Formed For Gods Family
Formed For God’s Family
Hebrews 2:10-11
We're continuing in our series on 40 Days of Purpose. Recently, Adelina Dominguez died in San Diego. She was the oldest living American at 114 years of age. When she was asked the secret of her longevity, she said, "I knew God had a purpose for my life."
Now, we're in this 40 days series on God's purpose for your life. Last week, we looked at His first purpose, which is to get to know Him and to love Him. The Bible calls that worship because you were planned for God's pleasure. And today, we're going to look at the 2nd purpose, which is you are formed for God's family. Hebrews 2:10-11 says, "God is the one who made all things, and all things are for His glory. He wanted to have many children share His glory." God wanted a family. That's why we're here. He wanted children. So, He planned the universe so we could be born, share in His glory, and be part of His family. V.11 “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ." This entire book, is the story of God building a family. That's what it is all about. It is an eternal family. You were made to last forever.
So, God wants you to begin to focus and start practicing on His 2nd purpose for your life in I Peter 2:17 "Love your spiritual family." That's what God wants you to do. You see, God says I want you to learn to love the people in your family. Why? Well, there are several reasons. 1st, your physical family is going to eventually fall apart. But your spiritual family is going to go on forever. So you're going to spend more time with your spiritual family than you do with your physical family. So, God wants you to learn to love them.
Why does He want us to learn to love them? 3 reasons: 1. It makes us more like God, because God is love. 2. God wants His children to learn to get along together. Do you parents want your kids to get along with each other? And 3. It’s practice for eternity. In eternity, you're going to love God. And you're going to love the other believers that are there. It is going to be a place of love. So God says, “I want you to practice now learning to love other believers.” So:
My second purpose in life is Fellowship.
That's the word that the Bible uses to describe loving each other. This word, like the word we looked at last week, Worship, is often misunderstood. If I went out and asked people on the street, “What do you think of when I say the word ‘fellowship’?”, some would say a casual conversation, some would say eating out together, some might say going to church. After this service is over, there will be a couple guys out on the front walk, and they will be talking and one of them will say, "Hey, how about them 49ers?” And a guy will go "Well?" "You doing okay?” "Yeah, I’m doing okay.” "Well, we'll see you next week." "Okay, see you next week. Nice fellowshipping with you.”
Now, did they just fellowship? No! They just chewed the fat. They were just talking. That's not fellowship. “Fellowship is loving God's family.” I John 4:21 says, "The person who loves God must also love other believers." We have to love other believers. How do you do that? The Bible gives us clear instructions in 1 Timothy 3:14-15 Paul said, "I’m writing so that you'll know how to live in the family of God. That family is the church." Notice the word "family” and the word "church," because the church is a family. It is not a building; not an institution; not an organization; or a club. It is a family. A lot of people say, “I’m going to go to church,” as if church is a place you go to. That's not correct. Church is not a place you go to, it’s a family you belong to. And in God's family there are four levels of fellowship:
Level 1 is Membership: Choosing to belong.
That's the most basic level. It means you find a church family and you choose, you choose to get connected to it. Look at Ephesians 2:19. "You are members of God's very own family and you belong in God's household with every other Christian." The Christian life is not just a matter of believing. It is matter of belonging, and we choose to belong. When you were born, you automatically became a part of the human race. But you have to choose to belong to the family of God, the church. It is a choice. It is a membership choice.
Some people say, “Well, I’m a Christian, but I don't want to belong to any church.” That's like saying, “I’m a football player, but I don't want to be a part of any team.” It doesn't work. That's like saying, I’m a soldier, but I don’t want to be a part of a platoon. A Christian without a church family is an orphan. God meant us to be a part of a family
This week in the Purpose Driven Life book, we're going to read six reasons why you need to be a part of a church family. Romans 12:5 says, “In Christ we who are many form one Body, and each member belongs to all the others." I know the word "membership," is a funny word to some of us. But did you know that this word originally was a Christian word that came right out of these verses in the Bible? I know that today it is used for being a member of every kind of club and signing up for this and joining that. But originally, the meaning was being a member of the Body of Christ. Just like your hand is a member of your body, that's how tightly we're tied to each other. This is about belonging to each other, making the choice to belong to a family.
Did you know, it is only in America that we have floating believers, who go from church to church to church? If you're floating from church to church it's like you were the liver in the Body of Christ, you can't un-attach yourself from one body and try to go attach yourself to another and then to another. If you tried to do that, if you did that with an organ, it would shrivel up and die. And the same thing happens to us as believers. We need to attach ourselves to a group of believers, where we’re a part of what's going on. Jesus loves the church. And you and I need to have the same kind of love the body of Christ.
