Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
August 17, 1997
1 Peter 3:8-12
HOW TO GET ALONG
I. Harmonica harmony.
A. (Play harmonica...)
1) Next instruction in book is on how to do harmony.
2) Celeste tells me I can't do it by myself.
B. Harmony requires more than one person.
1) Beauty of Grand Gulch Utah hike, we see no other humans for
two days.
Then I try to hitchhike the four miles back to parking lot,
and 14 cars pass me by without stopping.
2) Who are the others we need to harmonize with?
a) Christians in the church. (insiders)
1> Harmony has a special emphasis on agreeing on truth.
b) *Everybody. (outsiders)
C. In our turbulent world, we long for harmony and peace.
II. Qualities that promote harmony.
A. Be sympathetic.
1) Literally, "suffering with."
a) Saying by President Clinton - "I feel your pain."
1> Almost a joke.
2> But the Bible says the same thing.
b) Romans 12:15 - "Rejoice with those who rejoice;
mourn with those who mourn."
2) Pity, feeling others' hurts.
a) We cannot know how other people feel, but we can try.
b) Listen to their hurts.
c) Spend time with them even when you don't have words.
B. Brotherly love. [unique word]
1) (Philadelphia, "city of brotherly love...")
a) Our culture equates love with eroticism.
b) Important that we have feelings for fellow humans.
2) Truest sign of Christian faith, according to Jesus.
a) By our love, others know that we are Christians.
1> What do they think about YOU??
b) Similar to a wheel - the closer we get to the hub (Jesus)
the closer we get to the other spokes (people).
C. Be compassionate.
1) Literally, "have healthy intestines."
a) Hebrews placed emotions down here. [point to gut]
b) We would say - "be tender-hearted."
2) Compare Ephesians 4:31-32.
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling
and slander, along with every form of malice.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving
one another, just as in Christ God forgave you."
a) Compassion involves forgiveness and understanding,
and concern for each others' needs.
b) It involves giving of yourself for the benefit of
another to meet those needs.
1> Even if it means giving up something we want.
3) God wants Christians to truly care about others.
Mother Teresa once put it like this:
"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer.
It's the feeling of being uncared for or unwanted, of
being deserted and alone.
The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity.
It's an indifference toward one's neighbor who may be
the victim of poverty or disease or exploited and
at the end of his life, left at a roadside."
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4) Don't burn out.
a) Charities and "compassion fatigue."
b) We want to see results, and quickly.
c) Christian sympathy is patient.
D. Be humble.
1) The Greeks did not see humility as a virtue.
a) They saw it as a weakness, like many do today.
2) Christians honor humility.
a) We admit that humans are sinners and need God.
b) We look to Jesus as the ultimate example of the power
of humility.
3) Don't take humility for granted.
a) One person has said, "Humility is a trait so rare,
when you realize you have it, you've lost it."
III. How do we harmonize with rotten people?
A. Easy to be in harmony with nice people - real test is rotten ones.
1) The German philosopher Schopenhauer compared the human race
to a bunch of porcupines huddling together on a cold
winter's night.
He said, "The colder it gets outside, the more we huddle
together for warmth;
But the closer we get to one another, the more we hurt one
another with our sharp quills.
And in the lonely night of earth's winter eventually we begin
to drift apart and wander out on our own and freeze to
death in our loneliness."
Christ has given us an alternative: to forgive each other
for the pokes we receive.
That allows us to stay together and stay warm.
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B. Almost seems wrong to us - fake our feelings?
1) We can be loving in actions to anyone.
a) Rabbi - hard to understand this.
2) A positive approach.
a) We don't have to "get even."
1> Let God do it.
b) We should even go beyond acquiescence - actively bless.
1> Ask God to be good to them.
2> For evil people, this can create incredible guilt.
A> Perhaps transform them?
C. Receive a blessing.
1) Even when strained relationships don't end up rewarding,
we can still be blessed by God.
2) God's approval is all that should matter to us.
IV. Why can't people just get along?
A. Los Angeles riots, Rodney King's meek request.
1) We cannot get along just because we wish it, and it cannot
be commanded.
2) People have to be changed first.
B. God takes moral sides.
1) He favors the righteous.
a) They are ones who can expect prayers to be answered.
b) As a rule, you don't suffer for doing right.
c) And God sends his blessings on us.
2) He is against evildoers.
a) Against what they do.
b) Against you?
