Learning from Cain's Example: Genuine Faith and Costly Sacrifice

As followers of Christ are we willingly to submit to what the Bible says about what occupies our time, what we do with our talents, and how we spend our treasures.

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him. John 6:66

And he said to him, Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth. And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Mark 10:20-22

Are you handling your earthly treasures with the right attitude as evidenced by the right actions?

By Faith Hebrews 11:4 Genesis 4:1-7 Proverbs 3:5-10

Big Picture . . .

Big Picture . . . We must guard against simply going through the motions of religious activity rather than living by genuine devotion.

Cain was simply doing what he knew to do without it being costly.

Cain was simply doing what he knew to do without it being costly. When you exercise genuine faith in God it will always cost you something.

Cain was simply doing what he knew to do without it being costly. When you exercise genuine faith in God it will always cost you something. God knows where your heart is and is always extending grace as we grow.

Cain was simply doing what he knew to do without it being costly. When you exercise genuine faith in God it will always cost you something. God knows where your heart is and is always extending grace as we grow. Cain s mother had been talked into sin and Cain could not be talked out of sin.

Big Picture . . . We must guard against simply going through the motions of religious activity rather than living by genuine devotion. We must guard against giving God our sloppy leftovers rather than giving Him our utmost, our best, our finest and our highest.

Questions to consider:

Questions to consider: Why didn t God accept Cain s offering but accepted Abel s?

Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground.

Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. Abel . . . brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.

Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. Abel . . . brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. Abel was giving up something which required him to trust the Lord to make up the difference.

Questions to consider: Why didn t God accept Cain s offering but accepted Abel s? What does it mean to give to God your first portion?

Bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. Deuteronomy 12:6

Bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. Deuteronomy 12:6 You are to give . . . the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep. Deuteronomy 18:4

The first portion belongs to God.

The first portion belongs to God. We no longer offer cattle or corn to the Lord. We now offer Him our first portion of time, talents, and treasures.

Where is the life-giving presence of God on display in this world? Through the local church.

What you bring to God reflects what you think of God, and God deserves the very best.

What you bring to God reflects what you think of God, and God deserves the very best. The quality of offering given to God signifies and reflects the importance we give Him.

The whole earth is mine. Exodus 19:5

The whole earth is mine. Exodus 19:5 The earth is the Lord s, and everything in it. Psalm 24:1

We declare our trust in God by our willingness to give the first portion of our time, talent and treasures.

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

When you give remember . . .

When you give remember . . . Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

When God the Father gave us His only Son He gave us the very best for our very worst.

When God the Father gave us His only Son He gave us the very best for our very worst. How can any of us who have tasted the extravagant love of Christ be stingy with our time, talents, and resources?

When God the Father gave us His only Son He gave us the very best for our very worst. How can any of us who have tasted the extravagant love of Christ be stingy with our time, talents, and resources? Abundant grace should bring about abundant gratitude.

When you give remember . . . Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives. Before we give our money we must first give ourselves.

We want you to know brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, and beyond their means . . . 2 Corinthians 8:1-3

they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 2 Corinthians 8:5

What God wants first and foremost is us not our money.

When you give remember . . . Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives. Before we give our money we must first give ourselves. Giving is an act of worship.

honor it means to glorify God. To glorify God means to acknowledge His greatness.

God gives us wealth so we will use it to worship Him.

God gives us wealth so we will use it to worship Him. By faith I worship God by giving away what I can keep but trusting Him to provide what I need.

When you give remember . . . Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives. Before we give our money we must first give ourselves. Giving is an act of worship. Giving to the Lord is the first thing we should do with our money - not the second, the middle or the last.

firstfruits refers to the firstborn of the flocks and the first vegetables and grains to be gathered at harvest time.

firstfruits refers to the firstborn of the flocks and the first vegetables and grains to be gathered at harvest time. How much is this firstfruits ?

firstfruits refers to the firstborn of the flocks and the first vegetables and grains to be gathered at harvest time. How much is this firstfruits ? How much should Christians give to their local church from their income that they receive?

When you give remember . . . Every Christian should be moving toward the tithe and beyond.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a high priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram by God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Genesis 14:18-20

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done (tithing) without neglecting the others. Matthew 23:23