The Conflict in Worship.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] All right, have a seat. Welcome to Village Church. [0:03] If this is your first time here, I just want to take a moment to welcome you. [0:06] My name’s Steve. I’m one of the pastors here. [0:09] Three things before we get started, but if you want to get a head start, [0:14] go to Genesis chapter 4. Genesis chapter 4 is where we’re going to be this morning. [0:18] The first thing I want to reiterate what James has already said,

[0:23] this coming Tuesday we are starting a six-week men’s series. [0:29] Just taking a look at what is it in the Scriptures to be a man, [0:34] what does God look at as he sees man and what do we need to strive for as men [0:39] who are called to so many different things, whether you’re single, [0:44] whether you’re married, no matter what stage you are in your life. [0:49] This series will truly benefit you. I’ve been through it and I will be there.

[0:54] But I would like you to do me a favor. [0:55] If you’re going to come or if you’re going to make the effort to come, [0:58] I understand what snooze bars are all about.

[1:02] So it’s like, you know, maybe you won’t make it. [1:05] Maybe you’ll hit that snooze bar. [1:07] But if you’re going to attempt to make it, I won’t look down on you. [1:11] It happens to me. [1:12] If you’re going to make the attempt to be here on Tuesday morning, [1:14] could you just do me a favor?

[1:16] Go out to the next steps or connect table. [1:18] Let us know. [1:20] Trying to get a head count. [1:21] Shoot an email to info at village midlothian dot org, [1:24] or just go ahead and email me, Steve at village midlothian dot org, [1:27] so we can get a good head count as to how many people are going to be there

[1:30] this coming Tuesday or better yet, how many people are going to try to be there? [1:35] It’s it’s six fifteen to seven thirty, [1:37] and it’s not going to be one of those things where we might last till seven forty five. [1:40] We’re going to get you out of there at seven thirty. [1:43] That’s why we’re starting at six fifteen. [1:45] I kind of programmed it for people that have to be at work at eight.

[1:48] If you got to be at work at seven, there was no way I was doing it at five fifteen. [1:51] There was just no chance of that happening. [1:53] So I’m sorry, but maybe you can lead that one next time and I won’t. [2:00] No, no, that’s not the way. [2:03] Secondly, baptisms are coming up. [2:05] And I just want to kind of kind of just kind of talk to you about what that is.

[2:09] Maybe you’re confused about that and you don’t know who baptism is for. [2:12] But baptism is not a proclamation that you’ve got it all together. [2:18] It is not a proclamation that you are, you know, pure. [2:23] It is not a proclamation that you are following Jesus [2:27] just exactly the way the Bible says. [2:29] And that’s not what baptism is.

[2:31] Baptism is what God has told us to do as our first step [2:37] in showing the world that we love Jesus, that we trust Jesus, [2:43] that we are going to strive to obey God. [2:47] You’re not going to do it perfectly, but that’s what you want. [2:50] You want to follow Jesus. [2:51] He’s given us two pictures.

[2:53] He’s told us to proclaim verbally the gospel of Jesus Christ. [2:57] But in the New Testament, God gives us two pictures that he tells the church, [3:01] as long as you are together, as long as you’re on this earth, [3:03] I want you to do these two things to show the world what salvation is all about. [3:08] One of them is something that we do every single week here at the village. [3:11] It’s communion.

[3:13] It’s the proclamation to one another and to the world that this is the gospel. [3:17] It’s the shed blood of Jesus, the broken body of Jesus sacrificing for our sins. [3:22] But then secondly, he gives us baptism. [3:25] Baptism is a picture of new life. [3:27] It is a picture of your sins being washed away [3:31] through the work of Jesus Christ on your behalf.

[3:34] It is not about you. [3:36] It is not a statement about you. [3:38] It is a statement about what Jesus has done to you and for you. [3:43] And it is showing the world that you trust in God to give you a new life in Jesus Christ. [3:48] So if you haven’t been baptized yet, you’ve come to faith in Jesus Christ [3:51] or you did it as a child and then later you came to faith in Jesus Christ.

[3:56] I want to invite you to come talk to me, talk to one of the pastors, [3:59] talk to your community group leader, shoot me an email, send carrier pigeons. [4:03] I mean, just smoke signals. [4:04] I probably won’t see those, but you can try. [4:06] But just get in get in touch with us somehow. [4:09] And even if you have questions, let me know.

[4:11] I’d love to talk to you about it. [4:12] I never tire of talking about stuff like that, because that’s what Chains [4:15] lives look like when we want to talk about stuff like that. [4:18] So let me know now. [4:21] As you are getting Genesis Chapter four, maybe you’re saying, I’m already there. [4:25] What are you talking about?

[4:26] But I want to talk to you a little bit about some some of the philosophy [4:31] that we have where ministry is concerned, because I’ve gotten a lot of questions [4:35] about children’s ministry and I am not a children’s ministry professional. [4:39] But I want to talk to you a little bit about what it is [4:43] that our hope is for our children. [4:45] And I’ll tell you this.

[4:46] We do not have during the week 17 different programs [4:51] for you to bring your kids to. [4:54] And frankly, it’s not because we’re understaffed. [4:56] I mean, we are. [4:57] But that’s not the reason. [5:00] The reason is that I do not believe that the great hope for your children is for us

[5:06] to have a hundred programs to bring them to. [5:09] I don’t. I think oftentimes I think it detracts us [5:12] from the greatest ministry to our children. [5:14] Have you ever been on an airplane? [5:16] And I’m assuming many of you have, but they give the same speech every single time. [5:22] And it is a speech where if the oxygen mask drops down

[5:26] before you help the person besides you, put that mask on your own face. [5:32] You ever stopped and wondered why do they say that? [5:34] Well, here’s why. [5:35] You’re not going to be able to do the person next to you any good [5:37] after you’ve choked to death. [5:39] All right.

