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.
The first level in your outline is Membership. Membership is "Choosing to belong," making the choice to belong. That means you find a church family and you choose, you choose to get connected to it. Look at what the Bible has to say in Ephesians 2:19. Let’s read it together. "You are members of God’s very own family and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian." You belong.
The Christian life is not just a matter of believing in Jesus. It is matter of belonging, and you and I must choose to belong. God wants you to identify to make the choice to be a part of His family. When you were born, you automatically became a part of the human race. But you have to choose to belong to the family of God, the church. It is a choice. It is a membership choice.
You know, you hear some people say, “Well, I’m a Christian, but I don’t want to belong to any church.” That just doesn’t make sense. The church is where you live out what it means to be a Christian. That’s like saying, “I’m a quarterback , but I don’t want to be a part of any football team.” It doesn’t work. That’s like saying, “I’m a cook, but I don’t want to be in the kitchen.” A cook that never goes into a kitchen is not that much of a cook.
A Christian outside the church is like the quarterback without the team or the cook without a kitchen. God meant for us to be a part of a family. God called us to be part of the family. Can you imagined being adopted the a great family, but living in a tent on the sidewalk in front of the house rather than going into the room the family has prepared for your upstairs.
The Bible tells us this in Romans 12, verse 5, “In Christ we who are many form one Body, and each member belongs to all the others." In this decision that we make, you belong to every other Christian. We are members together. Just like your hand is a member of your body, that’s how tightly we’re to be tied to each other. Membership is about belonging to each other, making the choice to belong to a family.
If you want to grow, if you want to see God at work in your life, you have got to join a body. We need to attach ourselves to a group of believers, where we say, “I want to be a part of what’s going on here.” Jesus loves the church. And you and I need to have the same kind of love. Jesus calls the church “ and His Bride. If the church is good enough for Jesus to love, shouldn’t it be good enough for us, or are we holier than Jesus is
Now, the first level is choosing to belong. Second level of Fellowship is a little bit deeper, when you go a little further into the family of God, and this is learning to share. This is called the “the friendship level.” In your outline Friendship is Learning to share. You see, you were created in God’s image. So you were made for relationships. The Bible says, “It is not good for man to be alone.” In other words, we were made for each other. Life is not a solo act. How many of you know you need some friends? You need family. God thought so, and that’s why God called you to be a part of the family.
The Bible says this in Acts 2:44. "All the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other." Notice "met together," and "shared." Notice two things: one, you can’t develop friendships without meeting together; and two, you can’t develop friendships without sharing. Now, the more frequently you meet together, the closer you’re going to get. To have friends in the church is not going to happen by chance or the accident You choose to develop friendships by making time for them. People who come to church and never introduce themselves to anybody and shoot out the door before the benediction is over and don’t show up again until Sunday, do not have friends in the church.
Do you know why most people are lonely? They don’t make time for friendships. They are too busy achieving; they are too busy working; they are too busy doing other things. They are not willing to put the time into it. You have to meet together. You have to get together. And until you start saying this is going to be a priority in my life, you’re not going to develop any deep friends. They don’t just happen. They happen because you choose to make the time for them. It is a choice. And you can’t develop friendships without sharing. It says, “they shared everything."
And God says “You know what? In the family of God I want you to learn to share with other believers.” So what are we supposed to share? Well, the Bible is full of instructions on things we’re to share as Christians with each other. Number 1, the Bible says we’re to share our experiences. Experiences. The Bible says people learn from one other “just as iron sharpens iron." Have you ever heard of that phrase "its wise to learn from experience?” Well, it is wise to learn from the experiences of other people, because you don’t have time to make all the mistakes yourself. You see, if everything you learn in life you learn personally by trial and error, you’re going to go through a lot of problems unnecessarily and about the time you figure it all out, you’re dead. You don’t have enough time to learn everything on your own so God gave us each other.
Nobody knows everything. You see, we’re all ignorant, just on different subjects. So you know some things I don’t know and I know some things thing you don’t know. And the person next to you knows some things neither of us knows. And the Bible says that you can learn from anybody if you just learn to ask the right questions. So we’re to share our experience with others. Think of all the wealth of knowledge sitting here right now in this church family in this service, and how much we could learn from each other if we just spend the time to get together. We know how to deal with Moms or Children on drugs, we know what it’s like to have financial ruin and success, we know how to make it in marriage or the pain of divorcing shortly after marriage.
Second, the Bible says we’re to share our homes. We’re to share our homes. The Bible says in I Peter 4:9, "open up your homes to each other." It doesn’t say if they are really nice ones, open them up. It just says open them up. Why does God say that? Why are we to share our homes? I’ll tell you why – because you cannot fellowship in a crowd. You can only fellowship in a small group. Or one on one. We’re not going to do any fellowshipping here today.
It is impossible to fellowship with this many people. We can worship together. We can celebrate together. We can learn together. But no fellowship will take place in this service. You’re going to walk out of here not knowing anybody better than you do right now. Fellowship only takes place in the small group. Your home can be the perfect setting for small groups. A small group is no more than 8 to 10 people. That’s where you really get to know people. We didn’t plan enough groups so now we are going to need to divide some of our larger groups, so that fellowship can take place.
We have to talk and share in our groups in order for us to learn to fellowship together. Being in a small group can be somewhat nervous and intimidating, but you have something to contribute if you would but let yourself do it. We thank God for all of you who took a step of faith to host a group in your home. You’re being biblical without knowing it. After our 40 Days Of Purpose, we will want many of you to have a bible study in your home as part of your ministry.
The Bible says we need to learn to share. And where do we learn to share? Not in a big group like this, but in a small group. That’s why you are really not going to feel a part of the church family until you get in a group.
Now, not only do we share our experiences in our homes, the Bible says, number three, we’re to share our problems. We’re not meant to face our problems alone. Too many people have the attitude, “ain’t nobody getting into my business.” My friends we’re all in each other’s business, because sooner or later what affects you is going to affect your relationship to me. Isn’t it amazing the Jesus invited the disciples to get into his business because he needed prayer and some help to do what He had to do for us.
The Bible says, “Share each other’s troubles and problems.” You know when you share a joy, it is doubled; and when you share a problem, it is cut in half? The Bible says, “Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.” Sometimes in a small group you die of laughter and sometimes you’re all shedding a tear. Why? Depends on what is going on in your group during the week. You don’t have to fix everybody’s problem. God hasn’t told you to do that. It just says share them. This means lend a listening ear. You learn how to keep things to yourself and be faithful in protecting the person sharing.
Now, you’re never going to go to this second level of fellowship which is sharing until you get into a small group. That’s why the Bible says this in Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together. Instead, let us encourage one another.” The primary purpose of a group is to encourage each other. And it says, “Don’t give up the habit." I hope you’ll never give up this habit some of you are starting for the first time this 40 days, because you’re always going to need encouragement
Now, some of you may be trying a group and to be honest with you, you didn’t feel like you really fit. So what do you do? Just try another group! Okay? Don’t give up. You will feel better in some group combinations than you do in others. If you went to a restaurant and didn’t like the food or the service, what would you do? How many of you would stop eating out because of it. There are a lot of things you did not choose the first time you looked at it. From a car, to a house, to a date. You kept at it until you found one that met you.
The third level of Fellowship is Partnership. In your outline Partnership is doing my part. Partnership is realizing that I’ve got a contribution to make; that the family of God needs. Listen, God did not bring you to Glenville New Life Community Church to sit and hear some good singing and some preaching. That’s not why you’re here. He brought you here to serve. He wants to make a difference through your life.
Is there a family here who divides ups the chores in the home? Each person is expected to do his or her part. The Church is nothing more than a Christian family, God’s family. And every one of us has a part to complete. The Bible is filled with the fact that you and I are to work with one another in getting God’s job done. You see, it is great to share your heart, that’s level two. But it is even greater to do your part. That is what level three partnership is all about. It’s love in action.
Listen to what the Bible has to say -- in fact, would you read together with me this verse from 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 9. "We are partners working together for God." Circle the word "partners." We’re partners working together for God. Paul once wrote to some people and said "we’re partners spreading the good news of Christ everywhere." In Greek, the language of the New Testament was originally written in, the word "fellowship" is often translated “partnership.” That’s how close these two words are. When God called us to be a part of the family, God was making us partners in the greatest business the world has ever known. It has eternal stock with eternal values. As a partner, you share in the profits.
But in order to be a part, you’ve got to find your niche, you have got to find out, “Where do I fit, how I do I fit?” The Bible tells us we all have a place . Look what Ephesians 4:16 says. “The whole body is fitted together perfectly.” This is God’s job; he does this. "…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." We are a part of God’s body. And it is working together that we get things done. Your part could be as simple as encouraging as many people before service or after service as possible.
You have a part to play. You have a part to play in the Body of Christ. And when we cooperate, we get more done together than we could ever get done by ourselves. There is an attitude that we’re doing it for Jesus Christ. There are many people in this church today not because of one of us, but because of several of us reaching out to make a difference.
Now, the fourth and deepest level of fellowship in the family of God is what called "Kinship." Kinship literally means your closest relationships. David and Jonathan had a kinship between them. Kinship -- the deepest level, is loving believers like family; treating and loving believers like they’re family. You’re completely committed to them. Have you adopted anyone in the church into your family, who is not a part of your family? If not why not, if not now, then when will you.
