Archive for May, 2022
Cain and Abel: Brother’s Keeper or Killer 5/17/98
Genesis 4:1-16
Page 5 Come Alive Bible
JESUS CHRIST wants to take you with your background and any bitterness it might have produced and turn it into blessings.
He takes us with our differences and diversity and works to produce through us that which gives gladness to us and glory to God. This is a clear cut, classic example of diversity found in Genesis 4. It is the story of the first two persons given natural birth on planet earth.
Science has overlooked the fourth chapter of Genesis and thus is misreading our history of origins. Homo Sapiens did not start off as cavemen and evolve upward. We did not begin on a low anthropoid or simian state as is commonly assumed. Our human ancestors were on a very high physical and intellectual level. Sin resulted in degradation. Instead of evolution there was devolution, the down- grading of man intellectually and physically.
Eve conceived from Adam but knew the child was “from the Lord.” “From” means “with the help of.” Thus, the sanctity of life is staked out in the first conception in the Bible. She knew this child was a token of God’s faithfulness for He had promised a “seed of woman” would deliver her and all who trusted in Him.
In Genesis 3: 15 God declared that two seed would emerge and be in conflict until the “seed of the serpent” was ultimately overcome by the “Seed of woman.” In Genesis 4 these two distinctly different seeds emerge as prototypes of humankind.
I. THE CHARACTER OF THE TWO SONS
A. CAIN, the name means “acquisition.” His birth brought such joy to Eve that she exclaimed “I have gotten a man from the Lord (4:1). It just may be that in her naivete she thought this was to be her Redeemer.
The seed, Cain, grew an immediate root of bitterness. Out of a root comes a shoot which produces fruit. Everything in his life evidenced the true root of bitterness. This bitterness produced:
1) Anger (4: 5, 6). Perhaps he resented his parents for having enjoyed the blessings of Eden and having robbed him of it. This anger took command of his total personality.
2) Blaming Others. From the beginning he blamed others for his unhappiness. He had a “Why me?” complex.
3) Murder (4:8). His anger expressed itself ultimately in the murder of his brother. Jesus warned that anger is a prelude to murder (Matt. 5: 21, 22).
4) A Smart Mouth (4:9). Cain even wised off to God. He is impudent and hardened. He lied by saying he didn’t know where his brother was and then he seeks to exonerate himself by asking God a question: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
5) Self-exoneration (4:13). He even protested God’s justice.
6) Forsaking God (4:16 – 24). He even walked away from God and started his own civilization. This was the emergence of humanism.
I John 3:12 is a summary of Cain’s disposition:
a. He was of the wicked one.
b. His works were evil.
c. He hated his brother’s righteous works.
Cain was religious but not righteous.
B. ABEL, means “frail.” For a better understanding of this shepherd boy we can look to the New Testament.
1) Jesus described him as “righteous” (Matthew 23: 35).
2) His works were righteous (I John 3:12).
We need to remember he was reared by the same parents in the same home. The only difference in him and Cain was their attitude and responses.
Do you have a root of bitterness as is spoken of in Hebrews 12: 15 as being defiling? If so admit it. Confess it to God. Share it with the person or persons toward which you hold it and ask their forgiveness. Deal with your bitterness.
II. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TWO SACRIFICES
A. CAIN’S SACRIFICE was “the fruit of the ground.” This suggests a casual sacrifice. In Eden God had set in motion the standard for worshipful sacrifices in that era as being a living sacrifice. Cain asserted his will to worship as he pleased.
However, it was not the nature of the offering that made it unacceptable, but the spirit. Later the Law of Moses specifies many different kinds of vegetable and meal offerings as natural offerings of grateful people. In the sacrificial system the blood offering always came first. Cain wanted to do it his way. He was willing to engage in ritualistic worship as long as it was done in his way.
Notice the sequence. God did not “respect Cain” is first. The fact that Cain’s motivation and attitude was unacceptable is what made his sacrifice unacceptable. The Hebrew word translated “respect” is SHA’AH and means “to regard with favor.”
Cain did not offer “in faith” (Hebrews 11: 4). God offered Cain an opportunity for a new and right relationship with Him (4: 7). This was an appeal for him to stop the progressive steps away from His love. This reveals that bitterness can be overcome and anger can be conquered. People can change.
Genesis 4: 7 is God’s way of saying “I love you Cain as much as I do Abel. It is your attitude and actions that are unacceptable.” The same is true of us today. This verse does not imply that our works make us acceptable to God. What it actually questions is “have you forfeited your acceptability by sin?”
It was not only the sacrifice of Cain that was unacceptable. Cain himself was unacceptable. “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord…” (Proverbs 15: 8).
Thus, Cain started the world’s first false religion. It, as is true of all false religions was characterized by:
a) Falsehood (4:9) “I don’t know.”
b) Futility (4: 10 – 12) “A fugitive and a vagabond.”
c) Fear (4:13 – 15) “My punishment is too great.”
B. ABEL’S OFFERING was acceptable because Abel himself was acceptable because of his motivation and spirit. Abel gave with the attitude and spirit God demanded. Cain did not.
Abel gave the blood offering first as an indication of his awareness of and desire for sin to be forgiven. He gave what God wanted with the spirit He demanded.
Abel’s sacrifice was better because it represented the obedience of faith. Obedience does not bring faith but faith always brings obedience. A sacrifice is acceptable only if it is an outward expression of a devoted and obedient heart.
III. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE TWO SEED
A. CAIN started with a root of bitterness which developed into resentment of his parents, rejection of God, and reached its culmination in the murder of his brother. He refused any form of repentance.
Cain feared vengeance from people. Who were these people? Genesis 5: 19 clearly states that Adam and Eve had many other sons and daughters. At the time Cain murdered Abel he was likely 129 years old. Statisticians have concluded that the world population by this time could well have been about 32,000.
In Genesis 4: 17 the wife of Cain is spoken of. Who was she? She had to be one of these many other sisters. There is no other answer.
As Cain walks off the pages of the Old Testament, he travels through a land called Nod (4:16) which means “flight and banishment.”
He left behind a rebellious prodigy which is the model for all sinners apart from God. They are representative of the “seed of the serpent.”
B. ABEL was the first human being to be murdered. Being cut off he had “no generation” physically. However, Abel lost his life because he chose to serve the Lord and manifest righteousness.
God honored Abel by providing a spiritual seed in the person of Seth (Gen 4: 25). The name Seth means “the appointed.” He was appointed to pick up the fallen banner of righteousness carried by Abel. The line of Seth is described as “calling upon the Lord” (4:26). According to Luke 3: 38 Jesus Christ descended from Seth and is the true “Seed of the woman” (Galatians 3: 16, 19 & 4:4).
It’s Love That Makes the World Go ‘Round: Part Five
Colossians 2: 1 – 3
Jesus said, “If you love Me keep My commandments.” (John 14: 15) He then said, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, that you love one another.” (John 13: 35)
When encouragement is given, endearment follows: “Being knit together.”
For warmth on a cold day consider which would keep you warmer – gloves or mittens? Mittens, because the fingers are all together and can share warmth. Gloves isolate the fingers and they get colder that way.
That is illustrative of the fact we need to share social, emotional, and spiritual warmth together. That is one reason our Lord instituted the church. Togetherness requires time.
In courtship, time is a dominant factor. Time is a pivotal factor. Everyone knows time is valuable. To spend time with a person indicates you value that person. It is a way of saying, “I love you.”
Of all the critical time shortages there is none comparable to that of dads and their children.
Praise is essential to endearment. The Bible says God finds praise “beautiful.” (Psalm 33:1) God loves praise and those created in His image love it also. A little well timed praise goes a long way. Thanks is offered for things. Praise relates to the nature of a person.
It is good to express thanks for things done, but the person also needs praise. It is good to say thanks for things done, but it is essential to acknowledge personal traits such as thoughtfulness, patience, kindness, and other personal traits.
Encouragement and endearment result in enlightenment. It offers “full assurance of understanding.” This necessitates consideration being given.
“Consideration” is defined in a dictionary as “thoughtfulness for others and their feelings.” That’s love. It does not seek its own.
Leo Tolstoy, the renowned Russian author, wrote often of living a life of love. The most poignant thing I have ever read about him personally was written by his wife:
“There is so little genuine warmth about him; his kindness does not come from his heart, but merely from his principles. His biographers will tell how he helped the laborers to carry buckets of water, but no one will ever know that he never gave his wife a rest, and never in all these thirty-two years, gave his child a drink of water or spent five minutes by his bedside to give me a chance to rest a little from my labor.”
Don’t be like Tolstoy. Give your time and yourself to those around, and then let the concentric waves of love reach others.
Above all, be considerate of those around you, love compels it.
Pastor Search Process
These insights are provided for Pastor Search Team members.
Be aware many people are praying for you. Personally resolve to pray often personally.
Take your time. Wait on the Lord. The length of time required should not be a primary factor.
