The Road Away From God

“The Road Away from God”

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Genesis is the first book of the Bible and you find many "firsts” in the book Genesis. The name Genesis means "beginnings" or "first things."

In we see the first Human being.

In we see the first marriage.

In we see the first Sin.

In we are see the first murderer-Cain; and the first martyr-Abel.

The first crime recorded in human history is the murder of an innocent man by his own brother. These brothers had the same parents; they grew up in the same environment. They were raised in a good home just outside of paradise. They both had steady jobs. Cain was a farmer, Abel was a shepherd. Yet they chose two very different roads, Cain chose the road away from God, and Abel chose the road to God!

focuses the spotlight on Cain; he's mentioned thirteen times, and seven times Abel is identified as "his Cain's brother." Cain story is the sad, sad story of a man who walked away from God. Cain turns his back on God and walks out of the presence of God. It is the worst mistake he could have possible made!

But sadly he is not the last person to walk the road away from God. I want us to see the steps on the road away from God so we can avoid them, and help others avoid them. The first step on the road away from God is to:

1. Reject the Sacrifice God Requires!

V:3-5-Read.

It is clear from these verses that God is approachable and desires to be worshipped. But it is also clear that we approach God with a sacrifice. But not just any sacrifice, the sacrifice that he requires; just as the time, and place of worship was given to these two young men, we can be sure the type of sacrifice God required was given to Cain and Abel.

We see the first worship service of the second generation on the earth; and we learn that there is a right way and a wrong way to approach a Holy God!

Picture them as they come before God with their offering, they both have an offering in their hands. They are there to worship God, and to offer an offering for their sin.

But Abel’s offering was accepted and Cain’s was not! Why? Cain came to the right God, but he came the wrong way.

V:3,5-"And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. But He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell."

The offering that Cain brought was no doubt a beautiful offering. In one hand Cain had brought a big basket of fruit. In that basket I am sure were the juiciest apples, the sweetest strawberries, and the ripest oranges known to man. In the other hand he brought a beautiful bouquet of flowers. In that bouquet were roses, lilies, and tulips that literally radiated with beauty. Either basket would have won the blue ribbon at the county fair, but God would not even taste the fruit nor smell the flowers. Why? Well God had previously said, 3:17-"Cursed is the ground for your sake." God told Adam anything that comes from the ground he would have to work for. The ground would no longer blossom and bloom on its own. Man would have to work the ground, cultivate it, plant it, and harvest it. The offering that Cain brought represented the work of his hands. He had plowed the ground; he had planted the seed; he had picked the fruit.

This offering represented the best Cain could do; it was the work of his hands. But God rejected his offering.

Because it was not the sacrifice God had already told them to bring. God required a blood sacrifice!

God looked at this offering and could not find one drop of blood.

You say well what is so important about blood? , "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins." The only highway that leads to heaven is paved with blood.

We try to divide religion into different creeds, codes, and causes. We try to pretend that all religions are just different roads and different ways to the same God. But that is not true!!

The religion of works is the road away from God.

When Cain brought this offering of his good works to God, it made God sick to his stomach.

-"All our righteousness is like filthy rags."

We have a world today that is full of Cain’s who want to bring God their good works; who want God to accept them on their terms; who want to go to God their way.

There is a stern warning in the book of Jude which reads: V:11- "Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain." Now what is the way of Cain? The way of Cain is the way of good works. It is the way of self-righteousness. It is the way of "do good and you will be alright."

It is the way of religion and ritual. But I want to tell you the way of Cain is a dead-end street that winds up in hell.

Our churches are full of people going the way of Cain. People who are going to stand before God one day and hear God say, "Why should I let you into heaven?" They are going to fall over themselves offering God their baptismal certificates, their tithing receipts, their church letters, their Sunday school attendance pins, their ordination papers, their seminary degrees, and God is going to look at them and say, "Woe to you! For you have gone the way of Cain."

Cain’s sacrifice represents a salvation of works; people trying to save themselves by doing good-works. They think that they can bring the fruit of their service and work and offer it to God and God's going to be accept it. But, the Bible says it is not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy that He saved us.

I want to tell you there are only two divisions of religion- those that believe in salvation by works, and those that believe in salvation by Grace!

Cain in his arrogance and rebellion rejected the sacrifice that God had required- a blood sacrifice! Someone said, the reason that God rejected Cain’s offering is because his heart was wrong.

God does accepted or reject us on the bases of our heart, but on the basis of the sacrifice we are trusting in! How did Abel know to bring a blood sacrifice to God? The same way Cain did, God had already showed Adam and Eve that the only covering for sin, the only forgiveness of sin is by the death of a substitute and the shedding of blood. Cain rejected the blood way, and said I can be accepted by God on my own merit-Wrong!!

Have you ever heard somebody, “I am looking for a religion that suits me” You better find what suit God, not you! Cain was told by God and taught by his parents that the only acceptable sacrifice was a blood sacrifice that pictures the sacrifice that Jesus would make on the Cross for sinners!

Are you trying to offering to God the fruit of your hands today? Are you saying to God, God, what a person I am? I go to Crossway Baptist Church. I go to Sunday school. I give my tithe. I read my Bible. I pray. And you are trying to approach God by good works, ethics, and morals.

You can do all of those good things and still die and go to hell!

You're not saved by the works of your hands.

Cain’s offering was rejected, because he knew the way to approach God and rejected it. You can’t come to God any way you want to!

But Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by God!

V:4-“ And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering.”

Why did God respect Abel's offering while he rejected Cain's offering? What was different? The New Testament explanation of this chapter is found in:

, "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."

Cain's was a religion of works, while Abel's was salvation through the blood. Where did Abel's faith come from? The same place all faith comes from. Roman 10:17- "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Cain and Abel had heard God's word on how He was to be approached. Adam and Eve had told them from the beginning that God could only be approached through a blood sacrifice. They had told their boys how God had replaced those fig leaves with garments of skin. Ever since they were little boys Cain and Abel had heard their mom and

dad tell them over and over "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins."

Don't ever think for a moment that blood atonement was an afterthought with God. Don't ever think that the cross of Calvary was "Plan B." The Bible says that Jesus was the -"Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

There is a river of blood that runs throughout the entire Bible and from Genesis to Revelation we learn over and over that the only way to God is through the blood of Jesus.

In is not the heart, sincerity of Cain and Abel that is the issue; it is the sacrifice, the gift they brought to God that is the issue. Listen to -“ , "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 gift…

By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice.

Abel understood the blood atonement. Did you know he was one of the Old Testament prophets?

Jesus is speaking. : "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles and some of them shall they slay and persecute that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias,"

Jesus said Abel was a prophet who was killed for his faith.

The prophets had one message:

To Jesus give all the prophets’ witness that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive the remission of sin. All of the prophets had one message, Believe on Jesus and be forgiven of your sins. Jesus said Abel was a prophet, and all of the prophets said, only through a blood sacrifice can sin be forgiven, and all the blood sacrifice in the O.T. point to the coming of Jesus and His death on the Cross!!

God had bloody Calvary in His heart, and mind before He made the world!

All of the prophets in the O.T. we’re preaching about the coming of Jesus, and His sacrifice on the Cross to pay the price for our sins!

There are not just 4 gospels, there are 66 gospels, the whole Bible is about Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection.

You cut this book anywhere, it will bleed. There is a red river of redemption flowing from the garden of Eden to the book of Revelation.

Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sin.

· God shed the blood of an Animal and Clothed Adam and Eve.

· Abel brought a blood sacrifice.

· Noah when he got off the Ark, the first thing he did was offer a blood sacrifice.

· Abraham offered a blood sacrifice in the place of his son.

· It was the blood of a spotless lamb that was required for the death angel to Passover in the book of Exodus. God says, when I see the blood, I will I pass over you.

All of the blood sacrifices in the O.T were pointing to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.

Then came that day when John the Baptist stepped from the banks of the River Jordan and when he saw my precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and he said- "Behold, the Lamb of God," that taketh away the sin of the world.

It was crystal clear to Abel, and it should be crystal clear to you this morning, THAT THER NO OTHER WAY TO GOD EXCEPT THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS!

Only through faith in Jesus death for you on the Cross can you be forgiven and saved!!

There are not many ways to God; there is one way to God!!!

The way of Cain is the way to death and Hell;

-Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, “

Cain’s way is the road away from God, the road to Hell! Abel’s way is the way of the Cross, the only way of salvation; it is the road to heaven!!

-“For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

You're not going to be a boaster when you get to heaven. You're going to give Him all of the glory.

Charles Spurgeon said, "Morality can keep a man out of jail, but only the blood of Jesus can keep a man out of hell."

The first step on the Road away from God is to: Reject the Sacrifice God Requires.

The second step on the Road away from God is to:

2. Resent People who are Righteous.

V:5-8-“And Cain was very mad, and his countenance fell…God asked him why he was mad, and why is your countenance fallen? If you would offer the right sacrifice you would be accepted, and it you don’t sin is lying at the door of your life”

And Cain talked Abel; and out in the field Cain killed Abel.

Cain should have been angry with himself, but instead he was angry with God, and took it out on his brother.

Cain is anger that what he had done was not accepted by God, and Abel’s blood sacrifice was.

He is mad because God refused to lower His standard for him.

Abel is forgiven, full of joy and peace because the fire of God has fallen and consumed his sacrifice.

Cain is resentful, anger because his efforts didn’t please God; but by the works of the flesh shall no man can please God!

God has never rejected anyone who came to Him by the way of the Cross!

Cain becomes bitter toward his brother, righteous Abel, resentment of his forgiveness, joy, and peace.

He is anger, and hates his brother because his brother is saved, and he is not!

God warns Cain in V:7-“ sin lies at the door”

The word lies literally means "to crouch." It is the picture of a lion that is crouching ready to spring and attack his prey. God was saying to Cain, "If you don't turn your temper into tears, and your anger into repentance, sin is going to eat you up."

You are no match for the crouching lion of sin that is lying at door of your heart! You open the door to sin; it will come in with full force and devour you.

-“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

Cain has resentment and bitterness toward Abel, God warns him that it will devour him but he does listen. He sees Abel’s peace and Joy and it ate him alive, it brought him under conviction. And Cain despised his brother Abel. Bitterness leads to murder!

-“Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

Jesus told us that the world would love it on, those who are living in sin, those who think good works can get you to heaven; those that believe you can do want ever makes you happy. But the world would hate those who are different, those who are saved by the blood of Jesus! The righteous leave the world without any excuse for its attitude of sin and rebellion.

There is nothing meaner than false religion!! False religion hates the mention of the blood sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross! The first murder was over a blood sacrifice. Do you know why Hollywood hates the church and hates Christianity so much?

Because we preach that there is no other way to God except through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross! This world is no friend of grace. It hates this bloody religion that says Jesus is the only way to heaven. It despises the song that sings "What can wash away my sin - nothing but the blood of Jesus."

Religion without Jesus is mean and narrow; I remind you it was a religious crowd that crucified the Lord Jesus Christ.

So Cain, angry with God, full of pride, seething with anger, consumed with jealousy, knowing he cannot kill God; kills his own brother.

Pay attention. If you are a true Bible believer, and you preach the message that Jesus Christ is the only way, you will be hated and despised, and killed just like Abel was!

I hear Cain under his breath saying; old holier than thou thinks his way is the only way, he believes everything that God says. Who does he thing he is to be so sure about everything the Bible says. He is so judgmental and self-righteous, and he kills him! All because he believes what God said!!!!

There are people today who will resent you, become bitter, attack you, hate you; sue you, and blast you on social media because you believe what God says in the Bible!! Jesus said it would be that way!!

When you find yourself resenting people who are saved, and believe the Bible and are filled with joy and peace, it is not their fault.

There is something wrong in you; sin is crouching at the door of your heart! Please deal with it now before it destroys you!

When you find yourself pushing away from your saved family, friends and church, and thinking that other ways are as good as what God said in the Bible you are headed down the road away from God.

The third step on the Road away from God is to:

3. Refuse to Repent when Confronted.

V:9-16.

God in His great love confronted Cain; like a loving father God came to Cain several times in this chapter.

He asked Cain 3 questions:

· V:6-“Why are you angry”?

· V:9-“Where is Abel your brother”?

· V:10-“What have you done”?

God was not asking these questions because he did not know; he was confronting Cain with his sin, that Cain would Repent!!

But Cain refuses to get honest with God, and he refuses to repent.

God confronts Cain and ask him, where is your Abel your brother, and Cain lies to God, V:9-“I don’t know, am I my brothers keep”

God knew Able was dead, and that Cain had killed him, He wanted Cain to break, open up and get honest with God, and confess his sin, and ask for forgiveness, but Cain refused to Repent!!

God asked Cain again, V:10-“Tell me what you have done”?

Cain must have been squirming on the inside, sweat running down his face, but he would not confess and repent. He is white-knuckling the pew, but he is not stepping out for nothing!

Listen God confronts us with our sin and convicts us to get us to confess and experience forgiveness.

Are you refusing to repent of sin that God has confronted you with? When God confronts us though a friend, song, sermon, conscience and we refuse to repent, we harden our hearts. And a hardened heart is a barrier in our relationship with God. A hard heart leads to a miserable life!

Even though Cain does not acknowledge or confess his sin, yet God judges his sin.

V:11-12-Read.

· Ground will not produce for you.

· You will be a fugitive, vagabond.

No purpose, no peace- Man on the Run!

Cain chose to run instead of repent! Are you running from God today, are you headed down the road away from God? Stop, turn around, repent and return to God today!!!

How does Cain respond when God tells him about the consequences of his sin?

V:13-14-Read.

There is no repentance in Cain's heart, no remorse, just resentment. He's not sorry for what he did, He’s sorry he got caught. He still didn't fear God, he only feared man. He feared man who could kill his body more than he feared God who could kill both body and soul and cast it into hell.

He was not concerned about his sin, his crime, his guilt, or his brother. He was only concerned about himself, notice all the person pronouns in V:13-14.

I want you to see the grace of God even after all Cain had done: Cain rejected the blood sacrifice, Cain killed his brother, Cain refused to repent, and he played the victim. But even in all of that God never walked away from Cain, it was Cain that walked away from God! V:16-“And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord”

God is willing to forgiven repentant sinners… you might ask how do I know? There is a story in the N.T. about a young man a lot like Cain, who decided to go out from the presence of his father.

He walked the Road away from God, he lived for sin and self; and wasted his life in the world of rebellion to God. But when he hit rock-bottom in a pig pen eating with the pigs, he decided to go back to his father and repent and confess, father I have sinned against heaven and against you….

So he walked the Road back to God and the bible says when he was a long way from the father’s house the father saw him coming and ran down the road to meet him!! Threw his arms around him and forgave him!! Ring, shoes, robe…and a feast!!

Today walk the road back to God, not away from God!! The road to God is repentance; to say God I am sorry, I have sinned, I turn from my sin, and I trust Jesus death on the Cross for my sin!!

The way of Cain is the road to Hell!

The way of the Cross in the road to Heaven!!