Showing God To Each Other

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.

My Example is Important.

Satan works hard to distract us from our example. Gen. 4:1-15; Prov. 13:20

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

We have this story as an example of what NOT to do.

Satan makes us think no one looks at our example.

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

No matter who you are - young/old, man/woman, your example speaks volumes!

We have seen throughout this series that our actions become EXTREMELY important when we consider our effect on brothers and sisters.

Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.”

What does this say about how important MY example is for my fellow Christian? This is the question of Proverbs: Am I foolish or wise?

There is power in an example. 2 Cor. 10:4-5; Prov. 15:1; Matt. 5:13-16

In many ways, it is a WEAPON.

2 Cor. 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

All of us obeyed the gospel because we had a good example of what that meant.

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

Everything you do and say feeds into the makeup of your example.

We cannot avoid the responsibility of our example.

Matthew 5:13-16 ““You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Others will see the way we live our lives.

They will note the choices we make, the lines we cross, the company we keep.

What are they seeing in our lives?

Especially in an atmosphere such as within our congregation, our responsibility is to show God to each other.

Our brothers and sisters will see the choices we make, the lines we cross, the company we keep.

However, it can be easy to dismiss the seriousness of this.

Remember your example. 1 Pet. 2:21; 1 Cor. 11:1; Lk. 12:48; James 1:23-24

We are called to follow Christ on a very detailed level.

1 Pet. 2:21 “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”

Greek for “example” here speaks of a tablet that displayed the Greek alphabet. Students were intended to learn each letter (alpha to omega) by tracing them one by one.

God has given us a meticulously detailed example in Christ!

More on that soon, but just note for now that in following Jesus’ example, we need to be willing to go the distance.

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

Luke 12:48 “But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

How much are we called upon to know, and how much effort are we called upon to use?

Good examples should be followed, not ignored.

James 1:23-24 “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

Good Examples come from God.

To Teach us to do Right. Rom. 15:4; 1 Sam. 26:7-12; 2 Kings 23:1-8; Esther 4:16

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

Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

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

The holy example of David!

1 Samuel 26:7–12 NKJV

So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him. Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.” So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

Do we notice that David did the right thing, regardless of the situation before him?

The righteous example of Josiah!

2 Kings 23:1–8 NKJV

Now the king sent them to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him. The king went up to the house of the Lord with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord. Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. And he brought out the wooden image from the house of the Lord, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people. Then he tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons that were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the wooden image. And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate.

Many who Josiah stopped might have faced harm, etc. in giving up their idols. Did it make Josiah wrong to do the right thing?

The courageous example of Esther!

Esther 4:16 ““Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!””

To Show us the Right Attitude. 1 Pet. 3:15-16; 2 Thess. 3:15; Ezra 10:1

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.

1 Peter 3:15-16 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”

We are to give a reason for the hope in us with “meekness and fear”.

2 Thessalonians 3:15 “Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

We treat those who have been marked with love and care, warning them of the seriousness of what they have done in departing from God.

Ezra 10:1 “Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly.”

Ezra’s actions had a real, genuine effect upon the people, and they eventually did what was right, even though it split some of their families up.

To Warn us to Avoid Sin. Ezek. 22:30-31; 1 Cor. 10:6

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

The clearest example that God has shown us in Scripture is that of Israel.

Ezekiel 22:30-31 “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.”

1 Cor. 10:6 “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”

We could list many sins and wickedness throughout the scriptures, but it is enough for us to know that our example must be a good one if we want to be allied with God.

Our Example Indicates our Mindset.

What do my actions indicate? Phil. 3:17; Eph. 6:4; Heb. 10:24; 2 Tim. 2:17-18; Prov. 13:10

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

Philippians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.”

Children will pick up on it quicker than anyone.

Ephesians 6:4 “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

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

Heb. 10:24 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,”

Souls are in the balance!

2 Timothy 2:17-18 “And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.”

My prideful heart will destroy my good example and create nothing but strife.

Proverbs 13:10 “By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.”

Jesus is our perfect example, the perfect Mind. 2 Cor. 2:16; 1 Pet. 2:21; 2 Thess. 3:7-9

1 Cor. 2:16 “For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

If I think my example is good no matter what, will I then instruct the Lord about His behavior?!

1 Pet. 2:21 “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”

If you have to suffer to improve your example in Christ, it is worth it.

2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.”

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!