Connected as a Family

As we have made our way through this series we have made pledges to be a functioning member of this community.

We have pledged to be a source of unity rather than division.

We have pledged to not let our church be about our preferences but to be focused on serving rather than being served.

And we have pledged to keep my words and my heart honoring to Christ and to pray for your pastor.

Today I want to talk about being connected as a family.

Not just as a the family of God, but also our entire personal family working together to serve the Lord.

I’m talking about leading your family to be Healthy Church Members

In my life I have seen a few real examples of what it is to be a leader both in the home and in the church.

I have been blessed to have been taught by some great mentors.

There have been some that have come along beside me and helped me to be the man that God intended me to be.

But they not only taught with their words, they taught with their lives.

I saw them raise their own children to be come functioning members of their own churches and faithfully serving their local church.

This is how you know it is real!

When it passes to another generation!

In Ephesians 5 we are taught that families are paralleled to the church.

Vs. 22-26

Vs. 32-33

He is talking about the church While he is talking about the family.

Then it continues in chapter 6:1-4 talking about parents and children.

These passages help us to understand that we are supposed to sacrifice and love our families unconditionally.

And since he is truly talking about the church…we are to love our church members unconditionally as well.

Our family members are not perfect, and neither are the members of our church.

We need to use our families as a tool to help our church grow in unity.

And it starts at home.

How can we stay connected as a Family?

I. Pray Together for the Church

Children learn by what you say and do.

And then we often wonder why our children leave the church.

Unfortunately many people go home on Sunday and eat Roast Pastor for lunch.

Children hear the complaints and jabs.

I have seen children come back to church and say things that is well above their understanding and insight because they don’t have the filters that their parents have.

But if instead they see an example of concern and love modeled through prayer for their church and its leaders, they will come with love and concern themselves.

Do you want God’s will to be done in this church? Pray!

Matthew 18:19–20 KJV

19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

As your family grows in the church they will not be blind to the problems and challenges that occur in any church.

But they will learn to love people unconditionally, if that is what you model.

Teaching your children to love the church begins with praying together that our church will please God.

II. Worship together in the Church

As a church member I am responsible to encourage and lead my family to worship together in and out of church.

If you are married, seek to include your spouse.

If you are a parent, seek to include your children.

Let your family see your love for the church and for God as you model worship for them.

Many church members are single, or don’t have any immediate family to worship with.

That’s OK, you still have people watching you and seeing how you love your church.

Be an example.

Being an example is especially important when you have a family member who is not a Christian.

Paul addressed the issue of divorce and separation in 1 Corinthians 7.

He instructed that the believing spouse should never take the initiative to leave the unbelieving spouse .

1 Corinthians 7:10–13 KJV

10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

Paul explains in the next verse that the primary reason for this is that the believing spouse is a testimony of Christ to the unbelieving spouse and to any children in the home.

It can be hard and lonely when you are the only one who worships God in your home.

But do not be disheartened, they are watching.

You are a missionary in your own home.

You did not even need to travel the thousands of miles to your mission field.

Many times someone will come and ask the pastor or someone in the church to pray for their spouse that they would come to the Lord.

I would encourage you to do this, but be sure that you are already praying yourself, everyday…all day long!

Don’t give up!

So we ought to Pray together, we ought to worship together and we ought to Thirdly...

III. Love Together in the Church

As a church member, I am not to just like my church, or serve my church, but I am to fall deeply in love with my church.

Christ is the bridegroom, and the church is his bride.

We are to love each other with an unwavering and unconditional love.

vs 32-33

Unconditional love is not always easy!

If someone is perfect, it’s easy to love them.

But unconditional love means that I will continue to love even when they fail me.

And as we do church together as a family we teach and model that love for the entire church.

Unconditional love has been modeled perfectly for us!

Jesus loves us, even while we were yet sinners, and he died on the cross for us.

John 15:13 KJV

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Paul tells us back in verse 1 of chapter 5, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.”

So, fourthly, we are to...

IV. Live Like Christ in the Church

Before he talked about the family as a parallel to the church Paul told the church at Ephesus to Walk in love, as Christ also hath love us.

So as we talk about loving this church that we have been put into, and modelling that love to those who we have influence on how do we do this?

I see three keys to this found in Ephesians 5:15-21.

If we are going to live like Christ in the church, we must realize that...

A. Every Moment Matters

15-16

walking circumspectly means watching all around.

Watching for any chances that the devil may attack, any chance for the flesh to fail.

And realize that time is short…we only have right now!

Every moment matters.

Your children and your grandchildren are growing up.

If you are going to model Christ in your home you have to do it NOW!

Every moment matters!

B. Every Action Matters

v. 17

He says understanding what the will of the Lord is.

What is the will of God.

In previous verses he mentions some...

walking in love v2

Being pure v 3-4

Being thankful v. 4

walk as Children of the light v.8

learning from the word, not from the whoremonger, unclean, covetous and idolatrous man.

5. Having no fellowship with evil v. 11

Every action matters, live like Christ in your home and be the example you need to be.

So Every Moment Matters

Every Action Matters

But also notice that ...

C. Every Expression Matters

18-21

Paul tells them if we are to live like Christ, we are going to have to be filled with the spirit.

A drunk is controlled by alcohol, they do things they would not normally do.

Likewise when we are controlled by the Holy Spirit of God we will do things that we would not normally do in our sin soaked world.

1. Sing in your home!

Music breaks through barriers!

It doesn’t matter if you have a good voice or not, and don’t let anyone discourage you from doing it!

just sing! Make melody in your heart to the Lord!

2. Express Thankfulness in your home!

Verbally express your thankfulness to God for each other and the things that others do for you.

Thankfulness goes a long way to heal broken relationships.

Express thankfulness to each other,

Express thankfulness for your church

Express thankfulness for people in your church.

3. Submit in your home!

He’s not talking to just wives here.

He’s talking to the whole family of God.

in the fear of God - out of respect and honor of God…submit to one another.

You don’t have to be right!

You don’t have to be heard!

You don’t have to have it your way!

Live like Christ would live in your home!

It will not only make a difference in your home, but it will make a difference as we are all Connected as a family in the church.

The fifth pledge that I would like us, as a church family to make is a commitment to unite your family in love for your church.

If you family members are believers who are a part of the church, then you should seek to pray together and worship together.

If there are unbelievers in your family, then you should seek to demonstrate a deep love for Christ’s church.

This love can influence them and move them closer to accepting Christ.

If you are a single person living alone, then you can be assured that others are watching you…they are!

How you love your church could have a significant spiritual impact on their lives.

The Fifth Pledge

I am a church member. I will lead my family to be good members of this church as well. We will pray together for our church. We will worship together inside and outside our church. We will serve together in our church. We will ask Christ to help us fall deeper in love with this church because He gave His life for her.