1 00:00:02,580 --> 00:00:08,740 - Well, we're gonna continue our series, 2 00:00:08,740 --> 00:00:11,420 The Greatest Stories Ever Told. 3 00:00:11,420 --> 00:00:13,180 I'm excited about this morning. 4 00:00:13,180 --> 00:00:15,400 Pastor Ronnie is going to bring the Word. 5 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:17,360 Would you guys welcome Pastor Ronnie? 6 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,860 (congregation applauding) 7 00:00:20,860 --> 00:00:26,380 - I'm five foot eight, 215. 8 00:00:26,380 --> 00:00:28,840 (congregation laughing) 9 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:29,680 Woo! 10 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:33,440 And I'm under no illusions 11 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,500 about what I can and cannot bench press. 12 00:00:37,500 --> 00:00:39,240 Yeah. 13 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,880 Actually, I don't have a clue 14 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:44,560 what I can and cannot bench press. 15 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:46,880 But that doesn't really matter. 16 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:48,480 That's irrelevant, isn't it? 17 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:51,280 Isn't it? 18 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,800 Okay, I just wanted to be sure 19 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,840 we're getting off on the right foot. 20 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,200 We're gonna talk about Cain and Abel today, 21 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,520 and we're gonna read the first nine verses 22 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:02,840 of Genesis chapter four, 23 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:04,400 and then we're gonna read one verse 24 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:05,840 out of the book of John. 25 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,040 Would you stand with me? 26 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:12,540 Adam made love to his wife Eve, 27 00:01:12,540 --> 00:01:16,480 and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. 28 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,240 She said, "With the help of the Lord, 29 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,640 "I have brought forth a man." 30 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,180 Later, she gave birth to his brother Abel. 31 00:01:25,180 --> 00:01:29,860 Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 32 00:01:29,860 --> 00:01:31,560 In the course of time, 33 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,560 Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil 34 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,800 as an offering to the Lord. 35 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,840 And Abel also brought an offering, 36 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:44,200 fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. 37 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,500 The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 38 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:50,900 but on Cain and his offering, 39 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:53,100 he did not look with favor. 40 00:01:53,100 --> 00:01:58,100 So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 41 00:01:58,100 --> 00:02:02,480 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? 42 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,180 "Why is your face downcast? 43 00:02:05,180 --> 00:02:09,500 "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? 44 00:02:09,500 --> 00:02:12,200 "But if you do not do what is right, 45 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,980 "sin is crouching at your door. 46 00:02:14,980 --> 00:02:19,980 "It desires to have you, but you must rule over it." 47 00:02:20,100 --> 00:02:23,100 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 48 00:02:23,100 --> 00:02:25,560 "Let's go out to the field." 49 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,480 While they were in the field, 50 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,360 Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 51 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,960 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" 52 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,220 "I don't know," he replied. 53 00:02:38,220 --> 00:02:40,700 "Am I my brother's keeper?" 54 00:02:40,700 --> 00:02:44,000 And from the book of John. 55 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,400 "Very truly, I tell you Pharisees, 56 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,640 "anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, 57 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:56,520 "but climbs in by some other way is a thief and a robber." 58 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,760 Father, I thank you for your word. 59 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,600 I thank you for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit 60 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:06,380 to impart life to us through your word. 61 00:03:06,380 --> 00:03:08,620 And I pray that that's what you would do this morning 62 00:03:08,620 --> 00:03:10,340 in Jesus' name, amen. 63 00:03:10,340 --> 00:03:15,960 There are two or three things that I would definitely 64 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,960 like for you to, would like to serve as a takeaway today. 65 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,400 And one of them is simply this. 66 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,320 And it took me quite a while to learn this, 67 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,700 and so that's one of the things about getting old. 68 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:31,120 You learn some stuff. 69 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,120 But it's simply this. 70 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,680 Not every question needs an answer. 71 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:41,940 In fact, the wrong question is often worse 72 00:03:41,940 --> 00:03:43,900 than the wrong answer. 73 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:46,520 I mean, the wrong answer can be corrected. 74 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,400 It can be like a bad tooth. 75 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,100 It can be pulled, and especially if it's replaced 76 00:03:54,100 --> 00:03:55,360 by the right answer. 77 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,640 The wrong question is like Lyme's disease or something. 78 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,780 It just kind of hides in there, 79 00:04:01,780 --> 00:04:04,000 and then it masquerades as other things, 80 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,200 and it pulls you farther and farther 81 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,520 and farther and farther from the truth. 82 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,380 And so we're not here today. 83 00:04:11,380 --> 00:04:14,560 I'm not planning on answering any questions like, 84 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,120 well, where'd Cain get his wife? 85 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:18,340 Or what was the mark of Cain? 86 00:04:18,340 --> 00:04:22,000 Or any such needless speculation. 87 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,440 If you get an email from me, 88 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,760 then I don't know if you ever read all the way down 89 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,320 and read those postmarks that people put on it. 90 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:34,920 That's not the right term, but anyway, 91 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:36,200 you know what I'm talking about. 92 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:37,480 I'm old, give me a break. 93 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:44,560 I've postscripted mine with 2 Timothy 2 23, 94 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,520 which says don't have anything to do 95 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,020 with foolish and stupid arguments 96 00:04:50,020 --> 00:04:52,900 because you know they produce quarrels. 97 00:04:52,900 --> 00:04:57,900 Do you know if the church, if believers, 98 00:04:57,900 --> 00:05:00,880 throughout the centuries would just stop having 99 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,580 anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, 100 00:05:04,580 --> 00:05:07,040 a whole lot more people would come to Christ. 101 00:05:08,860 --> 00:05:10,500 And the reason why we engage in that 102 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:12,920 is because we try to answer questions 103 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:14,560 that really don't need an answer. 