Sin Don’t Float

Genesis 7:1-24

January 12, 2014

 

Last week we talked about the inevitable response to sin.

We asked the question: “Where did you think this was headed?”

 

Ever since that moment in the garden when Eve took the fruit

And gave some to her husband Adam,

This was the only way the story could end.

 

Judgment has always been God’s only means of dealing with sin.

 

And as we pointed out last week,

Even the cross was an act of divine judgment.

 

Surely the cross is our means of redemption and atonement, but only because Jesus Christ bore the full force of God’s wrath and judgment.

 

• That is why the sky went dark

• That is why Jesus cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

• That is why Isaiah 53:10 says:

Isaiah 53:10a “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering…”

 

From the time of the first sin judgment was inevitable.

 

Sure we saw consequences of sin right away.

• Adam and Eve left the garden…

• We saw that every man was dying…

• We saw that man was lamenting the curse on the ground…

 

Yes sin brought consequences, but that is the natural effect of sin.

But God still had to deal with it.

 

And for that, judgment has always been the only answer.

 

Last week we saw that sin was spreading on this earth in rapid fashion.

Demonic activity was at an all-time high.

 

As the sons of God were marrying the daughters of men

And creating some strange kind of demonic human race.

 

A race which was terribly violent and fierce and consumed with sin.

 

As God looked at the earth His evaluation was sobering:

Genesis 6:5 “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

 

All humanity wanted sin.

And this reality drove God to a drastic decision.

 

Genesis 6:6-7 “The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”

 

• God was fed up with humanity.

• God was grieved with sinners.

• And the sin of humanity pushed God to judgment.

 

He was so grieved with sin

That He determined it was time to destroy all sinners.

 

And in case you missed it last week, let me remind you that the problem with sin is not just that it brings negative consequences into your life.

 

It does do that:

• Adam and Eve left the garden

• Cain killed Abel

• The curse made farming miserable

 

But the problem with sin is not negative consequences,

The problem with sin is that it grieves God.

 

Sin drives God to judgment – that is the problem with sin.

 

Otherwise you might just decide if the sin you desired

Was worth the consequence.

 

People do that all the time.

They stay clear of murder or rape or robbery

Because the consequences are too severe.

 

But gossip and lust and cheating are ok, because even if you are caught,

Chances are the consequences won’t be that severe.

 

But that is to misunderstand the danger of sin.

Sin isn’t just about the consequences in this life.

Sin is about the consequences for eternity.

 

The wages of sin is death.

God judges sin – all sin – even small sin – even secret sin

 

And that reality is what we saw last week.

God determined to blot out all humanity on the earth.

 

With one exception:

Genesis 6:8-9 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.”

There was one man on planet earth that was pleasing to God,

And because of this God had mercy on Noah

And revealed His coming plan of judgment to him.

 

Noah was commanded to build an ark to carry him through the judgment

And verse 22 of that chapter said that is precisely what Noah did.

 

God is fed up with sin and is about to judge the world,

And Noah is charged with the task of building an ark

For the salvation of himself and his family.

 

That is where we left off last week.

 

This morning the story moves forward, and what we see here

Is perhaps the most drastic event in all of Scripture.

 

Honestly, this event makes Sodom and Gomorrah look mild.

Here we have the first ever global killer.

 

THE POINT?

(as if we didn’t know by now)

 

The consequences of sin is severe.

It brings death and it brings judgment.

RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ESSENTIAL FOR SURVIVAL

 

There are four points I want us to see in this chapter.

#1 THE EXAMINATION

Genesis 7:1

 

“Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household”

 

You probably should recognize that 120 years passed

Between Genesis 6:22 and Genesis 7:1

 

• 120 years of labor for Noah who built the ark of God.

• 120 years of preaching for Noah who was a preacher of righteousness.

• 120 years of scorn endured by Noah who was most certainly mocked.

 

The Bible silently passes over what that 120 years must have been like.

 

But by the time we get to chapter 7 the ark is completed

And God commands Noah to enter it.

 

And please notice why:

“for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.”

 

Please know that this is NOT just some insignificant statement

That Moses is throwing in the story.

 

If Moses would skip the entire 120 years of boat building and all that that entailed then you should know Moses is not one to throw in useless information.

 

Moses is driving home his second theological point.

In effect Moses is beginning to shape his gospel message.

 

We saw that sin brings judgment,

Now we are learning that righteousness brings salvation.

 

The only reason that Noah was able to be saved from the judgment

Is because he possessed something that the rest of the world did not.

 

Noah was “righteous”

 

It is also important to grasp the parameters that God said,

That Noah was “righteous before Me”

 

You should know that that is the only place it counts.

• It doesn’t matter if I declare you righteous

• It doesn’t matter if you declare you righteous

• It doesn’t matter if society declares you righteous

 

God is the assayer of righteousness.

God is the One who must be pleased.

 

Noah’s righteousness passed God’s test.

 

And that poses for us a very important question.

WHY?

 

What was it about Noah’s righteousness that pleased God?

TURN TO: HEBREWS 11

 

You are familiar with Hebrews 11.

Often referred to as “The Faith Chapter” or “The Hall of Faith” or “The Faith Hall of Fame”

It is such an important chapter in the pages of Scripture.

 

Now it is important to gain context of all things

So you must know the writer is writing to a group of Jews

Who are contemplating defecting from Jesus.

 

Following Christ has been so hard that they are contemplating returning to Judaism and leaving Christ behind.

 

The writer is seriously begging them not to do so,

And reminding them of the necessity of faith.

 

READ HEBREWS 10:32-39

 

He is calling them to live by faith, and then he reveals what faith is.

 

READ HEBREWS 11:1-2

 

So many people can quote Hebrews 11:1,

And yet very few are even aware that verse 2 exists at all.

 

“For by it the men of old gained approval.”

 

How many times someone has asked

How people were saved in the Old Testament.

 

Well there is your answer.

They were saved the same way you are, by grace through faith.

They believed in the One who was to come, we believe in the One who came.

 

And if you follow the narrative of chapter 11

You see the faith of those who were saved.

 

(VERSE 4) Abel shows us the worship of faith

(VERSE 5) Enoch shows us the walk of faith

 

And then we come down to VERSE 7.

Where Noah shows us the work of faith.

 

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

 

Noah was “warned by God about things not yet seen”

(namely a flood)

 

And when God warned Noah, Noah responded in “reverence”

 

That is to say Noah responded in fear or submission to God

 

What did he do?

He “prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world”

 

Don’t think lightly of this statement.

James taught us that faith without works is dead.

 

• We don’t work to get saved

• We don’t work to stay saved

• But if we don’t work then we don’t have faith

 

I don’t know a person in this room

That would want to put their works up against Noah’s.

 

120 years of boat building to prepare for a flood he couldn’t fathom

What must it have felt like to chop down that first gopher tree?

 

We saw the measurements of the ark … just to put it in perspective:

The ark was approximately 450 feet long and 75 feet wide

(That is 1 ½ times the length and width of a regular football field)

 

It was four stories high.

And with three decks it had about 100,000 square feet of living space.

 

And Noah was supposed to build it.

• No power tools

• No lumber yards

• No “how to” manuals

• No models to look at

• And no help beyond his sons

 

I don’t think there is any doubt that when God told Noah

There was going to be a flood that Noah believed him.

The ark is proof of that.

 

Not only that, but through his building Noah “condemned the world.”

 

2 Peter 2:5 says that Noah was “a preacher of righteousness”

 

We live in a day of modern marvels.

• We have the Hoover Dam

• We have the Statue of Liberty

• We have Mount Rushmore

 

But even today if someone decided to build a boat that big because of a coming flood, it would get attention.

 

I would imagine Noah had visitors every day.

And what did he do?

He preached to them.

 

How successful was he in his preaching?

None of them entered the ark with him.

 

But Noah pressed on.

One task that took 120 years and Noah continued.

 

And what was the outcome of this reverent obedience?

What was the outcome of this faith?

 

Noah “became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

 

Noah was not saved by works.

Noah was saved by grace through faith.

Just as we will see with Abraham;

Noah believed God and righteousness was given to him.

 

Moses’ point in Genesis 7 is unmistakable.

 

The children of Israel must see that sin kills but faith saves

Because through faith God grants righteousness.

 

Noah is the first in Genesis to be called righteous.

And that is because Moses is using him to reveal the answer to sin.

 

Noah had what might be called “Unsinkable Faith”

And that is all that God was looking for.

 

Because Noah was the only one who had it,

Noah was the only one who was saved.

 

The Examination

#2 THE EXPECTATION

Genesis 7:2-5

 

Simply put, here we see the next command for Noah.

 

The flood is now 7 days away.

Mankind is about to be blotted out.

 

And God does something here that is characteristic of His nature.

God preserves a remnant.

 

(2-3) “You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth.”

 

No, those animals were not righteous

Neither were Noah’s children

 

God was clear when He said, “you alone I have seen to be righteous”

 

Here we have the mercy of God to save a remnant.

Psalms 103:6-14 “The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”

We have here that kind of mercy being demonstrated.

Noah alone was righteous, but many others were being saved.

 

Incidentally, for the first time we also have God distinguishing

Between the “clean” and the “unclean”.

 

These would have been very important points to the children of Israel.

 

And through this remnant God was going to

“keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth.”

Even in His great judgment, there is mercy.

 

And as we would expect:

(5) “Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.”

 

There again is the obedient faith of Noah.

 

No, building the ark from scratch was no small chore.

But I don’t suppose gathering all the animals was easy either.

 

But Noah did it.

Noah was a man who believed God and he did what God said,

And through his obedience God preserved a remnant.

 

The Examination, The Expectation

#3 THE ENTRANCE

Genesis 7:6-16

 

Again, it seems like a simple point,

But one that is important to our salvation.

 

In verse 1 God told Noah to enter the ark,

And in verse 7 that is precisely what he did.

 

And it wasn’t hard to get the animals to enter,

Verses 11 and 12 took care of that.

 

(11-12) “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.”

 

When the waters rose, the animals entered.

 

And I promise you this was no minor deal.

• Suppose God warns of judgment…

• Suppose an ark is built…

• Suppose you are standing outside the ark…

• Suppose the judgment comes…

BUT YOU DON’T ENTER THE ARK

The result? No salvation

 

• Being near the ark was good, but that wouldn’t save

• Working on the ark was good, but that wouldn’t save

• Being an acquaintance of Noah’s was good, but that wouldn’t save

 

YOU HAD TO ENTER THE ARK

 

Salvation is offered, mercy is available, but you must in fact accept it.

God warned, God commanded, God revealed, God called, God drew,

BUT MAN STILL HAD TO DECIDE TO ENTER.

 

I love the sovereignty of God in regard to salvation.

• I love that He foreknows us

• I love that He chose us

• I love that He elects us

• I love that He predestines us

• I love that He draws us

• I love that He saves us

 

But don’t swing so far on that pendulum

That you fail to see that man still has a responsibility.

 

Man must enter!

 

Now there is a message the children of Israel

Would have done good to heed.

That is the one thing they failed to do.

 

God delivered, God chose, God saved, God called, God drew

And then when Israel came to the border of the Promised Land,

They would not enter.

 

Hebrews 4:1-2 “Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”

 

How many people today hang around the circle of Christianity?

• They know all about Jesus (the ark)

• They know all about the coming judgment

• They associate with God’s people

 

But for whatever reason still refuse to enter the ark.

 

Noah entered – His family entered – The animals entered

 

(16) “Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed it behind him.”

Then God closed the door.

 

God sealed the deal.

God warns, God calls, God saves, and God seals

 

The mercy of God is available, but you must receive it.

You must confess Jesus as Lord

You must enter the ark of salvation

 

And then the dark hour

#4 THE EXECUTION

Genesis 7:17-24

 

Well here it is:

(17) “Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth.”

 

Just like God said.

 

And then a verse I’m sure Noah was pleased to find:

(18) “The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water.”

 

“and the ark floated”

Don’t think there weren’t some high fives going on inside the ark,

When that thing stayed on top of the water.

 

The salvation God had ordained for Noah was a sure salvation.

 

And the water continued to rise so that it is said to have “prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered”

 

Since Everest is 29,029 feet, that means the water was

At least 29,050 feet above sea level.

 

The elevation of Spur is about 2300 feet.

That means the place where you are sitting

Was once 26,750 feet under water.

 

(21-23) “All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark.”

 

All of humanity died

It was a global judgment

It was the inevitable end of sinners

 

And we learned that sin don’t float

But it does burn – as we will see in the next judgment

 

And here is the cold hard reality.

 

If you reject salvation, then judgment is the only option.

 

Hebrews 2:3 “how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,”

 

Hebrews 4:1 “Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.”

 

Hebrews 10:26-31 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

 

And that is such a horrific reality.

• For 120 years Noah preached righteousness to those around him.

• For 120 years God was patiently waiting and pleading with sinners.

• God was striving with sinners.

 

1 Peter 3:20 “who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”

 

And yet none of them entered the ark with Noah.

• They loved their sin

• They chose their sin

 

And even when the floods came,

They would rather die than accept salvation ON GOD’S TERMS.

 

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

 

God’s terms are repentance and faith,

And the people of Noah’s day chose judgment over repentance.

 

I know it sounds unbelievable, but people do it still today

And they will do it still to the end.

 

Matthew 24:37-39 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

 

FRIEND LISTEN TO THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MOSES.

• Sin is terrible and judgment is inevitable

• The only thing that saves man from judgment is righteousness.

 

You must have it.

You must repent and turn to Christ, for only in Christ

Is that required righteousness available.

 

Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

 

The righteousness God requires is available to you,

And there is only one way to get it.

 

You obtain righteousness by faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

• You believe God about the judgment

• You believe God about the ark (which is Jesus)

• And you leave your sin and enter that ark

 

When you place your faith in Christ,

God credits you with His perfect righteousness

And you will be saved from His coming wrath.

 

But failure to obtain that righteousness means certain judgment.

 

God did it once, He will do it again.

 

• Now He is patiently waiting, just as He did in the days of Noah.

• Now He is persistently calling, just as He did in the days of Noah.

• Now He is striving with your soul, just as He did in the days of Noah.

 

Respond to Him.

Repent of sin, trust in Christ, receive His righteousness

And be saved from the coming judgment.

 

Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

 

Life after the Fall

Genesis 5:1-32

December 29, 2013

 

Chapter 5 is another sobering chapter in the opening pages of the Bible.

I nearly just called this chapter “LIFE”

 

How many times growing up did I face a hardship and my mom say,

“Well, that’s just life”

 

We may not be sure of a lot of things, but one thing we are sure of:

• Life is not FAIR

• Life is not EASY

• Life is just Life

 

No book laments this reality more than the book of Ecclesiastes.

In that book the old preacher tells the young man

To take off his rose colored glasses and see that sometimes life just stinks.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 “Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.”

 

Ecclesiastes 8:14-15 “There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.”

 

That old man has lived a while hasn’t he?

• He knows that bad things happen to good people.

• He knows that pains can last too long.

• He knows that life can deal a person misery.

 

The preacher knew that life wasn’t fair, and if you are waiting for life to get fair, you’re going to be disappointed.

 

Those realities lead us to the other reality of Ecclesiastes

That while life stinks you might as well find enjoyment in the little things.

 

Ecclesiastes 5:18 “Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.”

 

Ecclesiastes 9:7-9 “Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.”