The Bible says in Acts 2:42. “They were like family to each other." God says “Well, we’re not just like a family; we are a family.” Romans 12:10 in the Bible says, "Be devoted to each other like a loving family." Now, the word for fellowship in the Bible is the Greek word “koinonia." And the basic root literally means being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ; that is the deepest level of fellowship.
Being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. How many of you know we’re not there yet and we’ve got a lot of work to do. Love is at the heart of kinship. That is saying I’m at the level of being willing to sacrifice for you. You see, many of you know John 3:16, "God so loved the world," but you don’t know First John 3:16. That one is just as important as John 3:16. It says this there on your outline, "We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And we ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters." This is the deepest level of fellowship; sacrificing for each other. It’s the kind of love Jesus Christ had for you. He died for you.
How do you get to this deepest level of kinship? Well, you do it by standing with other believers when they are going through a crisis. When everybody else walks out, you walk in; you’re there for them in the tough times. You make yourself and your resources available to help out. We all have something we can sacrifice for somebody else.
Friends, this is what life is all about, loving God and learning to love each other. If you miss this, you have missed the purpose of your life. Because life is not about accomplishments. It is about relationships. You were put on this earth to know God and love Him, and to know His family and love them, because that’s whom we’re spending eternity with.
When people are in the hospital dying they do not spend their last moments saying “Bring me my diplomas. I want them close to me.” Nobody says, “Bring me my trophies.” Nobody says, "Bring me the gold watch I got at retirement." Nobody says, "Bring me my fubu outfit or a picture of my lexus." It is in those final moments they talk about what matters most, and they say, “Bring me my family and friends.”
One day, one day you’re going to figure out that what really matters in life is knowing God and having close family and friends. I hope it doesn’t take that long. I hope you don’t discover that at the last moment of your life. I hope you discover it now and begin to fellowship as God intended for us, because life is all about love.
Loving God, that’s called “Worship,” and loving each other, that’s called “Fellowship.” The Bible says this in John 13, Jesus said, “Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” You see, what we want Glenville New Life Community Church to be known for is not our size, not our sermons, not our singing, not our broadcasts, not our remodeling, not our new life center , but our love. We want people to say, “That’s the place where they love each other,” because that’s what Christianity is all about, loving God and loving each other. People are looking for family and that’s what we have to be about at our very core.
How do you know if you’re in God’s family? How do you know personally? Let me read you three verses that will test if you’re really a Christian or not. Listen to this, right from the Bible. 1 John 3:10, "Anyone who does not love other Christians does not belong to God." That’s the Bible. 1 John 4:20, "Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen."
1 John 3:14, "But if we love our Christian brothers, it proves that we have passed from death to eternal life." That’s the proof.
The greatest privilege you will ever be offered in life is a privilege of being a part of God’s family. It’s a place to learn to love real people, not ideal or perfect people, but real people with some flaws, mistakes, and messups in life. Nobody in your small group is ideal and has it all together in life and neither do you. We learn to love real people, and that’s what God put us on earth to do.
So let me ask you a couple relevant questions: which of these levels of fellowship are you at? Have you even made it to the first one, choosing to belong? Are you still floating around from church to church to church and attend here and attend there? You’ve never gotten committed. You’ve never gotten into membership. You need to choose a churchIf you haven’t done that, that’s your next step.
Then you need to learn to share. And where do you do that? In a small group. You don’t learn to share in a place like this. Then you need to not just share your heart, you need to do your part. That’s partnership. Find your niche. Find your place to give back, to make a contribution. If you’re in the family of God, you have some family responsibilities. God expects you to do your part in the family. You don’t just slide along while everybody else does theirs.
Then you move to this deepest level. Are there any other believers that know you are devoted to them? That you’re going to be there for them in their crisis? Even more basic question is, are you a part of the family of God? You say, “Well, isn’t everybody a part of the family of God?” No. Everybody is created by God, but not everybody is a child of God. You have to choose to be a part of God’s family. God gave us one condition, the last verse on your outline. "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” You can do that today.
Let’s bow our heads.
You know, Lord , next to salvation, the greatest gift you have ever given us is the opportunity to be a part of your family. Thank you that we don’t have to go through life disconnected and isolated. Thank you for creating the Glenville family for all of us.
Now, you pray. Say, "Dear God, I want to be a part of your family and I want to learn to love my spiritual family just like you do. Forgive me for taking it casually. I want to grow in the levels of fellowship, so today I’m choosing to belong. I’m not going to float around anymore. I want to learn to share and make time to develop real friendships. I want to do my part in the family of God. I want to learn to love other believers like brothers and sisters. Teach me the meaning of real love. In your name I pray, Amen.”
