SIN CROUCHES AT OUR DOOR (Outline)
July 16, 2023 – Pentecost 7 – GENESIS 4:3-12
INTRO.: In the middle of our text today our theme jumps out at us. “…sin is crouching at the door…” The Lord God warns believers about the danger of sin. We always need to hear the Lord’s warning that sin is dangerous. Very dangerous. Sin is dangerous because it often starts seemingly innocently. The Bible describes the beginning and end of what sin is and does. “Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death” (JAMES 1:15). Desire births sin. It ends in death. SIN CROUCHES AT OUR DOOR. I. Sin desires to destroy. II. We must rule over sin.
I. SIN DESIRES TO DESTROY.
A. Verse 3. Cain brings an offering to the Lord. It is his act of worship. Some fruit of the soil.
1. Verse 4a. Abel also brings an offering. It is the firstborn of his flock. Along with the fat.
2. Cain brought some fruit. Abel brought firstborn, fat (= best). Different offerings.
B. Verses 4b, 5a. The Lord was pleased with Abel’s offering. Not pleased with Cain’s.
1. Verse 5b. Cain was angry. Very angry. Face was downcast. Offered something. Not best.
2. Verse 6. The Lord questioned Cain about his anger. Why? Why downcast?
3. Verse 7a. Lord explained. Do the right thing yields blessing. Bring the best to the Lord.
C. Verse 7b. Now the Lord warned Cain to be careful. Not do good “sin is crouching at the door…”
1. Crouching refers to an animal ready to attack. Pounce on the target.
2. WARNING: “It (sin) has a strong desire for you…” Sin desired to destroy Cain. Danger!
D. The Lord looked differently at the worship offerings brought by these two brothers. Cain brought some fruit of the soil. Abel brought firstborn of flock and fat portions. We look at fat today as not desirable. In biblical times fat portions showed the animal was healthy and fit. Blessed. Abel did not offer a left-over to the Lord. He brought the best. We come to worship. We bring our gifts. We come to hear God’s Word. We know how our hearing can easily be interrupted. The worries and cares of this world creep in. We are distracted. Not paying attention. “Hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (MATTHEW 15:7, 8). Worship is a matter of the heart. Word (seed) planted in heart. Word brings us back to listen.
E. Sin crouches at our door. Satan is ready to attack. Destroy. Our world today does not want to talk about sin. Much less hear that they are sinful. We do not like to be reminded of our evil thoughts. Wicked words. Atrocious actions. Scripture is very clear. Conceived in sin. Born sinful. Life sinful lives. “Every single one has turned back. Altogether they have become rotten. There is no one who does good. There is not even one” (PSALM 53:3). We confess our sinfulness. It is vital to recognize the danger of sin that dwells in our dark hearts. For then, we also see the need for help. Salvation. Savior. Jesus.
F. We want to remember that the world would like to dismiss sin. Too old-fashioned. Outdated. Not relevant in our “everything goes” enlightened day and age. Sadly, many churches have given up the biblical teachings concerning law and gospel. Law shows our sin. Gospel shows our Savior. Our soul needs to hear both. Too many use the phrase “we agree to disagree.” Do not fooled by false prophets. Sin crouches at our door. Sin. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 JOHN 1:8). Do not be fooled by the father of lies. The false teachings of our world. The world has classified many sins as sicknesses. But where is the cure for these sicknesses. No medicine is able to heal sin-sick souls. Or our old sinful nature wants to do whatever we want. Whenever we want.
SIN CROUCHES AT OUR DOOR. Ready to attack: Sin desires to destroy us.
II. WE MUST RULE OVER SIN.
A. Cain was angry. The Lord knew this. Warned Cain about sin at the door. Strong desire to destroy.
1. Verse 7. “…but you must rule over it.” Cain had faith. Believed in the Lord God.
2. Lord told Cain to rule over sin. Had power to overcome desire. Not give in. Master sin.
B. Verse 8. Sin pounced. Cain did not rule over sin. Killed his brother, Abel. Anger – hatred – murder.
1. Verse 9. “Where is Abel, your brother?” Abel means breath. Where is breath – Abel – brother.
2. Opportunity to repent. Cain said did not know where. Not brother’s keeper. Sin destroyed.
C. Verse 10. Blood cries out. Hebrew: blood = dam. Father = Adam. Soil, ground = adamah.
1. Cain heard these words as a chilling condemnation of his desire – sin – death / murder.
2. Verse 11. Now the Lord pronounced the curse for his actions. Cain would be sent away.
3. Verse 12. Soil would no longer give strength to Cain. Wanderer and fugitive. Terrible.
D. Cain did not admit to murder. The ground cried out about the blood of Abel (breath), his brother. The one whom Cain spilled his blood. From this event forward the Lord reveals that blood is special. Very special. The one who sheds man’s blood by man his blood will be shed. Do not eat meat that has blood still in it. The Bible describes all of the blood sprinkled on many things as a sacrifice to the Lord. Blood. Blood. Blood. The importance of blood was imprinted on the Israelites. All of it pointing ahead to the one and only Lamb of God. “And nearly everything is cleansed with blood according to the law. And, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (HEBREWS 9:22). Yes, blood theology. Jesus shed his blood on the cross to take away our sins. Sins of the world. Saved by Jesus’ precious blood.
E. Sin crouches at our door. Sin desires to destroy us. Eternally. Our loving, heavenly Father encourages us. The Lord God of Armies reminds us we must and can rule over sin. First, we always want to remember the devil is dangerous. Always a liar. Always an enemy. Always ready to attack.
“Have sound judgment. Be alert. Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him by being firm in the faith” (1 PETER 5:8, 9a). As believers, we have a very distinct advantage over the unbeliever. We know the difference between right and wrong. Good and evil. We have sound judgment. Every day we want to be alert. We rule over sin whenever we resist the devil. We resist the devil by standing firm in the faith. With Christ the Rock of our salvation we rule.
F. By faith Christ lives in us. This means we can do all things through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Nothing is impossible for God. We can and will say “NO” to sin. We can and will tell Satan to get behind. And he will. Satan must listen and obey God’s living, active, and powerful Word. “God’s grace…trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age…” (TITUS 2:12). Our world has no self-control. All too many struggle against the truth of God’s word that declares he created male and female. Two genders. Truth. We must rule over sin.
CONCL.: Every day we face the danger of sin crouching at our door. Satan and the world desire to destroy. By the blood of Jesus we must and can and will rule over sin. We flee from the devil. From bad company. Remember how all sin begin with desire that ends in death. You may want ask sin-deniers if they will die. Of course. Death is a result of sin. Adam and Eve sinned. Brought death into this world. We die because we sin. “Indeed, all souls are mine. The soul of the father is mine just like the soul of the son. The soul who sins is the one who will die” (EZEKIEL 18:4). SIN CROUCHES AT OUR DOOR. We are not destroyed. By faith we rule over sin. Live forever. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST 7 rdgs: ISAIAH 55:6-11; 1 COR. 3:5-11; MATT. 13:1-9, 18-23; (PSALM 65)
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