Series: Us
tag line: Life Together!
Thesis: Life is designed by God to be lived in the context of “us” or “we” but not in the context of I, me, or mine!
Introduction:
That famous toddler phrase we have all heard as parents and grandparents is what? Let’s say it in unison --- “Mine!”
Wouldn't it be great if you overheard your toddler say to one, "Sure, you can play with my favorite truck anytime"? Would that not make headline news? Maybe not.
The truth is my experience is - Three- and 4-year-olds tend to cling passionately to their possessions to their stuff.
Quote: "Preschoolers are so focused on their own wants and needs that sharing just isn't a priority," explains Ann Easterbrook’s, Ph.D., chair of the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts.
But as a Toddler this behavior is expected and the parents seek to guide their child out of this self-centered stage of life. Guidance is the key – instructing toddlers to share is emphasized over and over.
But what happens when a person is an adult and still acts like a toddler? There is no sense of “us” not comprehension of “We?” Does the Bible address this behavior?
T.S. – Let’s read some Bible verses which focus about “us” verse “mine.”
Scripture Texts:
Romans 15:1-3:
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself…”
1 Corinthians 10:24:
“Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”
Philippians 2:4:
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Galatians 6:2; 7-9:
2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
“7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
These are just a few Bible verses addressing the subject “Us!”
The Bible frowns on selfish behavior and it repeatedly tells us to root it out of our lives. This type of lifestyle, mindset, or attitude is not from Heaven but originates from the world’s value system. Today self is elevated and servanthood is deflated by many in our society.
T.S. - So today let’s evaluate ourselves today and see if we have the flawed and toddler character traits of a selfish, self-centered individual. Please note: We must be honest with ourselves today if we ever want to become mature in our spiritual lives (Galatians 6:4).
I. The nature of “Us.”
a. Thoughts on the concept of “Us” and Biblical Community:
i. Quote: “To avoid thinking about community simply because we misunderstand it will deprive us of one of God’s greatest gifts. The idea of community is, in a sense, from another world, a world very unlike our own. But it is neither from the world of communes in Vermont nor from the placid world of cookies and tea Christians share before they rush back to their isolated lives. Community is from the world as God wants it to be. It is the gift of a rich and challenging life together, one that we need and can receive with joy.”
ii. Quote: “Christian community is simply sharing a common life in Christ. It moves us beyond the self-interested isolation of private lives and beyond the superficial social contacts that pass for "Christian fellowship." The biblical ideal of community challenges us instead to commit ourselves to life together as the people of God.”
1. Quotes above from https://bible.org/article/community-god%E2%80%99s-design-growth
b. US - pronoun
i. Definition: the objective case of we, used as a direct or indirect object:
1. US – We
a. The idea of the word us links people together – to approach life hand in hand with others.
ii. The importance of “Us”
iii. We recently painted our house and we found a saying to hang on our house “Family” – The idea of family is doing life together – a family is a group of individuals who decide to work together – love each other and stand hand in hand with each other through the ups and downs of life.
c. We have witnessed the concept of “Us” in Texas and Louisiana this last week –
i. Stories upon stories of people helping other people in need – with nothing expected in return – people risking their lives for others – people sacrificing for others – a nation rallying around those in need in through the flooding – It’s a prime example of “Us” we are currently living up to our name The United States of America – I watched our nation put aside politics to help others out – prior to this I was concerned that our nation was not us but a nation that was splintering apart – fracturing – The Constitution of the United States explains why we are a nation.
1. US – United Servants – United States
a. James Madison penned the Constitution and is considered its father – who was James Madison?
i. James Madison, co-author of the “Federalist Papers,” was an Episcopalian and trained for the ministry with the Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon. He was a member of the Virginia legislature from 1776-80 and 1784-86, of the Continental Congress in 1780-83, and the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It was in that Convention that he earned the title "Father of the Constitution." He was a sponsor of the Bill of Rights while a member of the House of Representatives from 1789 to 1797, and authored the Virginia Resolutions of 1798 in opposition to the Alien and Sedition Act. He was Secretary of State from 1801 to 1809, 4th President of the United States from 1809 to 1817, and rector of the University of Virginia for ten years beginning in 1826. He wrote on November 9, 1772 in a letter to William Bradford: “A watchful eye must be kept on ourselves lest while we are building ideal monuments of Renown and Bliss here we neglect to have our names enrolled in the Annals of Heaven.”
ii. In September of 1773, in a letter to William Bradford, he wrote: “I have sometimes thought there could be no stronger testimony in favor of Religion or against temporal Enjoyments even the most rational and manly than for men who occupy the most honorable and gainful departments and are rising in reputation and wealth, publicly to declare their unsatisfactoriness by becoming fervent Advocates in the cause of Christ, & I wish you may give in your Evidence in this way. Such instances have seldom occurred, therefore they would be more striking and would be instead of a "Cloud of Witnesses."
iii. In 1785, in Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, Madison wrote: "It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage. Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. "We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." Although he did speak of a "wall of separation," it is evident that the purpose of said "wall" was to prevent Congress from passing a national law to establish a national religion.
iv. In an 1803 letter objecting to the use of government land for churches, he wrote: “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.”
1. Madison was in the habit of making notes in his personal Bible, wrote this in Acts, Chapter 19:
a. “Believers who are in a state of grace, have need of the Word of God for their edification and building up therefore implies a possibility of falling." v. 32.
b. “Grace, it is the free gift of God." Luke. 12. 32-v.32.
c. “Giver more blessed than the receiver." v. 35.
d. “To neglect the means for our own preservation is to tempt God: and to trust to them is to neglect Him." v. 3 & Ch. 27. v. 31.
e. “Humility, the better any man is, the lower thoughts he has of himself." v. 19.
f. “Ministers to take heed to themselves & their flock." v. 28.
g. “The Apostles did greater miracles than Christ, in the matter, not manner, of them." v. 11.
Conclusion:
The purpose of “Us”
We are here – placed here by God to make a difference in other’s lives by being helping hands to those in need. This is what is happening in Texas and Louisiana and what we desire to do this year with “The Love Your City” projects – if you have a desire to help out the victims of Hurricane Harvey check out how you can do this:
Show power point.
Donald will come and explain our Labor of Love project today.