In other words, don’t set your hopes for something spectacular.

You’re better off learning to enjoy the little everyday things.

 

• Enjoy a job well done

• Enjoy a good meal

• Enjoy a clean garment

• Enjoy oil upon the head

• Enjoy your spouse

 

Don’t hold out hope for the exceptional life

Learn to appreciate the ordinary one.

Life rarely yields up the fantasy.

 

Today we would say, “Hollywood is not reality”

 

And the hardships are so real that at times the preacher says

It nearly drove him to the point of insanity.

 

SUCH IS LIFE AFTER THE FALL

 

And Genesis chapter 5 is a chapter

That also removes the rose colored glasses and deals with life.

 

At this point in the story we know why life is hard.

That answer is sin.

 

Life wasn’t hard before the fall, but it certainly is now.

Sin came in and wrecked God’s creation and now life is hard.

 

Chapter 5 begins to tell the story of humanity as they live this life.

 

Moses is taking Israel on a journey from Adam to Abraham

And there we see the response of man to this new life of toil.

 

The important thing is that you see that the hardships of this life

Serve a very important purpose.

 

Today’s hardships are meant to push man to seek the Savior,

And that is precisely what Genesis chapter 5 reveals.

 

There are four main things we see here.

#1 THE GIFT OF LIFE

Genesis 5:1-2

 

Moses actually recaps a little here in the first 2 verses.

It is always important that you understand how this whole thing started.

 

Regardless of how hard life is now,

You must know that it was not intended to be this way.

Make sure that when you view negative things

You do not allow those things to tarnish your opinion of God.

Life is hard, but God is good

 

And Moses wants you to understand from the beginning that

Life may be hard, but you wouldn’t even have it were it not for God

 

And so it is beneficial to recap this important reality.

 

Let me remind you of a few important truths here in these first two verses.

1) HIS MAKER

“This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man…”

 

Again we are reminded that God created man.

• Man did not evolve.

• His beginning was instant, static, definite.

• One instant there was nothing and the next, there was man.

 

Furthermore it reiterates God’s desire for a relationship with man.

 

IN A PAGAN WORLD, IT IS JUST THE OPPOSITE.

You have man creating god.

 

• It is man who wants companionship.

• It is man who wants a protector

• It is man who wants a provider

 

And so man creates a god to fill the void in his life.

The very semblance of that picture paints their god as

Far off, aloof, distant, and uninterested.

 

But that perversion is not reality.

Man did not create God, God created man.

God is the catalyst.

God is the originator.

God is the starter.

We didn’t start with man wanting God, we started with God wanting man.

 

AND THAT NEVER CHANGES.

God is always the catalyst for the relationship.

 

John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

 

Ephesians 2:1-7 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

 

The fact that God created man answers the question

As to whether He desires a relationship or not.

And because He created man, that answer is an emphatic yes.

 

James 4:5 “Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?”

 

We see that God is the maker and pursuer of man.

2) HIS MOLD

“He made him in the likeness of God.”

 

We are reminded that man was made in the likeness of God.

 

And again, this doesn’t mean that man looks like God.

No one knows what God looks like.

 

Even during the incarnation, Jesus had to take the form of man,

Which indicates that He was not in that form previously.

 

Philippians 2:7 “but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

 

What this does indicate is that man was made

With the capacity to know God

And was created with the capacity to have similar attributes.

 

Like God, man can demonstrate love, patience, endurance, mercy, etc.

It is not the visual form, but our spiritual ability that makes us in God’s image.

 

That means that God-like-ness is the goal we are to pursue.

 

Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 

Ephesians 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;”

 

1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

We are made in the God’s mold and intended to fill that mold as we live.

 

Man’s Maker, Man’s Mold

3) HIS MATE

“He created them male and female”

 

Certainly that is a part of the story that I am thankful for.

God created man for a relationship,

But in some ways God could still see that man was alone.

 

God knew earthly fellowship was important in this life

And so God created a suitable helper for the man.

 

And this is a reminder that God intended for this life

To be filled with pleasure and fulfillment.

 

God did not intend for Adam’s life to be boring, or dull, or trying, or lonely

God specifically acted to bring fullness to the life of man

With the creation of woman.

 

4) HIS MERCY

“and He blessed them”

 

Perhaps mercy isn’t the best term here,

What we have is God graciously choosing to bless man.

 

Certainly creation and a companion should have been enough,

And yet God goes further by actually blessing man.

 

Specifically the blessing could be anything from THE DOMINION He gave man all the way to THE ABILITY FOR MAN TO MULTIPLY.

 

Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

 

In a very generic way we simply understand that God favors man.

 

God is like a father rooting for our success.

• He is for us.

• He longs to bless us.

• The mercy of that is that this desire did not change after the fall.

 

While it is true that at the fall we inherited a curse,

Mercy is seen in that we did not lose the blessing.

 

His Maker, His Mold, His Mate, His Mercy

5) HIS MERIT

“and named them Man in the day when they were created.”

The merit is seen in the fact that God named man.

 

Whereas the man named the animals (and even the woman),

God named the man.

 

Names are significant in Scripture (even the names of God)

• They revealed ones character

• They were often prophetic of one’s life (Jabez, Jesus)

• But even more than that, they showed value.

 

God’s naming the man indicates that the man had value to God.

 

I learned this lesson as a kid growing up.

When your dad is a horse trader, you learn not to get too attached to horses.

We didn’t name them unless we got to keep them.

 

Man holds merit as God’s treasured creation.

We aren’t valuable because of what we can do,

We are valuable because the Creator values us.

 

And so in the first two verses we see God’s gift of life.

It started glorious.

It began perfectly.

God intended for man to have a wonderful life.

 

However, in came the fall and you know what happened next.

 

The Gift of Life

#2 THE CURSE OF DEATH

Genesis 5:3-20

 

Now certainly we see Adam’s descendants listed.

And it is significant that a direct line can be traced from Adam all the way to Christ.

 

But really the truth that I want you to see

Is the reoccurring reality of these 18 verses.

 

Verse 1 started by saying, “This is the book of the generations of Adam”

Another way to say that is – THIS IS WHAT BECAME OF ADAM

 

If you want to know what became of Adam and his descendants.

It is stated 8 times in this chapter.

 

(5) “So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.”

 

(8) “So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.”

 

(11) “So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.”

 

(14) “So all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.”

 

(17) “So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.”

 

(20) “So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.”

 

(27) “So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.”

 

(31) “So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.”

 

Get the picture?

“and he died”

 

Genesis 3:19 “By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

 

Nothing reiterates that the curse is in full effect

Like the death of everyone on planet earth.

 

Romans 6:23 nailed it:

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…”

 

Man tried his best.

Methuselah even lasted 969 years,

But all man could do was delay death, they couldn’t defeat it.

 

They all died.

 

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned”

 

Ecclesiastes 2:16 “For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die!”

 

Ecclesiastes 9:2-3 “It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.”

 

James even taught us that this life is merely a vapor.

James 4:13-16 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”

This life is a vapor and there is absolutely no certainty

As to how long it will be.

 

You are not guaranteed 75 years, you are not guaranteed 50 years,

In our day you aren’t even guaranteed to make it out of the womb.

 

Life is fleeting.

 

Now the Bible does say that by honoring your father and mother

You are promised a long life, but not eternal life.

 

Death is a reality.

 

Someday people will gather at your funeral (unless you were a punk)

And people will walk by your casket and say, “he sure looks good”

 

But rest assured death is coming.

 

The Gift of Life, The Curse of Death

#3 THE HOPE OF VICTORY

Genesis 5:21-24

 

While death does continue to occur,

We are graciously given here a glimpse of hope.

 

Maybe there is a way to overcome death.

Maybe there is a way to conquer the grave.

After all, Enoch did.

 

Everyone before Enoch died

Everyone after Enoch died

Enoch stands out as the oddity of the chapter.

But we certainly want to know HOW he achieved it.

 

(24) “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”

 

Do not underestimate the significance here.

 

God did give more humans to Adam for earthly fellowship,

But NONE of those humans WERE MEANT TO BE A SUBSTITUTE

For Adam’s relationship with God.

 

Man could enjoy man, but man still needs God.

Enoch proves that.

 

In a relationship with God is found

The secret to life and victory over death.

 

“Enoch walked with God” (i.e. “was dedicated to God”) for 300 years.

 

And because of Enoch’s faithfulness to God,

God spared him the agony of death.

 

Hebrews 11:5 “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.”

 

So we find that Enoch was pleasing to God.

 

The key in the word from Hebrews 11:5 is that

Enoch “obtained the witness…he was pleasing”

 

Enoch had an epic achievement.

• He didn’t create the longer lasting light bulb…

• He didn’t run a sub 4 minute mile…

• He didn’t even travel to the moon…

 

But Enoch did achieve a righteous reputation before God.

 

After 300 years of living, there was no longer a debate

As to whether or not Enoch loved God.

Everyone could see it.

 

Now was he sinless? No.

But he was faithful.

 

Jude 14-15 “It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

 

Enoch was a man who stood against the culture

And preached a message of holiness to the people.

Enoch was faithful

 

And God saw in Enoch the opportunity to reveal

That death can be escaped through a true relationship with Him.

 

THIS ACT GAVE HOPE.

If man could be pleasing to God, he could skip death.

 

Enoch showed that there is value in forsaking sin.

Enoch showed that there is value in pursuing a relationship with God.

Enoch’s life was one of the greatest sermons ever preached.

 

Now that does not mean that we can live good enough to skip death.

What it does reveal is that righteousness

Is the means of overcoming death.

 

And we get our righteousness from Christ.

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

 

Through Jesus we obtain the status of Enoch.

 

But the point here is that God so values the righteous life,

That if a man obtains it, death can be defeated.

 

That was the first ray of hope this world saw since Adam left the garden.

 

Everything had continued on a downward spiral.

• Be born

• Fight the ground

• Die

 

But all of a sudden we see that death can be overcome.

 

The Gift of Life, The Curse of Sin, The Hope of Victory

#4 THE SEARCH FOR REST

Genesis 5:25-32

 

The life of Enoch opened the door

The life of Enoch gave hope that death may not be man’s only fate

 

About the time that people were accepting that there was nothing they could do about death, Enoch’s departure put a desire for something better.

 

However, Enoch wasn’t the norm.

Enoch was an example God used to instill a desire for righteousness.

 

We still know that on our own

The perfect righteousness of God is not attainable.

 

We heard Jesus respond to the Rich Young Ruler about how none is good but God alone, and we saw him walk away sad.

 

The disciples asked:

Matthew 19:25-26 “When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

 

So Enoch’s life was a very important illustration,

But we still know that achieving that is easier said than done.

 

So what is man to do?

He knows the goal – that is righteousness.

Now the question is how to get there.

 

And the answer is: MAN NEEDS HELP

 

And in these verses you see how desperate man is for it.

 

In fact after the lives of Methuselah, and Lamech,

Reality is setting in that they cannot achieve the righteous standard.

 

So they go looking for someone who is innocent

And hope that he can maintain that innocence and deliver them.

 

(28-29) “Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son. Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed.”

 

You can almost see Lamech holding his new born son,

Seeing him in perfect innocence, unstained by the moral failures of humanity.

And the hope is that this baby remains pure and serves as a deliverer.

 

It is hope for help.

“This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands”

 

It is Lamech saying, “Surely if I can raise Noah to be holy (like Enoch), then he can guide us to reverse the curse.”

 

And can’t you imagine the depth of Lamech’s desire?

I’ve had 36 years of the curse.

Some of you have had a few more years than that.

 

But Lamech had already fought the curse for 182 years.

Methuselah had already fought it around 365 years.

 

They were sick of the curse.

They wanted help.

They wanted deliverance.

 

Now fast forward to Moses and his congregation.

430 years of bondage

Now in the wilderness

 

AND WHAT WERE THEY SEEKING?

 

Deuteronomy 12:10 “When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security,”

 

The children of Israel were just like Lamech.

They had fought the curse far too long and they also wanted rest.

 

And in Genesis 5 Moses is revealing to the children of Israel

The real possibility of rest.

 

Sure life is hard

• Take off your rose colored glasses

• Bad things happen to good people

• Bad things happen to God’s people

 

There is much suffering to endure

But rest in the middle of it is possible.

 

• Enoch achieved it.

• Lamech hoped for it.

 

Now Moses was offering it to the children of Israel.

The same rest Lamech wanted was the rest Moses was offering the children of Israel.

 

Their path to achieving it was through obedience to God

(i.e walking with Him)

 

If the children of Israel would simply follow God’s commandments,

They too would have rest, living in a land flowing with milk & honey.

 

Now, the tragedy is that we know the story.

Israel never entered that rest.

 

They grumbled and complained and failed to trust and failed to obey,

And even failed to enter the land.

• God caused them to wander for 40 years in the wilderness without rest.

 

• Even when the next generation did enter, they failed to fully obey and drive out all the inhabitants of the land.

And those remaining inhabitants became thorns in the side of Israel, and led them away from the Lord and caused Israel to fail to achieve God’s rest.

 

• In fact Israel would eventually be removed from her promised land because of her disobedience.

 

Yes they would come back, but rest was still not achieved.

• We have stories of Sanballat oppressing Israel as they seek to rebuild.

• We know about the war with Greece

• We know about the occupation of Rome

And we realize that the rest Lamech had desired

Managed to allude Israel throughout her entire history.

 

UNTIL…

God became flesh and dwelt among us.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 

There it was!

The rest we had been seeking!

The One to grant us rest in the midst of this toilsome life!

 

Life is hard, but Jesus is offering rest.

 

And all we can say to that is to remind you that rest is still available.

• Have you been battling the curse?

• Are the brutal realities of life smashing you in the face?

 

Well, such is life.

But rest is available.

 

Hebrews 4:9 “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.”

 

I’ve heard it thousands of times:

Someone visits a hospital…

Someone visits someone in need…

 

And before they leave you commonly hear the phrase:

“Well, get some rest”

 

That’s good advice, but aren’t just talking about sleep.

We are talking about help.

 

We are talking about Jesus entering your situation

And helping you through it or even out of it.

 

This is the new reality of humanity.

 

Life is hard

Death is real

Rest is possible

And Jesus can give it.

 

Here Comes Sin – part 3

Genesis 4:1-26 (16-26)

December 22, 2013

 

Many of you have seen the story unfold this week about the star of Duck Dynasty – Phil Robertson being fired by A&E

For his comments that homosexuality is a sin.

 

And Phil Robertson’s firing is just another example of our society

Doing the best it can to call evil good and good evil.

 

Even following this story on Fox News Thursday night I watched

As Sean Hannity asked a woman on his panel

If she thought pre-marital sex was a sin.

 

The woman quickly said, “No, I don’t believe it is.”

 

And none of that is shocking to us, we know those views are out there, however at times through stories like this

We are forced to acknowledge it again.

 

We live in a world that genuinely believes things like premarital sex, adultery, polygamy, homosexuality, and things like these are ok.

In fact the only thing that is not ok, is to say that those things are sinful.

 

And when faced with that reality many of us sit back in frustration and say, “What has happened?”

 

Well, let me introduce you to the third point of Genesis chapter 4,

And that is that, SIN SPREADS.

 

We have been studying through the book of Genesis,

And we have seen God’s perfect creation and man’s fall.

 

Presently we are looking at Genesis chapter 4.

It is a chapter we entitled, “Here Comes Sin”

 

It is a chapter that forces us to take off our rose colored glasses

And face the facts about sin in this world and sin in our lives.

 

Thus far we have seen two points, and I want to highlight them quickly

To pull this whole chapter back into context.

#1 THE SCHEME OF SIN

Genesis 4:1-9

 

The chapter started with Adam and Eve

Beginning their lives outside of the garden.

 

Eve gave birth to Cain and then Abel.

Cain worked the fields, Abel tended the flocks.

Both of these boys brought a sacrifice to God,

While God accepted Abel, He had no regard for Cain or his offering.

The reason is because Abel offered his in faith, while Cain did not.

 

• They could not have known that blood was required…

• They could not have known that God desired the first fruits…

• There was no Law yet to this effect.

 

But obviously Adam and Eve had taught the boys about the Lord

And that all things come from Him, and that we are to live our lives in obedience to Him

And to thank Him for His help.

No doubt, Abel did this.

 

Cain, on the other hand, obviously didn’t do that.

Instead, his offering was more of a manipulative and legalistic offering

Meant to motivate God to help more.

 

• God saw through Cain’s scheme and did not accept his purpose.

• This caused Cain to become angry and his countenance fell.

 

That moment brought about a great truth from God on the subject of sin.

 

Genesis 4:6-7 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

 

In those two verses God exposed the scheme of sin.

Sin is a hunter. Sin is a stalker.

 

Gone are the days in the garden, where all one has to do

Is avoid the tree and they will remain righteous.

 

It no longer matters if you are seeking sin,

Because sin is now seeking you.

 

Furthermore Cain needed to resist temptation and determine to do well.

 

Unfortunately Cain did not.

When he was in the field with Abel, Cain rose up and killed him.

 

Sin schemed against Cain and mastered him.

And we said, sin will do the same to you.

 

Last week we saw the second reality about sin.

#2 THE SIMILARITY OF SIN

Genesis 4:9-16

 

And the point here was simple.

Sin is not original, Sin is not innovative.

It has been doing the same thing to people since the beginning.

• What sin did Adam, it also did to Cain.

• What sin did to Cain, it would also do to the children of Israel.

• What sin did to Israel, it will also do to you.

 

In Adam’s sin

• We saw God confront him.

• We saw Adam receive a curse.

• We saw Adam receive the consequence of death.

 

In Cain we saw the same.

• God confronted him

• God cursed him

• Cain understood the consequence of death

 

John 10:10a “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

 

And to think that sin will do anything different in your life is just to be naïve.

Sin is a hunter and hunter’s kill.

 

• Sin is not looking to add fulfillment to your life…

• Sin is not looking to add pleasure to your life…

• Sin is not looking to bring prosperity to your life…

• SIN IS LOOKING TO END YOUR LIFE

 

And that is what it has done for every single person

Since it entered this world.

 

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned”

 

And yet that is not all.

This morning we find a third reality about sin.

 

#3 THE SPREAD OF SIN

Genesis 4:16-26

 

There is no denying that sin is bad, and there is no denying that

It always brings about the same consequences.

 

But here we learn what is perhaps the worst reality about sin,

And that is that it spreads.

 

Sin is more than a tragic accident, sin is an epidemic.

Sin is a plague.

 

It moves from one to the next.

It spreads among friends, it spreads down generational lines,

It infects and then moves on to infect another.

 

Our world has learned a thing or two about infectious diseases.

Hygiene is stressed to prevent spreading germs

In Africa True Love Waits is taught to prevent spreading HIV

And in some cases even quarantines are enforced to stop diseases

 

We have learned that things can spread from one human to another,

But none of those things spreads as rapidly or as dangerously as sin.

 

Moses taught us:

Exodus 20:5-6 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

 

Moses was not, as some suggest, outlining a reality

Where children are punished for their father’s sins.

 

The reality is however that children often follow in their father’s footsteps.

 

And this is reinforced here in Genesis 4 as we see the lineage of Cain.

 

Cain was an ungrateful worshiper, turned murderer, turned apostate.

But it didn’t stop with Cain.

It spread from him throughout his entire lineage.

 

This morning I want us to look a little closer at this passage

And not only see that sin spreads, but HOW sin spreads.

 

• If we talked about how AIDS spreads we would talk about monogamy and abstinence

• If we talked about how Typhoid spreads we would talk about hygiene and clean water

 

Well, how does sin spread?

 

There are four ways.

All seen in how it spread through Cain’s family.

 

IT SPREADS BY:

1) PURSUING SELF (16-17)

 

We actually looked at verse 16 briefly last week, but it is important to look at it again

And understand exactly what is happening.

 

“Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”

 

This verse details the apostasy of Cain.

An apostate is one who at some point in life

Claims to be a follower of the Lord, but then defects from Him.

 

That was Cain.

One day claiming to be a worshiper of God, the next day totally defecting from Him.

Cain was running away from the Lord.

WHY?

 

• Cain had no use for God’s instruction

• Cain had no use for God’s watchful eye

• Cain had no use for God’s requirements

 

He wanted a place of supposed freedom where God could not

SEE him or FIND him or INSTRUCT him or REBUKE him.

 

Of course there is no place like that:

Psalms 139:7-12 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.”

 

It is impossible to get beyond God’s watchful eye.

 

2 Chronicles 16:9a “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…”

 

God sees what is going on, but that didn’t stop Cain.

• He is rebelling against God’s authority.

• He is rejecting God’s sovereign rule.

• Cain took off from God to try to live life as he desired.

 

There is no other word for this but selfishness.

(Cain certainly isn’t seeking God)

 

This is Cain looking for SELF-GRATIFICATION

 

He wasn’t interested in what pleased the Lord,

He was only interested in what pleased Cain.

 

And sin rests on this reality.

Take a person who only cares about what they want and not what God wants and you have a breeding ground for sin to rapidly spread.

 

We also see Cain looking for SELF-PRESERVATION

 

(17a) “Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city,”

 

Now that is not to say that building a city is necessarily wrong.

There is nothing sinful in building walls.

 

But with Cain we have more than that.

We have a man who is seeking to preserve his sinful life.

He has fled from God and now tried to fortify himself against God.

 

It is not only a desire to reject God’s will,

But also to protect oneself from God’s judgment.

 

It is Cain looking not only to gratify his sinful nature,

But also to protect his sinful interests.

 

And that still isn’t all.

We also see Cain looking for SELF-GRATIFICATION

 

(17b) “and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son.”

 

Psalms 49:10-12 “For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.”

 

• The Bible calls Cain’s action pompous and arrogant.

• The Bible identified Cain as one who thought his “houses are forever and

[his] dwelling places to all generations;”

 

It is safe to say that according to Scripture Cain was full of himself.

 

Self-Gratification, Self-Preservation, Self-Glorification

That is how sin spreads.

It spreads by pursuing self.

 

If you want to stop the spread of sin in your life,

Then the first thing you have to do is deny self.

 

Throughout or study of the Holy Spirit we said it again and again.

There is nothing good in your flesh.

The flesh must be denied, starved, and put to death.

 

We were told to “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”

 

Sin spreads by convincing people to pursue selfishness.

• “It’s time you get what you deserve…”

• “At some point you need to think about your needs”

• “Don’t you deserve to have…”

 

Entertaining thoughts like that

Will soon have you vulnerable to sin and its destructive ways.

 

If you want AIDS – sleep around

If you want cancer – smoke cigarettes

And if you want to sin – just start pursuing self

Sin Spreads by Pursuing Self

2) PERVERTING TRUTH (18-19)

 

Up until now, there has never even been a hint for humanity

That God ever intended marriage to be anything

But the union of one man and one woman.

 

But all of a sudden such realities were simply disregarded.

