Family of God

Sharing good news of great joy to all people.

Elation Church. But we're talking about what

does it mean to be a part of the family of God?

What does it mean to be a part of the family

of God? And when we think of the word family,

right, it means a whole lot of different things

to a whole lot of different people, right? Depending

on how you grow up. Depending on what you're

around, sometimes the word family can even be

a little triggering for some, right? Sometimes,

don't shout me down too much. Everybody's like,

yep. Sometimes it can bring a sense of like warm

fuzzies and this good time. And then sometimes

for others, it can be very like, you know, traumatizing

in a bit when we say it. In popular culture.

we see businesses and things starting to use

this language of like, oh, we're a family. How

many of you have been at, you know, your coworkers

are, oh, we're a family now, right? And I just

watched this, like a TED Talk the other week,

and it was talking about the toxicity of calling

your coworkers family, right? And family... terminology

in the workplace is very bad, right? Because

often it creates a false sense of community,

of loyalty, a high loyalty you're getting paid

to have, right? You know what I'm saying, right?

And a sense of sacrifice that often is, you know,

not necessarily reflected anyways. But this sense

of family, you know, And I tend to agree because

your co -workers were never meant to be your

family. You shouldn't put that weight on the

people that you're right. I mean, that's putting

a false sense of dependency on them that it shouldn't

be there. But when we look at family, our expectation,

think about this, our expectation of family is

often grander than our experience. It's interesting.

I want you to think about this for a moment.

The idea of family, where does it come from?

We all have this fantasy family in mind that

we hold our personal families to, right? We hold

them accountable to, and we've just created what

families should be in our own minds and in our

own hearts, but then yet... I would, you know,

if we took a poll in the room, probably everybody

would be like, yeah, my family was not perfect.

You know, like my family failed at times. Like

there's things that happen. But yet we all kind

of have this perfect standard that we hold our

families to. Because, and the reason why I believe

this is so is because God created the concept

and the construct of family. It's founded and

grounded in who he is and how he wants to continue

internally bless the earth. The term family is

not something that we've made up. It's just something

that we've always known. Something that we've

always lived in. Think about that. Because our

expectation is often grander than our experience,

right? But I want to say this. No matter the

dysfunction or brokenness, that you were physically

born into. No matter. In Christ, somebody say

in Christ. In Christ and put a smile on your

face. Come on. Somebody say in Christ. In Christ,

you have been spiritually born into the family

of God. Amen? Something we should get excited

about. I've been excited about this for a while.

And as I was praying, like, what do we need to

go, the direction we need to go today? This just...

came up in my spirit, it was like, this is what

we need to talk about. It was just like, this

is so for us today, right? And it might be something

that you've heard about, talked about, learned

about, or you might think I know everything about

it, but I guarantee you that we all need a refresher

of what it means to be a part of the family of

God, right? What does family mean to God? We've

talked about what it means to us and what it

means to our culture. What does family mean to

God? Now, if we look at that word throughout

Scripture, we see that, you know, God institutes

the family in the beginning. And then it carries

over and that terminology turns into the body

of Christ. And then it goes from there to talk

about the family being the whole universal church.

So that's every Christian, every believer all

over the planet and including those who have

gone before us and passed away. So it includes

the universal church is what I mean by that.

But then it also later on we see the family being...

called the brothers and sisters in Christ at

the church in this. And I'm writing to the church

in whatever, Galatians, Ephesians, those kind

of things. So then it like evolves, you could

say, to become talking about the local church.

And throughout your Bible, I want you to see

that as you're reading it, what family means

and how that term evolves. And we're going to

talk a little about that this morning. But like

I said, family is a divine institution. with

a specific hierarchy and purpose, specific hierarchy

and purpose reflecting God's design and desire

for the home, for the home, for your home, for

this church, for Elation Church, our local church,

and for the whole church. It's a divine institution,

specific hierarchy, purpose reflecting God's

design. Because see, a Christian has two families,

right? They have their natural, they have their

immediate family, right? And then we have the

spiritual family of God. And both, listen to

this, both are bound together by the blood. Both

are bound together by blood. Let's look at some

of these verses. If these don't make you happy,

you just, I can't make you happy. All right?

We're going to be going a lot of verses this

morning, so I hope you brought your Bible or

at least your glasses so you can see the words

on the screen. Ephesians 2 .13, reading out of

the New Living Translation, says this, But now

you have been united, everybody say united, united

with Christ, once you were far away from God,

but now you have been brought near to him through

the blood. Everybody say the blood. The blood

of Christ. This word united here is talking about

bringing you into close fellowship with nearness

to God, and that is accomplished by the blood

of Christ on the cross. Amen? So through the

blood, we are united with Jesus, and this is

all accomplished by faith and by the Holy Spirit

in our lives. So the blood of Christ is what

unifies each one of us, believers, It makes us

one with him. We are described throughout the

Bible as Jesus' body. Not like his body, but

we are described as Jesus' own flesh and blood.

God's own flesh and blood. Amen? This should

just blow your socks off, right? This is crazy.

When we think about God in our position, We need

to become more aware of who we are in Christ.

And we need to develop it as like a skill to...

greater awareness of what that means and so that

we can walk in it and live from this positional

place of in Christ and this foundation of in

Christ because it will change your life, change

everything you do. Ephesians 2 .19 continues.

So now you Gentiles, that's me, everybody says

that's me, are no longer strangers or foreigners.

You are citizens along with all of God's holy

people. You are members of God's family. Here

we go. Here it is. We're united by the blood

and we are members of God's family. Amen. Verse

21 through 22 says, we are carefully, get this,

joined together, carefully joined together in

him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through

him, you Gentiles are also being made part of

this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Often we say things... you know, talking about

the Spirit of God living on the inside of us,

but we don't read those verses. And I just want

you to see this, that we are carefully constructed

together, this joined together, get a picture

of a construction worker laying a foundation,

building together, and we're becoming something.

We're in the process of becoming something, right?

Becoming the holy temple for the Lord. Our master,

our boss, our one in charge. And then through

him, we are made part of the dwelling. The dwelling

where God lives by his spirit. Wow. Wow. Come

on. Dwelling where God lives by his spirit. See,

church, it's time to start playing church. It's

time to stop playing. We are the dwelling place

of God. And it's time to be the family of God.

We need to quit playing around. We need to act

like this is true. It needs to make a difference

in our life. 1 Corinthians 12, 12 says this,

describes it another way. The human body has

many parts, but the many parts make up one whole

body. So it is with the body of Christ. Verse

27, all of you together are Christ's body, and

each of you is a part of it, like we've seen.

And then in Ephesians, listen to what it does.

Ephesians 1, 22 through 23 says, God has put

all things under the authority of Christ and

has made him head over all things for the benefit

of who? The church, us. Everybody say me. For

the benefit of me, God made Christ the head over

all things. It doesn't say some things. It says

all things for the benefit of me, for the church.

And the church is what? His body. It is made,

get this, we're going to get here by the end,

but it's made full. It's made full and complete.

In him, we are full and complete by Christ. Who

what? Fills. He fills all things everywhere with

himself. So the church. Becomes his body. We

see God is father. Familial language here. Jesus

is God's son. Bible describes we are in Christ.

We are God's family by blood. We are his body.

His body is the church. And then we are the temple

of the spirit. That's a lot. In just those few

verses, that's what we've established so far.

It's amazing. But what is the perfect family

of God supposed to look like? What is it supposed

to look like? How is it supposed to operate?

What is the characteristics of it? And what is

its purpose? So let's talk about what the perfect

family of God should be and what it should look

like. They say comparison is the thief of joy,

but in this sense, we need to look at God like

a mirror and look at the word as like a mirror,

and we need to compare ourselves, our families,

this church, up against the standard of his word

and what he shows us, right? And then that gives

us an object that we can, what, strive for, an

object that we can align ourselves with, okay?

So what is the perfect family of God supposed

to look like and what is its purpose? We find

this throughout the New Testament, but we'll

start in Hebrews 10, 24 through 25. Get this.

Let us think of ways. Everybody say think. Let

us think of ways to motivate one another to acts

of love and good works. And let us not neglect

our meeting together, as some people do, but

encourage one another, especially now that the

day of his return is drawing near. That's a good

word, right? But think about what it's saying

here is that our thoughts should not be so consumed

with us, with ourselves. Our thoughts should

be consumed, what? With purpose and motivation

towards... our brothers and sisters in Christ.

What about that? That's a novel thought. Usually

throughout my day, I'm just thinking about myself

and my own stuff, my own family, my own life.

But we're supposed to think of ways, should occupy

your attention, right? Think of ways and purpose

for motivation to get people motivated to love.

That word love there was agape, the God kind

of love. We're supposed to motivate others to

love. We're supposed to motivate others and encourage

others towards good works. Meeting together,

we're supposed to motivate one another to meet

together, to fellowship with one another. We

need to think about meeting together, encouraging

one another. You can text someone, but it's a

whole lot different when you're in the room with

someone. You tell it to them to their face. Because

talk is cheap, but you can really tell the truth

of a person when you're looking into their eyes,

right? It matters more. So we're supposed to

encourage one another. And we do that by fellowshipping

with one another. And then this brings us to

our main text today in Acts 2, 42 through 47.

really lays the groundwork for the local church

as it sprung out of the day of Pentecost and

all these great things were happening. And then

all of a sudden, here we are laying that foundation.

So let's read about what it means to be the family

of God. What is its purpose? Verse 42, all the

believers, everybody say all, all the believers.

devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching

and to fellowship and to sharing in meals, including

the Lord's Supper and to prayer. I just want

to pause here, and I'm going to get off my soapbox,

I promise. But when it says all the believers,

it means all the believers. I feel very passionate

about this. A lot of times in our churches, we've

sort of fostered this idea that Believers need

to be separated by gender, by age, by race, whatever,

by, you know, social status, your time in life.

We separate people and we think, oh, well, they

got to have something different. But the early

church didn't function that way. We're called

to be together, to be in unity with one another

because, you know what? The younger generation

needs the older generation. And you know what?

The older generation needs the young ones, right?

Because the young ones have passion. The young

ones have life. And the young ones take a hold

of things that sometimes you've forgotten. And

then, you know, the younger ones need to look

up to the older ones with respect and honor,

right? And they can learn a thing or two from

the experience. You know, you can learn something

when you're around somebody who's spent some

time with God. It's a tangible thing. You can

feel it. And when you get around them, you start

like, whoa, they got something going on. It's

like, whew, feel it, right? And, huh? Yeah, so

you feel it, and then all of a sudden you start

catching it, right? Because you need to be around

some people. Did you know you become who you're

around? If you don't like who you're becoming,

you need to check who you're around, right? Who

you're listening to, who you're allowing influence

over your life, right? So, all the believers,

soapbox is over, all the believers devoted themselves

to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship and

to sharing in meals. Hallelujah! I like food!

Woo! Sharon and Mills, Slim's Chicken. Sharon

and Mills, including the Lord's Prayer. The Lord's,

including, sorry, the Lord's Supper, right? Communion

and prayer. So it's not just meals. It's not

just the Lord's Supper. It's prayer too. So God's

family, listen, is devoted to spirit -led teaching.

Because we don't need, you know. There's a lot

of information, but we need the Spirit's revelation,

right? We need some things to change. We need

a word from God. That's why we encourage you

to take notes because not everything that we

say, listen, not everything that we say is written

down on the screen. Sometimes God speaks through

us and uses us and shares something personally

to you. And if you knew what you were missing,

When God speaks to you, if you knew the importance

of it and the weight of what he shares to you,

if you knew what you were missing, you wouldn't

forget it. You wouldn't want to like, you wouldn't

want to miss it. And so many times, God's speaking

whether we're listening or not. He shares a word

for you in a timely state. And I believe most

of the things that he speaks to us, this revelatory

word that he speaks to us, is to put you in a

position for something that you to stand on.

But often we hear the word, we don't allow it

sink into our hearts and we forget it. We'll

leave a service like this where we're expecting

to hear from God. God, I want to hear you. God,

I hope you come that way. And you're just like,

God, I need a word for my week, for my family,

something personal, right? You get that word,

you leave. By the time you eat your fried chicken,

it's gone. And then you run up against that situation

that God was trying to speak to you about. And

instead of having to, you know, something to

stand on, something to have faith, right? You've

done forgot the word that could have allowed

you to just push through, that could have allowed

you to overcome. Now you have to wait to hear

that word again. God's family is devoted to spirit

-led teaching, devoted to spiritual growth, devoted

to fellowship, including food, and communion,

and prayer, devoted to prayer. Continuing on

in verse 43. Get this, a deep sense of awe came

over them all. And the apostles performed many

miraculous signs and wonders. This is the early

church. This is the perfect example of what should

be taking place. We need to see these types of

things. Because the family together... sees the

manifested presence of God in a real tangible

way. The family of God sees the power of God

on display. The family together sees miracles

happen, transformation happen, deliverance happen,

signs, wonders, healing. When you're sick, right?

