INTRODUCTION
A. Growing up it seemed to me that there were two ways to learn something
1. On rare occasions –someone of exemplary character pointed out –more like him?
2. But more often than not –my parents would observe a friend of mine doing-wrong
3. Point, “You better never let me catch you doing something like that”
4. Which one did I learn from better?
B. As we get older I think we tend to look for positive examples –role models
1. People whose stories we want to pattern our own after – look up to
2. But we can’t miss that we learn a lot from – well – cautionary tales
3. And the Bible is full of cautionary tales – people who are – bad examples
4. But bad examples we can learn from.
C. In fact, Apostle Paul says as much. In 1 Corinthians 10 –bad examples from OT
1. Read – 1 Corinthians 10:6-13
2. We read verse 13 to comfort ourselves –difficult times –but God is faithful
3. But that verse is tied to warning – verse 12
4. Something for us to learn from some very bad examples.
D. I can think of no better place to begin than with the original bad seed – Cain
1. INTRODUCE TEXT: GENESIS 4:1-7
2. Let’s be real honest for a moment –you know how –look at a kid –rotten? C’mon
3. Eve had no idea what a rotten kid looked like. To her, her son was perfect.
4. In fact –she put all her hopes on her son. Remember curse? Promise –Genesis 3:15
5. Read the first verse of chapter 4 –thought this was her promise – her savior
6. READ TEXT
E. These things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
1. They were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
2. What is there for us to learn from Cain’s mistake?
3. I think this story leads us to ask three questions of ourselves
I. ARE WE GIVING GOD OUR BEST?
A. Someone asked me a few weeks ago – what was the big deal? Wrong with Cain’s offering
1. Text tells us –Abel kept sheep – Cain worked the ground
2. And so it seems natural –time came to present an offering –Abel brought sheep…
3. Cain brought “fruit of the ground” – logical – each man brought what he had
4. But verses 4b-5 – what was the difference?
B. Hebrews 11:4 –First thing see – Abel’s offering took faith- firstborn of flocks – what if all?
1. Given in faith – given in trust – knowing God asks for my best –I’m giving my best
2. Wasn’t given as an obligation, given just to appease God –to buy his favor
3. Also -Cain’s response in 5 –Angry- with God for rejection. With brother -acceptance
4. Should cause us to ask –are we giving God our best?
C. Every now and then you hear one of those stories about churches –just make you cringe
1. Years ago –story from a missionary –supported by local churches-contributions/supplies
2. One day-wife gets a big padded envelope from church in America –used tea bags
3. The ladies at some church in States –had a tea party –rather than throw tea bags out…
4. Dried them –mailed them to use at their ladies’ Bible study – “share cup of tea with you”
D. Let me ask you –does this sound like a good idea to anyone?
1. What if instead –bought box of tea bags –mailed half to missionaries –better idea?
2. Would you offer Jesus a used tea bag? Here you go, Jesus –good when I used it
3. But the story also causes me to ask myself a question
4. Have I ever given my leftovers to Jesus? Given him anything less than my best?
E. Every come to him half-hearted on Sunday am –wasted energy in an argument w/ wife?
1. Ever withheld my time from God –something I wanted to do?
2. Have I ever approached offering time –thrown in whatever was left over?
3. Like Cain-not just a matter of the offering itself –I have to look at my heart
4. Am I giving myself, my resources out of my faith –because I trust God?
5. Because I believe he knows what’s best for my time, my energy, my money?
Trans: I think another lesson from Cain’s example that calls our faith to be even deeper, is the question:
II. ARE WE GIVING GOD OUR BEST FOR EVERYONE’S BEST?
A. The reality is – if I have faith that I am giving God what he wants – might mean…
1. That I am going to give God more than I can do on my own –with what I alone have
2. We’re not given a lot of specifics in this story – but one thing we see over/over Bible…
3. Sacrifice requires blood. Lesson that’s repeated again/again –takes us to the cross
4. Whether it’s Abel’s sacrifice here –Passover – blood -points to Jesus
B. Cain was a worker of the ground. It was Abel who kept flocks
1. For Cain to give God an acceptable sacrifice –couldn’t do it on his own –brother
2. From the way the story plays out –was it pride that kept him from doing that?
3. Was it fear he wasn’t good enough? That God didn’t want what he had to give?
4. What we’re really seeing –Cain’s gift was the result of Cain being broken.
5. Broken relationship with his brother, broken understanding of who God is
C. And for us it’s a reminder –we don’t just give on our own –we give in partnership w/ others
1. It’s easy for us to concentrate on giving to what we want/how we want –pet projects
2. The call of God is to recognize-part of something bigger – contribute together
3. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 – Was Cain a cheerful giver? No –why? About the gift –his heart
4. 2 Corinthians 9:8 –Some want to hear that sufficiency as “enough money” to give
5. When I get out of debt I’ll give more, get a better job – do more for God/church
6. But that sufficiency starts out as sufficient faith – trust God enough to give – want that?
D. Cain’s broken relationship with his brother kept him from giving God his best
1. Hear that a few verses later – 8-9 – you know what? YES! He was his brother’s keeper
2. If my gift to God doesn’t bless others –then no matter what I give –it’s wrong
3. If all God wanted was our sacrifice –then throw your money in a fire –give it back
4. If your gift isn’t blessing someone else –it’s not going to bless you – honor God
Trans: Cain’s example takes us to a very hard question we have to ask ourselves:
III. IF WE’RE NOT GIVING GOD OUR BEST THEN WHAT ELSE WILL WE TAKE FROM HIM?
A. I think the biggest clue for us about the problem with Cain’s offering – descriptions
1. Abel brought the firstborn-Exodus 34:19 –Firstborn are mine –cow/sheep
2. The thing about giving God the first –don’t wait until you have more
3. Ten new lambs –give God one –give him the first when it comes –trust for rest
4. Verse 4 –firstborn – and their fat portions – not just the first –the best
B. It’s a subtle difference in wording –but all says of Cain – “an offering” NIV -some
1. Not the first, not the best – just “an offering” – nothing special
2. And so you see God’s response – verse 4b-5a
3. When we don’t give God our best –he notices
4. Not about what we’re doing to him – it’s about what we’re doing to ourselves
C. Verses 6-7 – If we’re not giving God our best then what else will we take from him?
1. Jesus said –if you are faithful in the little things –trusted with bigger things
2. How often do we withhold from God because –“it’s no big deal”
3. Just a little time, just a little money, just a little faithfulness – no one notice
4. No one’s going to miss me – my contribution
D. If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Hear that –because some get it wrong
1. It doesn’t say that if you withhold from God –he’ll get you – punish you-curse you
2. It says you curse yourself –Cain’s withholding from God-gave birth to anger –murder
3. Verse 13 – He went from withholding his gift from God –“no big deal”
4. To something that was more than he could bear.
5. If we’re not willing to give God our best then what else will we take from him?
CONCLUSION
A. I’d just like to think maybe this story would have gone differently if Cain had asked….
1. “Is this what God wants?” – Am I giving him what he’s asked for? Giving my best?
2. And am I giving it with my best intentions –not for what I can get
3. Whether that’s the glory –being seen doing right thing. Or even getting my own way
4. Can I look at my gift of my money, resources, time, energy –this is what God wants?
B. Am I giving God my best? Beautiful thing about that – he gives us his best
1. Abel –firstborn from his flocks. Paul Colossians 1:15 –He –image invisible God-firstborn
2. The answer to our sin, our lostness –wasn’t just “good enough” – it was God’s best
3. The lives and resources we lay before him –reflection of what he’s given us
4. Reflection of his love for us.
C. Paul says these stories were written down as examples –so we wouldn’t make same mistakes
1. Jesus came – because God knew we would make the same mistakes
2. This table reminds us –God gave us his best. What are we bringing him?
3. What are we surrendering to him?
