1 EAST OF EDEN (Genesis 4) The Story of Us Part 4 Message #1338 Pastor Keith Stewart July 30-31, 2016 Expanded Message Resources 1. THE NEXT GENERATION AFTER EDEN Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man. Genesis 4.1 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Genesis 4.3-5 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. Hebrews 11.4 2. THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY!
2! God pleads with Cain So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. Genesis 4.5-7 Sin is predatory.! A murder even God could not stop Now Cain said to his brother Abel, Let s go out to the field. While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Genesis 4.8! Sin does not change God
3 Then the Lord said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? I don t know, he replied. Am I my brother s keeper? Genesis 4.9! Cain is less than honest! The blood cries out The Lord said, What have you done? Listen! Your brother s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth. Genesis 4.10-12 The word for cry (Hebrew tsa aq) is used for human expressions of the most desperate, extreme need.! How does Cain respond? Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is more than I can bear. Genesis 4.13 3. THE MARKS OF A SOCIETY WITHOUT GOD! Construction (vv.17-18)! Corruption (v.19) Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Genesis 4.19! Culture (vv.20-22)
4 "! Crime (vv.23-24) Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times. Genesis 4.23-24 Note the progress of sin: The serpent talked Eve into sin. Adam sins on his own. God can t talk Cain out of sin. Now Lamech is bragging about his sins. 4. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US TODAY?! Living in a violence saturated society MLK violence
5 For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not wonder, brethren, that the world hates you. 1 John 3.11-13a (RSV) You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment. But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, You fool! shall be liable to the hell of fire. Matthew 5.21-22 (RSV)! The world isn t getting worse our information is getting better On the effect of the modern information era: People think the world s getting worse, and we see that on the left and the right, and we see that in other countries. People think the world is getting worse That s the perception. What s actually happening is our information about what s wrong in the world is getting better. A century ago, there would be a battle that wiped out the next village, you d never even hear about it. Now there s an incident halfway around the globe and we not only hear about it, we experience it. - Ray Kurzweil, Postback Conference! Why Biblical violence is good for your kids The Old Testament books contain over six hundred passages that explicitly talk about nations, kings, or individuals attacking, destroying, and killing others. No other human activity or experience is mentioned as often - Raymund Schwager, Must There be Scapegoats? The Bible is a text in travail. All those things deal with violence at its tipping point not at its source.
6 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Matthew 5.21-22 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person s heart, that evil thoughts come sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person. Mark 7.14-23 The followers of Jesus have been called to peace. When he called them they found their peace, for he is their peace. they are told that they must not only have peace but make it. And to that end they renounce all violence. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship