The Blood Makes a Difference | Part 1

What was the difference the other is worshipping by his own ingenuity. The Bible says that God accepted the offering of Abel, but he did not accept the offering of Cain.

Welcome to Love Worth Finding. Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers said Jesus was in the heart and mind of God from the foundation of the world. Before he swung this world into space, God had redemption by blood in his mind. Genesis chapter 4 tells the story of two brothers, Cain and Abel, one a martyr, the other a murderer. In their story, we see a picture of the blood of Jesus Christ that makes a difference. If you have your Bible, turn now to Hebrews chapter 11.

We'll begin in verse 4 as Adrian Rogers begins part 1 of The Blood Makes a Difference. Now, the central theme of the entire chapter of Hebrews chapter 11 is that God is to be worshipped. And if God is to be worshipped, he must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Let's read, if we will, Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 4. By faith, Abel offered unto 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.

Beyond the shadow of any doubt, one of the most interesting men I've ever met was a man that I pastored in Fort Pierce, Florida. His name was Charlie Fisher. We called him Uncle Charlie. He was no bigger than a minute, but he weighed two tons spiritually.

He was a man that was fearless for the Lord Jesus Christ. Uncle Charlie had an old airplane with canvas sides. He'd written across the sides of that airplane, Christ is the answer.

He'd had an open cockpit. He'd put his goggles on, get a basket full of tracks and fly over county fairs and dump out the tracks on the people and circle around the field with that sign on there, Christ is the answer. I've prayed with him so many times.

Incredible individual. Uncle Charlie finally died. He told his son, Lee, who was a dear friend of mine, he said, don't worry about my funeral, just invite all my friends and take this tape recorder and push the button.

That's all you have to do. He said, I've already taken care of everything. So the funeral came, and Uncle Charlie was there in the casket. All of his friends were there. Lee got up and pushed the button, and it was Charlie. He said, hello, everybody.

He said, I'm Charlie Fisher. I'm up here in heaven. It is wonderful up here in heaven. He began to tell everybody about how glorious heaven is. Then he said, I want to tell all of you to come and meet me in heaven. The only man I ever knew who preached his own funeral. Charlie Fisher preached his own funeral.

He, being dead, was yet speaking. Well, there's another man who has preached his own funeral, and that's a man named Abel, and we're going to learn about him today. Now, what we see in Abel is a shadow of the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, the Old Testament is a book of shadows that point to New Testament truths.

For example, in Colossians 2, verse 17, the Bible tells us that the Old Testament is a shadow of things to come. Now, you think about shadows. The shadow must have light, and it must have something to shine upon. Now, the light is the Old Testament scripture, and the body that the shadow shines upon is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the angle of the light determines the sharpness of the shadow. In the early morning, shadows are not real clear, and they're somewhat distorted. By mid-morning, the shadows become clearer.

Then at high noon, there are no shadows at all. Now, in the Old Testament, we had shadows that pointed toward the Lord Jesus Christ. But when Calvary came in the New Testament, then it's high noon. What we're going to see here in this story of Abel is the beginning of these shadows that are pointing to the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, look again, if you will, in verse 4.

By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice. Well, where has that story found? The story is found over here in the book of Genesis.

So turn, if you will, with me to Genesis now for a moment. And Genesis chapter 4, now Adam knew Eve, his wife, and conceived. Now, Adam and Eve, obviously, the first humans here upon the earth, and she conceived and bear Cain. Now, Cain was her firstborn and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again, bear his brother Abel. And Abel, that's the one we're talking about today, was a keeper of sheep. But Cain was a tiller of the ground.

One a shepherd and one a farmer. And in the process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel? He also brought of the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell.

Now, we're going to stop reading there, but stay, keep your bookmark there in Hebrews chapter 11 and in Genesis chapter 4 because we're going to go back and forth so we can understand. What we have here is a shadow of the cross in the offering that Abel made. Two offerings. Cain offered the fruit of the ground. He offered vegetables to the Lord. Abel offered to the Lord a slain lamb of the firstlings of the flock.

The Bible says that God accepted the offering of Abel, but he did not accept the offering of Cain. One the offering from the ground, the fruit of the ground, the other a spotless lamb. Now, we're going to see in this chapter, Hebrews chapter 11 and Genesis chapter 4 some contrast.

Are you ready? First of all, here was a contrast in their worship. Two boys, they're worshiping God. One is worshiping in spirit and in truth. And the other is worshiping by his own ingenuity. Now, remember Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 4, by faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice.

Now, what was the difference? Well, may I say this, and listen to me very carefully, all religions are not of the same value. In America today, we're looked upon as politically incorrect and almost un-American if we don't put our arms around everybody else and say, your religion is just as good as mine.

It is not true. God had respect unto Abel's offering. To Cain's offering, he did not. Now, we're supposed to be tolerant today. And I believe in tolerance in some areas, but I do not believe in tolerance that sacrifices truth.