[5:40] The best hope that person next to you has is that you’ve got oxygen coming to you [5:46] and now you’ve got all the time in the world to help them [5:48] because you got oxygen coming at you. [5:51] Well, frankly, discipling children is the same way. [5:55] And my view as a church, we believe and I believe scripture gives us a viewpoint [6:01] that the greatest hope our children have is mom and dad.

[6:06] I believe that I’ve got two kids and my three year old. [6:09] The older he gets, you know what I notice? [6:11] He mimics me. [6:13] He copies me. [6:14] That’s why I got to watch my mouth. [6:16] All right.

[6:17] I mean, he just he will repeat anything I say and sometimes to my detriment. [6:23] All right. [6:24] But here’s the thing is that he is watching me and the way that children [6:28] mature, the way that they grow up is our children are watching us [6:33] and what they are getting a picture of from mom and dad is this is what [6:38] adulthood looks like.

[6:40] And for too long, here’s what we have done as followers of Jesus. [6:45] We have said, you know what? [6:47] I’ve got to take my kids to this program. [6:49] I’ve got to take my kids to that program because I got to get them the word of God. [6:52] I’ve got to get somebody to teach my child about Jesus. [6:56] And we have engaged them and engaged them and engaged them.

[6:59] And you know what the kids are watching? [7:01] They’re saying, man, discipleship is for kids. [7:04] When I grow up, I don’t have to worry about that. [7:06] Because mom and dad aren’t that worried about it. [7:09] And so sometimes we shoot ourselves in the foot.

[7:13] We’re very worried about our kids being taught God’s word. [7:16] But the reality is, is that I am not the best hope for your kids. [7:23] Do you know who is you are, mom and dad? [7:26] You are. [7:28] You are the ones that they are watching. [7:31] We have a crisis in the church and that is by by the droves.

[7:34] As soon as kids are turning 18, they’re leaving the church. [7:37] And I think one reason for that is because they think the discipleship is a kid’s game. [7:42] They think that they’re the ones being engaged and they’re watching mom and dad take them to it [7:46] and drop them off and then come back and pick them up. [7:49] They’ve got, you know, the Christian Awanas, the Christian Power Rangers, [7:53] Christian Cape Crusaders, whatever it is that we’re calling it these days.

[7:57] They’ve got Christian basketball, these Christian soccer, these Christian, this Christian, that. [8:01] But mom and dad, they go to work and they come home and they take me to that. [8:06] And, you know, they’re just out there doing this and I’m doing this. [8:08] So as soon as I turn 18, I don’t have to worry about this anymore. [8:11]

[8:13] That’s a real problem. [8:14] And the reality is, is that the hope that your children have is a mom and dad who are engaged in community, [8:21] a mom and dad who are engaged in discipleship, a mom and dad who are sacrificially serving the local body [8:29] and engaged in getting the gospel out to those who are all around you. [8:34] That’s the hope because then, you know what the kids get? [8:38] A picture of what adulthood looks like.

[8:41] And you know what it looks like? [8:42] Discipleship. [8:44] But then you know who’s discipling the kids? [8:46] You are. [8:47] You are. [8:48] I think you got plenty on your plate.

[8:51] I think your kids got more than they can handle on their plate. [8:55] And so something’s going to get left out somewhere. [8:56] But what’s going to happen when they’re watching mom and dad actually sacrifice something to get engaged in discipleship? [9:05] We’re going to start seeing disciple children. [9:08] That’s what we’re going to start seeing. [9:10] OK, I just wanted to share that with you this morning.

[9:12] I want to share my heart with you because we’ve tried the other thing, which is discipling kids and then just going home and watching Law and Order afterwards. [9:20] All right, we’ve tried that for decades. [9:24] And it has not worked. [9:26] It’s not working. [9:27] Mom and dad, you are the pastors of your home and I’m the pastor of my home. [9:32] It’s the way it works.

[9:33] All right, Genesis, Chapter four, Genesis, Chapter four. [9:36] You ever watched on maybe YouTube or maybe you’ve seen it on a show. [9:41] You’ve seen these amazing, elaborate dominoes displays. [9:45] And I mean, just people spent hours and hours setting up dominoes and they knock them over and the Mona Lisa appears. [9:52] I don’t know how people do this stuff. [9:54] I have about the patience to make it to the fifth domino and then I’m knocking them over.

[9:59] All right, it’s it’s over. [10:01] I’m just done with it. [10:03] But people, I don’t know how they do it. [10:04] They just make these elaborate domino displays and just these amazing works of art appear. [10:10] This crazy maze happens. [10:12] And then at the end, a fishbowl explodes.

[10:15] And, you know, just it’s awesome. [10:16] It’s the coolest thing to watch. [10:17] I will never do one, but I’ll watch it if you do. [10:20] I mean, it’s just great. [10:21] Well, here’s the thing. [10:24] When we look in the Old Testament, we look through the book of Genesis, what we’re going to see throughout the rest of this series is that sin is a lot like dominoes.

