Look Out
Notes
Transcript
I want to share with you a piece of scripture, a command from the Bible to the churches that at first reading seems the dumbest verse to read at this point in the history of our nations.
Yet, it has hit me as one of the most important verses for our times as we begin to get enter a second stage. In this stage when we start to see and hear strong viewpoints being made at what is the appropriate form of action the government should take it can be so tempting for those of us who see ourselves as responsible, smart, aware, or not going to be fooled, We can be tempted to take one of the two viewpoints being pushed.
Im reminded of Jesus and the woman at the well. A woman comes to Jesus and as soon as Jesus starts talking about things of faith, and the woman realizes Jesus is serious, the woman asks Jesus a political religious question. If Jesus takes the bait he will either be seen as a traitor to his people by the woman or get into a fruitless political discussion. Instead Jesus goes for the third answer, the answer that benefits no one politically but is exactly the right Godly answer.
There is a third answer to the question of our time, what should we Christians do in this time of coronavirus quarantined and really what should we do at any time.
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily.
I told you it might seem odd to talk about loving others, welcoming others, being concerned for prisoners when we can’t even visit a person next door much less a prison or welcome a stranger.
Yet, the people who this book of the Bible was first written to were experiencing the great new faith and joy that comes when we accept Jesus into our lives and the Holy Spirit enters in, the theological word is indwells, fills us with a new life, giving us all new purpose while at the same time our friends who first heard these words thousands of years ago lived in a world that really hated them. They were kicked out of their families, arrested, treated badly at work and in the neighborhood and if it wasn’t happening at that moment than it was likely to happen at any time.
In the kind of situation where you never know who is out to get you the most natural situation might be to back away, be afraid, make sure to protect oneself from unnecessarily getting into a fight or having to flee for survival. But we have heard in previous week’s what we see here in this scripture followers of Jesus are to do the exact opposite. We are to let love ooze out of every bit of our existence. These people under threat we’re doing just that, did you notice in verse one it says,
1 Let brotherly love continue.
Not starting loving others but let brotherly love continue. This love was already happening. 2,000 years ago when it would still cause more persecution and more ostracization, brotherly love continued.
Today, in our day, My seminary friend Jay shares often of the love that the Burmese followers of Jesus share in the midst of war. Last year 27, 563 people were baptized in Burma to receive Christ while in the midst of war, brotherly love can and will continue
A few of you might be geeking out when I read the scripture because you know that brotherly love is from the greek work Philadelphia. And that this one of the unique words for love the Greeks have including eros which we get the word erotica, and in the group is another term for love outside of those known as agape. Brotherly love, the love of nurturing and uplifting, its a very intense form of love that can be for our biological family or the family type bonds we create, is the love of a team, of friends that we choose to stand with . Brotherly love provides for one another, it sacrifices for one another.
Brotherly love is what the Rakine people are doing and calling on others to do in Burma right now, today. Brotherly love is what gave Dave hope, it’s what he described himself as leaning on when he was searching for a reason not to drink himself to death. Brotherly love is powerful, as the Holy Spirit pours out of our lives into the Heart of another reminding them that good people are here. The ambassadors of Christ are in their presence and it reminds you that you are indwelled, full-of the Holy Spirit ready to display good works.
Brotherly love in the midst of persecution is very tough where you never know if that stranger is a persecutor in disguise. Yet our Christian ancestors were willing to go out and rescue the discarded babies of the trash pile, go into the plagues of their day and care for the sick and dying. The regard is for taking care of the Lord.
If you recall the verses I shared with you last Sunday that Jesus told us that when Christ returns and Judgment comes he will judge us on our honesty in claiming Jesus as Lord by our actions of love towards others.
35 “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’
40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
It touched my heart as Dave shared his gratitude for those who helped him especially when he was living in his car. Those who didn’t forget him when he was in the prison of homelessness. This is a practical application of these verses, this is doing what Jesus said, but it is only one version.
Brotherly love is in being reliable in youth and children's ministry , from week to week, as much as it is being the stand in the gap person at two in the morning going to the hospital.
While the stuff with Dave is beautiful I am also reminded that this was a few years back. It is time for our hearts to be filled with visions and desire to show brother love to to others while we are separate from them. The only barrier to hospitality now is not quarantine but imagination, willingness and desire.
My friends I am calling on us to obey scripture. To remember to love each other.
Today you will receive once again the link and password to access everyone’s phone number in this church. Please reach other to one another. If you are new to our church and joining us on facebook or our church site, you will can go to this link
https://bit.ly/Respond419
https://bit.ly/Respond419
and share with us your information. We will give you access to your new church home because that is what hospitality means, to welcome everyone in. What ever shape they are in.
My friends reach out to one another.
Then I want you to reach out to your neighbors. Lord I ask you to fill our minds with visions of care for those around us. Whether that be the people we get to work with or people who live next door. Lord in the midst of our constraints you are not constrained. Lord give us the materials, the vision, to do something to demonstrate brotherly love for others. In Jesus Name
My friends, this sounds like a lot of doing. Like you tuned into to get a lot of assignments but that is not what I am saying. If you see in verse 2 we can entertain angels in this way. We can see the work of God. If you are in the midst of despair and grief, it is ok, to take a moment and give, to force yourself to take your eyes off of your pain for a moment, not because it is wrong to be in pain or to work on yourself, but because it is also healing to realize you are needed by others. You need not fix anyone but I can promise you that as you take your eyes of yourself you will see that God is right beside those you are loving as He is besides you as you love them.
Do not think that you will want to do this. Dave was so kind to bring up things I said to him, believe me as I edited the video I cut out a lot more of his very kind words of thankfulness for me. Yet when I help him or any person sometimes I have to put aside my own selfishness, my own desire to return to Netflix or keep to my quarantined self yet just as God tells us to live sexually pure, and all those other avoiding of sins we can be so proud talking about avoiding, Jesus specifically said, the separation at judgement is how we loved others.
You are not limited to those who are right next to you either.
It is fitting to think of those brothers and sisters in Rohyine state as in prison, as they are in a place of war and persecution. It is fitting to think of those whom you can find in the persecuted church all over the world on sites like
persecution.com and opendoors.org
persecution.com and opendoors.org
There are ways to write letters to those in prison for their faith right now through those sites. You also can think of those literally in jail or prison in our land right now. Once again start with prayer and open yourself up to the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Ask the Lord to show you how to love those in prison. The Lord will answer our prayers of requests to love others more.
We once had a wonderful lady in our church Regina, who couldn’t attend anymore, due to illness, yet she would go on persectuion.com and write letters of encouragement to our fellow believers in prison all over the world.
The Lord can not be contained. Your ability to show love cannot be contained. Not by quarantine, war, persecution only by fear and negligence.
Meditate on these verses. Write it down. Let it simmer in your heart.
Allow the Lord to open your mind to His imagination and then go! Follow!
And listen to the Holy Spirit speak.
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily.