The Road to Destruction

Welcome to Southwest!

• Recap: The Bible is a unified story that culminates with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Question: Do you have the humility to admit when you’ve made a mistake? 

“Progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road. There is nothing progressive about being pig-headed and refusing to admit a mistake. If you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistake. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.” -C.S. Lewis.

Last Week: Creation and Fall

• When Adam and Eve sinned, it fundamentally changed the good world God created by separating us from God and turning people against each other.
• That should have been a wake-up call, but things got worse instead of better.

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)

• God gives us the free will to build our lives on the truth of his Word or the values of this world. One of those roads leads to life with God, but the other one leads only to destruction. 

We Must Choose Wisely.

• Two foundations to build on (Matt. 7:24-27)
• Two roads to follow (Matthew 7:13-14)
• The road to life and the road to destruction.

God Speaks to Cain (Genesis 4:6-7)

• Cain is bitter, angry, and jealous toward his brother. 
• God tells Cain he must choose between two options: the road to life and the path of destruction.
  • “You must choose. But choose wisely. For as the true Grail will bring you life, a false Grail will take it from you.” -Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• “Do what is right” — From the Hebrew word tov, meaning good or goodness. The same word God uses when in the creation story when he saw that it was good. Translation: Choose to live as you were created to be.

The Nature of Sin

• Sin is personified as a living being looking to consume and destroy us.
• Compare to 1 Peter 5:8-9:

1. Describes what Satan or Sin itself is doing — Crouching at our door, prowling around for us like a lion looking for prey. 
2. It describes Satan’s or Sin’s motivation — It desires to have us or devour us.
3. Calls us to respond — To rule over temptation and stand firm against Satan’s attacks.

No U-Turns?

Satan wants us to think that once we’ve started down the road to destruction, there’s no going back. He shows us a “No U-Turn Sign.”

• God’s Word tells us there is always a way out (see 1 Corinthians 10:13).
• It’s better to repent sooner rather than later, but we can always do a U-Turn.

Cain Did Not Listen to God’s Warning.

• He murdered his brother and was punished accordingly (exile). Surprisingly, God offered him a gift of grace anyway: divine protection.
• Would this be the wake-up call humanity needed to seek God again? Unfortunately, no.

From Cain to Noah

By the time of Noah, the entire earth had been corrupted by sin, violence, and evil. Only one man (Noah) and his family were righteous.

• Scripture: Genesis 6-8, especially 6:5-9, 22, and 8:1, 18-21.
• Noah wasn’t perfect, but he found favor in God’s eyes and was praised for being blameless, righteous, obedient, and for walking faithfully with God.

What Do We Learn?

The story of increasing sin and violence from Cain to the time of Noah teaches us at least three important lessons:

1. It shows us where the road to destruction ends.
2. It displays God’s commitment to eradicating evil. 
3. It foreshadows the way God offers new life to the world through the righteousness of one man.

• The world was given a second chance because of the righteousness of Noah.
• The world was offered salvation through the righteousness of Jesus.

Application: Choose The Right Road.

• Matthew 7:13-14: The wide and narrow gates.

Study & Reflection

Read 2 Samuel 11:1-27, the story of David’s sin with Bathsheba. 

1. Bryan told a story about taking the first off-ramp when he realized he was going the wrong way. What were the potential spiritual “off-ramps” David could have taken throughout this story?
2. What kinds of excuses, delusions, or justifications do you think David used to feel OK about his actions in this story?
3. What could David have done differently to “rule over” sin (Genesis 4:7) and resist the Devil’s attacks (1 Peter 5:9)?
4. What stands out to you about Uriah’s actions in this story? How does his behavior differ from David’s?
5. What did you think about the fact that the Bible compares sin to a living being that seeks to destroy us? How does that fit in with your understanding of our walk with God and day-to-day lives as disciples?
6. The first few chapters of the Bible illustrate the principle of free will. People are free to choose, but they are not free from the consequences of their choices. How do we see that play out with Adam, Eve, Cain, and the story of Noah?
7. Humankind did not appear to learn their lesson after God’s discipline on Adam, Eve, and Cain. They actually seem to get worse instead of better. Why do you think that is?
8. If the Bible is one big story that leads to Jesus, how do the stories of Cain and Noah fit into that grand narrative?
9. Finally, read Deuteronomy 30:11-20. What is something you can do or focus on this week to help you “choose life”?