Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
Spiritual Responsibilities of Christians to each other
1 Cor 12:14-26 teaches that each member in a church fulfills a certain responsibility in the “body.” Notice several responsibilities Christians have toward one another.
1. Love one another.
- Definition: Not a romantic feeling, but a decision to do what’s best for another. agape` — Godly, sacrificial, giving kind of love (c.f., John 3:16).
- Love is:
- a commandment John 15:12, Rom 12:10, 1 John 3:11
- an evidence of being saved 1 John 3:14, 4:7
- an evidence of being a disciple John 13:35
- the proper response to God’s love for us. 1 John 4:11
Q.– can you love somebody without liking him? [Yes, because love is not a feeling.]
2. Pray for one another. [how many have a prayer list?]
Pray for:
- effective evangelism 2 Thes 3:1 [make most of opportunities]
- bold testimony Eph 6:19 [We need boldness. Easy to be timid. ]
- physical healing James 5:16
- maturity Col 1:9-10 [i.e., spiritual growth]
3. Serve one another. Gal 5:13
- True leaders are servants. Matt 20:25-28
- Spiritual gifts are to be used to serve. 1 Pet 4:10
4. General responsibilities:
- Do good to one another. Gal 6:10
- Be kind to one another. Eph 4:32
- Forgive one another. Col 3:13
- Edify one another. Rom 14:19; Eph 5:19
Application: Our youth ministry participants should love, pray for, serve, forgive, edify, and be good and kind to each other. It should be sheltered from insults, name-calling, ridicule, sarcasm, and any other action that could hurt another person.