Sermon Central
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Am I My Brother’s Keeper? (Witnessing To Your Enemy)
Contributed by Herbert Armstrong Bosantog on Nov 7, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: Know Your Destiny. Be secured in your CALLING? We are all CALLED by God to Accomplish His Will. Our CALLING is determined by our BURDEN! EVANGELISM: A burden for the “lost”. Passion for the “lost”. The Passion to reach the “unsaved”. The Passio
EVANGELISM: A burden for the “lost”. Passion for the “lost”. The Passion to reach the “unsaved”. The Passion to bring the “lost” to Christ. (PASSION=BURNING DESIRE)
Pauls Great Passion: Romans 9:2-3, “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race…”
Charles Spurgeon said, "Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that." He continued, "The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that HE WILL ALMOST FORGET HIMSELF in the saving of others. HE WILL BE LIKE THE BRAVE FIREMAN, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart… If hell must be filled… let not one go there unwarned and un prayed for."
Anyone who call him/herself a Christian must have concern for the lost.
Scripture: Genesis 4:9-12
(NLT) 9Afterward the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother? Where is Abel?""I don’t know!" Cain retorted. "Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?" 10But the LORD said, "What have you done? Listen -- your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 You are hereby banished from the ground you have defiled with your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will it yield abundant crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless fugitive on the earth, constantly wandering from place to place."
(NIV) 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don’t know," he replied. "AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?" 10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless WANDERER on earth."
WANDERER= Living w/o Purpose/Mission.
Hebrews 11:4, (He speaks & telling us to live a holy life)
Cain Syndrome
1. He was half-hearted towards God
He knew God, but the problem was he never took the time to cultivate his relationship with his heavenly Father. He never diligently desired to look after GOD’S OWN HEART & never tried to find out what GOD WANTS HIM TO DO.
-“O God! Let your WILL be done.”
2. His Decision was based on His own wisdom.
He did things that he thought was right in OWN EYES but it wasn’t right in the EYES OF GOD. We can all fall into this trap of the enemy if we do not SPEND TIME to get to know the WILL OF GOD.
-Always ask for GOD’S GUIDANCE. Spend time in reading the Bible.
3. He did not follow the PLAN of God.
Cain, being a farmer, offered God some fruit from his own backyard. Instead of obtaining the product from his brother’s flock, Cain wanted to keep everything WITHIN HIS CONTROL.
-Obedience to the WILL OF GOD. Cast out your selfish ambition.
4. He became slave by his own sins.
He didn’t repent. God was waiting for him to ask for forgiveness. (“Where is your Brother?”)
Every time we fail to listen and obey GOD’S WILL, we are opening the door to sin. If we fail to rule over sin, sin will rule over us.
-Always ask for forgiveness (Ezekiel 36:26). “Ask God give you a CLEAN HEART w/ RIGHT DESIRES”.
5. Cain was easily offended.
Sometimes, as in Cain’s case, people get angry when they are being rebuked. Instead of turning back, they keep on going because they are OFFENDED by the CORRECTIVE WORDS.
God tried to correct Cain, but instead of responding to the WILL OF GOD, Cain was offended.
- Ezekiel 36:27 (The Holy Spirit will help you become sensitive to the voice of God)
6. He hated his brother
Cain didn’t listen to the voice or WILL OF GOD. Evil has taken root in his heart and he resented his brother, thinking Abel was the cause to all his problems and frustrations.
7. He ran away from God
He was trying to hide from God’s presence; he was running away from his CALLING.
Even then, God still PRESERVED Cain’s life and PROTECTED him, in the hope that the prophetic message of the blood of Abel would ONE DAY AWAKEN HIM! All of was had experienced the “Cain Syndrome”
