Appreciating Each Other

GETTING ALONG

Part 2: Appreciating Each Other

Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

How do we get along with other people? Many think that we should simply, “go along to get along”, but is that really all there is to it? Even in that phrase, there is an assumption of compromise. We know that we can’t always compromise to get along as Christians (definitely not with the Truth). So, how do we work together toward “unity of the faith” while having patience and longsuffering and affection for each other?

Three basic things: we need to KNOW each other, APPRECIATE each other, and SHOW GOD to each other.

We need Appreciation.

The Bible equivalent of appreciation is Honor, or Praise. Matt. 13:57; Rom. 2:7; 13:3

Honor - “a valuing by which the price is fixed” (Thayer’s)

Praise - “estimate of worth” (ISBE)

A way of valuing or assessing things.

Matthew 13:57b “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.””

We can and should appreciate souls.

Romans 2:7 “eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;”

This seems to point to the glory, honor, and immortality for redeemed saints serving Christ faithfully.

Romans 13:3 “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.”

God desires to appreciate His faithful. Rom. 2:29; 1 Cor. 4:5

This is the kind of appreciation we should want above all else.

Romans 2:29 “but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

1 Corinthians 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”

Jesus appreciated others - John 1:47 (Nathaniel), Luke 7:2-9 (Centurion), Mark 12:41-44 (a widow), Mark 14:6-8 (woman who anointed Christ), Luke 10:38-44 (Mary, for choosing the “good part”).

God desires His children to appreciate each other. 1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Cor. 7:11; 1 Pet. 3:8

As Paul did: 1 Corinthians 11:2 “Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.”

2 Corinthians 7:11 “For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;”

Who and What To Appreciate

Praising God makes praising our brethren easier. Ps. 22:22; 35:18; 1 Cor. 11:26, 29; Eph. 3:8-12; 2 Cor. 8:18

When assembled with our brothers and sisters, we remember what great things the Lord has done for us. Our praise for Him reminds us how important we all are for each other.

Ps. 22:22 “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.”

Ps. 35:18 “I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.”

God has given us a great gift in the discernment of Christ’s body.

1 Cor. 11:29 “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

Not necessarily thinking of Jesus’ physical body on the cross, but the context shows us this is how we should be thinking of EACH OTHER while we partake together.

Our partaking of the Lord’s Supper, discerning each other in this action, is living out the true purpose of the Church upon this earth.

1 Cor. 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”

Eph. 3:8-12 “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.”

When we do good work for the Lord, it will be noticed, perhaps even in this life.

2 Cor. 8:18 “And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches,”

Appreciating our Brethren takes Priority. Rom. 12:10; Heb. 10:22-25; 1 Tim. 5:17; Prov. 31:30-31; 1 Thess. 4:9-12; Rom. 10:12; Gal. 3:28; Mk. 3:13-19

(ESV) Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

God has given us a vast brotherhood to appreciate and hold up. All of us are needed in this great work!

Heb. 10:22-25 “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Elders who rule well are to be appreciated.

1 Timothy 5:17 “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.”

A woman who fears the LORD is to be appreciated - especially a sister!

Proverbs 31:30-31 “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.”

Appreciation among each other helps us to love those outside the brotherhood.

1 Thess. 4:9-12 “But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.”

Our Unity in Spirit is to be treasured and built upon.

In a world so vastly divided, it helps us to remember that we are together in Him no matter what.

Romans 10:12 “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.”

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Our Lord calls us to work together in spite of differences.

Mark 3:13-19 - Consider the choosing of the Apostles. All very different people, from different walks of life.

Such is the same for us! We need to be willing to let go of our societal and cultural boundaries, and embrace the unity that Jesus wants us to have.

If Jesus could pull the Apostles together, and in the end make them function as they eventually do in Acts, then surely He can bring us together!

How to Appreciate

Be Genuine. 1 Sam. 20:16-17; 2 Sam. 1:25-26; 2 Cor. 6:6; 1 Pet. 1:22

David and Jonathan - a genuine brotherhood friendship.

1 Sam. 20:16-17 “So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.” Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.”

This is a manifestation of the true command, “love your neighbor as yourself”!

2 Sam. 1:25,26 “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women.”

“away from” - Meaning, Jonathan was the closest relationship he had outside of his wife Michal.

This was not a “put on”, or a show - Jonathan truly loved David. Such should be our love for each other.

2 Cor. 6:6 “by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,”

KJV “love unfeigned”

1 Pet. 1:22 “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,”

Use Edifying Words. 1 Cor. 10:23; Eph. 4:29

1 Cor. 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”

Not everything I say off the top of my head is going to edify! Thanks be to God who helps us in these things.

Eph. 4:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

God encourages us to take time to know how to properly use language to its best effect.

Have Love in your heart. Phil. 4:8; Rom. 15:2

God helps us to “take stock” in each other, and understand that every soul has value.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

He allows us to have love for every soul we meet.

Rom. 15:2 “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.”

From ISBE: 2. With Man as Its Object:

Man may be the object of praise, and may receive it either from God or from his fellow-men. In the former case (Rom_2:29; 1Co_4:5) the praise is inevitably just, as resting on a divine estimate of worth; in the latter case its value depends upon the grounds and motives that lie behind it. There is a praise which is itself a condemnation (Luk_6:26), an honor which seals the eyes in unbelief (Joh_5:44), a careless use of the epithet “good” which is dishonoring to God (Luk_18:19). This is the “praise of men” which Jesus warned His followers to shun as being incompatible with the “praise of God” (Mat_6:1-4; compare Joh_12:43; Gal_1:10; 1Th_2:6). On the other hand, there is a praise that is the instinctive homage of the soul to righteousness (Luk_23:47), the acknowledgment given to well-doing by just government (Rom_13:3; 1Pe_2:14), the tribute of the churches to distinguished Christian service (2Co_8:18). Such praise, so far from being incompatible with the praise of God, is a reflection of it in human consciousness; and so Paul associates praise with virtue as an aid and incentive to holy living on which the mind should dwell (Phi_4:8).

2 Thess. 1:10 “when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”

Jude 16 “These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.”

Rev. 17:6 “I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.”

GETTING ALONG

Part 3: Showing God to Each Other

Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

How do we get along with other people? Many think that we should simply, “go along to get along”, but is that really all there is to it? Even in that phrase, there is an assumption of compromise. We know that we can’t always compromise to get along as Christians (definitely not with the Truth). So, how do we work together toward “unity of the faith” while having patience and longsuffering and affection for each other?

Three basic things: we need to KNOW each other, APPRECIATE each other, and SHOW GOD to each other.

I. Our Example is Important.

A. Easy for Satan to get us to dismiss it.

1. Cain concerning Abel - “am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9).

2. “They won’t listen to me”, “They don’t care about my input anyway”, “I don’t know them well enough”

3. No matter who you are - young/old, man/woman, these thoughts can come about to all of us.

4. The reality is, what we do matters. We have seen throughout this series that our actions become EXTREMELY important when we consider our effect on brothers and sisters.

5. Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

6. We worry often about young people falling under negative influence. We must remember that it is not always external forces giving them this influence! It can just as easily be US!

B. We will be judged in how we use our influence.

1. In many ways, it is a WEAPON.

2. Matthew 5:13-16 - Where is our light shining, and in what way is it shining?

3. We cannot avoid this responsibility. Others will see the way we live our lives, and especially in an atmosphere such as within our congregation, our responsibility is to show God to each other.

C. Remember your example.

1. Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

2. There is power in our example! It can help or hurt a situation so much.

3. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-8 - How does Paul know their “election”? By their work together, and how that example has been “sounded out”!

4. 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV) Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

5. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 - Paul was concerned with the example that the brethren in Corinth were setting by ignoring sin in their camp.

6. James 1:23-24 - We can FORGET our example!

II. Why does God give us Examples?

A. To Teach us to do Right

1. The books of the Bible were written to give us examples of righteousness.

2. Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

3. This is in regards to the O.T, but the same can certainly apply for ALL Scripture!

4. 2 Kings 23:1-8 - Consider the righteous example of Josiah!

B. To Show us the Right Attitude

1. The books of the Bible were written to tell us directly what to do, but also show us the right attitude of doing what God has commanded.

2. 1 Peter 3:15-16 - We are to give a reason for the hope in us with “meekness and fear”.

3. 2 Thessalonians 3:15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

4. Ezra 10:1 - Ezra’s actions had a real, genuine effect upon the people, and they eventually did what was right.

C. To Warn us to Avoid Sin.

1. The books of the Bible were written to show us how to avoid temptation, and thereby avoid sin.

2. Ezekiel 22:30-31 - The clearest example that God has shown us in Scripture is that of Israel.

III. Our Example Indicates our Mindset.

A. What do my actions indicate?

1. Philippians 3:17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

2. Others can see signs of whether my walk in God is genuine or not.

3. Children will pick up on it quicker than anyone.

4. Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

5. The greatest way we can “provoke” others can be our blameless example!

B. Am I flippant about my responsibilities as a Christian?

1. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9 - In what way was Paul an example to the Thessalonian brethren? He was not giving them commands that he himself would never do! It is always a team effort!

2. Souls are in the balance!

3. 2 Timothy 2:17-18 - Faith can be overthrown!

4. Proverbs 13:10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.