THE FIRST FAMILY

BIG SANDALS • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

0 ratings

· 18 views

Which shoe fits - is your relationship with God charaterized by willful disobedience or characterized by sincere surrender?

Notes

Transcript

Handout

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Introduction

Series Big Idea:

God does not judge people the way the world judges - do not limit what you think He can do in and through you. The key is sincere faith in Him

Series theme verse:

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ()

1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Narrative ()

Genesis 1:1–2 NKJV

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said...

Let there be light…daytime and night — it happened

Let there be sky to separate the water below and the water above — it happened

Let there be land and seas — it happened

Let the land produce vegetation — it happened

Let there be sun for day and stars for night — it happened

Let the seas be full of living creatures — it happened

Let the land be full of living creatures — it happened

Genesis 1:26–27 NIV

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:

God was happy with His creation — it was good.

God gave them one rule — do NOT eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Before too long, satan our mortal enemy, the great deceiver, came to Eve in the form of a serpent — tempting her to eat from that one tree they were NOT supposed to eat from. Isn’t that just like him…Jesus told us that Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy. The slithery serpent seduced Eve into eating the forbidden fruit: “It will make you like God, knowing good from evil.” She took the bait…and Adam followed right along. Both disobeyed the Lord and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Immediately they could see one another’s nakedness…they covered themselves with leaves b/c they instinctively knew they needed a covering.

ADAM: “Eve, what have you done?”

EVE: “Adam…don’t you mean, what have we done? I didn’t force you to eat the fruit…you had a choice. We both had a choice. Now we are in big trouble — we need to find a place to hide”

GOD: “Adam, Adam, where are you?”

Adam and Eve were hidden…they were ashamed and fearful.

God covered them with animal skins. He forced them to leave the Garden of Eden forever. He forced them to face the hard tasks of of working the difficult soil and the woeful reality of painful child-birth. But He didn’t abandon them. He still loved them in spite of their colossal blunder…let’s call it what it is, SIN…original sin.

God blessed them with children - First Cain

“With the Lord’s help I have brought forth a son!”

God blessed them with children - First Cain “With the Lord’s help I have brought forth a son!”

Second came Abel

Cain was a farmer

Abel was a shepherd

What a horribly tragic story — these brothers made history. Here’s how it happened:

Genesis 4:3–10 NIV

In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

Prayer

Let’s be honest, the first family didn’t get off to the best start. We clearly see Adam and Eve’s sin of disobedience…of giving in to temptation. The consequences were monumental. If that weren’t bad enough, Cain, the firstborn son in history, piled on...

Why did God reject Cain’s offering and accept Abel’s? At first glance it seems so unfair — I mean, why is Abel’s blood sacrifice better than Cain’s sacrifice of produce? They both gave what they had

Remember — God doesn’t look on the outward appearance, but he looks upon the heart

Big idea: Which shoe fits - is your relationship with God characterized by willful disobedience or is it characterized by sincere surrender?

Transitional: We all have the same enemy…we are all in the cross hairs of sin — the sly serpent satan. We are all stalked by sin

STALKED BY SIN

…sin is lying in wait, ready to pounce

…its out to get you

…you’ve got to master it

Sin will target your weakness

What was Cain’s weakness?

It seems like pride, jealousy and maybe insecurity plagued him

He was the elder brother…why would God not accept his sacrifice? Didn’t he have a right to be accepted since he was the first born?

Whatever his weakness…God warned him

Sin is crouching at the door of your heart, like a wild animal ready to pounce on it’s unsuspecting prey

Sin cannot over-ride your free will

Are you ready to overcome? To master that beast?

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Sin cannot over-ride your free will

Cain could have resisted the temptation…He could have faced the beast and mastered it

He could have resisted the temptation…He could have faced the beast and mastered it

But aren’t there situations in life that you just are not strong enough to overcome?

Yes…that is why we need the Holy Spirit to empower us and the Living Word of God to light the path up ahead

You would think, when God Himself warned Cain that the enemy was ready to pounce, he would have taken the hint and resisted his own pride and anger

Cain had the best advisor possible…God Himself

You would think, when God warned Cain that the enemy was ready to pounce, he would have taken the hint and resisted his own pride and anger

But…his eyes were blinded by sinful thoughts — his emotions overrode his ability to listen to God with the right heart

Application

What are your weaknesses?

