Others - Part 1 of 2

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, The worries of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace.

This is Lassare Bradley Jr. welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. Lord, help me live from day to day, in such a self-forgetful way, that even when I kneel to pray, my prayers shall be for others, others. Lord, help me live from day to day, in such a self-forgetful way, that even when I kneel to pray, my prayers shall be for others, others. Help me in all the work I do, to ever be sincere and true, and know that all I do for you must needs be done for others, others. Lord, yes, others, that this my heart told me, help me to live for others, that I may live my peace. Let self be crucified and slain, and buried deep, and all in vain. May efforts be to rise again, a bless to live for others. And when my work on earth is done, and my new work in hands begun, may I forget the race I've run, while thinking still of others, others.

Lord, yes, others, that this my heart told me, help me to live for others, that I may live my peace. I'm happy to announce that our new website is now available for your viewing. The address is the same. That's BaptistBibleHour.org. We have articles and messages, a number of features added to what we previously presented on our website, so I hope you make it a point to visit there soon. It is now the home of the Baptist Witness, and so it is available for your reading.

That address, BaptistBibleHour.org. Now, we've finished our series on messages from the Psalms. I hope that they were a blessing to you, and before we start a new series, we're going to use some individual messages, the one today entitled, Others. Certainly, we need to give thought as to our responsibility to minister to others as God gives us opportunities, so I hope that the message will be a blessing to you. Please write, and let us know you've listened.

Mention the call letters of the station over which the program comes to you. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Mach 17, 037, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. By nature, we tend to be selfish. That problem started in the Garden of Eden. When Satan tempted Eve, she was thinking about herself. She wasn't thinking about honoring God. She wasn't thinking about really what was best for her husband or for anybody else. She was thinking about herself, and that selfish act led ultimately to rebellion on the part of Adam, taking of the forbidden fruit, and caused them to be banished from the Garden of Eden. That tendency toward selfishness has been passed on. It's in every one of us.

If you think you're exempt, then it's probably because you don't have a very clear sight of yourself. How many times have you seen a little child, when playing, and his little playmate wanted his toy, that he just said, certainly, I'm happy to share it with you. In fact, on the rare occasions when that has happened, say, did you hear that?

My, what a little jewel we have. He just voluntarily shared his toy. Or when children get a little older, and you say, son, would you empty the garbage? Well, it's not my turn. What about him?

Isn't he supposed to do his job? Never. Well, it's not really my turn, but I'm happy to do it.

I just love to carry my weight around here, and then reach adulthood, and it doesn't just dissipate. Old selfishness is still there. And that's why Jesus then could say, we're to love others as we love ourselves. Now, some misinterpreted that message by Jesus, as though he was giving us three commandments. To love the Lord God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. And they've interpreted it to mean, you've got to concentrate first on loving yourself, and only when you love yourself adequately can you love others.

But Jesus clarified that, because he said, these two commandments summarize the law. Loving God, loving your neighbor. You already love yourself.

You don't have to concentrate on that. You just start loving others, as you love yourself. My subject this morning is others. My text is Philippians chapter 2 verse 4. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. He has exhorted us not to do anything through strife, for there not to be conflict, but to serve in lowliness of mind, to serve God in a spirit of humility. Let each esteem other better than themselves. We're not inclined that way in our human nature. This takes the grace of God to esteem others, to consider them, to think more highly of them, to think of their needs.

And the subject in general is unity. There cannot be unity in the church, unity in a family, if selfishness has the upper hand. We are to let nothing be done through strife, esteem others better than ourselves. Look not on our own things. Don't just be selfishly concerned about the things that immediately affect us, wanting our will and our purpose, but look on the things of others. Now grace draws us together.

Sin separates. Are you moving toward others or away from them? Some make the assumption that when Jesus said, come unto me and I will give you rest, that that's all we need. I've come to Christ. I'm resting. I'm resting in his promises. I'm resting because I'm free from the bondage of the law. I'm resting in grace.

But that's not all of it. He said, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I'm meek and lowly in heart. Learning of him means that we follow his teaching, we follow his example. A certain person says, I just prefer to rest in the wonderful truth of the gospel. I don't really want to have to be involved with people. It's too much of a challenge.

People are a problem. I like to go to church just slipping and hear the message and get out of the way and I don't want to be involved. But we're instructed to be involved with one another. There are almost 50 times in the New Testament that that terminology is used.

One another. Romans chapter 12 verse 10 says, we are to love one another. Romans chapter 15 verse 7 says, we are to receive one another. Chapter 15 verse 14 says, we are to admonish one another. Ephesians 4 32 says, be ye kind one to another. I Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 18 says, comfort one another. I Thessalonians 5 11 says, edify one another. To edify is to build up. We are not to put down. We are to help. We are to build up. Hebrews 3 13 says, we are to exhort one another.

And that word carries the thought of encouragement. See it's possible for a person to be very legalistic and demand that everybody should be on board with them. Think like they think.

Do everything like they want to do it and like they perceive that it ought to be done. Maybe many of their opinions are without biblical foundation but this is their preference and so they're always ready to confront and to exhort but they're not encouraging. They're not edifying.

They're not building up. They become critical. They become self-righteous. If you're exhorting one another which throughout the book of Hebrews indicates it is an important part of the Christian experience that we are to be considering one another, exhorting one another, encouraging one another. Hebrews 10 24 says, consider one another. James chapter 5 verse 9 says, grudge not one against another. And James chapter 5 verse 16 says, pray for one another. Now that's just a few of the many references in the New Testament that says we are to be involved with one another.

You might say, well I'm not really comfortable with that. But if you're a professing believer it's time that you humble yourself before the Lord and pray that he will help you apply these principles of his word and to become a way of life with you. Grace moves us toward one another but sin divides. Sin separates. When Adam and Eve had rebelled against God and sinned in the Garden of Eden they were separated from the fellowship that they had previously enjoyed with God and were separated from the Garden of Eden, that beautiful paradise on earth.

Why did this separation occur? Because of disobedience, because of sin. We see Jacob leaving home, leaving his family behind, laying down to rest at night, using a stone as his pillow. Why is he leaving home? Why is he having to depart so suddenly? Because he deceived his brother. Sin separated him from his family. We see King Saul separated from David and from his own son Jonathan.

What was the problem? Jealousy. When David, the young shepherd lad comes on the scene and is enabled by the grace of God to kill Goliath, the women began to sing, Saul has killed his thousands, David is ten thousands. Saul couldn't stand that. He sought from then on to destroy David. And when Jonathan, his own son, befriended David, saw in his anger through a javelin at Jonathan and would have killed him. Oh, the rage of jealousy.

How many times it's led to horrendous crimes, not considering another, not thinking of another's welfare, selfish, self-focused. The prodigal son is leaving home. He's not thinking about his father, he's not thinking about his brother, he's not thinking about what he's enjoyed in his home all these years, he's thinking about himself. Self-focused.

He's driven by lust, desire for the pleasures of the world. I want my inheritance. I want money in my pocket. I want to be able to spend. I want to be able to go where I want to go. I don't want anybody to tell me that there are any restrictions here. I want to do what I want to do. I found sometimes when young people get in that frame of mind they despise the word rules. I don't want to have to live according to your rules. I want to be able to decide who my friends are, where I'm going to go, what time I'm going to come in.

The parents rightfully would say, no, as long as you're living in this household there are rules and you will have to comply with them. The prodigal is separated from his home because of selfish interests and desires. Paul mentions, Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present evil world. Here's a man that had the privilege of serving with the apostle Paul and evidently from all outward appearance been a faithful and a committed servant but now he's separated from Paul.

Why? He loves the world. He wants to fit in. He wants to have what the world has to offer.

Satan has enticed him making the things of the world appear to be so attractive and superior to what he might have in the service of God. Gossip is a sin and it divides, it separates. Proverbs 16 28 says, a whisperer separateth chief friends. A whisperer talking about people behind their back. Now gossip involves at least two people.

So it's easy to be critical of the one that's doing the talking but who the one who willingly listens is also guilty of gossip. Gossip divides. Anger separates. Proverbs 22 24 says, make no friendship with an angry man. And Ephesians chapter 4 tells us to put away anger and wrath and clamor. Now there is such a thing as righteous anger. Most of us have difficulty maintaining that kind of anger because we quickly slip off the edge and it becomes carnal and fleshly. Jesus was perfect and he could have righteous anger. That was demonstrated when he went into the temple and drove out the money changers. But you see he was not retaliating against somebody that had spoken ill of him.

He was concerned here for the glory of God and the sacredness of the house designated for his place of worship. Oh how easy it is to let anger linger, settle in and the next stage is bitterness. At Ephesians 4 passage says that all bitterness, anger, clamor to be put away from you with all malice. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 15 says, looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. It talks about a root of bitterness.

It's buried down deep. Generally the person who is bitter has learned to keep it under control and try to conceal it. It's not as easily recognized as some other sins but it has devastating effects. It springs up and defiles many. It can have physical effects on the person who is bitter.

All kinds of problems. Read an account written by someone at Johns Hopkins, well-known famous hospital and they were listing all of the various physical problems that can develop when a person harbors bitterness. Well not only that, it disrupts relationships.

It can destroy a marriage. The thing of greatest concern is that it dishonors God. You can't be having communion and fellowship with God when you're bitter.

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear says Psalm 66 18. Bitterness. And then pride. Pride is really the basis of all sin. Pride. It's generally not one that a person will confess and say, I really have a problem. I need some help and counsel because I see that I'm troubled with pride.

But it's a great sin. Proverbs chapter 29 verse 23. A man's pride shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit. In pride a man thinks highly of himself. He thinks that his concerns and his interests are more important than anybody else's. His opinions are more important.

Never in need of admonition or agitation himself. And Obadiah verse 3 says, the pride of mine heart hath deceived thee. Pride deceives. Person who is thinking highly of himself, exalting himself, he's deceived to think I'm exactly right.

I'm on track and everybody else around me is wrong. Sometimes the person who is so self-focused will really incriminate themselves by talking about how they think and how they feel about things and the fact that they're willing to talk about it gives evidence that they aren't deceived. They've deceived their own hearts. On and on about how they are the victim. They've been harmed. They've been hurt.

Everybody else is wrong. People mistreated me. Turns into self-pity. Self-pity pulls a person down. If you're full of self-pity you become depressed.

You become critical. You're keeping a score. You're keeping a record of all those that you feel like have harmed you, failed you, neglected you. That's pride. If you say of a truth with the patriarch Jacob, I'm not worthy of the least of thy mercies, then you're not going to be complaining. Instead of complaining because somebody hasn't done enough for you, you will be amazed that anybody did anything for you. If you really say I am an unworthy sinner, I deserve nothing, you're going to have a thankful heart for every blessing that comes your way.

Sin divides friends, families, and even churches. So what is our human response when someone has treated you badly and unfairly? What's your response? I want to get away from that person. I don't like that person. I don't have to talk to them anymore. I don't want to have anything to do with them. Well, if this is ever resolved, holding out that remote possibility, then they must make the first move.

Yes sir. Left up to them. Or it may be that you really would like to get some revenge. I've talked to people about the passage of the book of Romans that says, vengeance is mine, I will repay, sayeth the Lord.

And they were bold enough to say, yes I waited on the Lord, but he didn't do anything. So I think now it's time for me to step in. Let me tell you, God has never asked you to volunteer for the vengeance squad. Vengeance is mine. When you undertake to get vengeance, you're saying, I'm not willing to trust God.

I'm not willing to leave this thing in his hand. You feel like you've been hurt. Somebody has treated you unfairly. You feel entitled to be angry.

Yes, I'm angry and I have a right to be. Or when someone is going astray, maybe a family member, maybe a member of the church, you see them going down the wrong path, taking the wrong turn, like Demas going after the things of the world. What's your response? Well, I hate to see that, but I don't want to get involved. I really don't know what to say. Well, if you don't know what to say, then as a Christian you ought to prepare yourself till you know what to say. What should you say from a biblical perspective?

What should you say that would honor God? How can you seek to help them? But do further say, I'm afraid of their reaction. It just might be that they'll get upset with it.

That is a distinct possibility. I've been preaching for about 65 years and if I had backed off years ago and say, I'm afraid somebody's not going to like what I preach and somebody might get mad at me, I would have quit a long time ago. You can imagine over that many years I've had a lot of people mad at me. Thankfully I've had a good many that have offered words of encouragement and prayed for me and I'm grateful for that. And I admit it's not a pleasant experience when somebody is upset with you. But if we are intimidated about doing what God requires of us because somebody might not like it, then we're serving men instead of God. See sheaf of man whose breath is in his nostrils says the prophet Isaiah. You say, well I will pray for them.

Well that's well and good but prayer does not take the place of the action that the Lord stipulates. What about someone that's going through a difficult time? You say, well I think they're the type of person they really prefer to handle it alone and they may not want me to bother them and so you make that assumption without really knowing.

I don't want to appear nosy and again I really don't know what to say. Now I admit you're not ready to go if you're going to give them some of the fluff that's out there from the standpoint of worldly opinions. Just to go to somebody and say, now cheer up. It's going to be better. It may not. It may get worse.

A lot of times things get worse before they get better. What can I say? You remind them of the sovereignty of God. God is on the throne. You remind them of the promises of God, the mercy of God, the grace of God. You point them to Jesus Christ. Don't give them a lot of fluff. Too often when a person sincerely wants to be a help to another individual who is going through a difficult time, they fail to go to God's Word to find the information that should be conveyed. They express a personal opinion or just give quotes of things they've heard other people say. May we pray for the Lord to give us opportunity to minister to others and prepare ourselves by seeing the truth of God's Word which is so meaningful in every area of life, recognizing his sovereignty, claiming his promises, what a difference it will make. If you would like to get this complete message entitled, Others, just request it and we'll be happy to send it to you on CD. And now until we greet you next time, this is LeSaire Bradley Jr. bidding you goodbye and may God bless you.