INTRO: A hen and a pig approached a church and read the advertised sermon topic: “What can we do to help the poor?” Immediately the hen suggested they feed them bacon and eggs. The pig thought for a moment and said, “There is only one thing wrong with feeding bacon and eggs to the poor. For you it requires only a contribution, but for me it requires everything.”
Today, look at two brothers and one who made pleasing offerings to the Lord while the other
didn’t.
TITLE: What Are Our Sacrifices to God
TEXT: Gen.4:l-16
I. The Brothers (home and job) - Gen. 4:1-16 (READ)
A. First home - divinely appointed by God, increase of the human race.
1. Male and female - together to raise a family. Not female and female, or male and male, co-parenting, transsexual relationships.
a. Home brings happiness - a safe environment where children can play and feel safe.
- a place where mom and dad can teach the ways of God.
1. Greatest teachers - Mom and dad are the greatest teachers. Who are going to make the greatest impact (+ or - ) not pastors, teachers, counselors, it’s mom and dad!
b. Home brings discipline - mom and dad discipline your children! Don’t leave it to someone else. (Teachers, pastors, police officers).
ex Logan at camp, James Dobson “Strong Willed Child”.
B. First jobs - work by the sweat of our brow, work was going to be a drudgery (after sin).
1. Cain - farmer, worked the ground for a living.
2. Abel - rancher, took care of live stock.
3. Knew their calling - Cain and Abel knew what the Lord had for each of them. What he called them in advance to do.
Jer. 1:5 - “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
a. God’s divine purpose - God has set in advance for us to do good works according to the book of Ephesians.
- Just as God had a specific purpose for Jeremiah, he has a specific purpose for our lives. If I ask you what it is, could you answer?
-A lot of frustration comes from not knowing what God wants us to do. Where do we fit in the church, workplace, God’s will.
1
1. Find out - don’t just exist. Seek Gods face - “What do you want me to do.” (Church - find a need and fill it).
4. First job didn’t interfere with worshipping God!
ex Mr. Egan - football story.
a. Don’t let things come before the Lord whether it’s activities, sports, work.
-Balance (quit work to worship God and forsake your family); and on the other hand, don’t give all the reasons in the world why things are getting piled in front of the Lord!
-Excuses are the nails that built the house of failure.
1. Law of diminish returns - get less and less
ex Boundaries for church set by parents, children will usually not exceed them).
-Generally children will not be holier than their parents. It can be different but generally not.
a. Parents that’s why we have a great responsibility to the spiritual walk of our family.
I Cor. 4:16 – “Therefore, I urge you to imitate me.” Paul is writing to the church at Corinth and saying copy me as I copy Jesus.
*Parents keep a close eye on your children’s spiritual walk. Do everything to help it
grow!
b. Commend young people - doing a great job on keeping Jesus #1.
ex Joel, Derrick, Chad, Simmons
1. Mom and dad - if we say it’s OK to do something else besides church, you’re telling them it’s OK to put things above the Lord.
*Idolatry: Nation of Israel was destroyed. God is a jealous God. He wants to be #1.
II. The Brothers at Worship
A. Comparison: Born same home, educated by same parents, trained to the same duty of devotion. First brothers to become worshipers of the same God, lived in the same place, same altar, same gender (boys).
B. Contrast:
1. Offering - were not the same.
a. In matter: Cain brought fruit of the ground. Abel brought firstborn of his flock. One was a blood offering while the other was not.
b. In measure: Abel offered God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (Heb. 11:4).
c. In meaning: Not only was his offering better (firstborn, best, blood) but it was offered in a better way (by faith).
-Bible says it’s impossible to please God without faith.
2. God accepted the one and rejected the other offering.
a. God looks for sincerity of the heart.
1. Cain was a religious man, appearance, looked the part, played the game of religion.
-Church today: Look holy, made sure he was in front of people, made sure it was known how much he gave to the church. Wouldn’t want to get involved with the menial things of the church. Didn’t help unless he got something in return.
2. Abel was pure and open to God. Worshipped God in spirit and truth.
-Church today: Helper in the smallest task (menial), not worried about being in front so others could see him. Gives in secrecy, helps in any area he can. Does not wait around to be asked to do something. He goes to the pastor and volunteers his efforts. Abel was thithfizl in winter as well as summer.
3. Results: Abel’s offering was accepted, Cain’s was rejected.
Q: Whose offerings more like Cain or Abel’s? How do you think God sees our
offerings?
C. Sin and its characteristics - READ (5-9)
1. Sin is pleasing - revenge is sweet, world tells us to get even. Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek.
ex Dave - wife ran off and left him while he was in prison.
2. Sin is subtle - started with envy (jealous). Cain’s anger boiled into a rage killing his brother. Slowly and continuously working on him.
ex Missionaries complain about TV (sex and violence)
3. Sin is contagious - notice how it progressed (mom and dad disobeyed God), son also disobeyed God and destroyed family.
ex Sin severity seems to increase (remember the law of diminishing returns).
4. Sin changes the way we think - Cain wanting to please God by making an offering to God. He ends up breaking God’s law by killing his brother.
ex Ever try to do something good, but in the end it turned out bad.
-Sin has the power to change the way we think, if you allow it to!
5. Sin is destructive - destroys the innocent. Cain destroys the life of his brother as well as his own, not to speak of his parents and God.
ex AIDS, effects on children.
6. Sin does not like to take the blame - I don’t know where my brother is. (I didn’t do anything).
ex Always blaming the other person, society, circumstances (I was born that way). Mentality of theft environment made them.
* Blame everything but their sinful selves!
7. Sin has a bite (consequences) - Reap what you sow, day of penalty, judgment, day of accounting.
ex Accounting: reconciling every month.
8. Cain chose sin - v. 7 (READ)
a. Personification, sin is like a human - crouching at your door waiting for you to open the door, and then it will step in.
ex Jesus picture - standing at heart’s door knocking and wanting to get in. Notice there is no handle (you must open from the inside and also close from the inside).
1. Satan will tempt, if you leave the door open (shut the door).
III. The Brother’s Judgment
A. Both were judged.
1. Abel - judged for the works he had done. Christians will be judged for what they have done:
obedience, faithfulness to the will of the Father.
- I Cor. 3:11-15 (READ)
a. We are all builders - some might not know they are builders. We are all building on the foundation (Praise God, it’s already provided).
b. We have different materials at our disposal and the boss is telling us to use the best materials we have and he leaves us to build.
1. Some take shortcuts - cheaper materials, not enough labor, shoddy work, anything to save time and money with no concern for the end result!
ex Three Little Pigs (straw, wood, bricks).
2. Master will inspect - might have to burn it to the ground because it’s not the way he wanted it built.
-Make it to heaven because he knew the boss but will get no reward “as one escaping through the
flames, but will suffer loss.” (immense sorrow).
2. Cain - Judgment not only in this life but also eternity.
v.11-16 (READ)
a. Punishment severe- cried out to God. God gave him some help.
b. God’s presence was hidden from Cain, not to speak about the eternal punishment he would
have to suffer.
CONCLUSION:
I. Brothers Home and Work
a. Home - happiness, discipline, leadership
b. Job - different jobs, knew what God called them to do
c. Jobs - didn’t interfere with God
II. Brothers at Worship
a. Compared similarities
b. Differences in worship to God
c. Result, accept/reject
d. Sin and it’s characteristics
1. Pleasing, subtle, contagious, changes our thinking, destructive. Doesn’t like to take the blame.
III. Brothers at Judgment
a. Both will be judged
b. We are builders, we need to do our best to build, best labor with best materials
When Dr. W. A. Criswell, pastor of the largest Southern Baptist church in the world, was preaching in the North Shore Baptist Church in Chicago, he was entertained at the home of deacon James L. Kraft, who was superintendent of the Sunday school and founder of Kraft Foods. Kraft said that as a young man he had a desire to be the most famous manufacturer and salesman of cheese in the world. He planned on becoming rich and famous by making and selling cheese and began as a young fellow with a little buggy pulled by a pony named Paddy. After making his cheese, the youth would load his wagon and he and Paddy would drive down the streets of Chicago to sell the cheese. As the months passed, the young Kraft began to despair because he was not making any money, in spite of his long hours and hard work.
One day he pulled his pony to a stop and began to talk to him. He said, “Paddy, there is something wrong. We are not doing it right. I am afraid we have things tuned around and our priorities are not where they ought to be. Maybe we ought to serve God and place him first in our lives.” Kraft then drove home and made a covenant that for the rest of his life he would first serve God and then would work as God directed.
Many years after this, Dr. Criswell heard James Kraft say, “I would rather be a layman in the North Shore Baptist Church than to head the greatest corporation in America. My first job is serving Jesus.” (Adapted from W. A. Criswell, Acts [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983]
