Brotherhood can mean those who are born in the same family, but most of the time the reference we hear is between people who are like-minded. They have a purpose and goals that bind them together. The military uses this term when speaking about those they have served with. They all had a goal that was bigger than any one person. They were to defend and protect their country. Many gave their lives to protect us. They looked out for each other, and many times a soldier would give his life to save a brother. The police and firefighters also have a brotherhood. All those mentioned face danger in their situations. They understand the risk involved when they signed on for their position. There is another group of people who have a higher calling, and that is those who are brothers and sisters in Christ. Their identification is in Christ. Their goal is to seek out those who do not know Jesus and introduce them to Him. They are seeking to save people from eternal damnation in Hell.
This band of brothers builds the brotherhood in two ways. First, they seek to win those who do not know Jesus. Second, they spread the word by supporting missions that take the Word to areas they cannot go. Third, they support each other. We find this band of brothers in the Bible.
In Matthew 10:1-4, Matthew names all the disciples, and Jesus gives them power to cast out demons and heal people. “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
We see that Peter and Andrew were biologically brothers, so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. All four of these were fishermen, but they left their occupation to follow Jesus. We find this calling in Matthew 4:18-22. He tells them to leave their nets and follow Him, and He will make them fishers of men.
Matthew 4:18-22 “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”
In Matthew 10:5-8, these men were the ones to carry the gospel. First, He tells them to go to those who are Jewish. The Jews in every city were presented the gospel first. Many received Jesus as the Messiah, but most did not, yet Jesus made sure they had the opportunity. Jesus gave them powers to heal and preach with authority.
Matthew 10:5-8 “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received”
They served together, suffered, stayed together, ate, and shared burdens together. They were a group of men who became brothers in Christ. There can be no stronger bond than the one based on Jesus. Many Christians today do not understand a bond this strong if they are not blood relatives. This happens because they are not serving and loving the way Christ intended. We have lived away from blood relatives for 51 years. We have grown in our faith immensely in those 51 years, and we have family all over the United States. People whom we won to the Lord and discipled. Those we bore burdens with, buried their family members, prayed, and served with us to build the kingdom of God. I love my family by blood, but it is not the same as those you have been in the trenches with, serving where trials and persecutions come. This does not diminish the love I have for my family, but it is a different love.
Who are your brothers or sisters? There should be some qualifying factors in determining your inner circle. A true friend is someone who makes you more like Jesus. They want what is best for you and are willing to go out of their way to help you be your best. They warn you of things that could hinder your walk with the Lord. They want you to expand your influence for Christ. They are not jealous when you make new friends. On the contrary, they want you to expand and influence more people for Christ. They love you enough to tell you the truth in love. Do you appreciate a good friend who loves you enough to be totally honest with you? Who are you seeking to help grow to be more like Jesus?
Things are not as they were with the first disciples, but the mission is still the same. We are to seek to bring others to Jesus and grow in God’s grace ourselves, but we need each other. In Ecclesiastes, the author Solomon said, “Two are better than one.” There could not be a truer statement for a Christian. We need prayer warriors, accountability partners, people who genuinely care about everything that happens to us. This is our brotherhood or sisterhood that produces the kind of Christians that please the Lord. It is not enough to find that kind of person; we must be that kind of person.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
