Faith of the Ancients: Abel
Faith of the Ancients • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Series on Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith
Book of Hebrews really is written from a jewish perspective and how Jesus is the fullfillment of the law, and how he is the better sacrifice
Intro: What hall of fame would you be nominated for?
A bunch of halls of fame in Wisconsin
useless halls of fame/ weird halls of fame
fresh water fishing (Hayward), statue of a giant fish
paper industry (Appleton), across from Traverse City
clown (baraboo), home of the wringly brothers circus
Hall of fame of the men of faith in the Bible
Author of Hebrews
we actually don’t know who wrote the book of Hebrews, some say Paul
writing to Jewish converts to Christianity
Faith is trusting and following without fully knowing or seeing
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the men of old gained approval.
NKJV: Now faith is the [a]substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
NIV says: This is what the ancients were commended for
Main idea: Your life speaks!
Basically looking at one verse today (you know there will be more)
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
By Faith is repeated throughout this chapter
We are going to look at his sacrifice, and the genesis account. We are going to talk about blood sacrifice, and sin sacrifice, and first fruits sacrifice.
But before we get there, I want to remind you of the new testament understanding of Sacrifice like how Paul explains it in Romans.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
The sacrifices today are not physical. Jesus was the final sacrifice.
What does your life say to God?
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did
What does God say about your life?
By Faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings
What does your life say to others?
By Faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead
What does your life say to God?
What does your life say to God?
a. Two sacrifices
Adam and Eve
First result of sin was a broken relationship with God
led to the promise of redemption
spoke of Jesus as early as Gen 3:15
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Spoiler Alert: Cain kills his brother Abel
Second result of sin was a broken relationship with each other
reflected in the shame Adam and Eve felt in their nakedness
and here in this story
Cross
Vertical brokenness is like horizontal brokenness
Horizontal brokenness is like the broken relationship with others
the cross repairs both of those things
Genesis 4:2-5
Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground.
Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering;
but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
i. Tithing is before the law
ii. What is the difference? (3 different views on why Abel’s sacrifice was better)
1. About the blood and animal sacrifice (not the best option)
(there are examples of grain sacrifices in the Bible, and offerings of first fruits)
there are cases where both of these are acceptable
2. A matter of the heart (definitely biblical)
Jesus and the widow’s mite (God knows the heart)
1 John 3:11-12
For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
God saw Abel as righteous, and Cain as evil
3. Quality and nature of the sacrifices
b. Comparison
i. Cain - some of the fruits - leftovers
Is God just getting your leftovers?
ii. Abel - the first (firstborn) and best (fat portions)
I like food. There are few things that I would rather have the leftovers over fresh.
crack ham sandwiches
fat is flavor in meat. Meat candy. fat that melts in your mouth
c. Are you giving God your first and best?
i. Thought life - Is God your prevailing thought or your after thought?
Tithing- Existed before the Law
some try to say it isn’t relevant because it was part of the OT law
especially in materialistic America
it’s a good sign of faith that if God has a hold of your heart, then he has a hold on your wallet
iii. Giving and spending - is he your first lien holder or does he get the loose cash in your wallet
who get’s it first if you default on your loan
tithing is not a bill
God is the first lien holder on my life
ii. Time management - does He get your first and best priority listing in your choices and free time or just the leftovers?
time is a good measure of our hearts
time is precious
iv. Church commitments and involvement - back to church
20 years a go: I was in the church every time the door was open
now the stat is people consider regular church goers if they attend once every three weeks
not to guilt you, family is important, jobs don’t respect the sanctity of Sunday like they did 20 years ago
God doesn’t measure your commitment by how often you attend church
but where is your priorities when it comes to church. Only you can measure that decision process for yourself.
Is God getting the leftovers of your time?
New years resolutions: back to church
What does your life say to God?
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did
What does God say about your life?
By Faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings
What does your life say to others?
By Faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead
What does God say about your life?
What does God say about your life?
and does he look at it with favor
does God look at our life and does it make Him smile
a. God's perspective
i. Looked with favor - make Him smile
ii. Commended as righteous - better than wrong-geous
iii. Spoke well of His offerings - proud father
The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
Would God brag on you?
or would you like some parents, who when asked how their kids are doing, they respond please pray for them...
What is GOd’s perspective about your life, and how would he speak about you
God isn’t in the business of condemnation or shame
But there is God who weeps over our failure and brokenness
He’s either broken over you, or he’s beaming over you
I want to make my God beam (well done my good and faithful servant)
b. His opinion is the only one that matters
We need to be careful what WE measure our lives by
Human nature is to be comparative and competitive
Not compared to others
The Standard is God, not man
ii. Defined by His Word alone - not culture or self
it doesn’t matter what others think, just what God thinks
pastor, brother, government, friends, spouse
c. We can deceive ourselves - don't be surprised
I dare you to ask God, How do you see my life?
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
i. Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
ii. Make sure we are measuring through God's perspective
iii. Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Invite God to do an inventory of your life
there may be things in your life that you are unaware of, that are separating you from God
So we go to the source, to God himself, and ask him to let us know His perspective on our life
not the world, culture, my perspective
What does your life say to God?
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did
What does God say about your life?
By Faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings
What does your life say to others?
By Faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead
What does your life say to others?
What does your life say to others?
a. What is your legacy?
i. Your life is eternal in its impact
ii. Bumper Sticker- Don't make the preacher lie at your funeral
live your life in such way so that the preacher doesn’t have to lie at your funeral
Every life is an example- It’s either a good one or a bad one.
what will be the legacy of your life when you are gone?
b. Two bloods
- Hebrews 12:24
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
i. Abel
- Genesis 4:10
He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.
It’s not just speaking, it’s screaming
1. Guilty
Abel’s blood represents the brokenness of humanity
2. Cries out - loud and noticeable
you can’t get rid of the stain of sin
(mustard stain on a white shirt)
ii. Jesus
1. Once and for all sacrifice - new covenant
theme throughout hebrews
2. Hebrews 7:27, 9:28, 10:10, 14, 17-18 n
who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
He was sinless, the only one qualified to pay the price for all.
so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
This is the better blood that the blood of Jesus speaks, that makes holy forever
“And their sins and their lawless deeds
I will remember no more.”
Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
2 Altar Calls
Do you feel the stain sin in your life. Is there a sense that the blood of Abel cries out in accusation against you?
You hear the word of the Lord asking you that same question that he asked Cain “what have you done?
I have failed miserably
and i need the blood of Jesus
I need a Saviour
John 3:16\
ROMANS 10:9-10
9. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10.For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Lord Jesus, I come to you a sinner.
Forgive me of the sins I have committed.
I believe that you are the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.
I believe that You died on the cross for my sins
I believe that You rose from the dead the third day
Come into my heart, and make me new.
I receive You as my Lord and Saviour.
Now, help me to live for you the rest of this life.
Amen!
Conclusion:
for all this talk about talk-- note-- that Abel never speaks.
Cain talks to God, doesn’t have anything good to say
Abel never says a word
Actions truly do speak louder than words
I ask again:
What does your life say to God?
What does God say about your life?
What does your life say to others?
Communion: