Abel: The Worship of Faith, Part 1

What is God's only evidence is the quality of our worship shows the true level of our devotion writings you want to try a greater God is celebrating.

This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. Dr. Evans is the kind of worship God gets isn't always the kind he wants and today he explains the difference that made in the lives of two Bible characters and the difference it can make to us. Let's join him there is a camp that I used to go to upstate New York when the kids were small, and I remember when I first went there in the wintertime camp is located at a lake on one side of the lake is the adult camp and will be on the side of the lake is the children's camp is on one occasion, they told me to go speak to the young people to the teenagers across the lake and I could just walk across like what I want to excited about walking across the lake even though it was in the dinner went up in the lake was supposed to be frozen. I could just see myself now halfway across the lake ice break and is all the information to excited about walking across the lake on also travel when I saw the drive over group about my ability to walk over and saw something bigger and heavier than me achieve something that I was to pursue my faith group. You should have no problem trusting a God who can create a universe is 11 three says the world were created out of things you do not see the world, the world's leading the whole universe was created by God's word out of things that you cannot see.

And God wants to know what's the problem with trusting somebody who is in the business of creating universes simply by the word of his mouth. We learn what faith is like it is so even when it's not.

So, in order that it might be social because God said so. Faith is not to be an event. Faith is to be a lifestyle we are to live by faith, not take faith from the cage faith is supposed to be how we roll. Supposedly going global way of operating and involves what you do not see but even though you do not see it because faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. Even though you don't see it. It's not because there is no content is just the content that you haven't seen visually yet, but it is real. The key thing we learned last time was that without faith Hebrews 11 six. It is impossible to please God. And the reason why you can't please God without faith is that glasnost challenges his integrity to not believe in God and in light of what you say you believe is the call God a liar now to know how you feel when somebody calls you a liar when you told the truth but I can be downright insulting to think how a perfect God must feel when he is called a liar by his children because we refuse to take him at his word. You can feel faith-ish and have no faith, you can feel no faith and be full of faith for faith is measured by your foot that you're feeling. If you're not moving you are faithless, no matter how faith-ish. You may feel at a given moment. That's why the Bible calls it walking by faith not talking about the feeling by faith. It requires if there is no movement.

Don't be surprised that you don't see God because you just insulted by telling God you are a boldface lie. You cannot be trusted, and if you have no integrity, of course. Hebrews tells us clearly that by two immutable things, it is impossible for God to lie, God can't lie, and he could live if he wanted the line. He never even wants to because God has integrity, he cannot live.

This leads us to our journey when going to look at the heroes of faith don't walk personality my personality through Hebrews Chapter 11 and learn the lesson that each hero wants to teach you about why God is to be trusted. The scenarios in which you should trust him and how you express that trust. In practical terms, and he said let's go on a tour of what I call the home of faith. Let's visit the Museum of the heroes and find out the lesson of faith we start with Hebrews 11 verse four. The first personality given to us because he is the first man who had to live fully by faith because he was the first man born in sin. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts and through faith, though he is dead still speaks. We now want to talk about the fate of April is going to teach us today what it means to worship by faith. The Old Testament story of Cain and Abel is found in Genesis chapter 4 Abel is the first man of faith, because unlike his mother and father Adam and Eve didn't get to live in a perfect environment and see God face-to-face. Because initially, sin had not entered the world, but when they assumed they were removed from the presence of God. The Bible says in chapter 4 verse one that he and she gave birth to the son, and his name was. She gave birth again verse two to his brother Abel.

Abel was a keeper of flocks. Cain was a pillar of the ground. As verse three.

So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground on his part. The firstlings of the flat in their portions and the Lord had regard for Abel and his offerings. 13 and his offering he had no regard to that worship is shown both boys believe in God the kingdom worship was an atheist, both desired for their presence will be accepted by God for a moment just ticked off with his visit because paying Landon to the problem that many about to run into what's this and that is wanting to worship God our own way wanting to worship God like worship you not like he expects me to says Kmart and offering to the Lord from the ground.

The streets first for Abel on his part brought the present of the flock and their fat portions in the Lord regarded his offering he didn't regard Cain's offering something was wrong with what they brought you safe guy already told Adam and Eve and therefore through them. Cain and Abel to come in my presence, you must deal with sin and the way to deal with sin is through sacrifice to deal with your mom and your daddy and all sacrifice to deal with sin you bring to me from you worship me when I'm dealing with sin you want to, not without dealing with your rebellion or whatever live in your life that keeps you explain for me just one of the church skip sin and want me to be happy to live in Jesus on the cross was because of our sin and our need for atonement worship without atonement and your worship is not regarded. That is why we sent our worship on Jesus Christ because he is not the first thing that Cain did not do that.

Abel did once worship God in a way that recognize the reality of sin and forgiveness in order to be accepted by a holy God says Abel brought the firstlings of the flock and their fat. He didn't give God junk and leftovers, firstlings method that had one chief. One of the flock.

The fact that he found some juicy down somewhat allowed blowmolded to offer up to God. One of the reason the God project so much about worship of covered leftover on something together God's leftover beliefs on the case and I just brought didn't look to see what was right and what was good thing. But on top of some stuff to talk about is as Wightman.

Abel brought him the first the best masculine worship is not the best when it comes to reducing the God you shout to the Lord. Psalm 100 with a loud voice give glory to his name. Are you mumbling or better yet are you not singing at all the stages of Singapore you could, you'll feel like it right now. Please give them worship K shall not, in his worship was rejected because it was not a worship that was based on faith and faith is in your feet not fulfill what God had commanded not know what God expected. If he has a great name we all get right worship you audibly blasting your lungs to give him praise and not be ashamed of to give him recognition you want to prioritize his place in your life is a greater God, as you say we have a generation that satisfied to get God junk food for God's law to be happy with this till I couldn't say no a great God deserves great worship deserves all the gusto you got.

Once this is the this is the first five bucks for team and for his offering. Why because your offering is never detached from you, that Cain and his offering of God and seeing your seriousness by what you display with your time, talents and treasures so came here to enjoy Mrs. Fouts verse five says in Genesis forks, but Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. Cain became extremely angry very angry and took off, and his countenance fell. He became angry and depressed as his emotions. His emotions have gone so I. Emotions are we mad all the time depressed all the time. This guy was all the time to talk all the time to time to get along with jazz. We want to know what you are all because you worship with all your worship with all making God with you, that worship you gave gave him almost none. So you're an emotional come back next Sunday. Given some more job. You wonder why you always Sunday was rejected because you gave him junk you didn't give him what a great God deserves nobly what Zechariah says this is when they worship the rangy, nobly worship brain drain brings God's involvement in your life so you you been doing questions because it is going get worse before it gets better. Dr. Evans continues our message in just a moment but first I'm excited to tell you about our current featured resource kits. Tony's brand-new book kingdom heroes and it dovetails with a two-volume 13 part audio series we been listening to today called heroes of the faith. These two resources explore what it's like to live out the conviction that God can be trusted as we make the discovery that real faith is more than a matter of just what we believe and if you contact us right away will send you this extended series on CDs and MP3s along with one of the first copies of Dr. Evans latest book as our gift when you help us keep Tony's teaching on this station with your generous contribution will also include, as a bonus, the addition of the kingdom heroes Bible study to help you dig even deeper into the stories and their important concepts. Don't miss out. Call us today at 1-800-800-3222 so we can make the arrangements to send you all three of these kingdom heroes resources. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 or visit Tony Evans.org I'll repeat that information later after part two of today's teaching and this are you hungry for more power and more wisdom applied in your life then you need to connect the community of passionate God's word Tony Evans training center with exclusive video and audio teaching from Dr. Tony. This interactive online study experience allows you to explore theology and biblical history and application of thinking anytime, anywhere. Tony Evans training.org to get started today next 10 Evans training verse six of Genesis forks. Then the Lord said to Cain goshawk McCain contains emotionally down. Why are you so angry.

Why is your title installed okay verse seven if you do well, will not be left is right right will not want to write the motions to begin to dominate him and got one exit until James worship. And do not do well if you don't change what you're doing is crouching at the door and it is for you. You must master it all know you didn't go he says sin is crouching at the door. That means that the picture of an animal getting real low readiness okay walk with me man came worship your emotional stability and then you depressed and the door, ready to pounce on you door is called sin because like an animal crouching because the personality he says this thing called already seen when you worship when you use it against me when you worship you gave a jump worship. But I'm talking about a personality policy and is getting right you you okay again you messed up worship.

May God say I can do nothing with it which causes you to be angry and depressed in the press and open-door before now dominate you. You and so now you meant becomes a divorce now becomes an addiction that is now jumping all over you and it is creating with you so just now you are under the control of sin dominate controlling you, holding you, you're now addicted you now can't control your emotions control your violence can control your constant control and morale of the controller does not save as you well because you work it was off.

It all started because you got detached from a God who could use the junkie with an God says I'm not going to change it until you change change what I do have the power to change no change worship. The strange worship will receive your offering so that now you can control your emotions so that you cannot hosting a day goes on. And he says in Hebrews 11 verse four that the bed he speaks able speaks the cane is ticked off in Genesis chapter 4 and he finds his brother and killed in virtually another words are bad, worship will becomes a murder because when sin is crouching at the door.

It'll make you do things you didn't think you'd ever do a bad worship of becomes a killer take it out on God so he takes own another person because he's mad at God because God and accept his offering control of emotions. Sin takes over dominates him and that he did something he'd never planned it becomes a first-degree murder. But it says even though there able speaks ON the Washington even though bed able speaks so if able to talk. He still alive, so he die 11 of the talk is now talking with people have to say. God says again, where is your brother. Verse nine is bent over my brother's keeper.

God says the team members to the voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground and your brother have a talk you not tell me where is we've already have a conversation about his location.

He is having a conversation with God… Life from that point on, would become a lifetime of misery because you're going to one of the earth, will let nobody kill you. I will let you live the rest of your life miserable from telling you actually live in a living hell living in the living hell. All because your workable loss one.and he says this is too much, but in the book of Hebrews says though, did he was 11 verse four questions able still speaks but that's in the New Testament is you and me. So what is he trying to tell you and me will talk the next level New Testament book June Jude only has one chapter in the one chapter in Jude Rovers 11 talks about the way of Cain way of Cain and Abel still speaks. Hebrews 11 for June way of Cain created a chain reaction is chain reaction.

This false religion, false religion is coming. God like you clean not liking requires all people don't go to heaven going to hell.

Many of Obama come in the church now that nobody in the Pachuca becoming the church were not going to have that because using your own way to get there. God is prescribed that there is no other way to salvation through Jesus Christ you trying to work your way to have it and trying to make heaven your home what you want to be doing a surprise when you're up worship was rejected because no man is saved by their works. They only saved by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, God through Christ not being a better nicer person. So if you go the way of Cain you going to wind up wondering forever. That is the biblical definition of hell. The biblical definition of hell is to live forever unfulfilled reality without God, but able still speaks and what is he saying you would need able to sing to me and to you and to us today. You come to God by revelation not by human reason reset again. His message is the only way God will accept you coming to him is by what he reveals, not what you think how you arrange not what your mama say what your daddy said not what your friend said that what the media says unless what they said is what you want to make your decisions by revelation not by what you can conjure up and conjure up in my purely finite mind, because the only thing I conjure up in my mind is what my mind can partake of human reason, but what God is all things not seen things but because God hasn't I move on.

What he said, no matter what I think not know what I want my ring unless consistent with what he's revealed SMS is Dr. Evans will be back in the moment with the final illustration about the problems we run into when our worship starts to resemble a popular breakfast cereal first though today's lesson was part of Tony's current two-volume series called heroes of the faith. As I mentioned earlier, it explores the lives of biblical characters who took God's word and went on to see him change their lives and change the world.

Don't forget if you can help us out right now with a contribution to keep this program coming your way we'd like to say thanks by sending you all 13 messages in this series on CD and MP3 and in addition to the audio messages will also include Tony's just-released companion book kingdom heroes along with the comprehensive Bible study that accompanies it. This special heroes of the faith offer won't last long, so be sure to make the arrangements right away@tonyevans.org that's Tony Evans.org or let one of our team members assist you when you call us at 1-800-800-3222 our resource center is always open, so there's never a reason to wait. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 one of the greatest gifts God gave us is the freedom to make choices, but Dr. Evans says consequences come with every choice, good or bad. Next time he'll talk with us about the results, we can expect when we make the choice of faith right now though he's back with a spinal challenge for today.

Are you giving God the time the talent and yes the treasure that he's asked for and are you giving it to them first. Are you throwing in some Froot Loops with left over about a way which is about Froot Loops Froot Loops all a bunch of different colors but they all consistent, is the Froot Loops all the same because they made the same stuff what you throwing God's way what color it is not what he requires all things.

It is unacceptable to God bless close by reversing the worship he requires your emotions stay intact.

Sin has to stay behind the door because it doesn't have emotions to piggyback on and you won't wind up worse than started because God will have the alternative is by urban alternative celebrating 40 years thanks to generous listeners