What's Your Sacrifice Like?

It reminds me so much of the Christianity that we see practiced today. In our world today, most people think that Christianity is practiced on Sunday morning from 10:45 to noon. A person goes to church every Sunday, hoping that this sacrifice will appease God. Then, from noon of Sunday till 10:45 the next Sunday, they live their lives the way they want. With no regards to a holy and just God, we practice all kinds of selfishness. We are filled with ego and pride. We live from day to day filling our lives with things that offend our Lord. We give no regard to our neighbors, to the hurting, to the needy. We have very little time for devotions, prayer, or Bible study. About the only time that we remember God is when we want something else from Him.

The success of our our Christian lives and churches is not based on what happens on Sunday mornings, it is based on what happens from Monday through Saturday. What we do within these four walls every Sunday morning beginning at 10:45 is not Christianity. It is worship. It is our offering to God. Christianity is what we do when we leave the confines of this sanctuary. God can only accept our worship on Sunday morning if our lives demonstrate our faith the rest of the week. That is where Cain failed. He believed that his worship would appease God and that the rest of his life wouldn’t matter. When he discovered that his worship was not acceptable to God, he became angry.

It reminds me of the child who doesn’t get his way. You know the scene. Dad is sitting on the chair, reading the newspaper when his son comes into the room. “Dad,” he says, “I love you.” Dad – being rather wise to the tactic, says, “Uh-huh, what do you want?” “Nothing Dad, I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and what a great dad you are.” “OK – thanks,” Dad responds. “Oh by the way Dad, can I borrow the car and stay out late tonight – I’m going to a party.” Now, the father understands, “No, I told you before, you can’t go our past 11:00 and I need the car tonight.”

So, what happens? What does the son do? He goes stomping out of the room, forgetting how much he loves Dad and what a great guy he is. The worship was only a way to appease Dad and get what he wants. There was no real meaning attached to it, except for a selfish desire. Think about that a minute.....

Doesn’t that sound like Cain? He comes to God with an offering. God, seeing that his heart isn’t right cannot accept it. Cain, instead of repenting and changing his life, storms off angry, bitter and jealous. “I can’t get my own way.”.....God loves Abel more than me...If I get rid of Abel, there will be no one else and God will have to accept me!" And the heart stays black and cold and unresponsive to God’s leading.

Let’s look at Abel’s offering and see why it is different. Why was God willing to accept Abel’s offering? The main reason, and probably the only reason is found in 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. You see, Abel’s offering to God was better, because it was based on faith. If there is one word that makes a difference in these offerings, this is it – Faith. By faith, Abel offered to God . . .