Redescovering Church Part 3

• The Church God’s People
Responsible to the Community
• Genesis 4:1-9
• Cain’s Question..
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”…
• The Bible answer ..
Yes, in God’s community
I am my brother’s keeper.
Individuals hold respon-
sibility for one another…
Each individual’s actions,
either positive or negative
impact everyone!
• We are all in the same boat ...
• Old Testament roots.. God’s People
• Covenant standing … Genesis 12:1-3
– Genesis 28:3 that you may be an assembly of peoples...
– Genesis 48:4 make of you a multitude of people...
– Leviticus 4:13-14 the congregation of Israel
– Numbers 16:3 the assembly of the Lord
• Old Testament roots.. God’s People
• Covenant standing … Genesis 12:1-3
• Culturally distinct … Exodus 19:5-8
– Exodus 3:7-8 " My people in Egypt"
– Exodus 6:7 I will take you as My people
– Ex 19:5-6 special treasure above all people ...
• Exodus 20 Heart of the Law ...
• Exodus 20:1-2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage…
• Community Responsibility ..
• 1 Providing care …
• 2 Accountable to God …
• 3 Accountable to each other …
• 1 Providing care for one another..
• Physical care …
– Deuteronomy 10:18-19 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
– Deuteronomy 15:7-8 "If there is among you a poor man of your brethren,.. you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.
• 1 Providing care for one another..
• Same principle in NT..
– James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
– James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
• Spiritual care ..
• Mutual encouragement..
– 1 Thess 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are doing..
– Hebrews 3:13 encourage one another daily, lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin..
• Spiritual care ..
• Friendship of David and Jonathan..
– 1 Samuel 18:1-4 the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant
– 1 Samuel 23:15-18 Jonathan arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.
• 2 Accountable to God..
• God’s people stand accountable for any sin that affects the community …
– Deuteronomy 13:5 that prophet shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God.. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
– Deut 17:7-9 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you.
• 2 Accountable to God..
• The Sin of Achan (Joshua 7)
– Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.
– Joshua 7:4-6 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men...
– Joshua 7:11-12 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.
• 3 Accountable to each other..
• Sharpening each other..
• 3 Accountable to each other..
• Prayer and Confession of sin..
– Leviticus 5:5 when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing..
– Leviticus 26:40-42 'But if they confess their iniquity ..then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.
• 3 Accountable to each other..
• Reproof and admonition..
– 2 Samuel 12:7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!
– 2 Samuel 12:13 So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
• 3 Accountable to each other..
• Discipline and loving correction..
– 1 Corinthians 5:5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
– 1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person.
– 2 Corinthians 2:5-6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, 7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
• Cain’s Question..
“Am I my brother’s keeper?”…
• The Church God’s People
Responsible to the Community
• Genesis 4:1-9