What's Your Legacy: Part 1

Introduction

Well, good morning! Listen, it felt so great having everyone together for one service, as one church, getting to hear from Pastor Phil about church planting…but it feels so good to be back this morning, preaching God’s Word to you guys.

But listen, before we jump back into Genesis, let’s recite our mission verse together. I’ll get us started, you finish us up. Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20:

Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

[Prayer]

Alright, if you have your copy of God’s Word, open it up with me to Genesis chapter 4…Genesis chapter 4.

If you remember, we’ve been looking at the story of Adam and Eve…looking at the accounts surrounding the fall and the entrance of sin in our world. Adam and Eve, they rebelled against God…they eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil…they cover themselves with fig leaves…they hide from the presence of God…and then God seeks them out in their disobedience. And through that, while they do experience some immediate hardships because of their sin, God still gives them hope by promising to send Himself to deliver them from the consequences of their actions.

Listen, at the very beginning of Scripture, God promises a Savior…which of course we see manifested in the person and work of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

But then two weeks ago, we started chapter 4 and we saw just how far sin had progressed. It was passed to the next generation and Adam and Eve, they had to sit back and just watch how their decisions in the garden led to the downfall of their two sons…one who’s life was ended abruptly and another who had fallen so deeply into sin that his life was in ruins. And as we pick up the story again this morning, Cain’s been exiled and we get to see a picture of the legacy he leaves behind for the generations that follow him.

And here’s the immediate lesson we’re gonna see over the next two weeks…your legacy, good or bad, it’ll impact those that come after you for generations to come. And as we finish up chapter 4 this week and look at chapter 5 next week, it’s two contrasting legacies. One, as we’ll see with Cain here, he leaves a legacy riddled with sin…and what happens, those that come after him, they adopt the same attitudes and mentalities…they’re even worse than Cain was. His sins, they’re carried over to his children and his grandchildren…even his great great grandchildren. And of course, chapter 5, it’s a godly legacy…we’ll talk more about that next week. But here’s the deal, how you live your life today, it will impact the lives of those that come after you. If you treat your faith as something secondary today, you’re kids and grandkids’ll do the same tomorrow. If you struggle with certain sins in your life today, they’ll struggle with those same sins tomorrow. That’s the picture we’ll see from Cain and his line in today’s passage.

Listen, years ago, there was this country song…”I’ve Been Watching You” by Rodney Atkins. It goes like this:

Driving through town, just my boy and me With a happy meal in his booster seat Knowing that he couldn't have the toy 'Til his nuggets were gone A green traffic light turned straight to red I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath As fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap Well, then my four year old said a four letter word That started with "S" and I was concerned So I said, "Son, now where did you learn to talk like that?" He said, "I've been watching you, dad, ain't that cool? I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you And eat all my food, and grow as tall as you are We got cowboy boots and camo pants Yeah, we're just alike, hey, ain't we dad? I wanna do everything you do So I've been watching you"

Some of guys have heard that song…but listen, it’s so true. The next generation, they wanna be just like us. Our kids and our grandkids, they learn everything from us. And even when they don’t wanna admit it now, there’s still gonna be a day when they’re much older and they realize, “Wow, I act just like my mom or dad,” right?

Guys, how you live today…it matters! And that’s exactly what we’re gonna see in our text today. Cain might’ve walked with God and talked with God but because he didn’t value God or love God, it carried over to his kids and grandkids…until evil and wickedness was just something they now desired. And guys, they ultimately learned it all from Cain…Again, the very guy that made offerings to God…that talked with God…that fellowshipped with God…they learned their value of God from Cain…because ultimately, they wanted to be just like him. And because he failed to deal with the sin in his heart, they learned to also ignore the sin in their heart and they let it rule over them. Your kids and your grandkids view of God, it comes from how you value God in your life today and how serious you are about dealing with your sin.

And so listen, if you’re there with me this morning…let’s stand together as we read, starting in verse 16. It says this:

Genesis 4:16–26 (ESV)

Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad (E-Rad), and Irad (E-Rad) fathered Mehujael (Me-u-i-el), and Mehujael (Me-u-i-el) fathered Methushael (Met-ta-shy-el), and Methushael(Met-ta-shy-el) fathered Lamech (Lay-mec). And Lamech(Lay-mec)took two wives. The name of the one was Adah (A-duh), and the name of the other Zillah (Zil-la). Adah (A-duh) bore Jabal (Jay-ball); he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal (Ju-ball); he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah (Zil-la) also bore Tubal-cain (Two-ball Cain); he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain (Two-ball Cain) was Naamah (Nay-a-ma).

Lamech (Lay-mec) said to his wives:

“Adah (A-duh) and Zillah (Zil-la), hear my voice;

you wives of Lamech (Lay-mec), listen to what I say:

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man for striking me.

If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,

then Lamech’s (Lay-mec’s) is seventy-sevenfold.”

And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Thank you, you can be seated.

Listen, as we examine the legacy that Cain left behind…there’s three main things I want us to see this morning…First, our sin seeks to separate those we love further from God…number two, our sin seeks to distort the image of God in those we love…and then finally, our sin reveals man’s need for redemption.

And so, with that, let’s jump into the text.

I. Our Sin Seeks to Separate Those We Love Further from God (vv. 16-18)

Point number one, our sin seeks to separate those we love further from God.

Look at verse 16 with me again. It says, “Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”

Remember, last week, Cain allowed his sin to conquer him…him and his brother, they gave some offerings to God…God was pleased with Abel’s but not with Cain’s…Cain grew angry and then murdered his brother…and remember, through all of that, God sought him out…He pursued Cain, probed Cain with questions…even in the very end when Cain refused to own up to what he had done, God even marked Cain so that no one could take his life…God demonstrated so much grace to Cain, all with the purposes of leading Cain into repentance.

And so how’s Cain respond…verse 16, “Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord.” His sin isolated him from God and even from certain family relationships. And it’s interesting because back in verse 14, Cain expressed his fears of being separated from the presence of God…but here he is, still refusing to repent and turn from his sin and choosing to walk away from the presence of God. And listen, we talked about this last week, but that’s the power of sin in our lives. Without Jesus, sin’ll rule over us and make it impossible for us to choose God. That’s why Jesus is needed…He’s needed so that our hearts can truly change…He’s needed so that sin can truly be dealt with…He’s needed so that we actually have the power to overcome our sin through the Spirit of God…Now listen, I’m not suggesting here that we have the power to overcome sin on our own because we don’t. On our own, just as we’ve seen through Genesis thus far, we’ll always choose sin…we’ll always choose ourselves…and if we had the ability to walk away from God, we would on our own. That’s why Jesus is so important. As believers today, He drew us to Himself through His Spirit, He convicted us and humbled us so that we could identify our sin, and He gave us His Spirit so that we could overcome our sin and live a holy life…And it’s through Jesus we’re able to persevere in the faith…He does all the work.

But listen to me, as we go through this text this morning…as a believer, it is possible for us to get so wrapped up in our sin that it can become impossible for us to experience the presence of God. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have salvation, it certainly doesn’t mean God’s not there…it just means that sin has such a strong hold on your life, you can’t hear God or see God or experience God…It’s like you’ve got so much earwax in your ear, your hearing’s been compromised, right? And you need to clean it out…you need to deal with it so that your senses come back.

Because here’s the reality, if you continue walking through life unrepentant…you might’ve been changed by God, given a new heart…been reborn…you might’ve experienced real, genuine salvation…but if your life isn’t demonstrating the fruit that comes from your salvation, it’s not your life that’ll be most impacted…it’s those that have watched you and modeled you that’ll most be impacted…because that’s the definition of God that they get.

You see, Adam and Eve might’ve messed up but it’s clear they still walked and talked with God after the garden and it’s clear that their children knew God because of how they saw their parents walk with God. That’s why Abel and Cain gave an offering to God…Listen, there’s no doubt Cain knew God. But because of how he dealt with his sin…or rather, failed to deal with his sin, his children’s view of God was severely distorted…and because of that, it furthered separated them from God.

Look at the next couple of verses. Verse 17, “Cain knew his wife…,” now listen there’s obviously a ton of questions I get around this verse. How did Cain have a wife if his parents were Adam and Eve who were the first people created? Well, this was obviously his sister or maybe even a niece. And most likely, he was married before his exile and so when he left wherever the rest of his family was, his wife naturally went with him. But anyways, it continues, “…and she conceived and bore Enoch.” Listen, this is interesting because both Cain and his other brother Seth, who we’ll talk more about next week, they both had a son or descendant named Enoch…one’s wicked…the other’s righteous…so righteous, that he’s one of the few guys in Scripture that didn’t actually die. He was taken straight up to heaven. And listen, in Cain’s context here, the name Enoch, it means to “initiate” or to “forge,” which seems to point towards Cain’s new beginning. He’s trying to establish a new life for himself, one without the presence of God. Which is why at the end of verse 17 it says, “When he [Cain] built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.” Guys, he’s initiating a new beginning on his own…a life where God isn’t the center…one where God’s not worthy of worship or praise.

And listen, the parallels between the two Enoch’s of chapter 4 and 5, it’s interesting. Cain’s Enoch demonstrates the first accomplishment of Cain’s exile…he built a city and named it after his son. Of course, as we go on in this text, we’ll see this city’s one of new culture and manmade passions. It’s a city of man…versus in chapter 5, Seth’s Enoch, he’s taken up to glory to that city whose foundations and who’s architect and builder is God…it’s the City of God. And listen, here’s what Moses is showing us…it’s Genesis chapter 3 playing out. We’re seeing the seed of the serpent illustrated for us in chapter 4 and how Satan uses sin to overcome man, because remember sin’s referred to as a noun…and we’re seeing the seed of the woman in chapter 5, where it ends with Noah, the only righteous man left living…and of course, the salvation of humanity would come through Noah. It’s all about legacies and how our life demonstrates or doesn’t demonstrate a relationship with God.

Because Cain refuses to deal with his sin and leaves the presence of God, that sin, it overcomes him and the result is generations that learn nothing about the glory and the goodness of God. Instead, Cain forms a culture of selfishness, pleasure, earthly happiness…that’s what we’re gonna see as we continue. Cain’s sin, it continued to separate those he cared most about further and further away from God…And because he refused to deal with his sin today, his descendants never came to know God tomorrow.

Guys, just because you know God and walk with Him today…just because Jesus has changed you…it doesn’t mean He’s gonna do that for those you care most about. Because the reality is, typically, God’s gonna reach those you care about through you…and so if you walk through life caring little about your walk with God or your relationship with Him…if you treat God as a checkbox or as something less significant than other earthly pleasures, then don’t be surprised when you kids grow up and amplify that kind of lifestyle. Don’t be surprised when it doesn’t seem they have a relationship with Christ. I mean they learned their value of God from you. And so, if you don’t make God most important in your life, don’t expect them too either. If you teach them to care about earthly, temporary success or pleasure, that’s what’s gonna be important to them. And the result will be further separation for them, regardless of the truth you might know. You understand what I’m saying?

Deal with your sin today…prioritize your walk with Christ now…so that when you’re no longer here, your legacy, it demonstrates just how important Christ was to you because of how your kids and your grandkids live when you’re gone.

It starts with you… just as we’ll see it did with Cain! Your unchecked sin, it will drive those you care most about further from the presence of God. That’s the first point.

II. Our Sin Seeks to Distort the Image of God in Those We Love (vv. 19-24)

The second point, our sin seeks to distort the image of God in those we love.

Look at verse 19 with me again. It introduces a guy named Lamech. And listen, Lamech…he’s a picture of human depravity. And his life, it shows us that sin doesn’t just alienate us from God and our family members, but it dehumanizes us if we let it continue.

Listen, the picture we get of this guy in these verses, it’s not pretty. He’s the first polygamist recorded in Scripture…And listen, his views on marriage, it’s no accident that he’s from the line of Cain. Again, we have to remember that Moses wrote Genesis 2, where it’s discussing marriage and God’s intention for it…he knows God’s design for marriage. And here he is, telling the wandering Israelites that the first man to take on two wives, he came from Cain.

Verse 19, “And Lamech took two wives.” Again, he’s a polygamist…already just a couple generations in, Cain’s sin has now began to attack the image of God in those that came after him. And then look at verse 23. It says, “I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.” Not only is he a polygamist, disrespecting the role of the woman and her significance as his equal…but now, he’s murderer. He’s doesn’t value human life at all. Like Cain, he has no remorse for what he’s done…but unlike Cain, there’s zero regret…He’s not worried about being removed from God’s presence or how others’ll perceive him…In fact, he boasts in his evil acts. He’s telling his wives this here because he’s bragging about it. It’s entirely different than Cain. At least Cain recognized he screwed up…at least he knew he was wrong…that’s why he lied about it. He didn’t wanna let God know what he did. He was shameful. Lamech here, he’s proud that he took human life. He’s prideful about it.

And listen, you know where he learns all that from? Cain! He says in verse 24, “If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” Guys, that’s crazy. He’s literally rejoicing in the fact that Cain got away with murder and he’s using Cain’s circumstances to justify his own. Instead of seeing Cain’s situation as an act of grace from God…instead of exulting God for withholding His wrath on Cain, he basically scoffs at Him. And honestly, I don’t think its because that was his purpose, I think its because he doesn’t know God. Cain’s family is so far removed from God and so deeply rooted in their sin, God’s not present with them…at least in a spiritual sense.

And listen, this picture we get here from Cain’s family, it’s one of a downward spiral. By the time we get to Lamech, Cain’s family’s in ruins and they don’t even realize it. They’re so saturated with themselves and their own pleasure that they’re completely and entirely removed from God’s presence and they have no idea what it truly means to be made in the image of God…and because of that, they no longer value human life.

And listen, we even see the start of culture here…we see nomadic activities…they’ve become experts in herding. They become experts in the musical arts. They’re founders of metal work. And it’s interesting that all these things, they’re attributed to the line of Cain. It’s interesting because I think it further proves just how selfish and inwardly focused these people had become. Now, I’m not saying all earthly pleasures are sinful…but we have to remember that anything, given the right context, could take us from the presence of God and anything can become idols in our lives. For Cain’s family, they were the developers of culture because ultimately they created an environment where there was no God. Everything was built around man and their pleasures. And because of that…because of Cain’s undealt with sin…it pulled his people further away from God…and it causes them to no longer value the image of God.

Guys, look around at our culture today. The very thing being attacked…it’s the image of God…whether we’re talking about homosexuality…or abortion…or the suicide rates going up. Young people no longer wanting be married or have kids…and of those that are married, divorce is at an all time high…even in the church, divorce is like at 50% of couples. Our culture doesn’t value the image of God anymore and the reason for that is because we’re further from God than we think. We’re living lives that are all about us and our wants and our needs. I mean just sit down and evaluate your budget and where all your money goes. It’s going to ourselves. Evaluate where we spend our time…what we invest our gifts into. Whether we admit it or not, the evidence is clear enough…we’re leaving behind a legacy much like Cain today. And if we don’t stand up and do something about it, if we don’t start repenting and turning to God, our kids are gonna be even further separated and care even less about the image of God.

Guys, it starts with us…it starts with you and with me. We have to get serious about our sin and idolatry and we have to start caring about what kind of legacy we’re gonna leave behind. Because whether you realize it or not, you’re gonna leave a legacy that will impact those that come after you. Don’t let your sin today, impact your family tomorrow. Point them to Jesus, because just as this passage shows us, there’s still hope…there’s still grace to be experienced…but it all comes through the person and work of Jesus.

III. Our Sin Reveals Our Need for Redemption (vv. 25-26)

Which leads straight into our last point…our sin reveals our need for redemption.

Guys, remember…Genesis chapter 3, verse 15…God gives Adam and Eve a promise to send a Savior…someone that would save them from the power of sin. And he says, that seed, it would come from the woman. Now listen, it’s important to to understand that God talked about two seeds…one coming from the woman…and one coming from the serpent. The line of Cain, that represented the seed of the serpent…Cain’s line had become Satan’s offspring…Not because Satan created them, but because he used sin to overcome them and overpower them. That’s why sin’s considered a noun in chapter 4. Satan uses it to overcome people today. And so again, Cain’s line is a picture of the promise God gave in chapter 3…about the seed of the serpent. And listen, this’ll be important in both chapters 5 and 6 as we continue because it helps us to keep everything in context here.

But look at verse 25 and 26 with me again. If you remember, at the beginning of the chapter…it said that Adam and Eve knew each other and they bore a boy named Cain, right? And of course, Cain’s name suggested that they believed Cain to the be the promised Savior. Instead, Moses gave us a vivid picture of just how quickly sin can overcome us and turn us into tools for Satan. Cain was the complete opposite…He was the seed of the serpent, defying God in all kinds of ways.

But verse 25, it says, “25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.”

Listen, when everything seemed to be hopeless for Adam and Eve…seeing the lives of their sons in ruins…sitting back, wondering, “Is God really gonna keep His promise? Will there really be a seed or a Savior to come? Our lives, they’re ruined!” I mean, Adam and Eve they had to really begin feeling the real weight and the guilt of their decisions back in the garden. “God, we need a Savior! We need a Redeemer!” Listen, when everything seemed to be in shambles, God gave them hope. In the midst of one of the most depressing stories in Genesis, He ends the account with hope. Listen, Satan might’ve won the battle…he might’ve been able to overcome Cain through his failure to deal with temptation, but God’s sovereign, and He would win the war.

It says, “Adam knew his wife, and together, they bore a son and called his name Seth.” Which for the record, we’ll talk a little more about this next week, but his name means “appointed.” At the right time, when everything seemed hopeless, God “appointed” another son that eventually would lead to the promised Savior. Seth’s line, which we’ll discuss next week, they would live a godly, righteous life and it would be through his line, the seed of the woman…it would be through them that humanity would be saved.

Guys, even in the midst of sin…and guilt…and shame…and pain…and hopelessness…we can count on God to show us mercy when we seek Him and when we place our trust in Him. Listen, you’re never too far gone. Maybe you’re sitting there thinking, man I wish I wouldn’t taken my legacy more serious 20 years ago…maybe it would’ve impacted my kids or my grandkids more. Guys, get serious today…turn to Jesus today. There’s still time to leave a godly legacy…there’s still time to positively impact those you care about. Jesus can do that in your life. He can take everything that seems chaotic and use it all for His glory. Just look at this story…Adam and Eve’s sons, their legacies were terrible…but look at how God worked through them when they kept their faith and when they turned from their sin. Listen, it says that after Seth was born, “At that time, people began to call upon the name of the LORD.”

Closing

And so listen, as you reflect on this passage this morning…would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

Listen, as you sit there…I want you to think about your legacy…as of today, if you were to die…what kind of legacy would you leave behind? Is it one that demonstrated what a faithful life looks like? One that’ll point your family toward the person and work of Christ? One that shows their need for a Savior and Redeemer…their need for salvation?

Or listen, is it one that just pushes them further and further away from the presence of God? One that leads them to a lesser view of the image of God? Is it one that places value in other things instead of God?

What’s your life today, say about you tomorrow?

And listen, as you sit there…whatever it is the Spirit of God’s showing you, respond to that. If something needs to change, allow Jesus to work in your life. Repent, believe! And through that, He’ll be faithful…He’ll work in your life!

Or listen, maybe this morning…what you really need is a life change. Maybe you’ve come to church you’re whole life…maybe this is your first time…I don’t know…but you’ve never turned to Jesus. Listen, the Bible’s clear…it says that God created us in His image…and being made in His image, it means we have freewill. And through that freewill, we chose rebellion. It says that all of us, we all fall short of God’s glory…we’re all sinful and wicked…we all allow sin to overcome us…like Cain, we all fail to master our temptations and we indulge in them. And because of that, we’ll all experience death…and eternal damnation in a fiery hell. Not because God’s unloving, but because He loves us so much, He gives us what we think we want.

But the Bible says, because of God’s great love…He sent His Son…the promised seed of the woman, to save us. He came, he lived a completely sinless life…and He went to the cross to experience the punishment we deserve…the punishment for our sins. And it says that He rose to life again after three days, showing us that He was truly God…showing us that we could entirely trust Him. And the Bible tells us that when we repent…when we turn from ourselves…when we turn to Jesus. And when we believe in Jesus…placing our faith in Him…it’s at that moment, we can be saved. It says we’re made new, given a new heart and a new mind. Giving us the power to truly overcome the sin in our lives.

Listen, if that’s you…here’s what I want you to do. No one’s looking around. Would you just stand up, where you’re at…and would you just come talk to me…place your trust and faith in Christ today. Let Him change you…quit playing around with this because you don’t know when you’ll never have another chance. And so, would you come? Let Him change your legacy today.

Listen, Wendy’s gonna play…and so these next few minutes, they’re yours to respond. Whatever it is you need to do today. These steps are open, if you need ‘em. I’m down front if you need me. And so, you come.

[Prayer]