January 11, 2004
Morning Worship
Text: Genesis 4:1-9
Subject: Acceptable Worship
Title: Doing the Right Things for the Right Reasons
We live in a society where we are required to make decisions every day. For many, decisions are made without any consideration, other than, “What is best for me?” Popular ethics tells us that there are no absolutes. Therefore doing what is right is directly related to the situation. If there is something to be gained from lying, then do it. If no one else knows, then what is the problem?
This phenomenon has become evident through the entertainment media. The onset of “reality TV” is teaching people everywhere that the only way to play the game is to play to win – regardless of the cost. On these programs lies, deceit, double talk, and back – biting have become the expected methods of gain. It is not a new theology, but look at what it is doing to our culture.
Dennis Prager writes, “It is no wonder that in 15 years of asking high school students throughout America whether, in an emergency situation, they would save their dog or a stranger first, most students have answered that they would not save the stranger. "I love my dog, I don’t love the stranger," they always say. The feeling of love has supplanted God or religious principle as the moral guide for young people. What is right has been redefined in terms of what an individual feels.”
Dennis Prager in Good News, July/Aug, 1993, quoted in Christianity Today, Oct 25, 1993, p. 73.
The clear waters of good decision making then, have become clouded. For those who are concerned about making moral decisions, there must be a pure motive. In our passage today, we will see that Cain made decisions that were influenced by what others thought of him and what he thought of himself, instead of his standing with God.
You should understand that as Christians, you are empowered to make right decisions for the right reasons.
I. LOOKING GOOD IN THE EYES OF OTHERS. (VS 1-2)
A. First born. “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived…”Did you ever stop and wonder what Adam and Eve might have thought when Cain was born. This was a historic event. The very first birth of a human on earth. Call the diaper companies. Get the baby food endorsements. Something big has happened and the whole world needs to know about it. Read the headlines! WOMAN GIVES BIRTH! God had told the man and his wife earlier to go forth and multiply, and He wasn’t talking about math. I want you to look at the expansion of the sin nature in mankind. Eve said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord. She did not say “the Lord gave him to me”, but “I acquired him…” One of the recurring themes in Genesis is man’s attempt to obtain blessings that only God can give. First, there was the attempt in the garden, to gain the wisdom of God. Now Eve thinks she has done something huge. Verse 23-24, Lamech bragged about killing a young man and thought that he would receive even more of God’s mercy and love because of his sin. It goes on and on – the Tower of Babel, Abraham and Hagar, Jacob and Esau … Man continually strives for the blessings that only God can give. So, when Cain was born, Eve thought that she had really done something. And she did. She allowed the sin of pride to continue to grow in her and spread to the next generation. Cain was the firstborn of all humanity, but he carried the seed of sin.
B. Flesh born. Cain was not only born from flesh, in the physical sense, he was conceived in the flesh (sin nature). Unlike his parents, who were created in the image of their Creator, Cain was created with two conflicting forces working in him. God’s image and sin’s image. Can’t you just imagine, that as the first born, Cain thought that he had it made? He wanted to be just like dad so he became a farmer. Under normal circumstances, we want what is best for our children. But Adam and Eve went beyond normal circumstances. They thought that Cain would be the one that was promised, who would bruise the head of Satan, and restore them to their rightful place in Paradise. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” When we want to receive from God, but force the issue, that’s flesh. But if we are sure of God’s will and allow Him to do the work, that’s Spirit. And it requires faith.
C. Faith born. There is an element of faith in Eve’s statement in verse 1. “I have acquired a man.” Since Adam and eve had both been created as adults humans, it may have been that they both expected their offspring to come as adults. They could have seen in the animals a pattern – that the young were a small representation of the adult – but humans were different. So, when a baby was born Eve spoke out in faith and accepted that which was not as though it was a fact. “I have acquired a man…”. She was also showing her faith that what God has promised, He is able to perform. As misguided as her understanding was, her faith remained in tact. That is one area where Satan will attack you. He will tell you that if it doesn’t make sense, you can’t believe it. He will tell you that your human experience carries more authority than the word of God. He will steal your faith away if you let him.
Cain looked good in the eyes of his parents. He was the first born of mankind. He was also the first to have the sin nature at birth. And though he was not born in perfection, he was the first born out of faith in God’s promises.
