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Good morning. How are you all doing today? Awesome. I am doing fantastic. Thank you

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so much. I do want to start today's service by saying a special welcome to

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anybody that is joining us here in our sanctuary for the very first time or if

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you're watching us online, welcome. We're so glad you're here to worship with us today.

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I am Pastor Nathan and this morning in our study of Genesis we are going to

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move beyond creation, beyond the creation of the heavens and the earth, beyond the

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creation of man and woman. We're moving past the first sin where Adam followed

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his wife Eve's lead into the original sin. We're going to be moving past the

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judgment that was proclaimed on the serpent and the woman and the man and

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the grace of God that we saw in all of that. If you remember, you know, when God

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was laying out the curse that was going to fall upon Eve in her very

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foundational important aspect of motherhood and that role she played in

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being fruitful and multiplying upon the earth, he gave a prophecy of a future

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offspring, a future seed that would come and do away with the issue of sin

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altogether and we saw that God's grace was just flowing through that. We saw

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God's grace also when he covered them in animal skins knowing that they had sinned

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and disobeyed him but still he didn't kill them which he had every right to do

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but he allowed them to continue to live, to continue to serve him, to continue to

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pursue that call in their life albeit under a curse and a judgment and then

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the last grace we saw was God kicking them out of the garden. You might say

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well how is that a grace, right? And that was a grace because in that condition

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they then found themselves in. Having been in the presence of God so perfectly

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and without sin now separated from their presence, it was meant to be a thing to

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drive them to God, to drive them to seek him and it's something that's been a

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drive for us ever since and so now here in Genesis chapter 4 we come to the

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first recorded offspring of Adam and Eve who sadly has inherited the sin nature

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from his parents and we're gonna see through the story of Cain and Abel the

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insidious influence and effect of sin and the capability of sin in our sin

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nature but we're also gonna see the way provided, the way of escape provided for

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God by God and something God still does today whether we take it or not but we

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shouldn't be surprised when we look at stories like Cain and Abel and we

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shouldn't be surprised that it's still happening today. You know I read a story

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about a mom who had a daughter that was going out for cheerleading and there was

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a bunch of other girls and there was this one other girl who was actually

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better than her daughter and was probably gonna take the position that

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her daughter was going for and so that mom decided to hire somebody to kill

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that other daughter's mom and her reasoning was well gosh if that girl's

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mom dies she'll be so distraught she'll drop out of the competition and my

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daughter will be able to win the spot and we are shocked when we hear

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something like that but we shouldn't be surprised because it really is a picture

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of the state of mankind ever since the fall and we're gonna see it started with

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the very first children. Now this evil, this sinful evilness that could drive us

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to murder has existed since the very first sibling rivalry and here in

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Genesis 4 we're looking at verses 1 through 16 today the very centerpiece of

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the story is homicide, it's murder but it's more it's about more than just

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murder it's about the way of Cain that Jude refers to it's about a place we

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could find ourselves in where we start to drift from God's way in God's Word in

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God's will and entertain the idea that maybe our way is better maybe we don't

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have to give God what he is asking for but we could just give him what we want

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to give him and we see we're gonna see in the story how that is a slow descent

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into corruption and that is a slow slide that takes us away from God's will and

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into the will of sin it's ultimately the way of pride and that really is the root

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of thinking we could ever have a better idea than God that we would ever have a

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better way to live our life than how God wants us to live our life that we would

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ever have a better idea I mean look at the world today a lot of our ideas ideas

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not so good but God is perfect God is perfect in all ways and so what we're

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gonna see is the unfortunate slow subtle descent into depravity and really be

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reminded of how far sin could take us and really what every single one of us

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are capable of without Jesus in our life but like so much of Genesis already it

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is also a story of beautiful grace and we'll see that at the tail end but first

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we're gonna worship God this morning and praise him because he's God he is the

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God of grace he is the God of mercy he is the God that is so patient with us

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when we're just dumb and I am so thankful for that amen let's pray God we

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love you so much you are so patient with us God you give us really God chance

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after chance Lord and we're so grateful Lord that your grace extends so far so

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far beyond what we could even imagine Lord your word says where sin abounds

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grace super abounds and Lord that's that's amazing God may we learn from the

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word today God as you have recorded this story between Cain and Abel and what

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takes place God that we would be reminded about what you want from us Lord how we

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are to live our lives in obedience to you God and really the the warning that

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we would hear the warning of what happens when we stray from that when we

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dare thank God that our way is better than your way Lord that we would be

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reminded that sin creeps in very subtly but it will ultimately give birth to

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death so Lord bless us today speak to us today but God first be glorified we love

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you so much we just want to lift up your holy name and praise you because you are

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so worthy of everything you're worthy of our whole life you're worthy of

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everything we are and God yeah you're just it we love you God be blessed this

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morning it's in Jesus name we pray amen and we will be here to minister to your

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children but okay we are going to be in Genesis chapter 4 this morning and the

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story we're looking at today really is highlighting something of the essential

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nature of mankind now you are part of mankind and I am a part of mankind so

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what we're looking at today is highlighting a part of the essential

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nature of who we all are and I'm gonna say this and I don't mean to offend

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anybody but what that nature is in our fallen state is selfish self-centered

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and capable of the worst that is our nature without Christ however the story

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here opens up with just a burst of joyous optimism so read with me in

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Genesis chapter 4 verse 1 it says the man was intimate with his wife Eve and

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she conceived and gave birth to Cain she said I have had a male child with the

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Lord's help now I was talking to somebody earlier and they said you know

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I wonder if Eve every time she had a male child thought this is the one this

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is the fulfillment of the prophecy right Bible doesn't indicate any of that but

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you know hey that might be her expression here I have had a male child

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with the Lord's help but one can imagine how exciting this pregnancy was you know

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there is discussion on whether Cain was the very first human child born or this

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is just the story we select I lean towards the fact that it was indeed the

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first child born but again you can imagine the excitement of this pregnancy

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right they were called to be fruitful multiply they unfortunately had fallen

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the curse was laid out on all of them and Eve had to look forward to the the

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process of carrying and birthing this child then on to raise it would be way

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more difficult than it was intended ever to be but still had to been an exciting

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moment the very first recorded biologically born human because you

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remember Adam was formed of the dust right he was just poof a fully grown man

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there you go you know Eve rib out of the side of Adam poof fully grown woman no

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childhood I imagine they grew in their understanding and wisdom but biologically

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physically they were just full fully grown Cain however the first one coming

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through the biological process and so it's not explicitly stated here but I

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did want to touch on the fact that many commentators believe that that Cain was

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indeed the first kid born but if that is so that would make it the first pains in

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carrying a child the first pains in birthing a child but also the first

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overwhelming joy upon seeing that little baby's face right a lot of you have

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experienced that that beautiful screaming new life that that has just

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come into the world and it's just like oh that is the most beautiful sound I've

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ever heard right at least that's what happened to me with my grandson yelling

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and screaming I'm like it sounds like angels singing I just it's beautiful

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right now you hear that or at least I hear that in in Eve's expression here I

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have had a male child with the Lord's help there's an excitement in that

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language but what I want you to notice there is she rightly sees the birth of

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Cain as a work of God it's not her work it's not her husband's work it's a work

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of God and that truly is what birth is the miracle of life that God granted to

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women specifically to carry in birth a child here and then both of them to be

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parents and raising that child it is a miracle of God and so when she

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exclaims this her words I believe are a declaration of faith in God's promises

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because you remember back in Genesis 3 15 when Adam named his wife Eve we talked

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about that in our last study where he named her Eve which means life or

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life-giver and I believe that that naming of her was was Adam expressing

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faith and belief in the promises that God had made right when he was laying

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down the curse on Eve he said your offspring and so Adam was like well

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there's gonna be offspring so the very fact that he named her Eve was hope and