No doubt following a selfish inclination,

Lamech decided he needed “two wives”

 

So now, not only do we have lying, murder, and apostasy,

We also have the entrance of sexual perversion.

 

Apparently Lamech thought God’s order

Was old-fashioned, or boring, or just frankly didn’t care.

 

And sin spreads that way.

It spreads when God’s truth is perverted.

 

When you start allowing yourself to overlook or pervert the commands of God, you are sitting yourself up for sin to work in your life.

 

God’s commands are given for our protection.

As we said with Eve, God is not trying to keep the good life from you.

 

God created the good life.

God is trying to preserve the good life for you.

 

Every “Thou Shalt Not” in the Bible has God’s concern for you at its core.

 

But when you push those commands aside, sin is ready to flourish.

 

And this seems to really be the case in regard to sexual sin.

I don’t know of another sin in Scripture

That God has more thoroughly explained than sexual sin.

 

TURN TO: LEVITICUS 18

 

Throughout the Old and New Testaments we are continually warned

About the dangers of sexual immorality.

 

Phil Robertson even quoted one verse that got him in a lot of trouble.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”

 

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

We don’t have time to address every verse that rebukes sexual immorality.

And yet, sin spreads in our world

When people willingly overlook or pervert those truths.

 

I’ve heard people say:

• “Yes, but Jesus never said anything about homosexuality”

• “I’ve read Romans 1, but I think we can agree that Paul had issues”

• “Sex is just a normal bodily function, like breathing, it can’t be wrong”

 

Well, when you pervert truth like that, sin is sure to spread.

 

Sin spreads by Pursuing Self, Perverting Truth

3) PREOCCUPYING SINNERS (20-22)

 

Now here again, I am not going to say

That all of these actions were sinful in and of themselves.

 

• Having livestock is not a sin.

• Playing instruments is not a sin.

• Forging iron is not a sin.

 

But that is not the issue.

The issue is that Cain’s descendants

Were preoccupied with ways to make this life more enjoyable

And there is absolutely no mention of their desire to seek the Lord.

 

It is one thing to live in the world,

It is quite another to be preoccupied with it.

 

Philippians 3:17-21 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

 

Setting your mind on earthly things is sinful behavior.

We are called to set our minds on the things of God.

 

And the reason is because becoming preoccupied with the things of this world will cause you to fail to see the things of God.

 

TURN TO: LUKE 14:15-33

Do you see the dangers of this world?

 

We could throw in there the Rich Young Ruler who loved his wealth.

 

We could throw in there the weedy soil of whom it says, “this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

Preoccupation with the world is a breeding ground for sin.

 

John said:

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

 

Paul said:

1 Timothy 6:9-10 “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

 

When you are preoccupied with the things and comforts of this world,

Those things do not lead you to God.

 

Those things lead you away from the faith,

The result of that is that you are pierced with many griefs.

 

It’s not that livestock or music or bronze is bad.

It’s not. Those things are created by God for use in life.

 

But when those things become the focus at the exclusion of God

(as they were here) then we have a problem.

 

Sin spreads by Pursuing Self, Perverting Truth, and Preoccupying Sinners

4) PRESUMING JUSTIFICATION (23-24)

 

We talked about it last week, that God confronts all sin.

In fact God has created humanity with a built in convicter.

That is called the conscience.

 

The conscience was created by God as a sort of warning system

That you are in spiritual danger.

 

When we move beyond our normal boundary

The conscience rises up and produces guilt.

 

Guilt is to the soul what pain is to the body.

Pain tells you something is physically wrong, whereas guilt tells you something is spiritually wrong.

 

Guilt is not a bad thing.

(Now certainly there is such a thing as false guilt, whereby Satan accuses God’s children of being guilty when they are in fact forgiven)

 

But by in large guilt is a good thing.

However, to enjoy sin, a sinner must do something about this guilt.

A sinner must do something about their conscience.

And Scripture says that what men do is that they actually sear their conscience until it becomes calloused and hardened and ineffective.

 

Ephesians 4:17-19 “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”

 

How do sinners sear their conscience?

You do something that your conscience says is wrong, and simply ignore it or justify it until your conscience no longer bothers you.

 

And that is precisely what Lamech did here.

(23-24) “Lamech said to his wives,”Adah and Zillah, Listen to my voice, You wives of Lamech, Give heed to my speech, For I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

 

We have again the shedding of blood and this time the justification of it.

 

It was God who said that Cain would be avenged,

but God didn’t say this about Lamech.

Lamech was justifying himself.

 

Lamech would have been the first to cry, “Judge not!”

 

He was convincing himself that his sin was ok,

That there was nothing wrong with it.

 

Now I doubt even Lamech initially believed that, but eventually he would.

 

And this is the most dangerous aspect of how sin spreads.

 

In Scripture the Bible has a very unique analogy to describe sin.

That analogy is with an illness, and that illness is leprosy.

 

Many times we see lepers with bandages or missing fingers or toes, etc.

But leprosy didn’t do that.

 

What leprosy does is numb the body to the natural pains around it.

A leper can step on a nail, but not know it.

A leper can put a hand in the fire, and not realize it.

 

The effects of the wounds cause the body to literally self-mutilate itself all because the sense of pain is numbed.

 

That is precisely what sin does to the soul.

By searing the conscience, the soul loses recognition of guilt and thus thrusts itself into destructive decisions without even realizing it.

That is what Lamech is doing.

That is what sinners do today.

 

No verse is more quoted today than “Judge not, lest ye be judged”

 

That is a great verse, but it is dealing with self-righteouness,

Not tolerance of sin.

 

In fact in that very section Jesus goes on to say that

Once you remove the beam from your eye,

You will then see clearly to remove the spec from your brother’s eye.

 

Jesus wasn’t saying to leave the spec,

Just make sure that you deal with your own sin as well.

 

Another popular story is the woman caught in adultery.

People love to say, “Let him who has no sin cast the first stone”

 

I actually had a friend from high school post this verse to me on facebook after I commented on a video he showed championing those who defended homosexuality. I posted Romans 1:32 that speaks of those who give hearty approval to sin. He responded with John 8 and the story of the woman caught in adultery.

 

So I pointed out to him that even at the end of that story Jesus looked at the woman and said, “Go and sin no more”

 

So I asked my friend, “Would I be wrong in telling a homosexual to ‘go and sin no more’?” Would it make me unlike Jesus for telling a sinner to leave his sin?

 

To my friends credit he relented and acknowledged it would not.

 

But that is where the world is.

They want to sin and then justify it.

 

But when that happens, sin is ripe to spread.

• When people Pursue Self…

• When people Pervert Truth…

• When people Preoccupy themselves with sin…

• When people Presume Justification…

 

Then an atmosphere is created where sin can easily spread.

And when sin spreads it brings with it

All the consequences that Adam and Cain already experienced.

 

We are looking to stop the spread of sin in our lives, not encourage it.

And that brings us to the final point of the chapter.

 

The Scheme of Sin – The Similarity of Sin – The Spread of Sin

#4 THE SOLUTION FOR SIN

Genesis 4:25-26

 

Here again we have the tremendous grace of God.

Cain killed Abel and Adam and Eve must have grieved daily, not only for the murder, but also for the apostasy of Cain.

 

And that makes this day a happy one

In which God replaced their grief with joy.

(25) “Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.”

 

And Seth would be no insignificant figure.

If you read Luke 3 you’ll find that Seth provided the line through which Noah, Abraham, David and Jesus Christ would come.

 

This was a gracious act on the part of God for sure.

 

We once again have a righteous line

To stand in contrast with the wicked line of Cain.

 

And for just a moment put yourselves in the shoes of Seth,

And it won’t be hard to do.

 

I grieved this week – I was angered this week

Not because Phil Robertson was fired, but because once again

I could feel the sin of the world being crammed down my throat.