Be patient. Don’t become discouraged.
Maintain the confidentially of the committee.
Expect to be lobbied.
Pray a lot.
There will likely be a lot of people recommended. The committee should write a profile of the type pastor they are seeking. If someone is recommended that does not fit the profile it is not expedient to further evaluating that person. Evaluate ones in which there is interest in light of the profile.
In seeking recommendations it is not wise to ask persons in the candidates present church. Ask person in the person’s former church. It is wise to get a cross segment of recommendations. Be sure the person being asked doesn’t have “an ax to grind.”
As interest develops in a person or persons ask for a confidential “preliminary interview.” Stress it is preliminary, that no decision has been made, the interview is simply part of the process.
Pray a lot.
Technology has advanced to the point more candidates can be evaluated in more detail. If information is asked of a potential pastor be clear it is an early part of seeking God’s will.
Visit churches covertly. No more than two members of the committee should sit together. You don’t want to be disruptive of the church.
Once a good file is compiled on a candidate ask for a subsequent interview. It might be wise to go to a neutral town for the interview. Make certain the pastor’s wife is present.
EXPEDIENT AREAS TO EXPLORE:
DOCTRINE, FAMILY LIFE, ACADEMIC TRAINING, PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY, WORK ETHIC, EXPERIENCE IN SOCIAL MEDIA, DENOMINATIONAL INVOLVEMENT, PREFERRED PREACHING STYLE, PERSONAL STUDY HABITS, HOBBIES, EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, INVOLVEMENT IN PERSONAL EVANGELISM, PREFERRED STYLE OF MUSIC, FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNANCE PREFERRED, WORSHIP STYLE, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
Ask questions in such a way as to not signal what answer you want.
Pray an awful lot.
DOCTRINES OF IMPORTANCE TO BE REVIEWED:
THE BIBLE: What is his view of inspiration?
THE DEITY OF CHRIST: Is He the Son of God or God the Son. Mormons believe He and all humans are sons of God. This overly humanizes Jesus. He is God the Son, Immanuel.
THE RESURRECTION: Was Jesus bodily resurrected?
CALVINISM (PREDESTINATION): This is a hot topic. Covert Calvinists often seek to avoid detection until elected. Ask if the candidate believes what comes first, salvation or faith. Calvinists believe God saves a person and then the person has faith.
If your church has not had a Calvinist as pastor, bringing in one who is can be very disruptive. It is not a thing to be taken lightly.
Traditionally, it is believed the Bible teaches a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and expressed faith in Him as Savior and as a result God saves them.
PERSONAL SOUL WINNING: Ask the candidate to share a recent experience of personally leading a person to faith in Jesus Christ.
STUDY HABITS: How much time is spent is researching and sermon preparation?
USE OF ALCOHOL: A growing number of young ministers believe it is acceptable.
Pray even more.
As the relationship with the candidate progresses consider these things: How does the candidate relate to his staff? When do they meet, pray, and plan together?
Time away is important. How many days a week is the pastor expected to be “on duty?” Let the candidate know what vacation time is available. Make it clear.
Obtain written permission to have credit and background checks made.
It’s Love That Makes the World Go ‘Round: Part Four
Colossians 2: 1 – 3
Jesus said, “If you love Me keep My commandments.” (John 14: 15) He then said, “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, that you love one another.” (John 13: 35)
Colossians 2:2 unfolds in three parts. It instructs us to offer:
ENCOURAGEMENT, ENDEARMENT, AND ENLIGHTENMENT.
I love synonyms. In reality you won’t find the simple words now to be used as synonyms for love in Roget’s, but in practice they are. Consider these three.
“That their hearts may be encouraged.”
A synonym for such love is awareness.
In a society educated to be preoccupied with self, awareness of others has suffered. Aren’t you encouraged by knowing another is aware of you, your feelings, and needs? There is no such thing as love apart from awareness. The essence of love is awareness.
Jesus Christ was aware of our greatest need and attentively sought to meet it by leaving heaven and coming to earth on a rescue mission.
Our text speaks of “the full assurance of understanding.” The person who is aware of the object of love makes a life-study of the nature and needs of that one. Love will greatly increase your A.Q., that is your “Awareness Quotient.”
What have you done lately to evidence an awareness of another’s nature or needs? What compliments have you shared evidencing awareness?
Evidence awareness by talking. The greatest complaint in marriage counseling is “We just can’t communicate.” Oh, yes you can. If you want to.
