This file is prepared for Free Community Church Plush cell group study on 2 April 2013. Visit our website for information on FCC: http://www.freecomchurch.org/

1. FREE COMMUNITY CHURCH
PLUSH CG
LESSON 10
CORRUPTION:
The Conflict of the Ages
as

2. We were first made to love one
another, yet today we experience
conflicts with one another…

3. What was the first sacrifice?
Who offered it and why?
• Genesis 4:1-16: Cain and Abel
• Focus on how Cain and Abel made their first
offering to God in the passage.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49PSsfvbDT0

4. Genesis 4:1-16 – Cain and Abel
4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten[a] a man
with the help of the LORD.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of
sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an
offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their
fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he
had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you
angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted?[b] And if you do
not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for[c] you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother.[d] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his
brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said,
“I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the LORD said, “What have you done? The
voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from
the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When
you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a
wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.[e]
14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden.
I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the
LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And
the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away
from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden.

5. Why do you think God accept Abel’s
offering but not Cain’s?
• Hebrews 11:4
4 Byfaith 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.
• 1 John 3:10-15
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the
devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does
not love his brother.
Love One Another
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love
one another. 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. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers,[a] that the world hates you. 14 We
know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.
Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a
murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

6. Why was the offering unacceptable?
• 1 Samuel 15:3, 21-23
3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction[a] all that they have.
Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and
sheep, camel and donkey.’”
21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things
devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” 22 And
Samuel said,
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has also rejected you from being king.”

7. Why was the offering unacceptable?
• Malachi 1: 6-10
The Priests' Polluted Offerings
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father,
where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of
hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we
despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say,
‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD's table may be despised.
8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you
offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your
governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. 9 And
now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift
from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. 10 Oh
that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might
not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of
hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.

8. What is considered a pleasing sacrifice
or better than a sacrifice?
• 1 Samuel 15:22
22 And Samuel said,
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
• Psalm 51: 16-17
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; *Definition of contrite:
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. Feeling or expressing
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; remorse or penitence;
a broken and *contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. affected by guilt
• Proverbs 15:8
8 Thesacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

9. What does God really want
from us?
What can we do in our
daily life to please God?

10. Describe the similarities and differences in
sin offerings and the blood of Christ…
• Hebrews 9:6-7
6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go
regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but
into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year,
and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for
the unintentional sins of the people.
• Hebrews 9:11-14
Redemption Through the Blood of Christ
11 Butwhen Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,[a] then through the
greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered
once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his
own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the
sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify[b] for the purification of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
blemish to God, purify our[c] conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

11. Describe the similarities and differences in
sin offerings and the blood of Christ…
• Hebrews 10:1-4
10 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to
come instead of the true form of these realities, it can
never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered
every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise,
would they not have ceased to be offered, since the
worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer
have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices
there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible
for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
• Hebrews 10: 14
14 For
by a single offering he has perfected for all time those
who are being sanctified.

12. Describe the similarities and differences in
sin offerings and the blood of Christ…
Similarities Differences
Temporal
Redemption of (yearly sacrifice)
sins vs. eternal (one
time for forever)
Blood was Jesus’ blood
offered to God/ (pure) vs. those
Death was of bulls and
necessary goats (tainted)
The offering Jesus brought
must be all of us into the
unblemished holiest place
Only the high
priest was
allowed into the
holiest place

13. When was the last time you got
angry with someone?
And what did you do?

14. Cain was very angry and jealous when God
favored Abel’s offering. What does God teach us
about haboring anger? Dealing with anger?
• Proverbs 14:17
17 A
man of quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated.
• Ephesians4:25-27
25 Therefore,having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let
the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.
• Ephesians 4:31
31 Letall bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from
you, along with all malice.
• James 1:19-20
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak,
slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

15. Cain was very angry and jealous when God
favored Abel’s offering. What does God teach us
about haboring anger? Dealing with anger?
Commentary
Ephesians4:25-27
• Notice the particulars wherewith we should adorn our Christian profession.
Take heed of every thing contrary to truth. No longer flatter or deceive others.
God's people are children who will not lie, who dare not lie, who hate and
abhor lying. Take heed of anger and ungoverned passions. If there is just
occasion to express displeasure at what is wrong, and to reprove, see that it
be without sin. We give place to the devil, when the first motions of sin are
not grievous to our souls; when we consent to them; and when we repeat an
evil deed. This teaches that as sin, if yielded unto, lets in the devil upon us, we
are to resist it, keeping from all appearance of evil.
Ephesians 4:31
• Corrupt passions of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil-speaking, and
malice, grieve the Holy Spirit. Provoke not the holy, blessed Spirit of God to
withdraw his presence and his gracious influences.

16. God’s words to Cain
Genesis 4: 6-7
6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face
fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted?[b] And if you do not
do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for[c] you, but you
must rule over it.”
God personally communicates with Cain asking him why he is angry and
explaining that he should take responsibility by doing what is right in
order to be accepted. God also points out that if “you do not do what is
right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must
master it.” Explain what you think God means by this.

17. God’s words to Cain
Commentary
The character of the worshiper is the third possibility. The point is that
Abel offered in faith and righteousness with a willing heart. Such faith
and obedience pleases God. Cain's faith is his belief in the power of
the sacrifice to reconcile him with God, was lacking perhaps because
his repentance was not genuine or because he was denying that he
had sinned and was only paying "lip-service" at the altar and not
"heart-service." From God's rebuke of Cain in Genesis 4:7, it appears
that sin was the chief problem in Cain's life. Clearly, Cain was not
"doing right" as St. John teaches in 1 Jn 3:12: And why did he murder
his brother? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's
upright.
God gave Cain the assurance that he had the power to master his
temptation to sin, but he could only master sin if he resisted the
temptation to sin and was obedient (to "do well"/ "offer rightly") in
submitting himself to the will of God.

18. How then do we master the
temptation to sin?
• Romans 12:1-2
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be
conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing
you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• James 4:7-10
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near
to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your
hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be
turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he
will exalt you.
• 1 Peter 1:13-16
13Therefore, preparing your minds for action,[a] and being sober-minded, set your hope
fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient
children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who
called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be
holy, for I am holy.”

19. On whom and on what is Cain’s focus
on throughout the passage?
What attitudes does he
demonstrate in his reaction to
God’s confrontation and to his
punishment?
Reflection:
How can we deal with conflicts
effectively from now?