I. Introduction
A. Anger Management
1. In the past, I’ve worked in the service industry. One of the mantras we were always given was “The customer is always right.”
a. Throughout my time, I realized that, while this statement isn’t always true, customers expect to be treated as if they are right all the time.
b. The fact is, sometimes the customer is flat wrong, and you know it.
c. When this happens, emotions can get the best of you.
2. I’ve seen service workers handle this well, and I’ve seen them handle it very poorly.
a. When they get it right, there is usually a win in it for everyone; the business keeps a customer, and the employee keeps their job.
b. What you try to learn to do is figure out how to make things right for the customer.
c. When they get it wrong, it usually goes viral on some social media platform.
3. Tonight, our villain is worth studying because they can teach us how to manage one of the most powerful emotions we experience—anger.
B. Series Review- Why do we need to study villains?
1. To better identify and understand our enemy.
2. To figure out how to prepare for spiritual warfare.
3. To be encouraged by God’s victory.
C. Firsts in Cain’s Narrative
1. First child
2. First scene outside the garden
3. First use of the word “sin”
4. First murder
5. First division of labor
6. Cain- worker of the ground
7. Abel- keeper of sheep
8. First act of worship
D. Synopsis
1. When Cain’s offering is rejected, God warns him that his anger could lead him down the wrong path.
2. Instead of listening, Cain devises a plan to kill his brother, Abel.
3. After killing Abel, God places a curse on Cain, and he is driven away from his family.
4. The Murder
a. The Septuagint (Greek translation of OT) includes some additional thoughts in verse 8 with, “Let’s go out to the field,”
b. By what method did Cain kill Abel? According to Jewish tradition, Cain killed Abel with a rock. Islamic commentators include the devil in this scene, prompting Cain and giving him instructions on how to use the rock.
c. The Hebrew word for killed is the word that was commonly used to describe violent, intentional murder (slaughter of the men of Shechem Gen 34:25,26 or Jezebel murdering prophets 1 Kings 18:13) In 1 John 3:12 when speaking of Cain’s action John chooses the more violent word denoting slaughter than a lesser word comparable to unintentional death.
d. Ultimately, we do not know how Cain killed Abel. It’s not important. What is important is that Cain takes a life.
5. There are many unanswered questions in the account of Cain and Abel, but often what is missing in Scripture is left out to emphasize what is there.
II. When Sin is Crouching at Your Door
A. God’s -Genesis 4:6-7
1. Murder was not the beginning of Cain’s sin; it was the result of not handling his
a. Notice that God demonstrates with Cain’s anger in verse 6 and provides direction through instruction.
b. The word desire is the same word as in Genesis 3:6
c. Crouching is what a wild animal does before it springs onto its prey
d. The use of the emphatic pronoun “you” actually makes the text read, “…you, you must rule over it…” It makes Cain’s personal responsibility for handling his anger more evident.
2. We must beware of the control we give to anger. “Anger is one letter short of danger.” Lindsey Garmon
B. Management
1. It’s not wrong to feel anger; it’s what we with that emotion that is right or wrong. (Ephesians 4:26-27).
2. Here we see the power of human emotion, but through this account, God reminds us that there is always an alternate path to sin.
3. Early in Genesis, we are given a picture of the terrible things that can happen when we lose control.
C. Ways to Deal with Anger
1. what is making you angry. One of the things we can learn about anger is that it is often a response to some other emotion (e.g. rejection, embarrassment, jealousy, frustration, etc.)
2. Pay attention to the signs of anger.
a. When you feel anger, delay your response until you can calm yourself.
b. Proverbs 30:33 For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.
3. When we lose control…
a. When we erupt, ask the question, “Why did I get so upset?”
b. If you lose control, go make things .
4. Because Cain ignores God’s warning, he ends up doing something tragic. If we admit that sometimes we get angry, we can begin to figure out how to deal with it.
D. The of the Matter
1. Cain’s was not right before God.
2. Two Scriptures offer possible clues as to why Cain’s offering was not acceptable.
a. Hebrews 11:4 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.
b. 1 John 3:12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
3. It appears that Cain’s offering was not accepted because of the heart of the one who offered it, not that the offering was bad. Cain’s attitude was apparently poor.
4. Another thought is that it was not of the first fruits; that Cain’s offering was not the best he could offer. This option, however, also points back to the motivation and attitude.
a. Under the Law of Moses, the first fruits of everything belonged to God in a special way. (Exodus 23:16-19; Exodus 13:11-13; Exodus 29:13).
b. Grasham makes the comment, “The irony of this story is that it began with two brothers attempting to draw near to God in worship. After Cain murdered Abel in a fit of jealousy and rage, the unrepentant murderer left the presence of the Lord.”
5. Cain’s heart condition him more than he could have imagined.
III. Conclusion
A. Cain’s Curse
1. Because of his actions, Cain was cursed by God.
2. There have been a lot of thoughts on what Cain’s curse was.
3. The real curse for Cain is found in Genesis 4:16, “Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord….”
B. Invitation
1. Don’t allow unresolved anger to keep you from the presence of the Lord.
2. Ask for help resolving whatever is keeping you from having a full relationship with the Father.