Do Brethren Thank God For You?

Before eating our meals, I think most of us practice a wonderful custom. We have a wonderful custom of thanking God for the food we are about to eat. Our custom comes from Scripture and the example set by Jesus Christ.

Let's look at a couple examples here over in Mark 8 verse 6. Just real brief, in Mark 8 verse 6, this is one of the occasions that Jesus was able to feed the masses. Mark 8 verse 6, So he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves, it resented him, and he gave thanks. And he broke them and gave them to his disciples to sit before them, the people, and they set them before the multitude.

And of course, over in Luke 22, we should be very familiar with these Scriptures after these last few days, Passover and 11 bread. In Luke 22 verse 17 through 19, Jesus gave thanks for the wine and the bread during the Passover. Luke 22 17, Then he took the cup and gave thanks, and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves. And then in verse 19, And he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me. I want us to focus our attention here upon the giving of thanks mentioned in these verses. The phrase, give thanks, or gave thanks, rather, is translated from the Greek word eukarystio. Eukarystio. That's Strong's G 2168. Eukarystio is a verb that means, it's an action, it means to express gratitude towards. To express gratitude towards. It is most appropriate to give thanks, eukarystio, to God for the food we need to sustain our lives.

It's good to remember how we would soon suffer and die without God's provision for our needs. And, of course, we understand that to mean the physical needs, as well as spiritual, especially the spiritual needs. And, of course, God loves to hear our heartfelt thanks to him every day, and I'm sure often every day. Yet, there's much more we can learn from that Greek word, that verb, eukarystio. William Mounts, in his complete expository dictionary, states that eukarystio almost exclusively denotes thanksgiving directed towards God. And in my own study, I found that the Apostle Paul used eukarystio more than any other writer in the New Testament.

He used it 23 times versus the 14 times it was used by four other writers combined. So eukarystio is very important to Paul. And for what do you suppose Paul most often expressed eukarystio to God? What was he thanking God for most often? Most often, Paul gave thanks to God for the brethren. I found that very interesting. Most often, Paul gives thanks to God for the brethren.

Now, we typically thank God for our food and certainly for all the many other things we need in life, and for the ones he lets us have, too. But how often do we thank God for our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ in God's church? Today, we will turn to Scripture and seek to understand the reasons why Paul thanked God for his brethren. By understanding Paul's reasons, my hope is that we will all be inspired to give thanks to God for our brethren and to serve one another in godly love.

And the title I've given this sermon is Do brethren thank God for you? Do brethren thank God for you? And, of course, I'm pointing that title right back at me. Do brethren thank God for me? It's a personal question we each need to ask ourselves. So let's begin. Reasons why Paul thanked God for the brethren. The first reason is, reason one, Paul thanked God for the brethren's steadfast faith. Paul thanked God for the brethren's steadfast faith.

If we turn over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verses 2 through 7, here we find, well, the book of 1 Thessalonians, where there goes my tongue already, right in the middle of my words. 1 Thessalonians. I always look at Mr. Jim Stewart when I stumble for some reason. And 1 Thessalonians 1, 2 through 7. Part of the background here, most scholars think this may have been among the earliest epistles that Paul wrote.

Some suggest maybe it was the very first one. In that case, he may have written this around 50 AD. And so it's interesting, one of the first lessons we learn about why he thanked God for the brethren's steadfast love starts with the earliest of epistles he wrote. Immediately in verse 2, in his introduction, Paul states, the we refers to himself and Silvanus and Timothy, who are there with him. He says, We give thanks, you choristio, to God always for you all, writing to the Thessalonians, brethren, there, making mention of you in our prayers.

And why was Paul grateful for them? Well, we see it here in verse 3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, your labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing beloved brethren, your election by God. So Paul recalled the Thessalonians' conviction in their works of faith, love, and hope, as he states it here. And he rejoiced now they had eagerly embraced the gospel.

God called them and they accepted. Continuing on to verse 6 through 7, Paul writes, And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction and with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believed. Well, we won't turn there, but for our reference back in Acts 17, 1 through 9, we can read there about how Paul had preached in Thessalonica for three weeks, and he had persuaded a great multitude of devout Greeks there.

But there were also Jews in the city. And the Jews became envious and created this great uproar so that finally Paul was encouraged by the brethren there to leave for his own good. Paul thereafter went on to Berea. But that was part of the affliction. Paul went on, but the brethren stayed and they remained faithful and they grew. And Paul was very grateful to God for their growth and stability.

In fact, they endured many severe trials, apparently, and became such notable examples of faithfulness to God, as Paul states here, that other brethren scattered throughout the region turned to them as an example of faithfulness to God. And so grateful is Paul for their acceptance of their calling and the evidence of their faith that he again expresses his thanks to God for them. We see this in the next chapter, chapter 2 verses 13 through 14. Paul writes here, And so though they are separated by vast distances of place and even, we could say, cultural difference between Gentile or Greek and Jew, the faith and example of the Thessalonian brethren gave constant proof that theirs was the same calling and the same Holy Spirit that they shared with their brethren everywhere, including those in Judah.

And of course, even today, whoever God's people are found. Now, over in Romans chapter 1. Let's look in Romans chapter 1 now. It's interesting, most of these thanks that Paul gives to God for the brethren, they almost all occur in the introductions of his epistles. It's where he starts off. Over here in Romans 1 verses 7 through 8, Paul also gives thanks to God here for the brethren in Rome. Paul writes, verse 7, To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, call to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ, Eucharistio. I thank God for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. And so, as with the Thessalonian brethren, Paul specifically mentions the Roman brethren's commendable faith and example also of commitment to God. Paul expresses his desires well to see them again, to spend time and fellowship with them.

Why? Why did he want to spend more time with them? Look down to verse 11. Verse 11 through 12, Paul writes, I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift so that you may be established. That is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Do we notice here Paul's twofold reason for wanting to be with the Roman brethren? He wanted to share with them some spiritual gift to help them, to strengthen them, to establish them further in their commitment to God.

And the second reason was that he wanted to be encouraged together with them. He needed them, in other words. He also needed them because they shared a mutual faith, a common faith. They could strengthen one another. They were brothers and sisters in Christ. They were of the same calling, the same mind, same spirit. And this godly relationship is to be nurtured and shared among all of God's elect. Paul yearned for their fellowship just as they desired his. I find that interesting. And so it always should be among the people of God. Paul's heartfelt letters greatly encourage the brethren, and likewise, the reports of their faith, their continued faith, encourage Paul.

But neither letters nor reports, and this is important, neither their letters nor reports were as powerful and encouraging to one another as being present together with one another. Developing a long-distance relationship with your brethren isn't the best it could be. It's best to be with them when you can. And so even today, listening in via cybercast or to recorded sermons, it's great having them on there, isn't it?

When we're sick, when we can't make services, it's nice to listen in. Or if we're traveling, it's nice to put in a sermon while we travel. It's better than listening to the radio. I could promise you that. But it's not quite as satisfying. It's not quite as satisfying, it isn't quite compare, as when brethren gather together for fellowship and worship in common mutual faith. And perhaps that is why the writer of Hebrews looks look in Hebrews 10 verse 24 through 25. In Hebrews 10, 24-25, the writer of Hebrews, we believe it's Paul, but scholars tell us we can't be too definitive about it.

It may have been Paul himself. In Hebrews 10, 24-25, it states, "...and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching, the day of the Lord, the coming of the end times." And I think we can understand why Paul yearned greatly to see his brethren in Rome.

They knew they were living in the end times. They needed to be with each other, to see each other face to face, to get a pat on the back. Back then, maybe a kiss on the cheek. That was the way they greeted each other. I noticed we don't do that. But that's what they did because they loved each other, and that's how they did it back then. Well, we too ought to have the same yearning for one another for our brethren because of the kindred mind and heart and spirit and faith.

So that was reason one. Let's consider a second reason Paul expressed eucharistio or gave thanks to God. And that reason is Paul thanked God for the brethren's prayers. Paul thanked God for the brethren's prayers. And we're going to be turning back. If you turn back, please, to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. In 2 Corinthians chapter 1, much as we saw earlier—I was reading from 1 Thessalonians—there we saw that Paul had thanked God for the brethren's work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope.

That was 1 Thessalonians 1.3. Faith, hope, and love, I think you would agree with me. Faith, hope, and love are absolutely critical to that action we call prayer. Prayer is not passive. Prayer is active. We need to put our very hearts and minds into our prayers. And in 2 Corinthians 1, we find that the prayers of the brethren are among the things Paul values most. In 2 Corinthians 1, verse 8 through 11, Paul explains to the Corinthian brethren how he and those with him nearly died in the province of Asia.

Paul may have been referring to the riot that was instigated in the city of Ephesus by that silversmith named Demetrius. And again, you can read more about that back in Acts 19. And so he lived in very dire times then. They feared for their lives. And Paul writes here in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 8, For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, or unaware of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure above strength so that we despaired even of life.

Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and who does deliver us, in whom we trust that he will still deliver us. Verse 11, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many. We see here in these verses that Paul did greatly value the help he knew had come to them through the prayers of his brethren.

He did not lightly count their prayers. He took them seriously. He needed their prayers. Paul firmly believed that God answered their prayers, and so he and his companions were kept safe in that life-and-death situation they are facing, and that allowed them to continue to boldly preach the gospel.

Offering of heartfelt prayers for our brethren is what we as Christ followers must continually be doing. Just in the prayer request I presented to us in the announcements today. We need to be praying for each other. None of us is strong enough all alone. We need to have God help us, and the prayers of our brethren are so important in that. Now, going back to Romans 15. Romans chapter 15 verses 30 through 32. Here, Romans 15 30 32, here Paul specifically asked the brethren in Rome to be praying earnestly with him so that he might, without peril, accomplish God's will in his upcoming trip to Jerusalem.

Paul had a pretty good sense that his trip to Jerusalem would not be peaceful. And again, we can remember the account of Luke in the book of Acts, the terrible trouble he had in Jerusalem. Paul was very familiar with the Jews' hateful opposition to him and their opposition to the gospel, but he was determined to return there to further God's work. And so in verse 30, Paul asks the brethren in Rome, Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to me for me, excuse me, for prayers to God for me, my behalf, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God and may be refreshed together with you.

And so the prayers of the brethren Paul is stressing, they had helped him before, even as they'd helped him in that terrible time he had in Asia, and Paul knew their diligent prayers would help him again as he made his way to Jerusalem. Also, let's look at Romans 12, verse 10 through 13. In Romans 12, verse 10 through 13, reading more here, you know Paul was convicted about the power of prayer, and he was inspired to include it among the good works, among the good works of love and godly fellowship that brethren ought to be doing for one another.

Prayer is that vital action of living faith, and it requires work, it requires labor, and it requires patience. We have to keep praying. As we're told elsewhere, we have to keep knocking. Beginning in verse 10 in Romans 12, Paul states, Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, and in honor giving preference to one another.

Not lagging in diligence, be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. In verse 12, rejoicing in hope, patient and tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. The New International Version says, being faithful in prayer. And then verse 13, he continues, as part of the fellowship of one another, distributing to the needs of the saints, being given to hospitality. Prayer is listed with all these good works that we are supposed to be doing for brethren, and we must be persistent in our prayers for one another.

And so when we look at these references to prayer and how important they were to God, and that we'd be praying to God, Paul needed them, I think we can say that Paul believed and would have agreed wholeheartedly with the words of James.

How James says in James 5 16, that the effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. The prayers of righteous men, righteous women, children, they are very effective. God hears. And there's another reason, very important reason, why Paul thanked God for the brethren. Reason number three is, Paul thanked God for the brethren's love for one another. These other two points kind of lead us to this, don't they? Paul thanked God for the brethren's love for one another.

Paul understood the conviction and the depth of commitment necessary to repent from sin and lawlessness, and to love God and to love one's neighbor. He recognized the brethren's mutual love and their sacrifice, and for that Paul was moved to thank God. Notice, for example, 2 Thessalonians 1 verses 3 through 5. Notice this example. In 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verses 3 through 5, again in the introduction of this epistle, Paul writes, we, again referring to Paul himself, Silvanus, and Timothy, we are bound to thank Eucharistio God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God, for your patience and faith and all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure.

So even though facing their own terrible challenges, their own troubles, many times people become more myoptic. They become more self-focused. What Paul is stressing here, despite all their own troubles, they kept praying for everybody else. They kept praying for others as well, not just themselves. Paul says in encouragement to them that they remain faithful and totally committed to their prayers, to their love for one another, to obeying God, to supporting each other. In Ephesians, verses chapter 1, again, beginning of these epistles, it's amazing how this is where he stresses how he thanks God for them.

In Ephesians 1, verses 15 through 16, now the brethren in Ephesus shared the same love for one another, as did the brothers and sisters in Cessalonica. Here Paul commends to the Ephesians and he says, Ephesians 1, 15, therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease, I do not cease to give thanks you, choristio, for you, making mention of you in my prayers. And so their good works is inspiring Paul to keep mentioning them also. And then, over in Colossians, chapter 1, verses 3 through 5. In Colossians 1, verses 3 through 5.

Again, here we see again, Paul gives thanks and prays for the brethren in Colossae. We give thanks you choristio to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. And again, this phrase, and of your love for all the saints. Now it's interesting, and I'm going to point this out because it becomes some criticism for some scholars out there.

And looking at these last three greetings by Paul, we might notice how he uses similar phrasing in describing the brethren's, well, he uses the words typically love for all the saints. It's a phrase he keeps repeating. Now critics may say that Paul is being, you know, just thoughtlessly repetitive.

He's just, it's a pat phrase, he's really not thinking about it, he's just stating it. Just like we might say, how you doing? Maybe we don't really mean it, but we might say it in greeting with people. Some scholars want to say that's all he's doing here. They may think he's just being repetitive, that his words and phrases are void of sincerity. Some may say, well, it's just he's writing out these letters. It's a typical beginning. It's kind of like our modern-day mass-produced form letters, and he just fills in their name and he goes on to what he wants to say.

I couldn't disagree more with people that want to think that. I don't think it's a pat phrase. I don't think it's pre-made. I think he really does mean it. Paul repeated this phrase, I believe, because he shared profound love for all of God's people, no matter where they were, whether in Rome or Ephesus or Colossae, wherever they lived. They all shared the same heart and mind. They shared the same Holy Spirit of God. They shared the same faith.

They're at the same purpose. They had the same goal. They believed the same gospel, and that overtook any differences of culture or language, any difference in ethnicity. Godly love for one another and devout faith in Jesus Christ are common and consistent characteristics of those who bear within them God's Holy Spirit. It's consistent. Now, that doesn't mean, of course, that Christ's followers back then or even today are perfect. It doesn't mean they weren't all in different places in their walk with Christ in the process of conversion. Conversion, we know, is a lifelong process, constantly becoming, striving to become more like Christ, more like our Father, yielding ourselves constantly to Him, fighting sin, staying on the road, keep moving on the right direction.

We're constantly putting on His mindset, rejecting the rebellious ways of Satan, fighting off the world and society, fighting that thing called our own carnal human nature that keeps dinging at us to do the wrong thing. And though many of Paul's epistles expressed his eucharistio for the brethren's mutual faith and love, his epistles also bear exhortations for us all to keep repenting of lawlessness and sin, to keep on our walk of conversion with Christ.

To be more like Christ, we must know and believe that our lives are not our own to live. That was part of the commitment the brethren then and now had. Jesus Christ paid the price for all human sin. And when we know and believe that, then we can't live life any old way we want to anymore. We don't have that choice. Well, I guess you do have a choice, but I wouldn't recommend we go back to it. Once we accept God's calling, repent, or baptize and receive God's Holy Spirit, we're committed.

We've committed ourselves to living for Christ and not ourselves any longer. Same commitment the brethren in ancient times had. Notice Paul's words about how we are not our own any longer. 1 Corinthians 6, verses 19. 1 Corinthians 6, 19.

Here in verse 19 through 20, chapter 6, do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God and you are not your own? For you are bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Following this thought over in 2nd Corinthians 5, verses 14 through 15. For the love of Christ compels us, Paul writes, because we judge thus, that if one died for all, then all died. And he died for all that those who live should live no longer for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again.

And then Romans 14. We no longer live for ourselves. Romans 14, verses 7 through 8. For none of us lives to himself and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. Our whole purpose in life is focused to keep our mind centered on God, to live our lives in service to him and to the body of Christ, to his church, to one another.

In his epistles, Paul recognized and thanked God for the brethren's faith and selfless love. He recognized God at work in them and how they are all striving to no longer live for themselves but for God. Through them, because of the fruit of righteousness which they were bearing, Paul was very grateful to God. So he couldn't help but thank God for his brethren whenever he thought of them.

And so we find, then, these three reasons why Paul thanked God for their brethren, for their steadfast faith, for their prayers, and for their love for one another. Now when we step back and consider how Paul expresses this gratitude to God for the brethren, and he does so with them hearing, he does it openly, publicly.

He puts it in his letters so they can see that he's thanking God for them. Of course, that's a nice encouragement, isn't it? Oh, yeah. OK, Paul's saying I'm doing this. I guess I'm doing this. I better make sure I'm doing it. He made very public admission about this. When he does this within their hearing, so openly in the epistles, I think we can draw several conclusions about Paul's relationship with his brethren, something we can think about as well. I think we can conclude that Paul loved his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

He sincerely loved them. It wasn't fake. He wasn't loving them to get something out of them. He wasn't just trying to get money out of them. He wasn't trying to get a free meal. Of course, we know he suffered a lot. He went without food a lot of times, actually. But he truly loved his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and he was deeply concerned about their spiritual health and well-being. I think we can say that Paul is also truly grateful for their faithful support.

He knew that he needed their prayers. He needed their encouragement. He needed their assistance in ways perhaps he couldn't imagine. They'd happen to be there just the right time and place for his needs, as God provided. I think we could say that Paul desired for them to grow and to receive eternal life.

He truly desired that for them. He wanted them to be building an ever-closer relationship with God, one built upon faith and love. And then there's this point. I think we can say this about Paul as well. For Paul, serving his brothers and sisters was not a thankless chore. It was not his job.

It was not a hassle that he had to get up and think about every day and say, oh, I got to go take care of my brethren. I can't ever imagine him doing that. He grasped that God was using him to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God and to help those whom the Father had called to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. He knew what his part was. He was serving God. He was serving his neighbor. He was serving his brethren, especially. And this fourth point, I think, is well worth thinking about, and especially if or rather when we ourselves might weary of serving our brethren and of doing good.

I don't think Paul never got weary. I'm not saying that, but I knew he didn't let that stop him. He kept pushing through, just as we find ourselves not allowing ourselves to weary of doing good and pushing through. Let's turn and look at 2 Corinthians 11, verses 24 through 28. Here we find Paul's, I'm sure to a lot of us, we find Paul's familiar catalog. A catalog can be a list of things.

Here we find Paul's catalog of trials. It's called different things. It's called trials of sufferings, catalog of sufferings, catalog of trials. Some scholars, I find it interesting, some scholars call this Paul's catalog of accomplishments. Isn't that interesting? I like that. It's his catalog of accomplishments. These are the things he suffered in service to God and in service to those who make up the body of Christ, God's church.

I'm not going to read every one of these scriptures, but I do want to read a few and remind us of what they do say. In verse 24, for example, 2 Corinthians 11, Paul writes how from the Jews, five times, he writes about how five different times he received 39 lashes from a leather scourge or whip. 39 times minus 40 minus 1. Some of you may be familiar why it was 39 and not 40. They were allowed to only give 40.

Just in case they miscounted, they gave him 41 and 39 to stay on that side of the law. In the punishment, that would be dealt out. They were very careful about some things anyway. In this leather scourge, scholars tell us it may have been made up of nine different straps.

At the end of each strap, it was maybe tied a piece of bone or a piece of metal so it would really rip the flesh. Can you imagine the scars Paul must have wore on his back? Five different times he underwent this. Again, some scholars call this an accomplishment. I find that interesting. Verse 25, we read about how three times Paul was beaten with rods.

These were thick wooden staffs. Once he was stoned with rocks. He was left for dead once. This likely occurred in Lystra. You might want to read about that in Acts 14. Three times he says he was shipwrecked in a night and a day in the sea. A full 24 hours.

That would be very terrifying. Through verse 27, Paul includes this list. He notes all the perils he suffered of nearly every imaginable type, including deprivation of sleep, deprivation of food and water. He even went without clothing sometimes. And yet, despite all of his trials and persecutions, notice what was always on his mind. Verse 28, it wasn't thoughts about himself or woe is me. It was his concern for all the churches. He was concerned about the congregations. He was concerned about his brethren, their spiritual well-being.

That is an accomplishment, isn't it? That's a real accomplishment. Why would Paul willingly suffer so much for God and the brethren? Well, I think he gives us some insight as to why in the next chapter in 2 Corinthians 12, verse 12. In 2 Corinthians 12, in explaining his desire to come to them a third time, Paul tells the Corinthians this. Actually, I'll start reading 2 Corinthians 12. Paul writes, Now for the third time I am ready to come to you, I will not be burdensome to you, for I do not seek yours but you.

For the children ought not to live for the parents, or be a burden, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. Let's think about what he says here. Paul loved the brethren. And here he made plain that he was not coming for any other reason than to help them grow and mature in the way of God.

That was his main point in coming. In that regard, he was very much like a loving parent. We have a lot of parents and grandparents out here. In this regard, Paul is very much like a loving parent who sacrifices his life for the lives of his children, even though his children might reject him or don't really care about what mom or dad are doing for them in return. That happens sometimes. Paul's love towards them was such that he would gladly give more of himself so that they might be stronger in Christ.

He was willing to pour himself out for them. How could Paul be so selfless? You see, he's setting an example for us. How could Paul be so selfless? I think what we've been learning over these last few weeks leading up to the spring holy days, the Passover and leavened bread, is because Paul had made a commitment to God and he was sticking to it. It's because Paul yielded himself to God and he yielded himself to God's Holy Spirit. He was convicted and he was committed to obeying God. He was committed to imitating the love expressed and taught by Jesus Christ.

I'm sure he remembered every day the example of Jesus Christ, but Christ suffered and endured for him and for all humanity. Of course, that's someplace we need to go each day when we're under trial, when we're hurting and suffering. Paul knew, believed, and practiced what Jesus taught.

Of course, we can go to many places for Christ's instruction. Let's look at Matthew 25. These words of Christ in this particular place seem rather poignant to what Paul was doing and why he was living the way he was living. Matthew 25, verses 34 through 40.

Christ taught this message. He is speaking of the future time of judgment. Jesus said here in verse 34 of Matthew 25, he says, continuing on, then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you? And the king will answer and say to them, assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me.

I always find these verses very humbling and often very corrective, reminding me of what I should be doing, and I'm sure we all feel the same way. Paul strove to live what Christ taught, and we see this in Paul's words of thanks to God for the brethren and in his constant concern for their spiritual well-being. Paul practiced what he himself urged them to do. He wanted them to imitate Jesus Christ. And so that's what Paul said in Corinthians 11.1. He said, imitate me just as I also imitate Christ.

Paul sacrificed himself and suffered much in loving service to God, and he sets for us an example of how God's elect will be serving one another as if they were serving Jesus Christ himself.

In fact, let's turn to Romans 12, verse 1.

About one year after he composed his list of trials, catalog of trials, or, again, his catalog of accomplishments, he didn't write that list at the very end of his life. He had quite a few years left to live when Paul created that catalog.

Here in Romans 12, verse 1, about one year after he composed that catalog of trials, Paul would refer to such service to God and brethren as reasonable service.

Look at Romans 12.1. He says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Self-sacrifice and service to God and to the body of Christ, his church, is reasonable service.

The world thinks we're crazy sometimes, the things we do.

People that don't believe, don't understand the gospel and understand what the Father is about and what Christ is about, they may think we're crazy, the things we do for one another.

But it's reasonable service because that's what God inspired Paul to tell us.

This is reasonable service.

Self-sacrifice should not be considered as a chore.

We mustn't allow ourselves to think of it as one more hassle or another inconvenience. It may be all of that, but that's what sacrificing ourselves is about at times, giving ourselves for others, not when we will, but when they need our help.

Self-sacrifice is our work of faith.

That is our labor of love.

It is the patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, referring back to what we read in 1 Thessalonians 1.3.

This is reasonable service, Paul says.

Let's follow this line of thought a little farther in Colossians 1, verses 24-25.

Colossians 1, verses 24-25.

Now, in Colossians, if we understand the chronology of the epistles correctly, from what scholars suggest to us, this would be about five years now down the road.

About five years, apparently, after Paul gave that catalog of trials, a catalog of accomplishments.

Five years later, here in Colossians 1, 24-25, Paul penned these words while he was in prison at Rome.

Verse 24, I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God, which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God.

Everything he did was according to God's will from God for him to do, for the brethren, for the church.

So years later, Paul is still continuing in his reasonable service to his brothers and sisters.

He rejoiced in his sufferings that he could imitate Jesus Christ and be used by God in service to the church, to the body.

In his memories of service to the brethren were joyful for him.

In Philippians 1, verses 3-6, again, beginning of an epistle, in Philippians 1, verses 3-6, written about the same time as Colossians and while in a Roman prison, Paul wrote these words as well. Verse 3, Philippians 1-3, I thank you, Caristio, my God, upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, making a request for you with all joy, for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now.

Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

He has no doubt that God was helping them and would be with them.

Paul remains so very grateful for those who are also imitating Christ, or imitating his own efforts as he followed Christ at being a living sacrifice and obedience to God.

In 2nd chapter Philippians, verses 1-5, Philippians 2, verses 1-5, Paul continued to urge them then, and as ever onward in the good works, the good labor of love.

Philippians 2-1, Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

That's how brethren love each other. This is the way we do it.

Paul had no regrets about serving God and his brethren, and neither should we, neither should we, when we imitate Jesus Christ.

When we lay down our lives from one another, when he pushes aside our self-centeredness, and we focus on God and serve as God gives us opportunity.

We may never find ourselves exactly like Paul.

Some of his accomplishments, I don't know if I could accomplish one of the things he says he did.

It was pretty incredible. God's not done with me. I don't know what I might have to face. None of us do.

But we may never be adrift at sea for both the night and day, as Paul was.

I don't like the water that much.

I don't know what it might be for me. I don't know what it might be for you.

But we can give of ourselves as we're able.

We can give of ourselves as God leads us and gives us opportunity.

And I know that many of us do. In fact, I'm sure we all do in our own ways.

We do acts of self-sacrifice and service in this congregation.

I see it every Sabbath. I see it in between the Sabbaths. I see what goes on.

People volunteering for special music. People cleaning the building. The bathrooms.

People contributing snacks. We like our snacks.

A number of you keep our ground so beautiful. It's so nice to walk into the building and see the flowers and everything's trimmed up.

It's very beautiful. It's beautiful how we take care of the blessings God has given us to share with one another.

We keep each other safe here. We keep each other ready to learn. The microphones work. The lights work.

There's so much more, many more. We all have our way.

I'm truly grateful, and I'm sure we all are, to see how we watch out for each other. We serve. We help each other here.

But we should also remember we need to keep serving outside the box of this physical building.

Doing these things only on the Sabbath or strictly for the Sabbath, that's fine and good.

But serving our brethren, being mindful of our brethren, is something we must do every day, constantly, even when we don't see each other.

So, wherever we live and throughout the week, we can serve in many other ways. We know that.

And I know we do that. We visit one another. We encourage others with notes, emails and phone calls.

And most certainly, we should do that most valuable service of self-sacrifice and love for brethren.

And that's to be praying fervently for one another.

Some of us don't like to let everybody know what we're going through. We're rather private.

But sometimes, I think, we're quick enough to know something's not right. We don't have to ask or pry.

But if you have a hunch something maybe isn't going well for one of us, we need to pray for one another.

And if things are going well, we all could use the extra prayer.

We can do these things. The weakest among us, the littlest among us, can pray and pray fervently.

Prayer is no little task. Paul certainly didn't see it that way. And God doesn't see it that way either.

Prayer accomplishes mighty things. Paul gave thanks eucharistio to God for his brethren often and openly, as we've seen.

He did that for everybody to know and to see.

Paul thanked God for the enduring faith of the brethren, their countless prayers, their evidence of love for one another.

Paul's example is an amazing one for us to follow, to think about, just as he followed Christ.

When I consider Paul's example in my love for the brethren, I find myself asking this poignant and humbling question.

Perhaps it's one we should all be asking ourselves.

Do brethren thank God for me?

I don't know if you've ever thought about that. This study I did in preparation brought it home to me.

Do brethren thank God for me? That's something we should ask each of ourselves.

When we humbly surrender ourselves to the influence of God's word and its Holy Spirit, and when we willingly serve one another, then we will experience God's love at work in our lives. We don't need to doubt that. We will experience it.

So let's think on Paul's reasons for Eucharistia, for giving thanks to God for brethren.

Let us strive to imitate Paul, even as he imitated Christ. May we always have ample reasons to thank God, and may we always have ample reasons to thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ.