My Brother’s Keeper

Introduction: Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

A. The First Time the Question Was Asked — Genesis 4

“My brother’s keeper.” Did you ever hear that before? “My brother’s keeper.” Well — I’m not going to be able to see this. Recently a politician said — “I am my brother’s keeper.” Oh. I have my choice on this too.

Ah — the first, you’ve probably heard about it, was in Genesis chapter 4. Remember Cain and Abel? Cain brought a sacrifice of his own hands, and Abel brought the proper sacrifice. And Cain rose up against Abel, and he slew him — King James says; he killed him. And apparently covered him up in dirt. Then, when the Lord came looking for him, He says, “Where is your brother Abel?” And Cain says, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Well, the answer to that is found in this passage. Yes, you are. You are your brother’s keeper, and you have a responsibility in that area.

B. Helping, Not Enabling

Some of the brothers in the Thessalonian church were not working. We saw that last week. They weren’t working because the Rapture’s near: “Paul said the Lord’s coming. Why should we work? Let’s sit around and wait.” And in the process, they were meddling in other people’s business. Well, Paul said, “That’s not good.”

Well, then you say, “Well, shouldn’t I help my brother?” Well, yeah, you should help him, but you should make sure that it is help. I’ve been trying to think of a word for what happens when you give somebody money to go out and buy drugs or whatever. You’re helping him, you’re facilitating it, you’re doing all kinds of things — but there’s a word — oh, that’s the word: enable. I couldn’t think of it, and I said, “I’m going to keep on going.” Anyway — yeah, you enable. And that’s what they were doing. Some of them were enabling these people not to work and then to go ahead and mess around.

I. Confirmation — 3:13 (or “Foundation”)

A. “But as for You, Brethren” — The Faithful Majority

Well, today Paul, sensing that these people — the ones who were working — again he calls them brothers: “But as for you, brethren” — you faithful brothers — “as for you, do not grow weary in doing good.”

Well, Paul starts the section with a “but.” I like that “but” — in contrast to the negative, to what they’re doing. “But you, brothers, don’t grow weary.” In contrast to what the others are doing, you do it. But they’re brothers — all are brothers. And then these brothers are brothers, and Paul — because Paul’s writing to believers. You know, the Scriptures are written to believers. I stress that when I’m in Hebrews — stressing that it’s written to believers. This book also is written to believers.

And so he’s saying to them, “You’re doing the work of the church, and then you’re also working to feed your families. You are the good brothers.”

B. Don’t Be Weary — Doing Good

And so — don’t be weary in doing good. I’ve heard that so many times in the King James: “be not weary in well doing.” Well — but the word is “doing good.” Don’t be tired of that. Even if doing good makes you weary, don’t hate it. Don’t hate doing good. See, the problem is not with the doing good. The problem is with the attendant circumstances. So just keep on keeping on. Do what the Lord is telling you to do. You work and take care of your family, and then do the work of the church as well. Keep on keeping on, he’s saying. Then that’s the confirmation, or the foundation, of the Word.

II. Admonition — 3:14–15

Now there’s an admonition for them, verses 14 and 15.

A. Warning — 3:14

1. This Epistle — 3:14a

First he warns them. Verse 14 says, about this epistle, “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle.” Now, so he considered his word — and properly so — he considered the word he’s writing, and the word he speaks to them, as being God’s word: both the written words and the spoken words.

Peter calls Paul’s writings Scripture. I’m thinking about 2 Peter 3. He said, “our beloved brother Paul” has written some things, and they’re sometimes “hard to understand.” And we all said amen! And yet, he says, some are hard to understand, and some people twist them — twist them, make them say something else other than what they are saying. And he says they twist Paul’s writings “as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” What does that tell you? Paul’s writings are Scripture. So it isn’t just Paul saying this. Peter is saying Paul’s writing is Scripture.

Well, he says, don’t disobey Paul’s words. If you do, you’re disobeying God. Hmm. Can we do that? Wouldn’t we say that to people — “Do what I say; if you don’t, then you’re disobeying God”? Yes — if I’m saying what the Scripture says. I’m saying God’s Word — not my word, but God’s Word. If you’re quoting God, then you can say, “If you don’t do that — these words are from God.” That’s the epistle. The epistle is God’s Word.

2. That Person — 3:14b

And then “that person”: “note that person and do not keep company with him.” See? God asked this question in Amos chapter 3, verse 2 [3:3]. He says, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” It’s a rhetorical question. He doesn’t answer it. It doesn’t need to be answered. Of course not. They can’t walk together unless they’re in agreement. Oil and water don’t mix. Light cannot have any fellowship with darkness, Paul says. So, though he’s a brother, he’s not in fellowship with God. And if he’s not in fellowship with God, he’s not in fellowship with you. So he says, mark that man. Don’t have any fellowship with him.

3. The Purpose — 3:14c

And then the purpose — the epistle, that letter, and then the purpose. So what do we do? “Well, we’re going to toss him out of here. Get rid of him.” No, not that. The purpose of church discipline is never destructive. Church discipline is always constructive. In this case, the purpose is “that he may be ashamed” — when he realizes his error. And he’ll realize it when you don’t fellowship with him. The fellowship back in those days was a little bit different, but he’s still talking about having fellowship, because you have nothing in common with him.

Now, you can help him back into the fellowship — but unless you do it in such a way, you may turn him aside. So he says, okay, there’s a warning, but here’s a caution. Be cautious when you do that.

B. Caution — 3:15

1. Don’t Consider Him a Foe — 3:15a

Don’t consider him as a foe: “Yet do not count him as an enemy,” he says. He’s not your foe. He’s not your enemy. He’s not perfect. He has his faults. So do you. So do you. No — these faults must be pointed out to him, I think, so that he can see his faults. He can confess them. He can be forgiven of them. And that’s what we want. We want him to be forgiven, because he’s not our foe. He’s not our enemy.

2. Do Counsel Him as Family — 3:15b

a. “When You’re Here, You’re Family”

He is family. Counsel him as family: “but admonish him as a brother.” You know — you’ve been to the Olive Garden, I think. I know some of you have; I ate with you last Sunday there. But the Olive Garden has a slogan. You know what it is? “When you’re here, you’re family.”

Well, that’s our slogan. When you’re here, you’re family. When you’re in the universal church, you’re family, no matter where. I met that lady yesterday; she said she wanted to come to church here. And she’s from Philadelphia. But she’s coming here, and she wants to, because she found a family. She’s part of the family. And I would welcome her as part of the family. Well, that’s when you’re here — you’re family. When you’re in the church, you’re family. When you’re in the local church, it’s a closer-knit family, and we’re all family members together. So, on that basis — on the basis of being in the universal church — you’re welcome to fellowship here as a member of this local church.

b. When the Lord Lays It on Your Heart

And when the Lord lays on your heart —

• something that’s going amiss — that He says to you, there’s a problem in someone else’s life;
• and you’re convinced that it’s your assignment from Him for you to approach that brother — you got this from the Lord;
• and after you have prayed hard — make sure you know what to do and how to do it — praying hard;
• and you have a clear path from the Lord to approach the subject — He’s clearing things away; He’ll make it possible for you to get to that brother, talk to him, whatever —

c. “Brother Horatio …”

Now, when you do that — you get there — what do you do? Well, it seems to me the best — maybe the only — approach to this erring brother is: “Brother Horatio —” See, I’d use that; I didn’t use any names here. Anybody here named Horatio? So: “Brother Horatio, we’re brothers.” It’s a good way to start. “We’re brothers. We’re children of God. And I’m concerned about you” — and then name that area; name the offense. And then ask him — ask permission: “May I show you in the Word of God what God says about that, and where you have fallen short of God’s best for you?”

That’s the question. You’re asking permission. If you get the permission, then you have a chance to counsel your brother and restore him to fellowship. If he says no, it’s no. But you have another step. Then you go to Matthew 18 and take the next step — take another brother with you, and so forth. But here we’re talking about: if he gives you the opportunity, then you have gained your brother. And he’s able to confess it and to get right with the Lord; then he’s right with you. And you have done the Lord’s work in that. So that’s our confirmation, our admonition.

III. Benediction — 3:16

Now the benediction, verse 16: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.” Question: do you have the peace of the Lord — always, in every way? Well — yes. In some way you do.

He also talks about the love of God — remember, from last week — and the patience of Christ. Well, here he adds the peace of God. Now you can have the peace of God. In verse 18 he’s going to talk about the grace of God. So, four things that we have from God.

A. Peace with God — Romans 5:1

But the first one is the peace with God. In Romans 5:1 we read that, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a wonderful thing. And this is something to hang on to. We have peace with God. God is not against us. We have no ruffle with Him in our relationship. We have peace with Him. And we have that, of course, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

B. The Peace of God — Philippians 4:6–7

But the peace of God is something else. The peace of God — in Philippians 4 he says, “Be anxious for nothing.” What’s the antidote for anxiety? “But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” That’s it. If I don’t have peace — the peace of God in my life — I’m anxious about something, or more things; then I’m supposed to take it to God. By prayer and supplication, I tell God about it. I’m telling you, talking with God is a wonderful thing. I can do it anywhere, at any time. And when I do, I have the opportunity to have the peace of God in that whole situation, whatever it is.

1. Peter Asleep in Prison — Acts 12

Remember Peter, Acts 12? Peter was thrown in prison for preaching the gospel, and the next day they were going to take him out and kill him. So God sent His angel. And the angel came right into the prison. And what do you think Peter was doing? Walking the floor — “Well, I don’t know what I’m going to do”? No, he wasn’t. The angel had to strike him on the side to wake him up, to lead him out of there. He was asleep. How’d he do that? By prayer and supplication. He made his request known to the Lord. That’s it.

2. Paul in the Storm — Acts 27

And then Paul did the same thing, remember? He was on a ship in the Mediterranean Sea, in the middle of a storm. He stood up in the ship and said, “Men, I’ll tell you what: nobody is going to lose his life.” They thought everybody was going to lose his life. Paul said, “Not a one is going to be lost.” And they got to shore. How do you do that? An angel of God appeared to him — but trusting in the Lord.

So the peace with God is guaranteed. The peace of God is something we ask for. We let our requests be known to Him, and we leave it there.

C. The God of Peace — 3:16b

1. He Will Never Leave a Believer

Now, there’s the God of peace — the God of peace. “The Lord be with you all,” he says. So how will the Lord of peace be with us? Well, Paul’s not implying that God would ever leave a believer — because it sounds like He’s going to leave, you know. But being with you — Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

And then Hebrews 13:5 — one of my favorite verses: “I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever leave you nor forsake you.” Five negatives. In John 10:28, when He says no one will ever snatch them out of My hand — they shall never perish — two negatives. “I’ll never leave you” — five negatives. And that makes it stronger. Each one makes it stronger.

2. The God of Peace Will Be with You — Philippians 4:9

In Philippians 4 he says, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do” — practice these things — “and the God of peace will be with you.” That again means that we are to follow Paul’s leading in what we learned and received and heard, and practice it. But then he also gives a whole list there in Philippians 4: if there’s anything good, anything proper — all through there — those are the things we are to do. And the God of peace will be with you.

3. “With You All”

So notice he says, “The Lord be with you all.” This is not just for somebody — some people — not just for the good brothers, but to all. Because now he’s broadening it out. In verse 13 he says, “you, brethren” — he’s talking to the group. But now he says, “with you all.” He wants all the brothers to see that everyone is included in the desires for the church. Everybody. Everybody here is given this ability to have that kind of fellowship with the Lord. So that’s the confirmation, the admonition, the benediction —

IV. Validation — 3:17

— and the validation, verse 17. Validation is in verse 17. It says, “The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.” He signs it. He apparently took the pen from whoever wrote for him — his amanuensis, secretary — and he took the pen and said, “I’m writing this myself, so you’ll know that it’s from me,” validating it.

He did this in several of his epistles — stated it. He did it in all of them, obviously, but he states it in some. Like in Romans chapter 16, verse 22: “I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.” Tertius wrote it. Oh — and then in 1 Corinthians 16:21: “The salutation with my own hand — Paul’s.” And [Colossians 4:18]: “This salutation by my own hand.” Someone else wrote while Paul dictated, and then at the end he signed it.

Probably because of Paul’s bad eyesight. In Galatians 4:6 [4:15] he says, you loved me so much you would have taken your own eyes out and given them to me. Well, why would he use that illustration unless his eyes were bad? He needed eyes.

V. Salutation — 3:18

So then we come to the salutation: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

A. Saving Grace — Ephesians 2:8–9

We think of grace concerning salvation. And if you don’t think of it, you haven’t been listening. Grace — salvation by grace — is the framework, the very foundation, of all that we do. Grace: God has graced us with salvation. And if that gets tainted in any way, it reflects into the rest of our lives. And so that’s very important — that it’s saving grace: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

B. Sharing Grace — 2 Corinthians 8:7

And then beside that, there is sharing grace. Interesting that one of our hymns — the hymn just before the offering — said, “Take my silver and my gold.” I didn’t notice that, but I’ll take credit for it. “Take my silver and my gold” — yeah, that’s sharing grace.

In 2 Corinthians 8:7, after praising the Macedonians for their great sacrificial giving for the poor saints in Jerusalem, he’s writing to the Corinthians, and he says — boy, those people in Macedonia, they really did a great job — and then he says, “see that you abound in this grace also.” Giving is a grace. It’s a grace that we are allowed to exercise when we give to the Lord. Sharing grace.

C. Serving Grace — Hebrews 12:28

There’s also serving grace. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 28: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us hold fast to grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

You can’t serve God acceptably except by grace. If you’re serving God with your works — “Oh, I’ve got to do this because I’ve got to keep my salvation, got to get my salvation,” whatever it is — if we say, “I’m doing this because the Lord makes me do it” — no, no, not that. We do it by grace. Because of God’s grace, we are able to give, and we are able to serve.

Conclusion: Yes, I Am My Brother’s Keeper

Second Thessalonians is at the end. Now, the question, of course, for this section: am I my brother’s keeper? Yes. True — and I’m my sister’s keeper as well. Yes, I am.

Then I have to do the good things — the good things of fellowship together, and we enjoy our time together with one another. But sometimes my love for my brother requires me to do things that are distasteful to me — and maybe to him. But there are things that have to be done in order to help that brother, and not enable him in his sin.

So, in the process, we need to remember: he is my brother. He is not my enemy, and I’m not his enemy. Make sure I don’t get to be an enemy by the way I handle the job the Lord gave me.

Lord, we thank You for Your grace, for Your power.