Our text is Genesis 4:1-16. Here we saw that apart from GOD, sin dominates us. We learned that sin comes from our NATURE, not our ENVIRONMENT. Now, there are Lessons to Be Learned About Worship from the story of Cain and Abel. Arthur Pink notes, “The central truth of the chapter is that God is to be worshiped, that He is to be worshiped through sacrifice, that He is to be worshiped by means of a sacrifice which is appropriated by faith” Arthur Pink, “Gleanings in Genesis” (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2005), 56.
We will follow Pink’s outline of the text.
There is a PLACE for Worship. Gen 4:3 “Cain brought to the Lord an Offering from the ground.”
Where is this place? In Gen 3:24 the Lord God put a “shining sword” to guard the entrance to the Garden. Jamisionm Fauset and Brown as well as others believe that the flaming sword is The Shekinah glory of God. - We have an appointment to MEET with God!
Imagine, first Adam and Eve and then their sons meeting God at the edge of the Garden. Because of their sin, their fellowship was broken. But the Lord always provides a way for fellowship to be restored, and for Adam and his children, that path was through sacrifice as they met the Lord at the Garden’s gate.
What lesson can we learn? Be careful that we do not say that the PLACE for worship is a CHURCH BUILDING! Nor should we spiritualize it and say that the place for worship is whenever “two or three are gathered.” Yes, we do worship that way, but the Glory of God does not dwell in a particular location.
Jesus speaks about the Glory of God being manifested through his sacrifice on the cross. Note the emphasis on God’s glory being shown through Christ’s death:
John 17:1 "After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you."
John 17:4–5 "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."
John 17:22–24 "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
When Jesus went to the Cross, he went to the place outside the city gate where sin and death were judged. THIS is the place where we must go to meet God. We must go to Jesus in order to see the Shikenah glory of God! Notice what the author of Hebrews writes:
Hebrews 13:12–13 "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore."
Hebrews 6:19 "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,”
Hebrews 10:19 "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus”
Like Adam, provision has been made for us to see God’s glory. That provision is to accept Jesus in faith by coming to the cross, the place where God meets with all who wish to worship.
In the Bible Knowledge Commentary, Zane Hodges puts it this way, “A Christian has a special altar (probably a figure of speech for the sacrifice of Christ) from which he derives spiritual sustenance.” Zane Hodges in “BKC,” Hebrews.
The second observation from the text is that There is a specific TIME for Worship. Gen 4:3 “in the course of time.”
Some ancient translations read, “at the end of days.” This could possibly refer to the end of the week, or the Sabbath.
Although the Sabbath command would be solidified thousands of years later in the Law in Exodus 20, The command to rest is given in Genesis 2:3 "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. "
There is a TIME for PERSONAL WORSHIP. We refer to this as our Daily Quiet Time. Our children and teens are encouraged to maintain a daily quiet time. Word of Life just launched a new tool to help in this manner called the Online Quiet Time. I encourage you to use this tool. It combines a daily devotional and a Facebook type experience. You can share accountability with a friend, family member or youth leader.
This time of daily worship is vital.
There is also a need for A TIME for CORPORATE WORSHIP. God has always delighted in the worship of his people.
Psalm 22:3 "Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel."
Psalm 33:1 "Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him."
Just imagine how wonderful it would be if our greatest desire was to know God more!
Dennis Wise really loved Elvis Presley--so much so that not long after Presley died, Dennis had his face lifted by a plastic surgeon and his hair contoured so that he took on an appearance remarkable similar to Elvis Presley. In fact, for a few months he made a dollar or two making appearances where people loved to see phenomenons like that. When interviewed and asked what would drive a man to reshape his face to look like Elvis Presley, he revealed that Presley had been his model, his idol, for many years. Here's what Dennis Wise told the "Boston Globe" many years ago:
"Yes, sir, Presley's been an idol of mine ever since I was five years old. I have every record he ever made, twice over. Pictures in the thousands. I have books, magazines, pillows, even a couple books in Chinese and Japanese about him. I even have tree leaves from the front of his house."