You know what they are — you may try to live in denial or pretend it’s not a big deal

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

“Be alert

The enemy is crouching…prowling, pacing back and forth, waiting for his opportunity

You better believe that he will pounce when he gets a chance

How can you overcome your weaknesses?

Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world

He that is in the world?

Satan, false teachers, cultural pressures, addictions, emotions, etc.

Transitional: We cannot afford to be lax and unprepared…because whether we like it or not, sin is crouching…waiting to pounce. But there is hope - God has give each one a measure of faith

Sin cannot over-ride your free will

SET FREE BY FAITH

Exposition:

What made Abel’s sacrifice acceptable?

Breath, vapor, sorrow, nothing

The shortness of life

So what made Abel’s sacrifice acceptable?

The New International Version Chapter 4

fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock

Because it was the best he could give?

Because it was a blood sacrifice?

Jesus mentions Abel in and verse 35 — He refers to him as “righteous Abel”

Jesus mentions Abel in — He refers to him as “righteous Abel”

us mentions Abel in and verse 35 — He refers to him as “righteous Abel”

Jesus mentions Abel in — He refers to him as “righteous Abel”

…it had to have been the condition of his heart

Offer what you have, by faith

Hebrews 11:4 NIV

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

I don’t think Abel’s sacrifice was more acceptable because it was a blood sacrifice

Cain and Abel offered God from what they had

Jesus called Abel righteous

In we are told that Abel brought his sacrifice to God by faith

It wasn’t necessarily what he sacrificed, but the faith behind the sacrifice

He offered a pure heart as well as the best gift (the firstborn)

Have faith, even when God says “no”

Matthew 23:35 NIV

And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Cain had a problem with God’s “no” — He could not (would not) overcome the enemy crouching at his door

1 John 3:12 NIV

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.

Matthew 23:35 NIV

If Cain’s heart had been pure, like Abel’s, he would have reacted differently when God rejected His sacrifice

But he reacted with anger immediately and he nurtured that anger, allowing it to make Him deaf to God’s questions…making him think that he could deceive God (Am I my brother’s keeper?)

The person with faith in God’s perfect will and love, will offer their sacrifice to God, sometimes unsure of whether or not it is the right sacrifice…but they offer it in faith

This person of faith is willing to hear God’s reply — “it is acceptable” “it is not acceptable”

When God says “No, that is not what I want from you, or that is not my plan for you”, the person of faith accepts God’s answer as a time to learn and grow..a time to hear from God, even when it might not be what they want to hear.

If Cain had trusted God with that kind of faith, his response to God’s “no” would have been entirely different…understanding that God’s way is the best way

CHALLENGE

Which shoe fits - is your relationship with God characterized by willful disobedience or is it characterized by sincere surrender?

1 John 1:7 NIV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

We are often wishy-washy about taking risks in faith — “What if I get it wrong?”

Let’s face it: we will often get it wrong, at least to some degree

God knows that already

God’s focus is on your heart

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ()

1 John 3:12 NIV

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.

Outward sacrifices of worship, money, and service do not, in themselves, prove that our love and commitment to God are genuine

God sees beyond the value of the sacrifices, into the heart of the giver

Abel’s blood cries out from the earth because he was the helpless victim of his brother’s hatred

The most important sacrifice of all is “the sprinkled blood” of Christ

Abel’s blood had more significance than the blood of the animal he sacrificed to God

Hebrews 12:24 NIV

to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Jesus was also innocent…but he was not a helpless victim

Jesus willingly sacrificed His life’s blood for you and for me

Just as God called out in the garden “Adam where are you?”

Just as He questioned Cain “Where is Abel your brother?”

He is calling my name and your name today — where are you? where is your brother?

He already knows…but He is reminding us today to search our hearts and to realize that following Him isn’t just about me, myself, and I.

We are our brother’s keeper! We are a community that should love and care for one another — resisting every ploy of the enemy to destroy someone else