THE CHURCH
3/22/98
Mark 3:33-36
Introduction Theme:God’s family- Is a family of true believers who understand who the father is and conducts themselves in accordance to the Fathers will.
There is no rebelliousness in God’s family. There is no envy, no puffed up and boastful attitudes, no jealousness, no gossiping and backbiting, there are no selfish or unkind acts commited in God’s family.
This family is known by the fruits of the spirit which abound without restraint and without measure. Joy ,love , peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness,faith, temperance are objective for family life if is to be united.
The family that prays together stays together.
And the only ingredient that will unite a family is love. Because:love beareth all things-believeth all things-hopeth all things-endureth all things.
The church-God’s family.
The bible speaks of three types of love.
(1)The love of God for man.
(2) Man’s love for God.
(3) Love between man.
(1) in 1 John 4:8 we are told that "God is love". This means that love is rooted in the very personality of God, that no thought about god can be adequate which does not take in to account his boundless love. God’s love is expressed in his election of and long suffering attitude tward his people. (HE sent Jesus 3:16)
(2) Man’s love for God arise in response to and out of gratitude for this love which he has recieved through no merit of his own. This same gratitude and sense of unworthiness of the gift of grace moves christian man to love other men. This love is directed not only to one’s friends but even to one’s enemies. It is to be especially manifested toward the fellow members of the redeemed community. For it is love which identifies them as the family of God. Without love, no human community, regardless of the name it wears or the prestige it enjoys can claim to be the church of Jesus Christ.
The church: God’s family united in love, and committed to service
In chapter 3 we find Jesus teaching the multitudes on different occassion concerning compassion and being opposed by the pharisess. We find him exposing the healing virtue that was in him, choosing the twelve, being slandered by the scribes, warning of the only sin that is unpardonable and the Preeminence of Spiritual Relationships.
The Text:
The church,God’s family must always know and carry out the will of god. Jesus in the midst of preaching and teaching was interupted by his kindred according to the flesh. This interuption could have been because they were afraid for his safety or had not yet understood the importance of his mission. They stood without, having no desire to come in and hear him, but they sent for him to come out to them, leave his work, leave his mission, leave that for which he came. The church: God’s family must never depart from that which Jesus has commissioned it to do.
Jesus looked upon those that sat about him and pronounced those of them that not only heard, but did, the will of God, to be to him as his brother and sister and mother: as much to be esteemed, loved, and cared for, as his nearest relations.
Knowing that we are God’s family, knowing that we have been chosen by Jesus to carry out a mission knowing that we are united in love.
The next step is service: John 12:26 "If any man serve me let him follow me: and where I am there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me him will my Father honor"
commitment:
Close with: hungry, naked, sick,in prison.
After 129 years the mission has not been completed there is work to do.
Souls need saving.
Lives need changing
We want to unite with new hope in this mission
WILL YOU JOIN US?
