He doesn't speak a word that's recorded in Scripture, but his faith speaks powerfully to believers who have long considered him an example of godliness. Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah continues his study of Abel. The first name in what's known as the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. From his current series in Hebrews, here's David with the conclusion of his message, a martyr for his faith.
You know, martyrdom seems like something in the past for most of us who grew up in the church. There used to be a famous book on martyrs, Fox's Book of Martyrs, it was called. I remember someone gave me a copy of it and I started to read it, but it scared me to death because the things that happened to people for their faith in those days was grotesque. And yet it seems like we're getting back to that same place around the world where people are beheaded and they're shot. They're tortured for their faith.
We've had a very recent example of that here in our own country. But martyrdom is not new, it is old. It began way back in the book of Genesis, and we're talking about it here on Turning Point today. We'll get to that lesson in just a moment. But first, if you haven't already done so, I hope you will take a moment.
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We love Canada and we're grateful for the opportunity God has given us to minister to the people there who are our neighbors and friends. Thank you for joining us today. Here's part two of a martyr for his faith. If you want to find out Cain's condition of heart, An old writer of commentaries, a guy by the name of Joseph Parker. Has suggested that you look at him after his religious service is over.
He says, you know a man best out of church. The minister sees the best side of a man, the lawyer sees the worst side of a man, and the physician sees the real side of a man. If you want to know what a man's religious worship is worth, said Joseph Parker. Follow him out of church. Cain killed his brother when church was over.
And that's the exact measure of his piety.
So Abel gets into the hall of faith, first of all, because he had gotten a revelation from God about what he should do, and he had responded obediently in faith. Cain was rejected because he decided to do it his own way. Number two. Abel's faith was reverent. This is something that you don't see unless you read this two or three times and realize that after Abel believed God and decided to obey God.
He worshiped God. He brought his sacrifice to God, and the expression here is the expression of worship. An altar was set up, an altar of worship, and Abel brings his sacrifice to God, and there he worships. The Lord. It is interesting that the first hero inducted into God's hall of faith is a worshiper.
And Abel expresses his faith through worship, and God honors and respects his offering. This is a reminder to us that whenever We witness true faith. One of the first results of true faith will be worship. I know some of you have said to me over the years, Well, Pastor Jeremiah, I know you're into worship, but I'm just not into worship. I know you don't mean it that way.
At least I hope you don't. Because I don't see how you can be a Christian and not be into worship. Because worship is the basic response of your soul to Almighty God and what He has done. And what Abel did when he heard God's voice. He worshiped God by bringing what God had asked, and he presented himself.
And he did so. in worship.
Now we worship God when we come together in church, but hopefully that's not the only time you worship God. You worship God when you awake in the morning and you say, Good morning, Lord, and thank you for a good night's rest. Let me live for you today and honor you with my life. You worship God throughout the day whenever you have a chance. In fact, a case could be made for the fact that your entire life as a follower of Christ is an instrument of worship for the Lord God.
But worship must be from the heart. Cain came to God with an unrighteous spirit. But Abel came to God in a spirit of faith and integrity and honesty. How many of you know that if we're not careful, we can fall into some bad habits when it comes to worship? Let's just talk about what happens in church on occasion.
There's an old story about a man who dreamed that an angel escorted him to church one Sunday. And there he saw the keyboard musician playing rigorously, the praise team singing, the musicians playing their instruments with gusto. But the man Couldn't hear anything. There was no sound. He could see the congregation's lips moving, but there were no sounds to be heard.
And then the minister got up to speak, and his lips moved, and you couldn't hear anything. It was like somebody had turned the volume down on the T V set. And he was totally amazed because he was right there in the presence of all of this. And he turned to his heavenly escort and he said, What in the world is going on here? And the heavenly escort said, What you see is the way it is in heaven.
You hear nothing because there is nothing to hear. The people are engaged in the form of worship, but their thoughts are on other things and their hearts are far away.
So we only see their lips moving, but we do not hear their worship.
Now, that's a story that obviously doesn't come from the Bible, it's an illustration. But it is sobering, is it not? That when we come to church and we're singing praise to God, if we're worrying about what we're going to eat for dinner, that probably doesn't get very far out of the room. Everybody go, hmm.
So, maybe it's a good idea for us when we're worshiping the Lord to worship Him as the New Testament tells us to worship Him. How does it say it? In spirit and in truth. Genuine, authentic, heartfelt worship. And you know, you have to be proactive to do that because you bring all your cares and all your thoughts, you bring that all into worship, and you have to just somehow come in here and say, Lord God.
Help me to get rid of all those thoughts so that I can concentrate my thoughts on you and worship you. By the way, did you know that worship is A New Testament sacrifice to God. Hebrews 13, 15 says, Therefore, by him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks. to his name.
When you worship God, you are offering a sacrifice to the Lord. Yeah. It's quite evident that what Cain brought to the Lord was not an authentic act of worship. You say, how do you know that? Because you read what happened right after he left.
When God didn't accept what he brought, His true nature was displayed. His character came into view. It says that Cain was very angry and his countenance fell. And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
If you do well, will you not be accepted? Cain, if you had done the right thing, would I not have accepted you? And if you do not do well, Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should have rule over it. God warned Cain.
About what he was about to do. God saw the hatred and anger in Cain's heart, and he said to Cain, Sin is like a wild animal crouched at the door of your heart. You're about to do something that you will never ever forgive yourself for. Don't do it, you can rule over it. But Cain's anger was so intense, and his jealousy of Abel was so green.
that he couldn't help himself and in his fury He took the life of his own brother and became the first murderer in history. If his offering had been made in the right spirit, We wouldn't read the paragraph we just read. It is an indication that Cain's problem wasn't just that he brought his works to God instead of a sacrifice. What he brought to God was brought in the wrong spirit, in the wrong attitude. Abel had a revealed faith and a reverent faith, and here's one that's really interesting.
He had a reverberating faith. Did you know that the faith of Abel in 11:4 of Hebrews is alive and well today? Let me show you what I mean. Here's what it says: By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it he being dead. Still speaks.
Now, watch this. I told you earlier that there's not one word of Abel. in the Bible that he spoke. Not one recorded word that Abel ever spoke. But the Bible says, though the Bible doesn't record any words that he spoke, his faith is still speaking today, all these years later, here right in this culture, right in this service.
The testimony of Abel is speaking to us today. The first man in history to express faith in God was Abel. And we revel in the story. It reverberates all the way down through history to us. His statement by his life.
Tells us That we can only be accepted by God when we come to God God's way. We don't get to make the rules. God has set the standards and He's made it plain to us how we are to approach Him.
Now it says here in the text That the blood of murdered Abel was screaming out to God from the ground. And the blood of Abel was screaming out to God, but the life of Abel is screaming out to us. Bringing to us this measure of truth that God accepts only the sacrifice of blood, and in this culture, only the sacrifice of His own Son. The only way we can come to God is God's way. Abel had a revealed faith.
His faith was reverent. He worshipped. His faith reverberates all the way down to where we are. The Bible says, He being dead, still speaks. He's in the grave, but his message is still being.
It's kind of like Mary, who gave of the Lord her substance. And the Bible says, wherever her name is mentioned, it will be thought of today. These stories from the Old Testament, and especially those that go way back to Abel, are amazing because while they happened all those many years ago, they still are ministering to our hearts today. I was blessed as I studied this verse to recognize that the first act of faith in the history of the world was enacted by this man whose name We are studying today. No, it's interesting.
That when you study how to Read the Bible and interpret it. If you go to seminary to do it, like I did, you will take a course, and this is the title of the course. Hermeneutics. That sounds like a doctor should study that or something. Maybe it's a disease.
But hermeneutics is the study of the interpretation of the Bible. That's what the course is. If you take a course in hermeneutics, you will learn all the principles for interpreting the Word of God. Here's one of the principles: it's called the Law of First Mention. The law of first mention is a very interesting principle because what it means is this.
It means the first time you see something in the Bible, the first time it's ever mentioned in the Bible, the way that it is used in the Bible the first time usually is an expression of how that term is to be used throughout all of the scripture. You want to find out how to use that term?
Well, here it is. Here's the first mention of faith in the Bible. Here's the first expression of faith, and it sets the tone for everything that is to follow. It's very interesting that in the first few verses of the Bible, we have this illustration. What this man did, and the reason he did it, is a message that is being preached from his life at this very moment.
As I mentioned before, there are only two ways to God: one that will not get you there, and one that will. And Abel is the champion of the way to God called faith. And then finally, Abel is in the hall of faith because he had a righteous faith. And if you'll allow me, let's explore that. on the basis that We understand Abel only when we see Cain.
Cain's religion was based on human reasoning. What Cain did that day when he brought his offering to God. was To express the fact that he believed that in order for him to be accepted by Almighty God, he had to earn it. He brought to God the fruit of his labor. In doing this, he violated the clear revelation that God had given them.
And we know that because Abel understood it, and they were brothers. They lived in the same family. There wasn't any noise from any other families in that day. God dealt directly with that first family. And what Abel knew, surely Cain knew.
But Cain set the foundation for every false religion that has ever come into being since his life. Because here's the difference between religion and Christianity.
Some people say, you know, you go and you have to fill out a form. I guess you don't do that much because it's not politically correct anymore. What is your religion?
Well, I used to put down Christianity.
Well, Christianity, if it's really Christianity, is not a religion. Religion is an attempt to reach up to God with your good works or some merit that will bring God's blessing to your life. Christianity is the exact opposite. Christianity recognizes that we have nothing we can offer to God and that we don't reach up to God, but that God has reached down to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship with Almighty God through Jesus Christ.
But since Cain and Abel, there's only been two ways: there's the relationship way, and there's the religion way. And Cain's religion was really impressive. I bet when he brought that offering to God that day, he spruced it up pretty good. Have you ever seen what people can do to make food look good? Oh my goodness.
You know, you might be on a diet.
Somebody takes you to a dinner and you're going to really be good, and then they bring out this expressive food. I'm sure that when Cain brought his offering to God, he just didn't throw a bunch of fruit in a bag and show up. He brought something impressive. He brought something that represented the dignity of his life and the hard work that he had expressed. to make this happen.
But what he did was wrong. It is so wrong that in the New Testament book of Jude, it is referred to as. The way of Cain. Woe to them, for they have gone the way of Cain, Jude 11. What is the way of Cain?
The way of Cain is coming to God in your own pride, in your own arrogance, not listening to what God says, but believing you can do it your way. Isn't that what happens most of the time? We're like little children in many respects. We're looking up to our Father and saying, I can do it myself. I can do it myself.
Cain was saying to God that day, God, I can do it myself. And the Bible says God did not accept Cain. in his attempt to measure up. We must repent of our determination to reach God on our own terms. If we do not do that, we have not repented of our sin.
The Bible says this is how it is to be. We come along and say, I can do it. Myself. And we put the rules together and we formulate our religions and we make rules and regulations and say: if you do this, this, and this, God will accept you. Cain's religion was also based on human sacrifice.
He offered a sacrifice, all right. It was a costly one, but it was a sacrifice without blood. And that is where most people are today. Most people today bring their offerings to God. They indulge in ritualistic practices, championing the cause of social actions.
They hope these things will give them a standing before Almighty God. And we mistakenly think that's the way God. Receives us and responds to us, and nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, This is a bitter pill for all of us. The Bible says, all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags before God.
Because they're born out of our misguided motivation to do it ourselves instead of respond to God in faith and allow Him. to be our Saviour. And Cain's religion was based on human satisfaction. The Bible says the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but he did not respect Cain and his offering. and in the aftermath of this unacceptable sacrifice, he revealed the true nature of his heart.
Let me tell you how the story ends. Listen carefully. If you go back to the book of Genesis, chapter 4 and verse 16, you read these words. And Cain went out from the presence. of the Lord.
Did you know in the New Testament it says there's going to be a day in the future when people will stand before the Lord and they will tout all of their works? And the Lord will say to them, Depart from me. for I never knew you. When Cain stands before the Lord one day, that's what he will hear. Cain will say, Did I not do this?
Didn't I bring this? And the Bible says God's son will say to him, Depart from me. I never knew you. You don't get to God by what you do. You want to try to get to God Cain's way?
Let me tell you, it will be a trip that is aborted. It will be a trip that ends short of the goal. It will leave you in a place where you have no way to get to God. And the Bible says And Cain went out. from before the presence of the Lord.
Periodically, as you read the scripture, you read about death and that there are two kinds of death: there's the first death, and there's the second death. First death. We're all going to participate in that if the Lord doesn't come back before our time. The first death is the separation of your soul from your body. The Bible says it this way: absent from the body, present with the Lord.
That's what it means to die as a Christian. Your soul leaves your body and goes to be with God. But there's a second death. And the second death is the separation of your soul from God Forever and ever and ever. The first death you can recover from as a Christian But nobody recovers from the second death.
The second death is going out from the presence of the Lord, never ever to be in His presence again. It's to spend eternity in hell, apart from God. That's the way You will go if you follow Kane. I want to recommend a better way. The better way is to come by faith.
and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. that He paid for on the cross for you. and put your faith totally in him. Quit trying to depend on your works. I have loved over the years.
sharing my faith with people. I regret that as a pastor of this big church, I don't get to do that as much as I used to, but sometimes on airplanes and where I get acquainted with folks or people come to see me, I still get to do it. The greatest privilege you will ever have is to share your faith with somebody and see them come to Christ. Over the years, I've asked people this question, and here's the question. If you were to stand before God tonight and He were to say to you, Why should I let you into my heaven?
What would you say? And it's amazing what people say when you ask them that question.
Well, Dr. Jeremiah, I've been a good father. And I've loved my children, I've been faithful to my wife, I've done a good job, all these things. And then you look at them, and they kind of look at you and say, Will that be good enough? No, that's the wrong answer.
It's all right to have the wrong answer in life, but you don't want to have your wrong answer when you're standing before God trying to get into his heaven. The only answer that is acceptable in that moment is this: I do not deserve to come to your heaven, Almighty God. But there was a day when your son died in my place on the cross, paying for all my sin, and I accepted him as my savior. My only right to heaven is in Jesus Christ. He is my Savior, and because of him, I have been promised eternity in this place.
And if you don't come to Christ that way, If you don't come to Christ, if you don't come to God that way, you will not be allowed into heaven. Heaven will be a closed place to you. You will go out from the presence of the Lord.
So there are really only two ways, and you gotta decide. One is the way of Cain and one is the way of Abel. One is the way of good works and the other is the way of faith. One is accepted by God and the other is rejected by God. One will take you to heaven and the other will put you in hell.
The Bible says, For by grace you are saved through faith. and that not of yourselves. Here that. And that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God.
not of works. lest any man should boast. Today, the best I know how. from the Old Testament scriptures. I have preached to you the gospel.
The gospel of knowing God by faith in Jesus Christ. And you have an opportunity to decide what you will do with that message. And it is my prayer. That you will decide to go the way of Abel and find in Christ Jesus. all the hope you need and all the strength you need.
and all the answers you need. to get to him in heaven. Thank you so much for joining us today. We are studying the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, and we've talked about Abel today. the first martyr in the Bible?
and a prototype of many to come. We have uh A lot of wonderful people we want to introduce you to. And we'll start with that again tomorrow as we talk about Enoch. a very uh wonderful man who Has very little press in the Bible, but just enough to get you excited about him.
So be sure and join us tomorrow when we talk about the man who walked with God. You can follow along in the book of Hebrews. We're going to follow the scripture kind of regularly, just one right after the other. And we also have information about this series. You can get it recorded, you can get it printed, you can go to davidjeremiah.org and find out all about it.
But most of all, Please listen. We'll see you tomorrow right here on this good station. The message you just heard originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. If you're growing because of this ministry, we'd love to hear from you at Turning Point PO Box 3838 San Diego, California 92163 by visiting our website at davidjeremiah.org slash radio or calling 800-947-1993.
Ask for your copy of David's newly updated scripture reference guide, Where to Go in the Bible When. It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also view over 1,200 of Dr. Jeremiah's sermons on any screen, anytime you like, on our Turning Point Plus streaming service for a monthly gift of any amount. Visit TurningPointPlus.org for details.
This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us tomorrow as we continue the series Ordinary People: Extraordinary Faith on Turning Point.