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what God said was gonna happen and I hear the same excitement in her she's

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just as hopeful that I have had a male child with the Lord's help that God's

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promised to us although it's gonna be painful and everything we're still gonna

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we're still gonna be able to be fruitful multiply we still get the

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opportunity to do what God has called us to do we haven't sinned to the point

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where God has done with us and there's an excitement in that but in verse 2 it

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goes on to say she also gave birth to his brother Abel and so we see the

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blessings continue right now what's interesting is the word Cain it means

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to acquire right so she was excited I have had a male child I've acquired a

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male child and so she named him I got you I've had you I've acquired you you

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right his name represented what God had done but Abel's name in the Hebrew it's

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a form of the word breath but it's a form of the word that really focuses on

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the briefness of a vapor like you've ever seen a puff of smoke and it's like

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gone that's what Abel means and I don't know if they knew that when they named

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him but his name was prophetic to what would indeed happen in his life but

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still Eve was was overjoyed even through the pain of childbirth no epidurals at

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the time blessing and joy came anyways excitement wonderful joy at this new

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life now verse 2 goes on to tell us a little bit about Cain and Abel's life we

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have no details about their upbringing we have no details about really anything

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we just get right to their adult state really where it says now Abel became a

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shepherd of flocks but Cain worked the ground that's it those are the only

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details we have really about their life and so the idea is Cain followed in a

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father's footsteps took over the family business if you will he became a farmer

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just like his dad was a farmer but then it tells us that Abel became a shepherd

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now there's no indication here that one is better than the other per se they're

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both good and noble jobs and so verse 3 we get into the meat of the story in the

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course of time came presented some of the land's produce as an offering to the

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Lord and Abel also presented an offering some of the firstborn of his flock and

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their fat portions the Lord had regard for Abel in his offering but he did not

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have regard for Cain and his offering so we get into the meat of the story here

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where the whole drama unfolds and it starts with saying in the course of time

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you know we don't know there's no indication here that the brothers had a

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normal habit of giving offerings or whether this was the first time they

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were given an offering we simply don't know what we can deduce from the

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information here is that they are older they're not children because I said

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they're they're actively working in their professions at this point but when

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it says in the course of time in the original language it's referring to a

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passing of a precise time period so it's going some some time period happened and

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then when that was done this is what's happening and so some people think that

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oh this was at the end of an agricultural year which is going to

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explain Cain's offering and that's when sacrifices were made or it's just

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at some point in their life okay I bring that up because people argue that point

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so it could just be hey and then something happened right but this leads

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us to the age-old question why did God accept Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's?

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why did God accept Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's? well we have to look at the

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details here to figure that out because Genesis does not record why they made

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the sacrifice it doesn't record that they were taught to do sacrifices this

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particular way like oh their dad taught them or God taught them it doesn't give

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us that detail it doesn't mean it didn't happen it just doesn't include that

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detail and it also doesn't tell us that that they knew what was to be sacrificed

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and what wasn't to be sacrificed or how that was supposed to be done it doesn't

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tell us so we have to kind of look at the Bible as a whole and figure this out

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so we start with the details that the word does give us here Cain gave some of

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the land's produce and that is contrasted with Abel's offering of some of

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the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions right so we're like well why

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did God accept Abel's over Cain's? well on the surface we could see that there

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was a tangible difference right one was a living creature an animal one was just

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crop or fruit or grain or just the the produce of the land and some people

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conclude from this that the reason God accepted Abel's over Cain's is because

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Abel's was an animal sacrifice that that is what made it a better sacrifice that

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because it was a blood sacrifice that that was superior now this interpretation

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of this is supported by the fact that you know God killed an animal in the

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garden to provide skins to cover the sin of Adam and Eve it's also supported by

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the fact that animal sacrifice as offerings to God was practiced long

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before the law of Moses right some people go well it was in the law of Moses

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well there was no law of Moses at this point right and yet we see people like

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Noah after the flood and Abram make animal sacrifices to the Lord and some

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people go so therefore that's how it's a better sacrifice you go through the Old

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Testament in the temple in the tabernacle worship and you see that

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animal sacrifice was a part of that that blood was shed and then of course

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prophetically we know that that all pointed towards Jesus right that Jesus

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was gonna shed his blood he was gonna be the perfect sacrifice once and for all

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and so some people look at this and they go Abel's sacrifice was accepted and it

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was better because it was prophetic right and there's some truth to that

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because in Luke chapter 11 verse 51 Jesus actually refers to Abel as a

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prophet well if the only thing we know about Abel is this sacrifice then we

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have to go what is it about that sacrifice that was prophetic and so yeah

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we do see in Abel's sacrifice and then of course the sacrifices of the Old

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Testament that that blood was shed for the remission of sin and ultimately

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Jesus's blood was the final sacrifice but the details here in Genesis 4 don't

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seem to say or indicate specifically that this is why God rejected Cain's

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offering or that the only sacrifices that were acceptable to God were blood

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sacrifices or an animal sacrifice we know that in the rest of the Old

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Testament there was all kinds of offerings that people were called to

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give to God and there was only two that were mandatory there was the sin offering

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and there was the gosh I forgot the word again

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well it was another one okay I'll probably remember it in five minutes

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transgression offering something like that okay anyways there was two all

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right so but in the instructions for the sin offering that people were called to

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give to God they were required it said you have to either give a young bull or

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a male or female goat right you go oh well animal sacrifice right and it says

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if you were poor and you couldn't afford that you could give a dove or a pigeon

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and you go oh again animal sacrifice even though some people consider pigeons

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just to be demons with feathers and but if you were extremely poor you could

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bring an offering of fine flour so we can't say that the only sacrifice

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acceptable to God was was an animal sacrifice right because he would accept

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flour as a sin sacrifice and so the detail here that I want you to draw your

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attention to when it's contrasting Cain and Abel's sacrifices Abel's is called

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the firstborn of his flock and the fat of their portions what that means in in

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the concept in the language was it was the best portions of the first and best

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lambs from his flock or let me put it in another way it wasn't what was left over

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after he took everything he wanted and spent it for himself and bought his jet

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ski and did this and went on the vacation and then oh okay here God this

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is what little I have left it's for you it was the first it was the best it was

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the most valuable now another reason why I think this has something to do with

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the point of why God accepted Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's is because in

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the Hebrew language there is a word to refer to the firstborn of his flock

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to refer to the first best portion of a crop offering of a fruit offering or a

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grain offering right when it's an animal you say firstborn when it was fruit or

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crop you said the first fruits that is a word that exists in the Hebrew for the

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best offering like if you brought grain you gave God the first fruits the best

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quality the the stuff off the top you gave it to God first and then you dealt

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with the rest but the Holy Spirit chose not to use that word here in describing

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Cain's offering I think that is an important point the conclusion that

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draws is it wasn't so much about in Cain and Abel story about what was given the

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issue is wrapped around the attitude or the reason why it was given the heart

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behind the offering Abel gave the best and the first of what he had Cain

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apparently did not now this may have something to do with well Cain and Abel

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were instructed by their father prior and they knew what they should and

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shouldn't give and all that but that detail isn't here and so we have to be

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careful adding details to things to draw conclusions it says that was a detail

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that God did not include so we can't necessarily say oh the reason was as

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Cain knew he was supposed to give an animal sacrifice we don't know that

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right but what we do know is there was a difference in the attitude behind it and

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what they gave out of their sacrifice now the idea here is is what we're gonna

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see in this whole idea and this is the the the general concept here the reason

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God accepted Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's is because Cain came to God on

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his own terms whereas Abel came to God on God's terms

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Abel did and gave what God wanted Cain did not instead Cain brought to God an

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offering with an almost indifferent attitude that it's no big deal it was

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almost like he was doing it out of duty rather than devotion right it was almost

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like he was like you know I went to church Sunday so God's good meet we're

