“Battling Brokenness”
Genesis 4:1-16 - February 17, 2019
Message 1 of 5 in the Sermon Series: “Family Stronger: Battling Brokenness & Refusing to Quit”

Genesis 4:1-16—“Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” ²Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. ³In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. ⁴And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

⁸Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

⁹Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.”

Truth #1: Sin leads to brokenness in our lives.

The way Cain approached God was broken; the reason Cain was broken was sin.

Genesis 4:6-7—“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

We have to acknowledge two things about the sin in our lives:

1. Sin desires to crush us. Jn. 10:10a

John 10:10—“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”

2. We have to fight it! 1 Peter 5:8

1 Peter 5:8—“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Truth #2: Brokenness leads to pain for our families.

Genesis 4:8—“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”

Those most impacted by our brokenness are usually our families.

Our greatest shock in life is not THAT our family causes us pain, it is how deeply they cause us pain.

Psalm 55:22—“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Psalm 55:1-3; 12-14—“Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;² hear me and answer me.My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught³ because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked;for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger…

¹²If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.¹³But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,¹⁴with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.”

Key Question:What are we going to do?

1.Take responsibility for you.

We have to see our sin as the greatest obstacle to a strong family.
We have to see Jesus as our greatest opportunity for a strong family.

1.Refuse to quit.

Genesis 4:25—“Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

Genesis 4:26—“Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.

At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.”

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