II. LOOKING GOOD IN THE EYES OF God. (3-5)
A. The Gifts. Cain and Abel presented offerings to the Lord. Verse 2 tells us that, “Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground”. Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground. Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. What is it that caused Abel’s offering to be pleasing to God and Cain’s to be rejected? Many commentators say that Abel’s offering was more acceptable because there was a blood sacrifice involved. If we look closely at the passage though, there is nothing to indicate at this time that this was a sin offering. A sin offering does require blood. It was an offering. It was not the quality of the gifts that was the problem. Both would have been pleasing to God. It is the heart that lies behind the gift that creates the problem. Look at Acts 5:1-11. It is the story of Ananias and Saphira. At that time, Barnabas had sold a piece of ground and laid the money at the apostle’s feet. Barnabas was the name given to him by the apostles (Son of Encouragement). Ananias and Saphira desired to be held in high esteem like Barnabas so they sold the ground and gave part of the money. Was their gift any less than Barnabas? The problem wasn’t the offering. It was the heart of the giver. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” Verse 8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” The problem isn’t the gift. It is the heart. Paul also wrote, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor (offerings)… but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
B. The motive. What was Cain’s motive for giving? Why was his offering not acceptable to God? Obviously there was a lack of real worship involved. And it is all about worship. Why do we give offerings to the Lord? Do you give because the church has to have the funds to operate? Do you give because that is what you are supposed to do? Do you give because you have been blessed and you want to bless in return? Listen, God does not want your money. But He wants your heart, undivided and totally given to Him in love. Why do you give? Because you love God. Why do we bless others? Because we love God. Why do we sow bountifully? Not because we want to reap bountifully, but because we love, worship, and adore the One who gives liberally and without reproach. Hebrews 11:4 tells us why Abel’s offering was more acceptable than Cain’s, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” So, if Abel offered in faith, Cain must have offered without faith. It must have been a form of religion. Or maybe it was selfish pride. “Hey, look at me. Look what I gave today!”
Cain was like many in the church today; he was doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons.
C. The result. God did not respect his offerings. Look at Cain’s response. “Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.” (NIV, ‘his face was downcast’). It looks like we are making progress here. If Cain was visibly upset over this rejection, then he could change and make things right. Right? If what you are offering to the Lord is not pleasing to him, then you have the opportunity to repent and make it right. You have the responsibility to daily present your bodies as living sacrifices to God. If it isn’t acceptable, He will let you know. Your offering won’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but will be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:1,2) That is what Cain needed, a real renewing of his mind. He was not angry because of his sin, he was angry because God knew his heart. The Psalmist wrote, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” See how sin has been magnified in the world. Eve wanted to be like God. Adam wanted to please his wife more than God. Now Cain adds the sins of spiritual pride and hypocrisy.
Cain was not concerned about his standing in God’s eyes. He was more concerned with self - image.
III. LOOKING GOOD IN YOUR OWN EYES. (6-9)
A. Feeling sorry for your self. You may have heard the story of two friends who met for dinner in a restaurant. Each requested filet of sole, and after a few minutes the waiter came back with their order. Two pieces of fish, a large and a small, were on the same platter. One of the men proceeded to serve his friend. Placing the small piece on a plate, he handed it across the table. "Well, you certainly do have nerve!" exclaimed his friend. "What’s troubling you?" asked the other. "Look what you’ve done," he answered. "You’ve given me the little piece and kept the big one for yourself." "How would you have done it?" the man asked. His friend replied, "If I were serving, I would have given you the big piece." "Well," replied the man, "I’ve got it, haven’t I?" At this, they both laughed.
Daily Bread, August 11, 1992.
Cain was so caught up in maintaining a good self image that he was distraught when God rejected his offering. But look at how God responded to him. God didn’t repay anger with anger. He lovingly directs his attention to Cain to give him the opportunity to make things better. “Why are you angry? Why has your countenance fallen?” God is saying, “Let’s talk about this and get to the root of the problem.” God loves us so much that He doesn’t want to leave us in our sin. He wants to help us make things right. Cain was angry because his heart was revealed. God wants to give a heart transplant.
