THE TRAGEDY OF UNREPENTANCE—Genesis 4:1-24
Attention:
There was a painter named Jack, who was very interested in making a dollar where he could. So he often would thin down his paint to make it go a wee bit further. As it happened, he got away with this for some time.
Eventually the Presbyterian Church decided to do a big restoration job on one of their biggest churches. Jack put in a painting bid & because his price was so competitive, he got the job. And so he set to, with a right good will, erecting the trestles & putting up the planks, & buying the paint &...yes, I am sorry to say, thinning it down with the turpentine.
Well, Jack was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly done, when suddenly there was a horrendous clap of thunder. The sky opened & the rain poured down, washing the thin paint from all over the church & knocking Jack fair off the scaffold to land on the lawn.
Now, Jack was no fool. He knew this was a judgement from the Almighty, so he fell on his knees & cried, "Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?"
And from the thunder, a mighty Voice spoke,
"Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!"
Repentance is vital to a true Christian. Repentance is necessary to anyone really seeking God.
Need:
Why don’t I have the relationship to God that others seem to have? Does God hear me?
Unrepentance always ends badly, in a loss. it is always tragic.
Cain’s lack of repentance & subsequent grudge, ended in his brother’s murder.
Willful unrepentance opens the door to tragedy.
What is the tragedy of unrepentance?
8 losses experienced thru the tragedy of unrepentance.
1— A tragedy of unrepentance is a...
Lost AUTHORITY/Position/Importance(:1)
Explanation:(:1)Firstborn
:1—“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, & she conceived & bore Cain, & said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.””
Eve was Adam’s wife(Gen. 23-25). Adam “knew” Eve so intimately that she became pregnant. Her son was named “Cain” which is a play on the word “acquired.” This is because Eve herself stated that she had “gotten” a male child. She gave credit for this ‘acquisition’ to YaHoVeH.
Eve knew that the physical coupling with her husband, Adam is what produced the child. Yet she also was quick to recognize YaHoVeH’s part in her acquisition. She recognized God’s providence in her conception & birth.
There is no hint of a competitive struggle between Adam & Eve regarding the naming of the child.
“Knew”—edy yaw-dah’—Strong—To know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically & inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; & causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.).
“Conceived”—hrh haw-raw’—1) To conceive, become pregnant, bear, be with child, be conceived, progenitor.
“Bore”—dly yaw-lad’—1) To bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail. Strong—a primitive root; To bear young; causatively, To beget; medically, To act as midwife; specifically, To show lineage:-- Bear, beget, birth([-day]), born, etc.
“Cain”—Nyq kah’-yin—= “Possession(Acquisition)”—Strong—(with a play upon the affinity to hnq kaw-naw’(below)); Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, & of an Oriental tribe:-- Cain, Kenite(-s). From—hnq kaw-naw’.
“Acquired”—hnq kaw-naw’—V.—1) to get, acquire, create, buy, possess. Strong— a primitive root; To erect, i.e. create; by extension, To procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication To own:-- Attain, buy(-er), teach to keep cattle, get, provoke to jealousy, possess(-or), purchase, recover, redeem, X surely, X verily.
“With”—ta ayth—1) With, near, together with.
Argumentation:
Gen. 25:29-34—“Now Jacob cooked a stew; & Esau[firstborn] came in from the field, & he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom[Red]. But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, & sold his birthright to Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread & stew of lentils; then he ate & drank, arose, & went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.”
Gen. 27:33-38—“Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, & said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game & brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, & I have blessed him--& indeed he shall be blessed.” When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great & bitter cry, & said to his father, “Bless me--me also, O my father!” But he said, “Your brother came with deceit & has taken away your blessing.” And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, & now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Then Isaac answered & said to Esau, “Indeed I have made him your master, & all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain & wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?” And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me--me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice & wept.”
Eph. 3:8-12—“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, & to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities & powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness & access with confidence through faith in Him.”
1Tim. 3:13—“For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing & great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Heb. 10:19-25—“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new & living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, & having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience & our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love & good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, & so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Mat. 28:18-20—“And Jesus came & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth. Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
Our authority is centered in Christ’s authority. And we are ambassadors in Christ!
Eph 1:15-23—“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus & your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom & revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, & what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead & seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality & power & might & dominion, & every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, & gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Eph. 6:11-13—“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
Illustration:
Our pool tarp/Made to keep leaves-debris-animals, etc. out/As of this year it has a baseball-sized hole in it at the water line/AUTHORITY-IMPORTANCE is lost
Application:
?Your God-intended AUTHORITY/Importance/Position lost to Unrepentance?
?Your see your Unrepentant life as the Tragedy it is?
2— A tragedy of unrepentance is a...
Lost LIVELIHOOD(:2(:11-12))
Explanation: (:2(:11-12))
:2 “Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”
Later, Eve again bore another(her 2nd?) child. This child was a “brother” to Cain. He was named “Abel.” There is no significant circumstance attached to Abel’s name as was Cain’s.
Both Cain & Abel became recognized by their distinct careers with which they were associated & in which they had proficiency.
Abel’s career is listed first. He was a herdsman. An interesting thought is to consider how Abel began this career aside from any previous experience with it. However Adam could have been a herdsman as well. Abel was very probably the very first herdsman.
Cain, described 2nd, was recognized as a dirt crop farmer. He “was a tiller of the ground.” Supposedly he did this in the likeness of his father Adam.
“Brother”—xa awkh—Brother
“Abel”—lbh heh’-bel—=‘Breath’
“Keeper”—her raw-aw’—1) To pasture, tend, graze, feed; 2) To associate with, be a friend of (meaning probable); 3) (Piel) To be a special friend.
“Sheep”(See :4—“Flock”)—Nau tsone—1) Small cattle, sheep, sheep & goats, flock, flocks. Strong—from an unused root meaning to migrate; A collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men):-- (Small) cattle, flock (+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep([-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds]). NASB95—from an unused word; Small cattle, sheep & goats, flock:--
“Tiller”—dbe aw-bad’—1) to work, serve—1a) (Qal)—1a1) to labour, work, do work, 1a2) To work for another, serve another by labour, 1a3) To serve as subjects, 1a4) To serve (God), 1a5) To serve (with Levitical service), 1b) (Niphal)—1b1) To be worked, be tilled (of land), 1b2) To make oneself a servant, 1c) (Pual) To be worked, 1d) (Hiphil)—1d1) To compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve, 1d2) To cause to serve as subjects, 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve. Strong—To work (in any sense); by implication, To serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.:-- X Be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, + husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) Serve(-ing, self), (be, become) Servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress [from margin], (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper.
*The same word is used in 2:15, prior to the entrance of sin, & is translated “Tend.”
“Ground”—hmda ad-aw-maw’—1) Ground, land—1a) Ground (as general, tilled, yielding sustenance), 1b) Piece of ground, a specific plot of land, 1c) Earth substance (for building or constructing), 1d) Ground as earth’s visible surface, 1e) Land, territory, country, 1f) Whole inhabited earth, 1g) City in Naphtali. Strong—Soil (from its general redness):-- Country, earth, ground, husband[-man] (-ry), land.
Argumentation:
Your proper God-ordained purpose in life is thwarted & re-directed by unrepentance!
You can never discover the fullness of life/living/career choice without Christ!
Illustration:
Ken Welborn’s testimony—Sold a profitable snackfood business in California/Became a NAMB missionary to the UN/Why?...Commitment to Christ not self!/Apart from Christ, he would never have known!/Lost LIVELIHOOD
Application:
?Your God-intended LIVELIHOOD lost to Unrepentance?
?Your see your Unrepentant life as the Tragedy it is?
3—A tragedy of unrepentance is a...
Lost WORSHIP(:3, 5)
Explanation:(:3, 5)
:3—“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.”
An indeterminate(?) amount of time passes before a noteworthy event arises surrounding the particular “offering” given by both Cain & Abel(:4).
*“in process of time--Hebrew, "at the end of days," probably on the Sabbath.”—JFB
There is no previous mention of offerings expected of these generations who lived before the arrival of the Law in the Exodus. But it is definitely implied.
Cain brought a gift to YaHoVeH. That which he offered was personal, sacrificial(questionable as to degree or quality(:5)), & appropriate to his career...to the means thru which he made his living.
The above factors should weigh upon anyone who offers to YaHoVeH seeking to please Him.
“Process”—Uq qets—1) End—1a) End, at the end of (of time), 1b) End (of space). Strong—An extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) After:-- + after, (utmost) border, end, [in-]finite, X process.
“Time”—Mwy yowm—1) Day, time, year. from an unused root meaning to be hot; A day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), [often used adverb]:-- Age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ([birth-], each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, --more), X full, life, as (so) long as (. . live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
“Came to pass”—hyh haw-yaw—1) To be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out. Strong—To exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, & not a mere copula or auxiliary):-- Beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.
“Offering”—hxnm min-khaw’—1) Gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering. Strong—from an unused root meaning to apportion, i.e. Bestow; A donation; euphemistically, Tribute; specifically A sacrificial offering (usually bloodless & voluntary):-- Gift, oblation, (meat) offering, present, sacrifice.
:5—“but He did not respect Cain & his offering. And Cain was very angry, & his countenance fell.”
Argumentation:
Mat. 5:23-24—““Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, & there remember that your brother has something against you, “leave your gift there before the altar, & go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, & then come & offer your gift.”
Mat. 15:7-9—““Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’””
Jn. 4:20-24—““Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, & you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, & now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit & truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, & those who worship Him must worship in spirit & truth.””
Illustration:
How many of us have lost the ability of worship by allowing sin?
Application:
?Your God-intended WORSHIP lost to Unrepentance?
?Your see your Unrepentant life as the Tragedy it is?
4— A tragedy of unrepentance is a...
Lost RESPECT(:4-5)
Explanation: (:4-5)
:4—“Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock & of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel & his offering,”
Likewise, Abel offered a gift to his God, YaHoVeH. Abel’s offering was, as Cain’s, personal, sacrificial & appropriate to his career.
However, Abel 1)saw fit to bring “of the first-born of his flock.” Such a firstfruits offering is not mentioned in Cain’s case, as it appears that he merely indiscriminately brought of the fruit. This is a major difference in the two sacrifices.
The concept of firstfruits is vital as this symbolizes trust in YaHoVeH, as that which is first produced contains the entire promise of one’s income.
Abel’s “offering” adds an extremeness to the quality of one’s sacrifice, to give what one has only the promise of but not the reality of. It is an offering of faith.
Heb 11:4—“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; & through it he being dead still speaks.”
Heb. 12:22-25—“But you have come to Mount Zion & to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly & church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, & to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,”
Abel also 2)offered “of their fat.” This, for the first time, describes a practice not detailed until the Law....
Lev. 3:13-16—“‘He[the priest] shall lay his hand on its head & kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; & the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. Then he shall offer from it his offering, as an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the entrails & all the fat that is on the entrails, ‘the two kidneys & the fat that is on them by the flanks, & the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; ‘& the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the LORD’S.”
Num. 18:17—““But the firstborn of a cow, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, & burn their fat as an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD.”
1Sam. 2:12-17—“Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the LORD. And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; & the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come & say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.” And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; & if not, I will take it by force.” Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.”
“God had regard for Abel. That means for his heart. For his spirit, his attitude, the man his faith, that’s the inside.”—John MacArthur
“Grain offerings were to serve as reminders that God was the source of all their food. They were thank offerings. But the primary & necessary offering was the animal sacrifice because it is that which spoke of the need for substitutionary death for sin.”—John MacArthur
“Though there is no way back to life here, there is access to God while here through faith.”—ENT JND N&C 1.62
“Firstborn”—hrwkb bek-o-raw’—N. f.—1) Birthright, primogeniture, right of the first-born.
“Flock”(See :2—“Sheep”)—Nau tsone—1) Small cattle, sheep, sheep & goats, flock, flocks. Strong—from an unused root meaning to migrate; A collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men):-- (Small) cattle, flock (+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep([-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds]). NASB95—from an unused word; Small cattle, sheep & goats, flock:--
“Respected”—hev shaw-aw’—1) To look at or to, regard, gaze at or about. Strong—a primitive root; To gaze at or about (properly, for help); by implication, To inspect, consider, compassionate, be nonplussed (as looking around in amazement) or bewildered:-- Depart, be dim, be dismayed, look (away), regard, have respect, spare, turn.
:5—“but He did not respect Cain & his offering. And Cain was very angry, & his countenance fell.”
A. Something is vastly different regarding the two brother’s offerings because YaHoVeH “respected” Abel’s offering(:4), whereas Cain’s was not.
This is not a statement that animal farming is acceptable to God whereas row croppers are not!