Wise went on to say, "I never saw Elvis Presley in person. I saw him on stage in the movies four times. Once I stood up on the wall of the Presley mansion and tried to see him. For twelve hours I stood, trying to get a glimpse of him, but he had so many people around him that you would never get close." -- EXPLOSIVE POWER, p. 358. Cited in R. Kent Hughes, 1001 GREAT STORIES AND QUOTES (Wheaton, Illinois, Tyndale House, 1998).
The THIRD principle concerning worship that we learn from Cain and Abel is that
There is a WAY to worship. Gen 4:3-4 “Cain brought an offering of fruit from the ground, Abel brought from the firstborn of his flock.”
Many have sympathy for CAIN (didn’t he mean well?) The truth is that Cain offered what he wanted. He offered what was convenient to him. He offered what was logical to him.
But we say, didn’t Cain “bring his best?”
We do not choose our own way to serve God. Cain represents the most common failure of man that separates us from God - RELIGION! Pink writes, “Cain was no infidel or atheist. He was ready to acknowledge the existence of God, he was prepared to worship Him after his own fashion” Pink, 58.
There are WRONG WAYS to worship
1. Worship the wrong God (Pharoah, Nebuchadnezzar, )
2. Worship the right God in the wrong way (Ballam)
3. Worship the right God with the wrong motives (Ananias and Syphira)
Instead, we must worship the right God, in the right way, with the right motives. (John 4:23-24)
Worship is NOT Emotion. Kim and I were listening to “The Message” on XM radio.” A gospel song came on. It was real soulful, in that soulful, gospel feel. The song started with a Hammond organ, and a pure as silk female solo voice singing, Mmmm. No words, just humming. That sounded lovely, but even before any words were uttered in song, the audience were shouting “Hallelujah!” Now there’s nothing wrong with shouting, and there’s nothing wrong with humming, but they were “worshipping” out of emotion, not out of reflection on the work of God! That solo singer could have belted out words that were contrary to Scripture, or meaningless in some other way. We can’t put emotion aside, but we can’t rely on just emotion to worship God.
Worship is not Ritual.
Cain had ritual
Saul had ritual
The Pharisees had ritual 2 Timothy 3:5 "holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. "
Worship id not obligation. We don’t worship the Lord so that our circumstances are better. We worship him in Spirit and in truth.
Worship is not a good luck charm
How then should we WORSHIP GOD?
We should worship Him in FAITH. This is the main difference between Cain’s response and Abel’s worship. We don’t see this clearly until Hebrews 11:4 "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.”
Cain brought what he wanted to bring. He worshiped on the basis of his desires, not God’s. Cain is essentially guilty of idolatry. He made his own object of worship. You see, It is not the WORSHIP that saves us, it is GOD
We worship according to HIS TERMS. 1 John 4:9–10 "By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
This sermon is about MUCH MORE than going to church, singing in the choir. It is about your LIFE.
Lowell Ogden tells the story of a little boy who lived out in the country around the turn of the century.
He had never seen a traveling circus, and one was coming to his town on Saturday. When he asked his father for permission to go, his dad said he could providing his chores were done early. Saturday morning came.
Chores finished, the little boy asked his father for some money to go to the circus. His dad reached down in his overalls and pulled out a dollar bill, the most money the boy had ever seen at one time. Off the little wide-eyed fellow went.
As he approached the town, he saw people lining the streets. Peering through the line at one point, he got his first glimpse of the parade. There were animals in cages and marching bands. Finally, a clown was seen bringing up the rear of the parade.
The little boy was so excited that when the clown passed, he reached in his pocket and handed him the precious dollar bill.
THINKING HE HAD SEEN THE CIRCUS WHEN HE HAD ONLY SEEN THE PARADE, the little boy turned around and went home.
Isn't it sad that some people come to church like this little boy who went to the circus? They may come with the intent to worship God, but all they see is the parade –
the parade of liturgy, hymn singings, prayers, and preaching.
They peer through their pews at all the activity and then turn to go home at 12:00 noon; thinking they have been to God's house, but yet they missed the main event – a personal encounter with Jesus Christ! (Sermoncentral.com, contributed by Darren Ethier)
Don’t miss the main event. Worship is an encounter with God! It happens by faith and the object of that faith is the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Anything else is false worship. Anything else will fail.
