Father, we ask that you would feed us with your word.
We ask, Father, that as we think about what you have taught through your word written,
that you will help us to be aware of the problems in our own hearts,
the command centers of who we are.
Father, may this time not be a time where we look and see the faults of others,
but may you search our hearts and may your Holy Spirit bring your word to the very command center of who we are
so that we will bear much fruit in our day-to-day lives to your glory.
Father, make us disciples of Jesus who are gripped by the gospel, learning to live for your glory.
And we ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.
Please be seated.
So the story of Cain and Abel, I think a lot of people are a bit familiar with that story,
even those who don't come to church very often or don't have much of a Christian memory.
And for a lot of people, it's a good story.
It's a story, in fact, actually, in some ways, it's probably a perfect Canadian story,
at least how we sort of vaguely remember it, because it talks about how you shouldn't hurt people.
You shouldn't hurt people by killing them.
And it teaches us that we're really our brother's keeper.
So it teaches us that we're our brother's keeper, and we shouldn't hurt people.
And so, at least in the way that many of us remember the story,
it sounds like it's a really, really good story,
one that we wouldn't be very, very embarrassed to share with a non-Christian friend,
a seeking friend or neighbor, even a skeptical friend or neighbor.
We might say, this is like a perfect text, until you actually start to read it.
And when you actually start to read it, it would be sort of very funny, I guess.
Not funny in a good way.
I don't mean that.
It would just be very, maybe uncomfortable,
if we thought it would be a good story to share with our neighbor.
And then as we get into the story, we realize one moment,
this is actually very un-Canadian.
You know, when I talk to people in coffee shops and other places,
one of the standard things, in fact,
we're organizing an apologetics conference in November all around this theme,
in a world of 10,000 religions,
how on earth can Christians believe that Jesus is the only way?
How on earth can Christians believe Jesus is the only way in a world
where there's 10,000 religions?
And this is, it's not just that many,
most Canadians would say that you can't believe in Jesus
in a world with 10,000 different religions
because at the heart of most Canadian thought and belief,
whether you're an atheist or not,
you'd believe that basically everybody should be able to worship God,
however they define him or her or it,
in whatever way they choose.
You know, because it's a variation on the catechism of Canadian culture.
Like a catechism is something where a basic question is posed all the time
and an answer is given.
And if you read, if you watch movies,
if you watch sitcoms,
if you listen to the news,
if you read the newspapers,
you know, the basic type of catechism is what's really important.
Well, what's really important
is that you have to be true to yourself.
Like, you need to be authentic,
and to be authentic,
you need to be true to yourself.
And, you know,
if there's some problems going on in your relationship,
if your job,
what's one of the most important tasks
that a Canadian can do?
Not only to be true to yourself,
but you have to take steps to be happy on your terms.
You know,
not that oppressive dad
or your oppressive mom
or your oppressive, you know,
partner or husband or wife
or oppressive kids.
Like, you have to be happy on your terms.
And movie and show,
time after time,
pose that type of dilemma or tension,
and it's resolved by people being true to themselves
and making,
taking the steps to be happy on their terms.
And then usually part of the tension
is some type of pushback or conflict around that,
and that brings us to the third part of a catechism
of Canadian culture.
And the third part of the catechism in Canadian culture
is that no one can tell you
what is right or wrong for you.
No one can tell you that.
And then it's just a natural aspect
of this Canadian catechism to say,
and nobody can tell you
that you've got to worship God some way
or do a particular thing for God.
That's up to you.
You figure that out yourself.
You be true to yourself.
And that's how Canadians think.
And I know it makes it,
we cry at this idea.
You know,
Canadians would cry at the idea
that there's a right or wrong way
to do something like approaching to God.
And so, you see,
here's the problem.
We think,
okay, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Cain and Abel,
that's a really, really good text
because you know what it's all about?
I am my brother's keeper
and don't hurt people.
Like that's,
you know,
like it's sort of soft,
you know,
being Canadian,
caring for others,
don't hurt people.
But actually,
what is at the heart of the story
is that two people come to worship God
and God says one person does it right
and the other one does it wrong.
And all of a sudden,
for Canadians,
our heart starts to get a little bit
beating faster
and maybe we get a little bit nervous
about this apparently Canadian story.
But I want to suggest to you
that actually this story
that seems to go against
what Canadians want
is actually really what Canadians want
and what we really want
and what we really need.
So let's get the Bibles out
and let's look at the story.
And the story's found
in the book of Genesis,
very, very first book in the Bible.
Chapter 4,
it begins at verse 1.
It begins at verse 1.
Genesis 4, chapter 1,
and here's how it goes.
Now,
and you don't necessarily know that in English,
although it's sort of implied in English,
what the word Hebrew is telling us
is that this is going to be another story
as part of a set of stories.
And what's just happened
is that Adam and Eve
have introduced evil into the world
and as a result of Adam and Eve
introducing evil into God's good creation,
they're now at odds with each other,
at odds with creation,
at odds with the creator,
and the story has just come to the point
where God has expelled them,
pushed them out of the Garden of Eden,
and the cherubim is there
to stop Adam and Eve
and their descendants,
that's you and me,
from going to eat of the Tree of Life.
So that's what's just happened.
Now,
Adam knew
Eve,
his wife,
and if you're not familiar
with how the Bible speaks
in the Old Testament
and also in the New,
but mainly in the Old,
when it uses the word
no in this matter,
it's a
polite way of referring
to sexual relations.
And just as a bit of an aside,
whenever the Bible,
the Old Testament,
uses the word
sexual relations
for animals,
it doesn't use this word,
only uses it
when human beings
are having sexual relations,
but that's a whole other
sermon topic.
Now,
Adam knew his wife,
knew Eve,
his wife,
and she conceived
and bore Cain,
saying,
I have gotten a man
with the help of the Lord.
The English here
has a little bit
of a glimpse of this.
It's,
I have gotten a man.
Yeah,
God helped a bit.
In some ways,
it's not,
you see,
one of the things
that this story is showing
is how evil
has come into the world
and now evil
is becoming more prevalent.
Its hold
and its touch
is becoming
more extensive.
So,
once again,
I have gotten a man
with the help of the Lord
and again she bore
his brother Abel.
Now,
Abel was a keeper
of sheep
and Cain,
a worker of the ground.
He was a gardener.
In the course of time,
Cain brought to the Lord
an offering
of the fruit of the ground
and Abel
also brought
of the firstborn
of his flock
and of their fat portions
and the Lord
had regard
excuse me,
or accepted
or was pleased
with Abel
and his offering
but for Cain
and his offering,
God had no regard
or he didn't accept it
or it wasn't viewed
as valid.
So,
Cain
was very angry
and his face fell
and in the original,
very angry
is a very good sense.
I mean,
it really,
if you wanted to say,
put it actually,
capture the original language,
very would be bolded.
He was really angry.
Like,
this is rage
and so much rage
that his body language
betrayed
that he was
visibly,
visually,
really,
really angry.
So,
that's where the story is.
So,
what's going on?
So,
here's the first thing.
Why on earth,
in fact,
in some ways,
this story now
touches on some
of our very,
very,
very deep fears
as human beings.
that God just
picks favorites.
He's just up there
flipping a coin.
Okay,
George is coming to me.
Heads,
I'm going to like him.
Tails,
I won't.
Oh,
it's heads.
Lucky for George.
You know?
Then the next person
comes along,
God's up there
flipping a coin.
Have you ever seen
the movie
No Country for Old Men?
One of the,
in the book,
it's a brilliant book,
by the way.
Dark book,
but very brilliant.
And one of the,
there's a serial killer
in there
and every time
he comes to people,
he flips a coin.
It's putting on
how the coin lands.
Whether or not
he'll kill them or not.
And is that what God's like?
Okay.
Oh,
I like Abel.
I don't like Cain.
Thumbs up for Abel,
thumb down for Cain.
Just completely willful.
It's actually one of our fears.
It's one of the great fears
of our culture.
It's in fact,
one of the reasons
why for many Canadians
the idea that we worship
in our own way
is so preferable
to the apparent
willfulness
and immorality
or amorality
of power.
So,
is that what's going on
in the story here?
Like,
is that what's going on?
Well,
no,
it's not what's going on.
Let's,
in fact,
put the first point up.
This is really,
really key.
It's going to be,
in fact,
a surprise
because many people
think that
the Christian faith
is just all about externals,
learning the Apostles' Creed,
learning how to go to church,
you know,
learning how to give money,
learning how to read the Bible,
that it's not a religion
of the heart,
that it's not a religion
of something central
and deep to us.
In fact,
it's one of the reasons
why in our Canadian catechism,
like,
you have to be true to yourself,
you have to be authentic.
There's a sense
that it should be deep
and internal
and that one of the problems
with Christianity
is just all external.
Yet,
the key to understanding
this story
is this first point.
We see people act.
the Lord sees
what is really
and truly desired
when we act.
That's what he sees
and that's what matters to him.
How we act matters
but what we're desiring
when we act,
that's the key.
And so,
just look at the text.
You can see some hints
about this in the text.
Like,
first of all,
the word offering
and the word offering here
and it's a really important sense.
it could also be translated
as homage
or homage.
I don't know if I'm pronouncing it correctly
because it's a word
that's hardly used
in English anymore.
And in homage,
what is,
you come
and you give a bit of a token
to acknowledge
to one,
well,
you pay homage
to a king
or to the queen
or to God
is you're acknowledging
that the other person
is greater
than you
and that you owe them
your loyalty
and you owe them
your trust
and you owe them
your obedience.
And that's the word there
for offering.
Like,
in a Christian church,
just so you're wondering,
I mean,
I didn't say it today,
but if you're a guest here today
or even if you've been
coming here for a while
and you haven't given your life
to Jesus
to trust him as your Savior and Lord,
we actually would like it
if you don't put any money
in the plate.
Have as much coffee
as you want
and we'd love to give to you.
We don't really want you
to give to us
because really the offering
is supposed to be
an act of homage.
It's laid at the foot of the cross.
We're acknowledging
that Jesus is greater than us,
that he's worthy
to be praised,
that he is our manager,
that he is our Savior,
that he deserves
our loyalty
and our obedience
and our trust
and our faith
and that's what's supposed
to be going on
in our hearts.
So that's the word offering.
Cain and Abel both come
and are supposedly
bringing an offering.
But then,
and this is a little bit harder
to see in the English,
it's very obvious
in the original language.
It's as if,
okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
we're going to go.
Cain and Abel are going
and Cain says,
oh yeah, yeah,
I guess I got to bring something.
Oh yeah, here's a stock.
You know,
I'll take a piece of corn,
turnip,
a carrot
and a yam
and then you go to God.
Okay, there you go.
Whoa, okay, there you go.
But Abel
gives
of the very,
very,
very first of his flock.
Why is that very important?
Because he's giving it
to God first.
He's not saying,
okay,
after,
after I make sure
that I'm well fed
and,
and all my needs are met,
if I have anything left over,
I'll,
I'll give you something.
No, no,
Abel gives
of the very beginning
before he knows
if there's going
to be any more.
And,
and this is harder
for us to realize
in our culture,
but he gives them something
which is fat and plump.
In other words,
something that he set aside
to make it nice and
fat and juicy.
taught,
there's a few people here
in the congregation
who go hunting
and if you,
you,
you hunt wild animals,
they're leaner.
Uh,
they,
you know,
because they have to run
and stay away from predators
and stuff like that.
So this is something
cared for,
which is going
to be really tasty.
And the most tasty
thing he has,
the most precious thing
he has,
that's what he gives
to God.
And the other thing
in the story
is the anger.
So you see both
the gift,
what it's supposed
to be,
but it's just a few
things thrown together
as opposed to Abel
and then the,
the response,
which is anger,
shows that what's
going on
in Cain's heart.
In fact,
if you could put up
the next,
next point,
that would be very helpful.
What we see here,
and it's going to be
a little bit hard,
I could have used
the word sin,
but this is a,
a,
a better sort of
general point.
The desire to be God
can be nurtured
and hidden
in spirituality
and religion.
One of the things
that we,
that Canadians
don't understand,
the Canadian Christians
don't often understand
is that the Bible
from cover to cover
is a constant
critique of religion
and a constant
critique of spirituality
and a constant
critique of
spiritual,
not religious.
It is a thorough
critique of it.
And so here we see
that this is apparently
an act of worship.
One moment,
aren't Christians all
in favor of
worshiping God?
Well,
we see here
from this text,
it's not just a matter
of going through
being spiritual
or worshiping God
in whatever way
you just seem,
no, no,
the Bible says
that there's,
in fact,
what's going on
with Cain,
what's being revealed
in Cain
is his low view
of God
and his high view
of himself.
You know,
it's just like
God's just like,
it's just like
another day in the office.
It's just sort of like
when we walk around
the street
and we don't necessarily,
you know,
bow to every person
we see.
We're just one people,
I'm a person,
I'm around other people
and we just sort of
go about our business
and it's easy
for us to view God
as just,
well,
you know,
and he's another being
and he has his thing
to do
and I have my thing
to do
and,
oh yeah,
you know,
well maybe he's a little
bit more important
so I should offer him
a few things
or maybe give me
a little bit of comfort
and a little bit of peace
so I can get something
for myself
or whatever it is
but this text shows
that God's not
that high
and important
for Cain.
In fact,
you see,
what's the thing
that's going to be developed
throughout the entire Bible
is that all sin,
whether it's lust,
whether it's envy,
whether it's gluttony,
whether it's sloth,
whether it's anger,
that all sin
is ultimately
one component
of all sin
is my desire
or your desire
or a culture's desire
or a state's desire
to be God.
And so we see here
that the desire
to be God
can be nurtured
and hidden
in spirituality
and religion
because Cain's worship
hid
his basic desire
to be God.
See,
now when we get to this
we can see that
in some ways
this is a bit of a,
a bit of a,
there's going to be
a little bit of a tension
for the average Canadian
because for the average Canadian
on the one hand
just like every other human being
we desire to be God
in our different ways
but the other time
one of the things
that we really hate
is arrogance
and pride.
I mean,
part of the irony
is that many religions
and spiritualities
put the desire
to be more God-like
at the very center
of what they do
actually.
And,
and,
and those who
follow Jesus
and they're supposed
to read the Bible
we shouldn't do that
but we know
that that goes on.
And it's a very powerful thing.
In fact,
if you could put up
the next thing,
Andrew,
that would be very helpful.
The more I desire
to be God
and that's what's going on here
with,
with Cain's anger.
The more I desire
to be God
and the more
that desire
meets the real world
the angrier I get.
The more I desire
to be God
and the more
that desire
meets the real world
the angrier I get.
Why do I put
meets the real world?
Because you're not God.
You had a beginning,
you had an end,
you will have an end.
You know,
one of the things
with road rage,
one of the things
that people
who get really angry
when they drive,
I speak of something
that I love
from personal experience,
not just others
but myself.
You want to be like God.
Get all these
slow drivers
out of the way.
I got somewhere
to go.
I got somewhere
to go.
I got somewhere
to go.
And how dare
you get in my way?
And so,
what this text
is showing us
with very,
very powerful
imagery
is the more
that I have
a desire to be God,
whether I acknowledge it
or am aware of it
or not,
and yet,
that desire to be God,
I mean,
it's one hand
if it's just
being my family
and I can abuse
my family
or I can abuse
my wife
or if you're a woman
and you abuse
your husband,
maybe you can get
away with it.
Maybe you can get
away with it
with your co-workers
or you can start
your own company.
You can be one
of those people.
I know a person
and I don't know
if it would go on anymore.
This is just a few years
ago in the civil service
and one of their co-workers
hadn't come to work
for I think
it was three years.
Hadn't come to work
in three years,
kept getting paid,
but nobody,
everybody was afraid
of her,
including the bosses
of confronting her.
It was just better
to let her stay at home
and get paid.
So, you know,
maybe we can get
away with it
to a certain extent,
but at some point in time
we meet the real world
and when we meet
the real world
and our desire
to be like God,
whether acknowledged
or unacknowledged,
meets the real world,
anger often comes with it
and that's what this story
is showing
in a very,
very powerful,
powerful way.
So,
some of you
might be wondering,
George,
should you say here,
the more I desire
to be God
and the more
that desire meets
the real world,
the angrier
I get at God
or should it say
that like,
you know,
in Cain and Abel,
the angrier
I get at just things
or the angrier
I get at other people
and what do you think?
And my answer is yes,
like all of the above.
Because in fact,
and you know,
it's understandable
in psychology,
which is,
you know,
fundamentally secular
and there's lots of good wisdom
from psychology.
There really is.
A lot of good psychology
is people
just really being
very careful
in their observation
about how people work
and so we shouldn't say
that we shouldn't read it.
But one of the hidden things
for all people
and especially,
it's not talking about
counseling,
but in fact,
an anger at God,
a rage against God
is important
to understand
cultures
and societies
and people
and even ourselves.
Now,
I have to be careful
of the time here.
So what's going to happen?
Okay?
So here's how the story's going.
I haven't even got time
by my brother's keeper yet.
And at first glance,
it looks like a very,
very uncomfortable story
for Canadians.
God is looking
at Cain's heart
and Abel's heart.
He's looked at what's happened.
God says to Cain,
this offering's not accepted.
Cain gets angry.
What happens now?
Just a little time out here
in terms of reading
the Bible for yourself.
One of the things
about reading the Bible
for yourself
when you're reading narratives
is pause
at the different
action points
and ask yourself
what are the possible responses?
That's one of the ways
you grow in reading
narrative parts
of the Bible.
So you could say to yourself,
okay,
God is going to be
like a Canadian
and what do a lot of us
Canadians do
when we've offended somebody
and made them mad?
We back off.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't really mean it that way.
Is God going to be
like very Canadian?
Is God going to be
like what we imagine?
Doomed.
You know,
lightning bolt,
throw it down
and fry Cain
right there on the spot
and move on.
Like what's going to go on
in the text?
How's God going to respond?
And how's Cain
going to respond
to God's response?
Well, let's look.
Verse 6.
The Lord said to Cain,
why are you angry?
That's such a good question.
Why are you angry?
And why has your face fallen?
And then,
so he first,
he asks a question
and then in the form
of a question,
he's really giving them
a promise.
It's a bit of a rhetorical
question to make a point
and the point is a promise.
The first thing is like,
why are you angry?
Okay, Cain,
like why are you angry?
Like what,
what is it that you value
so much
that my response
has made you furious?
And then the second thing
is a promise.
He says,
if you do well,
will you not be accepted?
In other words,
Cain,
I'm not saying you're
damned forever,
that you're
completely ruined.
Like,
I'm still here.
I still love you.
Like,
this can be dealt with.
This isn't the end
of the world.
And then the third thing
is that,
is a warning.
And if you do not
do well,
sin is crouching
at the door.
Its desire
is for you,
but you must rule
over it.
Gives them a warning
that sin
is now pictured
at,
you know,
just think one of those
National Geographic specials,
Planet Earth specials,
and it's like
a lion
or a lioness
that just outside
of the sight
of the gazelle
and downwind,
not upwind,
and it stalks
the gazelle
and it's crouching
to pounce
to devour.
And contrary for,
it's a very,
very powerful image.
It's,
on one hand,
it's the desire
for,
but everything
that it ultimately
desires
is something
which is going
to be against you.
It's contrary
to what is
your true good,
your true need,
your true hope,
your true help.
It's,
this is very,
very powerful image.
And,
sorry,
I should read
the next bit.
So,
put up this first,
this next point,
Andrew.
All I can do is,
you know,
I thought,
I thought long
and hard about
how to word this point
and then I realized
all I have to,
what I really need to do
is just make my next point
that part of the verse
because it's such
a powerful image.
Sin is crouching
at the door,
its desire
is contrary
to you,
but you must
rule over it.
And,
you know,
here's the thing,
I don't know how many
of you have ever been
afflicted with anger,
but if you have
anger problems,
here's one of the things
that I know from my own
experience with anger.
Anger is really comforting.
Anger can really
make me feel good.
Anger can fill me
with self-righteousness.
Anger can,
anger can take away
some of the discomfort
and lack of satisfaction
I feel with myself
because it puts me
on a high horse
and it can just
be really comforting.
And, you know,
telling a lie
can do the same thing
and pride
can do the same thing
and sexual knowing
outside of marriage
or pornography
can do the same thing.
And we can think
it's very comforting
and maybe even
very helpful.
I know of a marriage
counselor that
when counseling
couples,
I mean,
she actually tells them
if you're having
problems in your
sexual relations
to imagine
being with another
person
as part of the therapy.
And it can seem
like it's very comforting,
but the Bible here
is far truer
to the nature of evil.
we think it comforts us,
but it actually
wants to master us
and be contrary
to what our true good is.
Anger-driven people
have problems at work,
they have problems
in their relationship.
Sexually driven people
have problems
with relationships,
problems at work,
problems with themselves,
inability to attach.
You can go on
and on and on.
It appears to comfort,
but I think
that is far wiser.
The Bible here
is far wiser.
It is deeply true.
It might seem
to comfort,
but it's just crouching.
It wants to devour you.
It wants to master you.
It'll rule you.
And it will rule you
in a way
which is not good
for you.
And so you need
to rule it.
And some of you
might say,
George,
are you now saying
that you're not saved
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
in Christ alone,
that you just have
to have this willpower
and all of this?
No,
because in the context here,
this isn't telling me
to rule things.
I mean,
what's the fundamental problem
with this whole text?
The whole problem
with this text
is Cain wants
to be like God.
God's advice now
is to say,
no, no, no, Cain,
you've been trying
to be like God,
but not very effective.
Really try to be like God.
That's the solution.
Really have God-like willpower.
Really have God-like knowledge.
Really have God-like control
and people skills over.
Really have,
no,
that's not what's going over it.
Next point.
For every human being,
repentance is always an option.
See,
that's what's going on
here in the text,
right?
God says to Cain,
a little bit of a,
like a moment here
for a second.
It's just like,
you know,
if I have problems,
when I have problems
with anger,
it's like,
George,
why are you angry?
Time out.
Why are you angry?
Like,
what is it that you value
so much
that angers your response?
Like,
why is it that
you're so upset?
Like,
what's going on,
George?
And then the promise.
I want to accept you.
Like,
I'm not turning my back on you.
My arms are open.
I'm looking at you.
I want you to come to me.
I want to know you.
I want you to know me.
That's my heart.
And then God gives this warning
about sin.
You see,
the context
that the text
is inviting us to
is for Cain
to turn the direction
of his affections
and his life
and his plans
and his hopes
towards God.
Repentance.
And he's saying to Cain,
repentance is an option
for you.
And that's
the beginning
of a message
that's going to go
all the way through
the Bible.
That repentance
is always an option.
If you're here today,
repentance
is an option for you.
In fact,
it's the option
that God wants you
to choose.
To repent.
To turn to him.
He won't turn you away.
What is,
you know,
one of my favorite texts
in the New Testament,
come to me
all who labor
and are heavy laden.
And I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon me,
you,
for I am gentle
and humble of heart.
And you will find rest
for your soul,
for my yoke is easy
and my burden is light.
So how,
how does Cain respond
to God
asking him a question,
giving him a promise
and making a warning?
Verse 8.
And just before I read it,
remember those of you
who were here last week
and over the last couple weeks,
one of the things I said
which is so unique
about the biblical account
is that the Bible teaches
that God made everything good.
Human beings
broke that created order
by desiring to be God
and by desiring to be God
they broke their relationship
with God,
they brought evil
into the world
and it was a result
of human evil and sin
that death comes
into the world.
And that's what we just
looked at before,
that death,
God has said death
will now be present.
And it's very interesting
that the first account
of death
is not of old age
but of murder.
Of murder.
Of the murder
of the innocent
and trusting.
Look at verse 8.
Cain spoke to Abel,
his brother.
He doesn't speak to God,
he speaks to Abel.
Abel thinks,
well, things are fine.
And when they were
in the field,
Cain rose up against
his brother Abel
and killed him.
could you put up
the next point,
please?
Rage against God
tempts one
to kill the innocent
and the inconvenient.
This describes
human history
and our world today.
ISIL
is extremely devout
and are filled
with rage
against God.
And when we cannot
kill the God
that we are angry at,
we very easily
imagine killing
human beings
made in the image
of God.
And I know
Christians have
their own
sorry,
despicable
history
of using worship
to mask a rage
against God
which takes
itself out of
you can't
shoot God
but you can
shoot Jews.
You can
shoot gays.
You can
shoot the unborn.
You can
shoot blacks.
You can
shoot people
who own
property.
You can
shoot the
educated.
You can
shoot the
Dalits.
Or you can
strangle them.
And this
Bible passage
here
by its
description
of the
rage
against God
that leads
to the
killing
of the
innocent
and the
inconvenient
is
unbelievably
profoundly
true
of human
experience
of the
newspapers
today
and of
human
history.
Thank you.
So how does God act?
How does he act?
Verse 9.
Then the Lord said to Cain,
Where is Abel your brother?
Question, where is Abel?
See, when I say repentance is always an option,
Cain could say,
God, I don't know what I've done.
I killed him.
I did it.
Have mercy on me.
You know, God, it began with just me being mad at you.
And because you liked Abel,
and so I was mad at him.
And you warned me that sin could consume me and take me over,
and I didn't listen to you.
Is there any way you could have mercy on me for what I have done?
That's an option for Cain.
What does he say?
So that verse 9,
Then the Lord said to Cain,
Where is Abel your brother?
And Abel, Cain says to God,
I do not know.
Well, actually you do.
You can go point to God right where he is in the field.
And then,
this is not an encouragement for us to care to people.
Am I my brother's keeper?
Is the statement of callous disregard of human beings and of God.
Am I my brother's keeper?
I don't know what Abel is.
My God,
that's your responsibility looking after stuff like that.
I got things to do.
I got my own plans.
I'm not,
I'm a brother's keeper.
I got my own plans.
So how's God going to respond?
Verse 10,
And the Lord said,
What have you done?
The voice of your brother's blood
is crying to me from the ground.
This is one of these wonderful texts in the Bible.
You know,
those who,
for a variety of reasons,
have fallen in love with Hinduism or Buddhism
or versions of it in Canada.
You know,
at the end of the day,
one of the big problems,
not that Hindus and Buddhists,
they're very,
many of them are extremely moral.
They,
they put you and me to shame.
They really do.
But at the very,
very heart of their,
of their belief system
is this real inconsistency
that God is beyond good and evil,
that everything is ultimately one.
And here's the thing about the Bible.
The Bible,
it is very clear from beginning to end
that God is,
God believes in,
in,
in right and wrong and justice.
Jesus.
The voice of your brother's blood
is crying to me from the ground.
And now you are cursed from the ground.
And those of you who are here last week,
cursed in the Bible means
your relationship with the ground
is going to become impotent,
lacking in power.
The ground has opened its mouth
to receive your brother's blood
from your hand.
When you work the ground,
it shall no longer yield
to you its strength.
You shall be a fugitive
and a wanderer on the earth.
Then verse 13,
Cain said to the Lord,
my punishment is greater
than I can bear.
Behold,
you have driven me today
away from the ground
and from your face
I shall be hidden.
I shall be a fugitive
and a wanderer on the earth.
And whoever finds me
will kill me.
And we'll just pause.
Has Cain repented?
You know what?
To a Canadian,
this sounds like repentance.
Andrew,
next point.
Self-pity is not repentance.
Whining
is not repentance.
Just before I read the rest of this,
it's really interesting
if you can find a news account
of what went on with UBC
when they disinvited that,
I think his name was Furlong,
and then the Freedom of Information Act,
the emails going back and forward
between the university
and his agent.
That list,
in fact,
that list,
that's sort of,
regretting getting caught
is not repentance.
Managing negative consequences
is not repentance.
Facing social exposure
is not repentance.
Making excuses
is not repentance.
Cain doesn't repent.
He is filled with self-pity
and whining
at the consequence
of his action.
It's an attempt
by Cain
to make God
feel guilty,
not for him
to acknowledge
what he's done
and to turn
the direction
of his life
towards God
and ask God
for mercy.
That's repentance.
I have done wrong.
Have mercy.
I want to be
towards you
to the ones
that we've wronged.
I want to be
towards you
and I want to be
towards God.
Have mercy on me.
Is there any
help or hope
that
you may have
mercy
because
what I have
done
is wrong?
And how does
God respond?
Verse 15.
Then the Lord
said to him,
oh sorry,
verse 14,
Cain's continued,
Behold,
you have driven me
today away
from the ground
and from your face
I shall be hidden.
I shall be a fugitive
and a wanderer
on the earth
and whoever finds me
will kill me.
God's response,
verse 15.
Then the Lord
said to him,
not so.
If anyone
kills Cain,
vengeance shall
be taken on him
sevenfold.
And the Lord
put a mark
on Cain,
lest any
who found him
should attack him.
Then Cain
went away
from the presence
of the Lord
and settled
in the land
of Nod,
east of Eden.
What's going on here?
Like why is it
that God
puts the mark
on him
and is the text
contradictory
that God
said he's going
to be a wanderer
but he goes
and he has a home?
No.
Next point,
please.
This is the beginning
of the understanding
of a biblical thing.
I don't talk about it
as much as I should
but it explains
a lot of what goes on
in, you know,
when I said about how,
you know,
a lot of Hindus
and Buddhists
are far more moral
than you and me,
like vastly more moral
than you than me.
They have a contradiction
in their thought
but they're far more moral.
The reason is
common grace.
God offers real grace
to Cain.
Common grace for all
and saving grace
for all who ask
with repentance
and faith.
What is one way
to understand?
In fact,
in some ways
this is a perfect
little illustration
of what common grace is.
God's provision
and protection
without salvation.
God's provision
and protection
without salvation.
Cain is continued
to be provided for.
He's protected.
It's all in the hope
that at some point
in time
that he will turn
back to God.
Saving grace
is what only comes
from Jesus.
If you could put up
the next point, please.
Oh, sorry.
I've sort of got my...
I should have...
Go to the next one
and then we'll come back
to this one.
There we go.
You don't have to be...
Anyway.
Actually,
I'll sort of go back
to the earlier one.
Now, everybody's looked
at these points now
very carefully.
There's no contradiction here.
This is a very,
very powerful image
because the land of Nod
is...
Nod means wandering.
Cain chose
wandering away
from God
to be his home.
