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God Received Abel's Worship

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Bible verse : Genesis 4:4-5 (NIV)

But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.
The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.
So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

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The first people God created were Adam and Eve.
These couples lived happily in the Garden of Eden made by God.
Since there was no sin at that time, they met God every day and lived in great love.

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However, Eve was tricked by Satan and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God had forbidden her to eat. And she gave the fruit she ate to Adam as well, and the two of them sinned against God.
God punished them severely and drove them out of the Garden of Eden.
This is because sinful humans and God cannot be together.

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Adam and Eve, who were expelled from the Garden of Eden, lived completely different lives. Adam had to sweat and work to get food. In time, the couple had children.
Eve gave birth to her first son with great pain.

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The first child given to Adam and Eve was a son. After giving birth to their first child, Eve said: “With Jehovah’s help,” she said, “I conceived a boy.”
The child's name is Cain.

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Soon Eve gave birth to a second son.
The son's name is Abel.
God gave Adam and Eve two sons, Cain and Abel.

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Growing up, the two sons did different things. The eldest son, Cain, worked in the fields. And his brother Abel became a shepherd in the field.

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After some time, the two people offered sacrifices to God with the results they had obtained. Cain, who worked as a farmer, prepared a sacrifice with the grains and fruits he had obtained from the land.
He placed the offerings he had prepared on the altar.

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His younger brother Abel also prepared a sacrifice. Abel carefully prepared the lamb and its fat and offered it as a sacrifice. Abel prepared the most precious thing and put it on the altar, believing that God would accept his offering.

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The altar that Cain and Abel built to God appeared to have no problems.
However, on that day, God accepted only the offering made by Abel.
God accepted the lamb and the fat that Abel offered. Abel thanked God for accepting his offering.

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However, God did not accept Cain's offering. Cain prepared an offering, but he did not have the right faith toward God in his heart. Cain did not repent when he saw that God did not accept his offering. But he was rather angry.

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Hebrews 11:4 records why God accepted Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's.
“By faith, Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain.
God was pleased with the sacrifice Abel offered and called him a righteous man.”

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Abel had faith in God who would accept the sacrifice. Abel offered the sacrifice with the faith that he firmly believed that God was alive.
He earnestly hoped that God would accept his offering, and humbly offered the most precious thing to God.

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On the other hand, the sacrifice offered by Cain did not look different from Abel's when viewed from the outside.
However, in the center of his heart, he did not have the right faith toward God.
God knew that Cain had no faith in his heart and did not accept his offering.

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The sacrifices offered by Cain and Abel are the same as the worship we offer today. God only accepts worship that is offered by believers who worship God with faith in their hearts. Jesus himself told us what kind of heart and attitude we should worship God who is Spirit.
[God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
(John 4:24)]

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When we worship, God does not unconditionally receive it.
God only accepts worship offered with faith like Abel's. God is pleased with worship offered with the right faith in God.
At this time when we worship, God is present here to receive our worship.
I hope that you will worship with faith so that the worship I give will be the worship that God accepts, just like the worship Abel gave.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)