Knotted Together in Christ
Sermon on Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
Title: Knotted Together In Christ (Cadet Sunday 2011)
Theme: Two knotted together with Christ are better than one or two together
Sermon:
Cadets,
Start off with the challenge of putting nails into a board.
Part 1 is with both hands.
Part 2 is with only one hand. Whoever can do it the fastest is the winner.
There’s a simple theory at work here. Sometimes you need more than one to get the job done. Some times you need more than one hand to do some nails.
7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
[1]
I. One person
A. His I.D.
- He is all alone
- He has no wife, child, brother, friend
- This could also be used as the boy alone or the counselor alone as it applies to Cadets.
B. Advantages
- Total independence
- Can do as he wishes
- No one will argue or oppose his suggestions/plans
- Can store things up — working and saving money and property
C. Disadvantages
VS 10 - Falls with no one to help him up — no support — traveling in Palestine was rocky and dangerous
VS 11- Can’t keep warm alone — nights were cold in Palestine. No hotels with heated rooms.
VS 8- No one to share joy, memories, fun times, or possessions
VS 12- Weak
VS 9- Not able to accomplish many things
Examples: Trying to do things with one hand, like tie a shoe or holding and pounding a
nail with a hammer
D. Judgment
VS 7 and vs 8- Meaningless
VS 8- Miserable business
- Lonely
- To be pitied
II. Two Are Better Than One
A. Their I.D.
- This can refer to a partnership of two people.
God created us to need others. Genesis 2:18 says, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I
will make a helper suitable for him.”
In cadeting, it could be the Cadet and the counselor.
Apply this as you decide to develop it.
Example if two strands of rope are twisted together they are stronger than a single strand, yet
they can easily untwist and come apart weakened again.
Partnership between GEMS and Cadets. The GEMS let the Cadets practice braiding on the girls hair for the braiding merit badge. While the GEMS work on their self defense merit badge.
B. Advantages:
- Good return for their work; each one has help when needed.
Parenting is like this: Tag Team: One parent is just done emotionally. Can’t deal with bad behavior with out blowing a gasket. In steps the other parent who still has a cool head.
Good Cop Bad Cop: One parent enforces the rules. The other upholds the enforced rules but gives a little measure of comfort.
- Help up when one falls — support when we struggle and fall
- Can keep warm when they lie down (Example: Travelers in Palestine would sleep close together
so they could stay warm during the cold nights. Sharing body heat helps prevent hypothermia and
save lives.)
- Can defend each other. Point out how two can protect each other’s back in defense. Help side defense
- Can share joys and troubles, encourage one another, share ideas
- Can give each other advice
C. Disadvantages
- Two may disagree causing conflict
- Limited strength in two strand cord; it easily unravels or untwists
- No spiritual component
D. Judgment
- Though it’s a lot better than one person, it’s not enough
III. A Cord of Three Strands
A. I.D.
- The strong third strand is Christ
- He brings His power and His strength
- Christ is the strand that holds us together
- Christ gives validity to the Cadet ministry.
Without Christ in the center, cadeting is just men and boys learning good actions.
- Christ is to be the focal point and He provides the strength and the purpose for all of life and all of
cadeting.
B. Advantages
- Twisted and knotted together, the third strand prevents the cord from unraveling.
- The third strand adds security and strength to the cord.
Example: If you use object lessons in your message or if you wish to use this as a children’s
message you could make a cord of three strands by braiding it together and talking about the
importance of the third strand. Use different colored strands to make the illustration clearer.
C. The importance of being knotted together
- The knot gets things started
- The knot keeps things together
- Being tied to Christ gives meaning and purpose to all of life
- Being tied to Christ gives comfort and assurance
D. Judgment
- A three-strand cord is not quickly broken
- Be careful! If you ignore the third strand, the cord loses its strength and can easily come apart.
Conclusion
So dear people, one person has many problems going through life when .
Two are better than one. And though that is true, yet there is the need for the third. In Cadets, that needs to be the
Cadet, the counselor and Christ as the strength that holds it all together. We need to be knotted together in Christ.
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[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ec 4:7-12). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.