 

I felt like Lot living in Sodom and Gomorrah.

2 Peter 2:8 “(for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),”

 

And it wasn’t just an anger, but a helplessness.

WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

 

Our culture is embracing sin at rapid rate,

And it feels like we are helpless to do anything about it.

But that is not true.

 

Seth and his line knew precisely what to do about it.

(26) “To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.”

 

Seth had it right.

The righteous must pray.

 

• Seth knew that he needed God’s help.

• He needed God’s intervention.

• There was nothing he could do to stop the spread, but God could.

 

And we know this don’t we?

2 Chronicles 7:14 “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

 

And we have to remember this.

• Look, I told A&E I wouldn’t watch again until the apologized.

• I certainly appreciate others speaking out for the truth.

 

But even in all of that you and I must realize

That boycotts will not save our country.

 

We must realize that political action will not save our country.

 

Only God can save America.

• Speak the truth – sure

• Abstain from evil – absolutely

• Encourage those in power – of course

 

BUT ABOVE ALL PRAY THAT GOD WOULD INTERVENE

 

I’m reminded of the Psalm of David:

 

We’ll close here: TURN TO: PSALMS 11

 

The righteous don’t flee, they pray.

Calling on God is the only hope.

 

So there we have Genesis 4 and a tremendous sermon by Moses

To Israel about the dangers of sin and the solution for it.

 

• Sin is scheming – it wants to kill you

• Sin is similar – it only does one thing

• Sin is spreading – through the selfish desires of men

 

But there is a solution – CALL ON THE LORD!

 

Romans 10:13 “for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

 

God is a help and a shield in time of battle.

God can fix the problem.

 

Abstain from sin and cry out to God for help.

 

Here Comes Sin – part 1

Genesis 4:1-26

December 8, 2013

 

Well, you know where we are in our study of Genesis.

 

God made a wonderful and perfect creation,

And now that seems like a distant memory.

 

• God’s paradise has now become tainted.

• God’s wonderful garden has been ruined.

 

Man had everything he could possibly need,

But through temptation he chose to transgress the command of God.

And sin entered the world.

 

The immediate consequence of sin was shame.

• No sooner did Adam eat the fruit than did he go to looking for a covering.

 

The continual consequence of sin was the curse.

• Enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman.

• Pain in bearing children

• Toil as you work the ground

 

And the ultimate consequence of sin was death.

• Adam and Even driven from the garden

• Guarded from the tree of life

• Adam was destined to die

 

God would not permit man to live forever in a sinful state.

Adam came from the ground and to the ground he must return.

Death was coming.

 

All of this because of sin.

 

And you would think that at this point

Mankind would realize they had opened Pandora’s box

And would do everything they could to never open it again.

 

You would think that man would have learned their lesson

And would now leave sin alone completely.

 

And yet that is not at all what happens.

In fact, we get just the opposite.

 

Looking at Genesis chapter 4 Moses now shows us what sin can do.

 

I call this chapter “HERE COMES SIN” because we see how quickly it can spread, how far it can spread, and how devastating it can be.

 

When man let sin into the world, he introduced a foe that would not stop.

• In chapter 3 we learned that sin separates.

• In chapter 4 we learn that it also slaughters and spreads.

 

But in order to make sure that everyone understood exactly

What sin’s agenda is, Moses gives us a very telling chapter.

 

You can break this chapter into 4 main points,

And each of those you can break down further.

 

This morning we will look at the first 8 verses.

 

But the main objective here is so that you will see

Beyond a shadow of a doubt

That sin is nothing to be messed with.

 

Let’s look at the first point this morning.

#1 THE SCHEME OF SIN

Genesis 4:1-8

 

• What is it that sin wants to do?

• What plans does sin have for your life?

• If you follow sin’s tempting, where will it take you?

 

The first 8 verses of Genesis 4 paint that picture very clearly.

 

Having been driven from the garden, Adam and Eve now set out to scratch their life from the dirt of the earth.

 

But having been clothed in God’s mercy,

Adam knew Eve was given to bring life on the earth and so they had two sons.

 

The first eight verses deals with what sin desired to do in their lives.

 

Let’s take these first 8 verses and look at four things.

1) THE SONS (1-2)

 

Before we get too far into the story of Cain and Abel,

It is important once again that you recognize the goodness of our God.

 

It was in the very last chapter that Eve willfully broke the command of God

And ate fruit from the forbidden tree.

 

And we all remember the curse pronounced to her.

Genesis 3:16 “To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”

 

God made a promise to Eve,

And that promise was that child bearing would be hard.

It would be painful. – That was her curse. – That was her punishment.

God told her it would be hard.

 

And yet, as Eve begins to put that curse to the test for the very first time, who do we see right there to help her?

 

“Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.”

 

God pronounced the curse, and yet there was God

Right there to help her handle it.

 

Psalms 103:6-14 “The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”

 

And no doubt God’s compassion

Helped Eve’s decision to have a second child.

 

(20) “Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”

 

Now first, let’s just do a little damage control.

 

I’ve heard people over the years say, “Adam and Even had two boys, where did all the people come from?”

 

Let me remind you yet again that Genesis is not a history book,

Although it is historically accurate.

 

Moses is not trying to answer all your curiosities here.

Moses is trying to teach you a theological point.

 

We do know this:

Acts 17:26 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,”

 

We know that God made all humanity through Adam,

But we don’t know how He did it.

 

What we do know is that truth is not essential to your salvation.

If it was, God would have told you.

 

What is essential to your salvation is understanding the role of sin in your life, and that is what Moses is revealing here.

 

And I want you to know that even by verse 2 sin is already at work.

Really? How?

 

Moses gives a very important piece of information.

“And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”

 

Now listen, we are not saying that somehow Abel chose a pleasing profession,

Whereas Cain chose a bad one.

No, God is no less pleased with farmers than He is with shepherds.

 

The point is however that Cain chose a profession

That caused him to battle the curse of sin day in and day out.

 

Genesis 3:18-19 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

 

Every day of Cain’s life was a struggle right into the effects of the curse.

 

Abel, on the other hand chose Adam’s previous profession.

Abel chose to be a keeper of animals.

Now certainly Abel fought the curse too, but Cain fought the ground.

 

Cain fought the curse every day of his life.

He would not be the last to turn his frustration for this against God.

 

But we have the sons.

2) THE SACRIFICES (3-5)

 

“So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.”

 

Many have wondered at this event.

 

• There was no Law yet.

• There were no commands yet.

• How did they know to sacrifice?

• How did they know what God wanted?

 

Some have traced their answer back from chapter 3 and said,

“Well, God clothed Adam and Even in skins so obviously they knew that God wanted blood.”

 

“And obviously that was Cain’s problem, he didn’t bring blood”

But look, that is a reach.

Certainly if bringing a blood sacrifice were of such importance

God would have made that known, and Moses would have recorded it.

 

There is no reason to assume that these men knew to bring blood.

 

Others have taken a page from the Law and said, “Well God wanted the first fruits of the harvest which Abel brought, but Cain did not, and that is why God was not pleased with Cain’s offering”

 

But again, there is no reason they should have known to bring the first.

There was no Law.

There were no commands.

 

The only Law that existed was the Law written on the human heart.

 

Here is what they would have known:

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

 

Romans 2:14-15 “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,”

 

They had no written Law.

They had the testimony of Creation

And they had the conscience inside of them.

 

The only Law they had was written on their heart.

 

God had not commanded them to sacrifice.

• The only possible reason for doing it would have been gratitude.

• The only possible reason for bringing anything to God would have been

just to tell God thank you for His help in obtaining it.

 

There was no sin for not bringing it.

The only reason to bring it would have been to say, “Thank you”

 

It is like the giving we are commanded to do.

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

 

I’ve heard it my whole life like you have, but if you’ll read, you’ll notice that titheing is not commanded in the New Testament.

 

That was Jewish Law dealing with provision for the priest and the poor.

It was as much an income tax as anything.

Gentiles are not under that.

• The New Testament does not command some 10% given under compulsion.

• The New Testament commands cheerful giving as your heart so moves you.

 

God doesn’t need your money,

And He doesn’t even want it if you don’t want to give it.

 

What God wants is the offering of a person

Who truly longs to give to Him based on gratitude.

 

Now that is where Cain and Abel were as well.

• There was no command.

• They didn’t have to do this.

 

So God was not looking at WHAT they brought, but WHY they brought it.

 

And that is why Moses says, “And the Lord had regard for Abel AND for his offering; but for Cain AND for his offering, He had no regard.”

 

God didn’t just reject the offering He rejected the one who brought it.

God was looking deeper.

 

• One man here was eager to approach God

• One man was grateful for what God had done

• One couldn’t wait to give back to God from his success

• He was so eager that he took the first

That was a grateful heart

That was a heart that loved God

 

But the other was different.

It is obvious that his sacrifice was not for reasons of gratitude.

• Cain was either doing it out of some sense of duty

• Or in order to manipulate God into giving him more.

 

People do both today.

Some give grudgingly because they think they have too.

Some give hoping to prompt God to bless even more.

 

And either way, God was not pleased with Cain.

 

“So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.”

 

And you can see the bitterness of Cain.

He had toiled with the ground day in and day out and now, he’s trying to get God on his side by bringing some of that produce back to him.

 

And when God won’t accept his offering, Cain gets angry.

It is built up frustration – anger – bitterness

And these were the sacrifices.

 

• For one, the struggles of this life drove him to God, and God’s obvious help led then to thanksgiving and praise.

 

• For the other, the struggles of this life made him angry at God, and the curse led him to try and manipulate God to make things easier for him.

 

You can already see that these two boys are on very different paths.

 

The Sons, The Sacrifices

3) THE SERMON (6-7)

 

“Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

 

No doubt this would have been good information

For everyone that Moses was preaching to.

 

Here we find the scheme of sin.

Here we find what sin wants from you and for you.

 

God recognized that Cain’s bitterness was about to boil over,

And so God had some very important advice for Him.

 

And this is very good information for you and I.

 

FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS NO REASON TO BE DISHEARTENED WITH GOD

 

Cain’s countenance had fallen

And God wants him to know that this was unnecessary.

 

“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?”

 

We live in a day where people just want God

To love and accept them in spite of their sin.

 

• I want to do what I want to do and I want God to accept me this way.

• Some even seek to blame it on Him saying, “You made me this way”

 

And there is a whole theological movement seeking to cater to this desire.

 

“Who will love me for me? Not for what I have done, or what I will become?”

 

It is this desire to stay in sin and be accepted anyway.

 

God told Cain that is not how it works.

God would be more than happy to approve his offering,

But first Cain had to “do well”

 

• God wasn’t going to applaud him for not trying.

• God wasn’t going to regard him for bringing junk.

• Such an offering was actually an offense to God.

 

And God wanted Cain to know that there is a way to find fulfillment and contentment, but it comes through doing what is right.

 

And that is what leads to the second part of this sermon.

WHICH IS THAT A PERSON MUST CHOOSE TO “DO WELL”.

 

Doing well does not come automatic, it must be chosen.

If you just go with the flow, you will automatically find sin,

Not righteousness.

 

WHY?

Because sin is pursuing you.

 

SIN IS NOT IDLE

SIN IS NOT INDIFFERENT

Sin is seeking you – Sin is searching you out

Sin is looking for someone to master

 

“sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

 

Sin is a hunter.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

 

God wants Cain to know that he must “master” sin.

He must choose to avoid it.

He must resist the temptation.

 

Now please notice that we are already in a completely different world

Now that sin has entered.

All Adam and Eve had to do was avoid the tree.

Don’t eat from it, don’t touch it.

 

If they just woke up in the morning and did nothing,

They would automatically be righteous.

 

But now that sin has entered, it is different.

You can’t just do nothing anymore.

You can’t just be passive.

 

You can’t because sin isn’t.

Sin is hunting you.

Sin is stalking you.

You have to take measures to overcome it.

 

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

 

If Adam and Eve were to sin they had to go looking for it.

But that is not the case anymore.

 

Now sin is coming looking for you.

And that is what God wants Cain to know.

 

And that is what you need to know.

 

Its hunting season right now and we know how it works.

• A mighty hunter sets up a deer feeder.

• Then he sets up a camera to see when the deer are there.

• Then he hides in a blind at the appointed time.

• Then he takes a weapon and kills the unsuspecting animal.

 

If a deer wants to survive he had better learn he is being hunted

And he had better learn to take precaution.

 

You also are being hunted.

• Do you see the feeders out there? (temptation)

• Do you see the camera? (Satan watching your response)

 

What you don’t see is the blind, where the enemy is hiding,

Just waiting to pounce.

 

And it will enslave you.

Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”

 

John 8:34 “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”

 

Sin is coming, sin is hunting, you have got to master it.

 

Put yourself in Cain’s shoes.

See his dilemma like so many of your own.

 

You are frustrated with the effects of the curse on your life, but instead of letting that drive you to God in gratitude for His help, you are growing bitter.

 

Watch out!

 

James said it like this:

James 1:12-15 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

 

Sin will kill you.

You must master it!

 

I WOULD BE FAILING YOU IF I DIDN’T TELL YOU HOW

 

TURN TO: EPHESIANS 6:10-17

(Now this only applies if you are a believer)

 

But if you are, pay attention to what Paul says.

(EXPOUND ON EPHESIANS 6)

 

The Sons, The Sacrifices, The Sermon

4) THE SLAUGHTER (8)

 

“Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”

 

Obviously Cain did not master sin.

Can fell prey to its work.

 

Now, the murder is bad enough, but let me help you see

Why it’s even worse than you originally thought.

 

• God didn’t accept Cain’s sacrifice and his countenance fell.

• God then corrected Cain with a very important sermon about the path Cain was on.

 

And what happened?

“Cain told Abel his brother.”

• He told Abel about the sacrifice…

• He told Abel about his frustration…

• He told Abel about God’s warning…

 

And what do you suppose happened next?

“And it came about when they were in the field…”

 

Where were they?

“in the field”

 

But Abel wasn’t a farmer, he was a keeper of the flock.

Cain was the farmer.

 

What was happening?

Abel was helping Cain

Cain bore his soul to Abel about his frustration and situation

And Abel rose up to bear his brother’s burden.

 

• He was there simply to help Cain not be so frustrated.

• He was there to lighten the burden of the curse.

• He was there to help Cain win his battle.

 

But it didn’t matter.

Cain was being hunted.

 

• He overlooked Abel’s pattern of sacrifice and blessing

• He ignored God’s warning about sin

• He disregarded Abel’s generosity to try and help

 

And “Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”

 

Here is that enmity that was promised.

Cain killed Abel out of enmity toward God.

 

The only reason Cain killed him was because Abel was pleasing.

Abel was the good seed, Cain was the serpent’s seed.

 

And that enmity has carried on to this day.

 

SIN SLAUGHTERS

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

 

There is the scheme of sin.

• It is hunting you

• It is stalking you

• And if you don’t master it, it will seize you

 

And we’ll look at it next time, but just as we saw with Adam and Eve, the decision to sin did not prove to be a good one.

 

Cain also received a curse.

 

Genesis 4:11-12 “Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. “When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.”

 

And can we again make the point?

Sin is never a good idea.

 

It will wreck your life.

What looks to be such a good decision can turn south so fast.

 

 

You and I must resist it.

We must put on the full armor of God and prepare for the attack.

 

“sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”