Sept. 17, 2000       Am I my brother’s Keeper?      Gen 4

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

This week our community was shocked by the murder of a deputy sheriff in Nicholas County.  After the murder the suspect escaped.  Then began a massive manhunt, which resulted in a capture.  Many police, deputies, and law enforcement officials worked around the clock until the capture of the suspect was made. 

             When Cain killed Able God came to ask Cain a question?  Where is your brother?  Cain replied with a question.  Am I my brother’s keeper?  Are we our brother’s keeper?  Do we have a responsibility to work to help our brother’s?  Is it our responsibility to do what we can to save our brothers? 

 Gen. 4:3 (KJS) And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where [is] Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now [art] thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

1.    Our Choice:  7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.   Our choice is to know and to love God. Our choice is to serve God and make sacrifices that are pleasing to God.  Our choice is to be the people of God.  Once we weren’t a people, but now we are the people of God.   If we do know and love God then we have done well.  Sin lies at the door ready to pounce on all unsuspecting prey.  1Joh 4:11 (NIV) Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  How did you feel about the accused killer in this week’s murder case?  How did God feel when Cain killed one of his sons?  He punished Cain for his crime, but he also spared Cain’s life by placing a mark on him so that he would not be killed in retaliation.  What is the choice that we have in loving one another?  The choice is that we can choose God.  If we decide to be accepted by the Lord and be pleasing to him then our choice is God’s choice.  Our God has chosen us.  He has chosen to create us, love us, and forgive us.  Should we choose to know Him, and then we will love him and those that he has created.  We must love one another.  We must love our brothers. 

2.    Our Chase:  And the LORD said unto Cain, Where [is] Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper?  If we choose to love God, know God, and to serve God, then we must also believe that we are our brother’s keeper?  Since we know that we have chosen God, then we have chosen to be our brother’s keeper.  How do you keep a brother?  How do you keep up with a brother?  And who is my brother?  We can’t keep our brothers, if don’t love them and pray for them.  We can’t help our brothers to know the Lord if don’t take time to know them first.  We can’t save them if we don’t allow the Lord to save them through us.  We are the hounds of heaven.  The souls of men, women, boys, and girls are the prey that the Lord seeks to bring to himself.

  1. Our Chance: Our Privilege Our Opportunity:  Where is your brother?  Who is your brother?  God could have chosen any method he wanted to save the world. 
    But he chose to send his Son, who sent us to save our brother’s. 

Matt 25:37 (KJS) Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? 38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]? 39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, 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.    The Lord has sent us out to be his salt and light.  We are the keepers of the keys of the kingdom.  People are looking for a people that care enough to share.  Let’s share the love of God that is in our hearts by showing people that we care.  Let’s feed the hungry and care for the sick.  Let’s reach out in love and give the Lord to those who are dying of starvation of the soul.  They need something to sustain them through the great storm of death.  We are the Lord’s best.  You are the Savior’s choice and now is the opportunity of a lifetime.

4.    Our Charge:  Yes, we are our brother’s keeper.  The Lord says to put his bill on my account.  The Lord has paid for us.  Will we pay for others?  The Lord has put into our hands the lives and souls of those who we know.  He will hold us responsible and ask for answer.  As we are responsible for our time to our boss God asks us how we used our time.  Are we trying to keep our brothers?  We are the watchmen on the wall.  We are those who stand in the gap.  How are we doing?  The wants to know where is your brother?  Have you seen him?  What have you done or been doing to save your brother from certain death?  What will you do to see that they are saved?  You can do it.  How?  God is in us.  We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit.  God himself comes to live in us so that he will work through us to save our brother’s.  If we will allow him to work through us as he did the first disciples then we too will be his hounds of heaven to seek and to save the lost. 

 Have you heard the call of God?  Have you accepted your responsibility?  Have you seen the example?  Have you taken advantage of the opportunity and the privilege?