104 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:19,380 They really don't need the dignity of an answer. 105 00:05:19,380 --> 00:05:21,960 We're here to answer, I'm gonna try to answer 106 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,320 a couple of obvious questions 107 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:29,320 and to see the necessity and the beauty of the gospel. 108 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:35,820 But first, we have to go back to that fateful day 109 00:05:35,820 --> 00:05:40,260 in the garden, Kevin talked about it last week. 110 00:05:40,260 --> 00:05:42,000 You know the story, God said the day 111 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,360 that you eat from this tree, you will die. 112 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,520 And the first question I have is did they die? 113 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:57,720 In the natural, they didn't, 114 00:05:57,720 --> 00:05:59,320 and that's what we tend to think of. 115 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:00,760 When we think about death, the first thing 116 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,560 that we think about is physical death, 117 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,340 but let's dig a little bit deeper. 118 00:06:06,340 --> 00:06:12,160 There is biological death, but the Bible doesn't treat 119 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,840 biological death as something final. 120 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:18,320 In fact, the couple of times that Jesus actually addressed 121 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,780 someone who is dead, he said, they're not dead, 122 00:06:20,780 --> 00:06:23,880 they're sleeping, 'cause that's really all 123 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,400 that biological death is according to the Bible. 124 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,100 And they don't treat, it doesn't treat it as something final 125 00:06:30,100 --> 00:06:32,600 and it doesn't even treat it as something to fear 126 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:34,480 or something to be concerned about. 127 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,340 It's basically, it's a passageway is what it is. 128 00:06:38,340 --> 00:06:45,360 Matthew 10, 28, Jesus said, do not be afraid of those 129 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,120 who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. 130 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,520 Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy 131 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,240 both soul and body in hell. 132 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,000 Now that's called the second death. 133 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,600 And the second death is treated as being final, 134 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,240 and it is marked by one word, 135 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,440 and if you've been here for years and years 136 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,560 and heard me teach you, you already know this, 137 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,280 that word is separation. 138 00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:11,560 In physical death, we experience physical separation. 139 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,000 If you've lost a loved one, if you've lost somebody 140 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:20,000 that you're close to, there's pain, there's a physical pain, 141 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,780 and over the years, that pain dissipates a little bit, 142 00:07:24,780 --> 00:07:28,900 but the separation is just, it's there. 143 00:07:28,900 --> 00:07:32,060 This last week, actually, I went to visit 144 00:07:32,060 --> 00:07:35,200 the gravesite of my wife who passed away 145 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:37,840 five and a half years ago, and actually, 146 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:39,900 a couple of weeks ago, Michelle went and visited 147 00:07:39,900 --> 00:07:43,000 the gravesite of her husband who passed away nine years ago. 148 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,880 And we do that, I went to go talk to her. 149 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:47,980 She wasn't there. 150 00:07:47,980 --> 00:07:55,080 But we do that because we kind of feel their presence 151 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:59,280 maybe a little bit more, but nothing physical. 152 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:05,320 Nothing, all I could do is kiss that cold gravestone. 153 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,760 It was there. 154 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:09,220 There's a separation. 155 00:08:09,220 --> 00:08:14,060 And in spiritual death, we experience separation from God. 156 00:08:14,060 --> 00:08:18,320 And some of us might think that's not necessarily 157 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,340 a bad thing because God tends to mess with my stuff. 158 00:08:21,340 --> 00:08:26,760 When God comes around, I don't feel, I feel uncomfortable. 159 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:30,180 I don't feel like I can do just whatever I wanna do 160 00:08:30,180 --> 00:08:31,900 and in fact, that kind of makes me, 161 00:08:31,900 --> 00:08:34,980 he cramps my style. 162 00:08:34,980 --> 00:08:40,060 But consider this, when you think about 163 00:08:40,060 --> 00:08:42,780 being completely separated from God. 164 00:08:42,780 --> 00:08:45,600 First of all, he is the source of all light. 165 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,380 You ever been in complete darkness? 166 00:08:49,380 --> 00:08:52,660 Well, maybe you have, maybe you haven't. 167 00:08:52,660 --> 00:08:54,180 Most of us haven't. 168 00:08:54,180 --> 00:08:58,060 I have a friend who had, you know, you've heard of 169 00:08:59,960 --> 00:09:02,460 deathbed conversions? 170 00:09:02,460 --> 00:09:05,300 He had a lost in a cave with no light conversion. 171 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:09,180 Now if you've ever been in a cave, 172 00:09:09,180 --> 00:09:15,360 God love you, I have been in a cave and I ain't going back. 173 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,980 Caves are dank and dirty and messy and they're dark 174 00:09:19,980 --> 00:09:22,980 and if you don't have a lot, can you imagine? 175 00:09:22,980 --> 00:09:27,980 What this guy was in college, he went spelunking. 176 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,340 He went into a cave and he got back in the cave, 177 00:09:32,340 --> 00:09:36,560 quite a ways and he was by himself and his light went out. 178 00:09:36,560 --> 00:09:39,520 Can you imagine that? 179 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:44,740 You can't see anything in a cave and they're like, 180 00:09:44,740 --> 00:09:47,740 you know, rocks and stuff. 181 00:09:47,740 --> 00:09:52,080 He decided to pray. 182 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:57,780 And his light came back on. 183 00:09:58,780 --> 00:10:02,460 And he said, thank you Jesus. 184 00:10:02,460 --> 00:10:04,340 And God saved in that cave. 185 00:10:04,340 --> 00:10:06,400 Isn't that a great thing? 186 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,580 Yeah, you don't want to be in total darkness. 187 00:10:09,580 --> 00:10:11,860 God is not only the source of all light, 188 00:10:11,860 --> 00:10:14,280 he's also the source of all joy. 189 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,060 The scripture says that in his presence 190 00:10:16,060 --> 00:10:17,860 is the fullness of joy. 191 00:10:17,860 --> 00:10:20,980 And so the closer we get to him, 192 00:10:20,980 --> 00:10:24,340 the more we experience joy. 193 00:10:25,620 --> 00:10:28,220 You know, I know it's not everybody's cup of tea 194 00:10:28,220 --> 00:10:33,020 to sing Saved by the Blood of the Lamb, 195 00:10:33,020 --> 00:10:34,820 which is what we started with today, 196 00:10:34,820 --> 00:10:37,720 but I knew it would get Wayne Berry up on the platform. 197 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,720 [audience laughing] 198 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,900 Isn't this true, Wayne? 199 00:10:43,900 --> 00:10:45,820 I mean, you know, once that started, 200 00:10:45,820 --> 00:10:49,660 Wayne had the joy, joy, joy, joy down in his heart. 201 00:10:49,660 --> 00:10:53,180 And the closer we get to, yeah, 202 00:10:53,180 --> 00:10:55,140 and the closer we get to God, 203 00:10:55,140 --> 00:10:57,860 but the further away we get from God, 204 00:10:57,860 --> 00:11:02,740 the less we experience of joy. 205 00:11:02,740 --> 00:11:06,300 And for there to be total separation, no joy. 206 00:11:06,300 --> 00:11:13,020 He's God of all peace. 207 00:11:13,020 --> 00:11:15,660 Anxiety, you know, and let me just say this, 208 00:11:15,660 --> 00:11:17,980 I think the opposite of joy is depression. 209 00:11:17,980 --> 00:11:21,120 Nobody enjoys that. 210 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,140 He's a God of all peace. 211 00:11:23,140 --> 00:11:24,980 The opposite of that is anxiety. 212 00:11:24,980 --> 00:11:28,840 Just being worried and worked up 213 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:30,880 about what's gonna happen and stuff. 214 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:36,200 And you know, I've heard people say, 215 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:37,320 well, I hadn't heard people say, 216 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:39,420 I used to hear my dad say when he was preaching, 217 00:11:39,420 --> 00:11:42,140 he said people said, so this is third hand. 218 00:11:42,140 --> 00:11:43,900 You know, people go, well, you know, 219 00:11:43,900 --> 00:11:46,540 if I go to hell, at least I'll have a lot of company. 220 00:11:46,540 --> 00:11:48,920 No, you won't. 221 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:54,020 God is a God of all comfort. 222 00:11:54,020 --> 00:11:59,580 And if there's total separation there, there's no comfort. 223 00:11:59,580 --> 00:12:04,060 And most importantly, he's a God of love. 224 00:12:04,060 --> 00:12:05,460 He's the God of all love. 225 00:12:05,460 --> 00:12:08,280 So I don't know this idea about being separated from God. 226 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,480 You might wanna let him mess with your stuff. 227 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,100 It might be better. 228 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:16,380 And after the fall, the separation came 229 00:12:16,380 --> 00:12:20,220 because we hid from God. 230 00:12:20,220 --> 00:12:23,700 Now, it wasn't like, what are those things, 231 00:12:23,700 --> 00:12:25,900 those fire curtains that just boom, wham, 232 00:12:25,900 --> 00:12:27,300 come down and everything? 233 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:33,420 But the veil dropped and this God 234 00:12:33,420 --> 00:12:36,620 who had created mankind to have fellowship with him 235 00:12:36,620 --> 00:12:40,180 and had been having fellowship with him on a daily basis, 236 00:12:40,180 --> 00:12:43,180 when he came that day, they ran and hid 237 00:12:43,180 --> 00:12:46,820 because the separation had started. 238 00:12:46,820 --> 00:12:48,880 It had come. 239 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,040 And it would have been permanent 240 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:56,080 if we had eaten from the tree of life. 241 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,220 So that's why God banished us from the garden 242 00:12:58,220 --> 00:12:59,760 so that it would not become permanent 243 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:05,760 because God had a plan. 244 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,600 God had a plan to take care of this. 245 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,920 We were now sinful and as such, 246 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:16,040 we could not exist in the presence of a holy God. 247 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:17,400 Now, think about that for just a second. 248 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:18,960 Have you ever wronged somebody? 249 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,840 All six of us have. 250 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,040 Yeah, yeah, of course you have. 251 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:27,060 And maybe you've been wronged by somebody. 252 00:13:27,060 --> 00:13:31,120 I mean, and oftentimes it kind of goes both ways 253 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,160 and as time goes by, it might get a little better, 254 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,740 but as time goes by, sometimes it doesn't get any better. 255 00:13:37,740 --> 00:13:41,520 It just gets deeper and maybe months or years later, 256 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:43,640 you see that person in the grocery store 257 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:45,400 and you know what you do? 258 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,080 You kind of, no, I don't want to go down that aisle. 259 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:52,880 You all pretend like you don't see each other. 260 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:56,720 And that's just the tiniest sliver of a fraction 261 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,960 of what it would be like to stand in the presence 262 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:03,240 of a truly holy God as a sinful being 263 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,920 because God is the one that we sin against, 264 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:11,140 his image in our lives. 265 00:14:11,140 --> 00:14:14,320 And this is a problem. 266 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,620 It created a big problem because God created us 267 00:14:17,620 --> 00:14:19,900 for fellowship and now that couldn't happen 268 00:14:19,900 --> 00:14:23,340 because God cannot be other than himself. 269 00:14:23,340 --> 00:14:26,200 He revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush. 270 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,120 He said, "I am that I am." 271 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,040 And that means I can't change. 272 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,720 God couldn't just go, you know, I really like 273 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,080 this Adam and Eve people here and I'd really like 274 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,400 to spend some time with them, so what I need to do 275 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,320 is I just need to, you know, notch that holiness down 276 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:47,400 a few steps so that we can actually hang out together. 277 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,300 He can't do that. 278 00:14:49,300 --> 00:14:53,740 He is holy and we need him to be holy. 279 00:14:53,740 --> 00:14:57,600 And he is just and we need him to be just. 280 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,640 So he couldn't just say, hey, you know, yeah, 281 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,620 you messed up, you sinned, don't worry about it. 282 00:15:02,620 --> 00:15:05,080 Just, it's okay, just come on. 283 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,520 No, because that would be unjust. 284 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:10,860 And he is a just God. 285 00:15:10,860 --> 00:15:15,380 So we got a big problem spiritually. 286 00:15:15,380 --> 00:15:18,460 And then there was still the matter of physical death, 287 00:15:18,460 --> 00:15:20,820 which they didn't necessarily die that day, 288 00:15:20,820 --> 00:15:23,640 but it was now inevitable. 289 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,940 And it could be forestalled and we decided, 290 00:15:26,940 --> 00:15:28,660 oh, we got a way to forestall it. 291 00:15:28,660 --> 00:15:29,800 We got a way to delay it. 292 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,500 We got a way to cover our sins. 293 00:15:31,500 --> 00:15:33,580 Give me some fig leaves. 294 00:15:33,580 --> 00:15:39,740 And let's sew these things together and cover ourselves up. 295 00:15:39,740 --> 00:15:44,580 But that wasn't gonna work. 296 00:15:44,580 --> 00:15:46,220 The scripture tells us that God, 297 00:15:46,220 --> 00:15:48,060 even on that day, had a better plan. 298 00:15:48,060 --> 00:15:51,560 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve, 299 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:56,320 Adam and his wife, and clothed them. 300 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,900 Now, some claim, I got to, 301 00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:05,900 I got to going into Google this week 302 00:16:07,820 --> 00:16:10,060 about what some people think about this, 303 00:16:10,060 --> 00:16:13,420 'cause you pull up this Cain and Abel stuff, 304 00:16:13,420 --> 00:16:15,020 or Adam and Eve stuff, and you're gonna find 305 00:16:15,020 --> 00:16:18,460 all kinds of weird ideas. 306 00:16:18,460 --> 00:16:24,460 And it's my belief that God killed an animal, okay? 307 00:16:24,460 --> 00:16:27,220 And made garments of skin, 308 00:16:27,220 --> 00:16:29,540 'cause you gotta get that skin from somewhere. 309 00:16:29,540 --> 00:16:31,760 You don't get it from a fig leaf. 310 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,340 Get it from a living creature. 311 00:16:34,340 --> 00:16:38,580 But some people claim that an animal wasn't killed. 