ARE YOU A TRUE KEEPER OF THE
BRETHREN?
It must be noted
that this question was raise when there was great distress and trouble in the
land over one man disappearance.
That man was Abel the brother of Cain.
Genesis 4
1.
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I
have gotten a man from the Lord. 2.
And she again bare his brother Abel. And
Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain
was a tiller of the ground.
3.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of
the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat
thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5. But unto Cain and to his
offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6. And the Lord said unto
Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7.
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not
well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt
rule over him.
8.
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they
were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9.
And the Lord said unto Cain,
Where is Abel thy brother? And he said,
I know not (BECAUSE I LOVETH NOT): am I
my brother's keeper?
We see in this
account that God asked the question to Cain and he denied knowing the where
a-bouts of his brother and insinuated it was not his responsibility to keep up
with him anyway.
My friends, I
believe God is asking us this very question about the welfare of our brothers
and sisters. God created us not as the beast of the field, which devours the
weak; but as caring and loving individuals that seeks the wellbeing of others.
We witness in this
biblical story that Cain had killed his brother, but he could never destroy him.
Somebody ought to awaken those villains of the city and let them know
that even though they kill someone they never can destroy them.
They will live not only in live God, but in their sub-conscientious well.
In other words, he
that commits a murder carries the burden of that person forever in their
spiritual self and no matter how long hidden will show up outwardly.
Amen.
I have heard people
say, “yes, Rev. I,m keeping the faith or “yes, Rev. I got the faith, but they
are reluctant to keep their brother.
Our earlier
scriptural reading has laid the foundation for us to follow.
Let us hear it.
1 John 4
7.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8.
He that loveth not knoweth not
God; for God is love. 9.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent
his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son to be the propitiation for our
sins.
11.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
It must be stated
again and again and again until it sinks in that “Jesus was his brother keeper!”
What would have happen if Jesus had not
been his brother keeper?
It is awful to just
think about what life would be like without verse 9 and 10.
I was told the other
day that people are not suppose to get in other people’s business and therefore
you ought to mind your own and stay out of mine.
Anyone ever heard that before?
Or said it yourself to someone else that might have been trying to help
you?
Listen, Jesus set
the example for all of us to follow.
Amen.
He wasn’t meddling
in our business, but mending it! He
wasn’t messing things up, but fixing it up!
He wasn’t trying to stress you, but bless you!
Amen.
To address this
question “Am I My Brother Keeper” posed back in the Genesis of time and asked
ever since. Our President Barack
Obama will be in
Listen my friends;
let me point out one other thing today.
We live in a multi-sensitive society where gender does count and
diversity makes a difference.
Therefore, we must not just talk about the brothers keepers must we must talk
about the sister keepers as well.
So then let me re-phrase our question for today to say, “Are we our brothers and
sisters keepers?
But let me stop
right here; to say to any one that is not a Brothers Keeper or Sister Keeper
there is redemption for you. God
has made through Jesus a way back into Gods grace and mercy.
John 3
16.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
And finally friends,
not only are we our Brother and Sister Keepers, but Kids Keepers too!
During this current recession that overshadows our economy; let us not be
so narrow minded to think that children have not been just as affected, as well
So let me sum up
this sermon by saying, God is and always has been guiding us to be “People
Keepers”. Amen.
So today represents
the ICU/WUBS kick-off to the “People Keepers Project.”
In the midst of
difficult economic and social times Gods is calling us “Rise and Shine” and help
those broadsided by calamities that threaten their spiritual wellbeing.
We base our PKP (PEOPLE KEEPERS PROJECT) on the words of Jesus.
Mat. 25
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. 41.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42.
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me no drink: 43.
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not:
sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not
minister unto thee? 45.
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal.
I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN
ME IN BEING A TRUE KEEPER, WHOM JESUS CALLED THE RIGHTEOUS KEEPERS.
Preached by:
Rev. Sylvester Williams, Jr.
I.C.U., Ministries,
Inc.
February 8, 2009