And there's nothing today so intolerant as the intolerance of those against those of us who say there is a fixed standard of right and wrong. There is a true religion and there is a false religion. This world doesn't need religion. It has too much religion.

This world needs Jesus. Now, may I tell you that David Barrett, who is a scholar, tells us that in the world today, there are 9,900 different religions. 9,900, almost 10,000 different religions. And some of these religions have many gods.

But listen to me. There are only two religions in the entire world, the true and the false. The true and the false. Now, that may seem narrow to you, but that's what our lesson is all about. There's the religion of grace and the religion of works. There's the religion of Cain and there's the religion of Abel. Now, let's look at this. Now, I don't ask you to take my word for it. Well, let's just look at the Bible and see what the Bible has to say about it because I realize what I'm preaching today is politically incorrect.

So be it. Look at the worship of Cain. Hebrews 11 and verse 4, by faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. What was the way of Cain? The way of Cain was the way of good works. It was salvation by his own effort. He was a tiller of the ground.

And the Bible says that you're going to till the ground by the sweat of your brow. What Cain offered to God was his own toil, his own sweat, his own effort. Now, when he came to God with this offering of vegetables and fruits, it must have been beautiful.

I mean, it must have looked like a county fair. There's the most fragrant fruit, the most beautiful flowers, the most succulent vegetation. And he offers this to God because he's been out there plowing the ground. But the Bible says, cursed is the ground of the sweat of your brow where you till the ground.

And what he has done is he is offering his own works. Put in your margin, Jude, verse 11. Woe unto them, for they have gone the way of Cain. What is the way of Cain? It is to try to save yourself by your own good works rather than by the grace of God.

It represents culture rather than Calvary. Now, you're in Hebrews, chapter 11. In Hebrews, chapter 9, verse 22, the Bible says, without shedding of blood is no remission. There is no salvation apart from the shedding of blood.

What did Cain offer? Vegetables. You can't get blood from a turnip? You can't get blood from a turnip without shedding of blood?

There is no remission. What do you say, Adrian? That's what you say. No, that's what God says. Well, you say, I have my own religion. So did Cain.

You say, well, I'm looking for a religion that suits me. So did Cain. And Cain died and went to hell. Woe unto them, for they have gone after the way of Cain.

It is not salvation by works. And here Cain offered of the fruit of the ground. Now, what did Abel offer? Well, the Bible says Abel offered of the firstling of his flock. Go back again, if you will, in Genesis, chapter 4 and verse 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock. Abel's offering was based on a blood atonement.

Now, let me tell you the difference between these two. I said people need to turn from religion to Jesus Christ. Religion is what sinful people do for a holy God.

The gospel is the good news of what a holy God has already done for a sinful man. The Bible says in Hebrews, chapter 11 and verse 4, by faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice. Now, where did Abel get the idea of bringing a blood offering to Almighty God?

Now, remember, it was just a shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ. Where did he get that idea? When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they tried to clothe themselves with fig leaves.

What is that? The fruit of the ground. What did God do? God came into the Garden of Eden and God made them coats of skin, animal skin.

How do you get coats of skin? Blood had to be shed. Where did Abel learn the idea that it takes blood without shedding of blood, there's no remission. He learned it from his parents. You say, did he really know this?

Listen to me. Abel was a prophet of God. A prophet. You say, where do you get that?

Put in your margin. Luke 11, begin in verse 49. Jesus is speaking. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles and some of them they shall slay and persecute that the blood of all the prophets, underscore that, that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias. All of the prophets. Abel is called a prophet of God. Abel was a martyr who died for his faith. Adam and Eve had two sons.

One a martyr, one a murderer. Abel was a prophet. He understood the word of God. Now, you say, did he really understand about the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, if he was a prophet, put in your Bible Acts chapter 10, verse 43. To him, Jesus, give all the prophets witness. Now, if Abel was a prophet, and he was, and the Bible says to Jesus, give all the prophets witness, back there in the Garden of Eden, just outside the gates of Eden, was a man named Abel who offered a spotless lamb that is a picture, a prophecy of Jesus who is to come. Isn't the Bible a wonderful book? The Bible is a wonderful book.

Don't get the idea that these people out there were just plowing with sticks and didn't know anything. No. And let me say something else. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ was not an afterthought.

It was not an emergency action. Put in your margin, Revelation chapter 13 and verse 8. The Bible says, and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life from the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Before he swung this world into space, God had redemption by blood in His mind. You take the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and you cut it anywhere and it will bleed.

There is a red river of life. It begins to flow in the book of Genesis and it flows all the way through to the book of Revelation, the chapter I just read to you. That river began to flow when God made coats of skin for Adam and Eve. And then that river passed on down when Abel took of the firstlings of the flock and offered a blood sacrifice to the Lord.

