Brootherhood the Mark of True Christisnity - Jason Schrock

Good morning to each one, and greetings in the name

of our Savior, the one that we have come to recognize,

the one we have come to worship. I was just thinking,

we've just sung. Let me not be ashamed, Jesus said,

who sever will be ashamed of me and of my

words of him? Will I be ashamed when I come?

And so we do not want to be ashamed of

being a part of the family of God. This morning,

we've gathered together, as I'm sure you're aware, in the

what we call council meeting or examination service, where we

take time to meditate, to think, to see whether we

are walking in the way of the Lord and our

fellowship with each other, as we ought this morning, as

I well, I should say, in this past week, so

it's been thinking about this. I thought about how that

we when we are together in this way in our

counsel being service, it's a time of examination in the

light of the work of God. And I've trusted you

have already done that in your own heart and mind.

Do I have peace with God? And do I have

peace with my brothers and sisters in Christ? And this

morning we will have opportunity to express ourselves accordingly and

it's usual to say, as far as I know, I

have peace with God and my fellow man. Now, where

does that statement come from? Got wondering about that and else?

And I discussed that a little bit. Where does that

come in? Where did it enter into our services that

we say that we have peace with our fellow men.

I have with me this morning an old confession of

faith and minister's manual, and it has my grandmother's name

in the back. So I got looking in that. I

thought maybe that would give us a clue. And this

was This was written in eighteen ninety, so we're looking

at one hundred and thirty five years ago. And I'm

going to just read a paragraph here. At the time

of the examination, the minister or ministers, if more than

one is present with the deacons, retire to the council room,

where the members one to one present themselves and in

some churches extend to the minister of the right hand

as a token of peace. Then the minister asked, do

you acknowledge peace with God, with the church and with

all men? And is it your desire to partake of

the communion the Lord's Supper? And then it goes on

what happens from there on. So one hundred and thirty

five years ago, that was part of the standard procedure

was to say, whether you have peace with God, whether

you have peace with your fellow man. One thing I

found interesting here when I was studying recently about church history,

I found that in some places the way council meeting

was conducted, the bishop would stand up here and everybody

would file around, and you'd shake hands, become bishop. I said,

you had peace with God, with the Church, with each other.

I don't think Leland plans to conduct things that way

this morning, but that's that's interesting, all right, little put

that aside. So I've decided this morning I've entitled the

message Brotherhood the Mark of True Christianity. So I'd like

to explore a little bit this morning what is involved

with peace in the brother what's involved with the brotherhood.

You know, it seems too often we have the attitude

of live and let live. I mean, you do what

you want to, and I'll do what I want to,

and you don't bother me and I won't bother you. Now,

there needs to be a balance in that. I think

we all realize that. I don't think that I should

challenge everything that you, as brothers and sisters do. That's

not my place. We need to give room for differences.

But on the other hand, we shouldn't just be oblivious

to what others are doing or experiencing. If my brother's

actions militate against the testimony of our church, I think

it's in order to challenge that. I think that this

statement that I have peace with my fellow men goes

further than just conflict that we're just saying I don't

have a conflict. In one Peter two seventeen, it says,

honor old men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the King.

And I look that up, and that word brotherhood is

in one Peter two is the only place in the

New Testament that the word brotherhood is used. But the

word brethren or brother is used three hundred and forty

six times. And so brotherhood is very important as we

go through the New Testament, obviously we won't have time

to look at all the scriptures that have to do

with brethren or brother And so this morning, I believe

that relating to one another in the family of God

as brothers and sisters is a sign. It's a mark

of being a true Christian. And you know, I could

proclaim to all the world what a wonderful Christian I am.

