Brother's Keeper James 5:19,20

Adapted from a Tim Bond sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/brothers-keeper-

tim-bond-sermon-on-friendship-general-50904.asp

After God finished creating a perfect world for us to live in, He gave us the capacity to

manage and affect that world. With that privilege and responsibility, human beings

allowed sin to enter into the world. Once sin entered the picture, a creation that God had declared "very good" began to deteriorate. The descent was accelerated by lies. First there was the lie that Eve believed from the serpent, Genesis 3:4 NET The serpent said

to the woman, "Surely you will not die,

From that point on, it seemed that people’s minds became twisted. The truth became shaded and distorted so that it didn’t have

to mean what it really meant. Spinning words into half-truths is not a political

invention of the twentieth century. It goes back to the earliest days of the human race.

In Genesis 4 we have recorded what happens when someone allows a lie to take root in their mind. Two brothers, Cain and Abel brought sacrifices to the Lord. Cain

was a farmer who tilled the land and so his sacrifices were fruit. Abel evidently was a

shepherd, so when he brought his sacrifice, it was from what he had, livestock. But there was more of a difference in their

sacrifice than what was brought.

The writer of the Hebrew letter reveals that difference to us.

Hebrews 11:4 NET By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and

through his faith he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith he

still speaks, though he is dead.Abel offered his sacrifice in faith, Cain

evidently didn’t. Cain became jealous of the fact that his brother’s sacrifice was

acceptable to God while his was not.

In his anger, Cain lured Abel out into the fields and killed him in a fit of rage. It was a

terrible crime, the first murder. Not long after that God approached Cain with a

question that the all-knowing one already knew the answer to. He said, "Cain, where is your brother, Abel?" Cain’s response is classic. "I don’t know! Am I my brother’s

guardian?“ (NET)

Can’t you see the lie that has already taken root in the mind of Cain? In satisfying

himself that his actions were appropriate, he has already begun to justify the murder of his brother by believing, "He’s not my

responsibility, I have enough to take care of myself."

Although there aren’t many of us who bear the guilt of killing another person, like Cain, I wonder how many times we are content to sit idly by and watch the people around us die, all the while using the excuse of the world’s first murderer, "Hey, it’s not my

responsibility! Am I my brother’s keeper?"

If you’re looking for a "No" answer to that question, you better not ask James. He is

certain that the answer is "Yes, you are your brother’s keeper." As he closes out his

letter, he leaves no doubt about it. Listen to what he has to say.

James 5:19 NET My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 he should know that the one who turns a sinner back

from his wandering path will save that person's soul from death and will cover a

multitude of sins.

Now you cannot fail to recognize how important James thinks this is. Not only

does he end his letter with a challenge to be our brother’s keeper, but he has devoted all five chapters to the task itself. He has been focused on turning sinners like us from the error of our ways. Remember the directions James offered us as we worked through his

letter.

1. Don’t give in to the temptation to quit when you face trials. Instead allow God to use them to shape you into who He wants you to be.

2. Don’t think that you can just sit around and say, "I have placed my faith in Jesus, so there is nothing more to do." Put your faith to work and do something in response to God’s grace.

3. Be very careful not to treat people unfairly based on who they are or how much money they have. Treat everyone with love.4. Don’t let your tongue get you into trouble. Instead turn it over to God and let Him set the standards of your speech.5. Use the resources that God has given you in a godly fashion, and don’t take advantage of others who don’t have as much as you.

6. However, if you are taken advantage of, don’t retaliate. Be patient in your suffering and God will reward you richly.

7. Don’t try to make it through this life on your own, but involve God in every aspect of your life. If you do, you will be blessed and God will be glorified.

And even within those big themes from James’ letter, there are strong directions for

us to tell the truth at all times, to turn our plans for the future over to God, to pursue

wisdom, and to withstand temptation. When it is all said and done, you see what James

is doing, don’t you. James is being his brothers’ and sisters’ keeper.

He is taking the time and making the effort to turn sinners from the errors of their ways. And with the last breath of his letter, he tells

us all to go and do the same for our Christian brothers & sisters.

There seem to be two responses to this notion of being your brother’s keeper. I’m

sure that neither of them is healthy.

Some people are thrilled with the prospect of being their brother’s keeper. Just the

thought of getting to meddle in the affairs of others makes their pulse race with

excitement. They can’t wait to identify a problem in the life of somebody so they can

tell them how to take care of it. To those who love to point out others faults Jesus said, Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye,'

while there is a beam in your own? Matthew 7:4 NET

I think the other extreme is more common. Most people in today’s culture live more by the philosophy "Live and let live." This way of thinking believes, "The way other people

live their life is up to them." Those who follow this philosophy think it’s highly

offensive to go sticking your nose into other people’s business. They think it’s important

just to keep their own nose clean and let others worry about themselves.

This is the person you are very likely to hear asking that classic rhetorical question

from Cain: "What, am I my brother’s keeper?"

There is a story about a guy who applied for a job as an usher at a movie theater. As a part of the interview process, the manager

asked him, "What would you do if there was a fire?"

The young guy answered, "Don’t worry about me. I can get out fine."

That’s exactly how many in today’s world respond to a lost and dying world around them. If you asked them "What would you do if Jesus came back tomorrow?" they

would probably respond, "Oh, don’t worry about me. I’d be fine." But what is all to

easy to forget is that you’re an usher! It isn’t enough just to get yourself out. You are

responsible for helping others know the way out too.

It is not only completely appropriate for us to be our brother’s keeper, it is essential. We all know that we live in a dangerous

world where there is all kinds of potential for falling into sin. Peter wrote in his first letter, Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil,

like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NET There are Christians who have fallen back into the

bondage of sin.

There are Christian people who have given in to greed and lust and even despair, and

we have a responsibility to encourage them to turn from those things and to give

themselves wholly back to Jesus and his life of hope and peace.

All of us have needed the correction, and perhaps even the stern rebuke of someone

because of a failure in our own lives.

It is not an issue of one person being superior to another person. It is simply an issue of one who has their feet on solid

ground reaching out a hand to assist someone who has lost their footing. James anticipates people asking the

question "Why should I bother to be my brother’s keeper?" He answers us with two

reasons.1. If you turn them from error, you will save that person's soul from death.

The Bible does not teach that once you are saved, you are always saved. You don’t

have to live your life in fear of falling out of grace, but, if you so choose to live your life in such a way, you can certainly reject or

abandon God’s grace. James says that we have a responsibility to get the attention of

those who have fallen into sin.

If you saw someone speeding in their car down a road that you knew ended at the

edge of a cliff, would you feel a responsibility to warn them of the result of

their action?I hope you would.

If you see someone living a lifestyle that does nothing but separate them from God and their brothers and sisters in Christ, do you feel a responsibility to point that out to them? I hope you do. If you turn them from

their error, you just might be the one to save them from a death that will leave them

separated from God for eternity.

2. If you turn them from error, you will cover a multitude of sins.

Have you ever known a family who was caught in a downward spiral? You know

what I mean, where one sin leads to another and then it continues to be

compounded. Perhaps someone falls prey to alcohol, and they let drinking become

their master. Before long that family comes to know abuse and neglect.

There is fighting, physical and emotional pain, and a deterioration in the entire family

structure. There might be a divorce that splits a home in two. Many times that kind of situation turns an entire family sour. If

you were to look back in some family trees, you might find that several generations were affected by the sin of one person. Habits and lifestyles get passed on for

years to come.

Now, considering what we are talking about this morning, we have to ask the question.

What if someone had cared enough to confront that alcoholic early on about their

sin? What if someone who was close enough to them came alongside them and

said, "Hey, the drinking is getting out of hand, what can I do to help?“

I think what James is saying here is that if you can do something to keep your brother

from sin, you will save them and those around them from even more sin. Sin is a slippery slope that always takes us away

from where God wants us to be.

Biblically there are certain attitudes we must have if we are to be effective as our

brother’s keeper.

Let’s look at 4 attitudes seen in Paul’s letter to the saints in Galatia. Galatians 6:1 NET

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are

spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to

yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 2 Carry one another's burdens, and in this

way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

1. We must be concerned.

The world doesn’t revolve around any of us! We can’t be so caught up in our own lives that we don’t see someone who is in need of help. We must be looking away from self

to see the needs of others. I like the way the CEV puts it. “So if someone is trapped in sin” How can we know a fellow Christian

is being trapped by sin if we’re only concerned with ourselves?

2. We must have courage.

It is hard to point out a fellow believer’s sin. It is not easy to confront them. There might be a fear of losing a friend or being called judgmental. A good relationship with the

Christian brother or sister is needed if we’re going to help them. We must be willing to

listen and be patient.

3. We must have integrity.

It is the one who is "spiritual" who should be about this. Notice it does not say "elder" or "Leader." You might be the only one who has the opportunity to reach someone. Integrity is essential! We must be living

"spiritual" lives lest we …say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye,' while there is a beam in your

own? Matthew 7:4 NET

4. We must be gentle.Now I find it very interesting that Paul writes this in Galatians. Just a few chapters before

this he talks about confronting Peter. He stands up in front of the entire group of believers and it says he "opposed him to his face." (Gal 2:11)

There is a time to use the subtle approach, and the time to use the Hiroshima approach. (Intervention into alcoholism) Generally

speaking gentleness is the norm.

There was an incident that the news-media called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine

miners were trapped 240 feet under-ground for three days in a water-filled mine shaft.

You probably remember, people far & wide were no doubt holding their breath as they

were down in that flooded mine shaft without food and light and drinking water.

After they were rescued, they were interviewed about what happened down

there.

They said that they "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group."The 55 degree water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so according to one news report "When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm [them], and when another person

got cold, the favor was returned."

Miner Harry Mayhugh told reporters after being released from Somerset Hospital,

"Everybody had strong moments, but any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that

guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That’s the only way it

could have been."

They faced incredibly hostile conditions together-and the world marveled when they

all came out alive together. [Bill White, Paramount, California; source: adapted

from "Teamwork Helped Miners Survive Underground," CNN.com (7-28-02)]

What a great picture of what the church is supposed to be. One of the reasons that I love the church is because we have been given a responsibility by God to help those

who need it.

There is no question about it; from the Bible’s perspective we are our brother’s keeper. When we do it the way we are supposed to, God is glorified and the

church grows deeper and stronger and larger because people aren’t coming in the

front door only to leave out the back because of the sin that they allow to control

their lives.

William Temple was a wise Puritan preacher in years gone by. He said that we

should never tell people to "’Go to the cross.’ We’ve got to be able to say ’Come to

the cross.’ He went on to say, "There are only two voices that can issue that

invitation.

One is the voice of the sinless Redeemer, with which we cannot speak, and the other

is the voice of the forgiven sinner who knows himself forgiven. And that is our

part." (William Temple, quoted by John R. W. Stott, "Keeping the Right Company," Preaching Today, Tape

No. 46.)

This morning the invitation at this time is one to come to the cross. Jesus Christ

came to set us free not just from the penalty of sin, but from the bondage of sin. He died on the cross so that we would no longer be under the control of sin in our lives. It is a tremendous gift that He offers us through the blood He shed on the cross. But it’s a

gift we must personally accept through our obedient response to his invitation to come

to the cross.