Eliminate the competition

Last post I talked about the message of Abel. In a discussion with my wife another application to living the God focused life became apparent. When we analyze the story we see that Cain wanted God's acceptance. He wanted it so bad he was willing to kill for it. Now we might not kill for it but how often are we guilty of seeking positions as means of validating God's approval and acceptance or lack thereof. The church becomes a place where people often end up jockeying for position. We end up with a spiritual hierarchy or pecking order which is really far from spiritual. How does living a God focused life come to bear in this situation? It may not be a popular way or a way that is high profile but we do have an example in Jesus. Jesus ran into this problem with the disciples in Luke 22:24-27. In this situation Jesus told them that they needed to pursue becoming the servant of all. He said that pursuing positions was what the gentiles do. Jesus life also gives us a clue. Our objective should be to serve where God places us. Talk to the God about our desire and simply look for how we can serve. Wouldn't it be really cool if we knew that everyone who is in leadership in our church is there because they were identified as real servants. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 1:3, “...If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” (ESV) How do you handle that scenario? Serve. Tell the elders of your church what you desire, and continue to serve others. The greatest way for an elder board to have a pulse on the congregation is to serve it. By modeling service to one another we create a heart of service in our churches. When this happens we avoid fostering an atmosphere of spiritual competition. We teach people how to follow the second commandment which flows from the first. By depending on God's guidance, on His leadership to advance us, we model a God focused servant oriented life.

...through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

I was talking to my wife this morning about the relevance of Abel's message for the church today. I thought I would share it with you. Hebrews 11:4 says, “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.” What is the message of Abel? The message can only be understood in the context of the contrast in the story of his death. Abel offered to God a sacrifice that was more acceptable than Cain. So what you say. How does Abel speak through that? We often get the picture of Cain wrong. When we talk of Cain we think of a guy that is closer to Lamech the 5th generation from Cain. Lamech lives his life as he pleases and expects God to take care of things. After all God is a good God right? Lamech is like the typical pagan. Cain is not and this is why Abel still speaks. Cain wants God. Cain brings God a sacrifice. In one sense we could say that Cain goes to church. God talks to Cain. (We see no conversations between Lamech and God.) So what's the deal? Cain was not willing to come to God on God's terms. God does not condemn his sacrifice outright but it appears that God appeals to his heart's motive saying, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” (Gen. 4:7). The truth is that Cain wanted God so bad he was willing to kill to eliminate the competition for God's acceptance. After all the reason he killed Abel is that Abel's sacrifice was acceptable. When Cain is judged by God he says to God, “...“My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden.” (Gen. 4:14b-15a). Cain laments being driven from the face of God. But there is a clue in his lament. He also laments being driven away from the ground. Cain loved the ground and the work of his hands as much if not more than he loved God. In the end Cain wanted God's approval and acceptance on his own terms. He was not willing to come to God on God's terms. Abel came wanting God so much that he was willing to do what God asked and it ended up costing his life yet by it he still speaks. Abel calls us to come to God yielded to whatever God asks of us. I fear that most in the church are like Cain. They want God, perhaps even desperately, but they want Him on their own terms. A life lived like Cain is a life under condemnation by God. We must seek to live like Abel. To live a God focused life we must want God more than anything else, not just God's sanction of what we want.