Desperately Seeking Soothin'

We’re talking about church… what it is, what it is not. Last week we began looking at the church as not some ‘place’… or even as an ‘option’. We began to see that ‘church’ is not only a place you attend, but a thing that we ‘are’.  The church… is us. We also saw that being a disciple… a totally committed, radical follower of Jesus… means also being totally and radically committed to the local church.

That commitment starts with simply ‘being here’… but it goes beyond all that, right? It means becoming involved with other God-followers… living life with them… ministering with them, alongside them… even at times, to them.

Listen, maybe that seems a bit overwhelming to you – that idea that you are seen as a minister. Don’t let it be, it’s really just about faithfully serving the people God has placed in your life. The apostle Paul said it like this…

Galations 6:1-2 – HCSB

“Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Ministry can sound intimidating until you understand what it really is all about. Maybe you think you could never get up in front of a group of people and preach a sermon... Maybe you think you could never lead a small group in your home… Maybe you think you could never start a ministry to the homeless in downtown Kansas City like Dave and Bonnie Smith have done with Northland Compassion... But do you know people who struggle with doing the wrong things? Do you know people who are carrying heavy burdens? If so, then your first steps toward ministry are easy: help them.

The truth is; we don’t really like getting involved in other people’s problems. We’ve got problems of our own, right? Why take on other’s junk, when we have a whole heap of junk that is our own that we already have to deal with? But the reason is simple: God calls us to help other people. He created us to function this way. And if that’s true… then your problems aren’t just your problems – ultimately, they belong to the church body that God has placed you in. You are called to encourage, challenge, and help the other Christians in your life, and they are called to do the same for you.

If you wait until all of your own issues are gone and dealt with before you start helping others, guess what? You’ll never help others. Lots of people fall into that false way of thinking… and they totally miss out on something that is really awesome and beautiful; being a part of someone else’s healing.

See, here’s the deal: We are family (…I got all my sisters with me…We are family …get up everybody and sing). The Church consists of those that are the children of God… brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. And a huge part of this whole ‘church’ thing… is to be there for each other…to care for each other.

Let me show you a real example of this in Scripture…

Genesis 4:1-12 – HCSB

Adam was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.” Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” Then He said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! So now you are cursed, alienated, from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed. If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

The Bible is really awesome, and many times its message is super easy to understand… and sometimes it can be a bit more difficult. Many times understanding the context and culture of the day helps us in understanding things better. One thing that can be super important when reading the Bible, especially major portions of the Old Testament, is to understand that the exact wording that is used is often critical… and often poetical. Often, a story that was told had a pretty obvious meaning, but many times there was sort of a ‘hidden’ meaning as well… a ‘subtle’ message that would be conveyed in the ‘way’ the story was told.

For instance, often when a word is repeated over and over in a particular story, its to make a point in a subtle way. The first time we read the word "brother" in the bible (ach, in Hebrew) is when Eve gave birth to Abel after first having Cain. It says, "then she also gave birth to his brother Abel..."  (Genesis 4:2) showing that the first person in all of the Bible to be a brother to someone else is Abel, and the first person to have a brother is Cain.

Interestingly, in these first verses of Genesis chapter 4, the word brother is repeated seven times, and the middle time is in God's question, "Where is your brother Abel?" Remember… the writers in these days were very sensitive to word repetition and pattern, and to repeat a word seven times tells us something… it emphasizes its centrality to the story.

The unspoken message is that God's question, "Where is your brother Abel?" is central and very important - Abel is the first brother, and the only brother to Cain, and Cain is responsible for him. Cain's response, the first words after Abel's murder, shows that he has rejected his responsibility to his one and only brother.

Another interesting thing about the Bible, is that it often uses the first of a kind to represent all of that kind. For example, Adam is the first man so he becomes the representative of all mankind. With this in mind then, one of the take-home messages of this famous story is that all who are human are our brothers… and we ARE our brother's guardians. The minute we forget that, sin starts to crouch at our door and we start moving down a path toward evil that may even lead toward hatred… and murder.

What would happen if we really viewed other human beings… as our brothers… as those we were to seriously guard… and care for? Listen, I understand that this totally goes against all that our culture is shoving down our throats right now. Modern culture emphasizes materialism, and as we talked about last week… individuality, to the point of amazing self-centeredness.

“It’s all about ME” is the message of the day… to the point where materialism and consumerism prey on answering every need of ours. If we want something… we can absolutely find a way to have it. We want what we want, and we want it right now! For example, think about the biggest money-making part of the entertainment industry in our time: pornography. What exactly does pornography do? Answer: It feeds on the fleshy desires within us to use others’ bodies for our own pleasure. It’s a completely ‘selfish’ thing that brings much destruction with it. Do you know why? Because, at its very core, it devalues other human beings… it feeds that part of a person that is selfish and inwardly-focused.

Gang, only when we are reminded that other humans are our brothers, and that we must love our brothers as ourselves, will we begin to live as God wants us to. Once again… a huge part of this whole ‘discipleship’ thing… this whole ‘church’ thing… is to be there for each other…and to care for each other.

How is God asking you to stretch out of your own comfort zone… and practically show His love to someone else?

Who has God planted in your world that you can help? Who can you carry?

Galations 6:2 – HCSB

“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”