Genesis
4:8-10
(Gen 4:8-10 NRSV) Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us
go out to the field." And when they were in the field, Cain rose up
against his brother Abel, and killed him. {9} Then the LORD said to Cain,
"Where is your brother Abel?" He said, "I do not know; am I my
brother's keeper?" {10} And the LORD said, "What have you done?
Listen; your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground!
Cain &
Abel were brothers - both had the same mother and father - both had the same
blood - they were family, closest relatives, loved
Sibling
Rivalry - Cain, the elder brother, killed Abel the younger;
God:
"Where is your brother Abel?"
Cain
(smartly): "Am I my brother's keeper?"
1.
"Keeper" = shamar - guardian, protector, watchman, savior
God's answer
to Cain's question is, "Yes, you are to be your brother's savior, but you
have become his killer!"
2.
Are we the keepers of our brothers, our families? Are we in some way responsible for the
eternal life of those we love? The
answer is "Yes."
3.
Have we done everything in our power to save our loved ones from the
devil's hell of eternal death?
"What have you done?" God's question to Cain is God's question
to us today - "What are we doing to prevent the death of our loved
ones?"
(Mat 10:5-6 NRSV) These twelve Jesus sent out with the
following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town
of the Samaritans, {6} but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Q: Why would
Jesus tell them only to go to their own "lost sheep?"
A: Because
they would have natural compassion for their kind.
1.
The land of Israel consists of about 15,600 square miles - Less than the
size of the Florida panhandle from Pensacola to Marianna. Without Samaria, take away 1/3 of that. Israel was a small area to cover.
2.
Strict account was kept of family relations all over Israel - all divided
into "houses" or "12 tribes." Everyone knew their kin all
over the country - extended families stayed in touch even before the invention
of the telephone.
3.
Just as Andrew went first to his brother Simon to tell about Jesus, the
Apostles were going out first to their own people, preaching "Repent, for
the Kingdom is at hand!" Jesus
sent them to their own first, before going out to others.
4.
We are sanctified to be the keepers, protectors, saviors of our
families. We are responsible for the
lost sheep who bare the same last names as we.
It's our responsibility to do everything in our power to win them to
life everlasting.
5.
The apostles were spreading GOOD NEWS in difficult times. But we often consider spreading the Gospel
to our families as BAD NEWS in smooth times.
There is bad news both then and now.
God's wrath will be poured out on earth. But the good news is still the same. We may be saved from God's wrath if we choose the narrow
way. It is to that path we must lead
our dear ones.
6.
But we're so put off by what we consider to be hassling, nagging,
inviting, compelling. We'd just as soon
shirk our responsibilities to God! But
one mother I know cared so much about her daughter's salvation that she
wouldn't quit. Here is her testimony:
One mother invited her daughter for
church over and over. The daughter
finally conceded under the condition that mother wake her up and drive her to
church Sunday morning. When Sunday
morning came, the mother called to wake her daughter up. After 10 rings, the mother was about to give
up hope. After 20 rings, she found her
resolve. After 30 rings, she began to
rebuke the devil. After 40 rings, she
claim her daughter again for the Kingdom of God. After 50 rings, the daughter answered the phone with the words,
"I thought you'd give up but you didn't.
I'll be ready in 45 minutes."
Is this
church service full of family members?
No. Are we concerned? Yes, we are! Why so much concern and so little action when someone's eternity
is at stake? This daughter's positive
response to the worship service that Sunday certainly validated her mother's
effort in "holding on the line" for a few more minutes.
(Luke 16:19-28 NRSV) "There was a rich man who was dressed
in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. {20} And at his
gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, {21} who longed to
satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs
would come and lick his sores. {22} The poor man died and was carried away by
the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. {23} In
Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with
Lazarus by his side. {24} He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and
send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am
in agony in these flames.' {25} But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during
your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil
things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. {26} Besides all
this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might
want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to
us.' {27} He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house--
{28} for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not
also come into this place of torment.'
1.
The rich man, being tormented in Hades, was concerned that his brothers
might share his fate. This man held
slaves. He never needed to doing
anything himself - he always sent his slave to do the work. He doesn't ask father Abraham if he can go
to his brothers, but he asks Abraham to send his old slave Lazarus.
2.
Who will be the savior of your family?
You must take on the responsibility.
If you are expecting some poor little Lazarus to interest your family in
the things of God, you are going to be sadly disappointed. It is your primary ministry to win you
husband, children, grandchildren to Christ, even if it means being tough.
You may be bound for the Third Heaven. But to get there, you must pass through the
Second Heaven, where Hell is located.
You will certainly have a spectacular view of Hell as you pass
through. Once you've reached the Third
Heaven, you will by no means be able to tell your loved ones what you've seen
in Hell; neither will you be able to "come back" to warn them about the
torment, loneliness, and fiery torment which is to be theirs.
3.
It is my fervent prayer that when we ascend our heavenly thrones we will
be spared having to peer down into the flames to see our brothers, sisters, and
children afire. Wouldn't it be so much
more comforting to know that we'll have our loved ones with us for
eternity? If this is to be so, there
must be an effort made. We can't just
trust blind providence. No -- as the
disciples were sent out to their kin, their brothers and sisters and mothers
and fathers, so also are we.
1.
Some of us have learned hard lessons through untimely deaths: we've
learned that death is a reality and it is once and for all time. And some form of hell eventually follows
death. If we are right honest with
ourselves, we know that some of those we love most are on their way to Hell.
This is not
the time for feeble excuses. Nor, dare
we like Cain, test God with the Cain's excuse, "He's not my
responsibility." For, while the
couch at home is full, the church pews are empty.
2.
No more excuses. It's time for
repentance. It's time for discipleship
training and soul-winning. It's time to
make a change of mind. And it's time to
act. If, after all this time, you don't
know how to lead someone to eternal life, this story will help:
3.
George Sweeting, president of Moody Bible Institute, said that a woman
once came to him in deep distress.
"I have been a Christian for 20 years," she told him,
"Yet I'm not aware that I've ever led anyone to the Lord, I've memorized many Scripture verses and
know how to meet the objections of the unconverted. But no one has ever made a decision for Christ. Why hasn't God been using me?"
Wanting to help, he asked her a question,
"Have you ever wept for the unsaved and prayed for their conversion? Perhaps your failure hasn't been from a lack
of knowledge but from a lack of love and commitment! When a person has genuine compassion for the lost, she'll weep
over them and yearn for salvation."
The woman then went to her room and began
to pray earnestly for her sister. Then,
with a tender heart, she went to visit her. Putting her arms around her, she
said with weeping, "Dear sister, more than anything in this world, I want
you to meet the Lord Jesus!" That
evening during the church service her sister publicly received the Savior,
asked for forgiveness, and was born again.
4.
This is an example of what I call "do me a favor"
soul-winning. Jesus used this method
because he had a burden of compassion for his loved ones and wasn't afraid to
express it with an invitation.
To live this story of a reconciled sister
is a means by which we may right the wrong of Cain's irresponsibility and take
Christ's yoke upon ourselves for our loved ones. As a result of fervent prayer, God will placed a sore love burden
on our hearts, causing us to yearn for salvation and lay down our pride, to ask
the simple question, "Beloved, will you release me from my burden and come
to Jesus?"
NOTES:
Composed and preached 1/23 - 2/13/94.
This
mother is Joan Spain of Franklin, Georgia.