Love The Family Of God Series

Video Ill.: Without Love from Shift Worship

What is love?

Love is the perfect expression of God.

I chose that video to start our new study, because I wanted just for a few moments to think about what life would be without love.

I wanted us to think for just a few moments about how important love really is.

Without love, we have nothing.

And so, I want us to think for the next few weeks about how to make sure we have love in various parts of our lives.

A few years ago, there was a movie titled, “For Love of the Game”, starring Kevin Costner.

Kevin Costner played a Detroit Tigers pitcher Billy Chapel. Billy has spent the last 19 years in the major leagues, playing for Detroit.

He finds out, however, that he is about to be traded. His one true love, Jane, is leaving, heading for a new job in London.

So Billy takes the field for probably the last time. When he should be concentrating 100% on his game, he is instead, thinking about Jane. As the innings end and a new one start, none of the opposing team players, the New York Yankees, have made it on base. He has pitched a perfect game so far.

Before the Tigers take the field for the bottom of the ninth inning, Billy has final thoughts about his career and his love for Jane. He autographs a baseball for Wheeler, a father-like figure to him throughout his baseball career. Along with a signature, Billy inscribes the ball, “Tell them I’m through. For love of the game.”

Ken Strout, comes up representing the last chance for New York. He chops up the middle just out of the reach of Billy, heading towards center field. The Tiger’s shortstop dives and throws to first in time to retire Strout, and Billy has his perfect game.

After the game, Billy sits alone in his hotel room as the realization sinks in that everything he has been and done in the past 19 years is over. Despite his amazing accomplishment, he weeps not only for the loss of baseball, but for the other love of his life, Jane.

Spoiler alert: the next morning, he goes to the airport to try to get a flight for London. Jane, though, missed her flight the night before so she could watch the end of his perfect game. Billy finds Jane waiting at the airport, and they end up happily ever after.

For love of the game.

He did all he did because of his love for the game of baseball. Because of his love for the game, he knew it was time to retire, instead of being traded.

Over the years he had made choices.

He had chosen baseball.

In the end, he chose Jane.

This morning, what do we choose?

I want to challenge us today, not to love the game, but to love the family.

For the love of family.

How does our love drive us to act? How can we love family better?

Over the next few weeks, that’s exactly what I want us to consider.

We will be looking at various aspects of family, including the family in general, then our spouses, our children, and our elders.

This morning, though, I want us to start at a higher level — loving the family of God.

The family of God — the church — is all about community — a community of believers.

Community in the Bible

Source: George F. MacLeod, Leadership, Vol. 2, no. 4.

Someone once said, “The Bible is all about community: from the Garden of Eden to the City at the end.”

When we look at Scripture, we see how this community — this family — loved each other. So let’s take a few minutes to see what it means to love the family of God.

As we begin, we start at the beginning of the church in Acts. To love the family of God means we need to take care of each other.

In Acts 2, we read:

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything || they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (Acts 2, NLT)