This week we start a new sermon series on “Misused Stories of the Bible.”  You may remember a few years ago when we did a series on the “Misunderstood Verses of the Bible” and this will be similar to that.  We’ll be looking at a number of famous Bible stories that are often misinterpreted to such an extent that we miss the real meaning of the story.  We’re going to kick off the series this Sunday in Genesis 4:1-16 and the story of “Cain and His Sacrifice.” 

Often we read this story and we think that Cain got a raw deal.  God asked both Cain and Abel for sacrifices and they both brought them, but God accepted Abel’s, but not Cain’s.  We try to find reasons why this happened and that’s where we often miss the meaning of the story.  However, this incident is mentioned several times in Scripture and when we look at what the whole counsel of God says, the reasons become quite clear, and they center around having genuine faith.

So, this week, we’re going to look at what it means to come before God with genuine faith, as we [should] do every Sunday.  When we come to worship, we have to ask … Are we going through the motions or are we genuinely worshiping out of a heartfelt trust in a Sovereign God and a deep love for Christ? 

As you know, this Sunday, after six months without, we’ll be restarting the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.  According to our confession of faith, this Sacrament is supposed to be an “outward sign of an inward reality.”  In other words, are we going through the motions when we take the Lord’s Supper (the outward sign), or in the bread and cup, are we genuinely receiving the grace of God in faith and love (the inward reality)?  To put it more bluntly, do we come to the Lord’s Supper as Cain or as Abel?

Hard questions, I know.  But important ones too.  See you Sunday, Dr. Dave

P.S. – If you haven’t RSVP’d for the Labor Day Picnic yet, please do so on Realm.