And yet if I fail in this greatest test, it

is nothing. John said, or Jesus said, in John thirteen

thirty four and thirty five. A new commandment I given

to you, that ye love one another as I have

loved you, that ye also love one another. By this

shall all men know that you are might disciples, if

ye have love one to another. So Jesus said, this

is a test, this is a mark, if we have

love one to another. I found it interesting as I

looked at that passage. Actually that's in John thirteen. And

we think of John thirteen as where Jesus instituted feet washing,

and we would plan next Sunday hopefully to be engaged

in that. And Jesus said, is right following that right

after Judas Iscariot left the upper room there, and Jesus said,

this is the way all men will know that you're

my disciples. And so when we wash feet next Sunday,

it's symbolic of brother in love. It helps all men

to know we are Christians. As I was thinking of

general society about us, I don't think, and if I'm wrong,

you can correct me. But I don't think that our

general society is geared toward brotherliness, toward brotherhood. We are

living in a world of self interest, a world where

the individual person is lost in the maze of an

uncaring society. And by example, the one room school that

you read about many decades ago, it's been replaced by

consolidated school districts. The individuality of a lot of that's

been removed. The corner grocery store has largely been replaced

by large supermarkets. And our neighbors really neighbors in the

true sense of the word. I find and I guess

to my shame that my neighborhood us kind of begins

and ends with a wave on the road as I

meet them. And so I think we need to cullivate

the brotherhood. But you know, to me, the one place

I can turn to is a church. The church. The

brotherhood accepts and recognizes me as an individual that's perfect, no,

that has human weaknesses. I'm not perfect, and so we

need the brotherhood to help us in our spiritual lives.

And so, as children of God, we have a responsibility

to love, to care and assist each other in our

relationship with God. I think this subject is important because

right here is the test of whether the teachings of

Jesus and the Apostles can and will work in our

lives as we relate one to another. You know, human

relationships are so fragile. Human relationships can be easily marred.

Emotions can take over surmisings namilitate against peace. But as

I give up myself, as I melt my own identity

with Jesus Christ and his people, we can have truly

true brotherhood relationships. I was blessed as I thought about this,

that actually, when we think of the brotherhood, Jesus himself

is a part of the brethren. We find that in

several scriptures. I'm first all going to read in Romans Aid,

verse twenty nine, it says this for whom he did

for No, he also did predestinate to be conformed to

the image of his son, that he might be the

first born among the brethren. And so Jesus came and

fulfilled his mission in life. And he is the first

born among many brethren. And so we recognize Jesus as

being our brother. I was impressed with in Matthew twenty five,

And that's a familiar passage when we come to the

time when Jesus judges all men, and so it says

that the let's see before him, will be gathered all nations,

and he shall separate them one from anothers the shepherd

divided the chief from his goats, and the king shall say,

unto the righteous. Verily, I say in to you, and

as much as ye have done it unto who the

least of these my brethren, ye have done it on me.

So when Jesus gets to the end of to the

end of time and judges us, he says, It's going

to depend on how you treated my brothers and my

sisters in the church as to how I judge your

eternal destiny. Also in the Hebrews two we find there

that Jesus is included in the brethren Hebrews two eleven,

for both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified,

or all of one, for which cause he is not

ashamed to call them brethren. And then in verse seventeen,

wherefore in all things that behooved him to be made

like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful

and faithful high Priest and things pertaining to God to

make reconciliation for the sins of his people. And so

to me that is serious. To me, that lays a

foundation that Jesus is the He is part of our brotherhood,

and so we want to look at that. Then that

brotherhood is the mark of truly following Jesus. This morning,

I'd like to draw most of my thoughts from Romans twelve,

if you want to turn to Romans twelve. I did

not have in mind necessarily when I started out in

this study to go to Romans twelve, but it just

seemed like many of the thoughts pointed there. So I'd

like to just go down through this and give some

thoughts on this chapter. We know that Romans twelve tells

how the believer should live, and so I'm going to

I'm going to read the first eight verses and then

give a few thoughts. I beseech you there, for brethren,

by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies

a living sacrifice wholly acceptable into God, which is your

reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but

being you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that

ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and

perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace

given unto me, to every man that is among you,

not to think of himself more highly than he ought

to think, but to think soberly according as God has

dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as

we have many members in one body, and all members

have not the same office, so we, being men, are

one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another,

having then gifts differing according to the grace that is

given to us. Whether prophecy let us prophesy according to

the proportion of faith or ministry. Let us wait on

our ministering, or he that teacheth on teaching, or he

that exhorteth on exhortation, He that giveth, let him do

a simplicity. He that rules with diligence, he that showeth

mercy with cheerfulness. And so he starts out here this

chapter that he beseeches you, brethren. I guess that's us,

by the mercies of God, to present our bodies as

a living sacrifice. Now we know that in the Old

Testament the sacrifices were animals. The blood was shed of

the bulls and the goats, and the heifers and so on.

But here we are to lay ourselves on the altar

and yet continue living. We lay down our own will,

we lay down our own desire? And verse three. And

there's a lot of things that could be picked out here,

but I'm going to try to pick out a little more.

What has to do with our brotherhood relationships? And verse

three he says, don't think of yourself more highly than

you ought to think. And I guess that would have

the matter of pride. Do I think myself better than others?

Do we have a packing order? Sometimes we hear of

a packing order. I guess that refers a little bit

to the way chickens do sometimes, But where we kind

of peck on someone that we think is maybe a

little bit inferior to me. Do we have cliques where

you know, I have my friends, you can have yours,

but we really don't want to interact too much one

with another. Don't think yourself more highly than you ought

to think? Is the admonition here. Now, it's nothing wrong

with having close friends, but if that results in exclusiveness,

that militates against brotherhood. And then verses four and five,

we have the thought of members the members in the body.

We are many members and yet one body, and we

are members one of another. And I believe it's in

I didn't look at that now, but I think it's

in First Corinthians, where Paul describes that a little bit

as some having being hand and on the foot, and

some eyes and some ears. We all have a place

to fill, We all have a place to to benefit

the membership. And so here it says we are members

one of another. Now to me, that speaks of unity,

that speaks of a common goal, It speaks of a family.

We are interdependent, and you know, independence in a church

is poison. We need to be members of one of another.

And then verses six to eight go on and talk

about having differing gifts according to the grace that's given

to us. There's certain individuals within the church. I've believe

that God has given the gift of prophecy, the gift

of ministry, the gift of teaching, the gift of exhorting,

the gift of giving, and so on. So if a

brother or sister has a gift that I don't have,

should that result in jealousy, No, because that God has

given that gift for the building of the church, not

for the glory of the individual involved, but for the

upbuilding of the church and the extension of the Kingdom

of God. The one thing I thought about is I

was meditating on this. If God has given you a

gift and you are asked to exercise that gift and

you say, oh, no, I don't think I can do that.

Someone else can do it better than me. Is that

really what God? Why God has given you that gift?

That a little bit like Moses he said, yeah, he

was all in favor of somebody leading people out of Egypt.

But send somebody else, don't send me. I guess it's

sorry to say this. I was blessed Wednesday evening in

our voting of various offices, a little bit unusual. But

in the eight offices there were four that were placed

back in, which tells me that the brotherhood recognizes that

these four had have a gift that is being used

to an advantage to the brotherhood. And to me, that

was the cause of rejoicing. Now to the you who

were put back in, it might not have been a

cause for rejoicing, But that's all right. We appreciate what

you've done and we want to see you that can

continue to exercise yourself and to the value and the

benefit of the brotherhood here at Halsey. All right, let's

go on now to verse nine. It says, let love

be without dissimulation. Now, what does dissimulation mean. Well, it

has the idea of hypocrisy. It has the idea of

acting something that is different than what really is, pretending

something when it is the opposite. And so I think

the thought is that I could pretend to love my brother. Oh,

you know, you're such a good person. But you know,

in fact I have war in my heart toward him.

I can harder standing. Oh, but you're such a wonderful person.

That's dissimulation, And so I don't appreciate. In fact, I

will try to avoid him at all costs can say

wonderful things about him. Verse ten, it says here to

be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love. Now

I look that up in strongs. What did it mean

to be kindly affectioned? Says this cherishing one's kindred or

in other words, one's relatives, especially parents, are children, fond

of natural relatives, fraternal toward fellow Christians, kindly affectioned. And

so I think the thought is here. You know, most

of us probably have some good feelings about our parents,

our brothers and sisters, things we've experienced in our natural life.

But here it says, fraternal toward fellow Christians kindly affection,

that I appreciate you as a sister, I appreciate you

as a brother in the church. And the then the

next phrase, with brotherly love has somewhat the same thought,

also the thought of fraturnal love of the same family.

And then honor has a thought of esteem of the

highest degree. Now do I esteem you as a brother

and sister in the church? Do you do I think

very highly of you? You know, if you'd be asked,

what do you think of such and such a person

that's in the church, And you see, well, I guess

he's all right. But you know, here's the problem with

that person. He has this fault, and that fault is

that esteeming somebody highly. It says in honor to prefer

one another, to have a preference a bias. Verse ten, again,

be kindly affection one another with brother in love, in

honor preferring one another. Going to verse thirteen, it says

distributing to the necessity of the saints, that would have

the thought of mutual aid, and would also have the

thought of material helping in person materially. You know, I've

seen this play out again and again over the years.

We cannot and do not develop loyal church members with

dollar bills. Yes, we want to help when there's a need,

but you a dollar bill or a twenty dollar bill

does not really meet a spiritual need. But when someone

has a need, we want to help to share that burden.

Often giving of time and counsel are more helpful than

material assistance. Okay, that's distributing to the necessity of saints

and then given to hospitality. Now, I found that interesting

in my study. So what do you think of when

you think of hospitality. I suppose some of you have

probably invited some people over today for Sunday dinner, and

that's good, But that's not what this hospitality here is

speaking of the use of this word means to entertain strangers.

It's the same word that's used in Hebrews thirteen to

two that says be not forgetful to entertain strangers. Thereby

some have entertained angels unawares and so I think that

as a brotherhood, we need to be alert and aware

to the needs of strangers, especially of those of like

faith that might come into our midst. But then hospitality

used in other settings, like the qualifications of a bishop

that we find and I think it's for Timothy and

Titus given to hospitality. Yeah, that means Sunday dinner. That

word means fond of guests, and so but this one here,

I found it interesting that we are given to caring

for the stranger in our midst. That's part of brotherhood.

Going to verse fifteen, rejoice with them that do rejoice,

and weep with them at weep. It seems here that

this is saying that brotherhood is going to affect our emotions.

We're going to enter into the inner feelings of someone else.

We're going to allow our emotions to commiserate with one another,

to weep and to rejoice. Verse sixteen. Be of the

same mind to think of my fellow brother, not just

to think of myself. You know, it seems too often

I think of my life, how I've been short changed,

how I've lost out in so many blessings. But rather

we should put ourselves in the shoes of the other

Romans fifteen to five says, now, the God of patience

and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another,

according to Christ Jesus, and so we need to have

concern for the needs and the feelings of others, not

high minded, not to think of things that will elevate

itself to show that person up. But also that there

are times of low estate. See condescend to man mind

not high things, but condiscend to men of low estate.

That has somewhat the thought of those who are depressed,

those who are humiliated. That we need to reach out

to those, and we have those in our midst those

who become depressed and discouraged Verse thirteen. Recompense to no

man evil for evil. I would put a word there

of retaliation. Do not retaliate. Jesus would have taught about

that in the Sermon on the Mount, not to retaliate.

So what do I do when I feel I've been wrong?

What do I do when I feel that someone has

has done something against me? You know, I just feel

like telling them a thing or two, Just give me

a chance. I and maybe we even secretly wish something

bad upon them because they've wronged us. But it says

here recompense to no man evil for evil Verse eighteen.

Live peaceably if it be possible, as much as lieth

in you live peaceably with all men. Now this morning.

That's the crux of the message to live peaceably. So

I can say I have peace as much as possible,

to live peaceably with all men. Now there's two sides

to that, And I know we have come to communion already,

where there have been those that say, you know, I

just hardly feel like I can go along to communion

because of something and somebody has against me. But what

do you have against them? Well, nothing really, but they

have something against me, Well, then you're free. You've done

all you can, hopefully. And so even though this peaceableness

is somewhat of a two way street, I think that

when we come to a time like this, if in

our heart we have peace toward that brother or sister,

we are free to go go ahead because you've, hopefully

you've tried to make peace and yet maybe not been

restored in the heart of another. And then verse nineteen,

avenge not don't retaliate or vindicate, do not punish all Right, now,

I'd like to go to First Peter three, and I

was impressed here that to some more things, or maybe

even somewhat the same things that are said in relation

to how we relate one to another's brothers and sisters,

First Peter three, verses eight to eleven. I'll read that finally,

be all of one mind, having compassion one of another,

love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil

for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing, knowing

that ye are there and too cold, that ye should

inherit a blessing for he that will love life and

see good days. Let him refrain his tongue from evil,

and his lips that they speak nogile. Let him is

too evil and do good. Let him seek peace and

ensue it. And so here we have the thought of

being of one mind, like minded. Now does that mean

that I'm going to see every issue that comes up

exactly like you do? No. It also means that there

may be times when, as a collective brotherhood, under the

under the direction of the Spirit of God, that you

see things a little bit different than I do. And

if that, if that's true, I want to be able

to accept that not everything goes away that I think

it should could or should. But I need to have

confidence in my brotherhood, and I'm content to accept that

compassion one of another. The Greek word for compassion is

s u m p A t h e s sympathies.

I guess to me that is just a Greek way

of saying sympathy. We need to be sympathetic, not having

an attitude. Well, that serves him right, that's the way

he's going to operate. It just serves him right. No,

we need to have sympathy. Love is brethren, be pitiful,

which would be tenderhearted, courteous, which would be kind. Ephesians

four thirty two says, and be kind one to another,

tenderhearted forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake

hath forgiven you. Then it seems that verses nine and

ten are focusing more on what we say. And you know,

we can destroy brotherhood so easily with our tongue, saying

things that are not kind, being harsh in our in

our speech. And so I think that our we that

we should speak no guile. All right, then I'd like

to go to Clausians Clausuons three twelve to fifteen, and

we find basically the same thing written to the Clausians

Clauss three twelve to fifteen. Put on therefore as the

elect of God, Holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,

almbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering, for burying one another,

and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel

against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

And above all these things, put on charity, which is

a bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God

rule in your hearts, to the which also year called

in one body. And be ye thankful. Seems to me

if every one of us would put this passage to use,

it would be a perfect church. Let me read that again,

and just think about do we have in my own heart?

Put on therefore as the elect of God, Holy and blood,

vowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering

for burying one another, forgiving one another. If any man

have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgive you,

so also do ye. And above all these things, put

on charity, which is love, which is the bond of perfectness.

And let the peace of God rule in your heart

to the which also you are called in one body,

and be ye thankful, let the peace of God rule

in our hearts. And so that brings us to our

time here this morning. You know, sometimes it's hard to

know how to relate to each other. Galatians six to

two says that we fulfill the law of rit by

bearing one another's burdens. And do we really know how

to bear each other's burdens? Do I know your struggles?

Do you know mine? And you know, it seems that

we have difficulty opening up to each other and saying,

you know, if somebody says, how are you doing? Oh,

I'm doing okay, I'm doing fine, But deep down in

I've got some hurts. You know, it's a little bit

difficult because in our Mennonite background, we've been taught to

keep our feelings to ourselves. Don't just burnt everything out,

don't make a display of them, suffer in silence. You

don't have to let somebody else know your own struggles.

And in a way that's true. But how can I

bear your burdens if I don't know what they are.

I've probably read this poem here before, not sure if

it is It's been a while ago, but I run

onto this number of years ago, and it struck a

chord with me as to how we relate as brothers

and sisters on our day to day struggles. And here's

how it goes, Hello, and how are you today? I'm fine,

just fine? And you We smile and pass each other

by and find some secret place to cry a shame

to show or let them know the hurts and loneliness

and failures we must hide and afraid that someone will

see us as we are inside bright smiles covering downs

that crushing tear, these masks we wear, How can we

help those heavy loads to bear or let each other

know we care if we don't dare to share. So

the thought here is that we should be more open

one with another. We should share our disappointments, our burdens,

our temptations. And that's actually a sign of strength and

not of weakness. And so this morning, as we come

to a time of expressing ourselves, I hope that each

one of us can truly say that we have peace

with our fellow men, that we can in our hearts

not have bitterness and ill will and feelings that ought

not to be there. I trust that we can truly

value being a part of a functioning brotherhood. And I

think that making our brother's good our own will is

certainly a part of brotherhood. And so to me this morning,

that is the mark of a true Christian. How we

relate one to another in our brotherhood relationships. I think

we'll kneel together for prayer. I'm going to ask Gerald

if you'll lead us, and then turn the time over

to brother. We want