Becoming A Brother's Keeper
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Intro
Intro
Texts - Genesis 4.8-9; Romans 12.10
8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
Title - Becoming a Brother’s Keeper
Background
Background
The first murder took place inside the home, between brothers.
Cain’s attitude before God: am I my brother’s keeper?
Today, we see so many homes broken, because people are no longer caring for their own, but for themselves.
What is a “brother’s keeper”?
keeper - Heb. somer, guard
watchman, keeper of the sheep, doorkeepers, keeper of the wardrobe, keeper of the king’s forest
to be a brother’s keeper means
to be aware of what is going on in the person’s life
to be responsible for their well being and safety
Examples
Abram, towards his nephew Lot
Genesis 13.8-9
Genesis 14.14-16
Genesis 18.22-24
Jacob’s sons
sold their brother Joseph to slavery
Edom/Esau towards Israel/Jacob
Amos 1.11-12 - in the wilderness journey
Obadiah 10-15 - during Babylonian conquest
How can we truly love our brothers and sisters?
What does it require to be a true brother’s keeper?
Sermon Points
Sermon Points
The “new commandment” of Christ
The “new commandment” of Christ
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Love one another - WHY?
it identifies the disciples of Christ - John 13.35
there is no greater love - John 15.12-13
friends - Grk. PHILOS
it fulfills the law - Romans 13.8
What is “brotherly love” (Romans 12.10)
from the Grk. word philadelphia
affection towards another person regarded as a brother/sister;
“kindly affectionate” - Grk. philostorgos
to love as a family
to treat/regard as a family
1 Peter 3.8-9
“brotherly love” is “loving one another”
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Cain had no love for his brother, Abel
Love is an attitude
Love is an attitude
Love is more than a feeling.
It is an attitude of the mind and the will.
It is other-centered.
It requires a great deal of sacrifice from the person who loves.
1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Note -
comfort of love
have the same love (for one another)
No selfish ambition
look out for the interests of others
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Note -
mind - mindset; attitude
Christ’s humility paved the way for God’s love to be demonstrated on the cross
On the Cross, Jesus demonstrated no only the love of God, but also “brotherly love”!
such is the kind of brotherly love that he wants from us.
True brotherly love is self-sacrificial
not just “sacrificial”
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
hence love is “perfected”
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Conclusion
Conclusion
May we be able to express such kind of love in this lifetime.
Illustrations
a missionary who ministered in a lepers colony, died a leper among the people he loved.