These Are My Brothers
Evangelism • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewJesus considered His disciples to be his closest family members. So it is with our time. Those who are to be closest to us are like minded believers. That means we here to support each other in Christian growth. But how?
Notes
Transcript
Two Paddleboats
Two Paddleboats
Story of two paddleboats... They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail's pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.
One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship's cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.
God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, those in the body of Christ. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination.
God has entrusted
each of us with
each other!
We are all part
of the family in
Christ Jesus.
And we are
accountable to
each other.
To answer the
ancient question:
Genesis 4:9 (NIV)
... “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
“Yes!
You are your
brothers keeper!”
Body of Christ
Body of Christ
Speaking of body
of Christ
Paul says:
If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
God called us
to support each other.
To experience the
joy
hardship
wins
losses
In another book
Paul teaches:
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
We naturally seek
what is good for us.
Paul teaches,
seek what is good
for others.
(especially body)
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Foundation of
Christian life is
bearing burdens
of fellow believers.
Problem:
must know each other.
must spend time with each other.
must trust each other.
must care for each other.
Our Ultimate example
is Jesus:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
We can be sure
we are moving in
right direction if
becoming more
like Jesus.
Am I becoming more:
sacrificial?
thoughtful?
prayerful?
generous?
caring?
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
We are to be
thoughtful about
anyone’s burdens.
But most of all
concerned with
fellow believes
body of Christ.
In 1978, Thomas Hansen of Boulder Colorado, sued his parents for $350,000 on grounds of "malpractice of parenting." Mom and Dad had botched his upbringing so badly, he charged in his suit, that he would need years of costly psychiatric treatment.
Every honest parent
can see failings...
could've done better.
Don’t often think
shortcomings
obligations to
fellow believers.
Being a believer
is often hard.
Even more true
of new believer
to our faith.
The Family of Jesus
The Family of Jesus
Living for Jesus
complex issue.
Leaving the world
(leaving Babylon)
means leaving friends.
family
friends
co-workers
associates
party people
Turning to God
sometimes lonely!
Body of Christ
supposed to fill
that void of
loss of friends.
Jesus felt that way:
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
We must realize
Brother did not
accept Him as Messiah
until after death.
Almost killed in
Nazareth
Brothers did not
support His ministry.
Why did they come?
convince Him to
orthodox life?
His brother perhaps
had impact on mom.
They were “unbelievers.”
You may know
how that feels
biological family
not with you.
How does Jesus respond?
But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
He said clearly,
my true family is
family of believers!
Today
brothers and sisters,
I introduce you
to your family.
Invest in relationships here!
These will be there
for you when you need.
more than biological.
Why?
because we trust each other.
like minded.
There are many
lonely believers.
We need each other!
Rent-A-Wife
Rent-A-Wife
Karen Donovan
Petaluma, California,
start up business
People need help
Rent-A-Wife!
Help with:
decorate homes,
balance checkbooks,
run errands,
Rent-A-Husband
mow yard
take out trash
fix broken stuff
Rent-A-Family.
eat all the food,
turn on all the lights,
put handprints on the walls,
take showers
leave the towels on the floor.
Then you’ll need
Rent-A-Wife!
Interesting concept
church really is
surrogate family
not biological
here to
love
support
care
for each other.
Isaiah
famous verse:
Isaiah 58:10 (NIV)
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
Verse connected with
11, 12, 13, 14
very important to SDA’s
restoring breach
sabbath.
Message is clear,
we need to shine
for Jesus.
But how?
in ministry to
those in need.
world
church
This group is
“church family.”
The Family
The Family
Truth is,
current families
are struggling!
Survey conducted 1989
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Corp
Greatest threat to family:
inability to spend
enough time with kids.
Respondents concerned with
Decline in family values
not enough time!
35% said:
reason for
Decline in family values
not enough time!
22%
lack of
parental discipline.
63% said:
family is
greatest source of pleasure,
Only 44% believed
family life in America
good or excellent.
Only 34% expected
family life to
be good in future.
American knew
heading in direction
hurting family.
Knew that
family is priority
But...
continue down path.
Why???
66% surveyed say:
accept a job
required more away
higher income
or greater prestige. -
We say:
family is priority
but don’t live it.
Church family should
be priority
do we live it?
God frequently uses
image of family
symbol of love
God for His people.
In OT
Ezek 16
very graphic chapter
God adopting
Israel.
Abortion clinic
of ANE was
bag in field.
On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.
“ ‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”
Later in chapter
God marries his people
blessed them abundantly.
How did Israel
respond to God’s love?
“ ‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his.
God accuses Israelites
idol worship..
It gets worse
“ ‘And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?
Offering kids to idols.
Israel did this
literally
figuratively.
Teaching kids
Allowing kids
worship idols
of this world.
In our times,
don’t have to
train kids in evil.
We are surrounded.
It’s everywhere.
If we don’t shelter,
infected by
virus of pollution!
By negligence
parents too busy
our kids are
being sacrificed
to idols!
We will have to
answer to God
for these choices!
As with the Family, So with the Church
As with the Family, So with the Church
As with
biological families
in the church.
So with
spiritual families
in the church.
Church will not
raise above the
biological family.
Society will not
raise above church.
Zig Ziglar - Book - Homemade
The evidence is convincing
better our relationships
more effective we are
in our careers.
Struggling relationships
translated to
reduced performance
on the job.
Studying millionaires in America
(U.S. News and World Report)
"typical" millionaire
worked eight to ten hours a day
thirty years
still married
high school / college sweetheart.
A New York executive study
1365 corporate vice presidents,
87% - still married 1st spouse
92% had two-parent families.
Family is
strength and foundation
of society.
Got it backwards?
focus on work
destroy family...
Focus on family
improve work!!!
Statistics on Divorce
Statistics on Divorce
~ 50% 1st marriages
end in divorce
73% of 3rd marriage
end in divorce
American average is
almost double world average.
Since 2000
divorce is on decline...
Great news…
how?
Relationship getting better?
NO....
fewer marriages
more co-habit.
(afraid of divorce)
Statistics show
those who cohabit
more failure
in marriage
or not.
Having close friends
that get divorced
increase chance divorce
by 75%!!!
Our relationships
healthy or unhealthy
impact our friends.
What does this show?
American are
getting worse at
good relationships...
Look at rise
depression
anxiety
suicide
We need help!!!
Story of little Johnny
After the dedication
of his baby brother
in church,
Little Johnny
sobbed all the way home
the back seat
of the car.
His father asked
him three times
what was wrong.
Finally the boy replied,
“That pastor said
he wanted us
brought up in
a Christian home,
but I want to
stay with you guys!”
Funny
but not funny...
Because may be true.
What can be done!?!
NT Church:
And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Greatest time of growth
greatest unity.
lived in commune.
American independence
attitude of self
killing the family.
killing the church.
Solution?
go back to
NT model.
We need each other!
more time together
more support
physically
emotionally
spiritually
financially
We need
answer to
Jesus final prayer
with all disciples:
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Illustration about christian unity
Appeal....
Appeal....
Come together.
small groups.