25-1221p Transcript

(1:41) I continue my lesson, this is part three, of Someone Needs Help by Someone.

(1:52) The past two lessons dealt with both fleshly and the spiritual families. (2:01) Within each family, problems arise. (2:06) It may be between the members, being jealous of other members, (2:13) or it may be health problems, loss of employment, (2:20) bringing on financial problems.

(2:24) Some may be too proud to ask for help, (2:30) while others seem to rely on being beggars. (2:45) Nonetheless, people are needing help. (2:50) And we’ve looked at our prior lists, (2:57) and some of the names of people that we have in this community, (3:08) brothers and sisters, families, (3:12) that are ill with different illnesses, (3:24) and the church, the spiritual family of God, (3:31) needs to be ready to help others when there is opportunity to do so.

(3:39) Galatians 6.10 says, (3:42) As we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, (3:49) especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (3:56) So as you see here, there are different things that come up (4:05) that can create problems for us. (4:10) There’s plenty that haven’t been mentioned.

(4:16) But let’s first talk about problems in fleshly families. (4:23) We’re going to take biblical examples. (4:28) First of all, in Genesis 4, 1 through 8, (4:34) we find that Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to God.

(4:53) But we find that Abel’s offering was accepted, (5:02) and Cain’s offering was not accepted. (5:08) God did not have respect for Cain and his offering, (5:17) and that led to Cain being very angry and a fallen countenance or face. (5:28) And that has led to rather the Lord counseling him (5:40) and asking him why he was angry, (5:45) and why has your countenance fallen? (5:48) If you do well, will you not be accepted? (5:52) If you do not do well, sin lines at the door, (5:57) and its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

(6:09) Verse 8 says, (6:11) And now Cain talked with Abel his brother, (6:16) and it came to pass when they were in the field (6:21) that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. (6:28) You see, we’re not out of the first family yet, (6:33) but then that family, we have a murder that has taken place, (6:44) and Cain killing his brother Abel. (6:53) And we know that this causes, has caused problems, (7:01) and it caused a problem for Cain, (7:06) because Cain was driven out (7:13) and said that you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, (7:21) and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.

(7:28) That’s what Cain said to God, (7:35) because God made him to be a fugitive and a vagabond, (7:42) and he feared that anyone that found him would kill him. (7:50) And the Lord said to him, (7:52) And therefore, whoever kills Cain, (7:55) vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. (8:00) And the Lord set a mark on Cain, (8:03) lest anyone finding him should kill him.

(8:08) So in a sense, even dealing with Cain, (8:16) who was guilty of murdering his brother, (8:20) God fixed it so no one would kill him. (8:28) Let’s look at another, (8:31) and we go to the 37th chapter of Genesis, (8:37) and we find that, (8:45) oh wait a minute, I’m in the wrong book, (8:47) I went farther than Genesis. (8:55) Genesis 37.

(8:59) This is Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery. (9:14) They first were thinking of killing him themselves, (9:20) because they were jealous of him, (9:22) because he had told them of dreams that he had. (9:31) And they were seeing that those dreams (9:38) meant that they would bow down to him, (9:45) and they could not see that.

(9:50) So, but then what they did was let him down into a pit, (9:57) and then sold him into slavery. (10:03) And then they deceived their father (10:08) into thinking that a wild animal had slain Joseph, (10:18) and showed him Joseph’s bloody coat, (10:26) convinced their father that Joseph was dead. (10:34) And then we find that he is taken into Egypt.

(10:42) But then things started looking up for him at first, (10:50) until Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him to sin, (10:58) and he would not do that. (11:02) Then she found occasion to lie to her husband (11:07) that Joseph was trying to molest her. (11:13) And she let out a scream, and there was his coat.

(11:21) And that caused Potiphar to have him thrown into prison. (11:27) And so, as time went on, (11:34) he interpreted two men’s dreams in prison (11:40) that did kind of pass, as Joseph told them. (11:47) Then Pharaoh had dreams that puzzled him.

(11:56) And after two years, the chief butler, (12:02) I believe it’s the chief butler, (12:07) yes, the chief butler was saved, (12:10) and he remembered Joseph, (12:14) and told the king that Joseph interpreted his dream (12:23) as well as the chief baker’s dream. (12:26) And so Joseph was brought before Pharaoh, (12:33) and Pharaoh tells him of the dreams that he had, (12:42) which Joseph said that he, (12:48) that God is the one who knows the interpretation, (12:54) and God would reveal it to him. (13:00) And so Joseph revealed the dreams, (13:04) told him that there would be seven years of plenty, (13:08) followed by seven years of famine.

(13:12) Sure enough, seven years of plenty came about. (13:22) Now Joseph was placed second in command to Pharaoh, (13:32) and he had the Egyptians to store up food (13:39) during those seven years of plenty, and they did. (13:46) And then the famine did come, (13:50) and that famine led Jacob to send everyone except Benjamin, (14:01) which was his youngest son, by Rachel.

(14:08) And Joseph was Rachel’s son. (14:14) And therefore when they came to Egypt, (14:21) they did not recognize Joseph (14:26) because of his dress and the Egyptian clothing, (14:34) but Joseph recognized them. (14:38) And that led them to bring Benjamin down, (14:49) whose action that Joseph went through.

(14:56) And so in the end, (15:03) Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers (15:08) and told them that he was Joseph whom they sold into slavery. (15:20) And then seeing Benjamin and seeing all his brothers together, (15:33) then they started up. (15:38) But then there was a cup that Joseph had.

(15:47) They had that put into Benjamin’s sack (15:51) and sent his servant to stop them (15:56) and looked into Benjamin’s sack, (16:03) and there was Joseph’s cup. (16:07) Well, that led them to really be confessing (16:13) what they had done to Joseph, (16:15) and Joseph was listening to what they said, (16:20) and that caused Joseph to not be able to bear what he heard from them. (16:29) And then he revealed himself to them (16:32) and told them to go and bring Jacob.

(16:40) And while Jacob finally did, (16:43) he went into Egypt, (16:47) and after Jacob’s death, (16:52) Joseph’s brothers feared that he might retaliate against them (16:57) because of their selling him. (17:03) And Joseph told them that, (17:08) I’m not in God’s stead. (17:11) He said, yes, you meant it for evil, (17:18) but God meant it for good, (17:20) and that was to save many people.

(17:26) And he talked and assured them (17:31) that he had not bore any grudge against them for that, (17:41) that they were saved. (17:47) But we see that the things that happen here (17:53) can create problems, (17:58) but then the problems work out. (18:03) We may not know.

(18:05) We may not see it, (18:07) but God sees the end, (18:10) and they may be evil things that happen within the family (18:16) because Micah 7, 6 says that a man’s foes are those of his own household. (18:27) Micah, in chapter 7, verse 6, (18:34) tells them about what the father would do to the son, (18:42) what the son would do to the father, (18:46) what the mother would do to the daughter. (18:50) And then Jesus, in Matthew 10, (18:56) when he was speaking to them, (19:02) in Matthew 10, verses 34 through 36, says this, (19:12) Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.

(19:18) I did not come to bring peace by the sword, (19:25) for I have come to set a man against his father. (19:29) a daughter against her mother, (19:33) a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, (19:36) and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. (19:44) And so those that are in the family (19:51) sometimes prove to be the greatest enemies to a man.

(19:59) But the thing that we need to remember (20:07) that of what Christ did and what he is coming for, (20:17) he is referred to as the Prince of Peace. (20:22) But he didn’t come down here to make people like one another, (20:35) even if it’s those that are in the family. (20:40) But it just makes it difficult for someone (20:49) that wants to do right and be a follower of Christ, (21:02) but his enemies may be those in his own household.

(21:09) And realizing that, (21:14) a man just might not want to become a follower of Christ, (21:24) because Jesus said, (21:26) He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. (21:33) And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (21:40) And he who does not take his cross (21:43) and follow after me is not worthy of me.

(21:49) So we have a cross that we need to bear, (21:54) even if it’s reluctant families. (21:59) We have lawful families. (22:03) We would like for them to believe just as we do, (22:08) but they may not agree with what we’re doing.

(22:14) They may even tell us that we’re against them, (22:23) but really they’re being against us. (22:27) But it is a cross that needs to be borne, (22:32) and that’s the problem that we must deal with. (22:38) That’s in the fleshly family.

(22:42) Now let’s look at the spiritual family. (22:48) First off, we’re going to look in 1 Corinthians. (22:58) We can’t look at every problem that they come up with, (23:03) but we’re going to look at three that really buy it out, (23:14) that we’re just going to notice.

(23:20) In the spiritual family, (23:23) there was the vision that started in the Corinthian church, (23:33) and after he greeted them and told them (23:39) that he was thanking God for them and praying for them and all that, (23:49) then he started getting on to their problems, (23:54) and the first one was division, (23:59) because they were saying that they were followers of Paul, (24:09) or others said, I’m of Apollos, (24:15) or I am of Cephas, or I am of Christ. (24:22) Then he asked the question, is Christ divided? (24:27) That’s what’s wrong with denominationalism. (24:33) It is divisions within the religious world, (24:41) and it’s this thing that he is speaking against.

(24:48) He says that there should be no divisions among you, (24:54) but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (25:03) There may be some that believe that we may not be able to do that, (25:15) because let’s face it, (25:19) as many as we’ve got here, (25:22) we’ve got our opinions on certain things. (25:29) Your opinions or my opinions, we’ve got them, (25:34) but we must respect each other on them.

(25:38) Now we’re talking about what is in the Word. (25:44) We must be together on what the Word says, (25:49) and what Paul is telling them, (25:56) he asks the question, is Christ divided? (26:00) Was Paul crucified for you? (26:03) Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (26:09) And you know, we can avoid that, these kind of things. (26:15) We have several speakers that in rotation speak.

(26:25) We shouldn’t think that these speaking times for anyone should be a contest, (26:38) but we should be together on the Word. (26:41) We should agree on the Word. (26:44) And just remember, as Paul said in the third chapter of 1 Corinthians, (26:59) in verse 3 starting, he says, or rather verse 5, (27:07) Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, (27:13) but ministers through whom ye believe, (27:18) as the Lord gave to each one? (27:23) I planted Apollos' water, but God gave the increase, (27:30) so that neither he who plants is anything, (27:34) nor is he who waters, but God gives the increase.

(27:45) So we must realize that we’re fellow workers, (27:53) and we need to come together on what the Word says, (27:59) what it says that creates faith in the Lord, in God. (28:13) And this all leads to mistreatment against other members. (28:25) In 1 Corinthians 6, 1 through 8, (28:36) we have them going to law before the unrighteous, (28:42) and not before the saints.

(28:47) They’re going to the courts of the world, (28:55) and the world is the judges that may not even believe that God exists, (29:05) they may believe in other gods, (29:08) are selling matters between them that they ought to sell. (29:15) And he then tells them, he says, (29:21) But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers. (29:30) Now therefore, it is already utter failure, (29:36) an utter failure for you, that you go to law against another.

(29:42) Why do you not accept wrong? (29:47) Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? (29:56) And there is a question that he asks them, (30:04) that he says, I say this to your shame. (30:09) Is it so that there is not a wise man among you, (30:17) not even one who will be able to judge between his brethren? (30:27) So they were taking the brothers to the court, (30:35) and that was done that they were unbelievers. (30:42) And then they had arguments over the spiritual gifts.

(30:48) And 1 Corinthians 12, the whole chapter deals with that. (30:58) But they were making the ones who may not have had, (31:08) for instance, the speaking in tongues, (31:16) to look down, maybe look down upon the other, (31:19) because that one did not have the ability to speak in tongues. (31:28) But he was just showing to them that, you know, (31:33) he even used the body members, you know, to deal with this matter.

(31:44) He says, you know, if the first should say, (31:49) because I am not a hand, I am not of the body, (31:54) is it therefore not of the body? (31:58) You know, we got to be someone that may be the least. (32:06) But that member is important. (32:09) That member is someone that is important.

(32:15) Just like the small toe. (32:17) We may wonder about that, but that small toe helps keep balance. (32:24) It may seem invaluable in the body, but it helps.

(32:33) So we shouldn’t, you know, the spiritual family should treat one another with respect (32:44) and not make another feel like it doesn’t belong. (32:53) And each one needs help at one time or another. (33:00) When help is offered, it should be received graciously.

(33:06) But maybe sometimes it feels like you’re not really wanting to accept the help that is offered. (33:18) Well, I don’t want to accept charity, but if someone offers the help, (33:27) knows that you need help, it ought to be received graciously. (33:34) When opportunity arises for us to do good, let us do it.

(33:41) As I said in Galatians 10, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, (33:56) especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (34:01) But we shouldn’t downplay those that are, you know, not in the body. (34:16) But we should help them.

(34:19) Let us remember God is ever ready to help. (34:25) God is ready. (34:28) Jesus, being a member of the Godhead, said, (34:35) Come unto me, ye that are burdened and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

(34:47) Take my yoke upon you, for I am meek and lowly in heart. (34:54) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (35:02) Jesus is right there beside of us in this picture, helping us and walking along with us.

(35:11) We may have our burdens, but let us remember that God is ever ready to help us. (35:21) As the title says, someone needs help by someone. (35:29) Is any of us one who needs help, or are we one who is in a position to help another? (35:44) If we see someone that is in need and needs help, we ought to give that help.

(35:57) The invitation is, will you not come answering Jesus' invitation to come to him for rest (36:07) from the heavy burdens we bear? (36:11) Whatever we may be needing to be taken care of, whatever may be on our hearts, (36:24) why not now let it be known and let the church pray for you? (36:32) Yes, we may be one who needs help, or we may be in a position to help another person. (36:44) We all need help at one time or another. (36:50) Maybe it’s now.

(36:52) Why not come while we stand and while we sing?