Developing a Passion for the Family of God
Various Scriptures
January 23, 2005
Introduction
Families are pretty neat, in my opinion. Some are better than others, there’s no question about that, but overall, I’m pretty glad families exist.
And I hope you are, because you wouldn’t even exist if there weren’t families!
Families were God’s idea, did you know that? He invented them - right in the garden of Eden. He brought Eve to Adam and said, "Here you go. No go forth and multiply."
There are two main types of family: a biological family, and a spiritual family, made up of all who call on the name of Jesus.
Now that’s a pretty huge family, and it’s made up of all sorts of different people.
Red, yellow, black, and white, big, small, short, tall, good-looking, ugly, and in-between.
God is passionate about both types of families. He gives lots of instructions for how to raise a biological family to love God.
And He gives lots of instructions about how to treat the members of the spiritual family, the family of God.
In the spiritual family, we have a Father, and we have a brother. That’s what the Bible calls Jesus. Look with me at Hebrews 2:11 -
Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
Hey - any perfect people in here today? No? And you know what’s cool about that? In spite of the fact that you’re not perfect, Jesus still calls himself your brother.
I just mentioned that the Bible gives lots of direction regarding how we should treat members of the family of God, but the Scripture that sticks out to me the most is this on - Galatians 6:10 - please read this aloud with me.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
That kinda puts it in a nutshell. We are to treat the family of believers like members of our own family - we are to love them.
And when we are in love with the family of God, we can then experience fellowship to its fullest extent.
Jesus says that one of the ways we show our love for him is to show our love for his family.
We read this in our bulletin this morning before our first hymn -
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
You look at a lot of churches today, and you see the pettiness and backbiting that goes on, and you’ll see that it’s no wonder they are not having an impact for Jesus.
So today I want to discuss some ways to enhance the fellowship of the family of God.
And in doing that, I want you to keep a couple things in mind. First, think of these things in terms of a biological family, how you would like to see your family at home treated.
And also think about how you would like to be treated by other members of the family.
I think that’ll help in getting a better grasp on these things.
Let’s dig in and look at how we can develop a passion for the family of God, and enhance that fellowship He so dearly wants us to experience. First...
1. Treat each other with respect.
Respect is one of the hallmarks of society, not to mention one of the hallmarks of the family of God.
Respect is highly prized. People are liked for showing respect, and sometimes killed for not showing it.
And I would guess that everyone here likes to be respected and doesn’t like being disrespected.
Well, Jesus addresses that here in Matthew 7:12 -
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Most of us have grown up hearing that time and time again, but how does it really impact what you do about it? Are you really just as ready to show respect as you are to desire it from others?
If not, that’s not Christlike. We are to show it the same way we want it. That just makes sense, doesn’t it?
What is the basis of this respect? It’s that each person is a unique creation of God himself, made in his image, and for his purposes.
No matter what a person does or says, it doesn’t change this most basic fact.
And so in all our dealings, we need to keep this in mind - when we’re dealing with another person, we’re dealing with the image of God.
It may be majorly tarnished in the life of that person, but it’s there nonetheless.
That person is someone Jesus died for, just like he died for you. And they deserve the same respect you give to other people.
And this is especially important inside the family of God.
Many of us have witnessed families where there is little or no respect for the family members. It’s not a pretty site. The selfishness is rampant, and there is no consideration for the others.
Jesus says that’s not the way the family is supposed to act. He expects us to treat our family members with love.
Take a moment to think about how you treat other members of the family of God. Has it always been with respect? If not, what can you do to begin showing love, starting right now?
If you want to get any joy from being in the family of God, it begins with treating others with respect.
The second way to enhance the fellowship of God’s family is to...
2. Handle conflicts with love.
I’m about to tell you something that you’ve probably never thought of before, but here goes: you will have conflict with other members of the family of God.
Yes, it’s true. I know, I know - you think it won’t happen to you, but it will!
Some of you might be thinking, "I’ve never had a conflict. If there’s a conflict, it’s on their part, not mine. I’m above that kind of pettiness."
No you’re not! In fact, it’s that kind of pride that leads to many types of conflict.