B. Accepting the consequences of your actions. Every action has a
consequence. That is true in both the physical and spiritual realms. Newton’s third law of motion states that for every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. Those natural laws have been set in place by God, and are immutable. On the spiritual side, every action has a consequence. “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” The Lord is saying if you do the right thing for the right reason everything will be OK. But… “If you do not do well, sin lies at the door.” The worship of God comes from a pure heart. If your heart is not pure, any worship is false worship. You are playing games. Sin lies at the door. It is waiting for you, to trap you and drag you down to death. God was giving Cain a chance to turn his life around. All he had to do was make the right decision. A not so old proverb goes like this, “It may be true that there are two sides to every question, but it is also true that there are two sides to a sheet of flypaper, and it makes a big difference to the fly which side he chooses.” We are all given the chance to do the right things in life. It does make a difference, but only when you are doing it for the right reasons. The metaphor of sin lying at the door depicts Satan as the roaring lion that he is, seeking someone whom he may devour. “Its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Who has the power to rebuke Satan? You do! Who has the authority of Jesus Christ over the things of heaven and earth? You do! Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven… Who can resist the devil and make him flee? YOU CAN! You do not have to give in to temptation that leads to sin. You have a choice. 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man’ but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with every temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
C. Taking out the opposition. Since Cain was faced with a low self- image, he thought that if he could only get rid of his righteous brother, then his offering would be acceptable. Pride still had him thinking that able was the problem. Even though God had spoken to him and tried to walk him through the difficult times, he rejected God. He was comparing himself to others instead of seeing himself against the standard of righteousness. He wanted to be saved, but on his own terms. He wanted to do what was right, in his own eyes. He wanted to be at the head of the pack, at any cost. Even today, people are doing the same thing. Many are so insecure that they will go to great length to prove how good they are by focusing on the faults of others. Listen, if you love the Lord and are His by faith, don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Concentrate on what He would have you do and do it! Jesus talked about those who sought the acclaim of men, “They have their reward”. Their reward is temporary, yours is eternal. You have made the right choice.
D. Justifying your actions in our own mind. Cain committed premeditated murder. He talked to Abel and lulled him into a sense of well being, then rose up and killed him. Cain ignored God’s way of escape and chose sin instead. Then he tried to cover it up. Like God couldn’t see what was going on.
A man purchased a white mouse to use as food for his pet snake. He dropped the unsuspecting mouse into the snake’s glass cage, where the snake was sleeping in a bed of sawdust. The tiny mouse had a serious problem on his hands. At any moment, he could be swallowed alive. Obviously, the mouse needed to come up with a brilliant plan. What did the terrified creature do? He quickly set up work covering the snake with sawdust chips until it was completely buried. With that, the mouse apparently thought he had solved his problem. The solution, however, came from outside. The man took pity on the silly little mouse and removed him from the cage. No matter how hard we try to cover or deny our sinful nature, it’s fool’s work. Sin will eventually awake from sleep and shake off its cover. Were it not for the saving grace of the Master’s hand, sin would eat us alive.
No matter how hard we try, we can’t escape unrepented sin. God even gave Cain one more chance. “Where is your brother?” God goes to great lengths to save us. Even when we are deserving of death, He gives us the chance to make the right choice.
Conclusion.
All of life is about choices. Every choice you make will have a consequence. The catch phrase that has been drawing young people to righteousness in recent years is, “What would Jesus do?” That would be a good question for all of us to ask whenever we are faced with decisions. Will we make right decisions pleasing to God, or will we let sin pounce as it waits by the door?
A businessman well known for his ruthlessness once announced to writer Mark Twain, "Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the 10 Commandments aloud at the top." "I have a better idea," replied Twain. "You could stay in Boston and keep them."
Moody Bible Institute’s Today in the Word, September, 1991, p. 32.
As born again, blood bought, Bible believing, Spirit filled, tongue talking, God worshipping, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have the power to make all the right choices for all the right reasons.
This scripture passage is not about Cain or Abel. It transcends worship and murder. It is about God’s love and the desire that He has for us to love Him. That is the right thing to do; and it is for the right reason.
The right thing to do is to be in God’s house when you can…
The right thing to do is be at work in God’s house when He calls…
The right thing to do is to share God’s love with those who need Him most…
The right thing to do is listen to the voice of His Holy Spirit…
The right thing to do is resist the devil in the power that is within you…
The right thing to do is to worship God because He is….
And the right reason is because you love Him.
