One Big Happy Family

ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY

Scott Bayles, pastor

Church in the Park, Modesto: 9/8/2015

Good morning again and welcome to Church in the Park. I read a story this week about a little old lady who was very impressed with the nice young man next door. He was always helping her out by raking her leaves, mowing her lawn, etc. One day, the old lady finally asked him, "Son, how did you become such a fine young man?" The young man replied, "Well, it’s all due to the fact that I had a drug problem when I was younger." The old lady was shocked. "Really?" The young man replied, "Yeah, my parents drug me to church on Sunday morning, drug me to church on Sunday night and drug me to youth group on Wednesdays."

I don’t know if someone drug you to here today or not, but either way we’re glad you’re here and I hope you are too. I love moving our churches outside and getting away from our regular worship routines, because it reminds me that church isn’t a place—it’s people. Church isn’t just something you attend; it’s something you are!

I doubt many of you remember, but three years ago in this very spot I spoke about the benefits of belonging to God’s family—specifically, a local church family. God doesn’t just call us to believe; he also calls us to belong. Belonging to a church family comes with some wonderful benefit. Perhaps the best thing about church is that it’s so much like a family. On the other hand, the worst thing about church is how it’s so much a family.

Just as families sometimes struggle to get along, so do churches. Every church, just like every family, experiences conflict. Personalities clash. Feelings get hurt. Grudges are held. No church is perfect because every church is made of people. Jesus commanded his followers to love one another, but that’s a lot easier said than done. There’s an old rhyme that puts it this way:

What joy to love the saints above

When I get home to glory.

To love below, the saints I know,

Well, that’s another story!

People—including Christians—can be down-right unlovable at times. We can be selfish, stubborn, and short-sighted. But God knew that ahead of time, so he had the apostle Peter write to churches scattered across the vast Roman Empire through the inspiration of the Spirit with some suggestions for getting along with your church family.

And now this word to all of you: You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t snap back at those who say unkind things about you. Instead, pray for God’s help for them, for we are to be kind to others, and God will bless us for it. If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it!

(1 Peter 3:8-11 TLB)

You may see others, but as I read this paragraph I see at least three suggestions for ensuring that your church family remains “one big happy family,” and I’d like to highlight those for you this morning. First, Peter says to be compassionate!

• BE COMPASSIONATE

Ella Wilcox once witnessed a strange phenomenon in the middle of a train car. Sitting quietly by herself, Ella noticed a woman near the front of the car who was crying. There was nothing subtle about it either. This wasn’t a single tear rolling down her check; rather, she was sobbing very noticeably. At first, Ella was a little bothered by the persistent weeping, but then she noticed another passenger in the car—an older gentlemen sitting near the rear of the car telling funny stories to the passengers sitting around him. Everybody smiled and chuckled along with the old man. After a while, some of the other passengers in the car started moving. They were getting up from their seats in the front, near the crying woman, and gravitating toward the back near the man telling the funny stories. Out of this experience, Ella Wilcox wrote the well-known adage: “Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Weep, and you weep alone.”

Sadly, her observation is true more often than not. But it shouldn’t be that way in the church, which is why Peter reminds Christians: “Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted” (1 Peter 3:8 NLT). The NIV translates that last phrase: “be compassionate” (NIV).

The dictionary defines compassion as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” That last part is important. Compassion is more than just feeling bad for someone; it also means being compelled to do something about it.