I’ve often said that the hardest thing about the kingdom of God is that it’s made up of people. Imperfect people who are oftentimes selfish, putting their own agendas ahead of others or ahead of God.
Folks, conflict is inevitable. Why? Because nobody’s perfect, and I put myself at the head of the list. Even Paul called himself the "chief of sinners."
People will let you down, and you will let other people down.
So what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to stew, grumble, complain, and gossip, or are you going to do something constructive? The choice is yours.
One of the most constructive things we can do is to approach the person with whom we have a conflict, but it needs to be done in the proper manner.
Look with me at 1 Timothy 5:1-2 -
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
Folks, there is a right way and a wrong way to address hurts and conflict. The wrong way is to be harsh and critical. The right way is to be respectful in bringing up our hurts.
Proverbs 15:1 -
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
One of the most ironic things about people, myself included, is that we can be quick to snap at others, but when someone returns the favor, we get all bent out of shape. And part of the problem is that people tend to respond in the same way they’re talked to.
If someone gets in your face about something, the natural response is to get back in the same way.
Let’s face it: no one likes to be yelled at, right? I know I don’t. And so you can bet that I work hard at holding my tongue. I’m not always successful, I’ll grant you, but thank God, he hasn’t given up on me!
I have made a new rule for myself in dealing with my kids, who have, at times, done or said things that brought me to the point where I ended up yelling at them. As my kids go to sleep, I want the last words they hear from me to be, "I love you."
That’s not always easy, you know why? Because if I’ve just got done yelling at them, I need to confess that and ask for their forgiveness.
I may have been perfectly right in the issue I’ve yelled about, but not in the way I dealt with it. So I can’t tell them I love them unless I’ve cleared the air between us.
When you bring up something to someone, can you do it in a way that makes it easier for you to end the conversation with, "I love you?"
This isn’t to say you should ignore everything, But the Bible says that it is to the glory of the person to overlook and offense.
I am saying that should you feel something needs to be addressed, do it in the way you would want someone to do it to you.
Remember that Golden Rule thingy? It comes into play here, too. Handle conflicts with love.
The third way to enhance the fellowship within the family of God is to...
3. Pray for each other.
I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this one, because this should be pretty obvious to everyone. But I do want to point out something that doesn’t get addressed enough, in my opinion.
3 John 1:2 -
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
I love this verse. It says that I’m praying that God will bless in every area of life.
We often pray for the physical and material needs of people, and that’s good - we need to do that. But when was the last time you prayed for someone’s soul?
I mean a fellow believer here. When was the last time you asked God to prosper someone materially, physically, and spiritually? I confess my laxity in this area, and I’m working now to remedy that.
Pray for each other. Pray that God would protect and prosper his family members.
Here’s the fourth way to enhance the fellowship of the family of God:
4. Protect each other.
In the movie, Cheaper by the Dozen, there’s a scene where one of the younger boys is getting beat up at school after moving to a new town.
When some of the other kids hear about it, they confront the bullies, who then get beat up by the other family members.
The idea? You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.
How many of you grew up in a family like that? You beat him or her up, we’re gonna stomp your face.
Folks, that’s how we should view the family of God - worthy of protection.
Acts 20:28 -
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.
This passage is generally aimed at the leadership of the church, and that’s a good thing. The leadership should be on the watch to make sure the family of God is kept safe from un-biblical teachings and attitudes.
But if you are a parent, an older sibling, or just a friend of someone who is younger than you in the faith, you have a responsibility to keep watch over your family members.
First, we need to watch their back - make sure no one’s trying to stab them in it! Step in when you see them unfairly attacked both within the body of Christ, and outside of it.
Also, when you see someone trying to influence others to accept error or heresy, you need to step in, cautiously pointing out the error, and showing truth that they can act on.
This is hard, I can tell you from personal experience. But isn’t a soul worth it? I think so!
This is why it’s so important that your own faith is on the solid rock of Scripture. If you’re not convinced about the bedrock of your own beliefs, it’s hard to bring others back into the truth.
For instance, if you’re not convinced to the very core of your being that Jesus is the only way to heaven, then you’re going to have a hard time convincing someone who’s decided that it’s okay to chuck Christianity for the sake of another religion.
And that’s dangerous, to say the least.
Just as you would work to protect the members of your biological family, you need to work to protect the members of your spiritual family.
Let’s look now at the fifth and last way to enhance the fellowship of the family of God:
5. Help others join the family.
We’re going to be taking a closer look at this in a few weeks, but I want to touch on it just briefly.
Hey, you know what? The family of God isn’t big enough! We need more people to join the family!
And people only become members of the family by trusting in Christ for forgiveness of their sins and a home in heaven.
Oh and guess how they find out about that? Through you!
Yes, they also find out through the pastor, but there is nothing in Scripture that says the pastor’s supposed to do it all. In fact, the Bible says that part of my job is to help you do the work of ministry, whether it be teaching, ministering to the needs of other people, discipling other people, and yes, telling others about Jesus.
John 1:12 -
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Are you convinced of this? I mean really convinced of this to the core of your being? Really? Then have you made the effort lately to tell someone about it?
Because if this passage is true, then there are thousands of people out there who will spend eternity in hell, unless they hear the good news that there is a way out.
On Wednesday, February 16, the Wednesday night adult study here at the church will be Becoming a Contagious Christian.
I’m extremely excited about this, because the idea behind the class is that everyone is called to reach others for Christ, and that everyone can do it, if they are taught how to do it in a way that matches their own personality style.
I was looking through the materials the other day, and I just about started salivating on the stuff, because I saw that I was looking at probably the best tool out there right now for helping people lead others to Christ.
Norman Cates shared the humorous story of a guy who prayed this prayer every morning: "Lord, if you want me to witness to someone today, please give me a sign to show me who it is." One day he found himself on a bus when a big, burly man sat next to him. The bus was nearly empty but this guy sat next to our praying friend. The timid Christian anxiously waited for his stop so he could exit the bus. But before he could get very nervous about the man next to him, the big guy burst into tears and began to weep. He then cried out with a loud voice, "I need to be saved. I’m a lost sinner and I need the Lord. Won’t somebody tell me how to be saved?" He turned to the Christian and pleaded, "Can you show me how to be saved?" The believer immediately bowed his head and prayed, "Lord, is this a sign?" (SermonCentral.com - Contributed by Richard Crow)
Before we finish this section, let me just tell about a side benefit of helping other people join the family of God, and it’s found in Philemon 1:6 -
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
Want to understand God better? Want to understand better all the wonderful things God has done for you, in you, and through you? Start sharing your faith.
Did you see the phrase, you will have a full understanding of everything we have in Christ? Now how’s that for cool!
Folks, let me tell you that there is nothing like seeing someone come to Christ. It’s wonderful and amazing, and the thrill that goes through your soul is immeasurable.
Some of you here today know that thrill. Some of you don’t. But you can, if you’ll let God use you.
Learn how to share your faith. Bring them to church so they can hear about Jesus here. Do something. But don’t sit in the bleachers just hoping someone else does the job, because they just might not.
Conclusion
Let me read something from Ephesians 5:
"...no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body."
We are to love, feed, and care for the Body of Christ, just as we love, feed, and care for our own physical bodies.
Do you have a passion to love the Body of Christ? If not, then I pray that you will pray to God to give you one.
I hate to tell you this, but you have some imperfections in your physical body. It might be a blemish. It might be a faulty organ. It might be that you just have too much hair on your head. Maybe your teeth are crooked or you have blotches on your skin.
The Bible says that those in Christ will one day have a new body, a perfect one. But that won’t happen until we meet Jesus face-to-face.
You know what? The body of Christ is not perfect, either. It’s got plenty of blemishes and imperfections that won’t go away until the body of Christ is made perfect, when we meet Jesus face-to-face.
The body of Christ is the family of God. And we are to love each other in spite of the blemishes and imperfections.
Treat each other with respect. Handle conflicts with love. Pray for each other. Protect each other. And help others join the family.
It honors God, and it honors people.
Here’s my prayer for you today, fellow members of God’s family:
That you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
Let’s pray.