What if I said to you, “You know, I love you, I just can't stand your body”? How would you feel about that? The church is Jesus' body. He loves the church. The church is the bride of Christ. What if I said, “I love you, but I can't stand your wife,” how would you like that?
The church is the bride of Christ. And because Jesus loves the church, so you and I need to have that same kind of love for this body by choosing to belong. There is a symbol of that, of the fact that we belong, it is called "baptism." 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, "This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized. Each of us is now a part of His resurrection Body." It is a public way of saying, “I am part of a group of believers and I am excited to belong to this group of believers.” Romans 6:3 (Msg.) says, "That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus." So baptism is a public way of saying, we died to an old way of life; we're living to a new way of life.
A picture of this is like the wedding ring of the Christian life. This wedding ring that I am wearing doesn't make me married. But Donna, my wife, gave it to me as a visible symbol of a commitment of my heart. That's what baptism is. It is visible symbol of the commitment of a person's heart, saying I’m not ashamed to tell the world that I believe in Jesus Christ.
Level 2: Friendship: Learning to share. You were created in God's image, so you were made for relationships. The Bible says, “It is not good for man to be alone.” So, you need friends. Acts 2:44 says, "All the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other." Notice "met together," and "shared." Notice two things: 1. You can't develop friendships without meeting together; and 2. You can't develop friendships without sharing. Now, the more frequently you meet together, the closer you're going to get. Do you ever see some people that have really deep friendships; they have long-term friendships, 20, 30 years? You go, How lucky they are to have a deep friend like that. It is not luck at all. It is a choice. You choose to develop friendships by making time for them. Do you know why most people are lonely? They don't make time for friendships. They are too busy achieving; and working; and doing other things. They are not willing to put the time into it. You have to meet together. And until you start saying this is going to be a priority in my life, you're not going to develop any deep friends. It is a choice. It says, “they shared everything."
Most parents know one of the fundamental lessons children have to learn is to share. And God says “In the family of God I want you to learn to share with other believers.” What are we supposed to share? 1. We're to share our experiences. The Bible says people learn from one other “just as iron sharpens iron." Have you ever heard "its wise to learn from experience?” Well, it is wise to learn from the experiences of other people, because you don't have time to make all the mistakes yourself. You see, if everything you learn in life you learn personally by trial and error, you're going to go through a lot of problems unnecessarily and about the time you figure it all out, you're dead. You don't have enough time to learn everything on your own. So God says you can short-circuit and learn a lot quicker if you learn from the experiences of others. Think of all the wealth of knowledge sitting here right now in this church family in this service, and how much we could learn from each other if we just spend the time to get together.
2. We're to share our homes. I Peter 4:9, "open up your homes to each other." It doesn't say if they are really nice, open them up. It just says open them up. Why are we to share our homes? Because, you can only fellowship in a small group. We're not going to do much fellowshipping here today. We can worship, learn, and celebrate together. But little fellowship will take place in this service. You're going to walk out of here not knowing anybody better than you do right now. Fellowship only takes place in the small group. And that's why the Bible says open up your homes to each other. That's where you really get to know people.
Did you know in the first 300 years of Christianity, there were no church buildings? All church meetings were held in homes. There were no buildings. And that was the fastest period of growth for the church. One of the reasons we keep saying, “Go get in a small group” is because that's a Biblical principle. Christians are supposed to meet in homes. I read that they discovered one of the reasons why the sense of community is not strong in suburban areas. They said the major culprit is garage door openers. Because when you come home, you open up the garage door; you pull in; you close it and walk in your house without ever seeing your neighbor.
How many of you are in a 40 Days of Purpose small group? That's the church in action. Let's be a little honest. How many of you would say, “The first time I ever went to a small group, I was a little nervous”? Sure, because you didn't know what was going on, you had all kinds of fears. A group I’d like to honor is the hosts that opened up their homes for all of us. If you're a host, would you stand up and let us just appreciate you right now, Thank you, guys.
Now, I knew that when we started to do this, a lot of you would have some fears. We made a little video that kind of captures the most typical fears of going to small group. Watch this.
The Bible says we need to learn to share. And where do we learn to share? Not in a big group, but in a small group. That's why you are really not going to feel a part of the Faith family until you get in a small group.
3. We're to share our problems. We're not meant to face our problems alone. The Bible says, “Share each other's troubles and problems.” You know when you share a joy, it is doubled; and when you share a problem, it is cut in half? The Bible says, “Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.” Sometimes in a small group you die of laughter and sometimes you're all shedding a tear. Why? Depends on what is going on in your group during the week. You don't have to fix everybody's problem. God hasn't told you to do that. It just says share them. This means lend a listening ear. You don't have to fix. In fact, a lot of times, trying to fix a problem doesn't help. It’s just sitting there and going, “Boy I feel for you,” “Been there,” “I understand,” “That's tough.” You know, and it is just sharing sympathy and experience.
But, you're never going to go to this second level of fellowship until you get into a small group. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together. Instead, let us encourage one another.” The primary purpose of a group is to encourage each other. And it says, “Don't give up the habit." I hope you'll never give up this habit some of you are starting for the first time this 40 days, because you're always going to need encouragement.
Now, some of you tried a group and to be honest, you didn't feel like you really fit. So what do you do? Just try another one! Okay? Don't give up.. We have about 13 groups going and so if you don't fit – well, maybe you just found a dorky one; okay? Get in a good one, alright?
Did you buy the first house you looked at? I doubt it. Did you marry the first person you dated? I doubt it. So, I give you permission to try another group. You are not stuck, okay? You just need to find the right place. If you're still not in a group, it is not too late yet. We actually still have a lot of groups that are still open and looking for people to join. Go to the table…
3. Partnership is doing my part. Partnership is realizing that I’ve got a contribution to make; that the family of God needs you. Listen, God did not bring you to Faith to sit and soak in some spiritual spa. That's not why you're here. He brought you here to serve. He wants to make a difference through your life. In every family there are family responsibilities. You divide up the chores, being part of that family, as you do your part, you do your part, and you do your part. This is God's family. And every one of us has a part. There are 58 times in the New Testament the Bible says we serve one another. We love one another. We pray with one another. The Bible even says we have to put up with one another when we're doing all of this. This is love in action. Not just in words. That is what level three is all about.
1 Corinthians 3:9. "We are partners working together for God." Notice the word "partners." We're partners working together for God. Paul once wrote to some people and said "we're partners spreading the good news of Christ everywhere." In Greek, "fellowship" is often translated “partnership.” That's how close these two words are. Some of you guys maybe had a dream of being a part of a team that went to the super bowl or won the World Series. You're part of the greatest team there ever was in the church. What we do is going to last forever. Ever want to be a partner in a great business that went to the top of the Fortune 500? In the church, we are part of the greatest enterprise that ever existed. We get to be part of God's plan for the universe. That's what it is all about, when we cooperate and participate together in the family of God.
But in order to be a part, you've got to find your niche. The Bible tells us we all have a niche. Look at Ephesians 4:16 “The whole body is fitted together perfectly.” This is God's job; he does this. "…As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole Body is healthy and growing and full of love." Noice those words "each part." That's you, that's me. We are a part of God's body. And it is working together that we get things done. How many of you are baseball fans here? The Anaheim Angels are not a team of standout superstars. In fact, if I had asked you to name some Angels, you would have said Micahel, or Gabriel. I don't know many Angels players because there are not a lot of recognizable names. But they’re in the playoffs by working together, by everybody doing their part.
You have a part to play in the Body of Christ. And when we cooperate, we get more done together than we could ever get done by ourselves. There is an attitude, a heart attitude that is key to me, to you, to all of us, that we're doing it for Jesus Christ.
Mother Teresa spent her life working, as many of you know, with the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India. And she was once asked, "How do you handle all the death and disease on a daily basis? And her answer was, “Every person I bathe, every person I bandage, I imagine seeing the face of Jesus and I do it for Him.” That's the attitude that's behind this. It’s the attitude of Matthew 25:40, "Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are the members of my family, you did it to Me." So I encourage you, look for a practical need in your group to meet this next week and watch what it does for your relationship for your fellowship with one another.
Now, the deepest level of fellowship in the family of God is what I call "Kinship." Now, kinship is an old term. We don't use it much anymore. In fact, when I say “kinship” or “kinfolk,” some of you think of this: sing: Music theme from “Beverly Hillbillies” “Come n’ listen to a story of a man named Jed...”,
But that's not what we're talking about. Kinship literally means your closest relationships. When somebody has an accident, they say, “Notify the next-of-kin”, and they don't mean go find Aunt Ethyl. They mean you find the person who is closest to them, you go get the person that matters most to them, and you bring them right now because they are kin. The Bible says that's the kind of attitude we should have. That kinship the deepest level, is…
4. Kinship: loving believers like family. That’s treating and loving believers like they’re family. You're completely committed to them. Acts 2:42. “They were like family to each other." God says “Well, we're not just like a family; we are a family.” Romans 12:10 says, "Be devoted to each other like a loving family." The word for fellowship in the Bible is the Greek word “koinonia." And the basic root literally means being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ; that is the deepest level of fellowship. That is kinship. That is saying I’m at the level of being willing to sacrifice for you. Many of you know John 3:16, "God so loved the world," but you don't know 1 John 3:16. It says, "We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And we ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters."
This is the deepest level of fellowship; sacrificing for each other. It's the kind of love Jesus Christ had for you. He died for you.
In the Bible it talks about the fellowship of suffering. And, frankly, here in America, we Christians know nothing about this level of fellowship. Overseas a lot of them do, because they are being persecuted. Did you know that all around the world, over ten million Christians die every year, mostly in either communist or Muslim countries, simply for being Christians. They are laying down their lives for each other, as brothers and sisters in the family of God. Now, we're not persecuted like that in America, so it is hard for us to experience this deepest level of fellowship where you're actually giving your life for a brother or sister in the family of God.
So how do you do that? How do you get to this deepest level in America? Well, you do it by standing with other believers when they are going through a crisis. When everybody else walks out, you walk in; you're there for them in the tough times.
Ed and Merry Testimony
Friends, this is what life is all about, loving God and learning to love each other. If you miss this, you have missed the purpose of your life and I pity you. Because life is not about accomplishments. It is about relationships. You were put on this earth to know God and love Him, and to know His family and love them, because that's whom we're spending eternity with. As a pastor, I have been at the bedside of many people as they were dying. In all of those situations where I’ve been there at the side as people were taking their last breath, I have never once had anybody say, “Bring me my diplomas. I want them close to me.” Nobody says, “Bring me my trophies.” Nobody says, "Bring me my palm pilot." It is in those final moments they talk about what matters most, and they say, “Bring me my family and friends.” One day, you're going to figure out what really matters in life, is knowing God and having close family and friends. I hope you discover it now and begin to fellowship as God intended, because life is all about love.
Loving God, that's called “Worship,” and loving each other, that's called “Fellowship.” In John 13, Jesus said, “Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” It wasn't too long after Jesus said this that the Roman Empire was throwing Christians to the lions in coliseums for several hundred years. They were putting them up on stakes and burning them and they were crucifying them and all other kinds of things. And in that period of time, one of the most famous secular historians, not a Christian, wrote this about Christians: “Behold, how they love each other." You see, what we want Faith Church to be known for is not our size, not our sermons, not our singing, not our strategy, not our buildings, but our love. We want people to say, “That's the place where they love each other,” because that's what Christianity is all about, loving God and loving each other.
How do you know if you're in God's family? How do you know personally? Let me read you three verses that will test if you're really a Christian or not. Listen to this, right from the Bible. 1 John 3:10, "Anyone who does not love other Christians does not belong to God." That's the Bible. 1 John 4:20, "Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen." 1 John 3:14, "But if we love our Christian brothers, it proves that we have passed from death to eternal life." That's the proof.
The greatest privilege you will ever be offered in life is a privilege of being a part of God's family. Some of you grew up in homes that didn't have a lot of love. And, honestly, you don't know how to love. In fact, I have come to the conclusion after pastoring for all these years; most people don't have the slightest idea how to love. The only love they know how to do is sexual love, romantic love. They don't know any other kind of love. So we have to be taught, and the family of God is where you learn to love real people, not ideal people. Nobody in your small group is ideal and neither are you.
So let me ask you a couple relevant questions: which of these levels of fellowship are you at? Have you even made it to the first one, choosing to belong? Are you still floating around from church to church to church and attend here and attend there? You've never gotten committed. You've never gotten into membership. You need to choose a church. You need to take Class 101 if you're going to come here. We'll be teaching it again soon. You need to be baptized and say, “I’m not ashamed.” That's the most basic level. If you haven't done that, that's your next step.
Then you need to learn to share. And where do you do that? In a small group. You don't learn to share in a large group. Then you need to not just share your heart, you need to do your part. That's partnership. Find your niche. Find your place to give back. If you're in the family of God, you have some family responsibilities. God expects you to do your part in the family. You don't just slide along while everybody else does theirs.
Then you move to this deepest level. Are there any other believers that know you are devoted to them? That you're going to be there for them in their crisis? Even more basic question is, are you a part of the family of God? You say, “Well, isn't everybody a part of the family of God?” No. Everybody is created by God, but not everybody is a child of God. You have to choose to be a part of God's family. God gave us one condition, the last verse on your outline. "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” You can do that today.
