Next steps #3

Northside Church

Next Steps LAC #3

3/20/22

Jamey Mills

Picture of ky and I

It was 14 years ago Friday…when Kylee officially moved in and became my daughter.

This was that moment (Picture)… she literally waddled over to me, put her arms up, and as I picked her up she put her head on my chest… for a while. As if claiming her spot in my heart… one of the greatest moments of my life.

Anyone who knows her… knows she doesn't do that… it was all biting and head butts from then on…

Just a few moments before she arrived… this happened.

(Picture of Cory in a suit).

My son Cory knew his sister was coming home and he did that on his own... He went up, found his very best… put it on… and came down… NOTHING else would work that day.

I’ve been proud of my son on several occasions, but maybe never more so than at that moment…

WHY? That's a question I’ve asked a lot lately.

Why do you think that mattered so much to me?

It was a sign that he understood the meaning of it, the weight and value… the importance and significance of it…. He knew it was a time to bring his best and so that's what he did.

And it reminds me of this part of history… that goes all the way back to the beginning… and that matters because within it we realize something that has always been true… it's always been this way.

Genesis 4:1–2 NLT

Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground.

(NLT)

Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the LORD’s help, I have produced a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground.

In the beginning, it says that God created Adam and Eve… and placed them in the garden that he also created… And this was to be this wonderful and beautiful place where they would enjoy each other, enjoy fellowship with God, and they were even given the purpose of tending the ground. And with it all came this choice… would they listen to God and take Him at His word or not…

It says that sin entered the picture. Instead of believing God and listening to what he said about what was truly right and good, they listened to the wrong voices and they made the wrong choices… it made them want to hide and cover up, something that was brand new to humanity. With it came shame, hardship, and disunity between each other but also with God. Sin and Brokenness had entered the world.

Just a chapter later, we see this picture of Eve giving birth for the very first time. And you can almost hear it through what the scripture says. The pride and joy upholding her firstborn, probably felt a lot like I did in that picture holding my daughter.

She gave birth to Cain first, which probably meant Advantage Cain. Being the firstborn male came with all kinds of privileges and opportunities. A while after that she gave birth to Abel.

It says that as time went on, they grew up; Cain began to work the ground and Abel became a shepherd…

Genesis 4:3–5 NLT

When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented (an offering…) some of his crops as a gift to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

There is a lot going on here.

The time came for the harvest… and Part of what that meant was bringing some of that before the Lord.

Most translations use the word Offering…

What does the word offering in this passage mean?

In Hebrew; it's a responsive word… it has to do with this joy-filled and grateful response to God… a response toward who He is and what He’s done…

And this passage helps us understand a truth that has been true from the dawn of creation. I really do think it helps us to understand what God desires; and that's probably too soft of a word, I think it helps us understand what He requires of you and I… but you gotta stick with me; you really have to dig into the Hebrew to see all that's going on here. There has been some confusion within this passage that I think is cleared up well within its original language. The author is incredibly intentional about the way he describes things here; it would have been plain to see.

It says that Cain brought some of his crops.

… while

Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn lambs.

That discrepancy is even harsher in hebrew.

The actual language implies that Cain brought what was “at hand”. What was easy… without a lot of thought; it was more like checking a box than responding to the greatness of God\worship.

Able on the hand was incredibly intentional… thought out… we can hear that right… it was the response of a heart that longs to honor God.

People have twisted this passage in all kinds of directions because it makes us uncomfortable… and one thing that I really want to challenge us all in is this…

Pay attention to that. Sometimes our discomfort is right, we shouldn’t ignore it. And sometimes our discomfort (even subconsciously) is because it's right and we don't like where it's leading…

And it sounds incredibly harsh… right. Cain and his offering was rejected…

And this passage should make us uncomfortable, that it's often misplaced.

Some of the misplaced discomfort initially is that some people translate this to mean that Cain didn't give enough.

But know this… I don’t think it was about what he gave even though it was vegetables.

The truth is, what they brought reflected a reality within them.

It was revealing, as to the way they see God and as to their heart before Him. It reflected what was first in their life, what they truly valued… probably more than they even realized.

I believe… Cain could have given 1000X more… with the same heart… and would have been met with the same response from God.

Hebrews 11:4 NLT

It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

(NLT)

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Abel's offering was EVIDENCE of his faith and of his being right with God.

; a message that Hebrews says… God uses to this day as an example to us.

Abel brought what was first and best not out of compulsion or shame… but joyfully… sacrificially… out of this heart of truly desire to honor God.

Cain held back… it wasn’t just the offering… The offering reflected that reality that I am guessing had been going on already. IN fact the NT seems to agree with that.

1 John 3:12 NLT

We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

(NLT)

12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

And… I want to call a timeout. It’s true we… We do believe that God is calling us to raise funds toward buying land that will help in establishing this part of His Kingdom right here in NA… I do believe that is a rare opportunity to invest in God’s Kingdom in a way that will impact people for generations. I also believe it is an opportunity to step out in faith…

And… it's easy… incredibly easy… to allow stuff to become just about fund raising or money… the bible teaches about money a ton… at one point saying… you cant serve both God and money… and the reason it talks about money so much is… more than almost any other thing… money has the power to consume… to become our mission statement, where we start to trust in it and our retirement more than we trust in Him. it's why it says that it's harder for a rich person to go to heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, not because having money is wrong… but because allowing it to be the motivation of your day and the thing you cling to is Corrosive for your own soul.

I want us to be clear, that this idea of bringing what is first and what is best before the Lord is not just about money, if we make it about that, we are as wrong as Cain was. It's about our heart, it's about our time, it's about people, it's an all inclusive response to the reality, to the goodness, and to the gift of God in our life.. That comes from having Him first in our lives... In every area of our life… we give not to earn, but to respond.

Genesis 4:6–7 NLT

“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

6 “Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

Cain was mad… instead of listening… instead of learning… Instead of submitting to the leadership of God he got angry, which I think reveals a reality… his life wasn’t centered on God or the things of God… he didn't want to hear from God…

But catch this…

Cain didn't go to God, God pursued him…

Even in all of this, God pursued him. Cain wasn’t written off…

This might be a silly example… but it reminds me of this some.

I’m sure we all know people who basically demand to be respected… while not being respectable.

I feel like God is saying there is such a thing as being right with God… being in a right relationship with Him…

That right relationship with God… isn't gained by what we do or what we give… what we do and what we give and give of ourselves stems from it. It's evidence of it.

And I feel like our passage is saying if we aren’t interested in God or the things of God… or if we are more interested in other things… sin is waiting to attack… we become susceptible to the brokenness and separation that sin brings.

And there is no amount of giving… that could ever account for that… Christ… and Christ alone is the answer for all that is broken in you and I.

Genesis 4:8–15 NLT

One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.” Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!” The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him.

8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

9 Afterward the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”

“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

10 But the LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground (eden), which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain replied to the LORD, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! 14 You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”

15 The LORD replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him.

In this passage God reveals the nature of sin.

This almost cyclical pattern of brokenness that it brings.

There was a heart issue, that led to holding back, Which led to not experiencing all god had for him, which led to anger, which led to become defensive, which led to harsher things… which led to lying and hiding from God, which led to a hard heart… which lead to great distance in his heart from God.

That’s not what God has for you.

Cain’s sin… his holding back… didn’t just hurt him… it impacted those who knew and loved him now… and those that would know and love him in the future.

It leads to brokenness… in his life, in his relationships, and distance in his own heart toward God.

We learn a lot about God right out of the gate.

All along the way… God was there. God’s love and grace… His desire to lead Cain into the fullness and freedom that God desired for Him, I think is clearly seen… even at the end of it, God promised to protect Him.

But at every turn, Cain rejected it. Even blaming God for the consequences that came. You… did this to me.

There is so much more… here.

CONC…

Our offering to God is a response to the goodness of God…

And it's all inclusive… every part of who we are.

Gods love and grace and forgiveness… sacrificial and extravagant.

Giving… sacrafcially… its all inclusive.

Cain went the easy route… and was mad when God rejected it. I think that anger reveals his heart even more, he wasn’t about to Hear from God at that moment…

He didn't go to God, God came to him…

And it reminds me of this… I am sure you’ve probably faced this in life. People who demand respect… without being respectable.

God says Cain i want to be in relationship with you, but you need to understand what this is about… and refusing to to what’s right it leads to sin crouching at your door.

Life-giving faith grows beautiful and pure in the same place that gold grows beautiful and pure: in the furnace. TIm KELLER

It’s interesting to me… even here… God is teaching… Cain and us… about right relationship with Him and about the reality of what sin does…

It’s telling to a degree that Cain was mad… it's almost like he didn't even want to hear God let alone… respond to His goodness.

Matthew 6:21 (NLT)

21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

There is a connection between having a right heart and generosity.

God calls Christians to extravagant generosity oh, and when you think about it it makes sense. When we think about his love over us and his grace over us it is extravagant.

Life is best found when we are right with God, and we allow God's goodness to inform the way that we invest our time or energy in our resources.

He gave God what was first and what was best instead of what was easy and at hand.

It says the king brought some, the actual word means implies “what was easy and at hand”...

Proverbs 21:26–27 (NLT)

26 Some people are always greedy for more,

but the godly love to give!

27 The sacrifice of an evil person is detestable,

especially when it is offered with wrong motives.

What they gave… mirrored a reality of who and where they were.

Out of the overflow… of the heart… the mouth speaks…

4:7 will I not accept you The Hebrew phrase used here literally reads, “lifting up?” Since the phrase “lift up the face” is very common in the OT as an idiom for “showing favor” or “accepting” someone, this may be the intended meaning (although the word “face” is not present). If this meaning is chosen, the phrase implies that Cain did not do well and that his offering is deficient in some manner (see vv. 4–5). Alternatively, the word translated “lifting up” can also be used idiomatically to describe forgiveness, but this would not seem to fit the present context.

is crouching The Hebrew verb used here, ravats, normally indicates lying down, Instead of standing up… or moving forward in faithfulness, he was exposed to faithlessness…

as in resting (29:2; Isa 11:6); it can also refer to lying in wait like a predator does when waiting for prey (Gen 49:9).

The Hebrew word ravats is also associated with the Akkadian word rabitsu, which in Mesopotamian religion is used in reference to demons that were believed to guard entrances to buildings. Thus, it is possible that sin is being personified here as a demonic force, waiting to pounce on Cain. This fits with the curse of the serpent who God says will strike at the heel of people (3:15).

ITS desire for you… its desire is for you The Hebrew word used here, teshuqah, also occurs in 3:16 in relation to Eve’s desire for her husband. Both here and in the curse of 3:16, the context is negative: The desire represents something to be resisted, as it is connected to sin.

Whatever you treasure… that's where your heart is.

The essence of love is commitment meaning love is the most liberating freedom-loss action ever. Tim keller

“The rut of the day to day grind leads toward comfort and keeping you in a safe and mundane place.” Kevin Kropf

The great things of God are not found there…

God’s truth has a way of invading our comfort zone… I feel like that’s Biblical. I think part of what Tim was sharing last week is that… no matter what area of life it is… if we chose what is at hand, over actually thinking through what it means to honor the Lord… we end up missing Him. We end up missing out on some of the things He has for us… we are in the middle of a financial campaign toward buying land… but we need to have a heart to heart… here.

It grosses me out to think that this would ever be just about Money… and so if that's what you hear or that’s where you at, I am actually going to say… please don't.

Sin is shown with its own growth-cycle as in James 1:15, and in 7b it is personified in almost Pauline fashion (cf. Rom. 7:8ff.). Many details emphasize the depth of Cain’s crime, and therefore of the fall: the context is worship, the victim a brother; and while Eve had been talked into her sin, Cain will not have even God talk him out of it; nor will he confess to it, nor yet accept his punishment.

Kidner, D. (1967). Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 1, p. 79). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Cain and Able…

Able took up the role of a shepherd while Cain worked in the fields.

I don’t think the point of this passage

Bringing God what's first and what's best…

Out of the overflow of the heart… store up treasure… where you heart is your treasure will be…

One of the smartest guys I ever knew told me this… give me 10 minutes with a guys calendar and checkbook and I will tell you the things that he treasures most.

I’ve already meet with lots of folks…

I’m trying to make every night this week available for that… so if you wanna meet up to talk about the LAC… text the church office or email me.

From the beginning…

The way it's always been

Bringing my best…

PICTURE of Cory when Kylee came home… wearing his best. It was 14 years ago Tomorrow that I became her father.

Passages about counting the cost…

Passages about holding back.

Adam and Eve… had kids…

And in Gen 4 we begin to sorta see the paths they’d take.

Cain and Able…

Able became a shepherd… while cain grew crops.