Are You A Part Of God's Forever Family? Series

INTRODUCTION

Families have always mattered to God. Before He created the nation or the church, He created a family. Someone said families are like fudge candy—mostly sweet, but with a few nuts! We’re going to talk about being a part of God’s forever family today.

Today is Mother’s Day. We love our mothers because they taught us so much. I came across a funny list of “Things my Mother taught me.”

1. My Mother taught me about RELIGION: “You’d better pray that stain comes out of the carpet!”

2. My Mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL: “If you don’t behave I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week.”

3. My Mother taught me about LOGIC: “Why? Because I said so, that’s why!”

4. My Mother taught me about STAMINA: “You’re going to sit there until all that spinach is gone.”

5. My Mother taught me about WEATHER: “It looks like a tornado swept through your room!”

6. My Mother taught me about appreciating a JOB WELL DONE: “If you kids are going to kill each other, do it outside, I just cleaned the house!”

7. My Mother taught me about IRONY: “If you don’t stop crying, I’ll give you something to really cry about!”

8. My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION: “You’re going to get it when we get home!”

9. My Mother taught me about HUMOR: “If that lawn mower cuts off your foot, don’t come running to me!”

10. My Mother taught me about JUSTICE: “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!”

Those are funny, but seriously, the main thing our mothers taught us is unconditional love; they love us even when we don’t act very lovely. That’s the reason we love them so much. I have a scar on my chin I received when I was about five years old. I picked some flowers for my mother and as I ran up the concrete steps of our house I slipped and started to fall. In that split second of decision, I decided NOT to let go of her flowers, and so I landed on my chin. Six stitches later I realized I probably should have let go of the flowers, but whenever I shave and see that scar it’s a reminder of how much I loved my mom. I can’t tell her that in person today, because she’s in heaven. So I want to encourage all of you to tell the mothers in your life that you love them today!

Jesus talks about His mother in this passage, but I didn’t plan this passage for Mother’s Day. I don’t plan my messages by dates, I just preach on the next passage of scripture, so it’s wonderful that it worked out this way. Let’s see what Jesus had to say about His family recorded in Matthew 12:46-50:

“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers.’ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”

In this series about Parables and Miracles, I’m highlighting every occasion where Jesus used an analogy like a parable. A parable is when a natural truth is laid down next to a spiritual truth. In this passage Jesus uses the example of His biological family to teach that we can be a part of another family, a spiritual family. I want to share with you four lessons that teach us about how we can be a part of God’s forever family.

(1) IN ADDITION TO YOUR BIOLOGICAL FAMILY, YOU CAN BE PART OF GOD’S FAMILY

We sometimes forget Jesus had a biological family. His mother was named Mary, but He also had brothers and sisters. These were actually half-brothers and sisters, because they had the same mother, but a different father. Joseph was the father of Jesus’ siblings; of course Jesus had another Father—the Living God. Since Joseph is never mentioned in scripture after Jesus was 12 years old, most scholars assume he died before Jesus’ ministry began.

When His biological family came asking for Him, it almost seems that Jesus was being rude to them by not granting their request. But in the beginning of His ministry, His family members didn’t understand what He was doing. They even thought He was a little crazy. Mark describes their attitude in Mark 3:20-21. “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’” Let’s face it, what if your 30-year-old son or brother left his good job as a carpenter and went about claiming to be the Messiah? You’d probably think he was one enchilada short of a combination platter, too!