Unlikely Heroes: Abel - the Overlooked but Faithful
Pastor Phil Moser
September 25th, 2022
Pastor Phil Moser
September 25th, 2022
4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, âI have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.â 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, âWhere is Abel your brother?â He said, âI do not know; am I my brotherâs keeper?â 10 And the LORD said, âWhat have you done? The voice of your brotherâs blood is crying to me from the ground.
Genesis 4:4-9
Genesis 4:4-9
Anotherâs sin may impact you, but your faithfulness affects others too.
â˘Anotherâs sin may mean youâre treated unfairly (Gen. 4:1-2)
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, âI have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.â 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.
Genesis 3:14-16
14 The Lord God said to the serpent⌠15 âI will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.â 16 To the woman he said, âI will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.
â˘Anotherâs sin may harm you or your family (Gen. 4:8)
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, âWhere is Abel your brother?â He said, âI do not know; am I my brotherâs keeper?â 10 And the LORD said, âWhat have you done? The voice of your brotherâs blood is crying to me from the ground.
â˘Anotherâs sin cannot be the cause of your choice to sin (Jam. 4:1-4)
And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â
James 4:1-3
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
1 Peter 2:21, 23
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his stepsâŚ23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
â˘Anotherâs sin may mean youâre treated unfairly (Gen. 4:1-2)
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, âI have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.â 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.
Genesis 3:14-16
14 The Lord God said to the serpent⌠15 âI will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.â 16 To the woman he said, âI will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.
â˘Anotherâs sin may harm you or your family (Gen. 4:8)
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, âWhere is Abel your brother?â He said, âI do not know; am I my brotherâs keeper?â 10 And the LORD said, âWhat have you done? The voice of your brotherâs blood is crying to me from the ground.
â˘Anotherâs sin cannot be the cause of your choice to sin (Jam. 4:1-4)
And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â
James 4:1-3
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
1 Peter 2:21, 23
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his stepsâŚ23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
â˘Sin begins as a private conversation with yourself, but it doesnât stay that way (Gen. 4:5-6).
And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â
And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â
â˘Sin is patientâwaiting for the right time to ensnare (Gen. 4:7; 2 Tim. 2:26)
And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â
And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â
â˘Sin is selfishâyour attitudes and actions are not yours alone; they will impact others.
And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â
And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, âWhy are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.â
Anotherâs sin may impact you, but your faithfulness affects others too.
â˘Give your best effort for God, donât give your leftovers (Heb. 11:4; 1 Cor. 10:31)
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
â˘Donât compare yourself to others, seek to imitate Christ (Matt. 23:35).
34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
Hebrews 12:22-24
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
â˘By faith do the right thing today, even when you donât feel like it (Heb. 11:4).
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
â˘Give your best effort for God, donât give your leftovers (Heb. 11:4; 1 Cor. 10:31)
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
â˘Donât compare yourself to others, seek to imitate Christ (Matt. 23:35).
34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
Hebrews 12:22-24
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
â˘By faith do the right thing today, even when you donât feel like it (Heb. 11:4).
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
Anotherâs sin may impact you, but your faithfulness affects others too.