The four memory verses we have already
had follow:
Gen. 18:19: For I know him, that he will
command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep
the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring
upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Rom. 13:1: Let every soul be subject unto
the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be
are ordained of God.
Col. 3:22: Servants, obey in all things
your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers;
but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
1 Sam. 15:22: And Samuel said, Hath the
LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying
the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to
hearken than the fat of rams.
Our study this morning in found in Gen.
4:1-7. Cain and Abel are opposites in respect to this characteristic of
obedience.
The Bible teaches us that “faith comes by
hearing” the word of God (Rom. 10:17). God demands nothing of us that he
has not revealed to us. By correct reasoning then, we may assume that
both Cain and Abel had instructions about how and why they were to
conduct their worship to God. Cain’s worship was rejected and Abel’s
accepted. Let’s notice some lessons we can consider.
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This lesson teaches us that all worship
is not acceptable by God. Some have the mistaken idea that if men make
any effort to come to God in any form of worship that God will accept it
as glorifying Him. Thus, we have people dancing, playing rock music,
clapping and swaying, using drama and many other forms to worship our
Father. God says that in all of life, including worship, we must do only
what is authorized (Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11; cf. Heb. 7:12-14; Heb. 8:5).
Part of following God is following His pattern for worship.
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Worship that does not follow truth also
does not have the right spirit. Jn. 4:24 says that we must worship God
in spirit and in truth. But, if we do not have the reverence for God to
follow what He says to do (worship in truth), we cannot be worshipping
Him in spirit either. Cain did not have enough respect for God to follow
His instructions.
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Partial obedience is not obedience. Cain
brought a sacrifice as God had obviously instructed. But, he did not
bring the sacrifice God demanded. Saul made a similar claim to obedience
in 1 Sam. 15 when he claimed to have obeyed God in completely destroying
the Amalekites. But he brought back the king and some animals to
sacrifice. God’s reply is this week’s memory verse, “And Samuel said,
Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in
obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
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Worship offered without respect to all of
God’s commandments is vain, useless worship. Jesus said of the Jews,
God’s own people, in Matt. 15:8-9 “7: Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias
prophesy of you, saying, 8: This people draweth nigh unto me with their
mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.” If we do not teach and practice God’s “whole
counsel,” how can we claim to be following Him.
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Improper worship is sin. It is false
worship. God so informed Cain in Gen. 4:7. The wages of sin is death
(Rom. 6:23). It is not a little thing to change God’s law, ignore God’s
law or to misuse God’s law. I have talked with people who acknowledge
they are not doing everything according to the scripture, but then act
as if that does not matter much if they are sincere. Wrong.
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There is no turmoil when worship is done
right. The divisions in God’s church today is not because of those who
are doing all God said (Mt. 28:20), but because of those who try to
change, ignore or add to what God has said. The trouble between Cain and
Abel came because Cain became jealous and angry at being rejected for
his disobedience while his brother was accepted for his obedience.
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Abel, being dead, yet speaketh (Heb.
11:4). We should listen. There is a great difference between obedience
and disobedience.
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