READ 1 John 3:10-19 KIDS Why does John say the world hates Christians?

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1 John 3:10-19 Cain or Christ September 10, 2017am www.newhopefwbc.com 1285 Ne w Hope R oad Joelton, TN 37080 6 1 5. 7 4 6.

1 1 John 3:10-19 Cain or Christ September 10, 2017am Ne w Hope R oad Joelton, TN READ 1 John 3:10-19 KIDS Why does John say the world hates Christians? We are going to go back in time to one of the oldest stories ever told this morning. The first humans that God created were named Adam and Eve, and God created them perfect no physical or mental or spiritual defects perfect. Yet, because love cannot be forced for it to be love, He created them with the free will to choose to love and obey Him or to deny and reject Him. Sadly, we know how the story goes. Adam and Eve break the one law which had been passed down to them: Do not eat of the fruit of The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. In so doing, the first couple traded paradise and perfection for pain and punishment. However, the Lord was gracious in His rebuke. He turned them out of the garden, not allowing them to then eat of the Tree of Life. Because if they did, they would have lived eternally, but it would be a life without the goodness of God. Corey M. Minter Page 1 of 9

2 So they were dismissed, and with their dismissal a promise of a Messiah a Man sent from God Who would step into history s story and utterly destroy Lucifer the Serpent, the Devil. An animal was killed, and God clothed Adam and Eve in its skin. It was a picture of what that Messiah would one day do. He would be slaughtered for us and His righteousness would clothe our shameful sin as that animal did their nakedness. While not stated, it is understood that this Messiah would be born of a woman, and since Eve was the only woman in all of creation, she naturally assumed that salvation was only a generation away. Upon the birth of her first born son, she dedicated him, naming him Cain and stating, I have acquired a man from the Lord. But Cain turned out to be anything like a Savior. Instead of bringing life back into the first family, he brought death murder. We ll pick up the story in Genesis 4 where we are not only introduced to Cain but also his brother, Abel. They are sacrificing to God as a reminder of that Sacrifice which will ultimately come at the death of Christ, or at least, that is how Abel is sacrificing. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. Corey M. Minter Page 2 of 9

3 God did not accept or respect Cain OR his offering. Instead of sacrificing an animal with life and blood, he offered up fruit and vegetables. Blood was not spilt, and the picture of the Messiah dying a horrendous death for all the world was turned into burnt vegetables. More than that, Cain s intentions which propelled him to sacrifice from his garden was not accepted. Cain wanted to come to God on his terms. In so doing, he was spitting on the grace of God, but the Lord was so patient with him 6 So the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. God graciously warns Cain. He sees what is in his heart. He knows the wicked imagination, and He pleads with Cain. Sin wants you, but you can live above its grasp, Cain! Even now, at the altar, Cain s fuming has turned to plotting. He hates God, and who better than to take his hatred out on than the one whose offering was accepted? Abel was in his crosshairs. Sin was lying at the door, ready to pounce like a lion. It s almost as if Cain whispered under his breath, You want a blood sacrifice? I ll give you blood 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Corey M. Minter Page 3 of 9

4 Cain had invented a whole new sin. If every human is created in the image of God (and they are), this sin seeks to extinguish the image of God from the face of the earth. A sin that essentially says, This person is not worth the air he is breathing. Murder. 437,000 people are reported murdered in the world. The U.S. ranks 8th in the world of most homicides with 15,696 cases reported in recent years. Into this story, the Apostle John writes about 10 millennia later 1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous. It serves as a reminder of the oldest law inscribed on our hearts, Love one another. John relates anyone who does not love his brother, his enemy, others to Cain, himself. John asks the question, Why did Cain murder Abel, and he answers himself, Because his works were evil and Abel s righteous. Abel s desire to obey God signed his death warrant. So John writes 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. Corey M. Minter Page 4 of 9

5 1. The world hates Christians because of their testimony. This is one of the oldest stories in mankind s history. Cain kills Abel because Abel s life preached against his. While Cain might not have had a conscience, the fact that Abel still did nagged at Cain. You see Abel was a Jesus Kid. That s what Rachel s classmates used to call her and her friends in high school. That s why John writes Hey Christian, don t be surprised if the world hates you. Christian don t be surprised when you are not invited when you are ridiculed when you are abandoned when you are passed over for promotion when you are not voted in when you are looked down on when you are forsaken when you are called everything but a child of God Your dedication and obedience to God alienates you from the world. The very way you are to live your life preaches against this world: loving what is righteous, hating what is evil, giving grace to those who would call you enemy. 2. The world hates Christians because of the Gospel Sin Repentance The exclusivity of the Gospel no other gods, no other path, no other way Oh if we would just say that Jesus was a way, a truth, a life. The world would have no issue with us. Identify with Abel, Christian. He may have been the first murder victim, but he was also the first recorded human to see Christ after The Corey M. Minter Page 5 of 9

6 Fall. He lost the world its sickness, disease, sin, and death but he gained Christ. Sadly, though, it seems that Johns writing to the church is not a celebration of imitating Abel but a warning against living as Cain. 1. Cain s hatred led to murder. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. You say, Corey, know your audience. You re not preaching to inmates this morning. You re preaching to church-goers. We aren t murderers. Neither was Cain, at one point in his life. In fact, his story opens with him attending church, going through the motions of religiosity without any true heart of worship or repentance. I think we could make a case that Cain loved religion. He sacrificed his fruits that he had labored over, watered with his sweat, shaded with his shadow, but when his best, was rejected as not being good enough, he lashed out in self-righteousness and envy against his brother. Even if you do not ever pick up a knife or gun to kill someone, Jesus said that you can still be guilty of murder. Corey M. Minter Page 6 of 9

7 Matthew 5:21 You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment. 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, Raca! [worthless; from to spit ] shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, You fool! shall be in danger of hell fire. Think about your words over the past week. Ever called anyone worthless? Think about your anger over the course of your life. I think you will agree with me that some of us need to head to a brother or sister in Christ very soon, ask forgiveness, and then make our way to an altar straightway. 2. Cain s hatred led to indifference. Yes, Cain s murdering his brother Abel is horrible. I wonder if Adam and Eve ever found out. Imagine the heartbreak of losing a child and then learning that it was at the hand of your other son. Everything about this is horrible, but nothing is as bad as Cain s reaction when confronted by God. Genesis 4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? He said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper? The Giver of life confronts the first taker of life, and there is nor remorse. There is no sorrow. There is only indifference and sarcasm? Abel was a keeper of sheep, and so I am sure that Cain felt really smart when he asked if he was supposed to be the shepherd s shepherd. Corey M. Minter Page 7 of 9

8 What is so interesting to me is that God does not respond with a direct answer to Cain s smart aleck question, Am I my brother s keeper? That s because the answer is implied. The most ancient of laws is that we are to love one another. Yes, Cain. You are supposed to watch over, protect, and love your younger brother. 1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. Love is ACTIVE not PASSIVE. Jesus Christ displayed that in how He willingly gave up His life. We, then following His example, ought to lay our lives down in service for others. Kevin Carter knew the stench of death. As a member of the Bang- Bang Club, a quartet of brave photographers who chronicled apartheid-- era South Africa, he had seen more than his share of heartbreak. In 1993 he flew to Sudan to photograph the famine racking that land. Exhausted after a day of taking pictures in the village of Ayod, he headed out into the open bush. There he heard whimpering and came across an emaciated toddler who had collapsed on the way to a feeding center. As he took Corey M. Minter Page 8 of 9

9 the child s picture, a plump vulture landed nearby. Carter had reportedly been advised not to touch the victims because of disease, so instead of helping, he spent 20 minutes waiting in the hope that the stalking bird would open its wings. It did not. Carter scared the creature away and watched as the child continued toward the center. He then lit a cigarette, talked to God and wept. The photo is recognized today as one of the most influential images of all time, and while I completely understand and empathize with Mr. Carter s predicament, I join him in his struggle of photographing need and not meeting need. 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. Corey M. Minter Page 9 of 9

Cain & Abel. daily devotional 4

Cain & Abel. daily devotional 4 Cain & Abel daily devotional 4 SUNDAY LET S PRAY Dear Lord, help me to walk with You. Thank You for providing for me. Thank You for my family. Thank You for my Bible. Help me to understand it more. In