Abel

turn your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 we're going to continue our series called broken and we're talking this series about people that are broken that God puts back together and how that God uses broken people we looked at last week in Hebrews chapter 11 is God's Hall of Fame it's all the heroes of The Faith from the Old Testament and yet every one of those people in Hebrews chap 11 were broken in some way or another they had problems they had challenges they had things that they had to overcome and that's what God uses as broken people and he heals our broken lives as well if you look at Hebrews 11: 1-6 it says now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence

of Things Not Seen for by it the elders obtained a good report through faith we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear by faith Abel offered on un to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God but without faith it impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and is a rewarder of them that

diligently seek seek him let's bow for prayer father as we open up your word again we pray that you'd open to our hearts and to our lives Lord we pray that you would take people that have been broken and heal them we thank you that you use broken people for your purpose and your service we thank you Lord for this passage as we study it through in Jesus name amen Abel and Cain are the first ones that are mentioned here in Hebrews chapter 11 God's Hall of Fame as Heroes of Faith and we don't know a lot about them we primarily have in Genesis 4 the incident that you might remember where ALB and Cain they were brothers possibly even twin brothers we're not sure of that but there are indications

in the Bible that that may be the case but either way they were brothers and sibling rivalry you know sometimes we don't get along with our brothers and sisters you know and uh maybe that's your case as well in 1 Peter chapter 3 and verses 8 and9 the Bible says finally be all of One mind having compassion one of another love as Brethren be pitiful be courteous not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing but contrary wise blessing knowing that you are there and to called that you should inherit a blessing now it says the love as Brethren let me ask you a question how many of you that maybe had an older brother or maybe older sisters well you knew that they loved you raise your hand how

many know that your brother your sister loves you okay good and and maybe you're one of those ones that you know your brother loved you because he teased you all the time because he loved to harass you because he loved to pick on you because he loved to hit you maybe that's the way your relationship was with your brother or sister not all of us grow up with good relationships with our family and uh sometimes there's a lot of reasons for that but sometimes it's the parents that cause our children's problems in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse number four the Bible says and ye fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and perhaps you're

someone that maybe your Brokenness is because of how you were raised because of problems you had with your family whether it was your brother or your sister or whether it was with your parents as well but perhaps that's where their Brokenness comes from you know in the Bible a lot of these Bible parents didn't Bible parents didn't do so well as parents and we can learn lessons from them we have the example of of Esau of Adam and and Cain and something the first children yet here these parents Adam and Eve had a Sons one killed the other and the other one was banned and exiled that that's not a good way to have your children end up is it and then we have another example in Jacob and Esau you

remember the two of them uh Jacob thought his Esau brother wanted to kill him and I think he did and why did that happen in Genesis chapter 27 well if you study the chapter you'll find it comes down to favoritism dad had his favorite mom had her favorite and everybody knew it and they ended up being competition maybe that's the way you feel about your brother sister they were always the favorite they were always treated differently they always got away with everything or whatever else it might have been and sometimes we as parents are guilty of favoritism or maybe you're like Eli Eli the Bible says in 1st Samuel 3:12 for I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity

which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile and restrained them not Eli did not discipline his children now some of you that maybe what you were raised with maybe you were raised with a home where there was no discipline uh you were allowed to do whatever you wanted to to do or perhaps some of you were raised in the home where it was harsh discipline it was discipline that was not done with love and grace and forgiveness and and and maybe that's what broke you as a child and a lot of times we as parents we fail in this area of discipline either being not disciplin our children to let them get away with everything or sometimes with Christian parents is the opposite we're too harsh

and too strict in our discipline and unloving or perhaps it was like Samuel now Samuel is the one that God told he was going to judge Eli for not disciplining his children so you think Samuel would have been forwarned with his own children but I don't think his problem was so much in the are discipline I think was Samuel Samuel was one of the greatest prophets that ever lived a great man of God but yet the Bible says in 1st Samuel 8:3 and his sons walked not in his ways but turned to side after lucer and took bribes and perverted judgment and I as I studied the life of Samuel I think I know what happened he was so busy serving God he didn't have time for his kids and a lot of families were

so busy with our work we're so busy with our uh ex our H our uh hobbies and things that we do or we're so even so busy serving the lord that we don't have time for our children and don't pay attention to them and I think that's what happened with Samuel or perhaps you're like David David the Bible says in Acts 13:22 I have a found I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my will here was David God describes him as a man after my own heart and yet we read in 2 Samuel 18:33 and the King which was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept and as he went thus he said oh my son absen my son my son absin would God I had died for thee

Oh absen my son here was David a man after God's Own Heart and yet he's weeping over a son who had rebelled against him had rebelled against God's plan had gone to war against his father splitting the nation and end up being killed in battle and and David end up weeping for his son why why did that happen I believe because David had an inconsistent testimony he loved God but he didn't always live for God David was a man who committed adultery was a man who committed murder it's sometimes we as parents tell our children do what I say not what I do and our children don't know how to handle that and we end up breaking them and perhaps some of you were raised in a home like that and perhaps

you've got issues that you're dealing with from abuse as a child or from neglect as a child or something your parents did or failed to do and and that has stayed with you and caused you to be broken or maybe you as a parent are doing that to your children and don't wait until it's too late to fix it the Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 train up a child in the way he should go when he's old he'll not depart from it in Proverbs 20:7 it says the just man WTH in his Integrity his children are blessed after him and I want to challenge you parents don't make these same mistakes don't play favorites with your kids you treat them differently because they are different but you treat them as loving each

one of them I want to challenge you as parents to don't don't not discipline your children don't let them just do whatever they want to do teach them what's right teach them what's wrong and help them to learn that in their life and guide them through that process but at the same time don't be too harsh don't be too rough on them love them and give them the grace of God like God gives to you I want to challenge you as parents find time for your children I look back when I raised my children I was busy starting a church and there's many times I neglected my children because I was taking care of everybody else and I forgot my own children and I regret that don't work dominate your life so much

you don't have time for your kids don't even let the Lord's work do that you can still serve the Lord and spend time with your kids and don't make that mistake and don't make the mistake of being inconsistent live What You Preach don't tell your children do what I say and then don't do it yourself there's a challenge we can learn from Cain and Abel that we don't end up weeping over our own children when we grow old I can imagine Adam and Eve their very first children and they had many others afterwards but these are the first two and one murdered the other and he was banned for life don't let that happen you see in Genesis CH 4:9 it says the Lord said unto Cain where is Abel thy brother he

Saidi know not am I brother's keeper' now that's not a rhetorical question God says yes you are your brother's keeper you have a responsibility for those around you you're to love your brother go to First John chapter 4 1 John chapter 4 and look at verses 20 and 21 1 John 4: 20 and 21 in 1 John 4:20 it says if a man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a liar for he that loveth not his brother whom he seen how can he love God whom Heath not seen and this commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his brother also now we're not just talking about your physical brother or sister it starts there but it's talking about your spiritual Brothers those that are your brothers in

Christ and the Bible says that we are to love our brother we're taught this of God in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse number n it says but as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another you see this is the teaching of the word of God that you and I as Christians are to love one another we're to love our brother we're love our sister Natural Born or sister and brother in Christ in Romans chap 12 and verse number 10 it says be kindly affectionate one to another with brother love and honor preferring one another maybe there's somebody here that is having a struggle with loving somebody Maybe maybe a a relative a brother

or sister naturally or maybe it's a Christian or some other person that's hurt you in the past and and that pain and that hurt is broken you in 1 John chapter 3 and verses 14 and 15 the Bible says we know that we have passed from Death unto life because we love the Brethren he that loveth not his brother abideth in death whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding him God says listen don't hate your brother don't be a fool go to Matthew Chapter 5 you're familiar with this story The Sermon on the Mount and there's many things that God taught in that sermon and Matthew Chapter 5 and verses 21 and 22 the Bible says you have heard that it

was said unto them of old time Thou shalt not kill and what so whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the Judgment but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother Without a Cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whosoever say to his brother Rocka shall be in danger of the counsel but whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of Hellfire he said listen when you hate your brother it's the same as committing murder and you as I as Christians if we have the love of God abiding in us we have enough love to love even our brother even the one that has hurt us because he loved us while we're yet sinners the Bible says in Genesis CH 4:8 that Cain talked with Abel his

brother and it came to pass that when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel's brother and slew him you know when you have a problem with somebody whoever it might be a brother or sister or a fellow Christian whoever it might be the Bible teaches that we should go and talk to them now you say well that's what Cain did look how it ended up no the word for talk here in this passage it means to command to boast proudly you see Cain didn't go to his brother and say listen we have a problem we need to work out he went to his brother and said you did something I don't and came in with a harsh attitude and that's not the way you talk it out with somebody you see we need to work out

those issues we need to resolve those things in our lives and maybe you're here today and the reason that you're broken is because there's somebody you're angry with maybe it's your parents and how they raised you and what they did to you as a child has caused you to be angry and bitter inside or maybe it's a physical brother or sister who didn't treat you right or was always the one that was always better always the one that thought he was better than you the firstborn maybe or or the one that got away with everything you know like the baby does or whatever else it might be and you been bitter against him or maybe there's somebody in your life that's hurt you that's done something or said

something that's left a scar inside of you and you need to forgive and you need to resolve that issue between you and God and between you and your brother because when you hold on to anger it just becomes worse in Ephesians chapter 4: 26 and 27 the Bible says be angry and sin not let not the sun go down upon your wrath neither give place to the devil and when you hold on to anger and you hold on to bitterness that just gives the devil something to work on in your life and it just keeps building up and building up and building up and at some point you got to decide I've got to deal with this because as long as you hold on to that anger you're going to be broken and you need to let it go go

over to Psalms chapter 13 a lot of times we're angry at people but really we're angry at God and we're taking out our anger at God on people because you can't be angry with God right in Psalms chapter 13 and beginning with verse number one it says how long Willl thou Forget Me Oh Lord forever how long will thou hide thy face from me how long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me consider and hear me oh Lord my God lighten my eyes lest I sleep the S the sleep of the death lest my enemies say I have prevailed against him and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved he said listen God what why aren't you solving this

why aren't you fixing this God I'm mad at you I'm angry with you and so many of us were angry with God but what do we do we take out that anger on people around us you know a lot of times in marriage counseling I find that the problems in the marriage is because one of the spouses is kind of expecting the other spouse to do for them what only God can do and because they're not doing what they what they want God to do they're not doing it they're mad at them because it's they're not getting what they can only get from God they can't get from their spouse and a lot of times we do that with our parents we do that with others in our life and so we're mad at God but we can't get mad at God so we

get mad at them and we take it out on them and what we have to do is like the psalmist here in verse number five he says but I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation I will sing unto the Lord because he had dealt bountifully with me you've got to deal with this with God and perhaps some of you you need to say God I'm mad God I'm angry why did you let this happen to me why didn't you do this for me why didn't you allow why did you allow this and maybe you're mad at God then be honest with God God can take it but in the end you have to also come to that point realize that God loves you and although you may not understand everything he's a god of Mercy he's God of

love until you let go of that anger against God you're going to be broken but then we also get mad at people don't we and when you're mad at people you need to go and talk to them you need to go and fix it in Matthew 5 and: 23 24 we won't turn over there but it says if you have ought against your brother if there's a problem between you and your brother and then in MA Mark 11 and verse number 25 it says if your brother have ought against you you know what our excuse is so often well it's their problem if they want to talk to me they can come to me but the Bible says if you have ought against your brother or or your brother have ought against you it doesn't matter whose fault it is doesn't

matter who started this it doesn't matter all any of this he said listen go leave your gift at the altar go to them immediately and get it reconciled get it worked out and some of you are never going to be unbroken until you're willing to go talk this out maybe some of you need to have a talk with your parents and tell them how much it hurt maybe some of you need to have a talk with a brother or sister and and try to resolve those issues from so long ago there's some of you that there's somebody in your past that you need to call on the phone or write a letter or an email to and say listen I I just need to work this through true and sometimes that's not easy perhaps your parents are dead so

then how do you deal with it or perhaps they won't talk to you the person that hurts you but you need to take that first step the Bible says in Romans it's chapter 12 that as much as Li in you live peaceably with all men it's not about whether they'll get it right it's not about whether they're going to change your parents may never admit they were wrong your brother sister may never ask your forgiveness they may never tell you they're sorry but it's about you as much as lith in you live peacefully with all men and some of these issues are not going to be dealt with until you go and talk it out with God and you go and talk it out with them because your anger will not be used by God the Bible

says in James chapter 1: 19 20 wherefore my beloved Brethren let every man be swift to hear slow to speak slow to Wrath for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God we hold on to our anger we feel like it's righteous anger I have a right to be mad they treated me wrong this was not right and maybe that's true but in the end you have to give it over to the lord it's not your wrath that's going to solve this problem it's not your anger that's going to fix it you've got to be willing to resolve this issue job went through a lot in his life and he never understood why he had to go through all that suffering and he had good reasons to be upset and to be mad but the Bible says in Job

chapter 42 and verse number 10 and the Lord turned the Captivity of job when he prayed for his friends also the lord gave job twice as much as he had before there's a point where you have to get that point you're willing to forgive and you're willing to pray for them you see my my parents don't deserve to be forgiven the way they treated me that that Uncle that did that to me that that brother that that person they don't deserve it that's not about it because you know what you and I don't deserve God's forgiveness but God commendeth his love towards us are yet sinners Christ dieded for us it's not even about them saying sorry it's about you letting go of the hurt and forgiving it's not about

being okay and let him keep treating you badly ly in some cases you need to to bring out the issue and then cut off the relationship because they're not going to change and that's okay but in the end as long as you hold on to that bitterness and that anger and that hurt you're going to be broken and that's the lesson we learned from Abel and Cain but there's one other thing we can learn from them back in Hebrews chap 11 and verse number four it says by faith offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain's by which he obtained witness that he was the righte he was righteous God God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh that phrase God testifying of his gifts

that phrase literally means to Bear witness or to Bear record you know it's interesting this is the first in God's Heroes of Faith list he starts with Cain and Abel and he says they set the record you know what it means to set a record right you set a record for everybody else to have to come up to it's like it's like in in the mile race the record used to be for a long time four minutes that was the record everybody tried to break nowadays almost everybody breaks the four minute mile and and every sport has records there's records for football there's records for basketball there's records for baseball and I'm going to use a baseball illustration for example Babe Ruth 177 runs scored in

1921 one year 1 77 runs that's a record then you have Joe dagio he had a 56 game hit streak that's an amazing record 56 games in a row he had a hit Hank Aaron 6,856 career total bases wow what a record Nolan Ryan Ryan a pitcher 5,714 strikeouts in his career amazing then there's Tai cob Tai cob was the all-time batting average and his batting average was 37% that's the record now records are made to be broken everybody wants to break the record they want to be the next Tai cob they want to be the next Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth they want to break the record and and most records are broken at some point but some records still stand today but here's the thing folks abble set the record and that

record was by faith because it's only by faith that we can be saved you see in baseball Tai Cobb had 37% hitting batting average and that was a record that was great if you hit 50% you'd be the world best player in the for ever but with God it's only 100% you see with God the Bible says in Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God in James chapter 2 and verse number 10 it says for whosoever should keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all if you struck out one time you'd be you you wouldn't be able to have the record in one point now have you struck out in one point in your life have you ever had a bad thought have you ever said something you

shouldn't say have you ever gotten angry at somebody have you ever disobeyed your parents you see all have sinned and come short of the glory of God in baseball 37% is good but in life God says there nothing less than 100% is good enough that's why he rejected Cain's offering because Cain brought the offering of his hands in Hebrews 12 and verse number 24 Hebrews chap 12 and verse number 24 it says and to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel Abel set the record but Jesus established the alltime record you see you need to understand that everybody is saved by faith whether the Old Testament or new testament they're

still saved by faith they weren't saved by keeping the law they weren't saved by going to the temple with sacrifices they were saved because they believed in the sacrifice of the coming Messiah God accepted Abel's offerings because Abel brought the bloody sacrifice as a memorial to the coming savior he put his faith in a savior who was to come and the promised messiah in the promise of a savior you and I today we saved by Looking Back to the Savior who's already come the same savior who died and shed his blood to save us from our sins it's not the works of our hands in Ephesians 28:9 it says for by grace are you saved through faith and then not of yourselves it's the gift of God not of works

let amen Bo and that's why God rejected Cain's offering because he brought and said look at what Lord what I've done and thought that that would be satisfying the Lord but God says I don't need that I'm the one that created that I want you to come by faith accepting my promise of a savior that Bloody sacrifice the one who would die for you in Titus 3:5 it says not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he has saved us in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21 it says that God ha made him Christ who knew no sin to become sin for us that we might be made the righteous of God in him it's not our own righteousness in Hebrews 11:4 God said Abel set the standard

because he came by faith he put his trust in the promise of a savior and you and I trust in the Savior who's already died was buried and rose again for us you know you kind of look at abble and said well he's the one that did the right thing and how what did that get him it got him death he got killed and you kind of look at that and say well wow what good was it to him well I kind of think it might have been a special thing Abel was the first one to go to heaven he's the first one it's kind of like the thief in the cross this day Thou shalt be in Paradise he's the first one that went to Paradise With Jesus I think if you could talk to Abel today he wouldn't complain well I got murdered for

bringing the right sacrifice because he's in heaven in 1 John chapter 5: 12 and 13 the Bible says he that hath the son hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the son of God so you can know for sure you're going to heaven Abel's in heaven today what about you have you trusted Christ in Romans chap 10: 9- 10 it says that if Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and Shall Believe in thine heart that God has raised the dead Thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth on the righteousness and with

the mouth confession is made unto salvation Romans 10:13 for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved you see you got to stop coming to God and say God look at all my good works look at my religion look at my rituals like baptism and catechism look at all the good things that I've done because God says it's not good enough because it's not 100% the only one that has 100% is Jesus and what you need to do is you need to bring the sacrifice you need to come to God and say I need the sacrifice of Christ I need what Jesus did when he died for me on the cross have you trusted in him now when you get saved it's like you get to be on the team but now you got to get up to bat and

now you got to get on base and God wants you and I that are saved you know when I have somebody in my team I want them I want them to do their best turn over to Philippians chapter Philippians chapter 3 Philippians chapter 3 and beginning with verse number 12 Philippians chapter 3 and beginning with verse number 12 it says uh verse number 13 I'm sorry Philippians chapter 3 and let me get the right one here Philippians 312- 13 bre I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth onto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus now that I'm saved now that

I'm in the game when I get up there I want to hit I want to get to base I I want to get all the way around those bases I want to get home you know what you get to first base the inning ends that's not good enough you want to get all the way home you want to make that run in Colossians chapter 3 and verse number 15 it Colossians 3:23 it says whato do do it hardly as the Lord and not unto men knowing that of the Lord you should receive the reward of our inheritance for you serve the Lord Jesus Christ that word heartily whatsoever you do do it hardly as the Lord the word hardly means to be out of breath it it's like when you run trying to get from Third Base to home and you slide into home you

given everything you've got you've got nothing left to give you've left your all on the field I'm going to give it my best and that's the way we as Christians ought to live the Christian Life in Colossians 3:15 it says let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you are called in one body and be thankful you know what that phrase means let the peace of God rule in your hearts the word rule comes from the Greek word where we get our word umpire from you see folks ultimately it's only what the Umpire says that lasts I I want to illustrate this for you I I've got here a ball and a glove and and I'm going to need some help with this so Larry would you come up here you're going to be

my my base runner if you would all right and so Larry you're going to run the bases now first base is over here second base is over there third base is over there okay so Larry just got a hit and now he's going to run he's going to get to Third Base so you got a triple go for the Triple go all the way to the third base over there and he's going to get to Third Base now let me ask you a question if the Indian stop there that's Third Base I said Third Base stay there there okay now if the inning ends and he's still on third base does it count next inning does he get go back to Third Base that's the way the Christian Life is no matter what you do today you got to get up tomorrow and do it again

and every day you still got to strive for home okay now we're gonna we're gon to bring the next batter up so brother quilty would you come up here gonna be the next batter and brother quilty is a good hitter and and Larry knows that and so brother quilty is going to hit the next ball and uh when he hits that ball it's going to be a popup fly all right so get ready to hit the ball for me and ready there all right ready hit the ball and it's a pop-up fly go ahead and hit the feels out that way brother no Cy brother quy get back over get back over you haven't hit the ball yet okay all right now you ready to hit the ball for me okay give it a good hit give a good solid hit all right brother the

cousins the ball comes out to you and you're gonna oh come on now all right let's try it again there you go okay he's got it he catches the pop-up flow where's Larry get back to third base man fighting good people for illustrations is hard today okay now Larry knows brother quilty is kind of a popup kind of guy and he's ready for it when when you have a popup ball and the guy catches it what do you have to do tag up you have to stay in your base once they catch it then you can run for home so Larry sees that and so he's getting ready to run from home and as he's getting ready to run from home brother the cousins I want you to toss the ball back over over here oh I got the lights right in my

eye there all right all right so you're going to toss the ball brother cousin come on back here come a little closer to do that and uh you're get ready to do it all right ready Larry ready all right go come on Larry gotta go for Home's all right now Larry I want you to slide into home all right there we go okay now you ever watch a game where the guy slides in home is real close okay now when that happens what does what happens to everybody now you got the home team this is the home team over here so what are they going to say come on louder all right then you got the the the the visiting team and they're going to say all right come on we got to do better than this the home team says what

louder all right the visiting team says what out out and then the guys in The Dugout they're all over here the guys in the home team are saying he's safe and the guys in the other Dugout say he's out and then the coaches come out and they get nose to nose and one coach is saying he's safe and the other coach says out and everybody's yelling everybody's screaming in fact at home there's a guy sitting on his couch watching the game and he's jumping up and down going he's safe he's safe he's safe and nobody hears him but he's still doing it so everybody's yelling but whose opinion matters only one guy he either says safe or out thank you Larry now listen doesn't matter what your parents say

doesn't matter what your church says it doesn't matter what everybody else says the only one that matters is whether God says you're safe or you're out whether you're going to heaven or you're not and he that hath the son hath life he that hath not the Son of God had not life and in life as Christians as we live our life you get to first base that's great but you know what if that's as far as you get it doesn't count you got to get the second you got to get the third you got to get home every day you run that race every day you keep at it doesn't matter what you did yesterday you got to get up today and some of you what you did is you skipped first base and went right to Second you never got baptized you never joined the church you see folks you got to do it in the right order you got to do it all the way home you got to do it every day