Sermon Tone Analysis

*Family:  A Covenant Community*

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Pastor Keith Hassell

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*Foundation Scripture:            Ephesians 3:8-21*

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*I.

The Church:  God’s eternal purpose*

A.        Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Amplified)  /“He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and mind [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages, which nothing under the sun, but only God, can satisfy].”/

B.         What is your supreme purpose for living?

1.

If what you are living for is not worth dying for, then it is not part of your eternal purpose.

C.

We must look at the bigger picture

1.

To understand the purpose of an individual jigsaw puzzle piece, we must see the bigger picture.

Most Christians are pursuing life without a clear sense of the bigger picture.

D.        The Church is God’s eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:10):  /“To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”/

/ /

!! II.

New Testament types of the Church

            A.

Tabernacle ~/ Temple:                Divine Pattern

            B.

New Jerusalem:                        Divine Order

C.        Body:                                       Function

D.        Bride:                                       Relationship to Jesus

E.         Family:                         Relationship to each other

 

!! III.

Developing the Family

            A.

Fatherhood begins with God, not man (Ephesians 3:14-15)

B.         New Testament Terminology:  sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers

C.        The basic ingredient of family is RELATIONSHIP

D.        The foundation of relationship is LOVE (Ephesians 3:17)  /“That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height---to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”/

E.         Romans 14:7  The Kingdom of God is:

            1.

Righteousness:  Right relationship with each other

            2.

Peace:                          Security and trust based on right relationships

            3.

Joy:                              The expression of peace with one another

F.         “FAMILY” is “Covenant Community.”

/Webster’s Dictionary/ defines community as “a society of people having common rights and privileges, common interests, living under the same laws and regulations, having a community spirit.”

G.        Frank Damazio in his book /The Dynamics of Corporate Gathering/    gives the following seven characteristics of covenant community:

1.         Covenant community exists when people are more concerned with the corporate local body than with themselves.

Corporate life becomes more important than the individual’s own pleasure or will.

2.         Covenant community exists when individuals are being knitted, built, framed, and joined together.

This speaks of close, long-lasting, real friendships.

3.         Covenant community exists when the spirit of sacrifice becomes the attitude in which the community meets the needs of all.

4.         Covenant community exists when people want to spend more time together in both spiritual and natural activities:  church services, picnics, camps, home meetings, sports, family activities, such as baby showers, and so forth.

5.         Covenant community exists when the elderly retain proper godly authority throughout their lives and are cherished and respected by the community.

6.         Covenant community exists when the family is in biblical order:  the husband or father taking his rightful place as head of the home; the wife finding fulfillment in the same atmosphere; the children being well disciplined, happy, and secure.

7.         Covenant relationship exists when humanism, selfishness, independence, and isolation are treated as intruding viruses.

They are overcome and destroyed by applying the Word of God so that covenant community may become a reality.

H.

The New Testament principle of “Togetherness”

                        1.         Quickened together                  Ephesians 2:5

                        2.         Raised together                         Ephesians 2:6

                        3.         Seated together                        Ephesians 2:6

                        4.         United as family                        Ephesians 2:19

                        5.         Framed together                       Ephesians 2:21

                        6.         Built together                Ephesians 2:22

                        7.         Joined together             Ephesians 4:16

                        8.         Assembled together                  Hebrews 10:25

                        9.         Acts 1:14         . . .

continued with one accord . .

.

10.

Acts 2:1           . . .

they were all with one accord in one place . .

.

11.

Acts 2:41         . . .

they were added unto them . .

.

12.

Acts 2:44         . . .

all that believed were together . . .

13.       Acts 2:46         . . .

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”

!! IV.       Battling the spirit of Cain (enemy of relationship)

A.        Cain:  The first broken human relationship (I John 3:11-12):  /“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.

And why did he murder him?

Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.”/

1./

/Jude 11  /“Woe unto them, for they have gone the *way of Cain*.”/

/                        /a.

They feel no responsibility to other people.

b.

They have no heart for really protecting their bother or sister from harm.

c.

It says in effect:  /“I don’t need other believers.

I don’t need the church.

I don’t want anyone holding me accountable for how I live my life and I refuse to be responsible for others.”/

2.         The enemy uses the spirit of Cain to destroy all covenant relationships in the body of Christ.

B.         Relationship is the test of God’s love in us (I John 4:20-21):  /“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?/

C.

Sin brings hostility.

Pressure brings it out.

D.

Seven attitudes that overcome the spirit of Cain.

1.         *Acceptance *and *understanding* of each other (Romans 14:1-6)

2.         *Accountability *with each other (Romans 14:7)  /“For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.”/

3.         *Responsibility* concerning each other’s walk (Romans 14:13)  /“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”/

4.         *Sensitivity* to our brother’s weaknesses (Romans 14:15, 17)  /“Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love.

Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.

For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”/

5.         *Edification* that brings a bond of peace (Romans 14:19)  /“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”/

6.         *Consideration* (Romans 15:1-3)  /“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’”/

7.         *Identification *with one another’s problems---past or present (Romans 15:4-7)  /“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus.

That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.”/