Respect and Honor Among Brethren

1
Respect and Honor Among Brethren
2
One of the greatest challenges we face is
learning how to work together.

• Imagine this scene pictured in prophecy. (Isa
  116-9)

3
One of the greatest challenges we face is
learning how to work together.

• Isaiah 116-9 6 " The wolf also shall dwell
  with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with
  the young goat, The calf and the young lion and
  the fatling together And a little child shall
  lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze
  Their young ones shall lie down together And the
  lion shall eat straw like the ox.

4
One of the greatest challenges we face is
learning how to work together.

• 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's
  hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in
  the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor
  destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth
  shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the
  waters cover the sea.

5
One of the greatest challenges we face is
learning how to work together.

• This is a prophecy of the peaceful nature of
  those in the kingdom.
• From a practical standpoint this was an immensely
  challenging test of the 1st century church.
  Imagine Jew and Gentile in the same local church.
• A true spiritual barometer of our growing to be
  like Christ is our attitudes and involvement with
  each other.

6
One of the greatest challenges we face is
learning how to work together.

• Can we come to be close when we have nothing in
  common?
• We better have one thing in common! (1 Pt
  122-23)

7
One of the greatest challenges we face is
learning how to work together.

• 1 Peter 121-22 - who through Him believe in God,
  who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory,
  so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Since
  you have purified your souls in obeying the truth
  through the Spirit in sincere love of the
  brethren, love one another fervently with a pure
  heart,

8
One of the greatest challenges we face is
learning how to work together.

• There is a godly wisdom that we must pursue to
  find this.

9
Am I not of the body? (1 Cor 12)

• We must fight not to separate ourselves in our
  heart from our brethren. (1 Cor 1214-21)

10
Am I not of the body? (1 Cor 12)

• 1 Corinthians 1214-21 - For in fact the body is
  not one member but many. 15 If the foot should
  say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the
  body," is it therefore not of the body? 16 And
  if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye,
  I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the
  body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where
  would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing,
  where would be the smelling?

11
Am I not of the body? (1 Cor 12)

• 18 But now God has set the members, each one of
  them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if
  they were all one member, where would the body
  be? 20 But now indeed there are many members,
  yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the
  hand, "I have no need of you" nor again the head
  to the feet, "I have no need of you."

12
Am I not of the body? (1 Cor 12)

• Imagine the figurative scenario given by Paul
  where a foot concludes he is not a hand therefore
  is not of the body!
• Additionally the eye may say to the hand I have
  no need of you in effect saying to some that
  they are not of the body.
• These illustrations should help us clearly see
  the absurdity of these views. This kind of
  thinking is a very common temptation.

13
Am I not of the body? (1 Cor 12)

• Ability does not equate to spirituality.
• A spiritual person does fully develop his
  God-given potential over time.
• A person who does not have the more visible
  abilities must not become envious of others who
  receive more attention.

14
Am I not of the body? (1 Cor 12)

• The most fruitful people I have know in the
  church often fall into the less talented
  category. One thing they did have was love for
  others and a lifetime of consistency. Godly
  mothers are a great example of this.
• If I can be aware that God has set the members
  .. as He pleased then I should take what I have
  and do the best I can! (1 Cor 1218 Rom 126-8)

15
Am I not of the body? (1 Cor 12)

• 1 Corinthians 1218 - But now God has set the
  members, each one of them, in the body just as He
  pleased.

16
Am I not of the body? (1 Cor 12)

• Romans 126-8 - Having then gifts differing
  according to the grace that is given to us, let
  us use them if prophecy, let us prophesy in
  proportion to our faith 7 or ministry, let us
  use it in our ministering he who teaches, in
  teaching 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation he
  who gives, with liberality he who leads, with
  diligence he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

17
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• When ability is combined with a lack of
  spirituality then pride is a great threat. (1
  Tim 36)

18
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• 1 Timothy 36 - not a novice, lest being puffed
  up with pride he fall into the same condemnation
  as the devil.

19
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• When I look at my ability and look down on the
  efforts of others with lesser ability then I
  have a heart problem. You can look on an
  individual or the efforts of several and label it
  as boring with distain.
• One real test is your ability to give honor to
  this lesser effort. Proud people cannot give
  encouragement to their competitors (1 Cor 1223)

20
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• 1 Corinthians 1223 - And those members of the
  body which we think to be less honorable, on
  these we bestow greater honor and our
  unpresentable parts have greater modesty,

21
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• There were those who distained Paul at Cornith.
  (2 Cor 101-2, 10)

22
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• 2 Corinthians 101-2 - Now I, Paul, myself am
  pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness
  of Christ -- who in presence am lowly among you,
  but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg
  you that when I am present I may not be bold with
  that confidence by which I intend to be bold
  against some, who think of us as if we walked
  according to the flesh.

23
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• 2 Corinthians 1010 - "For his letters," they
  say, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily
  presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."

24
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• Paul was being put under the microscope based on
  worldly standards. It is no surprise that Apollos
  is mentioned. (Acts 1824)

25
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• Acts 1824 - Now a certain Jew named Apollos,
  born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in
  the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.

26
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• Paul used what was likely a figurative example to
  make an important point about cliques and
  divisions forming at Cornith. (1 Cor 112 31-7)

27
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• 1 Corinthians 112 - Now I say this, that each
  of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of
  Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of
  Christ."

28
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• 1 Corinthians 31-7 - And I, brethren, could not
  speak to you as to spiritual people but as to
  carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with
  milk and not with solid food for until now you
  were not able to receive it, and even now you are
  still not able 3 for you are still carnal. For
  where there are envy, strife, and divisions among
  you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere
  men?

29
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• 4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another,
  "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal? 5 Who
  then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers
  through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to
  each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God
  gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who
  plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God
  who gives the increase.

30
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• Once we separate ourselves from other Christians
  on this basis, we will have the fruits of the
  wisdom of Satan envy, strife and divisions.
• Watch you attitude, your tongue and your
  associations. Let there be no schism in the
  body. (1 Cor 1225)

31
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• 1 Corinthians 1225 - that there should be no
  schism in the body, but that the members should
  have the same care for one another.

32
Pride will always lead to distain and division.

• Schism - to, literally split, rift, division in
  a garment tear, rent (MT 9.16) figuratively, of
  doctrinal differences and divided loyalties
  within a group schism, division of opinion,
  discord (JN 7.43 1C 12.25)

33
How can I help every member of this body?

• I must get out of myself and my personal
  disappointments. (Phil 21-5)

34
How can I help every member of this body?

• Philippians 21-5 - 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.

35
How can I help every member of this body?

• 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own
  interests, but also for the interests of others.
  5 Let this mind be in you which was also in
  Christ Jesus,

36
How can I help every member of this body?

• My attitude towards others will be determined by
  my attitude towards Christ Himself.
• Pride creeps in when men have an unstable
  relationship with the Lord.
• When I cannot handle disappointments then I will
  have a life of broken relationships and even an
  inability to work over time with a local church.

37
How can I help every member of this body?

• I must see each of my brethren as I would to see
  the cross of Christ. This is the one for whom
  Christ died. (Rom 1415)

38
How can I help every member of this body?

• Romans 1415 - Yet if your brother is grieved
  because of your food, you are no longer walking
  in love. Do not destroy with your food the one
  for whom Christ died.

39
How can I help every member of this body?

• Jesus told Paul that his persecution of
  Christians was to Jesus personally.
• Can we keep reaching out to those who are
  struggling? (Rom 1210)

40
How can I help every member of this body?

• Romans 1210 - Be kindly affectionate to one
  another with brotherly love, in honor giving
  preference to one another

41
How can I help every member of this body?

• We do have some amazing encouragers, we need
  more. Consider the work of Barnabas. (Acts 436
  927 1122)

42
How can I help every member of this body?

• Acts 436 - And Joses, who was also named
  Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son
  of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of
  Cyprus,

43
How can I help every member of this body?

• Acts 927 - But Barnabas took him and brought
  him to the apostles. And he declared to them how
  he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had
  spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at
  Damascus in the name of Jesus.

44
How can I help every member of this body?

• Acts 1122 - Then news of these things came to
  the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they
  sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.

45
How can I help every member of this body?

• Can I always start over in forbearance and
  forgiveness and never give up on my
  brothers in Christ? (James 212-13)

46
How can I help every member of this body?

• James 212-13 - So speak and so do as those who
  will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For
  judgment is without mercy to the one who has
  shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

47
How can I help every member of this body?

• I may need to identify my own emotional
  vulnerability and seek help.
• We all would do well to be sure our eyes are on
  the Lord and not on our brethren as if we were
  the Lord! (Rom 144, 10)

48
How can I help every member of this body?

• Romans 144 - Who are you to judge another's
  servant? To his own master he stands or falls.
  Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able
  to make him stand.

49
How can I help every member of this body?

• Romans 1410 - But why do you judge your
  brother? Or why do you show contempt for your
  brother? For we shall all stand before the
  judgment seat of Christ.

50
How can I help every member of this body?

• All my relationships must be based on trust and
  honesty. If I seek a relationship that rebuke and
  correction cannot be included then I do not want
  an honest relationship. It will fail.
• Is the love of God the foundation of my life? (1
  Jn 416-21)

51
How can I help every member of this body?

• 1 John 416-21 - And we have known and believed
  the love that God has for us. God is love, and he
  who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
  17 Love has been perfected among us in this
  that we may have boldness in the day of judgment
  because as He is, so are we in this world.

52
How can I help every member of this body?

• 18 There is no fear in love but perfect love
  casts out fear, because fear involves torment.
  But he who fears has not been made perfect in
  love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
  20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his
  brother, he is a liar for he who does not love
  his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God
  whom he has not seen?

53
How can I help every member of this body?

• 21 And this commandment we have from Him that he
  who loves God must love his brother also.

54
How can I help every member of this body?

• The love of God will give you security and
  confidence.
• The love of God will free you from fear and
  instability.
• The love of God will make you be able to work
  with unlovable brethren!
• Are you of the body?