Brotherhood - Jason Schrock

Good morning in Christian greetings. This morning in the name of our Lord and

Savior. I was blast his brother Leland shared the constancy of God. He

doesn't change, neither has he changed since the creation. Things continue on.

We're thankful for that. This morning, we have a subject before us that

I'm not sure just if everyone will appreciate it as such, but we'll see

what the Lord has for us. I've i'd like to speak on the subject

of brotherhood you. I've been thinking about brotherhood a lot the last couple of

weeks. Maybe it's partially because I wasn't at the brother's meeting here a week

and a half ago. I just felt like I missed a lot by by

not being here. I got a partial report. But I'd like to say

this morning that I do value the brotherhood. I value the brothers and sisters

in Christ Jesus, and as I looked at the subject here in preparation for

the message this morning, I was convicted. That's all. I'm going to

try to lift up a biblical standard, but maybe I have not always attained

to that as I should, and so I would like to I'd like to

share a few things in relation to that. Excuse me a minute, I'm

going to try to get my hearing aids down a little bit, so I

don't alert myself. All right, So, we think of brotherhood in the

context of the church, and that's correct, but you know, there's a

much broader application of the term brotherhood, and I'm not sure what you think

of when you think of brotherhood. I went to the dictionary and it states

that it's the quality or state of being brothers. Well, that makes sense.

It's a fellowship or alliance, and then it cites a union or a

monastery as as examples. It says it's a fellowship or alliance. Excuse me,

I already said that it is the whole body of persons engaged in a

business or profession. And so I thought that that that is a correct definition

of what we're looking at. I believe that as a church we meet that

definition, that we are a body of persons engaged in a profession. And

so what is our profession. Well, our profession is an allegiance to the

Lord Jesus Christ as a lord and master, and so our profession the brotherhood

is a commitment to help us to keep to that allegiance. And I'm not

sure what all you think of when you think of brotherhood. It'd be interesting

just to say, well, okay, so I mentioned brother what do you

think of do you think of meeting a church like this? Sometimes we use

a term brotherhood assistance. Well, maybe you think of helping and receiving things

materially. Another thing that we might think of is that we face life life's

perplexities in a united way. Maybe you think of deep friendships one with another,

and I think that that's good. I think another thing is that there

are combined talents among us, that our youths can be used for the extension

of the Kingdom of God. And so brotherhood is not trying to get everyone

to see things my way. It's rather it's a blending of our views together

to form a unity of our diversity, if that makes sense. You know,

I think as brothers and sisters in the Lord, we're not necessarily cookie

cutter copies of each other, but rather we recognize that there is strength in

diversity or in differences, as long as that diversity is contained within the scope

of the principles of God's Word. So we can't just do anything and everything

and say okay, we're you need to accept that because we're brother No,

that's not what we're saying, but we can have some different opinions, different

ways of doing things that are still within the school of the scriptures. I'd

like to turn to Matthew twelve. And here we have the the time when

Jesus was teaching and I believe healing and so on. Matthew twelve, Verses

forty six to fifty. And as as he was teaching, as he was

talking to people, his mother and his brothers came, and the disciples told

your your mother and your brothers are here to see you. Well, you

know, he could have said, well, I'm I'm really glad for that.

Now we could get things together, and now we could do something because

we've got we've got blood relatives here that we can we can do things.

Well, that's not what he said. I think that Jesus set the perimeters

of the Christian brotherhood here in this passage you're going to read verses forty six

to fifty. While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother

and his brethren stood without desiring to speak with him. Then one said to

him, behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with

thee. But he answered and said, unto him that told him, who

is my mother? And who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his

hand toward his disciples and said, behold my mother and my brethren, For

whosoever shall do the will of my father, which is in heaven, the

same as my brother and sister and mother. Now it almost seems like he

was being disrespectful to his mother. His mother came to see him, and

he says, well, my mother and my brother and are my disciples here.

But I think what he was really saying, it's not close blood relatives

that make up a brotherhood. It's not just close friends. But it is

he that does the will of my father. And those are the ones that

are my mother and my sister and my brother there. And I think we

should know that Jesus includes himself here in this brotherhood. It's not like he

sets himself apart. So I believe this morning that this is an important subject

because each of us that are involved in a church, whether it's this church

or another church, we face the issue of brotherhood. You know, Without

brotherhood, I tend to be lava sided in my way of looking at things

so long. I may have some peculiar ideas that need to be modified by

a spirit filled group, and you may say some things I don't like.

Very possible, and yet I think there's times where I need to allow God

to speak to me through things that you say that I don't like. Now,

if I'm wrong in this, you can correct me later. Don't do

it right now, but later, Okay. I think that this subject is

important because right here is really the test of whether the teachings of Jesus and

the Apostles can and do work in our daily lives. The things that Jesus

taught, the things that he lived, the things that he promoted, and

the things that the Apostles lived for and taught. Does it work in this

selfish world in which we live? You know, I think we're living in

a world of self interest, a world where the individuality of a person is

being lost in a maze of an uncaring society. And I think of different

things that maybe if some of us don't even remember some of these things,

but if you think back, not too far back into history, you know,

the one rooms school house has been replaced by a consolidation of cool districts,

The corner grocery store has been replaced with huge supermarkets with little personal interaction.

The hometown bank has merged with larger banks. And maybe the way you

communicate is not with a person really, but an eight hundred number. And

you know you're known as an account number, not as an individual. Necessarily,

neighbors might not be neighbors in the true sense of the word. You

know, I find for myself that neighbor ladless seems to begin and end with

a wave as we mean down the road, and not really the neighbors that

we ought to be. But you know, to me, the one place

that I can turn to in this world, on this maze of an uncaring

society, the one place I can turn is to the church, to a

brotherhood that ectepts and reckon nizes me as an individual, as a soul that

has value, has worth, and even though we all have human weaknesses,

yet we need the community of brotherhood to gain the end goal for which we

are striving. You know, human relationships are so fragile. They can easily

be marred. Emotions can take over surmisings can militate against peace. There's so

many things that way, And so I believe this morning. It is as

we give up self and melt my identity. I'm not saying we get rid

of my identity, but we melt it with Christ and his people, then

we can have a true brotherhood relationship. And so, in thinking about different

aspects of brotherhood, the first that comes to my mind is identity. You

know, there is a blessing to belong to know you are a part of

a whole helps in our relationships. I like to be known as a part

of a member of the Halseaman Ofite Church. Now there's some things that go

along with that, but I still like that. I like that identity,

and so accepting brotherhood is in fact accepting the headship of Jesus Christ, and

vice versa. First John one seven says, but if we walk in the

light as He is in de light, we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanseth us from all sin.

And so we recognize that Jesus is the elder brother, and that our

fellow believers are part of the family and must be accepted as such. Even

though in my mind your mind, maybe some are not as desirable as others.

I think most of us have prayed the Lord's prayer. And when we

begin and we say our Father, we're accepting and identifying with the factor brotherhood.

And so our brotherhood, whether religious or secular, has common goals,

and it takes work to achieve those goals. I'm going to turn to Ephesians

two and read verses nineteen to twenty two Ephesians two, nineteen. Now,

therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints

and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the

apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all

the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in

whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.

And so as strangers and foreigners, as nobodies, we come into the household

of God, and we're fellow citizens, one with another, and we're built

upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. And who is a chief cornerstone,

It is none other than Jesus Christ himself. And we are builded together

and habitation of God through the Spirit. You know what a privilege to work

together as a place for God to live. That's a habitation for God.

And so if God is going to dwell in the house we build him,

then we need to understand that there's some things that cannot be accepted in our

brotherhood because they are contrary to a holy habitation. And that's one reason we

have things that we accept and things that we don't accept, things that are

forbidden, because we want to be building a holy habitation. Now I'm going

to turn to First Corinthians three. This is a passage that is just full

of full of interesting things. I think. I think I'm going to actually

take the time to read the first fifteen verses, and the first part here

talks about carnality in factions by taking sides, and then the next section talks

about the privilege of working with God and that we are builders. So First

Corinthians three one to fifteen. And I, brethren, would not speak unto

you as undo spiritual, but as undo carnal, even as unto babes in

Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat, for hitherto

ye were not able to bear it. Neither yet now are ye able,

For ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you envey and strife

and divisions, are ye not carnal and Walker's men from a one saith,

I am of Paul. Another I am of a polace, Are ye not

carnal? Who then is Paul? And who is a polace? But ministers

by whom you believed, even as a lord gave to every man. I

have planted a polace water, but God gave the increase. So then neither

is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth.

There Now, he that planeth and He that water earth are one.

And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For

we are labors together with God. Ye are God's hundred husbandry. Ye are

God's building. Maybe I'll stop there for a minute before we go on with

the building part, so you can see how in a church, in a

brotherhood, there could be factions. I am of Paul, I am of

Apolos. Paul planted and Apolos watered. But it's God that gives the increase.

And so Paul was telling the Corinthians here, He said, your babies,

you're not you haven't grown up. Yet in your experience, in your

Christian experience, you are doing after men and not after God. All right,

So then we go on tom to the building verse nine. For year

labors together with God, year, God's husbandry year, God's building. According

to the grace of God which has given him to me as a wise master

builder. I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth there on. But

let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupond for other foundation can no man

lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any

man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, would hate

stubble. Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare

it, because it shall be revealed by fire, And the fire shall try

every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which

he hath built there on, he shall receive a reward. If any man's

work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be

saved. Yet so as by fire. As I was looking at this passage,

it reminded me of interaction I had many years ago, just as a

young man. There was a man that came to work for George smith,

and we worked together a little bit in the in the warehouse. Very interesting

man. His name was Chet Burden, and he wanted to know if I

was a believer, and I said, yes, I am, and so

we shared different things, and he was a believer. He said, what

see what church you go to? And I said, well, the Mennonite

Oh yeah, yeah, he said, well, the He said, the

Mennonites have twenty seven different denominations of the Baptists have twenty eight. And I

think he was a Baptist. So he was kind of letting me know that

maybe the way I believe in practice isn't quite the same as what some other

people are. But so anyhow, then he talked to me about this passage.

He said, now, if you notice there there's a church can be

built with substances that will stand the fire, and that could be built with

substances that are consumed in fire. But he said, even though the church

may be built of wood, hands double, they're still saved. Well that

just about that kind of set me back, now just a minute. That

didn't quite correspond with what I thought, what I believed. So I got

to look looking at that, and it's interesting here, I'll just give a

little bit. Here verse ten, Paul is saying that he is a master

builder. I think as an apostle, and he says, I've laid the

foundation. I've gone around, I've talked to people that don't didn't know anything

about Jesus Christ, and I build a foundation. And then there's others that

have been ordained into leadership and they are now building on this foundation that I

have laid. And but he says, now take heed how you build,

because you can build with precious things such as gold, silver, and precious

stones, or someone might build with wodhand stubble. And when the trial comes

or the judgment comes, some will be burnt with fire, and some will

stand the test of time. And verse thirteen, every man's work shall be

made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed

by fire. Verse fourteen, if any man's work abide, And I think

here again he's continuing on with the thought of leadership in the church. If

any man's work abide, which he has built on, he shall receive a

reward. And so I think this is saying that it's it's possible for someone

in the best of their abilities and they're intense to build a church and yet

have it built out of the wrong material. And so as as leaders of

the church, I think we need to put forth effort to build in the

right with the right material. So I think Paul is saying that that builder

may be saved in the day of fire, even though his works might pass

on. So that that was something I thought I would just share there a

little bit. All right. Then we go to the to the matter of

the oneness of brotherhood, and here again we find that being one in Christ

results in unity. And I'm going to go to Ephesians four for this,

and again this is a fairly long passage, but I think it bears reading

most of it. At least. I'm going to read first of all,

verses one to seven. And we find here the unity of the Spirit,

and that there is one body and one Spirit, and one hope, and

one Lord and one faith, and so on. I therefore, the President

of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of vocation. Worth ye are

called with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, for bearing one another

in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of

peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called

in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all,

and in you all. But then every one of us is given grace

according to the major of the gift of Christ. There's a lot said there,

and I think that should portray the brotherhood, that there is one body

under through one Spirit, keeping the unity in the bond of peace. We

are called because we all have the same hope, we all have the same

Lord, we all have the same faith, we all have the same baptism,

one God and Father of all. Okay, then it goes on here.

I don't think I'll read the next few verses, but maybe jump down

to verse eleven, where there are various offices and gifts that are given for

the growth and for the unity of the brotherhood. Verse eleven, and he

gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors

and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the

ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, until we all come

in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

and to a perfect man, of the measure of the stature of the

fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and

fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and

cunning craftness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth

in love may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head,

even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by

that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of

every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

And so it points out here that the various offices in the Church helps us

to come to the point of unity, and the faith helps us succumb to

a knowledge of the Son of God. And it is to make us a

perfect man, and that we might measure our lives according to the standard or

the fullness of Christ, and that we be no more children, and that

we are growing up in true doctrine Verse fifteen, Speaking the truth in love

may grow in Him num. Verse sixteen, from whom the whole body now

who is that. I'd like to be part of that. But are all

of you part of that? The whole body fitley joined together and compacted.

Now, I'd like a little bit of room here. Don't get too close

to me, give me, give me room to do what I want to

do. But it says compacted by that which every joints apply of all.

Right, you know, I think there should be a closeness in the brotherhood

that the world cannot penetrate, cannot come between. Romans twelve, verses four

to the first part of verse six says, for as we have many members

in one body, and all members have not the same office, So we

being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another,

having then gifts differing according to Grace. That is in us. So

there's many members, there's one body, and so we we find out that

even in our physical body there's many members. I think you know, I've

been dealing with some difficulties in my legs, with the muscles. I was

to the therapist here the other day to try to gain some ground there,

and I was just amazed. I can't I can't repeat to you, but

she was telling me how how there's certain muscles you know, that go down

here and they and others that intertwine behind, and how it all connects,

and oh my, how the body works, how God has made it.

And I just had to think how beautiful is if we compare that too,

you know? She said, Now there's there's some muscles that are kind of

I don't know if you maybe call them a secondary muscle, but I need

to to strengthen those because those are needed. Well now, she said,

your main muscles are really strong, but no, we don't just go with

our main muscles. We uh, we need to use all of them.

Found that really interesting, all right? The oneness of the brotherhood when you

when you identify with a particular brotherhood, you take on what that brotherhood represents,

you know, And there may even be a stigma, there may be

a little bit of reproach to be a part of a particular brotherhood. But

we need to fill the place God has for us. So there are several

steps I think that take us away from unity. A one in the one

is a lack of communication, another as if suspicions develop. Another is a

lack of confidence. I'd like to say this morning that I believe that fellowship

is not just a part of the Christian life, but it is a Christian

life. Fellowship is a Christian life all right now, in the remainder of

the time here we have this morning, I'd like to look at some expressions

of brotherhood. How we express is how it becomes maybe a little bit more

practical. What are ways that we can express our brotherhood? I think that

the test of our Christian experience is how we relate to one another as fellow

believers. And so as we rub shoulders with those of opposite personalities and temperaments

that are a part of the brotherhood, do we do we accept them?

Are they a part of our life? You know? What? What do

I do? If there's somebody I don't really like in church? I would

think about this this morning, and it's a probably something we really shouldn't think

about. But I'm going to just give you the thought here. Is there

somebody that you can think of in our church that you would say if that

person was out of our church, we'd have a much better fellowship. And

I have to be honest, there's been times in the now I don't I

don't have that here today, So don't don't me in the past. I

have you know, if that person would be out of the way, then

we could have sweet fellowship one with another. Things would go much better.

It goes much smoother. I think I've read this here before, but I'm

gonna read it again. It's been a while. It's all right to remind

ourselves. This is an article that I picked up in a magazine at one

time, and it's called God's sanding Process. Have you ever noticed how God

uses the faults of others to rid us of our own faults. Fine wood

furniture must endure a great deal of sanding. All the rough places, the

knicks, birds, splendors must be sanded until they are perfectly smooth, unnoticed

by the eye and unfelt by the hand. Only then is it ready for

the finishing process the merchant's store and the buyer's home. God wants to do

the same thing with every Christian. He seeks to make us fine furnishings in

his heavenly home a vessel into honor Second Timothy two two twenty one. To

do this, he must rid us of our chronic character flaws. He must

bring us to spiritual maturity, that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing.

James won four. We will never be a vessel unto honor if we

allow rough places of untouched carnality to remain in our characters. They must go.

To accomplish this end, God sends his Sanders into our lives. God

sanders are people with obvious personality faults. They are impatient people, mean people,

lazy people, stupid people, inconsiderate people, irresponsible people, rebellious people,

and so forth. God deliberately places these abrasive souls near us. He

wants them to come in contact with us daily. They must rub us again,

rub against us as sam Paper rubs against unfinished with furniture. One by

one, all our faults, weaknesses, and bad attitudes must go from us,

even as all the knicks, birds and splinters must go from the wood.

That is, if we aspire to be a vessel into honor in the

Father's house. When we first encounter these offensive folks, most of us rebel.

These sand paper types rub us wrong, they grate, annoy and vex

They nearly drive us crazy. Complaints begin to pour out of us. Why

do we have to deal with this person? In our distress, we turn

to prayer. Just maybe we can pray them out of our lives. Lord,

Please send this man this woman to another city. Liberate me, set

me free. Don't let the wicked oppress me anymore. But our impassion please

receive no response. Heaven is silent. Then we fix our attention on our

sanders faults. If we could just get God to change them, our sorrows

would cease. So we pray fervently for their deliverance. Lord, this person

is so mean, so hard, so unkind. I'm never run into anyone

like them before. Please deliver them, save them. They must be helped.

Still, no answer comes from above, and no divine intervention occurs below.

Slowly we begin to realize that God is not going to remove these coarse

folks, at least not for the time being. Why because He himself has

sent them. While we were fixing our eyes on their faults. God was

fixing his attention on our faults. While we were longing for them to change.

God was longing for us to change. While we were praying that our

faults would cease. He was hoping we would confess and forsake our sinful reactions

to them. Suddenly we come into the light and begin to understand God's sending

process. God seeks to use the chronic personality faults of his sanders to give

us the opportunity to acknowledge and rid ourselves of our chronic faulty reactions. If

we rebel, if we refuse to obey his word, we will remain unfinished

vessels, imperfect and unfit for the Master's use. But if we yield and

obey God's word in our relations with our sanders, God will rub away our

imperfections, our faulty reactions will cease. We will become spiritually mature, consistent,

finished. I've thought about this a lot over the years, come in

contact with different people. Does God send certain ones into our lives for a

for a purpose? All right? So expressions of brotherhood. The first that

I thought of is that of love. John thirteen thirty four and thirty five

says a new commandment. I've given to you the love one another as I

have loved you. The eel will love one another. But this she'll all

men know that, Ian, my disciples, if you have love one to

another, and so the love of Christ to us is undeserved. Can we

pass that on to our brothers and sisters, Ephesians one fifteen says, wherefore

I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto

all the saints, and then it goes on. I was impressed with that

to all the saints, not just to my close friends. Is the love

of the brethren something we'd just try to show, is something we put on

first. Peter one twenty two says, seeing you've purified your souls and of

being the truth or the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. See thee

love one another with a pure heart, fervently, not put on unfeigned,

not trying to put on show, but genuinely caring for one another. All

right. So that's one expression brotherhood is love. The second I'd like to

look at is mutual counsel. Psalm fourteen says, we took sweet counsel together

and walked into the House of God and company. Part of accepting the voice

of the Church is to accept counsel. That that's part of counsel. You

know, not every decision that the Church has made has been to my liking,

but if it, if it is not wrong, we need to accept

it. You know, some people confessor for years and keep saying that they

knew that wouldn't work. Well, of course it didn't work if people people

don't get behind and support it Ephesians four fifteen. I already read that.

But speaking the truth and love I grew up into him and all things which

is ahead, even Christ. And so I think speaking is part of counsel.

You know, sometimes it's maybe easier just to not say how we feel

and uh, and then grumble and say something opposite when we get away from

the brethren's meeting. And you know, I recognize too that truth can be

given in an obnoxious way. Let's let's not do that, all right.

Then we have the the matter of correction. I think that is also another

expression of brotherhood, is correction. And you'd think if there was a Christian

brotherhood, everything would just go just fine. But in reality, there will

be irregular irregularities and faults that need correction. And I think it's a duty

of the brotherhood to do this in love. Galatians sixth one says, Brethren,

if a man be overtaken in the fault which our spiritual restore such a

one in the spirit of meekness, consider thyself, lest I'll also be tempted.

Now, if we have a concern for an offending brother or sister,

if our concern is for their spiritual welfare, that that's good. That's what

it should be. But if you're desires to have that person corrected to vindicate

yourself, you want that the person's wrongs exposed for your own personal benefit,

then you're in the wrong premise. And really we're not qualified to criticize our

brother and sister unless we have personally encouraged him or her. Too often criticism

is just self boasting. It's interesting to watch that, but I think that

that's true. I probably not a lot of you would remember Eli Yetsie.

He was an evangelist that went around years ago. Appreciated him. I remember

him saying, the devil is the accuser of the brethren, and he doesn't

need your help. Zoe. Now, in first second Thessalonians three fourteen to

fifteen, if any man will be not our word by this epistole, o

that man and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed,

Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

And so we need to get personal feelings out of the way. When an

airing brother needs to be dealt with. And I thought back again a number

of years to a time where there was a brother that was being dealt with

in our congregation, and in my mind he had transgressed greatly and needed to

be brought to to a point of understanding. And so there was someone at

that time, as we were dealing with that, that gave out a song

for us to sing, and I'd like, if you care to, you

can turn with me in church and Sunday school Himmel to number three sixty four.

And as we sang that, it kind of hit me wrong at the

time, But you know, the more the more I thought about it in

years later years, I come to appreciate the words of this song. I'm

going to read the words. If you notice, there's there's six stanzas here.

And so, in thinking of trying to restore someone that has transgressed,

speak gently to the airing ones. Ye know not all the power with which

the dark temptations came in some unguarded hour. Ye may not know how earnestly

they struggled or how well until the hour of weakness came, and sadly thus

they fell. Speak gently to the airing one Oh, do not thou forget.

However, darkly stained by sin. He is a brother, yet air

of the self same heritage, child of the self same God. He hath

stumbled in the path. Thou hast in weakness traud. Speak gently to the

airing one, for it is not enough that innocence and peace are gone without

our censure. Rough it surely is a weary lot that sin crushed heart to

bear, and they who share a happier fate their chidings well may spare.

That may not be correct theologically, but I think there's there's really a point

there that we need to to be careful, all right. Then another expression

brotherhood is loyalty. I think we need to be loyal to one another.

You know, that's my brother, that's my sister, and we're loyal to

that. Those who share the same cup and the same bread must be loyal

one to another, just as a husband and wife pledges faithful faithfulness to each

other. We are bound in loyalty to one another. You know. The

brotherhood eliminates competition. We should rejoice when our brothers exalted. There should be

no feeling of jealousy, and even when others seemingly have a greater major of

gifts and others, we should rejoice. And here's a vessel that God can

use for his glory and be loyal to them. And then one more sharing

of burdens. We all have burdens to bear, and maybe at times I

think my burden is greater than yours, or vice versa. And yet the

burden of one should be the concern and the burden of all. Galatians six

two says, bear you one other's burdens, and so fulfill the law of

Christ. Do we really know each other's inner struggles? You know, if

somebody would I'm not going to pick out anyone here necessarily, but if someone

would ask me what is brother so and So's inner struggle? I don't know.

I haven't talked to him for a month. You know, we are

reluctant to share our weaknesses with our brethren. And you know, how can

we really have effective intercessory prayer for each other unless we know each other's needs.

But you know, it's difficult because our Mennonite background has taught us to

keep feelings for ourselves. And there's some good things we said about that don't

make a display of them. Suffering, silence, don't let anyone know your

inner struggles. I maybe you've heard this before, but this, this is

another one that I've run onto a number of years ago that has meant quite

a bit to me. Just a little saying here, hello, and how

are you today? I'm fine, just fine in you me too. We

smile and pass each other by and find some secret place to cry, ashamed

to show or let them know the hurts and loneliness and failures we must hide,

afraid someone will see us as we are inside bright smiles covering doubts that

crush and tear these masks we wear. How can we help them? How

can we help those heavy loads to bear? Or let each other know we

care if we don't dare to share? But I had to think. You

know, Jesus as the perfect son of God, when he faced the cross,

he took his three closest disciples, and he told them, he said,

my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even in the death. Tearry ye here and

watch with me. Even he needed the strengthening support of his brethren at a

time like that. I'd like to read several more verses here. Yet,

in closing, Claustian's three Versus twelve to fifteen. Put on therefore, as

the elect of God, Holy unbeloved bowels of mercies, kindness, unless of

mind, meekness, long suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another,

if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, so

also to ye. And above all these things, put on charity, which

is a bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your

heart to the which ye are called in one body. And be ye thankful

charity the bond of perfectness. And we are called as one body. And

so let's remember hearing conclusion that true Christian brotherhood is not where we are in

competition with one another. Neither is our brother to be ridiculed and put down.

But we need to encourage one another, and a Christian lives. And

you know, unless I truly see my brother's need as my own, I

don't have the right concept or brotherhood. What do others outside of of our

church says? As they look in, can they say they really care for

one another? When we are absent one from another, we should desire to

be together again, to continue on with our brotherhood. So may the Lord

bless you as you continue to think on these thoughts. It's been the challenge

to me, and I trust it is to all of us.