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good I could you know do all these sins and stuff you know cuz hey I went to

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church right that's the idea of what Cain's offering was here but Abel on the

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other hand he offered something to God with careful reverent respect taking

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serious the one whom he was given the offering to now I say that because I

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believe scripture supports this idea as we start to find out what was it about

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Abel's offering that God off accepted and what was it about Cain's that he

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rejected in the New Testament in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4 we read this by faith

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Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did now again we have a

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contrast between Cain's offering and Abel's offering and the contrast that

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we saw in Genesis is that Abel's was the first firstborn the fat portions right

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the best in the first of it Cain's apparently was not but here in Hebrews

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the difference is what faith that is the difference between their two offerings

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that Abel's was offered in faith and Cain's was not again that's pointing to

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the attitude in which the offering was given now to do a thing by faith

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according to the language used here in Hebrews it needs to be done in response

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to God in response to his will in response to his word in response to what

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he wants us to do with full trust in his promises where God says hey I want you

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to give this and this will happen you say okay you don't say well can I give

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something else you know God says do it this way God says live this way and we

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just say okay that is the idea of doing something by faith so when it says by

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faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice there was something about

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what Abel did in that sacrifice where God said this is how I want it given this

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is what I want given and Abel just said yes sir no question no discussion so that

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faith idea is that God I trust you so I will offer you my resources my time my

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talents the way you want me to when you want me to how you want me to in the

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manner that you want me to that's the attitude that's what this word by faith

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means and we see that elsewhere in Scripture where Abel is brought up in

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Matthew chapter 23 verse 35 Jesus refers to Abel as righteous Abel now there that

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word righteous means to be characterized as being in accordance

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with God's right and good standards that means to be characterized as someone

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who does what God wants the way God wants when and how God wants that's what

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he means what he says righteous Abel that Abel's sacrifice was in line with

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and by faith therefore it was according to God's will and God's standard right

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because the only detail we have about Abel's life is he gave this sacrifice

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and it was better than Cain's so therefore Abel's sacrifice was better

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than Cain's because it was done in faith because it was done God's way it was

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done according to God's will and that is a righteous offering now how is Cain

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characterized in Scripture right well what was it about Cain and his offering

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that caused it to be rejected well in Hebrews 11 we saw already that that

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Cain's offering was apparently not by faith which means not according to God's

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way and then in Jude verse 11 Jude is a one chapter book in the Bible is a whole

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letter about false teachers and people who make up their own standards of

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religion and people who want to live their own way instead of God's way and

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so Jude is writing this letter and he says though he's I'm paraphrasing he

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says those who reject God's way or don't follow God's way and he says instead

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rely on their own dreamed up standards of how to be right before God he says

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that they have gone the way of Cain well if the way of Cain is rejecting God's

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way and making up your own standards what does that tell us about Cain because

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really the only detail we have about Cain's life is his sacrifice that was

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rejected so there was something about that rejected sacrifice that was not

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according to God's way and then you go okay well then what is God's way right

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it doesn't tell us there what God wanted from them but elsewhere in his word he

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does Hebrews chapter 10 verse 4 this gives us some insight into what God

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wants for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins

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therefore as he was coming into the world speaking of Jesus he said you did

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not desire sacrifice and offering but you prepared a body for me you did not

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delight in whole burnt offerings and sin offerings then I said see it is written

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about me in the scroll I have come to do your will God Paul goes on to say after

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he says above you did not desire or delight in sacrifices and offerings

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whole burnt offerings and sin offerings which are according to the law he then

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says see I have come to do your will this is Paul summary he takes away the

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first to establish the second now you might be reading that like I did when I

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first read it and you go huh so I was like God you have an even shorter

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summary and there's one in first Samuel 15 22 this is to put it another way first

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Samuel 15 22 then Samuel said does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings

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and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord look to obey is better than

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sacrifice to pay attention is better than the fat of rams did you hear that

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Abel's sacrifice was better because it was done according to God's way God's

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will what God's want in his time Keynes was rejected because it's apparently

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the opposite of that we just read that what God wants is obedience he wants

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obedience not sacrifice it's not it never has been and it never will be about

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what is sacrificed but the attitude in which it is given you see far too many

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of us live lives where God says hey I want you to give me this and you go I

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don't know I'll give you this instead God's like I didn't ask for that I want

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obedience see it's not that we don't offer to the Lord and we don't give

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sacrifice but the point is is God says give me what I asked for and we so

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often want to be like no I'll give you this instead God says stop doing this I

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want you to offer your life to me I want you to give me your life you said God I

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believe in you you're my Lord and Savior I give you my everything God says great

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stop doing that and you go I'll stop doing this instead God says no but I'm

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saying do that give that to me and we argue with them and we say no I want to

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give you this instead you know the questions to ask ourselves is what you

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is is what you present to the Lord done in obedience and according to his will

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in his way that's the question we have to ask ourselves do you give God the

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first and the best and the most valuable of who you are and what you have do you

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give God what he wants and we just read what he wants right obedience God put it

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a different way when somebody once asked him God what's the most important

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commandment he said this is the commandment that is most important the

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love Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength what does that

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mean that means you've committed and dedicated your whole everything

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everything about you to him to him to say God I am yours do with me what you

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will command me send me the idea there is that when we're obedient when we

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loving God one of the best ways we demonstrate loving God with all our

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heart mind soul and strength is when we do what he says to obey him when we

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rebel and disobey him it demonstrates the opposite of love and so he said I

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want you to do what I'm calling you to do and so the questions are do you do

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that or instead do you come up with your own standards of obedience right and

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this is kind of the picture that scripture in totality has given us about

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the difference between Cain and Abel's offering Abel gave his offering not

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because necessarily it was a of his flock and that's what made it better it

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was because what he gave God was the most valuable and the most important

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the first of his life God you have the first of my time you have the first of

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my resources you have the first of my talents God it's yours Cain apparently

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said I'm just gonna give you something and it's not the first of my crop it's

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not the first fruit of my crop it's just some of it so I'm just gonna give you

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this and God's like I didn't ask for that I asked for you to give me your all

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give me your best and so Abel's offering was done according to God's way not his

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own way it was done with the right heart it was done with the right intent and

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that's why it was accepted it wasn't a fabricated man's made-up way of being

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accepted by God we call those cults today this is this is this is I'm gonna

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give you a short version of how a cult comes to be reads the Bible God says

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this is what I want nope and then you make up your own no we're gonna we're

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gonna make up new things and invent new books and go hey ours says something

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different we're gonna this is what God says and you go and read their thing and

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you're like wow that's incredibly self-centered and selfish that that's

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it's not really God's way and they go yeah that's I don't want to do it God's

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way I still want to feel holy and spiritual but I want to do it my own

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way when God says give me all of you that's the best way do it when God says

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you can't earn salvation through your own works but only through faith in

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Jesus believe that stop trying to earn his favor stop trying to say God's gonna

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be happy with me if I do these things God loves you if you're a believer he

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looks upon you every moment of every day free of sin because you are cleansed by

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the blood of Jesus Christ and he looks and he says my beloved I love you so

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much you're my child you can't earn my love because you already have all of it

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but I just want you to live in response to that just do what I tell you to do

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and here's the secret what God tells us to do is the best way to do something

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why because he's God he knows the perfect way to live and he gave us a

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whole book to tell us how to do it and he sent himself or the father sent the

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son to the earth God came clothed himself in flesh to show us to give us

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the example of how to live and we go hmm no maybe there's a different way and we

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wonder why we have problems and relationship issues and you know all the

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stuff when God says live this way and act this way and give this way and serve

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this way and help this way it just do it you know I've learned over the years in

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counseling people will come and they'll have this issue or that issue and you

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know I'm having this struggle in this struggle and you know earlier in my

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ministry I used to think oh I got to have the perfect spiritual answer right

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and oh man and and then as the years got gone on I've just learned that the

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answer is the same my relationships are struggling I'm having this sin issue my

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friends are this or you know the issue is you just need more Jesus that's it

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what do you mean I just need more Jesus look just just commit to studying the

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Bible and praying worshiping God and let the Holy Spirit change you from the

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inside out and over time you're gonna see that your behavior will change and

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your attitude will change it can't be that well let's keep doing it your way

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00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:09,880
and see how it gets better and it doesn't get better does it you just need

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more Jesus right and and so the whole idea is is God said this is who I want

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you to be this is how I want you to live and just do it God does not accept our

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sacrifice of just what meager we have left over when we're in sin and he's

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saying give me this stop doing this when he says hey I'm calling you to you know

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I don't know join children's church wink wink right and he's gonna want you to

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give up that time I'm not trying to guilt trip anybody but you know and then we

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go well God I know you're laying this on my heart right and there may be

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somebody out there where God you're just going oh man I feel like God is calling

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me to step into children's ministry you might be saying I don't like kids maybe

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that's why God wants you to step into children's ministry so you learn to love

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the kids right I don't know anyways we already made that announcement okay so

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but we go no I'm gonna do this instead Lord and God's like I don't accept that

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I didn't ask you for that but I made a sacrifice God says I want you to give a

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track to that person and you go oh no I'm gonna pray instead prayer is good

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but God's going I didn't ask you to pray for them I asked you to go talk to them

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and hand them a gospel tract right it's very subtle and we get very good at

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making these shifting the shells around right okay which one is obedience under

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now I see this also supported this whole idea here in Romans chapter 12 verses 1

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through 2 and this is what Paul wrote there therefore brothers and sisters in

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view of the mercies of God I urge you to present your bodies as a living

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sacrifice holy and pleasing to God this is your true worship do not be conformed

426
00:34:56,160 --> 00:35:00,720
to this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may

427
00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:07,000
discern what is the good pleasing and perfect will of God God I want to know

428
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:12,020
what your will is we just looked at it just be obedient to me yeah but God I'm

429
00:35:12,020 --> 00:35:17,320
looking for the specifics okay just give me all of you but God I don't know what

430
00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:22,280
you want that's because you don't read the Bible but if you give me all of you

431
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,720
commit yourself to me study my word read it learn it let it penetrate your life

432
00:35:25,720 --> 00:35:31,480
guess what you're gonna discern the perfect will of God and so he says don't

433
00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:35,480
live according to the way of this age don't think the way the world thinks

434
00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:40,720
don't act don't don't align your values to the values of the world instead live

435
00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:45,880
God's word live his will live his way let his way dictate everything about

436
00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:51,760
your life every decision every moment do it God's way and guess what God will

437
00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:56,920
smile upon your life with acceptance and approval I'm not saying that when we're

438
00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:01,560
being disobedient he doesn't love us that's not this is not salvation right

439
00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:06,560
for the believer because even believers we are we try and make these deals and

440
00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:10,560
and well God I'm gonna disobey you but I'm gonna offer you this God loves you

441
00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:19,440
still as a child as his child but it doesn't please him when we live in

442
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:25,680
contrary to what he's calling us to do now verse 5 here we see the the story

443
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:33,120
continue here Cain was furious and he looked despondent Cain was mad but he

444
00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:39,280
was very mad and despondent means to to have a feeling of intense discouragement

445
00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:44,680
and hopelessness right he was hoping God would accept his sacrifice but God said

446
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:49,080
no and now he's feeling that sense of like God won't accept what I gave him

447
00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:54,400
but he's mad about it furious you see Cain could have accepted God's

448
00:36:54,400 --> 00:37:02,860
disapproval as a loving gracious correction which I believe is is how it

449
00:37:02,860 --> 00:37:07,680
was intended right no you're not you're not giving me what I asked I'm

450
00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:11,200
disciplining you as a father disciplines are children way full of

451
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:15,080
grace full of love and then he could have received that and then humbly just

452
00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:19,000
God I'm so sorry ask for forgiveness help me learn to be what you want me to

453
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:25,800
be now this is how it goes in our lives right God I know you want blank from me

454
00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:32,160
I know Lord you've defined for me what it is and what you want how you want it

455
00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:36,040
when you want it but I decided to give you this instead and here's where the

456
00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:44,160
anger comes from and I expected you to accept it and you didn't you didn't

457
00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:50,480
accept what I gave you God said give me this you know I know I did this and I

458
00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:54,820
want to give that to you and you should accept that and when God rejects it we

459
00:37:54,820 --> 00:38:00,080
get mad or more likely what the real story is is we're mad because what do

460
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:05,360
you mean you won't accept that which didn't really cost me anything I didn't

461
00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:07,760
give you the first fruit of my time I didn't give you the first fruit of my

462
00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:11,000
reason I didn't give you the first and best and most valuable I gave you what

463
00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:14,360
was left and left over you know it didn't cost me that much how dare you

464
00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:18,280
not accept it from me I'm mad what do you mean my partial disobedience

465
00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:22,040
or partial obedience to you isn't acceptable what do you mean my time is

466
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:27,760
yours first and my resources is yours first and my talents are yours first

467
00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:33,080
right and we go on what do you mean you want my all my everything and my most

468
00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:37,000
invaluable you want me to give it to you according to your way and your timing

469
00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:44,240
for your purposes that you decided upon how dare you God instead we're like no

470
00:38:44,240 --> 00:38:50,240
way that makes me mad and what we're really saying is how dare you not take

471
00:38:50,240 --> 00:38:53,720
my meager offering and instead expect from me what you told me you wanted

472
00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:59,800
already in your word it's irrational but it's what we deal with sometimes so

473
00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:04,120
verse 6 then the Lord said to Cain why are you furious why do you look

474
00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:11,480
despondent look how he characterizes their action he says if you just simply

475
00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:18,040
gave a sheep wouldn't you be accepted no that's not what he says is it if you do

476
00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:24,280
what is right won't you be accepted that word right is a similar word to that

477
00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:30,600
word righteous we see in the New Testament righteous able do what I've

478
00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:34,360
told you to do give the way I've told you to give offer the way I told you to

479
00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:38,760
offer do it with the right heart and the right reason not of your own hands but

480
00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:43,520
just whatever I've I've given what what I'm worth in that sense right God is

481
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:47,720
deserving of the very best because he is perfect and holy from us or holy

482
00:39:47,720 --> 00:39:53,360
different from us he goes why are you why are you furious and then he says if

483
00:39:53,360 --> 00:39:56,880
you do what is right won't you be accepted but if you do not do what is

484
00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:00,600
right sin is crouching at the door its desires for you and you must rule over

485
00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:08,480
it do you see how this oozes with grace and patience right I'm so glad like

486
00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:16,560
we're not God because I mean we would just all be struck down already how dare

487
00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:21,760
you make my life more inconvenient lightning bolt right it's like if I was

488
00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:24,760
God it would be like whack-a-mole on the human race and that's why I'm not God

489
00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:30,760
that is why I'm not God but we see here God like Kane my dear son my beloved

490
00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:36,120
look you you know what I want you you know what I've asked of you and you know

491
00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:42,240
that you're not offering that to me stop trying to to justify your

492
00:40:42,240 --> 00:40:49,200
disobedience by your own made-up standards don't give me that which you

493
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:56,840
think I want give me what I've told you I want your whole heart and then he just

494
00:40:56,840 --> 00:41:02,440
gracefully says please hear my warning that's that's how I read this sin is at

495
00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:09,400
the threshold of your life sin wants you to obey it sin wants to tell you what to

496
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:13,840
do right this is the same phrase that was spoke or similar phrase that was

497
00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:17,640
spoken in the curse to Eve right hey you're gonna want to have your husband

498
00:41:17,640 --> 00:41:22,640
obey you and do what you say and follow your lead but you're gonna yield to your

499
00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:26,880
husband he's gonna rule over you right that was the that was the curse that

500
00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:33,020
that God laid down upon Eve because that whole family dynamic was upset in the

501
00:41:33,020 --> 00:41:38,520
fall and he says a similar thing to him the sin wants you to obey it its desire

502
00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:49,160
is for you and he goes don't listen to it you must rule over it what he's

503
00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,920
telling Cain here he's he's like no no sin wants to tell you what to do but you

504
00:41:52,920 --> 00:42:00,760
tell sin what to do take a hike get out of here you tell sin what to do not the

505
00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:06,040
other way around and what I really see in God telling Cain to do this is Cain

506
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:14,200
you can do it I'm here I'm with you you can say no to sin Cain because I am your

507
00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:21,300
God I'm here with you you're a sinner but I'm here you can do it you could say

508
00:42:21,300 --> 00:42:25,200
no to that temptation and I believe it was here Cain had an opportunity to hear

509
00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:30,680
God and to repent and to say God you're right and I am wrong and God I'm so

510
00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,460
sorry so I'm gonna choose disobedience right just like Adam and Eve in the

511
00:42:33,460 --> 00:42:39,800
garden you remember that when when when God showed up and he said where are you

512
00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:47,480
it wasn't God going where where they at I don't know the question was where are

513
00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:56,920
you spiritually sin has caused you to depart from me be honest about where

514
00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:01,360
you're at I believe there's an opportunity for them to repent and I

515
00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:05,200
believe God would have forgiven them in that moment but instead they told a

516
00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:11,920
partial truth we heard you coming so we hid we were afraid you know it's Cain is

517
00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:15,160
doing the same thing here and God is offering the same thing you know he's

518
00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:18,080
why are you furious what why are you upset with this and he went through this

519
00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:22,520
process that we go through every day this process that we read about in James

520
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:27,400
chapter 1 verse 14 it says but each person is tempted when he is drawn away

521
00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:31,880
and enticed by his own evil desire and then after desire has conceived it gives

522
00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:39,200
birth to sin and when sin is fully grown it gives birth to death the process Cain

523
00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,120
is going through here is one starting with the realization that the evil is

524
00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:47,520
inside of him the evil is inside of him it's not because of his upbringing it's

525
00:43:47,520 --> 00:43:51,360
not because of his neighbor or his spouse or his kids it's not because of

526
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:58,160
the government it's not because the evil is within him it's that his nature is

527
00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:04,240
one of sin it's the nature that Adam his dad brought into the bloodline when he

528
00:44:04,240 --> 00:44:09,960
disobeyed God and we find ourselves in that same process when it's our own evil

529
00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:16,280
desire entices us it starts to say hey you know better than God do it this way

530
00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:23,680
and say God doesn't and we're tempted just like Adam and Eve hmm maybe we'll

531
00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:27,320
get away with it maybe maybe it will make me knowledgeable like God maybe I

532
00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:31,640
will be able to determine my own life and and we find ourselves just like Cain

533
00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:37,800
standing at the edge of the abyss unfortunately Cain God's word bounced

534
00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:41,760
off of Cain's hardening heart and then just with an incredible willfulness he

535
00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:46,600
stepped off right into the depth of sin verse 8 Cain said to his brother Abel

536
00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:50,160
let's go out to the field and while they were in the field Cain attacked his

537
00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:55,000
brother Abel and killed him we don't have any details on how he killed him

538
00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:59,280
right that's not important what's important is that Cain killed his own

539
00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:05,700
little brother Cain killed who Jesus called a righteous man Cain killed who

540
00:45:05,700 --> 00:45:10,200
Jesus called a prophet and we go well why did he do this did he hate his

541
00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:16,120
brother in a way you know Dietrich Bonhoeffer said this when asked the

542
00:45:16,120 --> 00:45:23,640
same question why did Cain kill Abel he said out of hatred for God murder is an

543
00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:29,640
act of hatred towards God for making or accepting another who offends us or

544
00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:35,240
troubles us or is favored with gift and honors that we don't have or stands on

545
00:45:35,240 --> 00:45:42,080
our way you see he hated what Abel stood for he hated what Abel represented he

546
00:45:42,080 --> 00:45:48,760
hated what Abel highlighted in his own life he hated him for it it wasn't

547
00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:55,120
necessarily I hate you Abel it was like the world does the same thing to us

548
00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:59,320
today right they get so upset for Christians being Christians standing

549
00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:03,160
for Christian values that they don't believe in any ways why are you so mad

550
00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:08,400
world that we're standing for what we believe in why does it make you so

551
00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:13,960
upset why do you then say oh my gosh we have to purge you from our schools we

552
00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:16,440
have to purge you from the workplace we have to purge you from our

553
00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:22,440
entertainment we have to purge you from our government why do some places go we

554
00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:31,280
have to imprison you some places go we have to kill you why it's because when

555
00:46:31,280 --> 00:46:38,880
our Christianity highlights their sin their need for forgiveness they don't

556
00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:46,800
like it darkness does not like the light and we although we are sinners too we

557
00:46:46,800 --> 00:46:50,440
have been forgiven we've been washed clean by the blood of Christ and so just

558
00:46:50,440 --> 00:46:54,200
by living according to God's Word and being obedience to him we shine the

559
00:46:54,200 --> 00:46:57,200
light of God the light of truth and righteousness and goodness and and

560
00:46:57,200 --> 00:47:03,760
people that are in the dark they hate that they hate that so verse 9 then the

561
00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:08,280
Lord said to Cain where is your brother Abel here's that opportunity right as

562
00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:13,040
he said to Adam and Eve where are you here it's where is your brother Abel it's

563
00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:19,880
not like God didn't know he's going be honest with me Cain tell me confess what

564
00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:25,880
did Cain say I don't know am I my brother's guardian God was right there

565
00:47:25,880 --> 00:47:30,720
like he was with Adam and Eve after the fall just like he said to Adam and Eve

566
00:47:30,720 --> 00:47:34,720
again God's asking a question here I believe this question is intended to be

567
00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:40,880
another chance to repent and Cain goes straight to the lie I don't know and you

568
00:47:40,880 --> 00:47:43,280
just see this indifference towards his dead brother he murdered his little

569
00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:47,360
brother you know I don't know am I responsible for him and then verse 10

570
00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:51,840
and God said what have you done your brother's blood cries out to me from the

571
00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:56,400
ground so now you are cursed and alienated from the ground that opened

572
00:47:56,400 --> 00:48:00,460
its mouth to receive your brother's blood that you have shed if you work the

573
00:48:00,460 --> 00:48:04,080
ground it will never again give you its yield you will be a restless wanderer on

574
00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:08,720
the earth and so now Cain is learning something that his dad learned in the

575
00:48:08,720 --> 00:48:13,000
garden right it doesn't say here in this detail and so I do say this is

576
00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:18,040
subjective this is speculative but when he's saying that the blood is calling

577
00:48:18,040 --> 00:48:22,000
out from the ground I believe that that Cain not only killed his brother but

578
00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:25,960
then tried to bury him right I'm just that's completely subjective but I think

579
00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:29,160
that was going on here because Adam and Eve tried to do the same thing they

580
00:48:29,160 --> 00:48:33,460
sinned and they tried to cover up their shame right what do we do when we sin we

581
00:48:33,460 --> 00:48:37,240
instantly try and tell a lie and cover it up and make it so nobody could see it

582
00:48:37,240 --> 00:48:44,480
but the point is is God knew God knew your brother's blood cries out to me and

583
00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:48,120
so what Cain learned here is sin cannot be dealt with by your own efforts any

584
00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:52,880
more than you could please God on your own efforts we just simply can't do that

585
00:48:52,880 --> 00:48:58,140
Hebrews 11 6 says without faith that is impossible to please God what did Abel

586
00:48:58,140 --> 00:49:07,160
have faith how is his soccer or his offering presented by faith constant or

587
00:49:07,160 --> 00:49:11,920
contrary to that Cain did not so but I do want to touch on something here

588
00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:15,800
because a lot of us feels at times like the Abel's in the world and then then

589
00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:19,720
Cain's are trying to persecute us for us just following God just doing what God

590
00:49:19,720 --> 00:49:24,760
wants and they want to hurt us and they want to do things vengeance should never

591
00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:31,300
be what motivates a Christian to action never people hurt us we're like oh you

592
00:49:31,300 --> 00:49:38,040
should get ABC right we hear about people doing horrible things on the news

593
00:49:38,040 --> 00:49:46,200
and we're like oh God strike them down right Deuteronomy 32 35 says vengeance

594
00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:55,160
belongs to me says the Lord I will repay you know God knows God God knows the

595
00:49:55,160 --> 00:49:59,880
persecution we're under the difficulty we're under God knows the all of it and

596
00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:04,400
he's gonna deal with those that harm his people he'll deal with it Jesus taught

597
00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:07,200
us however to turn the other cheek and to go to the extra mile and to give them

598
00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:14,320
the cloak like God will take vengeance and he'll repay and he indeed does that

599
00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:18,320
as he curses Cain now interestingly when he tells Cain you're gonna work the

600
00:50:18,320 --> 00:50:22,780
ground and it will never again give you its yield he's this is taking the

601
00:50:22,780 --> 00:50:27,840
original curse that God laid on Adam you remember Adam you you had this carefree

602
00:50:27,840 --> 00:50:31,760
easy work in the garden it was easy to provide for your wife and your family it

603
00:50:31,760 --> 00:50:35,760
was easy to to do all this the work was beautiful and wonderful and joyous yeah

604
00:50:35,760 --> 00:50:40,960
because you disobeyed me now that is gonna be incredibly difficult you're

605
00:50:40,960 --> 00:50:44,560
gonna work by the sweat of your brow the ground is compared to his thorns and

606
00:50:44,560 --> 00:50:48,820
thistles and and he he takes the curse that was laid on Adam and he amplifies

607
00:50:48,820 --> 00:50:54,720
it in a sense making it impossible for Cain to work the ground what I see in

608
00:50:54,720 --> 00:51:00,320
that is because gained in or Cain didn't trust God in his way right he didn't

609
00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:06,120
give his offering his faith but instead he tried to do it his own way and with

610
00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:09,880
the wrong heart and with all of that he tried to come before God and justify

611
00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:13,120
himself based on the work of his own hands right you know I made these crops

612
00:51:13,120 --> 00:51:18,840
here take take what I've made God took away the means for Cain to ever do that

613
00:51:18,840 --> 00:51:27,560
again you see a grace in that Cain was was tempted by his his his calling

614
00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:32,800
there his work to say you know what I did this I grew these crops I you know

615
00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:36,080
and God I know you want me to give you all of me but no I'm just I'm gonna give

616
00:51:36,080 --> 00:51:41,560
you this instead look what I've done God said I don't want your sacrifice I want

617
00:51:41,560 --> 00:51:46,000
your obedience and because you've sinned against me I'm gonna take away your

618
00:51:46,000 --> 00:51:50,000
ability to work the ground like it's not gonna be difficult like it is for your

619
00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:55,440
dad it's gonna be impossible like Adam was banned from the easy effortless work

620
00:51:55,440 --> 00:51:59,600
of the ground in the garden Cain was banned altogether from working the land

621
00:51:59,600 --> 00:52:04,680
ever again because he watered it with his brother's blood and so it says he

622
00:52:04,680 --> 00:52:09,560
became a restless wanderer that word is very interesting because you think like

623
00:52:09,560 --> 00:52:13,120
a nomad right that's kind of the idea he's a nomad he doesn't he doesn't have

624
00:52:13,120 --> 00:52:17,160
a place to live but it's deeper than that it means to move to move about

625
00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:24,560
aimlessly without any destination leading an unsettled life here's here's

626
00:52:24,560 --> 00:52:28,840
what it means because Cain and I think earlier here when God was like what have

627
00:52:28,840 --> 00:52:33,040
you done right because Cain rejected the peace and the forgiveness that God

628
00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:37,680
offered he would now no longer find peace at all he would be a restless

629
00:52:37,680 --> 00:52:42,280
wanderer that means he would have to live a life now without purpose a life

630
00:52:42,280 --> 00:52:46,880
without a point a life where he couldn't even provide for himself but he literally

631
00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:50,960
had to depend on others for that and it says that he would live this unsettled

632
00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:53,720
life that's what it means in the restless wandering you know for guys

633
00:52:53,720 --> 00:52:57,560
especially you know when we don't feel like we have a purpose we kind of get

634
00:52:57,560 --> 00:53:02,560
depressed and it's hard for guys to not have some goal to work at and you know

635
00:53:02,560 --> 00:53:06,280
and ladies deal with this too but guys especially when guys feel like they

636
00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:09,080
don't have a point or reason to do anything they don't want to do anything

637
00:53:09,080 --> 00:53:15,240
and they sink into depression and Cain's curse for doing what he did God said

638
00:53:15,240 --> 00:53:19,720
your whole life is gonna be that now you're gonna live an entire lifetime

639
00:53:19,720 --> 00:53:23,960
with no point and no purpose you're gonna be unsettled in all of it and so

640
00:53:23,960 --> 00:53:29,520
verse 13 after we see this illustration of a life without God right with no

641
00:53:29,520 --> 00:53:33,120
point purpose it's all discontent Cain answered the Lord and said my

642
00:53:33,120 --> 00:53:37,400
punishment is too great to bear since you are banishing me today from the face

643
00:53:37,400 --> 00:53:41,240
of the earth and I must hide from your presence and become a restless wanderer

644
00:53:41,240 --> 00:53:46,360
on the earth whoever finds me will kill me then the Lord replied to him in

645
00:53:46,360 --> 00:53:51,000
that case whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over and he placed

646
00:53:51,000 --> 00:53:54,920
a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him then Cain went out

647
00:53:54,920 --> 00:54:00,240
from the Lord's presence and lived in the land of Nod east of Eden poor Cain

648
00:54:00,240 --> 00:54:08,040
he just falls apart here doesn't he his life is so ruined now but Cain isn't

649
00:54:08,040 --> 00:54:12,840
responding like this because he has any sense of repentance or compassion on his

650
00:54:12,840 --> 00:54:16,760
dead brother or grief that he has sinned against God this is the first ever

651
00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:23,760
recorded of someone playing the victim the very first instance right we do

652
00:54:23,760 --> 00:54:30,520
something wrong we get the consequence poor me I want to blame everybody else

653
00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:35,920
it's not my fault this isn't fair do you notice what he said there since you are

654
00:54:35,920 --> 00:54:41,800
banishing me today I have to hide because of you God I have to wander the

655
00:54:41,800 --> 00:54:45,040
earth because of you God and guess what someone's gonna kill me now what's the

656
00:54:45,040 --> 00:54:51,520
implication it's your fault if I die Wow I guess he did learn something from his

657
00:54:51,520 --> 00:54:59,720
parents right and this is just simply self-centered terror and self-pity it's

658
00:54:59,720 --> 00:55:03,320
all about himself it's victimhood oh my gosh my life is gonna be a mess how

659
00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:09,880
about your brother's life who's dead he doesn't even get to live a life and yet

660
00:55:09,880 --> 00:55:15,000
Kane is just worried about himself and you know I believe that he knew that as

661
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:19,480
civilization expanded right and as that expanded it was everybody's gonna be

662
00:55:19,480 --> 00:55:23,360
related right I think the idea here is that Kane knew that somewhere along the

663
00:55:23,360 --> 00:55:29,120
line someone was gonna want to come avenge the death of brother Abel and so

664
00:55:29,120 --> 00:55:32,240
he's like someone's gonna kill me now we're gonna get into that when we answer

665
00:55:32,240 --> 00:55:36,240
the question where did Kane find his wife okay we'll get into that more very

666
00:55:36,240 --> 00:55:40,040
good question but people are here like yeah who's gonna kill him if he was

667
00:55:40,040 --> 00:55:44,920
really the first kid it's mom dad Kane brother's dead who's gonna kill him well

668
00:55:44,920 --> 00:55:49,840
again I believe that as Adam and Eve were filling the earth there's gonna be

669
00:55:49,840 --> 00:55:53,120
a lot more people than just Kane and Abel especially by the time the story

670
00:55:53,120 --> 00:55:58,360
takes place but we'll get into that later but we see God mark him okay you're

671
00:55:58,360 --> 00:56:01,720
afraid someone's gonna kill you I'm gonna mark you anybody that tries to do

672
00:56:01,720 --> 00:56:07,920
this vigilante nonsense on you they will be cursed way more and the idea here is

673
00:56:07,920 --> 00:56:13,480
Kane was like oh poor me poor me and God says okay no one's gonna kill you it's

674
00:56:13,480 --> 00:56:18,200
likely Kane thought oh my sentence is a little lighter now whoo I don't have to

675
00:56:18,200 --> 00:56:23,680
worry about being killed and what he doesn't know is that this miserable

676
00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:27,880
pointless purposeless discontented unsettled life would have been cut short

677
00:56:27,880 --> 00:56:33,520
of someone killed him but now he's gonna have to live the whole thing out be

678
00:56:33,520 --> 00:56:38,280
careful what you ask for right the whole thing he was gonna live the rest of his

679
00:56:38,280 --> 00:56:43,880
life and so he lived cursed and separated from God but but even in this

680
00:56:43,880 --> 00:56:49,160
we see God's grace again he's still guarded by God you notice that you're

681
00:56:49,160 --> 00:56:53,160
afraid you're gonna die in the judgment that I'm laying upon you because of what

682
00:56:53,160 --> 00:56:58,000
you did and I'm still gonna protect you he puts this mark on him because I

683
00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:02,560
believe he's still God's creation he's still made in the image of God as

684
00:57:02,560 --> 00:57:08,760
disfigured as that image was and well that's a great hope for all of us that's

685
00:57:08,760 --> 00:57:11,800
a great hope and encouragement that we see here you know in the face of our

686
00:57:11,800 --> 00:57:17,160
sinful nature our fallen nature in the in the face of the reality of who we are

687
00:57:17,160 --> 00:57:22,160
and what we're capable of because don't for a second think that your sin nature

688
00:57:22,160 --> 00:57:28,760
is incapable of murder every single one of us in our fallen nature is capable

689
00:57:28,760 --> 00:57:33,120
of that in fact Jesus said many of you have already done it just because you

690
00:57:33,120 --> 00:57:37,120
didn't physically murder somebody if you've hated someone in your heart it's

691
00:57:37,120 --> 00:57:44,280
just like you killed him but in the face of that reality although we do

692
00:57:44,280 --> 00:57:48,240
experience the consequences of our choices here on earth if you are here

693
00:57:48,240 --> 00:57:53,480
and you don't yet know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior I want you to

694
00:57:53,480 --> 00:58:02,720
understand in the story that you are not yet abandoned you're here today still

695
00:58:02,720 --> 00:58:08,820
alive despite all the dumb things you've done all the million reasons you should

696
00:58:08,820 --> 00:58:12,840
not be alive today God has kept you alive to this moment to hear this message

697
00:58:12,840 --> 00:58:16,920
where God is saying look I've protected you from all that stupid stuff you did

698
00:58:16,920 --> 00:58:21,240
because I want to save you I want to forgive you I want to welcome you into

699
00:58:21,240 --> 00:58:25,320
my family I want to do that work that you can't do on your own despite all

700
00:58:25,320 --> 00:58:30,400
the sin that you have committed God still keeps you alive to dialogue with

701
00:58:30,400 --> 00:58:36,520
you and he asks those fatherly probing questions where are you what have you

702
00:58:36,520 --> 00:58:42,040
done he comes into your life and he and he puts this in front of you asking do

703
00:58:42,040 --> 00:58:50,400
you know me do you are you even able to say no to your sin do you really think

704
00:58:50,400 --> 00:58:54,120
you have control over it or is it controlling you and then the ultimate

705
00:58:54,120 --> 00:58:58,320
question that I think God asks you if you don't know him is if you died today

706
00:58:58,320 --> 00:59:05,240
would you go to heaven or would you go to hell and some will respond with well

707
00:59:05,240 --> 00:59:09,320
I'm a good person I've never murdered anybody we've already talked about that

708
00:59:09,320 --> 00:59:14,800
haven't we now some might ask the question here as we close did Cain ever

709
00:59:14,800 --> 00:59:22,680
repent we have no idea but it's probably not because the way Cain is painted in

710
00:59:22,680 --> 00:59:27,360
the New Testament is is always in every single time he's brought up it's in very

711
00:59:27,360 --> 00:59:33,040
negative terms right Jude says if you're following the way of Cain you're a bad

712
00:59:33,040 --> 00:59:37,400
person right 1st John 312 says Cain was of the evil one because his deeds were

713
00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:42,480
evil so we don't see that there was a likelihood that that he repented here

714
00:59:42,480 --> 00:59:53,320
but who knows who knows even Cain wasn't beyond God's grace so likely not but who

715
00:59:53,320 --> 00:59:57,480
knows anyways that isn't the question though the question is is have you

716
00:59:57,480 --> 01:00:01,600
repented if you don't know Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior has you've

717
01:00:01,600 --> 01:00:07,480
repented of your sin have you repented of the life you've lived in the the

718
01:00:07,480 --> 01:00:14,160
guilt you carry because he calls out to you even after your sin and says what

719
01:00:14,160 --> 01:00:19,960
have you done he gives you warning after warning that when you die it that's it

720
01:00:19,960 --> 01:00:24,320
there's no opportunity for salvation after that but as long as you're still

721
01:00:24,320 --> 01:00:29,240
here I've not abandoned you and some people go I've sinned too much no you

722
01:00:29,240 --> 01:00:33,640
haven't sinned too much for believers that are here in this room that have

723
01:00:33,640 --> 01:00:36,640
been rejecting God's call and God's saying I want you to do this don't you

724
01:00:36,640 --> 01:00:39,320
and you're going no and you're offering him all the other things and you're

725
01:00:39,320 --> 01:00:43,040
wondering why he's not accepting them maybe God is just speaking to you today

726
01:00:43,040 --> 01:00:47,360
and going what are you doing

727
01:00:48,200 --> 01:00:55,920
maybe you've been furious at him because he's he's rejecting your offering I want

728
01:00:55,920 --> 01:01:00,760
you to give this time well no I'm gonna give you this instead and then things

729
01:01:00,760 --> 01:01:04,520
aren't necessarily working out in your life or you're feeling the the lack of

730
01:01:04,520 --> 01:01:12,120
blessing you're like God what's going on I read my Bible last month he's going

731
01:01:12,120 --> 01:01:17,840
you know what I'm calling you to do just obey me that's the sacrifice I want to

732
01:01:17,840 --> 01:01:24,640
accept obey me in whatever it is maybe he's saying stop being furious maybe

733
01:01:24,640 --> 01:01:29,000
he's asking you today why are you furious and despondent don't you know

734
01:01:29,000 --> 01:01:33,680
if you just do what is right you'll be accepted and so I believe this morning

735
01:01:33,680 --> 01:01:38,360
God's speaking to a lot of us as he spoke to me vividly over the last week

736
01:01:38,360 --> 01:01:43,560
studying this passage that we all have something we need to let go of that God

737
01:01:43,560 --> 01:01:47,600
is calling us to let go of something that we've been holding on to something

738
01:01:47,600 --> 01:01:51,120
that we've been clinging too dearly and we've been giving him everything else

739
01:01:51,120 --> 01:01:58,320
frantically and yet you know maybe it's God calling you to serve in a way right

740
01:01:58,320 --> 01:02:02,200
and you've been resisting it maybe he's calling you to start a community group

741
01:02:02,200 --> 01:02:06,600
and lead one who knows but you know I'm gonna give you this instead and God's

742
01:02:06,600 --> 01:02:13,760
like I'm not asking for that I want your obedience I pray today you would stop

743
01:02:13,760 --> 01:02:19,640
resisting him stop giving him everything else but that which he has asked you for

744
01:02:19,640 --> 01:02:26,600
do what he says obey him follow him he knows what's best for you

745
01:02:27,560 --> 01:02:34,920
Hebrews 12 24 says this and this is where we'll close he's talking to when

746
01:02:34,920 --> 01:02:39,840
we when we come to repent of our sin and our wrongdoing Paul puts it this way he

747
01:02:39,840 --> 01:02:43,480
says we've come to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled

748
01:02:43,480 --> 01:02:48,960
blood which says better things than the blood of Abel see the blood of Abel

749
01:02:48,960 --> 01:02:54,440
called out for vengeance the blood of Abel was calling out to God and God's

750
01:02:54,440 --> 01:02:58,720
like can I hear it but the blood of Jesus Christ shouts

751
01:02:58,720 --> 01:03:03,640
forgiveness it calls out with grace and mercy to all who had come to him

752
01:03:03,640 --> 01:03:09,400
because no one regardless of what you've done nobody is beyond the grace of God

753
01:03:09,400 --> 01:03:17,000
and if you don't know him today he wants to save you today let's pray father God

754
01:03:17,000 --> 01:03:28,840
we trust you Lord we know that without you we are slaves to our sin God we know

755
01:03:28,840 --> 01:03:40,040
that without you we can't say notice in we just do what it commands us to do but

756
01:03:40,040 --> 01:03:43,640
Lord for those that do know you God your word tells us that the Holy Spirit

757
01:03:43,640 --> 01:03:50,000
dwells within us that we then have the ability to say notice in an ability we

758
01:03:50,000 --> 01:03:57,080
never had without you God we see in this story the warning the warning about

759
01:03:57,080 --> 01:04:02,200
doing things your way according to your will God we could do things your way we

760
01:04:02,200 --> 01:04:05,840
could do things our own way but when we do things our own way according to our

761
01:04:05,840 --> 01:04:13,680
own evil desires Lord we're enticed we're tempted and then that just simply

762
01:04:13,680 --> 01:04:19,320
leads to full-blown outright sin and Lord full-blown outright sin ultimately

763
01:04:19,320 --> 01:04:24,360
leads to death and God for those that don't know you it means eternal death

764
01:04:24,360 --> 01:04:29,400
eternal separation from you forever but God they are still here on this earth

765
01:04:29,400 --> 01:04:34,320
they are still living this life because God you are pleading with them to come

766
01:04:34,320 --> 01:04:38,800
to know you that you would save them and change them and grant them eternal life

767
01:04:38,800 --> 01:04:42,480
in heaven with you while we're praying right now if God has spoken to you this

768
01:04:42,480 --> 01:04:45,720
morning you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior but you

769
01:04:45,720 --> 01:04:49,240
want to today I just want you to raise your hand where you're seated and say

770
01:04:49,240 --> 01:04:54,360
yeah I want to I want to be saved I've been living in sin and it's leading me

771
01:04:54,360 --> 01:04:59,040
to death God has spoken to me today about me trying to live my own way and

772
01:04:59,040 --> 01:05:04,560
do things my own way and I realized today that's not true or that is true

773
01:05:04,560 --> 01:05:08,920
but but it's not gonna save me if you want to receive Jesus this morning just

774
01:05:08,920 --> 01:05:11,400
raise your hand where I could see it I'm gonna pray with you I see you on the

775
01:05:11,400 --> 01:05:17,560
side God bless you anybody else Jesus is speaking to your heart if you're

776
01:05:17,560 --> 01:05:20,960
watching online and you've never received Jesus Christ as your Lord and

777
01:05:20,960 --> 01:05:25,800
Savior and you know you need to I just want you to put a note there in chat so

778
01:05:25,800 --> 01:05:32,520
our moderators can see it to say I want to be saved anybody else before we pray

779
01:05:32,520 --> 01:05:38,800
all right you that raised your hand today those you watching online and

780
01:05:38,800 --> 01:05:41,640
maybe you're sitting there and for whatever reason you didn't raise your

781
01:05:41,640 --> 01:05:45,400
hand but you know you need Jesus I want you to pray this prayer with me say Lord

782
01:05:45,400 --> 01:05:57,000
Jesus I know I'm a sinner I know I've tried to live my own life my own way

783
01:05:57,000 --> 01:06:04,720
according to my own standards and I realize Lord that none of those things

784
01:06:04,720 --> 01:06:14,600
is ever gonna make me right before you Lord the only thing that will wipe away

785
01:06:14,600 --> 01:06:21,680
all my sin that will cleanse me of all my guilt the only thing that will make

786
01:06:21,680 --> 01:06:29,760
me right before you is the blood of Jesus Christ and I put my faith in that

787
01:06:29,760 --> 01:06:36,000
God Lord it's not about my own ways and my own offerings Lord it's about about

788
01:06:36,000 --> 01:06:43,160
that where you said God Jesus in your word Jesus said he's the way the truth

789
01:06:43,160 --> 01:06:49,440
in life nobody comes to the father but through him and so God asked that I

790
01:06:49,440 --> 01:06:54,320
would be able to come to you through the blood of your son forgive me my sin

791
01:06:54,320 --> 01:07:02,440
receive me into your family fill me with the Holy Spirit change my life thank you

792
01:07:02,440 --> 01:07:09,020
for loving me so much help me to live a life of obedience to you help me be the

793
01:07:09,020 --> 01:07:15,880
person who gives to you God my all and gives to you what you asked for of my

794
01:07:15,880 --> 01:07:20,800
time and my talent and my resources that God I would never get caught up in

795
01:07:20,800 --> 01:07:26,320
trying to make up my own standards but instead to follow your word and your

796
01:07:26,320 --> 01:07:33,600
will in your way again Lord thank you for loving me so much in Jesus name I

797
01:07:33,600 --> 01:07:39,360
pray amen all right church I just pray that God would continue to use you and

798
01:07:39,360 --> 01:07:43,800
bless you if God is speaking you about some things that you've been you know

799
01:07:43,800 --> 01:07:47,560
doing this whole shell game with today and you want prayer after our worship

800
01:07:47,560 --> 01:07:52,080
team is done we'll have members of the worship team up here and some elders and

801
01:07:52,080 --> 01:07:55,880
deacons and deaconesses to pray with you and I encourage you don't don't let it

802
01:07:55,880 --> 01:08:00,920
go you know God still loves you and he's been speaking into your heart

803
01:08:00,920 --> 01:08:04,960
specifically so you will give up that thing and then have that heart to say

804
01:08:04,960 --> 01:08:09,320
God I'm gonna obey you and everything and I guarantee when you do that your

805
01:08:09,320 --> 01:08:15,040
life will be blessed I'm not saying it'll be easy but it will be blessed so

806
01:08:15,040 --> 01:08:18,880
God let's close out today just by praising God for who he is amen God

807
01:08:18,880 --> 01:08:31,600
bless you guys