312 00:16:38,580 --> 00:16:40,580 He didn't have to kill an animal, 313 00:16:40,580 --> 00:16:43,540 because some animals molt their skin. 314 00:16:43,540 --> 00:16:45,180 And he found one of those. 315 00:16:45,180 --> 00:16:47,300 In fact, it was probably the serpent 316 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:48,980 who had molted its skin, 317 00:16:48,980 --> 00:16:52,980 and he made garments for them and clothed them. 318 00:16:52,980 --> 00:16:57,860 And I'm kinda, I mean, I think some rabbi 319 00:16:57,860 --> 00:17:00,380 from the 15th century or something 320 00:17:00,380 --> 00:17:01,640 came up with that theory. 321 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,480 And I'm kinda going, what? 322 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:10,940 You telling me God clothed us in the skin of Satan? 323 00:17:10,940 --> 00:17:14,620 Oh, hallelujah. 324 00:17:14,620 --> 00:17:22,080 And that doesn't fit anywhere 325 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:24,860 in the redemptive narrative of scripture. 326 00:17:24,860 --> 00:17:29,020 God killed an animal, and there was blood, 327 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:32,540 and he made skins to cover Adam and Eve. 328 00:17:32,540 --> 00:17:36,680 And surely the parents shared this story with the boys. 329 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,900 We don't know how old they were. 330 00:17:38,900 --> 00:17:41,020 They were old enough to have jobs. 331 00:17:41,020 --> 00:17:42,320 One of them worked the soil. 332 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:44,640 One of them tended flocks. 333 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:49,460 They knew what was required to come before God 334 00:17:49,460 --> 00:17:51,080 and come into his presence. 335 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:55,360 So the first question, really, that I have here, 336 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:57,100 and that most people would have is, 337 00:17:57,100 --> 00:17:58,900 why was Abel's offering accepted 338 00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:00,380 and Cain's was rejected? 339 00:18:00,380 --> 00:18:03,380 And if you've been listening to the songs 340 00:18:03,380 --> 00:18:05,620 we've been singing this morning, 341 00:18:05,620 --> 00:18:08,060 or if you've been listening to anything I've said so far, 342 00:18:08,060 --> 00:18:10,100 which I'm sure a third of you have, 343 00:18:10,100 --> 00:18:15,300 you've probably already figured it out. 344 00:18:15,300 --> 00:18:19,660 The only acceptable offering to bring to God for sin 345 00:18:19,660 --> 00:18:22,120 was a blood sacrifice. 346 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:26,420 From the beginning, atonement for sin, 347 00:18:26,420 --> 00:18:29,940 it always required blood. 348 00:18:29,940 --> 00:18:32,620 And in Genesis, God said, 349 00:18:32,620 --> 00:18:34,820 on the day that you sin, you will die. 350 00:18:34,820 --> 00:18:38,300 Ezekiel said, the soul that sins will die. 351 00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:42,540 Over in Romans, Paul says, the wages of sin is? 352 00:18:42,540 --> 00:18:43,900 >> Yeah. >> Yeah. 353 00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:45,460 >> Yeah. 354 00:18:45,460 --> 00:18:47,180 So what are you gonna do about that? 355 00:18:47,180 --> 00:18:50,100 But the life is in the blood. 356 00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:55,500 And so God spoke through Moses over in Leviticus, 357 00:18:55,500 --> 00:18:59,380 and he said this, the life of a creature is in the blood, 358 00:18:59,380 --> 00:19:04,060 and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves 359 00:19:04,060 --> 00:19:08,140 on the altar, it is the blood that makes atonement 360 00:19:08,140 --> 00:19:09,460 for one's life. 361 00:19:09,460 --> 00:19:14,060 The psalmist says, the price for a life is costly. 362 00:19:14,060 --> 00:19:17,300 In fact, no price is ever enough. 363 00:19:17,300 --> 00:19:19,460 And in the psalmist's day, 364 00:19:19,460 --> 00:19:21,920 there was no price that was ever enough. 365 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:24,560 But that kinda changed. 366 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,440 God says, it's the blood. 367 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,800 Now I don't totally understand this. 368 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,160 I mean, I get it, I get the idea. 369 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:38,160 Death, life, life's in the blood, sin, death, you know. 370 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,600 I get it, but I don't totally understand it. 371 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:42,000 I can't fully explain it. 372 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:46,720 But it's what God has said, and I believe it. 373 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:48,360 And you know who else believed it? 374 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:49,960 Abel. 375 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,700 And that's why he brought the offering that he did. 376 00:19:52,700 --> 00:19:57,180 You know, we don't really know much about this guy, Abel. 377 00:19:57,180 --> 00:19:58,960 We don't know what kinda guy he was. 378 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,400 We don't know if he was a good son, 379 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,540 if he was a good brother, if he was a, 380 00:20:04,540 --> 00:20:06,980 you know, I'm an only child, 381 00:20:06,980 --> 00:20:10,000 so I'm kinda flying blind here. 382 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,680 But if any of you ever had a little brother, 383 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:20,420 is your little brother a stinker? 384 00:20:20,420 --> 00:20:21,680 [audience laughs] 385 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:23,600 Has he ever been a nuisance? 386 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:26,900 Said, you are the little brother, quit shaking your head. 387 00:20:26,900 --> 00:20:27,740 No. 388 00:20:27,740 --> 00:20:32,340 You know, I know little brothers can be pestering. 389 00:20:32,340 --> 00:20:34,540 That doesn't mean you should kill 'em, okay? 390 00:20:34,540 --> 00:20:39,120 But there are times when, be honest, 391 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:42,800 you kinda thought, hmm, hmm. 392 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,400 Yeah, my mom and dad, they didn't know what they were doing. 393 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:50,120 But we don't know anything about him. 394 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:53,400 We don't know what he did. 395 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:56,160 The only thing that we know about him 396 00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,400 is that he was Cain's younger brother. 397 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,160 We know that he tended flocks, 398 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,360 and we know that he brought an acceptable sacrifice 399 00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:10,360 to the Lord from the fat portions of firstborn of his flock. 400 00:21:10,360 --> 00:21:11,580 That's all we know. 401 00:21:11,580 --> 00:21:15,520 And yet for centuries, 402 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,040 the scriptures have called him righteous. 403 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,060 We also know he was righteous, 404 00:21:21,060 --> 00:21:24,100 because we know enough stuff about him already 405 00:21:24,100 --> 00:21:25,740 to know he was righteous. 406 00:21:25,740 --> 00:21:27,720 Not because he was a little brother, 407 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,180 not because he tended flocks, 408 00:21:30,180 --> 00:21:33,120 but because he came to God, God's way. 409 00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:36,600 He came the right way. 410 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:41,260 And so, you know, that's not really a tough question. 411 00:21:41,260 --> 00:21:46,260 Why was Abel's sacrifice accepted and Cain's wasn't? 412 00:21:46,260 --> 00:21:48,200 That's not a tough question. 413 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,120 Here's the question I really want us to consider, 414 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:53,400 because I think it really applies to us, 415 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:58,400 and it says, why did Cain not bring a blood sacrifice? 416 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:07,080 And you may go, well, he was farmer. 417 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:08,760 He tilled in the land. 418 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,500 You know, I mean, for Abel, it was real easy. 419 00:22:10,500 --> 00:22:11,920 He was a shepherd. 420 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,360 He had access to that stuff, you know, 421 00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:15,520 and Cain didn't do that. 422 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:20,440 No, there's something more going on here. 423 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:24,760 I said one of the things that I would like you to have 424 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:29,220 as a takeaway today is not every question needs an answer. 425 00:22:29,220 --> 00:22:31,560 Here's another takeaway that I would like for you 426 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:33,040 to carry with you. 427 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,080 Today it's a phrase, it's found in scripture 428 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,340 over in the book of Jude, 429 00:22:39,340 --> 00:22:43,760 and it's a phrase that hopefully you'll understand 430 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,440 by the time this day is over, and you kind of go, 431 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,420 oh, yeah, that's something I need to know. 432 00:22:49,420 --> 00:22:53,720 And the phrase is simply this, the way of Cain. 433 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:59,500 Jude says of the sinful, those doomed to destruction, 434 00:22:59,500 --> 00:23:02,780 woe to them, they have taken the way of Cain. 435 00:23:02,780 --> 00:23:05,260 They have rushed for profit into Balaam's era. 436 00:23:05,260 --> 00:23:08,600 They have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion. 437 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,260 Now, if you don't know these other two guys, 438 00:23:11,260 --> 00:23:14,740 I'm gonna do just a little, and even if you do, 439 00:23:14,740 --> 00:23:17,220 I wanna explain their story just a little bit. 440 00:23:17,220 --> 00:23:19,540 This guy Balaam was a prophet, 441 00:23:19,540 --> 00:23:21,140 and when Israel was getting ready to go 442 00:23:21,140 --> 00:23:25,260 into the Promised Land, Balak, the king of Moab, 443 00:23:25,260 --> 00:23:26,820 and since one of them is named Balak 444 00:23:26,820 --> 00:23:27,940 and one of them's named Balaam, 445 00:23:27,940 --> 00:23:29,340 I'm probably gonna get him confused 446 00:23:29,340 --> 00:23:31,180 as I get to talking about him. 447 00:23:31,180 --> 00:23:33,140 It's kind of like Elijah and Elisha. 448 00:23:33,140 --> 00:23:34,580 Just don't worry about it. 449 00:23:34,580 --> 00:23:39,140 But Balak called on Balaam to come and curse Israel 450 00:23:39,140 --> 00:23:41,140 'cause he was afraid of him. 451 00:23:41,140 --> 00:23:44,380 Balaam knew that God had blessed Israel. 452 00:23:44,380 --> 00:23:46,900 And so when Balak sent people to Balaam 453 00:23:46,900 --> 00:23:51,180 to get him to come and say, you know, come on, 454 00:23:51,180 --> 00:23:54,180 I've got the price, I'll pay for it, 455 00:23:54,180 --> 00:23:57,160 Balaam goes to the Lord, and the Lord says, don't go. 456 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,140 And Balaam comes back and says, well, I can't go. 457 00:24:01,140 --> 00:24:02,820 Lord told me not to go. 458 00:24:02,820 --> 00:24:06,180 And so the people go back to Balak, and he goes, 459 00:24:06,180 --> 00:24:08,360 well, we'll just send more people. 460 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:11,960 We'll send more important people, and we'll up the ante. 461 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,580 We'll make a bigger offer. 462 00:24:14,580 --> 00:24:16,460 And so they come back to Balaam, 463 00:24:16,460 --> 00:24:17,860 and they make a bigger offer, 464 00:24:17,860 --> 00:24:19,140 and they're more important people, 465 00:24:19,140 --> 00:24:22,380 and Balaam, instead of going, ah, the Lord said not to go, 466 00:24:22,380 --> 00:24:24,820 goes back to the Lord and goes, can I please go? 467 00:24:24,820 --> 00:24:30,120 And the Lord says, you can go, 468 00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:33,600 but you better only say what I tell you to say. 469 00:24:35,340 --> 00:24:39,580 And so he's going, and you may know this story. 470 00:24:39,580 --> 00:24:42,520 It's, well, if you know the Bible, it's kind of famous, 471 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,600 because Balaam's donkey started talking to him. 472 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,560 There's an angel who is standing in the way 473 00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:52,880 to keep Balaam from going, and Balaam can't see the angel, 474 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,580 and the donkey can. 475 00:24:55,580 --> 00:24:59,420 And so the donkey's trying to get out of the way 476 00:24:59,420 --> 00:25:02,880 of the angel, and the angel finally stands 477 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,880 in a place in the path where the donkey can't do anything 478 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,320 but lay down, and that's what the donkey does. 479 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:10,120 And Balaam goes postal. 480 00:25:10,120 --> 00:25:13,720 He starts beating the donkey, 481 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,520 and the Lord opens the donkey's mouth, 482 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,100 and the donkey says, why are you beating me? 483 00:25:19,100 --> 00:25:22,140 I'm a good donkey. 484 00:25:22,140 --> 00:25:24,980 [audience laughs] 485 00:25:24,980 --> 00:25:29,800 Now, I don't know if any of you own a donkey. 486 00:25:31,220 --> 00:25:34,340 Some of you, a lot of you probably have dogs, 487 00:25:34,340 --> 00:25:36,820 and some of you have cats. 488 00:25:36,820 --> 00:25:39,180 I wouldn't trust anything a cat says. 489 00:25:39,180 --> 00:25:42,020 [audience laughs] 490 00:25:42,020 --> 00:25:43,440 A dog, maybe. 491 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:48,640 But if your animal starts talking to you, 492 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,760 what are you going to do? 493 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,260 I'm going to freak out. 494 00:25:57,740 --> 00:26:01,740 Balaam, no, Balaam started arguing with his donkey. 495 00:26:01,740 --> 00:26:04,800 The donkey says, I'm a good donkey. 496 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,060 No, you're not. 497 00:26:06,060 --> 00:26:09,320 You're just sitting down here, and you're making me mad, 498 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:11,200 and you hurt my foot and everything. 499 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:12,760 And then the Lord opened his eyes, 500 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:14,540 and he could see the angel. 501 00:26:14,540 --> 00:26:15,380 He goes, whoa. 502 00:26:15,380 --> 00:26:18,460 And the angel says, 503 00:26:18,460 --> 00:26:22,120 your donkey's smarter than you. 504 00:26:25,100 --> 00:26:29,840 And I'm in this path because your path is a reckless one. 505 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,880 Okay, now you're going to go, you go ahead and go, 506 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,560 but you only say what the Lord tells you to say. 507 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,960 And when he gets there, sure enough, 508 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,740 he blesses Israel four times, I think. 509 00:26:43,740 --> 00:26:44,980 Three, I know for sure. 510 00:26:44,980 --> 00:26:49,800 He blesses Israel, and Balak is upset with him, 511 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,260 because I called you here to curse these people, 512 00:26:53,260 --> 00:26:54,440 and you're just blessing them, 513 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:56,160 so you're not gonna get anything. 514 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,400 Now, we find out a little bit later on in scripture 515 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,920 that after that chapter closes, 516 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,860 Balaam goes, hey, Balak, come here. 517 00:27:05,860 --> 00:27:08,760 You still got that money? 518 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:09,600 Okay. 519 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:15,080 Let me tell you, let me show you the back door. 520 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,220 Let me tell you how to get Israel to curse themselves. 521 00:27:18,220 --> 00:27:21,720 And that's exactly what he did. 522 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:23,560 In other words, what he said was, 523 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:27,920 let me show you how to pervert the way of God 524 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,120 and get your own way instead. 525 00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:35,120 And he did that for money, for profit, 526 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:37,500 and he's got a lot of descendants today. 