Add To Your Faith Brotherly Kindness

2 Peter 1:5–9 KJV 1900

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Great energy and intention are to be used to add to the faith we put in Jesus Christ

There is a constant theme of increasing in the new testament.

Blindness takes place when we don’t increase in these

We have an eternal perspective when we add to our faith

Patience is gained through suffering

Godliness is godlikeness - it’s present when we respond like Jesus did when He went through suffering

Godliness add brotherly kindness

Brotherly kindness is an awareness and sensitivity, given by God’s Spirit, to provide for the needs of other people.

They can see past their own stuff

You are more aware of the needs of others

The ability to meet other’s needs

Spiritual needs

Emotional needs

Physical needs

Brotherly kindness not only makes a person aware of a need, but is a character to meet that need; to respond to that need.

They sacrifice themselves to meet a need.

Well I don’t know of any needs - You need to add brotherly kindness to your life

Brotherly kindness moves a person from sympathy to compassion and from pity to action.

Luke 10:30–37 KJV 1900

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Religious person - no brotherly kindness because he sees a need and passes on the other side.

There are people who’s lives are broken all around us

Levite - looked a little closer

Christianity isn’t idle - we do something about our faith

Samaritan - The Jews had some racism when it came to the Samaritans

Is there anyone you wont touch?

“Go and do thou likewise”

Brotherly Kindness - seeing and acting to meet the needs of others

Some are alone - they sit alone, they are at home alone

Sometimes we just need to listen to someone else - we don’t have to solve all their problems

This Samaritan -

Bound up his wounds - comfort

Set him on his own beast - resources

Brought to a place of recuperation -

More resources

This wasn’t done for someone like him

This wasn’t someone he liked - didn’t know him

You don’t know their name

their background

… you know they have a need

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him

Luke 6:31 KJV 1900

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

All the needs we could meet

Those who have added brotherly kindness to their faith have grown to sacrifice their own resources to meet the needs of others.

2 Corinthians 12:15 KJV 1900

15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Set aside some of your resources for someone in need.

Brotherly kindness causes us to cross boundaries to help others.

Alms ἐλεημοσύνη

compassionateness, that is, (as exercised towards the poor) beneficence

Matthew 6:2 KJV 1900

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:3–4 KJV 1900

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

What about people you don’t like

This is growing - some are still not adding to their faith anything - they’re just thankful to be saved

Brotherly kindness allows us to be hospitable to people in order to meet their needs, even those who are not like us.

Luke 14:12–14 KJV 1900

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. 13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: 14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Brotherly kindness destroys clicks

In church we need to add others into our lives. We get out of the relational boxes we’ve been in.

This is who we invite over.

Do for those who can’t do anything for you. God rewards us when we help those who can’t help us.

Those with brotherly kindness see needs everywhere. They understand that everyone without Jesus are the greatest of need.

Matthew 25:35–40 KJV 1900

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Feeding the homeless

Feeding the drunken

Naked

Prisoners

Strangers

When you help the least of these

Isaiah 61:1 KJV 1900

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Be kind to your pastor -

Be kind to your siblings - If we have family, shouldn't we be kind to them ?

Be Kind to your parents - Children brake their parents heart

They aren’t here forever

Be kind to teachers -

Be kind to little children - love little children -

I love the children that come to this church.

Add to your life the ability to be kind

Be kind to your neighbors

Be kind to the elderly

Be kind to your pastor -

Should their ever be a time we doubt our love to one another ?

Let me be a little kinder.

Let me be a little blender

To the faults of those about me:

Let me praise a little more.

Let me be when I am weary

Just a little bit more cheery,

Let me serve a little better

Those that I am striving for.

Let me be a little braver

When temptation bids me waver;

Let me strive a little harder

To be all that I should be.

Let me be a little meeker

With the brother that is weaker,

Let me think more of my neighbor

And a little less of me.

Let me be a little sweeter,

Make my life a bit completer;

Keep me faithful to my duty

Every minute of the day.

Let me toil without complaining,

Not a humble task disdaining:

Let me face the summons calmly

When death beckons me away.

There are times we want to do anything but be kind

bitterness

Hate

holding a grudge

revenge

These actions are nothing like Christ

I will not be bitter any more

Kindness

Be ye Kind