CAIN AND ABELTYNGSBORO YOUTH LECTURESHIP

JULY 23, 2016 UNLESS NOTED, ALL SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS TAKEN FROM THE

ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION (ESV)

THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABELGenesis 4:1-16

This story has many lessons: 1. The world will hate and persecute the righteous (Matt

23:34-35) 2. God does not accept just any offering (Malachi 1:6-14;

Hebrews 11:4) 3. God sees human life as extremely precious, those He

made in His image (Gen 9:6)

We are prone to hate our brother • The second story of sin recorded in the Bible involves

jealousy, hatred, and murder

THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABEL1 John 3:10-15

• Is hating our brother really like murder?

Matthew 5:21-22

• Murder is liable to judgment, but so is sinful anger, insulting, and scorn

• Compare this to principle to lust – Matthew 5:27-28

THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABELHow is hatred just like murder? • Like lust is to adultery – We might not do the action

physically, but we wish we could and do it in our hearts Hatred = murder in our hearts • Despising with anger or apathy • Wishing they weren’t around, would be gone • Not loving them like God loves them

People made in God’s image – James 3:9-10 • Cursing those made in God’s image,

whom God supremely values

THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABELThink about what Matthew 5 teaches us about God’s holy love for sinful people… • God is so loving that even secret hatred in our

hearts towards one another is an abomination before Him that makes us unworthy of fellowship with Him.

THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABELHow can we repent and change? 1. Get rid of hate • No hatred policy in our hearts

THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABELHow can we repent and change? 1. Get rid of hate 2. Fill our hearts with love (not just tolerance) • See others as God sees them “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matt 18:35) “Then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…” (Col 3:12, JSV)

1 John 2:7-11 “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.”

1 John 3:16-18 “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?”

1 John 4:7-12 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:19-5:3 “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar…”

THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABELHow can we repent and change? 1. Get rid of hate 2. Fill our hearts with love (not just tolerance) 3. Fill our church with love Difficult aspects: • 1 John 3:16-18 – Service • 1 John 5:2 – Obeying God first with others • Not making church a social club for my friends, but a

place to serve and love everyone. • How do I treat every person in my class on Sunday?

THE STORY OF CAIN AND ABELJohn 13:34-35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Does this command receive the emphasis among us that Jesus put on it?