Difficulty in communicating was evidenced in a divorce court when the judge inquired for the reason for wanting a divorce. He asked the wife, “Do you have any grounds?”
Love says, “Let’s talk.”
Love says, “I am willing to listen.”
Logic should teach us to listen. We have one mouth and two ears.
There is great warmth and reassurance in knowing, “I was heard.”
Listen for voice tone, key words, moods, and meaning. Being attentive says, “I care.”
In developing and expressing love, be aware, that is, be sensitive to persons by talking and listening to them. People offered these graces know they are loved.
Awareness, talking, and listening are synonyms for love that offer encouragement resulting in bonding. All around are persons needing these blessings. By exercising them you are obeying Jesus and enriching lives. Their practice not only draws people to you, but to Jesus.
Don’t Play the Blame Game 8/23/98
Genesis 3:1-7
Page 4 Come Alive Bible
Jesus Christ said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
Later, before Pilate the inquisitor asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). There should be no criticism of Pilate asking the question. The lament is he didn’t stay around to get the answer.
To the believer the Bible is distilled truth. It is the objective truth revealed by God. As such it becomes the standard of faith and practice of followers of Christ.
John Calvin said of the Bible, “It obtains the same complete credit and authority with believers, when they are satisfied of its divine origin, as if they heard the very words pronounced by God Himself.”
Most persons know the part of a verse which says, “Man shall not live by bread alone…” However, many don’t know the rest of the verse which says, “…but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4: 4).
The Greek word for our word “inspiration,” THEOPNEUSTOS, means “breathed out by God.” Every word proceeds from the mouth of God.
The first question asked in the Bible related to the validity, authority, and reliability of God’s Word: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden…” (Genesis 3:1).
Loss of confidence in the authority of the Bible has caused a loss of respect for all authority. Without its absolute truths to guide us we establish our own self as authority.
II Peter 2: 16 – 21 indicates how reliable God’s Word really is.
Verse 16 states it does not consist of “cunningly devised fables.”
Reference is made to being “eyewitnesses of His [Christ] majesty.” Have you ever thought how wonderful it would have been to have seen Christ in action.
In a court of law a witness under oath who says, “Yes, your honor I was there and saw what happened” is considered a creditable witness. Peter and others there with him were creditable eyewitnesses.
Verse 17 reveals God said, “This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” Peter said “We heard this voice.” In a court of law a sworn witness who says, “Yes, your honor I was there and I heard it when it was said…” is considered a creditable witness.
Verse 19 refers to a more creditable witness than an eye or ear witness. We have “the prophetic word made more sure…” That is a reference to the Bible.
The text goes on to tell how we got the Bible: “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
My friend Zig Ziegler said, “A perfect God would not have any trouble producing a perfect Bible.”
Confidence in God’s word is elemental to spiritual stability. If you don’t believe Genesis 1: 1 you can’t believe anything else, Believe that and you can believe all else. There is a new scholarly book out entitled, The Theory of Everything which underscores the concept of creation from the perspective of science. The Christian scientific community was tardy in gleaning evidence to support creation having accepted it by faith. Now faith is being joined by volumes of creditable scientific evidence. Regardless of what concept one holds of origins it must be by faith. For a matter to be considered scientifically creditable it must meet two tests. It must be:
1. Observable. No one saw creation.
2. Repeatable. No one can replicate creation.
Counterfeit concepts of origins continue to crop up. A relatively new group claiming 40,000 adherents showed up on Miami’s chic South Beach recently to raise funds for a new embassy. The embassy is for aliens from our galaxy but not our solar system. The aliens called Elohim have promised the cults leader they will come to earth if provided an embassy. They would like to visit earth to examine their creating. According to the groups leader these aliens created human beings in their laboratories. So far the group has raised over $7 million for the embassy.
Satan has to be subtle to pull that one off.
“Now the serpent was more subtle” (Genesis 3:1) that is, clever, smart.
We should never feel we are clever enough to match wits with the devil. He is the fourth ranking super power in the universe. Therefore, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (II Corinthians 11:3).
Every generation has to defend itself from counterfeit religions. To help encourage our diligence to the subtlety of Satan it is revealed he often deceives by “transforming himself into an angel of light” (II Corinthians 11: 14). Such ones often represent themselves as “super Christians” knowing more than anyone because of a fuller revelation.
Note what God said: “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).
I. THREEFOLD ADAPTATION
ADDED SOME: “ye shall not touch it.” God never said that. They could have hung an old tier by a rope and made a swing in the tree and that would not have violated the command. They could have built a tree house in it, but they could not eat of it.