The first act that Noah did when he came out of the ark after Genesis 6 and the flood came was to offer a blood sacrifice. God called Abraham, and Abraham, the father of the faithful, God said to Abraham, Abraham, take your son up to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him. And at the last moment when the knife was about to fall into the bosom of Isaac, God said, Abraham, don't hurt the lad.

Don't harm the lad. Look over here is a ram caught in a thicket. I like to think of it as a ram crowned with thorns, his horns locked in that thicket. Take that ram and sacrifice him. No wonder Jesus said, Abraham saw my day and was glad. Abraham, way back more than a millennium before Jesus ever came, knew something of the blood sacrifice.

And then God called Moses and Moses said, God said to Moses, Moses, take my people from the land of Egypt, the land of sin and darkness and slavery and bring them into the promised land. And God said, Moses, when you do this, in order to let the people go out, tell every family take a lamb and sacrifice that lamb and put the blood of that lamb on the doorpost of that house because my death angel is going to come through the land of Egypt. And God says, my death angel is going to be looking for something. He's going to be looking for the blood. And if the blood is there upon the doorpost, watch it, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you.

That's where we get the word passover. Now, friend, it was the blood that caused the death angel to pass over. I'm telling you, had they put rubies and diamonds and gold and emerald upon that door, the death angel would have come.

Had they written beautiful poetry and put it upon that door and nailed it there, the death angel would have come. Had they taken a live and spotless lamb and set that live and spotless lamb there, the death angel would have come. People say Christ is my example.

No, He has to be your Savior. Now, you're not saved by learning lessons from the life of Christ but by receiving life from the death of Christ. God says, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Without shedding of blood is no remission of sins. And then after Moses, they got in the land, God gave them the political law, and they were told how to make those sacrifices. And every smoking altar of every Jewish temple, it all points to the coming of Jesus. And thousands and thousands of lambs and rams and turtle doves are offered and blood is shed.

Why is this? The Bible says over here in Hebrews chapter 10, it's impossible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin. Why all of those sacrifices? God is just pointing toward Calvary.

This red river of life begins to run. I'm telling you, these are all shadows. These are all prophecies.

These are all types. These are all lessons. And that river runs and runs and runs till it finally comes to Calvary.

When Jesus bows His head and dies and with the precious blood, the blood is shed. This is what God is getting people ready for. Pavlov, the Russian psychologist, did experiments in what we call conditioned response. He got his dogs and he would ring a bell and feed the dogs, ring a bell, feed the dogs, ring a bell, feed the dogs. He got the dogs where all he had to do was just ring a bell and they began to drool.

They began to salivate because they knew that the bell meant food. What is God doing in the Old Testament with all of these sacrifices beginning with the skins that clothed Adam and Eve, beginning with Abel's offering? What is God doing with all of that? God is conditioning His people. There's a conditioned response. When they see the blood, they know that sin means death, sin means death, sin means death, sin means death. Therefore, people are ready for the death of the Lord Jesus Christ when He died upon the cross, for without shedding of blood is no remission.

Don't think this was incidental, friend. This is fundamental. There was a contrast in their worship. Now, secondly, the consequences of the worship. Look, if you will, in Genesis 4, verses 5 and 6. But unto Cain and his offering, God had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, plain English. He was ticked off.

He's angry. And his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth?

And why is thy countenance fallen? Now, God did not have any respect for Cain and all of his good intentions and all of his good works. The difference between Cain and Abel is the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness. Now, you would say, well, God would just say to Cain, well, you tried, and you didn't get 100 percent on the test, but I'm going to grade on the curve. No, God doesn't grade on the curve. God doesn't just give A for effort. And God will not overlook sin.

Put it down big, plain, and straight. God will not overlook sin. You know there are people who say, well, God's too good to punish sin.

You've got it backward. God is too good not to punish sin. If you had to go through all the lectionaries and dictionaries of the world to get a word that would describe God and put it into one word, of course, that would be impossible. But if you had to choose one word above all other words, it would be the word holy. Holy means that God never has, God never can, God never will overlook sin. All sin must be punished. If God overlooks sin, God would topple from His throne of holiness. God would cease to be a righteous God. Put in your margin Romans 3 and verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. If God would let sin go unpunished, God Himself would become a sinner.

All Christianity is described in three sentences. I deserve hell. Jesus took my hell. There's nothing for me but His heaven. That's what it's all about. It is salvation by grace.

And the consequences of that worship is lasting not only in time but in eternity. And coming up tomorrow, we'll hear part two of this vital message. But maybe today you have questions regarding how to place your faith fully in Jesus Christ. Go to our website, lwf.org slash radio and click on the find answers page. There you'll find resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your relationship with God. We also want to invite you to check out our grow your faith page where you can get grounded and dig deeper in your faith. Again, go to lwf.org slash radio and click on grow your faith or find answers. We can't wait to hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, you can call us at 1-877-Love God.

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