By Faith, Abel... Hebrews 11:4 (NKJV)

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Melvin Abner Harrell
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1 Message for WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAISE AND WORSHIP, April 26, 2017 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister Message 2 in Mountain Moving Faith Sermon Series By Faith, Abel... Hebrews 11:4 (NKJV) One of my favorite TV shows is NCIS. And if you have ever watched NCIS I know you are familiar with the character Dr. Mallard or Duckie as he is known to his NCIS colleagues. Dr. Mallard is a forensic medical examiner who performs autopsies on naval personnel who were either murdered or died under mysterious circumstances. Before Dr. Mallard begins his autopsy he will often say to his lifeless victim, talk to me. By that Duckie isn't asking the victim to verbally speak to him, but rather he believes the wounds and marks left on the deceased victim's body can tell him a great deal about the nature of the crime that was committed against them. ***************** Tonight as we continue with our series of messages from Hebrews 11 we are going to meet a dead man who is still speaking to us today. His name is Abel. The account of Abel is summarized in one single verse here Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11:4 (NKJV) says, By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

2 I N T R O D U C T I O N Who was this man Abel? To answer that, let's go back to the very first book of the Bible and look at the brief account of Abel's life as recorded in Genesis chapter four, verses 1-8. GENESIS 4:1-8 (NKJV) 1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man from the LORD. 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 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. 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. 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. The accounts of many of the Heroes of The Faith we are going to be looking at in this series fill many pages and lengthy chapters in the Bible. But the account of Abel's life is confined to these eight short verses. And yet we learn a whole lot about Abel in this brief passage.

3 -We learn that Abel's parents were Adam and Eve, the very first human beings to inhabit this planet. -We learn that Abel had an older brother named Cain, and that these two were the very first children on earth. -We learn that Abel was a shepherd by trade. -And we learn that Abel was the very first murder victim on earth. But the most important thing we learn about Abel in these verses is that he was a young man with great faith in GOD. In fact, Abel could easily be considered the very first martyr to die for his faith in God. What makes Abel's faith so remarkable is that his parents, Adam and Eve, were not really people of faith. Yes, they had been created by God. And yes, they had once enjoyed fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden. But as we remember they committed the very first act of faithless disobedience against God when they ate the forbidden fruit and were banished from the Garden of Eden. There is no indication any where else in the Bible that Adam and Eve ever enjoyed close fellowship with God again after they were banished from the Garden. There is nothing in the scriptures that indicates they lived a life of faith. But Abel was a young man with such great faith in GOD that we find his name at the very top of the list of the Heroes of The Faith in Hebrews 11.

4 You remember last Wednesday night I told you that Faith is something better demonstrated than defined. How did Abel demonstrate his FAITH in GOD? It all had to do with an offering he brought before God.. It was his offering that he is remembered for in Hebrews 11:4. Listen closely... Hebrews 11:4 (NKJV) By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. Both Cain and Abel brought offerings to the LORD. Cain brought an offering of vegetables; while Abel brought an offering of a lamb. God accepted Abel's offering, but He rejected Cain's. The question is, Why? Why did God accept Abel's offering, but not Cain's? It all came down to this matter of faith. First of all, I. Abel Gave God A SPECIAL Offering (Genesis 4:4) Genesis 4:4 (NKJV) Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. 1. Abel did not give God just any old lamb out of his flock. He didn't just grab the first lamb he could lay his hands on. Abel picked out the very best lamb he had. He selected the one he thought would please God.

5 2. Notice this verse says Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock... The firstborn was a very special lamb. It was one of a kind. There can't be two firstborns. 3. Although the scriptures don't say so specifically, it is reasonable to believe this lamb was without spot or blemish. It had no cuts, no marks, no defects. It was as perfect as a lamb could possibly be. Long before God gave the Law to Moses, which designated that lambs offered in sacrifices were to be without spot or blemish, Abel gave such an offering to GOD. 4. Abel's desire was to please God and honor God by giving the very best he had. 5. You see, there was such a Christ-likeness in Abel's offering. Jesus Himself, like Abel's lamb, is God's special offering! He is not one of many different Saviors. He is the only Savior. There is no salvation apart from Jesus. There is no hope apart from Jesus. There is no forgiveness of sin apart from Jesus. Jesus is the special lamb of God.

6 6. God didn't look through all the ranks of the angels and through all the prophets and patriarchs to try to find a Savior. God simply looked at the One seated upon the throne to His right, His firstborn, His only begotten Son. 7. Jesus was and is the perfect, spotless Lamb of God without sin. God offered the very best He had as an offering to save you and me. 8. And likewise, BY FAITH ABEL offered the very best he had. And God was well--pleased with his offering. But not only did Abel give God A SPECIAL OFFERING...

7 II. Abel Gave God A SUPERIOR Offering (Genesis 4:3,4a) Genesis 4:3,4a (NKJV) And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock, and of their fat. 1. Both brothers gave of the fruits of their labor. Being a farmer Cain gave the fruit of the land or vegetables; while Abel being a shepherd gave of the fruit of his flocks or a lamb. 2. Did God reject Cain's offering because it wasn't meat? Did God expect Cain to also offer a lamb even though he was a farmer, not a shepherd? NO! It wasn't that at all! 3. Look very closely at the wording in verses 3, 4 and you will see the difference. verse 3 says, Cain brought an offering. verse 4 says, Abel brought the firstborn of his flocks, and of their fat. 4. When we think of the fat we think of that greasy, oily, flabby tissue that we usually cut off the beef, pork, or poultry and throw it away. But in verse 4 the fat refers to the prime cuts of meat on the lamb.

8 5. Abel didn't offer God the skin and bones portion of the lamb to God and save the fat or prime cuts of the lamb for himself. He gave God the best lamb he had and even the very best parts of the lamb. 6. But then notice Cain's offering: Verse 3 says, Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. I don't think we are to believe that Cain brought God bad vegetables or rotten vegetables. He just brought God some vegetables. Nothing special, just vegetables. 7. This is why Hebrews 11:4 says, BY FAITH, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. Now I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. God didn't reject Cain's offering and accept Abel's because He preferred meat over vegetables. In fact, it didn't have anything to do to with the content of the offering. It had everything to do with the spirit in which the offering was given. Abel gave out of FAITH in God, while Cain gave out of faithlessness. Abel gave out of humility, while Cain gave out of pride, which is evident by his reaction when God rejected his offering. This is why God found Abel's offering more excellent or more superior than Cain's. It was because of the spirit in which Abel gave.

9 8. We must understand this same principle of giving is just as true today as it was in Abel's day. God isn't looking at the amount of money we put in the offering plate each week, He is looking at the spirit in which we give the offering. Do we give cheerfully or do we give grudgingly? You see, if we give grudgingly or give out of a sense of duty rather than out of genuine heartfelt desire, God is no more pleased with our offering than He was with Cain's. When we do our good works or good deeds God isn't looking at what we do as much as He looks at the spirit in which we do those good works. Do we do those good works for His glory or for our own glory. Do we do those good works so God may be praised or so we will receive praise? If we do our good works for our own glory and honor, God is no more pleased with the fruit of our labor than He was with Cain's. 9. Everything we give, everything we do, everything we bring to God must be offered in faith and humility, otherwise our offering is not acceptable to God.

10 Abel Gave God A SPECIAL Offering. Abel Gave God A SUPERIOR Offering. Thirdly... III. Abel Gave God A SACRIFICIAL Offering 1. The lamb Abel offered had to die. It was a full and complete sacrifice. It costs Abel something to give up the life of that lamb. 2. Remember, Cain gave some vegetables. There was no sacrifice. There were plenty more vegetables where those came from. 3. Now you might say, Well Abel had plenty more lambs too. That's true! But he didn't have any more firstborn. That lamb was very, very precious to Abel. That lamb was priceless! 4. Once again, we see such a Christ-likeness in Abel's offering. The sacrifice of Christ was full and complete. It cost God the very best He had to save our souls. God the Father has many, many more adopted sons and daughters, but He has only One begotten Son. Christ is the perfect sacrifice. He is the priceless sacrifice. BY FAITH Abel offered to GOD a more excellent sacrifice.

11 Abel Gave God A SPECIAL Offering. Abel Gave God A SUPERIOR Offering. Abel Gave God A SACRIFICIAL Offering. And fourthly... IV. Abel Gave God A SUCCESSFUL Offering Hebrews 11:4 (NKJV) By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. 1. The scriptures don't tell us how old Abel was when he was murdered by Cain. Some Bible scholars have speculated he could have been between years old at the time of his death. Considering that Abel's father, Adam lived to be 930 years old, and many men in that time were living well into their 800's and 900's it is safe to say Abel's life was tragically cut short. 2. But yet it is Abel's offering that is still remembered today, not Cain's. Nearly six thousand years after his death Abel's offering is speaks of his great faith in God!

12 3. That is why I say Abel gave God a SUCCESSFUL offering. His offering is still bearing witness of his faith! Abel truly gave the gift that keeps on giving! 4. And this is the lesson everyone of us can take away from tonight's message. When our life is over and the final chapter of our life's story has been written, it is those things we did BY FAITH IN GOD that will continue to bear testimony of our life long after we are in our graves. ILLUSTRATION: Just last fall I had a man come up to me in Food Lion in Washington and tell me what a tremendous influence my dad had been on his life. He talked about the sermons dad preached and the life he lived. Even though my dad will have been dead twenty five years this coming December, the testimony of his faith is still speaking. ILLUSTRATION: Just the other day someone was talking to me about the faith of Miss Hilda Hardison, and Emma Browning and Margaret's dear mother. And even though these dear ladies have been gone for a number of years now, the testimony of their faith is still speaking today. ILLUSTRATION: Not long ago I heard a classic sermon on the radio by the late J. Vernon McGee. Dr. McGee died in He hasn't physically preached a sermon in 39 years, and yet though he is dead his faith is still speaking.

13 5. Think of how the faith of your mother and/or father molded and shaped your life, and even though they have been gone for years, they still speak through the lasting testimony of faith they left on your life. Think of those Sunday School teachers and preachers you had when you were young or those godly school teachers or godly coaches you had. Though they have been gone for many, many years now, they still speak through the lasting testimony of their faith they left upon your life. 6. Listen carefully! One day you and I are going to leave this world! One day we will draw our final breath and our voices will be silenced. But even though we are dead, OUR DEEDS OF FAITH that we do now will continue to speak long after we are gone and OUR FAITH will still be speaking when we stand before the LORD to receive our eternal reward.

14 C O N C L U S I O N Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, Thy will be done ; And when at last I ll hear the call, I know I ll say twas worth it all ; Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what s done for Christ will last. Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what s done for Christ will last. And when I am dying, how happy I ll be, If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee. (Portion of Poem by C.T. Studd) BY FAITH ABEL offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4 NKJV)

Abel, the Son of Adam, Yet Speaks. Hebrews 11:4

Abel, the Son of Adam, Yet Speaks Hebrews 11:4 Genesis 4:1-10 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man from the Lord. 2 Then she bore again, this time