OceanSide church of Christ

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AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

Genesis 4:9

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     When Christians obey the gospel, they enter into a spiritual relationship as brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Pet. 1:22).

 

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeign love the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.

 

B.      This relationship is established, not by human blood, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  Because of this, our spiritual family should be of more importance to us than our physical families.

 

C.     Question:  How much care do you have for your brothers and sisters in Christ?

1.       Some are just Sunday acquaintances.  We may not really know their names, only their faces.

2.       Some are closer to us because we sit near them each week.

3.       Some are our co-workers.  They participate in some of the same works that we do.

4.       Some we put up with, but we really don’t like them that much.

5.       We hear about the sick and shut-ins, but we have never tried to get to know them.

 

D.     This lesson is designed to help us develop love and concern for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.  The title of our lesson is:  “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”

 

I.                    THE BACKGROUND OF THE STATEMENT

 

A.     The background of this statement takes us back to a time near the Creation of the world. 

1.       The Lord asked a young man by the name of Cain the following question:  “Where is Abel thy brother?” (Gen. 4:9).

2.       Cain’s answer forms the title of our lesson.  “And he said, I know not:  Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9).

 

B.      Cain’s answer was extremely uncaring.  However, in light of the circumstances surrounding this conversation, we are not surprised. 

1.       Cain and Abel had offered sacrifices to the Lord (Gen. 4:3-4a).

2.       God had respect unto Abel’s offering, “but unto Cain and his offering he had not respect” (Gen. 4:5).

3.       Cain’s rejection caused hatred and anger to swell up within him toward his brother.  In the process of time, he rose up and slew Abel (Gen. 4:8).

 

And 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 slew him.

 

C.     God knew what Cain had done.  Cain’s heartless answer to the Lord’s question was an attempt to cover his actions.  Cain was saying:  “I do not know where he is.  When did I become responsible for him.  I am not his keeper.”

 

D.     Oh, but he was responsible for his brother.  This is clearly seen by the fact that the Lord punished Cain for his evil actions (Gen. 4:11-12).

 

And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.  When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

 

II.                 THE LESSON:  WE ARE OUR BROTHER’S KEEPER

 

A.     Keeper (Gen. 4:9)

1.       Strong (8104):  shaw-mar, to hedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard…protect, attend to

2.       BDB:  to keep, guard, observe, give heed, to have charge of, keep watch and ward, watchman

3.       Pictures that come to mind:

a.       Watchmen on a wall watching over a city

b.      A posted military guard around a camp

c.       A security guard around a building at night

d.      The secret service who surrounds our high-ranking officials

e.       The guard posted at the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”

f.        A milder picture might simply be parents as they keep watch of their children

 

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B.      Every Christian is subject to temptation, to trials, to hardship, to enemies, to discouragement, and to death.

1.       In these troubles, the flesh can be weak.

2.       Our faith can fail.

3.       We can be filled with fear and doubt.

4.       We can flee.

5.       We can give up.

6.       We can commit sin.

7.       We can completely apostatize.

 

C.     It is in these periods of life that we need keepers, watchmen, and guards.

1.       Isaiah 35:3

 

Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

 

2.       Isaiah 40:1

Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God.

 

3.       Luke 15:4

 

What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

 

4.       Romans 15:1

 

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

 

5.       2 Corinthians 1:4

 

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

 

6.       Galatians 6:1-2

 

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

 

7.       1 Thessalonians 5:14

 

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

 

8.       James 5:19-20

 

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

 

9.       Jude 22-23

 

And of some have compassion, making a difference:  and other save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

 

D.     Brethren, we have obligations to one another.

1.       We are to care for one another.

2.       We are to watch for one another.

3.       We are to warn one another.

4.       We are to pray for one another.

5.       We are to visit one another.

6.       We are to comfort one another.

7.       We are to restore one another.

8.       We are to strengthen one another.

 

E.      NOTE:  It is not just the responsibility of the elders, nor of the preacher.  All of us are to “have the same care one for another” (1 Cor. 12:25).

 

 

 

III.              NUMEROUS EXAMPLES FOUND IN SCRIPTURE

 

A.     Lot had his Abraham (Gen. 14:16).

 

B.      Moses had his Jethro (Exo. 18:17-18).

 

C.     David had his Jonathan (1 Sam. 23:16).

 

D.     The wounded man on the road to Jericho had his Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33-35).

 

E.      Simon the sorcerer had his Peter (Acts 8:20-23).

 

F.      Saul had his Barnabas (Acts 9:27).

 

G.     John Mark had his Barnabas (Acts 15:37, 39).

 

H.    Apollos has his Aquilla and Priscilla (Acts 18:24-26).

 

I.        Paul had his church at Philippi (Phil. 4:14-16).

 

J.        Peter had his Savior and Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 22:31-32).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Am my brother’s keeper?  Yes.  There is absolutely no doubt about it.

 

B.      Now let’s ask:  “Have I been keeping my brethren as I should?”

1.       The answer could be:  “No.”  The reasons for this “No” are many.

a.       We are the weak ones in need of support.

b.      We are too busy.

c.       We have become negligent.

d.      We have not known about the struggles of others.

e.       We have not actively fellowshipped our brothers and sisters in Christ.

f.        We have not learned that keeping our brethren is our responsibility.

g.      We have a heart that is much like that of Cain.  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

2.       The answer could be:  “Yes.”  If so, we are:

a.       Being faithful to God.

b.      Being well-pleasing to God.

c.       Saving souls.

d.      Keeping souls saved.

e.       Being a positive example.

f.        Growing in Christ.

g.      Increasing our good works that will follow us into the judgment.

 

C.     We all need to seek to be disciples of Christ like Gaius (3 John 5-6a).

 

Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church…