“Open Hearts, Open Homes”
Luke 8:21, 9:5
Intro: Do you have a close friend, a brother or sister in Christ that you can turn to?
Many of us don’t. Sometimes our friends are like the “body neighborhood.”
Have you ever heard about the “body” neighborhood?
Fred Somebody, Thomas Everybody, Susan Anybody, and Joe Nobody were neighbors, but they were not like you and me. They were odd people and most difficult to understand. The way they lived was a shame.
All four belonged to the same church, but you would not have enjoyed worshiping with them. EVERYBODY went fishing on Sunday or stayed home to visit with friends. ANYBODY wanted to worship but was afraid SOMEBODY wouldn’t speak to him. So guess who went to church - NOBODY. Really, NOBODY was the only decent one of the four. NOBODY did the visitation. NOBODY worked on the church building. Once they needed a Sunday school teacher. EVERYBODY thought ANYBODY would do it, and ANYBODY thought SOMEBODY would do it. And you know who did it? That’s exactly right . . . NOBODY!
It happened that a fifth neighbor (an unbeliever) moved into the area. EVERYBODY thought SOMEBODY should try to win him for Christ. ANYBODY could have made an effort. You probably know who won him: NOBODY!
This little parable brings to focus again the fact that each of us is personally responsible for God’s work. If we leave it for somebody or everybody or anybody, nobody will do it. Let’s work till Jesus comes!
This morning, we want to look at how we function in relation to one another. Hopefully we function better than the “body” neighbors. Yet do we relate on a deep level? How do we relate to one another?
Let’s Pray:
Let’s look in Luke 8:19-21 as a starting place for our message today:
Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you." He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice."
I. The Basis of Being United in Christ
It mentions here that we have the unique ability to become personally tied to Christ in a family way: we can become brothers and sisters in Christ. We use that term quite loosely; sometimes it even turns us off when it is used the wrong way.
#Did you ever know someone who loved to call everyone “brother”?
Sometimes you hear that word and you think “what does he want?”
Realtor - know you are a Christian - suddenly they are too!
But just what is involved in this relationship?
A. Our unity is not based on physical relationship. In verse 20 we see those of his physical family were present, but Jesus stresses the spiritual relationship, not just the physical relationship. In fact, we know that in following Christ often we will have to leave behind members of our physical family.
Luke 14:26 - "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 11:27-28 - A woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
B. Our unity is not based on being part of the same church. There are some brothers and sisters in Christ in every church. But every church also has impostors. There are those who come to church who have a different father.
To churchgoers of his day, Jesus had these words.
-John 8:44 - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
C. Our unity is not based just on who our friends are. We all have sets of friends, but sometimes those friends can lead us astray.
*Prov. 18:24 - A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Luke 23:12 - That day Herod and Pilate became friends--before this they had been enemies.
D. Our unity is based on our oneness in Christ Jesus. This morning I would like us to remember that we are one in Christ.
*Rom. 12:5 - In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
*Eph. 2:13,19 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.
We are one in Christ - those of us here trusting in Christ are one, members of one body.
So, what should be our response to one another?
II. The Blessing of our Unity in Christ
The Bible tells us that there are to be some unique characteristics of brothers and sisters in Christ.
There is even a way the unsaved world is to identify us.
*John 13:35 - By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
We have heard in the reading this morning some of the ways we show that love.
We live in harmony, we accept one another, we submit to one another, we forgive one another, we encourage one another, we are patient and bear with one another in love.
*Ps. 133:3 - How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
Do we really show unity in the body of Christ? Do we really love one another?
III. The Drawback of our Unity in Christ
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone in the body of Christ got along as they were supposed to?
The sad truth is that that doesn’t always happen. In Luke 9:1-5 Jesus sent the disciples out: When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: "Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them."
Some of the positive reminders from these verses are that we can meet the needs of one another. When a brother or sister in Christ has a need, it should weigh heavily upon us.
*1 John 3:17 - If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
*Rom. 12:15 - Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
We see that as the disciples went out, their needs were met by those who responded to God’s word.
We also can see that we can share together in ministry. Even though the disciples were preaching and doing great miracles, yet the ones who opened their hearts and homes shared in their ministry.
*2 Cor. 9:1 - There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.
*1 Cor. 3:6 - I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
*The sad truths of these verses is that sometimes a brother or sister in Christ can let you down. Remember, we are all human. We make mistakes. We are less than perfect. Jesus said to those who were inhospitable they were to shake the dust off their feet. As a solemn symbol of judgment, the disciples are to shake the dust of an unresponsive town off their feet, just as Jewish travelers might do on returning from pagan territory.
*Another reminder that we have to face is that things won’t always go the way we want them too as Christians. In 8:38 we see the man who had the demons cast out of him. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over the town how much Jesus had done for him.
-sometimes because we are working together for the kingdom, we won’t get to spend time with our family and friends like we might like. It would be great if we could gather all our best friends together and form a community of just friends. Yet the call of God is for us to go out into the world and be salt and light. We leave that which we enjoy because we serve a higher cause than our own pleasure. Are you living for pleasure today or for the cause of Christ?
Concl: This morning, how do we fit in to the body of Christ? You may say, “Yes, I am a Christian; I know I am part of the body of Christ. But how have you been serving? Have you been showing love to others? Are you active in serving the Lord? Are you seeking the advancement of his kingdom or the pleasures of your entertainment. Let’s recommit this morning to be the kind of Christian that God would be well pleased with.
Shall we pray!