527 00:27:37,500 --> 00:27:41,680 Korah was a guy who led a rebellion against Moses, 528 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:46,520 and basically he brought all of his guys up to Moses. 529 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:48,220 Yeah, I'm looking at the clock, 530 00:27:48,220 --> 00:27:50,480 'cause I got a lot to say today. 531 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:53,320 Don't worry about it, it's all interesting. 532 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:58,200 They, he brought his guys to Moses and he said, 533 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,640 you know, you made your brother the high priest. 534 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,780 Actually, God made his brother the high priest. 535 00:28:05,780 --> 00:28:10,080 But you know, he's not holy just 'cause God said so. 536 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:13,200 We're all holy, we could all be priests. 537 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:15,620 And Moses goes, well, okay, I'll tell you what. 538 00:28:15,620 --> 00:28:18,560 Bring your sacrifice, you bring your fire, 539 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,920 and we'll bring ours, and we'll present it before God, 540 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:22,640 and we'll see what God decides to do. 541 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:27,640 And so they did, and Korah and all his guys 542 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,000 were burned up by the fire that they brought. 543 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,920 But what Korah's rebellion was was it went, 544 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:37,280 God wants that, but I want this. 545 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:45,760 And so Cain knew what the sacrifice was that was required. 546 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,920 There's God's way and there's our way. 547 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:51,160 There's God's way and there's the way of Cain. 548 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:56,160 And Cain brought the offering that he did 549 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,960 because he thought he had a better idea. 550 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:01,080 Cain had a better idea. 551 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,440 I mean, what's up with this blood sacrifice thing here? 552 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:10,940 Look, look, mine doesn't require any innocent suffering. 553 00:29:10,940 --> 00:29:13,800 We don't have to kill an animal. 554 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:15,520 All right, the fig leaves aren't good enough. 555 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,140 Let's find a molted skin somewhere. 556 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:24,480 We don't actually have to believe what God has said. 557 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:25,560 There's another way. 558 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,840 There may be even a better way. 559 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:31,840 And my sacrifice, it's a lot prettier. 560 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:38,160 Seriously, I mean, this produce that Cain brought, 561 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:39,680 you better believe. 562 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:41,680 It was good looking. 563 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,920 You know, when you go into the grocery store, 564 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:48,560 I know when Michelle goes grocery shopping, 565 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:53,560 she likes to go to places that have good produce, 566 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,520 looks good. 567 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:59,720 So they sprinkle it and they kind of pile it up just right 568 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:00,980 and put the light on it. 569 00:30:00,980 --> 00:30:07,080 Cain's, hands down, Cain's offering looked better. 570 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:10,960 And it didn't require blood. 571 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:12,740 I mean, come on, people. 572 00:30:12,740 --> 00:30:15,320 You know, we sing songs about the blood, 573 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:17,880 the blood, nothing but the blood. 574 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:22,160 Saved by the blood, oh yes, blood is yucky. 575 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:26,200 Blood doesn't smell good. 576 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:31,200 We don't like to be around or touch or see blood. 577 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:33,000 You know, there's some of you in here right now, 578 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,360 if somebody started bleeding, your first thing would be, 579 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:40,360 ooh, I can't even look at that. 580 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:42,920 And whenever, you know, when I go to the doctor, 581 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,380 I don't, and they take, they draw blood. 582 00:30:47,420 --> 00:30:50,800 I mean, okay, they got the little needle thing 583 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:52,440 and okay, I've gotten over that. 584 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:57,000 I'm a grown man, you know, but I don't go, hmm. 585 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:00,060 No, I go, yeah, well, whatever, you go ahead. 586 00:31:00,060 --> 00:31:04,300 Not interested in seeing that blood coming out. 587 00:31:04,300 --> 00:31:08,240 And Cain's offering didn't require blood. 588 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:11,140 And it was the best he had. 589 00:31:11,140 --> 00:31:12,860 You better believe it was the best he had. 590 00:31:12,860 --> 00:31:17,860 Cain, you know, he felt of the firmness of those fruits 591 00:31:17,860 --> 00:31:23,780 and you know, we're not gonna have any ugly potatoes here. 592 00:31:23,780 --> 00:31:26,620 We're gonna have some pretty potatoes we put up here, 593 00:31:26,620 --> 00:31:30,740 those golden potato things. 594 00:31:30,740 --> 00:31:33,400 And you know, and I'm not much for vegetables. 595 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,160 I'm just gonna admit that right now. 596 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:37,200 I'm 5'8", 215. 597 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:39,500 [audience laughing] 598 00:31:39,500 --> 00:31:43,020 I'm not much for vegetables, but I like apples. 599 00:31:43,020 --> 00:31:48,640 And if there are 10 apples left of the kind that I like 600 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:50,560 and I want five and you want five 601 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,480 and I'm in line ahead of you, 602 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:54,460 guess who's gonna get the best five? 603 00:31:54,460 --> 00:31:59,420 I'm gonna feel those things and yeah, get her. 604 00:31:59,420 --> 00:32:02,000 I don't want any bruises on these apples. 605 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,400 Come on, man. 606 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:06,420 See, you know, he brought the best that he had. 607 00:32:08,100 --> 00:32:10,640 And he labored to produce his offering. 608 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:15,180 I mean, he had to plow the soil, he had to plant the seed, 609 00:32:15,180 --> 00:32:16,400 he had to pull the weeds, 610 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:20,080 he had to work through the heat of the day. 611 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:22,680 I mean, what's wrong with this? 612 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,920 This is a good idea. 613 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,940 This should be something that God ought to go, 614 00:32:28,940 --> 00:32:30,700 oh wow, I never thought of that. 615 00:32:30,700 --> 00:32:34,380 You really got it going on, Cain. 616 00:32:34,380 --> 00:32:37,480 The only problem was it didn't work. 617 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:42,480 The best we have is never enough. 618 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:46,260 Never, never. 619 00:32:46,260 --> 00:32:49,200 I'm not saying it doesn't matter what we do. 620 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:54,200 I'm just saying you can't do anything to earn God's favor, 621 00:32:54,200 --> 00:33:00,180 to escape death, to have eternal life. 622 00:33:00,180 --> 00:33:05,580 Proverbs tells us twice, there is a way 623 00:33:05,580 --> 00:33:09,740 that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. 624 00:33:09,740 --> 00:33:15,380 And there we are again, right back where we started 625 00:33:15,380 --> 00:33:18,740 with death, but God had a plan. 626 00:33:18,740 --> 00:33:24,260 Jesus had a rich man come to him one time, 627 00:33:24,260 --> 00:33:26,340 and the rich man said, what must I do 628 00:33:26,340 --> 00:33:27,740 to inherit eternal life? 629 00:33:27,740 --> 00:33:29,620 And Jesus said, well, first of all, 630 00:33:29,620 --> 00:33:32,340 sell everything you've got and give it to the poor, 631 00:33:32,340 --> 00:33:34,140 and then come and follow me. 632 00:33:34,140 --> 00:33:38,860 And we look at that and we tend to focus on the, 633 00:33:38,860 --> 00:33:40,940 well, sell everything you have and give it to the poor. 634 00:33:40,940 --> 00:33:44,140 Well, there's two problems with that. 635 00:33:44,140 --> 00:33:49,140 First of all, God was touching on the thing 636 00:33:49,140 --> 00:33:56,500 that this man found his identity in. 637 00:33:56,500 --> 00:33:58,980 He was a rich man. 638 00:33:58,980 --> 00:34:00,860 It doesn't say his name, doesn't tell us 639 00:34:00,860 --> 00:34:01,820 anything else about him. 640 00:34:01,820 --> 00:34:05,140 His identity was the fact that he was rich. 641 00:34:05,140 --> 00:34:08,080 And so whatever your identity is, 642 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:11,220 that's what God would touch and say, uh-uh, 643 00:34:11,220 --> 00:34:12,540 let's get rid of that. 644 00:34:12,540 --> 00:34:15,380 And then the second thing, the thing 645 00:34:15,380 --> 00:34:17,940 that was really important, he said, come follow me. 646 00:34:17,940 --> 00:34:20,440 Come and follow me. 647 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:23,300 And the man went away sad 'cause he was rich. 648 00:34:23,300 --> 00:34:27,660 And Jesus said, wow, how hard it is 649 00:34:27,660 --> 00:34:29,660 for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. 650 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:33,280 And the disciples, it kind of blew their minds 651 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:34,980 because at that time they were thinking, 652 00:34:34,980 --> 00:34:37,640 well, the only people who really have the leisure 653 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:42,640 and the time and the resources to keep the law of Moses 654 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:43,800 are those who are rich. 655 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:47,760 And so they said, well, who can be saved then? 656 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,240 And Jesus said, oh, that's impossible with man. 657 00:34:52,240 --> 00:34:58,020 But all things are possible with God. 658 00:34:59,580 --> 00:35:01,720 It's impossible man's way. 659 00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:06,020 It is possible God's way. 660 00:35:06,020 --> 00:35:09,240 And so the way to God, on the night he was betrayed, 661 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:12,080 Jesus said, you know where I'm going 662 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:13,000 and you know the way. 663 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,100 And Thomas went, oh, Lord, we don't even know 664 00:35:16,100 --> 00:35:16,940 where you're going. 665 00:35:16,940 --> 00:35:18,500 How can we know the way? 666 00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:23,220 And he says, I am the way and the truth and the life. 667 00:35:23,220 --> 00:35:26,040 No one comes to the Father except through me. 668 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,780 So that creates a question. 669 00:35:28,780 --> 00:35:29,960 It's a little bit of a bunny trail, 670 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:31,480 but I feel like I need to go there. 671 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:32,520 Creates a question. 672 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,380 Well, what about those who've never heard? 673 00:35:35,380 --> 00:35:38,320 They've never even heard the name of Jesus. 674 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:42,680 And that's a question that a lot of people use 675 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:46,320 to keep from surrendering, giving their lives to the Lord. 676 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,460 And it was a question that I used 677 00:35:48,460 --> 00:35:52,400 to leave for a while when I was younger. 678 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:56,160 I remember, it was in my late teens 679 00:35:56,160 --> 00:36:00,960 and going down to the altar at a Christ Ambassadors Convention 680 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:03,480 to get saved yet again. 681 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,080 But I wasn't sure I wanted to be. 682 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:11,100 And the pastor came down to pray with me 683 00:36:11,100 --> 00:36:14,020 and I said, well, what about those people who never heard? 684 00:36:14,020 --> 00:36:15,220 And I don't remember what he said, 685 00:36:15,220 --> 00:36:16,900 but it didn't satisfy me. 686 00:36:16,900 --> 00:36:19,720 And so I went for a hike in the wilderness 687 00:36:19,720 --> 00:36:21,360 for the next six years. 688 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:25,880 And when I was in my mid-20s and the Lord revealed, 689 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:29,160 hey, I mean, it became very clear, 690 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:32,620 His word is real, it's true. 691 00:36:32,620 --> 00:36:35,780 What are you gonna do about it, big boy? 692 00:36:35,780 --> 00:36:40,780 And I still had that and the Holy Spirit said, 693 00:36:40,780 --> 00:36:43,380 let me tell you what to do about that. 694 00:36:43,380 --> 00:36:46,820 Trust God. 695 00:36:46,820 --> 00:36:52,020 Oh, okay. 696 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,080 I trust God to do what is right. 697 00:36:56,080 --> 00:37:01,080 He's the judge of the universe 698 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:02,760 and He will do what is right. 699 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:06,580 And so that was one of those questions. 700 00:37:06,580 --> 00:37:11,880 One of those questions that we tend to go running after 701 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:14,040 that leads us in the wrong direction. 702 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:16,820 I mean, the answer to that question is trust God. 703 00:37:16,820 --> 00:37:20,080 Trust God. 704 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:23,820 Don't lean on my own understanding, but trust Him. 705 00:37:24,820 --> 00:37:28,340 We don't do missions and share our testimony 706 00:37:28,340 --> 00:37:30,260 because oh yeah, you guys can come on out 707 00:37:30,260 --> 00:37:31,600 and make them feel better. 708 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:36,600 We don't do missions, share our testimony 709 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:40,060 because the world's lost and we've got to go and save. 710 00:37:40,060 --> 00:37:43,220 We do it because Jesus is my Lord and He said, go do it. 711 00:37:43,220 --> 00:37:46,100 That's why we do it. 712 00:37:46,100 --> 00:37:49,740 Jesus is the Lamb of God 713 00:37:49,740 --> 00:37:51,580 who takes away the sins of the world. 714 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:56,980 John the Baptist was the one who was given the privilege 715 00:37:56,980 --> 00:37:58,760 of introducing this title. 716 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:02,380 The next day John saw Jesus coming and he said, 717 00:38:02,380 --> 00:38:04,120 look, the Lamb of God. 718 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,480 Let's go back to the garden. 719 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:08,580 There was an animal slain. 720 00:38:08,580 --> 00:38:13,460 Let's go when Abraham took his son Isaac up to sacrifice him 721 00:38:13,460 --> 00:38:16,660 and Isaac goes, well, we got the fire and we got the wood 722 00:38:16,660 --> 00:38:19,260 and you got the knife, but where is the sacrifice? 723 00:38:19,260 --> 00:38:21,680 (soft music) 724 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:25,500 My son, God will provide a sacrifice. 725 00:38:25,500 --> 00:38:30,040 And He did and He has. 726 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:36,460 He's also the Lamb who is worthy to open the scroll 727 00:38:36,460 --> 00:38:37,620 in Revelation. 728 00:38:37,620 --> 00:38:39,720 In Revelation chapter five, there's a scroll 729 00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:43,660 and no one can open it and I don't know what the scroll is, 730 00:38:43,660 --> 00:38:47,820 but I know it upset John enough that he begins weeping 731 00:38:47,820 --> 00:38:51,220 and crying and an elder comes to him and says, stop crying. 732 00:38:51,220 --> 00:38:53,980 There's somebody been found worthy. 733 00:38:53,980 --> 00:38:56,860 He's the Lion of the tribe of Judah. 734 00:38:56,860 --> 00:38:58,380 Oh, there he is over there. 735 00:38:58,380 --> 00:39:03,060 And John looked and he says, I saw a lamb stand, 736 00:39:03,060 --> 00:39:08,060 looking as if it had been slain, but it was standing. 737 00:39:08,060 --> 00:39:11,880 Standing at the center of the throne, 738 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:15,220 encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. 739 00:39:17,060 --> 00:39:19,420 (coughing) 740 00:39:19,420 --> 00:39:21,340 At the center of God's glory, 741 00:39:21,340 --> 00:39:24,700 at the center of the heart of God, 742 00:39:24,700 --> 00:39:27,840 there's a lamb that was slain, 743 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:33,800 but he's standing and he's worthy. 744 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:43,620 On the day that we fell, the death of an animal 745 00:39:44,900 --> 00:39:47,620 provided a way for Adam and Eve to continue to live 746 00:39:47,620 --> 00:39:51,580 temporarily, biologically, 747 00:39:51,580 --> 00:39:54,440 but it couldn't provide eternal life. 748 00:39:54,440 --> 00:40:01,860 The Lamb of God was required to bring eternal life. 749 00:40:01,860 --> 00:40:08,020 There's one more question here that we'll look at 750 00:40:08,020 --> 00:40:11,160 and obviously we'll be fairly brief about it. 751 00:40:12,220 --> 00:40:15,960 And it's one that'll preach all by itself. 752 00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:19,060 Where's your brother? 753 00:40:19,060 --> 00:40:22,620 And when we look at that question, 754 00:40:22,620 --> 00:40:27,700 the first question that God asked us is, where are you? 755 00:40:27,700 --> 00:40:29,780 And then the second major question is, 756 00:40:29,780 --> 00:40:31,660 where's your brother? 757 00:40:31,660 --> 00:40:33,160 When we look at that question, 758 00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:38,980 let's think about this for just a second. 759 00:40:38,980 --> 00:40:41,740 When God asked that first question, Adam, where are you? 760 00:40:42,740 --> 00:40:46,740 We were still close enough to innocence 761 00:40:46,740 --> 00:40:49,060 that Adam was just so straightforward. 762 00:40:49,060 --> 00:40:49,900 It was great. 763 00:40:49,900 --> 00:40:51,740 He was like a two-year-old. 764 00:40:51,740 --> 00:40:52,700 Where are you? 765 00:40:52,700 --> 00:40:54,860 I'm over here. 766 00:40:54,860 --> 00:40:57,640 I'm hiding from you. 767 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:00,340 Why are you hiding? 768 00:41:00,340 --> 00:41:02,940 Well, because I'm naked. 769 00:41:02,940 --> 00:41:03,780 Well, who told you? 770 00:41:03,780 --> 00:41:08,060 I mean, every question, straightforward answer. 771 00:41:08,060 --> 00:41:10,740 But by the time we get to Cain, 772 00:41:11,740 --> 00:41:16,740 and God asked him, where is your brother? 773 00:41:16,740 --> 00:41:21,620 Cain tried to change the subject. 774 00:41:21,620 --> 00:41:23,960 And so do we. 775 00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:28,460 I mean, when God gets really close in our business, 776 00:41:28,460 --> 00:41:33,220 we wanna change the subject. 777 00:41:33,220 --> 00:41:34,700 We wanna deflect it. 778 00:41:34,700 --> 00:41:36,780 Where's your brother? 779 00:41:36,780 --> 00:41:38,920 Well, am I my brother's keeper? 780 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:40,200 Yeah? 781 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:42,680 Nice try, Cain. 782 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:45,360 This is actually about you. 783 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,720 I'm gonna deal with you. 784 00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:51,540 When God comes to deal with us, I mean, we go, 785 00:41:51,540 --> 00:41:54,780 we wiggle and squirm and go wherever. 786 00:41:54,780 --> 00:41:58,320 Well, you know, where'd Cain get his wife, huh? 787 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:02,560 Well, was it really six 24-hour days? 788 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:05,440 What was the mark of Cain? 789 00:42:05,440 --> 00:42:08,440 Are you expecting me to believe a story about him? 790 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:13,440 A garden with magic trees and talking serpents and, stop. 791 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:19,680 It's not about that. 792 00:42:19,680 --> 00:42:27,240 Do you really believe that life has no meaning? 793 00:42:27,240 --> 00:42:34,640 Do you really believe that all of this 794 00:42:36,020 --> 00:42:38,640 came from nothing and means nothing? 795 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:46,620 You know, I think that takes more faith than believing God. 796 00:42:46,620 --> 00:42:56,400 Do you really believe that your soul is satisfied 797 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:59,800 and has all that it was created for? 798 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:09,660 The way of Cain is to try and come by our own way. 799 00:43:09,660 --> 00:43:11,620 Jesus said to the Pharisees, 800 00:43:11,620 --> 00:43:15,620 those who were experts at keeping the law, 801 00:43:15,620 --> 00:43:17,300 coming their own way. 802 00:43:17,300 --> 00:43:21,620 Anybody who climbs in any way other than me 803 00:43:21,620 --> 00:43:24,860 is a thief and a robber. 804 00:43:24,860 --> 00:43:29,600 But God has made a way. 805 00:43:33,100 --> 00:43:35,720 Abel came with the right heart. 806 00:43:35,720 --> 00:43:37,360 Don't know anything else about him. 807 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:40,400 I just know, he went, oh, that's the way God says to do it? 808 00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:41,460 Let's do it that way. 809 00:43:41,460 --> 00:43:45,420 And Cain, for whatever reason, went, 810 00:43:45,420 --> 00:43:47,740 no, I think I like this way better. 811 00:43:47,740 --> 00:43:53,960 If you don't know Christ, 812 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:55,460 hopefully you know where I'm going with this. 813 00:43:55,460 --> 00:43:59,280 Hopefully the Holy Spirit has really been dealing with you. 814 00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:03,320 If you do know Christ, we still have a tendency 815 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:05,260 to go our own way. 816 00:44:05,260 --> 00:44:09,200 Oh, God, yeah, I don't wanna do it that way. 817 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:11,080 I'll do it this way. 818 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:12,500 That's the way of Cain. 819 00:44:12,500 --> 00:44:16,760 Doesn't work, God has to deal with it. 820 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:18,540 He has to deal with us. 821 00:44:18,540 --> 00:44:23,480 I don't know, is anybody else coming out? 822 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:26,120 Yeah, this is enough. 823 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:27,920 Well, those who are gonna pray with people, come forward. 824 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:32,880 We don't normally do necessarily salvation sermons. 825 00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:35,820 I mean, obviously the Holy Spirit can take any sermon 826 00:44:35,820 --> 00:44:38,560 and turn it into a salvation sermon. 827 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:43,520 And I don't have the gifting of an evangelist if I did. 828 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:46,720 I'd just say, hey, y'all, come on, let's go to Jesus now. 829 00:44:46,720 --> 00:44:49,600 And you would, but I don't have that anointing. 830 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:54,680 But the Holy Spirit may still be talking to you. 831 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,480 It's not about me and what I've said. 832 00:44:58,480 --> 00:45:00,240 It's about what He's saying to you. 833 00:45:00,240 --> 00:45:04,120 And if you need to give your life to Christ, 834 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:08,120 there's a wonderful opportunity this morning 835 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:09,680 to come and do that very thing. 836 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:15,620 And if you're not in that position, I know life happens, 837 00:45:15,620 --> 00:45:18,300 and I know that people come in here 838 00:45:18,300 --> 00:45:22,660 with all kinds of stuff going on, you may just need prayer. 839 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:26,160 And you're welcome to come forward as well. 840 00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:28,440 We're gonna worship for a few moments, 841 00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:32,240 and let's let God do some work, okay? 842 00:45:32,240 --> 00:45:33,440 Would you stand with me? 843 00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:37,200 His way is better. 844 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:39,460 Yeah.