Family in the Kingdom of Heaven

Introduction

In 1974 While Leonardi Di Vanci’s famous Mona Lisa painting was traveling it made a stop in Toyko where a 30 year old woman attempted to spray paint all over the art. This beautiful and highly treasured piece of art was marred by paint. The headlines the next morning read “A priceless work attacked”.

Today church family we are going to look at a priceless picture that our heavenly father has beautifully created that isn’t just currently under attack but always has been. Today we are going to look at the Family. As we come to the last week in our foundations series we are going to examine what a family looks like in the Kingdom of heaven. And not just what it looks like but what benefits a Kingdom Family bring to you and me.

This priceless picture that the Lord has created has always been under attack because it seems to be restrictive and holds no benefit but as we will see today church the family and marriage and one of God’s biggest blessings to you and me

Family Brings Order

Week of VBS and noticing Children desiring order.

We all desire order. God gives order

The foundation of order begins in the home. When city, state, country and world order is broken there is a root we can look to and it is the break down of family that will cause this order to fail

How does God instruct the family order to look?

Genesis 2:18, 21-22

The first order God establishes for the family is for man and woman be companions for one another.

God saw it was not good for man to be alone because man could not do ALL alone.

The order, the structure that family brings so often moves astray when the roles that God set aside for those in the family are not merely unaccepted but not embraced and held with pride.

Men: You are the head of the family just as Christ is the head of the church

Ephesians 5:23, 25, 28

Elevate your wife’s needs above your own. (Jesus on the cross)

Embody the life of Christ for wife to follow. (Jesus was always teaching his disciples)

Exhibit overflowing grace. (Jesus always withholds punishment we rightly deserve)

Women

Embrace peace in submission. God didn’t call you to go with the flow. He called you to have life in abundance. There is a peace that accompanies submitting to a husband who loves you as Christ loves his own church. Women are not called to be “yes men” but rather helpers. Men could not be men without the role of his wife.

Empower your husband through prayer. Your husband will fail you in his leadership. You must ask for holy spirit intervention, wisdom, and strength for him to lead you and your family well.

This order does not mean women are less valuable then men.

Galatians 2:28

Men and women share the same value in different roles

Man and wife are to raise and disciple children.

Family Brings Unity

We just read in Genesis 2 that God created Adam a partner because he was lonely. God designed the family to give us a feeling of unity and joy in that unity.

I love sports because of the unity it brings.

The unity of the family displays for a fallen world a picture of how Christ and the church. To see a tangible picture of what Christ’s love looks like non believers should be able to examine our families and say, “I am signing up for a love like that”

They serve one another

They show grace to one another

They change for one another

Unity between man and wife is an important not just when we display it

Unity between husband and wife allows the marriage to work how God intended it.

For many spouses the unity is broken because intimacy is broken

Intimacy allows to you to serve your spouse and brings you joy.

For many in this room family means chaos and hurt instead of unity and joy

2 Corinthians 5:17 CSB

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

You can begin today creating unity in your house. You can Begin today displaying unity

Be Patient

Be Kind

Do not envy

Do not be arrogant

Do not be rude

Put others first

Do not be irritable

Do not keep a record of wrongs

Rejoice in truth

Bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things.

If we can commit to those as a family we will remain unified

Family Brings Godliness

Everything we do is in pursuit of godliness including having families.

We are in constant pursuit of godliness, to become more like Christ. It is why we tithe, it is why we pray, it is why we fast, it is why we study his word. To become more like him. In the way we approach family, we do so with a pursuit of godliness. Children you honor your father in mother in pursuit of Godliness.

Spouses, you love your spouse in pursuit of godliness

Parents, most importantly on this topic, we have children in order to pursue godliness.

We are called to go and multiply. Why?

Psalm 127:5 CSB

Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them. They will never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.

Children are a blessing to us but also our biggest responsibility. In the great commission Jesus states

Matthew 28:19 CSB

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

My biggest role as a dad is to disciple my kids. When i do so i become more like Christ.

Conclusion

1974 in Tokyo was not the first time the Mona Lisa was vandalized nor was it the last. No as recently this January the beautiful creation was being marred. However someone comes, cleans it up and it keeps on traveling and being shown off.

Church, the kingdom’s definition will be under attack as long as sin exist so it is our job to find joy in it’s command and lean on our father in order to find strength to live it out.