The Bible Storyline – Lesson 10 – July 12, 2206
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God’s Kingdom Is Successful When We Pass Our Faith to the Next Generation
This sermon teaches us that we do not have to change the world in order to be successful in God’s Kingdom.
Review:
In sermon #9 we learned that the births of Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Abel, was the beginning of two kingdoms living on the same earth.
Cain was evil and belonged to the Kingdom of Satan, while Abel was righteous and belonged to the Kingdom of God.
We also learned that God promised in Genesis 3:15 that there would be enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of Satan.
That truth was evident when Cain killed Able.
After the death of Able, we learned that Cain went out and had children that also belonged to the Kingdom of Satan.
When it looked like only the kingdom of Satan was going to survive, we read in Gen 4:25-26 that Seth was born, then Seth had a son named Enos and then men began to call upon the name of the LORD, therefore the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are once again sharing the same earth. But only one Kingdom will survive the judgment and inherit the earth:
Genesis 4:25–26 (KJV)
25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Consider the parable Jesus spoke while on earth:
A Parable From Jesus
In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus gives a parable about the Wheat and the Tares?
Matthew 13:24–30 (KJV)
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Later, the disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable to them and He said:
Matthew 13:36–43 (KJV)
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
This parable shows the two kingdoms sharing the same earth. We are told that the two will occupy the earth until the time of final judgment at the end of the world.
The question we have as Christians is,
How do we make sure the Kingdom of God advances?
Does the church need to have more wealth than the kingdom of Satan?
Does the church of God need to wield more influence over culture, arts, industry, agriculture, etc… in order to fulfill our mission?
The answer is clear when we compare Genesis 4 with Genesis 5. The only thing we must concentrate on is being faithful and leaving the Kingdom of God for the next generation to move forward.
Moses does something in his writing that should not be overlooked. He takes the seed of Cain and shows us all the ways they advanced society. Gen 4:16-24
By the time we reach Lamech’s family, civilization is rapidly advancing.
- His son Jabal (JAY-bal) became the father of those who lived in tents and raised livestock, laying the foundation for organized herding and nomadic life.
- His brother Jubal (JOO-bal) became the father of musicians, developing instruments such as the harp and flute.
- Another brother, Tubal-cain (TOO-bal KAYN), forged tools of bronze and iron, becoming the pioneer of metalworking and craftsmanship.
- Their sister Naamah (NAY-ah-mah) is also mentioned, though Scripture does not explain why.
Moses shows us that the line of Cain was productive, inventive, and culturally influential.
They built cities, developed agriculture, created music, and advanced technology.
Human civilization was growing and flourishing. Yet all of those achievements existed in a family that had rejected God.
The kingdom opposed to God was expanding, organizing, and becoming increasingly influential.
This is a good time to review our main point:
God’s Kingdom is successful when we pass our faith to the next generation.
Because the line of Cain and the Kingdom of Satan was advancing, leading, and shaping society what did the line of Seth do to compete with them? What did they do to ensure the kingdom of God overcame the Kingdom of Satan?
Genesis 5 (KJV)
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; 2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. 3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: 4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: 5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. 6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: 7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: 8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. 9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan: 10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: 11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. 12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel: 13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: 14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. 15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: 16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: 17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. 18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: 19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. 21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. 25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: 26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: 27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. 28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. 30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: 31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. 32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
When Moses listed the line of Cain, he mentioned their contributions to civilization through agriculture, arts, industry, etc, but when he compares the line of Seth, only one area of contribution was the focus: they continued advancing the Kingdom of God from one generation to the next.
When the genealogy arrives at Noah we finally get to someone who is going to have a name we remember for playing a big role in God’s kingdom.
One phrase that continually came to mind while forming this sermon was “Nothing big happened in the line of Seth, until it did.”
The point of that statement is to emphasize that the majority of the line of Seth was not shaping culture, or influencing society, they were simply living life and handing off the faith to the next generation.
Here are some key lessons from these two chapters:
God’s Kingdom has always been the minority population
- Genesis 4–5: Cain’s descendants became larger, built cities, and led the world in agriculture, music, and technology. Seth’s descendants quietly preserved the knowledge of God.
- The Flood: The entire world rejected God except Noah and his family.
- Babel: The nations united in rebellion against God while God called one man, Abraham.
- Israel: One covenant nation surrounded by pagan nations and powerful world empires.
- Jesus’ Ministry: The Jewish nation rejected its Messiah, Rome crucified Him, and Jesus entrusted His Kingdom to a small group of disciples.
- The Church: Christ’s churches have always existed as a minority among unbelieving nations.
- Revelation: The kingdoms of this world continue in rebellion until Christ returns to establish His Kingdom.
God’s Kingdom has always had the least influence
- Government: God’s people have almost never controlled the governments of the world. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and the kingdoms of this world have held political power.
- Culture: The world’s values, entertainment, education, and philosophy have consistently reflected the kingdom of this world rather than the Kingdom of God.
- Religion: False religions have always outnumbered the worship of the true God. From Babel to Baal, from the gods of Egypt and Rome to the religions of today, idolatry has dominated the nations.
- Persecution: God’s people have usually been the ones persecuted rather than the ones holding power. They have been slaves, exiles, strangers, pilgrims, and martyrs.
God’s Kingdom is preserved by providence not politics
Genesis 5 contains no battles, no kings, no cities, and no great accomplishments. Each generation simply lived, had children, and died.
While Cain’s line built civilization, Seth’s line preserved the promise.
God’s Kingdom did not survive because His people held political power or cultural influence. It survived because God faithfully preserved His people from one generation to the next.
God’s Kingdom Inherits the Earth
- Cain built the first city and the first civilization, but the Flood destroyed his kingdom.
- Egypt became the greatest nation on earth and enslaved God’s people, but God destroyed its army in the Red Sea.
- Assyria conquered nation after nation and believed no one could stop them, but God brought their empire to an end.
- Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and carried God’s people into captivity, but Babylon itself was conquered in a single night.
- Persia ruled the largest empire the world had ever seen, but Persia was replaced by Greece.
- Greece spread its language and culture across the known world, but Greece was conquered by Rome.
- Rome ruled the known world and claimed its empire would last forever, but Rome collapsed.
In the last days, the Antichrist will establish the greatest world government history has ever known. Every nation will submit to his authority, and for a brief time his kingdom will appear unstoppable. Yet Christ will destroy his kingdom at His coming and establish His own everlasting Kingdom.
Every kingdom that seemed unstoppable eventually fell. Every nation that believed it would last forever came to an end. But God’s Kingdom remains forever, and God’s people will inherit the earth.
God’s Kingdom Advances One Generation at a Time
Genesis 5 records ordinary lives. They were not kings, warriors, inventors, or rulers. Most of what we know about them is that they lived, had children, and died.
Yet without Seth, there is no Enos. Without Enos, there is no Cainan. Without Cainan, there is no Mahalaleel. Without Mahalaleel, there is no Jared. Without Jared, there is no Enoch. Without Enoch, there is no Methuselah. Without Methuselah, there is no Lamech. Without Lamech, there is no Noah.
God preserved His Kingdom because each generation faithfully handed it to the next.
The same is true today. We may never build a city, lead a nation, or change the course of civilization.
But if we faithfully know God, obey God, and pass His truth to the next generation, we have fulfilled our place in God’s Kingdom.