The Bible’s plus is the basis of most cults.
ALTERED SOME: She changed God’s “surely” to a “maybe” (“lest ye die”).
OMITTED SOME: She left out, “thou shalt surely die.”
Satan began by planting a doubt about God’s word followed by a denial resulting in a delusion: “You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
How very subtle this was. Until then they had known only good. Now Satan presented evil as being as good or better than good.
II. THREEFOLD APPEAL
BODY: “saw that the tree was good for food”
SOUL: An aesthetic appeal, “pleasant to the eye”
SPIRITUAL: “A tree to be desired to make one wise”
In salvation these 3 steps are reversed.
There is the immediate justification of the spirit.
The progressive sanctification of the soul.
The ultimate glorification of the body.
Once Adam and Eve ate of the tree in the midst of the garden they began to play the blame game. Adam said, “the woman you gave me she…” He blamed not only “the woman” but God for giving her to him.
Eve responded, “the serpent he tricked me.”
When you foul-up, goof-off, or sin take the hit. Accept the blame. Members of our society have become master players of the blame game.
A teen recently shot a friend and blamed Celine Dion for singing the theme song from the “Titanic.” He said every time he heard it he was moved to violence.
A student snatched $10.00 from the hand of a student waiting in the lunch room line and ran. When caught the student said, “It was her fault, she shouldn’t have been holding it out.”
Locally a student was arrested for buying marijuana. When arrested his mother said it wasn’t his fault the person shouldn’t have been there selling it.
The German soccer team lost to Croatia in the World Cup. A member of the German team blamed the Chancellor for the loss saying he advocated the creation of the nation of Croatia and if he had not there would not have been such a nation and they would not have lost.
Adam said,”the woman,” the woman said, “the serpent.” The serpent looked the other way.
III. THREEFOLD AFFECT
HEAD: He hid from God. He had a wrong concept of God.
Often it is said of a well educated person involved in a cult, “How can such a brilliant person believe that?”
Before Satan’s fall he was an angel known as Lucifer. He was “full of wisdom” (Ezek. 28:12). Next to God he was the most brilliant being in the universe. As a fallen angel he retained the highest of all created intelligence. Though he retained that wisdom it was now warped and perverted. Intelligence is no guarantee of faith. Some of the greatest people of faith have been people of great intelligence.
Johan Kepler the founder of physical astronomy discovered the laws of planetary motion and demonstrated the heliocentricity of the solar system was a man of great faith. He wrote:
“Since we astronomers are priests of the highest God in regard to the book of nature, it befits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God.”
Francis Bacon the man responsible for the establishment of what is known as the “scientific method,” a devout believer of the Bible wrote: “There are two books laid before us to study, to prevent us from falling into error; first, the volume of Scriptures, which reveal the will of God; then the volume of the Creatures, which expresses His power.”
Blaise Pascal the great mathematician established the science of hydrostatics and laid the foundation for differential calculus was a man of great faith. He was also a brilliant philosopher and wrote: “How can anyone lose who chooses to become a Christian? If, when he dies, there turns out to be no God and his faith was in vain, he has lost nothing — in fact he has been happier in life than his nonbelieving friends. If, however, there is a God and a heaven and hell, then he had gained heaven and his skeptical friends will have lost everything in hell.”
Churches in scientific communities such as Huntsville, Alabama, Houston, Texas, and the area around Cape Canaveral are populated with thousands of scientists of great intellect and faith.
Teddy Roosevelt speaking of the evil within persons said an ignorant man may steal from a boxcar. Educate him and he will steal the railroad. Intellectual brilliance is influenced by sin.
HEART: “The heart is ‘deceitful about all things, and desperately wicked'” (Jeremiah 17:9). Satan’s deception causes a wrong concept of God. When God came looking for Adam and Eve after their sin they thought God wanted to destroy them, that He hated them. For the first time after their sin they feared God. Until then theirs was a rewarding fellowship with God.
HANDS: Went out and sewed leaves together in an attempt to cover the evidence of their sin. By this means they sought to make themselves acceptable to God. They, by their works, sought God’s approval. Every system of religion based on works salvation is in keeping with this false concept. Every attempt to make ones self acceptable to God is a counterfeit religion based on the false concept of salvation by works. Ours is a salvation that works, but it is not by works.
IV. THREEFOLD ACTION
SALVATION IS A GIFT – God provided skins as a covering.
SUBSTITUTIONARY SACRIFICE WAS REQUIRED. The lamb was slain.
SALVATION IS BY THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD.