Group Fellowship Notes – 8/10 July 2003

God’s Questions No. 6 – Where is your brother?

Worship

Read Eph 2:17-21

Be thankful for the body and pray that we will continue to be fit together… with more bricks being added, current bricks being made into right shape etc...

Word

Read Genesis 4:3-16

To live in God’s world on God’s terms is a considerable challenge. To live with God’s other creatures, specifically human creatures, poses even more of a dilemma. The fifth question asked by God illuminates the difficulty of life in community. The shame and hiding of Genesis 3 escalate into violence revealing the crucial human problem of the “brother.”

Being a follower of God is not just about our relationship with the Father – but of course it is about how we treat others. Which of the two great commandments (Mt 22:37-39) do you find more difficult to follow? Why?

God asks “Where is your brother?” -  another question that God is not asking for his own benefit – but to challenge Cain. Cain states that he doesn’t know and then asks “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

“I don’t know” - How can we con ourselves about the way we treat people. Do we deny that we’ve done anything wrong? That it was not our fault when a relationship goes bad?

Do we recognise that God does indeed see everything we do? And will judge us accordingly?

To what extent are we responsible for our ‘brothers’?

Who would God include in the term brother? Family, Church, colleagues, everyone?

Looking at the Lord’s response from v10 onwards - was this a fair punishment?

Cain is unrepentant and yet God shows him mercy (v15) – is this fair?

He remains unrepentant – and we read how Cain went out from the Lord’s presence. What do you think this meant?

We talk about entering the Lord’s presence but can we ever escape it?

Witness

There are many brothers mentioned in the Bible… pray for each other as you look at some of them…

Jacob & Esau – the danger of scheming, trying to get ahead of others by whatever means. How would Jesus want us to treat a ‘brother’

Joseph & his brothers – the temptation to be bitter / jealous or to laud it over a ‘brother’. How does Jesus want us to behave?

Prodigal brothers – the danger of allowing other ‘brothers’ to affect our relationship with the Father – if this is the case, ask God to help you focus on him and restore your brotherly relationships

Simon & Andrew – the joy of bringing a ‘brother’ to the feet of Jesus. What people are you praying for / looking for opportunities  to witness to – on the back of this sheet write down the names of three family members, three friends, three colleagues / acquaintances, three others… and commit yourself to be faithful in doing your bit in being these brother’s (& sister’s) keepers… Spend time praying for these people