[10:33] All right, it’s just lives falling over under the force of sin, and it just continues further and further, deeper and deeper on the more levels of humanity than we ever thought would be possibly available to us. [10:47] And when you look at the world now, you’re looking at a continuous domino effect. [10:53] There is no resolve. [10:55] Where sin in the world is concerned, it’s just continuously going. [11:00] I mean, we have wars in nations that have been going on for hundreds of years. [11:05] This tribe hates this tribe.

[11:07] And you’re like, why? [11:08] We don’t know. [11:09] We just hate them. [11:11] And, man, we’re going to kill them. [11:13] Well, that’s what has happened to the world. [11:15] That is the effect that sin has had on society.

[11:19] So as we go through all the way through to Genesis chapter 11 in this series, which is going to end the week before Easter Sunday, what we’re going to watch is the demise of humanity. [11:30] And it’s still going on today. [11:33] And we’re going to take a look at today are two guys, the first two people that were born on this earth, the first two people who did not know a world without sin. [11:45] Because Adam and Eve, they knew what the world looked like without sin. [11:48] But their children didn’t have ever considered that the first kids born on this earth had parents who knew what perfection looked like. [11:55] But they themselves would never see a world that had perfection on display.

[12:00] Their names are Cain and Abel. [12:03] And what we’re going to see, and maybe you’ve been through this story before somewhere in your life and you’ve kind of seen the story, but I want to kind of take a look at it through a different perspective, maybe than you’re used to. [12:12] And I want to start by talking about the fact that this entire story is about worship, that we, as God created us, were created as worshippers. [12:24] We were not created as people who just can detach ourselves from worship. [12:30] But what happens in Adam and Eve and what is going to happen in this story is we take what we were designed to do. [12:36] John Calvin says that the human heart is really a factory of worship.

[12:41] We continuously worship something with our lives. [12:44] But what we do is we take what we were designed to do where worship is concerned and it’s for God. [12:50] And we just exchange it, Romans 1 says, for something else. [12:54] And so what we’re supposed to pour out into God, we start pouring out into other things, whether it’s weight loss, whether it’s weight gain, if you really like Krispy Kreme, whether it’s money, whether it’s your career, whether it’s your marriage, whether it’s your kids. [13:07] All of us are always 24 hours a day worshipping something. [13:14] The question is, what are you worshipping?

[13:17] Because there is a worship that is for God and it comes through faith. [13:21] And then there is worship that is not for God and that is sin. [13:24] And I want to let you know that every one of you are sinners this morning. [13:27] True. Give me five minutes and either I will show you your sin or you will clearly see my sin. [13:32] All right. And we are all sinners. [13:35] Every one of us.

[13:36] But the reality that I want you to deal with this morning is point number one, and that is, is that sin problems are ultimately worship problems. [13:44] Every issue that you have with disobeying what God has said you should live your life for is a problem of worship. [13:53] That you are taking what is for God and you are doing something else with it. [13:59] That is a picture of sin in your life. [14:04] Everything then. [14:06] Is about worship.

[14:10] Even if it is to the point where we are like, OK, I am going to worship God. [14:15] But I am going to do it so that he will give me a really good life. [14:20] Even in then you are not worshipping God. [14:22] God is just your cosmic genie from Aladdin. [14:25] He is going to give you something better than himself. [14:28] Because you don’t really want God. You want that other thing.

[14:30] See even in then you see that the root of your problem is sin. [14:35] So every one of us are dealing with a worship issue in our lives. [14:39] And when we go to the story of Cain and Abel, we are going to see a story about worship. [14:46] So in Genesis chapter four verse one. [14:50] Now Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain saying, I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord. [14:56] And again she bore his brother Abel.

[14:59] Now Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain a worker of the ground. [15:03] In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of fruit from the ground and Abel brought the first born of his flock and of their fat portions. [15:14] And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering. [15:17] But for Cain and his offering he had no regard. [15:20] So Cain was very angry and his face fell. [15:24] The Lord said to Cain, why are you angry and why has your face fallen?

[15:28] If you do well will you not be accepted? [15:30] And if you do not do well sin is crouching at the door. [15:33] Its desire is for you. [15:35] But you must rule over it. [15:38] Now we do not know a great deal about Cain and Abel. [15:42] We know that they were born to Adam and Eve.

[15:45] That in over a course of time they just show up as a gardener and a sheep herder. [15:51] And that’s all we know. [15:52] Does that ever irritate you when you look at Bible and you get the Bible and it’s like in over a course of time. [15:56] You’re like well what happened during the course of time. [15:59] I feel like there’s something being set up here that I don’t know about. [16:02] I’m like that too.

[16:03] But here’s the reality. [16:04] We don’t know. [16:05] God and his wisdom has said you don’t need to know what happened before this. [16:09] You just need to know about this. [16:11] All right. [16:12] So we know that we’ve got Cain.

[16:14] We’ve got Abel. [16:15] One brings an offering of vegetation of some type whether it was fruit whether it was vegetables whether he brought a ficus tree. [16:22] I have no idea. [16:24] And then we have Abel who brings the first born of his sheep and he brings the fat portions of the sheep and they are offering something to God. [16:34] And I know that you know by what we read Cain’s is just rejected outright. [16:39] Here’s the reality.

[16:41] Based on the offering you can’t you can only speculate as to why it was rejected. [16:48] See the Levitical law came later that said that you had to sacrifice the animals. [16:53] So here we have two guys bringing the best of what they’ve got before the Lord. [16:59] And our first thought is you know I think the word Cain is like really evil. [17:04] So let’s hate him. [17:06] All right.

[17:06] Let’s despise him. [17:07] He’s clearly a bad guy. [17:09] When we when he said that over the course of time thing I knew Cain was doing something really bad during that course of time. [17:15] So he’s clearly the bad guy in this story. [17:17] But here’s what I want you to understand. [17:19] Here’s the perspective that I want you to have in the story this morning.

[17:22] They both brought something.

[17:25] They both brought the thing that defined their lives and laid it on the altar of God. [17:33] So before you are quick to hate on Cain here’s what I want you to ask yourself this morning. [17:39] What have you brought.

[17:43] Cain brought something. [17:45] Did you bring anything. [17:47] Because here’s what we do. [17:48] [17:49] Here’s what we oftentimes do in church. [17:52] Man it is hot over here.

[17:54] It is cold over here. [17:57] Somebody needs to set that thermostat better. [17:59] You know the floors the 9 a.m. [18:01] service. [18:02] They scuff those up. [18:03] They are not shiny.

[18:05] Somebody needs a shiny floor so I can come and look at some shiny floors. [18:09] Why do we not have new laminate in the bathrooms. [18:13] Those floors are dirty. [18:15] Somebody needs to clean them. [18:16] They have got the kids in modular buildings. [18:19] Why didn’t they spend just thousands of dollars building a building so that my son could go to something that is more permanent than this.

[18:28] Man you know it is kind of dark in here. [18:30] I wish they turned the lights up. [18:31] That music too loud and those aren’t the songs I would have chosen.

[18:38] By the way those are all things I hear all the time.

[18:42] But you ever wonder what my week looks like. [18:45] There it is.

[18:49] But here’s what we do. [18:51] Can’t enable come with something to offer to God.

[18:56] In our culture what we do when we go to church. [18:59] What do you have to offer to me.

[19:03] And that’s what dictates our worship. [19:06] Give give give. [19:07] And if you don’t give it just right. [19:09] There’s one down the block I can go to that will.

[19:14] We haven’t even made it to Cain’s level of worship yet we’re hating this guy. [19:19] Cain brought the most important thing in his life. [19:22] He was a worker of the ground. [19:24] If you are a worker of the ground what is going to define your life. [19:28] It’s going to be what the ground produces. [19:30] And that’s what he brings to God.

[19:32] So he comes to God with his best and he says God here it is in my hands and here we come our hands empty. [19:38] God go ahead and give.

[19:41] Pastor give. [19:43] Somebody give you’re not given enough so I can’t I can’t worship like this. [19:48] Can’t worship in these conditions.

[19:52] So let’s not jump on Cain’s back too much.

[19:56] Worship. [19:57] Is about giving before it’s ever about getting.

[20:03] You need to hewn that into your brain this morning. [20:06] It’s about giving before it’s ever about getting. [20:08] And my question to you before we ever get anywhere else is. [20:12] What gift has God put in your life. [20:16] What talent has God made clearly available in your life. [20:21] And are you bringing it as your offering to God or are you keeping it for yourself and saying somebody is to give me more.

[20:32] Worship. [20:33] Is about giving.

[20:38] Worship. [20:39] Secondly this morning I want you to understand that true worship. [20:44] Is going to bring conflict. [20:46] True worship causes conflict with sin. [20:49] All right. [20:50] And I want to talk to you about this on three different levels.

[20:52] But the first thing I want you to see is the conflict that it causes between Cain and Abel. [20:57] Genesis chapter four look down in verse eight.

[21:01] Cain spoke to Abel his brother. [21:04] I know it’s on the screen but stop looking up there.

[21:08] Here’s what I want. [21:09] I want I want to just forecast for you how this conversation should have gone.

[21:14] Cain needs to go to Abel and say Abel why is it that God is accepting your offering instead of mine. [21:23] What truth is it that you’re living out that I’m not. [21:26] What’s going on in your life that is not going on in my life. [21:29] How can I get my relationship with God right. [21:33] That is not how the story goes. [21:36] And we see by Cain’s reaction why it is that God did not accept his offering.

[21:44] It is an issue of motivation rather than an issue of content.

[21:51] Cain spoke to Abel his brother and when they were in the field Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. [21:58] Then the Lord said to Cain where is Abel your brother. [22:01] He said I do not know. [22:02] Am I my brother’s keeper. [22:04] Do you know how he immediately gets snarky with God. [22:07] He tries the exact same thing Adam and Eve tried.

[22:10] It’s like hey bro that didn’t work for mom and dad it’s not going to work for you either. [22:14] I don’t know God am I my brother’s keeper. [22:17] It’s like this issue of man he’s a sheep herder he’s over there in the field somewhere. [22:21] I got my own thing going. [22:22] Don’t bother me with this God. [22:25] The reality you understand that there is a great disconnect between Cain’s life and who God is.

[22:33] We see that right here. [22:35] I mean we see it in the fact that he killed his brother but we also see it right there. [22:39] The reality there is a great disconnect in Cain’s relationship with God. [22:44] And we see that worship is rooted in motive. [22:48] And the scripture does not keep us silent as to why God did not accept it. [22:53] Look in 1 John chapter 3.

[22:56] In 1 John chapter 3 verse 12 scripture says that we should not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his [23:02] brother. [23:03] And why did he murder him because his own deeds were evil and his brothers righteous. [23:09] Look in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 4. [23:12] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain through which he was commended as righteous. [23:21] God commending him by accepting his gifts and through his faith though he died he still speaks.

[23:29] We see that Abel brought a sacrifice in true faith and in true trust to God. [23:36] That Abel was having a relationship with God where he knows that his life is connected to God. [23:44] Dependent upon God and he brings it in faith. [23:47] Desiring to give his life over to God knowing that everything that he has is from God. [23:53] Therefore everything he has belongs to God and he wants to give God his best. [23:57] But according to 1 John chapter 3 verse 12 we see that Cain’s attitude was the same attitude that Satan had when he fell.

[24:08] He thinks God’s holding out on him. [24:09] He thinks God has something better for him. [24:11] He wants to be like God. [24:13] He wants to put himself up above God. [24:15] And who does God think he is that he can reject that which I bring before him.

[24:22] We see it’s all about what is going on internally with Cain. [24:28] That Cain is not someone who is passionate about God. [24:32] Who is in love with God. [24:34] Who knows he finds his source in God. [24:36] Rather he sees God as someone that owes him something and how dare God reject his sacrifice.

[24:42] So what’s the outlet of that? [24:45] The outlet of that is that instead of coming in repentance and changing. [24:50] He says Abel who do you think you are? [24:54] It’s jealousy. [24:55] It’s resentment. [24:57] It’s anger.

[24:58] It’s frustration. [25:00] None of which are the fruits of the spirit.

[25:04] And so he lashes out against the one with whom he may be able to find help. [25:12] Rather than getting his life right.

[25:15] If you are a worshiper of God. [25:17] If you are someone who has faith and trust in God. [25:20] You are following Jesus with your life. [25:22] I want you to understand that you are going to experience conflict on three different levels. [25:26] The first level that you are going to experience is that you are going to be in conflict with the world around you. [25:32] When you are giving your life over to God you can expect there to be conflict in a world that is saturated with sin.

[25:38] This is what Abel experienced. [25:40] The world was smaller only a few people. [25:42] But the conflict with the world at large which was being saturated with sin was still present. [25:49] Those who are not following God will not naturally commend those who are worshipping God. [25:55] This is apparent all around us. [25:57] Those who trust in God and seek to obey him are not commended.

[26:00] When you are being obedient to God you can expect opposition. [26:05] You can expect it. [26:06] Why? [26:07] Look in 1 Peter chapter 5. [26:09] In 1 Peter chapter 5 this is what we read. [26:11] Be sober minded, be watchful.

[26:14] Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. [26:19] Resist him firm in your faith knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. [26:26] And after you have suffered a little while the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ [26:32] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. [26:37] Here is what happened in the Garden of Eden. [26:38] Satan had sinned against God and he says you know what I am going to do in order to bring God down?

[26:43] I am going to go to the one that he gave his image to, the one whom he says he is going to get his glory from [26:48] and I am going to bring them down. [26:49] And the scripture records right there that attempt has not stopped since.

[26:56] That he still makes it his aim to attempt to get your faith away from God and onto something else, anything else. [27:07] And he is going to bring opposition from the world to attempt to detour your faith and to distract you from your relationship with God. [27:16] He is going to do it. [27:18] It is through all types of circumstances but a great source of circumstances with that is the conflict that you are going to feel with the world [27:25] when you obey God to live for his gospel.

[27:31] Expect conflict, expect opposition.

[27:37] Secondly, you are going to experience conflict with those close to you. [27:42] There is not a much closer relationship than the relationship of siblings. [27:48] Now you have probably tried to strangle one another at one point in your life. [27:52] I know that my sister and I have got one sister and it used to be like before UFC was cool we were having it in our living room man. [27:59] I had her in a rear naked choke, I had her in the guillotine, I was attempting front kicks. [28:05] I feel really guilty now that I am in my thirties of the things I used to try to do to her.

[28:10] But here is the other key. [28:12] In life if anyone else ever tried to do those things to her, man I would be hot and I would run after them and I would try to kill them. [28:20] It would probably be unsuccessful but at least I would try.

[28:25] At the end of the day I have got my sisters back and I always will, I always did back then. [28:32] But here is the reality, here is what happens in this story. [28:36] Two brothers, the conflict of worship where one did not want to follow Jesus and one did follow Jesus, it tore that family apart to the point of murder. [28:46] Jesus says in Matthew chapter 10 verse 35 that families will be disrupted because of faith in him. [28:55] That there will be discord, that mothers will, their relationship with their daughters will be broken, that fathers and sons, their lives will be torn apart. [29:05] Siblings will have hatred for one another over faith in God because to one it is life, to the other it is foolishness and one will repent and the other refuses to repent.

[29:18] When you are seeking to follow God with everything that you have in your life, when you are seeking to be a worshiper of God, when you are seeking to follow him, [29:26] expect opposition from the world but it is also going to happen with those who are closest to you.

[29:35] I know people in this church who are dealing with this very thing right now. [29:40] But I want you to understand that just as at the end of 1 Peter chapter 5 when he says that God will establish you will restore you, he will confirm you. [29:49] The reality is that the purpose of you following Jesus Christ is not because you necessarily think it will get better in this life.

[29:59] Because the scripture tells us that the opposition is always going to be there. [30:02] So where is our hope? Our hope is in God. [30:05] Our hope is in that God knows us, God loves us, God redeems us and he promises that there will be a day where this conflict will end and he will restore us into his kingdom. [30:16] The hope is where Abel found his hope in his faith. [30:20] In his faith. [30:22] Never ever ever ever stop following Jesus because it causes conflict with someone in your life.

[30:33] Because the minute that you back down from following Jesus that person that you are in conflict with over your faith in Jesus will not have the hope that you have ever. [30:46] Because what you are telling them when you stop following Jesus is you are right. [30:51] I will back down. [30:53] But so long as you are following Jesus with your life that person that you are in conflict with still has hope. [31:00] Because the hope of their lives is the relationship that you have with Jesus and the relationship that they need with Jesus. [31:08] And so long as you are pursuing Jesus with your all they still have a picture of what it looks like to worship God.

[31:17] Never ever quit.

[31:20] Because when you don’t quit you show that hope is in Jesus. [31:25] And that you trust Jesus more than you trust their word. [31:28] And that you love them so much that you are willing to live through that conflict so that they can know what hope really is. [31:36] Never stop following Jesus.

[31:42] It will be hard but understand that your hope is in God.

[31:49] He is more powerful than any conflict friend. [31:52] Which is going to bring us to the third source of conflict. [31:55] And that is the conflict within us. [31:57] That is the conflict within us. [32:00] I want to get to point three and then I want to talk about this conflict. [32:04] Because I think ultimately it is going to be the most powerful conflict in your life.

[32:08] And it is the conflict that you are going to feel in worship. [32:11] That there is always just like Satan tempted Eve to question within herself the faith that God had given her. [32:17] You are going to have questions inside of yourself as to whether or not you are worthy enough. [32:22] As to whether or not the grace of God is powerful enough. [32:24] As to whether or not the truth of God is true enough for you. [32:27] I want you to understand that God’s mercy is greater than all sin.

[32:32] It is greater than all sin. [32:34] And I want you to see something from the text here. [32:36] Look in verse eight. [32:38] Excuse me look in verse ten. [32:40] And the Lord said, [32:42] What have you done?

[32:44] The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. [32:49] And now you are being cursed from the ground. [32:51] Which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. [32:55] When you work the ground it shall no longer yield to you its strength. [32:59] You shall be a fugitive and wander on the earth. [33:01] Cain said to the Lord,

[33:02] My punishment is greater than I can bear.

[33:08] Two things I want you to understand from this text. [33:12] The conflict that is going to take place within us in worship comes from one of two sources. [33:17] The first source of conflict that we are going to experience is a refusal to repent.

[33:26] And explaining away of our actions within ourselves. [33:30] Well I am not that bad. [33:31] I am not that sinful. [33:33] Who does God think he is to expect this of me? [33:36] It takes a great deep humility to turn away from your sin to trust God. [33:44] It is the first conflict you are going to have.

[33:47] You are going to reason with yourself. [33:49] You don’t need to turn away from your sin.

[33:54] Especially if you see the example of what it looks like to follow God in someone else. [34:00] How much of a deep humility and deep faith in God does it take to admit that you need someone else’s help? [34:06] How painful can that be?

[34:11] To go to someone and ask for their help. [34:13] You know what is easier? Resentment. [34:16] Who do they think they are? [34:18] Oh yeah, they have got it all worked out with God. [34:20] Good for you holier than thou. [34:23] That is our first reaction.

[34:25] My first reaction is not to be humble to the point where I can learn from someone. [34:29] My first reaction is not to be humble enough to say I need your help. [34:32] My first reaction is to say, well you think you have it all figured out. [34:35] My first reaction is to have anger. [34:37] That was Cain’s reaction wasn’t it? [34:40] So God looks to Cain and God says Cain.

[34:43] I know what you have done. I am God. [34:46] I can call the dirt that Abel’s blood fell onto. [34:50] And I can make it rat you out. [34:53] I am God. Dirt can speak if I want it to.

[35:00] The second difficulty that we are going to experience inside of ourselves [35:02] is the struggle to believe that God’s grace is big enough to forgive our sins.

[35:08] I tell you I have met some people who have sinned real big. [35:11] I have sinned real big myself.

[35:14] Here is the reality. [35:17] Is that there is no sin that is greater than the grace of God. [35:21] And the story of Cain and Abel is a picture of that. [35:26] Now I will tell you this interpretation of this text is a bit controversial. [35:30] People disagree. [35:31] But because of the way that God interacts with Cain

[35:33] I am going to be in agreement with one interpretation. [35:37] That I believe that in this text [35:39] Cain comes face to face with his sin [35:41] and Cain repents of his sin. [35:44] And that the grace of God is so powerful [35:46] that it brings forgiveness into the life of a man

[35:48] who murders his own brother. [35:50] And if the grace of God is that powerful [35:53] then friend it is greater than your sin. [35:56] Take a look.

[35:59] In verse 13 [36:01] God has condemned Cain. [36:05] You got that? [36:05] God has said the ground will no longer produce the fruit [36:09] the vegetation that you have depended on for your life. [36:12] I am going to strike it and you are going to garden

[36:14] nothing is going to happen. [36:16] Above that you are going to be a fugitive. [36:19] And I take from this [36:20] that he had brothers and sisters [36:22] and he had a mom and a dad [36:23] and he says you are going to be a fugitive

[36:24] and people are going to try to kill you. [36:27] And they deserve it. [36:28] Because you killed a loved one. [36:31] And he said and third [36:32] you are going to wander the earth the rest of your life as a fugitive. [36:35] You are never going to be able to settle down.

[36:36] You are never going to have anything else. [36:39] God says I am condemning you right now. [36:41] This is what Cain says. [36:43] Cain said to the Lord in verse 13 [36:45] My punishment is greater than I can bear.

[36:51] But then note what happens [36:53] Behold you have driven me today away from the ground [36:56] and note this [36:57] and from your face shall I be hidden.

[37:04] Cain finally gets it.

[37:08] That it is not about him. [37:11] He is not the center of the world. [37:14] He looks to God and he says [37:16] God you have punished me greater than I can bear. [37:20] You have driven me away from the ground [37:22] and I will not even know you anymore.

[37:25] I can’t take that. [37:27] Life is over. [37:29] Kill me. [37:30] Because that is what you are doing to me. [37:33] In the first century the rabbis [37:35] would look at this Hebrew

[37:36] and they would interpret it this way [37:38] Is my guilt too great to be forgiven?

[37:46] And the text it can be translated both ways [37:48] but he looks to God and he says [37:50] This guilt for this sin [37:52] I can’t bear it God [37:54] I need you to do something here.

[37:58] I can’t wash away this sin [38:00] I can’t get it out of my life.

[38:04] And look at what God does

[38:07] Then the Lord said to him

[38:14] Not so.

[38:17] Throughout the scripture [38:18] there is a lot of different places [38:19] where there is just two words [38:22] They are so powerful

[38:25] Like in Ephesians chapter 2 [38:28] where it says that we are children [38:29] reserved for wrath [38:31] that we like the rest of mankind [38:33] are on a one way trip to hell [38:35] and in Ephesians chapter 2

[38:37] it says but God [38:41] being rich in mercy [38:43] the love with which he has loved us [38:45] has forgiven us in Christ Jesus [38:49] He reveals the condemnation to Cain [38:52] He says Cain it’s a sin

[38:53] It’s over bro [38:54] You are condemned, you are driven out [38:57] you are probably going to get killed by one of your loved ones [38:59] I am done with you [39:02] Cain says God I can’t bear it [39:05] Do something

[39:08] He is pleading to God for mercy [39:11] How does God respond to his repentance?

[39:15] The same way he will respond to yours [39:18] He has mercy on him [39:19] Look at what happens in his life [39:22] Not so [39:23] If anyone kills Cain [39:25] vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold

[39:27] And the Lord put a mark on Cain [39:29] lest any who found him should attack him [39:31] Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord [39:33] and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden [39:35] Here is why I think that God forgave Cain [39:38] Here is why I think that Cain repented of his sin

[39:40] Because God forgives him [39:43] God restores him [39:45] God gives him a family [39:47] God gives him a place to settle down [39:50] He is not a fugitive [39:51] And God marks him and says

[39:53] Cain is mine

[39:59] That condemnation is removed [40:01] He even calls it the land of Nod [40:03] You know what Nod means? [40:04] Nod means the land of a wanderer [40:07] But it says he settled

[40:12] I think he named it to remind himself [40:14] of the great mercy [40:16] that God had on him [40:20] You see where God restores a murderer

[40:25] God forgives [40:26] Friends, some of you have sinned [40:29] and you are not trusting God [40:30] with your sin [40:31] Do you know that when you don’t trust [40:34] God to forgive you of your sin

[40:35] that’s a barrier to worship [40:37] Worship is impossible so long as you [40:39] hold on to your sin and don’t believe [40:41] that God can forgive you [40:43] Let me fill you in [40:44] If God can forgive Cain, he can forgive you

[40:47] I don’t care what you have done [40:49] I don’t care what your background is [40:51] I don’t care how deep your sin goes [40:53] God can forgive you

[40:58] How do I know that?

[41:01] Because the story of Cain and Abel [41:03] is a foreshadowing of the gospel of Jesus Christ [41:06] You say what do you mean? [41:09] Look in Hebrews [41:09] Chapter 12 [41:12] It says

[41:17] It speaks a better word than the blood of Abel [41:22] Here’s what happens in the story of Cain and Abel [41:24] God says, Cain [41:25] the blood of Abel screams out your guilt [41:28] the blood of Abel screams out your condemnation [41:31] the blood of Abel screams out

[41:33] that you are guilty [41:36] And the scripture says [41:37] and the blood of Jesus screams out [41:40] that you can be forgiven [41:41] the blood of Jesus screams out [41:43] mercy from God is available for you

[41:45] The blood of Jesus Christ screams out [41:47] that you can have freedom [41:48] and you do not have to endure condemnation from God [41:51] but you can experience a relationship with God [41:53] Why? [41:55] Because finally this morning true worship is only ever found in Jesus

[41:59] You say why is true worship only ever found in Jesus? [42:02] Because here’s what’s tempting for us to do [42:04] It is very tempting for us [42:05] to look at this story [42:06] and relate with Abel [42:09] and say I am Abel

[42:11] and there’s a lot of Cains around me [42:14] and they’re persecuting me [42:15] and they’re hurting me [42:16] and I’m just trying to worship God [42:17] You are not Abel buddy [42:21] Friend, this morning understand

[42:23] that you are Cain [42:25] You are Cain [42:26] How do I know that?

[42:29] Because it came a point in time [42:31] when God was ready to unveil his plan fully [42:33] and he sends his son Jesus Christ into the world [42:35] and what is the worlds reaction to him? [42:38] Jesus comes in [42:39] and he says

[42:40] I know you’ve got worship [42:42] but here’s what worshiping God really looks like [42:44] Here’s what following God really looks like [42:46] I am the picture of who God is [42:48] I’m the eternal God [42:49] I spoke the world into existence

[42:51] This is what worship looks like [42:52] and we as the world look to Jesus [42:55] and say who do you think you are [42:58] to tell us our worship [43:00] that we came up with [43:01] that we made a rule book for

[43:04] Who do you think you are to tell us we were wrong? [43:07] And you know what we do? [43:09] We kill them

[43:14] Say I wasn’t there [43:15] Even if you were there you would have done it

[43:20] And Jesus goes to that cross [43:22] We put him on it [43:24] and in that moment [43:26] and in that death [43:28] in great love [43:30] God looks to us through his son Jesus Christ

[43:32] and he says [43:33] The sin that you are committing right now [43:36] against him [43:37] killing the eternal God of the universe [43:39] in human form [43:41] He’s doing it to take your sin

[43:44] and give you his righteousness [43:45] The scripture calls it the great exchange

[43:49] The world killed Jesus because he [43:51] dared to show God’s way of worship [43:53] just as Abel did [43:55] Guys Jesus is [43:57] the better Abel

[44:01] God calls us to realize [44:03] that our plight this morning [44:05] is the one of Cain [44:08] We come empty handed [44:10] often times [44:11] We come expecting to get more than we expect to give

[44:14] and the reality is [44:16] that when I look at the life of Jesus Christ [44:18] when I look at the son of God [44:20] in human form [44:22] I come to a place where I understand [44:24] I have nothing to offer God

[44:29] I mean this is Jesus [44:30] made the blind to see [44:31] made the lame to walk [44:33] told people to rise from the dead [44:35] they did it, he could speak and a storm would stop [44:38] what do I have that this guy needs

[44:41] then in the end [44:42] he shows he’s so powerful that death [44:44] can’t even reign over him [44:45] he rises from the dead [44:47] I’m pretty sure that’s out of my pay range

[44:52] I look to God and I say I got nothing

[44:56] God says no you got one thing [44:58] you got one thing

[45:03] first offering of worship [45:06] we have to give God as our sin

[45:11] God sent his own son to the cross [45:14] he looks to us and he says [45:16] take that sin that you’re holding on to [45:18] and give it to him [45:21] give it to me [45:22] I will take it and I will accept it

[45:24] because Jesus has been obedient on your behalf [45:26] and in exchange when you give [45:28] guess what you will get [45:31] what does he give [45:32] he gives us [45:34] righteousness, he gives us

[45:37] freedom, he gives us [45:38] the ability to worship [45:39] he gives us a new life in his son [45:43] he gives us the power [45:44] of the Holy Spirit [45:45] into our lives and he says now

[45:48] more than anything in the world [45:50] you can have [45:52] God in your life

[45:58] God gives Jesus and we [46:00] must respond [46:02] in repentance [46:04] we must turn from our sin [46:07] we must offer it [46:08] up to him

[46:09] and we must say God this is all I have [46:12] and I’m trusting you with it [46:14] just like Cain did

[46:18] this morning your only hope [46:22] is in Jesus Christ [46:24] turn from your sin [46:27] and trust in him [46:29] as the band comes up this morning [46:31] we’re going to enter into a time

[46:34] of communion like we do every single week [46:38] communion is this great picture [46:40] as a church of what Jesus Christ did [46:42] the ultimate offering [46:44] of obedience, the ultimate [46:46] offering of trust

[46:47] is in the cup which represents [46:50] the shed blood of Jesus, the bread [46:52] which represents the broken body of Jesus [46:55] and this morning [46:56] here’s what I want us to understand [46:58] as a church

[46:59] when you go to this table what you’re doing [47:02] is you’re proclaiming to one another [47:04] I’m trusting in Jesus [47:07] but this morning [47:08] I am truly believing that there are people [47:10] in here

[47:12] you’re holding something

[47:14] you’re not trusting [47:16] God with something [47:18] there’s a conflict in your life [47:20] that’s overcoming you [47:22] there’s a broken marriage [47:24] that’s hurting you

[47:26] there’s rebellious children

[47:29] there’s hurt inside [47:30] from an experience in a relationship [47:33] or more so [47:34] there is sin in your life [47:36] that you are not trusting [47:38] God with

[47:39] and you want to hold on to it [47:41] and you don’t want to give it to him

[47:45] maybe we’ve talked this morning [47:47] and you understand

[47:51] that you don’t have the mercy of God [47:52] all you’ve got is condemnation right now [47:56] and you need this morning for the first time today [47:58] to come forward and lay your sin [48:01] at God’s altar [48:03] and say God

[48:05] this is all I’ve got [48:07] this is all I’ve got [48:09] will you take it [48:09] will you take it Lord [48:12] friend he will [48:14] I know that

[48:17] because he killed his own son [48:19] so that you would not have to bear [48:21] his condemnation

[48:27] maybe you know Jesus this morning [48:30] but there’s something [48:31] that he wants you to worship him with [48:32] and you’re not doing it [48:34] there’s a sacrifice that he’s calling you to make [48:36] and you’re not trusting him enough to do it

[48:39] this morning as a church

[48:42] if you’re a follower of Jesus [48:44] and you come up here [48:45] and you reflect in communion [48:47] I’m asking you to bring those burdens [48:49] I’m asking you to bring those sins [48:51] I’m asking you to bring everything that’s keeping you

[48:54] from worshiping the King and King and Lord of Lords [48:57] with everything you’ve got [48:58] and I’m saying lay it down [49:02] give it to God because you can’t handle it [49:05] if you think you can you’re lying to yourself [49:07] if you don’t know him

[49:10] if you’re condemned in your sin [49:11] you’re condemned in your guilt this morning [49:14] bring it to him [49:16] grab me [49:17] grab someone [49:18] I’d love to talk to you about it

[49:20] I’d love to pray with you this morning

[49:24] you can [49:25] be forgiven [49:26] of all of your sins [49:30] oh sweet relief

[49:34] he wants to give you the life of his son [49:37] take it [49:38] and give him your sin