This is also not a statement that the first to approach God—as was Cain(:3)—is respected versus those who follow, so that a competitive spirit arises. God is indeed no respecter of persons(Deut. 10:17; Acts 10:34-35) nor is favor with God built upon competition(Eph. 2:8-9). If it was then one could brag on his/her ability.
Acts 10:34-35—“Then Peter opened his mouth & said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. “But in every nation whoever fears Him & works righteousness is accepted by Him.”
Eph. 2:8-9—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
The reason for God’s “not respecting” Cain’s offering is not stated explicitly here. It must be derived either from 1)previous verses, 2)the Law, &/or 3)other biblical references to the incident.
“But more significantly he[Cain] didn’t bring an animal sacrifice. And I’m convinced that God had instructed them to bring an animal sacrifice. There had already been a demonstration of the need for substitutionary death to cover the sinner back in Chapter 3 Verse 21 when the Lord God had to slay an animal to make garments of skin for Adam & his wife & clothe them. .... that was a picture of substitutionary death of an innocent victim to provide a covering for the sinner.”—John MacArthur
“Apparently Cain didn’t have any recognition of the sin & that becomes very clear as the story goes on. Apparently he didn’t think he needed substitutionary death on his behalf. He didn’t need to depict the reality that he was a sinner worthy of death who needed an innocent substitute to die in his place.”—John MacArthur
1Jn. 3:4-12—“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, & sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, & in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; & he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God & the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one & murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil & his brother’s righteous.”
Jude :6-16—“And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom & Gomorrah, & the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality & gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, & speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; & whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, & perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, “to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, & of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; & they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.”
:5—“but He did not respect Cain & his offering. And Cain was very angry, & his countenance fell.”
B. Due to the fact that God did not “respect” Cain’s offering, Cain grew “angry.” He was angry with both God & jealous of his brother. Yet there is no attempt on Cain’s part to seek restitution with God.
Wouldn’t this have been a perfect opportunity to teach future generations the importance of unashamedly approaching God in repentance?
Ps. 4:3-5—“But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, & do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, & be still. Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.”
Eph. 4:26 -27—““Be angry, & do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”
Cain is obviously physically(“countenance fell”) dejected because he allows God’s lack of respect for his offering to kindle personal anger rather than to bring worshipful repentance.
Angry people are dangerous people(:8). Their actions are borne with an emotionally charged grudge-bearing attitude of fierceness at having been wronged. They are intensely frustrated. They cannot have what they want & will not accept any answer/placation except what they provide.
“Angry”—hrx khaw-raw’—1) To be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled. Strong—a primitive root [compare rrx khaw-rar’—1) to burn, be hot, be scorched, be charred]; To glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) To blaze up, Of anger, zeal, jealousy:-- Be angry, burn, be displeased, X earnestly, fret self, grieve, be (wax) hot, be incensed, kindle, X very, be wroth.
“Countenance”—Mynp paw-neem’—1)Face. Strong—plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun [hnp paw-neh’; from hnp paw-naw’]; The face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally & figuratively).
“Fell”—lpn naw-fal’—1) To fall, lie, be cast down, fail. Strong–a primitive root; To fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative).
Argumentation:
Mic. 6:6-8—“With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
Amos 5:20-23—“Is not the day of the LORD darkness, & not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? “I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings & your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.”
Ps. 51:15-17—“O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken & a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise.”
Mat. 7:21-27—““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, & done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, & does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: “& the rain descended, the floods came, & the winds blew & beat on that house; & it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, & does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: & the rain descended, the floods came, & the winds blew & beat on that house; & it fell. And great was its fall.””
*Isa. 59:1-3—“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue has muttered perversity.”
Illustration:
Car Insurance settlement/Total your car/End up with a couple thousand dollars if you’re lucky but no car & no prospect of buying one worth driving/Lost RESPECT
Application:
?Your God-intended RESPECT lost to Unrepentance?
?Your see your Unrepentant life as the Tragedy it is?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
"Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!"
Repentance is vital to a true Christian. Repentance is necessary to anyone really seeking God.
Unrepentance is indeed a tragedy awaiting fulfillment.
Action:
4 tragedies of unrepentance are a Lost...
1. AUTHORITY/Position(:1)
2. LIVELIHOOD(:2(:11-12))
3. WORSHIP(:3, 5)
4. RESPECT(:4-5)
Presented 03/27/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