Where is Cain's home?
Wandering away
from God.
This is very human.
Next point, please.
Here's the salvation.
I need to wrap it up.
The shed blood of Abel
cries out for justice.
Isn't that what it does?
God says to Cain,
I hear the blood
of your brother Abel
crying out to me.
And Abel is innocent
and what it's crying out
is God,
have justice.
And it's a good call.
This is from Hebrews,
by the way,
this insight.
Hebrews 12.
It's in your going deeper
if you want to check it out.
But the shed blood of Jesus
cries out that mercy
has triumphed over justice.
It's a mixture of a quote
from James
and a quote from Hebrews.
I'm not smart enough
to think this up.
I got it from the Bible.
The shed blood of Jesus
cries out that mercy
has triumphed over justice.
How has it triumphed over justice?
It hasn't triumphed over justice
by being unjust,
by just saying,
well,
I'm just going to give
these people a pass.
And that's injustice.
But that on the cross,
the innocent one,
God's justice
falls on the innocent one
because the innocent one
willingly says,
I will take the place of George.
By his wounds,
I am healed.
By his stripes,
I am delivered.
The punishment that brought me peace
was laid upon him.
In my place,
condemned,
he stood.
And the blood of Jesus
cries out that mercy
has triumphed over justice.
Justice has done
everything it should do
to be just.
And when all is over,
there is mercy.
Repentance is always an option.
Could you put up the final thing?
So those of you who
weren't here,
I'll stand, please.
Please stand.
Those of you,
you weren't here
at the very beginning,
at the very beginning
of the service
of morning prayer,
I say a prayer
after people have,
we've all repented
and I say a prayer.
And I'm going to have us
all say it together
as a closing prayer
in response to this text.
It's brilliant.
It is absolutely brilliant.
It is so profound.
And what I said
at the beginning
of the service,
which I'm going to have you
say in a moment,
not right now,
but I say,
Almighty God,
the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
and what does this
explain here?
But why does God say
to Cain,
you have a chance?
Why does God give Cain
common grace?
Why?
Because God does not desire
the death of a sinner.
Why does God give
common grace?
Because he does not desire
the death of a sinner.
What does he desire?
But rather that he,
that you and me,
may turn from his wickedness
and live.
Next slide.
The prayer continues.
And so what has God given
to his ministers?
And in Anglicanism,
we're all ministers.
We're all ministers.
Ministers just means servants.
And what has he said?
He's given power
to those of us
who've trusted in Jesus
as our Savior and Lord.
He's trusted us
to give power,
and he's told us
to do this,
to declare and pronounce
to his people
in all sort of the city
of Ottawa
and to the ends
of the earth
that being penitent,
sorry,
we,
the absolution
or remission
of our sins
is possible.
Why?
Because God pardons
and absolves
all them
that truly repent
and unfeignedly believe
his holy gospel.
What does unfeignedly mean?
The opposite of Cain.
It means without any pretense,
no play acting,
no pretend,
really.
Next thing.
So how shall we respond?
Wherefore means
how should we respond?
Let us call out to him
to grant us what?
True repentance.
To put an end
to whining
and self-pity
and regretting
that being caught.
Call out to God
for true repentance.
And what else?
We need God's help.
Call out to God
for true repentance
in his Holy Spirit.
Why?
That our time of worship
right now
will please him.
That's what we're doing
at our present.
And that the rest
of our life
forever
may be pure and holy.
Why?
So at the very end
we will come
to his eternal joy.
Through who?
Through the church?
No.
Through baptism?
No.
Through being religious
or spiritual?
No.
Through Jesus Christ?
Yes.
This was written
over 500 years ago.
For some of us
we just need to pray
this prayer all the time.
And if you have never
given your life to Jesus
may this prayer
be your conversion.
Could you go back
to the beginning, Andrew?
And I invite you
to pray it with me.
Almighty God,
the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
who desires not
the death of a sinner,
but rather that he may
turn from his wickedness
and live,
and has given power
and commandment
to his ministers
to declare
and pronounce
to his people
being penitent
the absolution
and remission
of their sins.
he pardons
and absolves
all them
that truly repent
and unfeignedly believe
his holy gospel.
Wherefore,
let us beseech him
to grant us
true repentance
and his Holy Spirit,
that those things
may please him
which we do
at this present,
and that the rest
of our life hereafter
may be pure
and holy,
so that at the last
we may come
to his eternal joy.
Through Jesus Christ,
our Lord.
Amen.