The Forgotten Family - The Church as a Family [Sermon]

Glen Arm, Maryland, USA

October 2020

Recorded during the Covid season

How can the Church be like a family?

1. Common Goal

Psalm 34:3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

Isaiah 43:7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

2. Individual Responsibility

Acts 6: 1-4

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

3. Rules and Freedom

4. Irrational Love and Permanent Disagreements

Matthew 22: 37-39

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Well, how exactly do I love myself? Now that I come to think of it, I have not exactly got a feeling of fondness or affection for myself, and I do not even always enjoy my own society. … Do I think well of myself, think myself a nice chap? Well, I am afraid I sometimes do (and those are, no doubt, my worst moments) but that is not why I love myself. In fact, it is the other way round: my self-love makes me think myself nice, but thinking myself nice is not why I love myself. … In my most clear- sighted moments not only do I not think myself a nice man, but I know that I am a very nasty one. I can look at some of the things I have done with horror and loathing. However much I might dislike my own cowardice or conceit or greed, I went on loving myself. There had never been the slightest difficulty about it. In fact, the very reason why I hated the things (I did) was that I loved the man. Just because I loved myself, I was sorry to find that I was the sort of man who did those things. CS LEWIS, Mere Christianity, “Forgiveness”

Luke 22:24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.

Having disagreements in a family shows a closer bond than one with absolutely no disagreements.

5. Daily Adoption

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord…

Colossians 1:21-22 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you

The church on earth that is truly fulfilling its mission will always be an imperfect church.

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash