Belong to God’s Family
Background Scripture:
I John 1:7 - Acts 2:42-47
Do you remember the fun times you had in your family growing up? One of the things I remember is the times we drove to visit relatives. When visiting my grandparents in Kansas City, Kansas I remember sliding down the long hills on a sled. I remember eating persimmons off their persimmon tree. I remember my Grandfather could make a sound just like a train whistle. I also remember his clear cut testimony of his faith in Jesus and his faithfulness attending church.
I remember the vacation times we took our four children to various vacation spots. Traveling with four kids is a challenge. I did most of the driving. By my driving, Carollyn had the opportunity and privilege of refereeing back seat warfare. We soon traded for a large van to make traveling with four easier with spaces so no one had to touch.
When I drove I had a mandate to travel far with only stopping for gas. No need to ask for directions. Did Lewis and Clark ask for directions?
Vacation time and visiting relatives are rewarding and memorable times. Why? Because we love to be with the ones we love.
Why did God created humankind? God created you to belong to His family. He created you for fellowship.
Fellowship and being part of the Family of God involves a choice. You choose to belong.
I. Belonging to God’s Family Requires a
Commitment
1. Becoming part of the Family of God requires a commitment. You have to make a choice to belong.
Fellowship was a vital part of the early church. Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
The primary place of fellowship for the early Christian was in their homes. There are a number of places in the New Testament where it gives reference to “the church in their house.” Christians gathered together in homes and enjoyed eating meals together and praying and studying the teachings of the apostles.
Every person has two basic universal needs: “To love and be loved” and “to understand and be understood.” Those two basic needs are best met in a loving caring community of believers. On occasion we sing: “I’ so glad to be a part of the Family of God – I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood! Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod, For I’m part of the family, the family of God.”
2. You become part of God’s family through personally knowing and living for Jesus. I John 1:7 the Apostle John writes: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
What does it mean to walk in the light? To walk in the light is to walk in obedience to the teachings of Jesus and the Word of God. Walking in the light is a daily surrender to honor and live for Jesus. When you walk in the light of God’s word you have fellowship with one another and with Jesus.
What is fellowship? Some might say it is eating out together or going to church. I might walk up to someone after church and say, “What do you think of the Australian Open Tennis tournament?” “This is the first Grand Slam of the tennis season.” The other person might say. “Yeah, but Sampras my favorite is not playing.” I might say, “Andy Rodick got beat by the Russian Safin in five sets.” “That’s to bad.” Well have a nice week, it was nice fellowshipping with you.”
Now is that fellowship? No! That’s just having an interesting visit and having a little chat.
I looked up the Greek word for “fellowship” – “koinonia” and fond several definition in the Greek lexicon: “Share something in common, partner, close relationship and sharing,”
Fellowship is loving God’s family. I John 4:21, “The person who loves God must also love other believers.”
We make a common mistake when we say, “I’m going to go to church,” as if the church is a place. Church is a family of believers you belong to. Church is more than a place, or a service, or a building. It is belonging to God’s family.
Ephesians 2:19, “You are members of God’s very own family and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.”
The early Christians gathered together and devoted themselves to the Apostles Teaching, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42
To gather together demanded a choice. Jesus taught that becoming a growing and maturing Christian was to belong to a group of fellow believers. To not want to belong to a church – God’s family would be like a football player saying he don’t want to be part of any team. Of a tuba player saying, “I don’t want to be part of an orchestra.” When the last time you heard a tuba solo? Or a bee saying, I don’t want to be a part of a hive.” A Christian without a church family is an orphan. A Christian is meant to belong. God never intended for Christians to life in isolation.
#If you travel in the mid-west or south you can stop at a Cracker Barrel and have a southern cooked breakfast. You will find on the menu what is called grits. You don’t say, “I want grit.” A grit doesn’t come alone it comes in a group. You order grits plural. Even so as Christians we grow and become strong in a group.
In the Purpose Driven Life, chapter 17, Rick Warren gives six reasons “Why you need a Church family?”
1. A church family identifies you as a genuine believer.
2. A church family moves you out of self-centered isolation.
3. A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle.
4. The Body of Christ needs you.
5. You will share in Christ’s mission to the world.
6. A church family will help keep you from backsliding.
You choose to belong to the Family of God.
The second level of fellowship is the friendship level.
II. Sharing in Christian Love
We share in Christian love by being open and honest in our relationships. It is in relationships that we experience love and understanding. To have a relationship means you have interaction. A normal person can’t enjoy talking to a tree or a stone. Relationships involved feedback. Authentic relationships involve taking off our masks and being vulnerable. It means being open and honest.
By our human nature some people want to belong to a group, but at the same time are reluctant to join a group. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned and hid themselves from God people inherited a tendency to hind from God and from one another. As long as the group has a dozen or more people in it they feel safe. A small group can be threatening.
It is in a small group that we learn from each other by sharing our experiences. As iron sharpens iron so we learn from one another. Spend time with others and ask questions. Practice listening more than talking. James 1:19 says: “…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
Another way to share in Christian love is to share our homes. I Peter 4:19 says, “Open up you homes to each other.” I remember from time to time dropping in to visit someone in their home and they apologize for the way their home looks. I quickly tell them that I didn’t come to inspect their home. I came to see them. You don’t have to have a fancy or nice home to open it up for others. When you open you home or in an apartment you provide a place for fellowship because fellowship takes place in groups of ten people or less.
Do you know one of the greatest barriers to getting acquainted with your neighbors? It is something that no home had in Gypsum, Kansas where I grew up. The major culprit is the automatic garage door opener. Open up your home. Do it intentionally.
In the family of God we share our experiences, we share our homes and we share our challenges. Every one of us has problems and concerns that are had to carry alone, but a loving caring group helps lift the weight. A small caring group of believers can give support, prayer, empathy and share God’s love to get you through the toughest circumstances. Ephesians 4:2 NLT says, “Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”
We share in Christian love by encouraging and building up one another. In the Family of God when one person hurts we all hurt and when one person rejoices we all rejoice.
Psalm 33:1-3 says: “How wonder, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along! It’s like costly anointing oil flowing down head and beard, flowing down Aaron’s beard, flowing down the collar of his priestly robes,. It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon flowing down the slopes of Zion. Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing, ordains eternal life.”
Acts 2:44-45 demonstrates how the early Christians shared their love for one another. “All the believers ere together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” They did not practice socialism or communism. They practiced helping others who were in need. They valued people over possessions.
You can tell the depth of a person’s Christian faith by how generous the person is. People who are truly surrendered to Christ reflect their commitment in their giving. If Jesus Christ has our heart he has our checkbook as well. If he doesn’t have our money he doesn’t really have our heart.
A sense of unity is the hallmark of the church of Jesus Christ. Unity within the Family of God means that we accept one another’s weaknesses and strengths. We accept one another just as Jesus accepts us. We support one another even when we may not approve of styles of dress, or color of hair. We accept one another with different views, convictions, politics and cultural styles.
The local church –part of the family of God – is made up of imperfect people who know they are forgiven and accepted by God and are learning to forgive and accept one another.
Fellowship in the Family of God also means
III. Becoming A Partner in Ministry
As members of the Family of God we are all partners in ministry. Ephesians 2:10 “We are God workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to do.” I Cor. 3:9 …“We are partners working together for God.” I mentioned earlier that “Fellowship” also is defined as “partnership.” Ephesians 4:16 “The whole body is fitted together perfectly…As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
The church is described in scripture as the “Body of Christ.” The Church is healthy and grows naturally as each person does his or her part. As you are open to God in prayer and obedient to His Word you will find the part you are be in His Body. What ever you do you do for Jesus.
# Mother Teresa spent her life working, with the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India. And she was once asked, "How do you handle all the death and disease on a daily basis? How do you do the tough things when it comes to serving?" And her answer was, “Every person I bathe, every person I bandage, I imagine seeing the face of Jesus and I do it for Him.”
Being part of the Family of God is loving God and learning to love each other. The bottom line of the Christian life is not about accomplishments, it is about relationships.
If you have been at the bedside of someone dying they didn’t use their last breath to ask for their high school or college diplomas. They didn’t say, “Bring my gold watch that I received in retirement, or bring me my blackberry or palm pilot.” In those final moments most will say, “Bring me my family and friends.”
Loving God that is called “Worship; Loving each other is called Fellowship.
When I look at the life and ministry of the Willow Vale church over the past six years that I have served as your pastor I believe God has blessed us and we have experienced 100% growth because this is a place where people love each other.
A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, 9 contestants, all physically or mentally challenged, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, the contestants all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win.
All, that is, except one boy who stumbled on the track, tripped, rolled over a couple times and began to cry. The others, who were running ahead of the boy, heard him crying so they slowed down and looked back at him. Then they all turned around and went back - Every one of them. One girl with Down’s syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.” Then all 9 linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood and cheered for over 10 minutes.
People who were there still talk about what happened. Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What truly matters is helping others win that true fellowship.
