Family of God - Matt 12:46-50

Jesus and His Sent Ones

University Art Course... unusual exercise

The professor brought a bag of lemons to class. She passed out the lemons and the class members thought, “we are going to draw the lemons or maybe a bowl of lemons.” Instead, she began to give a lecture about some artsy dynamic... perspective or shading or whatever. The students were surprised as they thought she had made a mistake, like the absent minded professor.

But at the end of the class, the professor said, “Oh yes, your lemons. For the next two days, you are to keep your lemon with you at all times. Day and Night. It must be in your possession, never stored away. Eat with it, sleep with it, shower with it. It never leaves your sight. You are dismissed.

Two days later, the students came back to class. At the beginning of class, the professor walked around the room and gathered the lemons into a bag. The professor walked to the front of the room and poured the twenty some lemons onto a table and asked the students to find their lemon.

Surprisingly, nearly every student did, without difficulty.

Before this exercise, like you, these students had been familiar with lemons,

but in their time together, they had come to know their lemon.

In the early days of CenterPoint, our leadership team discussed what we wanted to see formed through our ministry. What were we asking God to produce through our church?

We wanted to reach people

We wanted to fulfill Jesus’ call to make disciples

We wanted to be faithful in what God wanted for His church.

We landed at 3 things: Intimacy with God, Community with Others, Influence in our World

Intimacy with God is not the same as Familiarity with God.

I know the general plot line, I know the stories, I know the Biblical principles.

And that may be your problem.

Many people are familiar with God, but they are not intimate.

· Many people are familiar with Other people, but they are not intimate

· Many spouse are familiar, many parents are familiar, many children are familiar, neighbors, church members, friends...

· Familiar can be the venom that kills Intimacy.

Familiarity and Intimacy have a value in life... but they are not substitute for one another.

· Familiarity is inescapable. Familiarity happens accidentally.

· Intimacy is hard to come by. Intimacy happens deliberately.

· Its true in marriage, friendship, churches... and our relationship with Jesus.

Huge Difference

The Difference between knowing of Jesus AND knowing Jesus

The Difference between believing in God AND believing God

The Difference between living in a community AND living in community

Intimacy requires effort

Intimacy requires an exchange

Intimacy requires honesty and transparency

Intimacy requires exposing the hurt and the desire and the weakness and pain of your heart

Intimacy with your friends, children, spouse... and you should… but today - Intimacy with Jesus Christ.

About the intimacy of friendship between believers, C.S. Lewis said,

“Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another,

“What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.”

Matthew 12:46-50

I. Jesus is Fully Human (vs. 46)

Matthew 12:46 ESV

While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.

1. Knows Human Relationships

Understand the Nature of Jesus - How he is fully God and Fully Human - Hypostatic Union - Athenasius 325 AD, the great African Theologian in the early church

Fully Human

Family - father, mother, brothers, sisters

Human Experience - tired, hungered, laughed, cried, born, bled, died

Miraculous Conception - conceived in the womb of Mary by a miraculous work of God’ Spirit, without father -

Fully Human, without inherited sin from Adam

No legal guilt, not moral corruption

Fully Human, Fully God

2. Experienced Human Rejection

Mark 6:3 names brothers and mentions sisters: James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude; James - became key leader in the church in Jerusalem; Jude - wrote a book of the Bible

Mark 6:3 ESV

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Mark 3:20-21 Jesus had lost his mind and had come to take him home

Mark 3:20–21 ESV

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

John 1:12 His own people did not receive him

John 1:11–12 ESV

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

John 7:5 His own brothers did not believe him

John 7:5 ESV

For not even his brothers believed in him.

3. Understands Human Struggle - Hebrews 2:16-17

Hebrews 2:17–18 ESV

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Intimacy with Christ brings the Comfort that we so Desperately Need

Mediator between man and God -

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Sympathize with our Temptation -

Hebrews 4:15–16 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Remind me you’re here by Jason Gray

None of my pain has ever caught You by surprise Still it’s hard to trust You when I’m lost in the wondering why But I’ll trade every question just to lay down and rest in Your heart And I’ll reach for Your hand, though You led me here into the dark

If it’s random or providence neither are a comfort to me Are You cruel if You planned it or weak if You allowed it to be? Half of me is still believin’, the other half is angry and confused Oh, but all of me is desperate and longing to be held by You

So I won’t ask You for reasons ‘Cause a reason can’t wipe away tears No, I don’t need all the answers Just be here beside me Father, remind me You’re here Here

Do you interact personally with Jesus as Fully Human?

II. Offers you a New Family (vs. 48-49)

Matthew 12:48–49 ESV

But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

Not Jesus rejecting of His family, but sharing a new spiritual family. A family that lasts.

Spiritual roots can be in fact deeper and longer than genealogical roots

New Birth.

Repentance / Faith > New Birth > Supernaturally Born from Above

John 3:3 ESV

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Born Again > Family of God

Identification with death / resurrection

Provided forgiveness

Accepted into relationship with God

Given a new identity

Accepted as God’s child

Granted fully Adoption.

Theology of Divine Adoption

Originally born into a different family, God makes a willful and costly decision to bring us into His family

No Clearer than Romans 8:15-23

Romans 8:15–17 ESV

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Father Promise

Promised Intimacy (abba), Presence (spirit bearing witness), Future (heirs)

Universally True of all New Creatures

Sons and Daughters of God are by implication brothers and sisters of one another

Matthew 28:10

Sibling Rivalry

Horizontal Relationships In a Sin Cursed World, Like the Vertical Relationship… we can on experience a taste for now.

Only experience a foretaste of Glory

Mercy for the Challenges: Forgive one another, bear with one another, spur one another

Grace toward One Another: Greet one another, encourage one another, love one another

Do you accept yourself as Fully Accepted?

Do you Fully Accept your New Family Members?

III. Produces New Family Traits (vs. 48-50)

Matthew 12:48–50 ESV

But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus identifies the New Family Members - brother, sister, mother… includes women

Two Criteria for Families

1. Disciple of Jesus

Disciple - One who patterns their thoughts, emotions, will, and life upon another

Called to Walk as Jesus Walked (1 John 2:6); Walk in his steps (1 Peter) and to imitate God (Eph 5:2)

True family members of God will reveal God’s ways… The New Family Traits will be seen

Perfection, but direction

2. Does the Will of the Father

Matthew 7:20–21 ESV

Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

John 6:29 ESV

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

John 15:14 ESV

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Ephesians 5:1–2 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.