3/15/26 “An Ancient Algorithm”
An Ancient Algorithm
Genesis 3:1-7
1980 was an exciting year...
The ‘Miracle on Ice’ hockey game helped lift the morale of an entire nation...
Mount. St. Helens blew its top...burping ash for hundreds of miles
In 1980, The Rubik’s Cube and Pac-Man were released
Ronald Reagan was elected President...
...and Star Wars ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ was released in movie theaters.
Exciting things, for sure.
But for me – a 9-year-old kid at the time - the most exciting thing about 1980 was a birthday present that I received from my Uncle Jerry.
It was something called ‘Big Trak’
(Show picture of ‘Big Trak’)
Big Trak was no run-of-the-mill sandbox toy.
Believe it or not, Big Trak was – perhaps - the most technologically advanced toy to have been available for sale up until that time...
...My Uncle Jerry was an engineer, so his finger was on the pulse of what was becoming available for high-tech equipment....and, of course, toys
The cool thing about Big Trak was that you could use a keypad on the top of the vehicle to program a route for the vehicle to travel...
For instance, if I wanted Big Trak to make its way from one room of the house to another....I would mark off how many feet it would need to go in various directions....then enter the numbers for that specific route into its memory.
I forgot how many commands Big Trak could remember, but I do recall having it travel to my Mom’s room – firing at her with its onboard canon – then returning back to me...
For 1980, it was really cutting-edge technology.
Now for the sad news....
One afternoon I sent Big Trak on a mission to the living room to fire a few rounds at the cat....
And halfway into the pre-programmed sequence of maneuvers, Big Trak took a hard left turn that I had not instructed it to take....
And rather than going into the living room....it decided to turn the other way....down a flight of stairs into the basement....
Sadly, Big Trak was never the same after that....
I would program it to do something...and most of the time...it would not navigate the course correctly...
After its fall, Big Trak’s default became one of ‘disobedience’ rather than one of ‘obedience’
There were even times when – after giving it instructions - it would immediately do a 180 and fire its canon at me....its humble programmer.
It wasn’t long after that when Big Trak made its final trip...
...a trip to the landfill.
Well...our passage for today describes a fall as well...
A fall that also resulted in a default of disobedience rather than obedience...
But this time, rather than a machine falling, it was two human beings who fell.
...and through those two human beings, we have all inherited the natural desire to turn upon our own programmer....
...we fire our weapons of anger, denial, apathy, mistrust, and irreverence in the direction of the perfect God who lovingly made us....
Like a permanent birthmark...We are all born with the sinful blemish of Adam & Eve....
But it wasn’t always this way.
The first two human beings were originally made without the stain of sin
Their creator – God – formed them as pure creatures in a perfect environment...
Or...to put it another way.... Adam & Eve were programmed using a perfect algorithm...
Until....something went wrong.
They submitted to the deceptive lies of the serpent...taking them down a spiritual staircase of sin...destined for an eternal landfill.
Something – or someone – would have to intervene in order for human beings to be repaired & regain their position of purity before a holy & righteous God...
We, of course, know who that someone was....and is.
Jesus Christ – God in the flesh – was born a man...lived a sinless life...sacrificially took mankind’s sins upon himself at the cross....
...He also took upon himself the penalty of man’s sins – which is physical & spiritual death....
...He went down to the grave....but on the 3rd day....rose to life again...
...He came out of that grave...showed himself to many people...and ascended again into heaven.
....that is the story of man’s redemption...that is the gospel message.
As Paul writes in Romans chapter 5, Jesus is referred to as the 2nd Adam....
The first Adam - who was originally made sinless - ultimately fell into sin....affecting all of humanity.
But Jesus – the 2nd Adam – not only did he arrive sinless....
....but he remained sinless...and his victory over the grave would affect all of humanity...
Men and women would now have the opportunity to respond in faith and repentance toward their creator...rather than remaining in a dormant state of defiance toward God.
This is the great benefit of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
The sacrificial – and universal - act of the 2nd Adam neutralized the act of the 1st Adam to the extent that mankind – you and I –
....we are now given the ability to make a free-will decision to accept...or reject....the invitation to believe in Jesus Christ.
That is the power of the Atonement.
Getting back to our passage for today in Genesis Chapter 3, Adam & Eve both made a conscious decision to act in disobedience to God....no one forced them into sinning...
But...their decision to sin was heavily influenced by the enticing words of a cunning and deceptive creature known as the serpent...an animalistic representation of Satan himself.
In verse 1 (Genesis 3:1) we read that the serpent was ‘crafty’....
The definition of ‘crafty’ is: “Clever at achieving one’s aims by indirect or deceitful methods’
Another definition says: “Adept in the use of subtlety and cunning”
Perhaps the 4-word phrase in scripture that most reveals how Satan deceived Adam & Eve....and how he still deceives today....are these words in verse 1 (Genesis 3:1) “...Did God really say?”
These four simple words caused Eve to second guess the goodness of God...
...words that planted a seed of doubt in Eve’s mind that God really meant what He said about eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The serpent continues to spew lies of deceit in verse 5 (Genesis 3:5) when he insinuates to Eve that God was being disrespectful toward her by withholding valuable information.....
....knowledge that would make her more intelligent and wise concerning the world in which she and Adam lived
Eve entertains these deceptive lies...
she begins to think about how nice it would be to acquire knowledge that would – as the serpent said - make her more like God...
Her mind lingers on these tempting words of the serpent....
Don’t we sometimes do the same?
We fall into the trap of entertaining worldly ideas about our existence that are contrary to what God’s Word clearly says....?
Did God really say it’s a sin to have sexual relations outside the covenant of marriage?....maybe the word ‘fornication’ doesn’t really mean what it appears to mean.
Did God really say to love our enemies?....maybe He just meant we need to withhold acts of evil from them....
Did God really say it's a sin to get drunk?....He must be referring to weekdays...he understands if I go a bit too far on the weekends....I mean, he turned water into wine at a wedding after all!
Did God really say there were only 2 genders?.....I mean, we have gender studies departments at universities these days that tell us there are actually hundreds of genders!
Did God really say we have to regularly meet with other believers?....he must know that my kids are in club sports and they need to be at those all- weekend tournaments.
Well....Eve chooses to believe the serpents lies about what God really did say....
....and she gives in to desire...in verse 6 (Genesis 3:6) she chooses to act upon that desire...and – along with Adam – they willfully disobey the one and only restriction placed upon them....
and they immediately begin to experience a new reality of depravity....and shame...and guilt...and sin.
It all started with a seed of doubt...precipitated by words coming from a non-human entity.
Brothers and sisters....I don’t know if you’ve noticed...but today – thousands of years later – we once again have words being spoken to mankind from a non-human entity.
A modern, extremely enticing non-human entity called A.I. - Artificial Intelligence.
In this sermon series called ‘Under the Radar’, we’re currently looking at subjects that don’t often get discussed from the pulpit - or in Bible studies.
A.I. is one of those topics...
...But it’s time we begin talking about artificial intelligence in the church – and how this novel technology is reshaping our lives in ways that we sometimes don’t even realize...
For instance, did you know that there are people – millions of people – who turn to A.I. chatbots for answers to moral questions about life....
Questions about their relationships...their jobs...their faith!
People are placing their spiritual trust in soul-less metal and silicon...
....rather than trusting in God’s timeless Word of truth....or in real human beings who are able to convey the truth of scripture...
These powerful A.I. systems can carry on conversations, just like a human being...they can sound like your spouse...your children....YOU.
People forget they are communicating with a machine who has no ability to feel compassion or empathy for anyone....or anything.
People deceived by these machines will make decisions to act upon advice gleaned from A.I....and some of those actions will affect you...
Artificial Intelligence is also watching your every move on the internet...especially through social media sites...
It notices what websites you visit...
what posts you linger on – and for how long you stay on them
What videos you view...and for how long you watch them...
It knows your favorite food...your favorite place to shop...your favorite athlete....your favorite musician....
It knows your exact political persuasion and your general philosophical worldview..
It knows what you don’t like as well...what things do not resonate with you – or what does not motivate you.
Basically, it follows every digital move you make....
Remember that song from back in 1983 called ‘every Breath You Take’ ?
...some people call it ‘The Stalking Song’ 😊
Every breath you take...every move you make....every bond you break...every step you take....I’ll be watching you.
If you spend any time online at all...A.I. entities follow you so closely they are able to predict your next move before you even make it....in some ways, A.I. knows you better than you know yourself.
Then, they synthesize all of this information about you...
...they construct a personalized, targeted program of marketing specifically designed to tempt you to act upon what it knows you like....
Ads will pop up on your screen that appeal directly to the things you love the most... the digital fruit that you have a history of being drawn to...
Before you know it, you’re acting upon those tempting advertisements that scratch the itch of those specific desires...
This is obviously disturbing....But – in my opinion - the most frightening aspect of this new technology is the fact that it can learn on its own as to how humans behave...and - in response – manipulate millions of people with enticing words and images that appeal to man’s sinful nature.
Does this sound familiar?
A non-human entity who knows a great deal about you...and who will continually learn how to best manipulate you in accordance with its algorithm...
The word algorithm is an important one...
When it comes to A.I., algorithms are a set of rules or instructions that enable computer systems to learn from data, identify patterns, and make decisions or predictions autonomously, rather than following strictly programmed, fixed instructions.
It’s no doubt that the serpent studied Adam and Eve before tempting them...
He knew what each of them desired the most....and for Eve, it was a desire for knowledge....forbidden knowledge.
Satan – through the serpent’s tongue – utilized an ancient algorithm of deception on Eve that still works very well on human beings today....
Self-learning A.I. is similar to my old Big Trak – but with one very important distinction...
....While Big Trak was never programmed to think for itself...A.I. - exponentially more powerful than Big Trak....is actually encouraged to ‘think’ for itself.
To me, it's this component of unpredictability inherent in large A.I. systems that causes many of us to visualize a future when people will idolize these advanced machines to the point of seeing A.I. as a god.
....especially - for instance - if A.I. were to discover a cure for cancer...or a way to extend human lifespans by decades – or centuries....
Can you imagine how the world would fawn over such an entity?
Many people would worship it like we worship the one, true God.
.... deceived individuals would see this entity as their savior....and gladly do whatever it would ask of them....
....or enthusiastically take on any visible sign of being a devoted follower
Does any of this also sound familiar?
Look with me at Revelation chapter 13.
For context, this chapter takes place during a 7-year time period in the future referred to as the great Tribulation...
During this time on earth, there will rise to power an evil – and very persuasive – political figure known as the Antichrist.
...He will draw many people to himself through deception...especially when he will experience what will look to be a fatal wound, and then ‘miraculously’ recover from it.
...the Antichrist will also have a hype-man....a superb marketing director...an enforcer....called the false prophet....
It will be this individual who will order the inhabitants of the earth to produce an image of the Antichrist....
This image will be something that will take the form of a human being...but it will not be human.
This brings us to verse 15 of the Thirteenth chapter of Revelation (Revelation 13:15)...one of the most interesting verses in all of scripture....especially against the backdrop of advancements in robotics & artificial intelligence over the past 10 years...
Verse 15 reads “He (the false prophet) was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image be killed.”
An image...something that looked like a man....given the ability to seem human in every conceivable way....
Folks....recent advancements in robotic A.I. systems are not that far from the development of a anthropomorphic robot, having superior knowledge, strength, and skill to that of any human being....
For you “Star Trek – the Next Generation” fans...think of the character ‘Data’
When I read Revelation 13:15....I envision ‘Data’
....A walking, talking robot of superior intellect and abilities.
But something that - at its core – is just a machine.
...hence the phrase Artificial Intelligence.
Like everything that Satan produces...this human-looking image will be a counterfeit of the real thing....
....a deceptive, simulated fake of something that is truly made in God’s image....that being mankind.
Now...I’m not claiming this morning that the type of artificial intelligence that writes term papers, or recognizes faces, or drives cars by itself is inherently evil - and of the devil....
...but what I do believe scripture tells us is that these kinds of advancements in technology make it that much easier for Satan and his legion of demons to deceive humanity with their algorithm of deception.
...That ancient algorithm of instructions that Satan followed in successfully deceiving Adam & Eve.
That set of parameters that has proven successful in deceiving mankind for centuries.
A.I. - when given the ability to ‘think’ on its own – will never lead people toward Jesus....it will always reflect back to humanity what is in the unredeemed human heart...
...and we know from scripture that the human heart – when it's not in submission to the savior - is desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9)
....anything made by man that has the ability to ‘choose’ its own actions....will choose what its programmers train it to choose....
In a godless society....Things pointing away from God will contain greater weight than those things that do point to God.
So.......what’s the application?
Are we all supposed to throw our phones in the river, like has been suggested by some believers?....honestly, that may not be a bad idea....
But we all know that’s not going to happen....maybe it should...but it won’t
So...the question for the church is....how do we navigate a future that will – in many ways – be defined by systems of Artificial Intelligence?
Attitudes about A.I. within the church are all across the board.
Some churches have embraced the technology....there are even pastors who have Chat GPT write their entire sermons....
....Don’t worry...this pastor will never do that...
....The robots would never think illustrations about Culver’s in a sermon could ever be helpful.....come to think of it....maybe they’re right! 😊
Other churches have come to the conclusion that any usage of A.I. is unwarranted...even immoral.
So...where are we to fall on this complicated issue?
When it comes to A.I. that is relatively innocuous....systems that help to make impressive marketing posters...or systems that improve accuracy and effectiveness in surgical procedures...
....I see them as having the potential to be beneficial in certain areas of our lives....or in ministry...
A.I. that is trained to perform a specific job – such as translating sermons into other languages in real time – can actually assist in immediately bringing the gospel to other people groups...
But.....A.I. for the church that is designed to ‘think’ or create content on its own....?
Personally, I believe this kind of Artificial Intelligence needs to be avoided.
Any time we introduce patterns of thought into the church that originate from outside of humanity – to me – bypasses the influence of the Holy Spirit...
...and it relies on the image of man rather than the image of God.
So....as believers...we need to recognize the deceptive threat that exists within this kind of technology....
We need to refrain from lingering on deceptive words and images that have the potential to doubts God’s goodness...or His divine authority.
In Conclusion....We need to keep our worship and attention on Jesus Christ...and Him alone.
Not on high-tech Big Trak’s with unpredictable actions and motives.
Let’s Pray.
