"Guard Your Heart! 9th & 10th Commandments!" Genesis 4:1-15

August 28, 2022
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

God rich in mercy has raised us up in Christ Jesus from being the walking dead following the desires of our hearts to be alive forever. Even if evil slaughter us as Cain did his brother Abel, our blood cries out to God on high confessing Christ Jesus as our Lord and Victory over all sin, death, and the power of the devil. Sermon Text: Genesis 4:1-15. Sermon Theme: "Guard Your Heart! The 9th & 10th Commandments!" Preached for the 11th Sunday After Trinity, 8/28/2022, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Tell City, Indiana by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert.

Episode Notes

The 11th Sunday After Trinity                       28-August-2022
Sermon Text: Genesis 4:1-15
Sermon Theme: “Guard Your Heart: The 9th & 10th Commandments” by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert.

The Lutheran Confessions Responsive Reading: Luther’s Small Catechism (1529)
P: As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household. What is the 9th Commandment?
C: You shall not covet your neighbor's house.
P: What does this mean?
C: We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
 P: What is the 10th Commandment?
C: You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
P: What does this mean?
C: We should fear and love God so that we do not entice or force away our neighbor's wife, workers, or animals, or turn them against him, but urge them to stay and do their duty.

I.N.R.I. “I wish you pain” Andy Grammar sings in a song he co-wrote with Thomas Meredith and released in 2019 titled, “Wish You Pain.” His song strikes a dissonant note in the ear of a culture seeking personal happiness at any expense. Many parents just want their children to be “happy,” not to suffer pain. What if our chasing after happiness is “chasing after the wind.” Solomon testified, Ecc 2:1-2 I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure"; but surely, this also was vanity. (2) I said of laughter—"Madness!"; and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?" Maybe Grammar understands true love singing, “I hope you cry and tears come streaming down your face   I hope this life traps you in more than you thought you could ever take   I hope the help you want never comes   And you do it on your own   'Cause I love you more than you could know   And your heart, it grows every time it breaks I know that it might sound strange   But I wish you pain Wish you pain It's hard to say But I wish you pain”
      Adam and Eve loved their children. Twin sons had been born to them at first, then other daughters. Eve rejoiced in the first twin born hoping in God’s promise of a male deliverer of the human race - perhaps he was the “Acquired One from The Lord” so she names him “Cain.” The second born twin son is a mere “nothing” or “vanity” so she names him “Abel.” Cain follows his father’s footsteps. Abel is tasked to be a lowly shepherd. The favored son had all to be happy, his parents admiration, his father’s attention, success in farming, an abundant crop. Abel suffering clung to Christ in God’s Word of Promise. He had the one thing needful for life in our sin corrupted creation.
    We know the history of Genesis 4, for it has often been the history of our own lives. Cain’s offering is rejected. He doesn’t repent. He grows angry at faithful Abel. Adam can see the unhappiness in Cain’s face, so he talks to him. History records, Gen 4:6-7 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? (7) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." The Lord preaches through Adam - Guard your heart! The Lord preaches to us through Moses today: “Guard Your Heart! The 9th & 10th Commandments.”
    Sin lies at the door of your heart! It desires to leap upon you as a roaring lion! It longs to devour you! Lead you astray with the lie of personal happiness and fulfillment! (LSB pg. 322 9th Cmdt W.D.T.M?) Where do the worldly find personal happiness? In the idol called “mammon.” The lie that enslaves is that if we only have more money and stuff - then we will be happy. Homes are shattered as parents neglect their children to earn more and more to bring them happiness. The more they work, buy, and amass the less their family has to enjoy. Especially simply being together around Christ’s Word, sharing His love with one another, enjoying God’s creation, and trusting His care for us.
      Cain desired what his brother Abel had. He thought he’d get it by nurturing his anger until it ripened into hate. Hate brought forth the fruit of murder - fratricide. Now he had Abel’s flocks, but he didn’t have Abel’s faith. It wasn’t what Cain had offered, it was a heart issue. Scripture teaches, Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”
      (LSB pg. 322 9th Cmdt W.D.T.M?) You cannot serve God and mammon. Where do you find your hope, security, identity, meaning in life? In the water poured over your infant forehead and the Name sealed upon you with the sign of the cross? In your bank statements, investments, property, toys, treasures stored up for years to come? In the mid 19th Century Karl Marx rejecting God as Creator, since he trusted Charles Darwin’s unscientific atheistic story of evolution, proposed a philosophy of historical materialism. He thought that all history was a struggle between the “have’s” and “have not’s.” If all wealth could be redistributed it would bring about a man made utopia. Others would pick up the ball and run with it promoting world wide communism. Far from building a utopian society. Communism has murdered over 100 million people who stood in the path of its reforms for justice, and enslaved billions more. Our nation seeking happiness in redistributing wealth has only brought about the murder of 60 million unborn babies, the destruction of marriage, the mutilation of healthy bodies, plunged itself into over $30 trillion dollars of debt, and stolen the earning of others through devaluing its currency.
        Where can we find security in our fallen world? (LSB pg. 321 1st Cmdt W.D.T.M?) Fear, love, trust - heart actions - covet only Him and His Word! Or did you lie when you confessed, “I believe”? Fear God the Father Who created this world, you, and still cares for you - richly and daily providing you all you need to support your body and life. Love God the Son - The Eternal God Who gave up His treasures to become your Brother. To rescue you from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. He paid your price in full. He lives. He rules. He calls you to suffer under the cross with Him in His Kingdom which will never end. Trust in God the Holy Spirit - He has called you by Name through the Gospel of baptism. He gifted you with faith to believe that Jesus Christ is “your” Lord. He keeps you in this Faith through Christ’s Word spoken, sung, read, preached, prayed, and fed you with in Christ’s Church - your local congregation. Here alone He daily and richly forgives you all your sins and the sins of all believers. We don’t build a utopia of equity in this fallen world - He preserves us under pain and suffering to the resurrection of our bodies and the life of the world to come. New heavens and new earth in which the evil are forever chained in the solitary confinement of hell, sin, Satan forever banished - and only righteousness dwells as we see our Savior face to face in these bodies resurrected and restored to live with Him forever.
    Fear God the Father. Love God the Son. Trust in God the Holy Spirit above all things! You don’t need your neighbor’s inheritance or house - help and be a service to him in keeping what the Lord God entrusts to his brief stewardship this side of eternity.
    Cain was far from content. He wanted his brother’s sheep for an offering and his brother’s place before the Lord to be happy. He was among the walking dead. As Paul would preach nearly four millennia later, Eph 2:1-3 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, (2) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, (3) among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
    Guard your heart! Don’t follow the majority! Friendship with the world is hatred of God! (LSB pg. 322 10th Cmdt W.D.T.M?) Two men went up to Temple to pray. Jesus tells us that one was a very good man. He had nothing to hide. He boasted of his great stewardship and sacrifices he made for the Lord. He despised all those other worthless sinners, especially that Roman tax collector who dared to stand in the back of the Temple. Do you think your happiness could be found if you only had your neighbor’s vocation. His spouse, family, business, and authority? The proud Pharisee coveted his neighbor’s praise - turning all to despise the lowly tax collector and look to him as the religious one. Perhaps he echoed the sentiment of Cain offering up the first fruits of the earth - surely he’d be accepted - he wasn’t a lowly stinky shepherd.
    The tax collector knew his place before God. He served his neighbor in his calling so that peace and order might be preserved through lawful government and justice executed within its courts. He knew his place before the Lord God. He had nothing to bring. Nothing to boast of , but he beat his breast in repentance crying out, “God, be merciful to me - The Sinner!” He will serve his neighbor through his despise vocation, but before the Lord God he will only stand as “the sinner” who deserves only God’s wrath and punishment.  
    What is your God given vocation/calling?! (LSB pg. 322 10th Cmdt W.D.T.M?) Husband, wife, parent, child, preacher, listener, government, citizen, employee, employer, young, elderly? These are various holy orders and positions. (LSB pg. 328 - Table of Duties) Look up these Bible passages - memorize them - learn your duties and responsibilities to serve your neighbor within your various callings. Repent. Receive God’s mercy. Go home declared “not guilty” washed forgiven in Christ’s blood. Strengthened with His Body and life blood - pour yourself out in loving service to your neighbor. Christ’s Love flows through the channel of the Ten Commandments to you neighbor.
    Unwilling to serve. Cain rose up and murdered his brother Abel. The weapon didn’t matter - man’s heart is murderous from the fall - rebelling against our Creator we worship the false god called “ME.” The Lord didn’t abandon Cain - he graciously marked him to preserve his life. Cain would marry his sister and leave the family. Sadly the mark of grace became an excuse for Cain’s great grandson to murder a man for merely insulting him. Lamech also perverted God’s gift of marriage by taking two wives.
    God has not left you. He is rich in mercy. He raised you up in your Brother and God - Christ Jesus. He restored you by His sacrifice. He creates in you a clean heart. He renews a right heart within you by His Holy Spirit - who alone works and keeps you trusting in Jesus through hearing the Gospel. He preserves you under the cross - through pain, and suffering He preserves you. Dying to self -you rise to serve your neighbor within your vocation - in the good works He has prepared for you before hand to follow Him in love. Amen.


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