Called To Be Part Of The Family Of God Series

Called To Be Part Of The Family

GNLCC 10-24-04 1 Sam. 18:1-4 1 John 4:7-22

Have you ever met somebody, and right away the person felt like family to you. This was the case with Jonathan and David. Jonathan was the king’s son, and the next in the line for the throne. But from the moment Jonathan met David, he felt a friendship bond that was so strong, that he wanted David to be the his side at the throne.. They were closer to each other than they were to their own natural brothers.

Last week, we looked at our first purpose, Worship , which is to get to know God and to love God . Today, we’re going to look at the second purpose, which is you are formed for God’s family. Notice this verse at the top of your outline, Hebrews 2:10, would you read it with me. "God is the one who made all things, and all things are for His glory. He wanted to have many children share His glory." God wanted a family. That’s why we’re here.

We have been called to be part of the family. God planned everything in the entire universe so we could be born, so we could share in His glory, so we could be part of His family. Look at the next verse. “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ." The entire Bible, is the story of God building a family. Isn’t it amazing that God knows everything about you, and still wants to have you in the family.

Now, once we understand and get started on God’s first purpose for our lives worship, God wants us to begin to focus and start practicing on His second purpose for our lives. And here it is in I Peter 2:17. Read it with me. "Love your spiritual family." That’s what God wants us to do. That’s the second purpose of our lives. You see, God says I want you to learn to love the people in your family. Why?

Is there anybody here with children who was hoping before they were born that they would never get along with each other, would hold grudges, and would fight each other most of their lives. God’s family is eternal. He does not intend to put up with a bunch of foolishness forever. Since you have been called to be a part of the family, your spiritual family is going to go on forever. You’re going to spend more time with your spiritual family than you do with your physical family. God wants you to learn to love them.

Look around you. You will be seeing some of these people for millions of years but you’ve only got a short time to learn to love them now. Now, why does God want us to learn to love them? Well, two or three reasons. First, it makes us more like God, because God is love. Second, he wants His children to learn to get along together. And number three, it’s practice for eternity. One of the things you’re going to do in heaven, in eternity, is you’re going to love God. And the other thing you’re going to do is you’re going to love the other believers that are there.

So God says, “I want you to practice now learning to love other believers.” Look at you’re your outline. “My second purpose in life is Fellowship.” That’s the word that the Bible uses to describe loving each other. If asked some of you, “What do you think of when I say the word ‘fellowship’?” You might say “fellowship is having coffee and cookies after church” or “fellowship is what we share when we have an outing together.

But just talking over food or going bowling together is not fellowship. In you outline, “Fellowship is loving God’s family.” And the Bible says this in I John 4:21. "The person who loves God must also love other believers." We have to love other believers. and , the Bible gives us crystal clear instructions. Let’s read together what Paul wrote in 1 Tim 3:14-15 , he said, "I’m writing so that you’ll know how to live in the family of God. That family is the church." According to this verse, what is the church. The church is family.

Church is a family you belong to. You were called to be part of the family of God. The church is more than a building, more than a service. It is family that we are to belong to. In God’s family there are four levels of fellowship. We’re doing this because Fellowship is the second purpose of your life. It is impossible to fulfill all the other purposes God has for your life without fellowship. You were not meant to be here on earth alone, to go through life on your own. The fact is we need each other.