Evangelist Cry Ministry
Huger, South Carolona
Dr. Levi Howard Wright, Ph.D.
This is a message concerning Human Relations preached January 14, 2001
"How Concerned Are You About Your Brother?"
MATTHEW 25:31-46
{31} "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. {32} All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, {33} and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. {34} Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ’Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; {35} for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, {36} I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ {37} Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? {38} And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? {39} And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ {40} And the king will answer them, ’Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ {41} Then he will say to those at his left hand, ’You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; {42} for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, {43} I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ {44} Then they also will answer, ’Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ {45} Then he will answer them, ’’Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ {46} And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (NRSV)
This is the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
Let us Pray - Eternal God Our Father and Redeemer, Creator and Maker of us all - bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts - anoint us with Thy Holy Spirit and show us Your ways and inspire us to live by your truth. Amen
INTRODUCTION
Tomorrow we will celebrate the birthday of the great Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was an advocate of Human Rights and Human Relations. In his famous speech "I HAVE A DREAM" that he spoke from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., he spoke of the Human Rights and Human Relations of all mankind.
I am so happy that after over three decades the state of South Carolina has finally decide to recognize the achievemenst of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and honor accepting his birthday as a National Holiday.
WE must keep Dr. King’s dream alive by Caring and Being Concerned about one another. Black on Black crime must stop. We must stop hurting and killing one another.
Therefore my question to you today is "How concern are you for your brother?"
Dr. King in his quest for Human Relations and equal Civil Rights was overwhelmed by his love for God and Humanity, and under the anointing of God Dr. King said:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live by the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from Huger, South Carolina!
Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Yes, the Lord has freed us from SLAVERY. But not only from SLAVERY. He has also freed and delivered us from the penalty of SIN and ETERNAL DAMNATION
Many Christians today have the MISTAKEN BELIEF that all they need to do is to be SAVED and then they can sit BACK and RELAX.
However, God has given His people talents, gifts, and the abilities, which He expects them to use for building up His Kingdom.
One day many Christians will experience deep and great remorse and regret for lost opportunities to share the life of Jesus Christ with others through their WORDS and ACTIONS.
Jesus wants us to use what God has given us and to make our lives really count for Christ.
When Jesus walked on this earth, He was concerned about people and He touched them with the life of God everywhere He went.
WE have been commissioned to do the same. In fact, our rewards in heaven will be determined by the way we treated:
Those who are Hungry
Those who are Homeless
Those who are Poor
Those who are Diseased
Those who are Imprisoned
HUMAN RELATIONS and SOCIAL CONCERNS……..
Especially and Specifically for those in the Church…. cannot be "BIBLICALLY DIVORCED" from the Christian walk.
In Galatians 6:10, the Apostle Paul said, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
In Proverbs 19:17, King Solomon said "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given "THE LORD WILL REPAY."
Yes, Jesus equated our CONCERN and TREATMENT to those who are DESTITUTE and DISTRESSED with our TREATMENT and CONCERN for HIM.
What we do for OTHERS ….. we do for CHRIST!
Yes, in John 13:34-35 Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
It is IMPOTANT TO GOD… THAT WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
The Marks of a True Disciple is determined by our Love for one another.
It is extremely important that we Love God and that we Love one another.
All of the Laws that was given to Moses on Mount Sinai was hinged around these two GREAT COMMANDS of GOD. And at the same time God provided for us an EXAMPLE of what LOVE is ALL ABOUT.
The UNMATCHABLE and DIVINE SACRIFICE of His Son, Jesus Christ on MOUNT CALVARY pointed the way to TRUE LOVE and showed us that LOVE is more than a FEELING….. It is an ACTION.
Yes, Jesus stated that the World will know that we are His Disciples if we have LOVE one for Another.
Yes, we PROVE our Discipleship by our ACTIONS, when we are willing to LAY DOWN our LIVES and DENY our own DESIRES for ANOTHER.
In 1 John 3:16 it says "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
My Brothers and Sisters we should not allow:
Divisions…. Ungodly disputes….. Unkind criticisms…. Lying….. Backbiting and ….. Gossiping …. RUIN the REPUTATION of our FELLOW MAN,…… Because this is CONTRARY to the SPIRIT of CHRIST and His LOVE.
In 1 Corinthians 12:12, the Apostle Paul said, " For as the body is one, and have many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
In our TEXT today…. Jesus says;
When you saw me a Stranger… you Took Me in.
When you saw me Naked… you Clothed Me.
When you saw me Sick… or in Prison… you Came unto Me.
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.
Today’s message has been one of Human Relations and God want us to Restore Damaged Lives.
What does RESTORATION mean to the CHURCH?
It means that GOD looks at people both INDIVIDUALLY and CORPORATELY….
Yes, GOD cares deeply for each of us as a PERSON and He also cares for us as a GROUP.
In the Old Testament GOD spoke to Israel as a UNIT.
In the New Testament He speaks to the Church, His Body of Believers, as a UNIT.
As the Body of Christ experiences God’s RESTORATION, it will be show EVIDENCES by:
The LOVE that is SHARED among its MEMBERS.
The GIFTS of the SPIRIT will be in OPERATION among its MEMBERS.
The HOLY SPIRIT will CONTINUALLY CLEANSE and MATURE the BODY of CHRIST and bring it to the FULLNESS of CHRIST.
The BODY of CHRIST will MINISTER to the LOST.
It is VITALLY important that we recognize the…. VALUE of LOVING ONE ANOTHER.
God LOVES…. to move among people as they show LOVE to ONE ANOTHER.
Our IMMATURITY and SINFULNESS often causes OFFENSES among the BRETHREN and TENDS to DIVIDE us from ONE ANOTHER.
But, regardless and no matter what the hurts have been or will be in the future. Jesus says………
…. WE must LOVE our ENEMIES.
…. WE must BLESS them who CURSE US.
…. WE must DO GOOD to them that HATE US.
…. WE must PRAY for them DESPITEFULLY USES US and PERSECUTE US.
….. Our Father which is in heaven: He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. If we love them which love us, what reward do we have? do not even the publicans the same?
CONCLUSION
LET, me close now by giving you the: TEN COMMANDMENTS OF HUMAN RELATIONS
1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people. It takes 72 muscles to frown, only four to smile.
3. Call people by name. The sweetest music to anyone’s ear is the sound of his own name.
4. Be friendly and helpful. If you would have friends, be friendly.
6. Be generous with praise.---cautious with criticism.
7. Be considerate with the feeling of others. There are usually three sides to a controversy; yours, the other fellow’s and the right one.
8. Be alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others.
9. Learn to trust people, for trust builds lasting relationships.
10. Add to this a good sense of humor, a dose of patience, and a dash of humility and you will be rewarded many times by the LORD.
When the Lord gives the Final Exam……Will you PASS …..or ……. Will you FAIL? How Concern Are You For You Brother?
Where were you when your BROTHER was HUNGRY?
Where were you when your BROTHER was THIRSTY?
Where were you when your BROTHER was a STRANGER?
Where were you when your BROTHER was HOMELESS?
Where were you when your BROTHER was NAKED?
Where were you when your BROTHER was SICK?
Where were you when your BROTHER was in PRISON?
Jesus said "INSOMUCH" as you did it for the LEAST of My BRETHRENS…. You also did it unto ME! ….Amen
Jesus say don’t worry about it… if you don’t receive any pats on the back… You’re doing it for Me!
Jesus say don’t worry about it… if your efforts are not recognized… You’re doing it for Me!
Jesus say don’t worry about it… if they don’t want to pay you… You’re doing it for Me!
Jesus say don’t worry about it… if they talk about you behind your back… You’re doing it for Me!
Jesus say don’t worry about it… if they don’t appreciate you … You’re doing it for Me!
Jesus said "INSOMUCH" as you did it for the LEAST of My BRETHRENS…. You also did it unto ME!
Amen ….Amen …. Amen
