A Life That Still Speaks: What Abel Teaches Us About Faith That Pleases God
What if the most powerful sermon ever preached was never spoken aloud?
That's exactly the story of Abel. He never wrote a book, never led an army, never performed a miracle — and yet, thousands of years after his death, the Bible says he still speaks.
This past Sunday, we kicked off a brand-new series called A Witness Worth Following, and I couldn't be more excited for the journey ahead. Over the next several weeks, we're going to spend time with men and women from Scripture who lived so faithfully that their stories have outlasted their lifetimes by millennia. They weren't famous by the world's standards. They didn't have social media platforms or bestselling books. They were simply people who trusted God — and that trust left a testimony that still echoes today.
We begin with Abel. And his life asks every one of us a question we can't afford to ignore: How do I approach God in a way that truly pleases Him?
First, Let's Define What Faith Actually Is
Before we can live a life of faith, we have to understand what faith really means. In our culture, people throw that word around loosely. Some think faith is wishful thinking — just wanting something badly enough. Others think it's blind optimism, a vague confidence with no real foundation. Still others think faith means believing something you can never prove.
But Hebrews 11 paints a much richer picture. Here's the definition I want you to hold onto throughout this entire series:
Faith is confidence in God and reliance on Him, such that we are moved to obey Him.
It's not just a feeling. It's not just a belief. It's a trust so deep that it produces action. And that's exactly what we see in Abel.
Approach God Through Faith, Not Just Religion
Hebrews 11:4 tells us: "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."
Two brothers. Two offerings. Only one was accepted. And for years, I thought I knew why — God preferred meat over vegetables, or Cain had a bad attitude. But neither of those answers holds up. The Bible actually tells us that Cain didn't get angry until after his offering was rejected. And God later required crops as part of Old Testament worship, so it wasn't about livestock versus produce.
The real issue? Abel came by faith. Cain came by religion.
There is an enormous difference between religion and relationship. Attending worship is not the same as worshiping. Just because your shadow lines the halls of a church does not make you a follower of Christ. What God always does — what we cannot do — is look at the heart. And a heart of genuine faith doesn't just show up. It surrenders.
To our students especially, I want to say this: this school year, you're going to face enormous pressure to fit in, to compromise, to stay quiet about your faith. Let me encourage you — trust God's truth more than your own feelings, and more than what anyone around you says. You don't have to follow the crowd to please God.
Approach God According to His Revelation, Not Your Own Invention
Faith never invents its own path to God. Faith always responds to the way God has already revealed.
This is where Cain's real mistake becomes clear. Abel came to God as God had revealed Himself. Cain chose his own approach based on how he wanted to perceive God. And here's the thing — that's not worship. That's self-expression dressed up as worship.
Imagine it's your birthday and I ask where you want to go for lunch. You say a steakhouse. I take you to a sushi bar, hand you a menu with no steak on it, and smile and say, "I know you said steak, but I wanted to give you what I want." At that point, the gift is no longer about you. It's about me.
We do the same thing with God. We say we're worshiping Him, but then we make it about what we prefer, what makes us comfortable, what fits our schedule. Romans 10:17 reminds us: "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
This is why the Word of God has to be the loudest voice in your life — not just on Sundays. Engage it every day. Because when you know God as He has truly revealed Himself, your response to Him will be what He desires.
Approach God With Your First and Your Best
Here's the part we all struggle with most. When Moses describes Cain's offering in Genesis 4:3, he says simply that Cain "brought some of the fruits of the soil." But when he describes Abel's offering in verse 4, he is careful and specific: "Abel also brought an offering — fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock."
Every word matters. Abel didn't just bring something. He brought the firstborn — and from the firstborn, he brought the fat portions, the very best parts. Moses doesn't give Cain's offering that kind of attention. It's almost as if he says in passing, "Well, Cain brought something." But Abel brought the first and the best.
This is what faith does. Faith always puts God first. It says, "God, you deserve my best, and as I give you my best, I trust you — not me — with what remains."
This is the same principle Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Not eventually. Not when you have time. First.
Whatever is first in your life reveals what sits on the throne of your heart.
Worship has never been about bringing something to God. It has always been about bringing yourself. This is why Paul writes in Romans 12 that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices. In Genesis, the sacrifice was an animal. In the New Testament, the sacrifice is us — our plans, our ambitions, our relationships, our future. All of it laid on the altar every single morning.
The Witness You're Leaving Behind
Abel never preached a sermon. But his life still speaks.
The question I want to leave with you today is this: What kind of witness are you leaving behind?
Not a perfect one — none of us are perfect. But a faithful one. A life that says to everyone watching, "I trust God. I depend on Him. And I will do what He asks me to do."
If you don't yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I want you to know that what we're talking about goes far beyond religion. Religion has never saved anyone. But Jesus — God in the flesh, who gave His life on the cross and rose from the dead — He can. The Bible says in Romans 10:9: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Today is your opportunity to go beyond religion and into a real relationship with the One who created you, knows you by name, and has already revealed the way to Himself through Jesus Christ.
My prayer for all of us — students, parents, educators, and everyone reading this — is not just that we have a successful year ahead. My prayer is that we have a faithful one. A year where our lives, like Abel's, tell a story that others can follow.
Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel, and join us this Sunday as we continue our series, A Witness Worth Following.
That's exactly the story of Abel. He never wrote a book, never led an army, never performed a miracle — and yet, thousands of years after his death, the Bible says he still speaks.
This past Sunday, we kicked off a brand-new series called A Witness Worth Following, and I couldn't be more excited for the journey ahead. Over the next several weeks, we're going to spend time with men and women from Scripture who lived so faithfully that their stories have outlasted their lifetimes by millennia. They weren't famous by the world's standards. They didn't have social media platforms or bestselling books. They were simply people who trusted God — and that trust left a testimony that still echoes today.
We begin with Abel. And his life asks every one of us a question we can't afford to ignore: How do I approach God in a way that truly pleases Him?
First, Let's Define What Faith Actually Is
Before we can live a life of faith, we have to understand what faith really means. In our culture, people throw that word around loosely. Some think faith is wishful thinking — just wanting something badly enough. Others think it's blind optimism, a vague confidence with no real foundation. Still others think faith means believing something you can never prove.
But Hebrews 11 paints a much richer picture. Here's the definition I want you to hold onto throughout this entire series:
Faith is confidence in God and reliance on Him, such that we are moved to obey Him.
It's not just a feeling. It's not just a belief. It's a trust so deep that it produces action. And that's exactly what we see in Abel.
Approach God Through Faith, Not Just Religion
Hebrews 11:4 tells us: "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."
Two brothers. Two offerings. Only one was accepted. And for years, I thought I knew why — God preferred meat over vegetables, or Cain had a bad attitude. But neither of those answers holds up. The Bible actually tells us that Cain didn't get angry until after his offering was rejected. And God later required crops as part of Old Testament worship, so it wasn't about livestock versus produce.
The real issue? Abel came by faith. Cain came by religion.
There is an enormous difference between religion and relationship. Attending worship is not the same as worshiping. Just because your shadow lines the halls of a church does not make you a follower of Christ. What God always does — what we cannot do — is look at the heart. And a heart of genuine faith doesn't just show up. It surrenders.
To our students especially, I want to say this: this school year, you're going to face enormous pressure to fit in, to compromise, to stay quiet about your faith. Let me encourage you — trust God's truth more than your own feelings, and more than what anyone around you says. You don't have to follow the crowd to please God.
Approach God According to His Revelation, Not Your Own Invention
Faith never invents its own path to God. Faith always responds to the way God has already revealed.
This is where Cain's real mistake becomes clear. Abel came to God as God had revealed Himself. Cain chose his own approach based on how he wanted to perceive God. And here's the thing — that's not worship. That's self-expression dressed up as worship.
Imagine it's your birthday and I ask where you want to go for lunch. You say a steakhouse. I take you to a sushi bar, hand you a menu with no steak on it, and smile and say, "I know you said steak, but I wanted to give you what I want." At that point, the gift is no longer about you. It's about me.
We do the same thing with God. We say we're worshiping Him, but then we make it about what we prefer, what makes us comfortable, what fits our schedule. Romans 10:17 reminds us: "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
This is why the Word of God has to be the loudest voice in your life — not just on Sundays. Engage it every day. Because when you know God as He has truly revealed Himself, your response to Him will be what He desires.
Approach God With Your First and Your Best
Here's the part we all struggle with most. When Moses describes Cain's offering in Genesis 4:3, he says simply that Cain "brought some of the fruits of the soil." But when he describes Abel's offering in verse 4, he is careful and specific: "Abel also brought an offering — fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock."
Every word matters. Abel didn't just bring something. He brought the firstborn — and from the firstborn, he brought the fat portions, the very best parts. Moses doesn't give Cain's offering that kind of attention. It's almost as if he says in passing, "Well, Cain brought something." But Abel brought the first and the best.
This is what faith does. Faith always puts God first. It says, "God, you deserve my best, and as I give you my best, I trust you — not me — with what remains."
This is the same principle Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Not eventually. Not when you have time. First.
Whatever is first in your life reveals what sits on the throne of your heart.
Worship has never been about bringing something to God. It has always been about bringing yourself. This is why Paul writes in Romans 12 that we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices. In Genesis, the sacrifice was an animal. In the New Testament, the sacrifice is us — our plans, our ambitions, our relationships, our future. All of it laid on the altar every single morning.
The Witness You're Leaving Behind
Abel never preached a sermon. But his life still speaks.
The question I want to leave with you today is this: What kind of witness are you leaving behind?
Not a perfect one — none of us are perfect. But a faithful one. A life that says to everyone watching, "I trust God. I depend on Him. And I will do what He asks me to do."
If you don't yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I want you to know that what we're talking about goes far beyond religion. Religion has never saved anyone. But Jesus — God in the flesh, who gave His life on the cross and rose from the dead — He can. The Bible says in Romans 10:9: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Today is your opportunity to go beyond religion and into a real relationship with the One who created you, knows you by name, and has already revealed the way to Himself through Jesus Christ.
My prayer for all of us — students, parents, educators, and everyone reading this — is not just that we have a successful year ahead. My prayer is that we have a faithful one. A year where our lives, like Abel's, tell a story that others can follow.
Watch the full sermon on our YouTube channel, and join us this Sunday as we continue our series, A Witness Worth Following.
No Comments