful
14:36God had to respond
14:39to him
14:42who told you you were naked
14:47Brothers
14:49who told you
14:52that you are lost
14:55that you are
14:57a shameful individual
15:01that you are you've been strapped
15:04of God's glory over your life
15:09and then God asked him this follow-up
15:11question to that
15:13have you eaten of the tree of which I
15:16have commanded you not to eat
15:19you see none of us should be shocked by
15:22the fact that history right here is
15:24repeating itself today
15:28it is because men are still hiding from
15:31God
15:33and God is making his sound throughout
15:38the Earth
15:41and men are still hiding
15:45men are still hiding
15:47fathers are still hiding though the
15:50person whom he has created us to be
15:54we have allowed
15:56then Tyson things of the world
16:01to cause us to walk out of our character
16:06and God is asking who told you you're
16:09not a father
16:13who told you you're not a man you should
16:16be something else
16:19who told you
16:22you're saying I made a mistake
16:25who told you
16:28if you believe in the Bible if you don't
16:30believe in the Bible nothing I say
16:31wouldn't make any sense to you right now
16:32but if you cannot believe in parts of
16:35the Bible and don't believe in the
16:36others let's go back to the beginning
16:38when God was walking through the Earth
16:42and he created a sound because you
16:44couldn't see him
16:46he's still walking in the Earth today
16:48right in this moment and he's asking men
16:52who told you you're not a man
16:58who told you you're not a father
17:03[Applause]
17:04who told you
17:07who told you it's okay
17:11to lay down in bed and sleep with a
17:14woman and out of that comes a child
17:18and for 30 years
17:20you haven't seen your children
17:26that you can feel normal as a man that
17:29I've created you to to be a reproducer
17:32created you to be a provider
17:35that you can walk on the planet
17:38and you're out there driving your fancy
17:40cars
17:42live in your dream
17:45when your daughter and your sons
17:49have yet to feel the fatherly love
17:53from you who told you
17:57that was okay
18:00who told you
18:03have you eaten
18:06of the fruit
18:08from society
18:12that says
18:13it is okay to violate the laws of God
18:17and have an independent mind
18:21do what you want to do and don't let
18:24these preachers and these church people
18:26tell you anything
18:30you're free
18:32to do whatever you want to do it's your
18:35body it's your mind
18:37who gave you that information
18:41who
18:46have you eaten
18:48of the fruit the forbidden fruit I told
18:51you not to eat off
18:55shouldn't be shocked by this today
18:58when men are missing their place in God
19:01today God is still asking men the same
19:04question where are you
19:07so please see yourself as a man or a
19:09woman in the Book of Genesis 3
19:11individuals are hiding from God because
19:14we know we are off course as it relates
19:17to God's plan for our lives we're of
19:21course
19:22man and woman in the Book of Genesis
19:25were of course
19:26I'm going to prove it to you in a minute
19:28as I try to wrap this up
19:31totally Two Perfect People he placed
19:34them in the garden
19:36both were naked no clothes there was no
19:40no no JCPenney's no Dillards there were
19:43no there was none of them department
19:45stores
19:47that they didn't need clothes
19:49and it was perfectly normal
19:53and cuddly
19:57didn't have to work
19:59didn't have to worry about insurance
20:02mortgage
20:04child support
20:07have to worry about anything
20:09they were in a perfect environment
20:13and they allowed
20:16the subtleness of the devil
20:20through the form of a snake
20:23who by the way prior to God cursing the
20:27snake the snake had legs
20:31I'll prove it to you later
20:34it wasn't until the snake got with the
20:37woman and at a conversation with the
20:39woman and tricked her and then the woman
20:42came to her husband and that's why I'm
20:45telling you women you have the power to
20:48make a man or break a man
20:52you have that influence
20:55she took it it was not Adam who sinned
20:59first the man
21:03why didn't the serpent search for the
21:07man first
21:12why didn't the serpent look for the man
21:15first
21:18and try to
21:20sweet talk him
21:23because
21:24you can't sweet talk most men man
21:27women
21:29hey
21:33thank you
21:35you look at mighty fine today
21:41see
21:42men could be lying through their teeth
21:46we tell you something
21:48oh thank you
21:56the serpent found
21:59the woman
22:02let me bring out three things here in
22:05Genesis 3 number one
22:07in spite of our sins
22:10God is still
22:12in and around our lives
22:16seeking to have a conversation with us
22:20if he never loved the man
22:25you know what he would have done
22:28when Adam the man
22:31disobeyed his law
22:33you know what he would have done
22:35God would have just walked away from him
22:38the man would have just died
22:41but what would make a god
22:44who gave a man the perfect environment
22:49blessed him
22:52gave him everything and he screwed it up
22:57that he turned around
23:07where is Adam
23:10where is he
23:13I need to find him
23:16you see me and you we have no reason to
23:18do that
23:20how many people have done us wrong
23:24and we ain't that loving
23:28that after you bite me
23:30after you stabbed me in my back
23:33after you betrayed me
23:35I am not searching this word looking for
23:38you
23:39in fact if I look for you I'm going to
23:41kill you
23:44why would God walk the earth looking for
23:48a man not to kill him
23:52but to have a conversation
23:57could it be that God is searching
24:00for you right now
24:02to have a conversation to ask you
24:05what's your location
24:08where do you stand with me
24:12would you stand with me
24:14so that's the thing we need to know in
24:16spite of our sins he's still looking for
24:19us because he's not religion
24:22he's not like religious people you mess
24:25up up they want to have nothing to do
24:27with you God will go to hell to get you
24:31back
24:32that's how much
24:34he loves you
24:37number two
24:38when it comes to family
24:40god holds the man accountable
24:43regardless of who committed to sin when
24:47it comes to leadership
24:48the man is responsible
24:51I prove it to you let's look at verse 12
24:53of Genesis 3 and the Bible says and the
24:56man said the woman you gave to be with
25:01me she gave me the the fruit of the tree
25:05and I edit
25:07what he was saying I didn't I didn't
25:10start this God
25:13I I I never had a conversation with
25:16the serpent
25:19my wife
25:21she she she just brought stuff home
25:27and and she just just telling me how
25:29good it was
25:31and you know I you told me to love her
25:36so because I loved her I just went and I
25:38had a conversation then the Lord said to
25:41the woman I love this
25:44two people
25:46man and woman
25:48God start talking to the man hey dude
25:50well what what what's happening
25:53where are you
25:55and you're naked who told you that
25:58see this woman here
26:01she gave it to me
26:04I didn't start this God
26:06then the next thing the Bible says
26:09then God
26:11first
26:13he said to the woman
26:15what have you done
26:18what have you done
26:20what is this that you have done
26:29ladies hold on to your seat real quick
26:33it's gonna be tough
26:36if you sisters don't think God's gonna
26:38hold you accountable
26:41for leading your man in the wrong path
26:45you got something else coming
26:49this is Bible
26:52before God dealt with Adam
26:55the man
26:57because we're going to talk about his
26:58the naming of them Adam and Eve later
27:03God said to the woman
27:05what is this that you have done
27:09the woman said the serpent deceived me
27:11nobody wants to take the plane
27:14he said it's the woman he went to the
27:17woman because he's saying I gave you
27:20this man
27:23for him
27:25to lead you in the path of righteousness
27:28not to dominate you
27:31to lead you in the path of righteousness
27:34and you allow the serpent the devil
27:40to make you go home
27:42and say the wrong stuff to your man
27:46that you allowed him to walk out of his
27:49character as a leader
27:52to follow your lustful desires
27:55what have you done
28:00what have you done
28:03that you've enticed
28:05you but whatever you did to get him
28:09to submit to violate in my laws
28:15and when she said oh it's a serpent
28:18then God stepped over
28:20and look at the serpent and he said from
28:22this day forward you will crawl on your
28:26belly serpent had legs
28:30it wasn't a creep in crawling animal
28:34God cursed it
28:38and said you're going to creep you're
28:40going to crawl on your belly
28:44and then when he got done
28:46with them
28:48right after God heard the man's response
28:51he dealt with them and he said because
28:54you have listened to the voice of your
28:56wife
28:57he's talking to the man listen man
29:00you must hear me on this
29:03you're a leader
29:06you're a leader
29:09it is okay to stand up with respect
29:14and say no
29:17as the leader of this house
29:20this is not what God wants us to do and
29:24if she's a Godly woman
29:27she's going to say okay
29:30let's do what God wants us to do God
29:33said because you have listened to the
29:36voice of your woman
29:39and have eaten of the tree of which I've
29:41commanded you
29:43you shall not eat of it
29:45it finally dawned on me
29:51I never saw this before
29:54you shall not eat of it
29:57it wasn't that God never wanted
30:01the man to eat of it
30:07quite past
30:08that this tree that was forbidden God
30:11said don't touch it
30:13it's quite possible that God was
30:16preserving it for a particular season
30:22because after they sinned he then said
30:26to them you will not eat of it
30:30watch me everybody those of you are
30:31streaming
30:33I wonder how many blessings you have
30:36never and will never partake of
30:40because you disobeyed God
30:45I wonder how many good stuff God had put
30:48on the calendar for you to bless you I'm
30:51going to give you this and because you
30:53disobeyed him God says you'll never have
30:56it
30:58cancel you'll never have it cancel
31:00you'll never have it that will never
31:02happen that will never happen that will
31:04never happen that will never happen
31:07because you walked out of his perfect
31:09will but here's the thing that I love
31:12let's go to verse 20 and I'm going to
31:15close because the third thing you need
31:16to know about Genesis 3 God has a plan
31:20to get you back in his will
31:23I love this
31:25Genesis 20. is the best part of this
31:29message where are you I love this
31:34where are you where's your ability to
31:37become powerful and to and to call
31:40things the way you see them where's your
31:42ability men to be creators and inventors
31:45and to be able to be powerful enough
31:50to use your Authority on the Earth
31:54it was in verse 20 after man messed up
31:57after the woman messed up
32:00and God redeemed them and this is why I
32:03Love The Gospel that I preach God will
32:06correct us and sometimes it feels bad
32:09when God is up in our face but he never
32:12leave us hopeless
32:16verse 20 here's what it says
32:19the man the man the man everybody saved
32:23the man
32:25it wasn't God
32:27the man
32:29the man called his wife
32:34Eve
32:35oh
32:40after his wife
32:43messed up
32:46sent him down the wrong path
32:50after God cursed
32:52the serpent
32:55and cause a woman to have a monthly
32:57cycle with all kinds of drama in it
33:02for a lifetime
33:05pre-menopause menopause and that there's
33:08something men on pause
33:13figure that out
33:19to all of that
33:24the man did not go to his wife like many
33:28men
33:29when we're ticked off
33:33we're quick
33:34we go to a woman and we lash out
33:37and we start calling her all kinds of
33:41names
33:43look what this man did
33:46right after they messed up
33:49right after they lost everything because
33:52of her
33:54he said
33:56your name
33:58will be Eve
34:02men are you walking in your in your
34:04ability
34:06to forgive
34:08look at the bigger picture
34:11and Speak Life
34:14that you can look into your children's
34:16life no matter how much they disappoint
34:19you you can look at that mother whether
34:22you're married to her or not
34:24and you can call her
34:26by her name
34:29God never named her
34:32oh man if it was some of us after that
34:36we we not name in her Eve
34:41evil
34:43that's the name
34:48work with me here Brothers
34:51but he called her a name
34:54Eve and then he gave himself the power
34:59to say
35:02I'm Adam
35:05power
35:07of the words of a man
35:11that you see yourself as
35:13Adam Adam
35:17that you are the man
35:19that God is appointed
35:21Eve
35:23I see you
35:25as something out of me
35:30we're both dysfunctional
35:33we're both hurt
35:36we both made mistakes
35:39we're both accountable
35:45but you're Eve
35:48you are my help me
35:51so where I am as a man Adam's speaking
35:56I am getting right back
35:59on the path that God has called me to be
36:03and that is a creator
36:06a blesser
36:09a multiplier
36:11oh yes Adam could have called himself
36:13dumb stupid
36:15a backslider a sinner
36:18he didn't do that
36:20a cheater no he didn't do that
36:24she is Eve my wife
36:28I am Adam close your eyes please let's
36:31pray
36:33are you man enough right where you're
36:36seated right where you're at at home
36:38to say right now
36:40I know where I'm at
36:43and I need to find my way back to God
36:47it's all up to you
36:49you can keep speaking the negative words
36:52maybe you've been saying stuff to that
36:55woman in your life that that's hurtful
36:57they're women they may be sitting right
36:58next to you and they know
37:00you have yet to call her Eve blessed
37:04woman out of you
37:08where are you
37:10have your heart gotten so hard that you
37:12cannot get back on track
37:15on this Father's Day
37:19see yourself as Adam
37:22the father
37:24of the nation
37:27the father
37:28who speaks life and blessings
37:32in the midst of chaos and dysfunction
37:34father I thank you
37:36for this word that you've released today
37:42we're now in your will
37:45[Music]
37:46we're going to find our way back to you
37:52so that you can be pleased with us
37:56I pray for every man under the sound of
37:59my voice
38:00they will take this message today and
38:03have a sense of knowing that you are
38:05with them
38:08and you love them enough that you will
38:11chase after them
38:13and you really want to know
38:17where they are
38:18bless Every Woman
38:22that on this day she will understand her
38:24role
38:26that she's been called to be a woman
38:31who searches after you
38:33who wants to be in your perfect will
38:38we receive this word today and we'll
38:40meditate on it all week long
38:43and we'll give you all the praise and
38:45the honor and the glory
38:49if you know in your heart
38:52that you don't have the Lord as your
38:54personal savior
38:56that yes you're not on course you are
38:59off
39:01and you hear God calling you today
39:03saying where are you
39:06be honest
39:08I'm not the man you've called me to be
39:11I'm not the woman you've called me to be
39:13and if you're really serious about
39:15transforming your life do me a favor
39:18would you just ask him to come into your
39:20life
39:22you don't have to know all the answers
39:23just start with saying I surrender to
39:27you
39:29go to church read your Bible
39:31pray every day stay around positive
39:33people and I promise you a year from now
39:37two years ten years from now sure life
39:39will be a whole lot better than it is
39:42right now but only you
39:44have to be willing like Adam
39:48to say I know my name
39:51I know my name you know my name the song
39:57that Tasha Cobbs sings
40:00you know my name God knows your name
40:06so I'm going to ask you today if that's
40:07you would you repeat after me say Lord
40:10Jesus
40:12I am a sinner today
40:15thank you for remembering my name
40:19I Repent of my sins today
40:22I want to get back into your will
40:26I receive the free gift of salvation
40:31and I declare today
40:33that I'm born again
40:36in Jesus name
40:38amen come on would you give the Lord a
40:41hand of Praise
40:43please stand everybody he knows your
40:46name
40:47and just answer to the call
40:51is telling you where
40:54just answered to him I love you and
40:57hopefully you'll watch the service
40:58tomorrow faith in your God will always
41:01move mountains out of your life God
41:04bless you God bless you God bless you
41:07thank you so much
41:08[Applause]