Flourishing Family
Notes
Transcript
What do I want them to know? We are a family and there are rules for flourishing
Why? It leads to flourishing
What do I want them to do? Seek we not me then to turn to be in the life restoring and life lifting
Why? It leads to life
What do I want them to feel? Encouraged and empowered
ME/WE
In every flourishing family there are “family rules” or “family guidelines”…it is not chaos or lets cross our fingers and hope this works
No, in every flourishing family there are family guidelines, rules to follow
What are some of the family family rules or family guidelines that a flourishing family has? Our family is going to follow these rules, these guidelines
Will show respect in this family, we will not talk down to each other or use harsh words, or slander,
We will pick up after ourselves and not leave trash everywhere
We will do our part, fulfill our family role....we will not say that is for mom to do or dad to do or my brother to do....but we will do our part
Why do we have family rules or guidelines?
To mean and restrictive
No to keep us in the lane of flourishing and goodness and life and love
They are not for harm but to keep in the lane of goodness
TENSION
In a similar way there are family rules, guidelines, instructions to the family of God.
Quick review, reminder we are a family…when God sees us and address us, He addresses us as a family.
The church is not a business where each one of us are follow employees to each other and have bosses over us.
The church is not a country club where people have to pay their dues to belong.
Nor it is just a gathering of people
The church is a family of brothers and sisters in Christ with one dad, God. God is our Father.
God our Father lays out some family rules that Paul outlines in Galatians 5:26-6:10.
Paul lays out 6 family guidelines/rules that the family of God does for each other.
To lead us to life and Godly flourishing
We talked about the first one 2 weeks ago.
Anybody remember?
Gal 5:26
We are not to be conceited “glory hungry”
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
We are not to be people who seek our own glory, be about me, seek significance, like the rest of the world, that’s about me and mine!
Why? Why shouldn’t we be glory hungry like the rest of the world?
That’s what every one is doing!
Glory hungry hungry people often tear others down to build themselves up....I am going to do whatever I can to get ahead and back in the day....even killing people…dog eat dog world
We do not need to be glory hungry…WHY???
We have received the GREATEST GLORY and HONOR that God call us His own, His name is written upon us, and one of the place GOD’S GLORY DWELLS is in us.
WE are FULLY KNOWN AND LOVED BY THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD of LORD…there is no greater glory that you can possible
You are significant because he calls you significant
Therefore to seek a seek a significance, glory means we are actually seeking a GLORY that is LESS than what we already possess
We get to opt of the race the rest of the world is in to be significant because we have already been made signifiant by God....we did not earn it but were given it by the grace of God.
And it not only means we are out of the race of the world but it means when we come to family we do not need to fight for positions of glory because we are all his favorites God show partiality
For God shows no partiality.
We all have a role to play which we will talk about next week and every role is important…and no one is more important than another.
When we understand this we are free and more available to live into the next family guideline, rule, instruction that leads to flourishing.
WHEN WE ARE NOT ABOUT OUR OWN GLORY I CAN BE ABOUT YOU, OTHERS,
2. Families Restore (it restores those who have fallen off the path, been entrapped by sin, who have become broken)
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Paul says if your family member is caught in transgression, the devil got a foothold or a a body-hold, we as a family are not to say
“Well you created this mess and you better figure out how to get out of it”
“That’s your problem not my problem”
“This is my chance to move up and step over you”
“strong eat the weak”
is this what God wants for us
No
Is that how God is with us our DAD our great shepherd. was is with you when you are a lost sheep???
Poor sheep, I hope BEN GETS out JEFF you are going to need to figure it out.....fingers crossed
NO THIS IS NOT WHAT GOD DOES
What does JESUS do when the 1 of the the 100 sheep goes astray does He say well at least I have 99? NO! He leaves the 99 to restore the 1
NO JESUS’ HEART IS MOVED INTERNALLY and EXTERNALLY FOR the LOST SHEEP
Jesus doesn’t just pray but is moved to help the person stuck in sin.
DO WE HAVE THIS SAME REACTION WHEN A FAMILY OF OURS GOES ASTRAY?
Or do we say NOT MY PROBLEM?
Not only are we are we to restore family members God reminds us that we are to do TWO things in the restoring
How are we to restore
1. With a hammer? See I told you this would happen! You are so dumb! Is this how the Father is with the younger son who lives a life of entrenced sin? in the story of the LOST SONS
Hugs him
Restores him
Throws a party
First move is God’s move love and restoration “come home”
we are to restore in GENTILENESS
2. Be careful least you fall too in restorative work
I have witness people who go and try to restore people end up falling in the same trap.
Friend is who has been freed from DRUGS and ALCHOLO tries to get his other friend free by meeting with him at a bar or at the spot they used to do drugs.....and what happens sometimes? that person who came to help restore the person falls into the trap too.
that’s why scripture says it is good many times in the restorative work to go 2 by 2 not 1 on 1.....we go with love
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.
For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
Here is the GOOD NEWS
What happens when we RESTORE
live in the Family Restorative Work
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
RESTORATIVE WORK IS LIFE SAVING WORK
your story, our story, my story do you know what’s in each one of them???
Bill, John, Sarah, Jill,
Who are those people?
People who helped RESTORE YOU
YOU WOULD NOT BE YOU WITHOUT THEM OR WHERE YOU ARE WITHOUT THEM....I think of Robyn, Rick, Moe, Chris, Anthony, and others.
I would not be where I am today without them
THE CHURCH IS A FAMILY THAT RESTORES
Also, this means for some of we need to share that we are entrapped in sin, we need others to help us lay down sin.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
3. Family BEARS ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
This hard concept and reality for those who walk in the ways of the kingdom of this world
The kingdom of this world is about ME AND MINE
me and mine makes no time for you
I do not have time for you because I need to focus on ME and MINE and MY Kingdom
I have to make sure my KINGDOM GROWS and GETS REPAIRED FROM ATTACKS
BUT are we to build our own kingdom? NO
We to seek the kingdom of God be about His kingdom
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
and the good news God’s kingdom THE LAW OF CHRIST IS ABOUT THE OTHER.
IT SAYS TO BEAR ANOTHER’S BURDEN FULFILLS THE LAW OF CHRIST
What’s the law of Christ
What are the two greatest laws of Christ
LOVE GOD, LOVE OTHERS
BUT what does it mean to love OTHERS???
Jesus so beautiful illustrates this in Luke 10:25-37
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
You GOT IT RIGHT
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
I want to show everyone how good I am
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
We don’t know why but this guy is in a bad situation
Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
Priest who’s responsibility as a godly person is take care of the person passes him by, he has no time for this man....HIS BURDEN IS TOO GREAT
So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
SAME THING ANOTHER MAN OF GOD PASSES HIM BY, HE HAD NOT TIME FOR THIS MANS BURDENS
But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
A Samaritan who Jewish were taught were good for nothing because they were half-breeds not fully Jewish....takes care of this mans burdens by bandaging him up and giving the innkeeper two months worth of rent.
Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
This is what it means to fulfill the law of Christ to bear one another’s burdens
This is what the family of God does…the family does not say I don’t have time for you but instead says I HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD FOR YOU
Someone is relationally struggling in their family you help them bear the burden
Someone is financially struggling we help carry the burden
Someone is emotionally struggling with anxiety or worry we help carry the burden.
WE DO NOT WALK ON BY and at best hope someone else helps you.
I really hope someone helps them
let’s look at our own life
If we have been walking with God in community for a decent length of time, what has our Journey been filled with? People who help carried our burdens.
The Smith family bore our burden of financial burden
Charlie he bear my burden of anxiety
Rick bore the burden of my family
I would not be here if these people do not step.
Bearing each others burdens leaves us at 2 Crossroads
our we going to be about my kingdom (which is about me) or seeking God’s kingdom (which is about God, others and me)
The ways of this world
You cannot do both
2. Some of us have burdens (financial, relational, spiritual, emotional) burdens that need the help of the community to bear, but yet no one knows or really knows about them.
You have tried to carry them alone
I’ve been there folks
You prayed and prayed
And tried and tried
No relief
Maybe I need positive thinking…no what we need is biblical thinking
Here is the good possible reason why
You need someone else to carry your burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. and for that to happen you need to tell someone else and to do so means that you will need to swallow your PRIDE your GLORY
This is hard! I have been here....I think I just need a little more strength, but eventually God helps me to say I need help with this burden and do you know what happens???
the burden I have been carrying gets lifted and I am free
The thing I wanted to happen, happen and it only happened when I tried it myself or just prayed.
Sometimes we pray too much and act very little
Sometimes God answers our prayers but we do not like the way they are answered. So we go back to God again and pray again.
God says go tell Sarah, nope, she will think I am weak, we all have struggles this side of heaven.
God is calling to be a family we are to be a family who lifts burdens
US
CHURCH WE ARE A FAMILY, BUT NOT TO BE ANY OLD FAMILY
God is calling us to be a flourishing family, A GODLY FLOURISHING FAMILY
and that happens when we
We are not “glory hungry” about me and mine
Restore family members
Carry each other burdens
When we do that we become the flourishing Godly family