Going Back to Go Forward

Introduction

What is Family?

Today: Nuclear family ideal; If that blows up, whomever I choose

Jesus day: Household Family Relationships - in biblical context, includes servants and other non-blood members of household. No such thing as nuclear family. Theme of adoption is strong throughout the bible.

We are born into families where sins and blessings are passed from generation to generation

I’m not going to....like my parents

“I will not trust people in authority.”

“I will not love anyone deeply again.”

“I will not let that happen again.”

Knowing Yourself - why do I do what I do, think what I think (self-awareness)

Come to terms with our past: Break cycles, appreciate and honor the god things and leaving it there. Don’t try to bottle it. It ferments or rots

Gospel, spirit opens us up to go to places of transformation, maturity. Requires a deep look inside, into where we come from (families and major events), and how we treat/relate to other people.

Intervention

Mark 3:31–35 ESV

And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Sitting and Teaching

Circle

Sitting - Mark of distinction, the way rabbi's taught their students. People/crowd/common people sitting with Jesus were likely (by virtue of what he said about them) were his students, learners given a place in his school.

Learning

Who Are You and What Have you Done with My Jesus?

Every Family has one...

Jesus’ mom and brothers Assumed Jesus' family were ready to do an intervention (restrain him by force)

Misunderstanding Jesus’ Ministry

The reason for the misunderstanding was the same in both cases: God’s thoughts and plans run contrary to all natural human inclinations (8:33).

Like Peter and Others

Relationship Shift

This passage is one of Jesus’ very important sayings on discipleship:

A statement of Jesus describing the behavior expected of those who would be his disciples.

From natural/biological and outward to spiritual and Inward

Adelphos/Adelphe

Brother/physical brotherhood - son of the same mother; fellow believer, countryman, neighbor

sister, female sibling; female in the believing community

Spiritual brotherhood/sisterhood

Used interchangeably and simultaneously to talk about the community/family of believers.

Spiritual familyhood:

It describes not hierarchy but our disposition toward one another.

Notice what's missing: Father, dad. Joseph is out of the picture.

The Gospel Overrides Natural Human Relationships

That wasn't going to be the nature of their relationship any longer.

Doing the will of God is what will bind them together.

Body of Christ is your first family.

Values, how you live your live etc is no longer informed by ethnicity, etc but you are now called Christian.

God is your father, new name, and it is idolatry to put anything close to that.

Mother/Siblings

No longer a family claim

No longer a national claim

No longer an ethnic claim

No longer a racial claim

Belonging to Christ: Sibling Disposition/Relationship with One Another

A part of Discipleship is putting off family past and living as a child who has been transplanted into family of God.

Another part of discipleship is breaking the sinful patterns of our families

Biblical values shape our lives

Jesus: You sitting here with me are my family. Why? You are learning to do the will of God.

He said these people are my family.

God changes us in discipleship and puts us back into our family group to transform it.

No Claim to Have A Right to God’s Kingdom Because of Who You Came From

Family

Country

City or Town

Ethnicity or Race

35 - Only one condition for being included in the place of intimacy with Jesus; we must know and participate (as he did) in doing the will of God.

The best and most biblical theology or what we think the bible says is not adequate without acting on it.

We "do theology." Intellectual agreement leads to self-deception.

How to Go Back to Go Forward (Scazzaro)

Reflect on the way we did things back there or we will repeat them

Be Reborn into God’s family

Be brutally honest about the sins and blessings of your family of origin

When biblical teaching clashes with biological family values, God wins.

Find safe relationships in God’s family to help one another

Small steps.

How Can I Be More When I’ve Damaged My Family (Scazzaro)

Break the power of sin and be a blessing: Joseph

Allow Yourself to be broken

Trust in God’s goodness

Grieve

Let God rewrite your story. What he’s given you he means for good so you can be a blessing.

Throwing a scripture on it won’t make it go away

Rewriting: putting off the old (going back) and put on the new (go forward).