You're supposed to call the elders of the church

and they're supposed to lay hands on you. When's

the last time that happened? Come on. The family

together sees the power of God on display because

when two or three are gathered in his name, come

on, when two or three are gathered, something

shakes the earth. You need to be set free. You

don't need to be doing it alone. If the enemy

can isolate you, he can defeat you. If he can

make you think that you're alone in this world,

you've already lost the battle. Continuing, verse

44, and all the believers met together in one

place. and shared everything they had. They sold

their property and possessions and shared the

money with those in need. It's talking about

their sharing amongst themselves with those in

need in their congregation. Not just finance

in the world, not just resource in the whole

world. Specifically talking about the local church

and sharing with those amongst. other believers,

right? Lifting them up, encouraging them, motivating

them with your time, your resources, all these

things that God has given you, right? 46, they

worshiped together at the temple each day. They

met in homes for the Lord's Supper and shared

their meals with great joy. Great joy and generosity.

So the family of God, listen, regularly meets

together in one place to worship. Is that what

the Bible said or is that what Jeffrey's? No,

it's what the Bible said. So don't get mad at

me. But the family of God regularly meets together

in one place to worship. Can you experience God

outside of, you know? Yes, you're encouraged

to. Yes, you can. But in order to participate

and receive the benefits from the divine hierarchy

and purpose and design of the family and of the

church, there's certain things that you will

miss, and it will be much harder for you to obtain

apart from the family. We're supposed to regularly

meet together in one place. I hate to bust it,

but like, you know, we need to be together in

the same room, seeing one another, worship, seeing

one another, praise God, knowing what's going

on so we can carry the burdens of the people

around us, amen? And this is all... The family

of God also shows radical generosity. Think about

what it talked about here. They were selling

possessions just to help, right? Just to help

each other. Radical generosity towards each other.

So different, so far in from our ideas of what

we think church is about. But this is the way

the perfect family of God should operate. The

family of God shares everything. With great joy.

Amen. Shares everything gladly. With great joy.

47. All the while. So all that. They're doing

all that. And then on top of all that. They're

praising God. Praising God. Lifting his name.

Enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And

each day. Each day the Lord added to their fellowship

those who were being saved. Amen. Because the

family of God, what? They praise God, characterized

by their praise, their enjoyment of one another,

not backstabbing, talking about, you know, talking

trash about. The family of God praises God, enjoys

one another, enjoys the goodwill of each other.

And then it doesn't stop there. It's not just

me and my family and no one else, right? It's

not just my little click, my little circle that

we get real comfortable with, and we're just

like, oh, that'd be really nice to just have

this little, you know. No. The family of God

actively invites. The family of God actively

welcomes all to join God's family. We do that

by sharing the gospel. When's the last time you

shared the gospel with someone? And I'm not talking

about just like, well, they just see it by how

I live. What kind of person are you? Honestly,

I hear people say that, and I'm just like, really?

Like, whoa. I don't know what you got going on,

but they're just going to see it by how I live.

They should see it. There should be evidence.

And I'm not meaning to mock that. But at the

same time, it's like we need to share what God

has done because there's power in a testimony.

And if you're a Christian, you should have a

testimony every week of God doing something awesome

in your life. If he's real, then it should be

evident in the life of a Christian. There is

no excuse. There is no time to wait. Jesus is

coming soon. The family of God actively invites

and actively welcomes all to join God's family,

participates in outreach, but then also doesn't

shun people who come into our midst, right? People,

we're constantly welcoming them in as a brother

and a sister in Christ. Not based on what they

look like, their age. If they have all this money,

we shouldn't treat them better than someone who

doesn't have money. Come on, it happens all the

time in churches all over America. We treat somebody

based on how they look, not based on their position

in Christ. But in Christ, they have access to

everything that you do too. In Christ, they have

the same bloodline that you do. Come on. I'm

called to welcome people in. I love this. The

family's purpose is given right here in Genesis

from the very beginning. I've never looked at

these words before, but I just, kind of spirit

brought it up to me, and it just like, boom,

like a light bulb or dynamite kicked off, right?

Genesis 1 .28, after he creates man and woman,

what does he say? He says, be fruitful and multiply.

Be fruitful and multiply. That word there, listen,

to fill. Hebrew word means to fill. Didn't we

just talk about that? That in Christ, he fills

us, right? He fills us with his spirit. Not to

the point where it's like, oh, we're just like

half full, you know, unless you're one of those

like glass half full kind of people, you know.

No, no, he fills you to fullness. You're full

to fill, to be full, to fulfill his purposes

in the earth. To completeness, wholeness. So

be fruitful means to fill, to be full of God,

and to fulfill and to be complete in him. And

then rabal means to increase, to multiply, to

become many, and to grow. Is that not what we've

been talking about? Is that not what these verses

have been saying? God is the same yesterday,

today, and forever, and his command still...

To us, to his church, is the same. Be fruitful.

Be full. Why? Based on your effort? No. Based

on God's fulfillment, right? Based on God's completeness.

Based on who he is, right? We are filled and

overflowing. And what does this mean for the

believer that's in Christ? Think about it. It

means that if Christ is the one who fills you,

if he is your source, it means you have everything

that you need to live a life of godliness, to

live in this earth. You have everything you need.

So therefore, when God asks you to do something,

he's not expecting you to turn to your resource.

to make it happen. When God asks you to do something,

often we look at, well, what do I have, right?

Because he calls us to do something often greater

than what we have in our hands, right? And so

we turn to our resource, we turn to our natural

ability. But when God tells you to do something,

see, he's already filled you up with the power,

with the ability. with the talent, with the resource

in Christ, you are full and complete to carry

out his purpose in the earth and what he's called

you to do. So I like to put it this way. He,

look, he's just waiting for your yes. He provides

all the things that you need. He just wants your

yes. Who's going to say yes to the next thing

God tells you to do? Not worried about what is

going to happen when you try to figure all those

things out? Listen, you'll grab a hold of the

first little thing that resembles what you think

God should be doing in your life. We're not called

to figure it out. We're called to respond in

faith, yes. Let it be according to your word

in my life like Mary. She didn't know how it

was going to happen, didn't understand it. She

didn't have to know, but she just said, let it

be when the angel spoke to her. She said, let

it be according to your word. That's faith. That's

the faith that pleases God. Come on. He fulfills,

he fills your yes. with the ability and power

to accomplish what he's called you to do. So

quit saying no. Quit saying, turn into your own

resources. Quit turning to every other excuse.

Say yes to God, amen? He calls us to increase,

to multiply. Our mission should be to reach out.

Reach out to our communities. Tell them about

the love of Christ, amen? And then we talked

a little bit of this, another aspect of the family

of God and its hierarchy and structure. 1 Timothy

5, 1 through 2 says this, Never speak harshly

to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully

as you would to your own father. Talk to younger

men as you would to your own brothers. Why is

this? Because in Christ, if they're believers

in Christ, they are your brothers, right? And

they are your sisters. Verse 2, treat older women

as you would your mother. And treat younger women

with all purity as you would your own sisters.

It's a construct of honor that we've talked about

a couple weeks ago. The family of God is built

on this divine hierarchy of honor. If you want

to know more about that, go look at the podcast,

go read them. We talked all about honor and honoring

the family. But listen, and I'm done. You cannot

fully experience the family of God apart from

the people of God, apart from the family, right?

You can't fully experience it. And is God's family

perfect? Again, I'll say this again, because

this is where church hurt comes. Is God's family

perfect? You know, no earthly family is perfect.

And we're all made up of, you know, we're all

humans, right? We're all flawed, right? So why

do we expect always that, you know? Our local

church, like if our own family's not perfect

and has flaws and chaos and all these things

harbor and people, you know, walk out and people,

you know, all these things take place. Why is

it that we hold the local church or the global

church? I can't tell you how many people I've

talked to at work who this is, this is it right

here. You know, they've been hurt. They were

in some environment, something happened, they

were hurt, and they said, I don't want anything

to do with that. And turned their back on it

all. Is God's family perfect? No. It's perfect

in its formation and its calling from God, but

it's flawed in its population. It's flawed in

its members, right? And I want to say this, and

I'll turn it off, but if you expect something

from the church that only God can give you, That's

idolatry. A lot of people look to this and somebody,

some person, and they expect to, you know, have

this God -like thing, right? And then when the

pastor, whatever, something happens, whatever,

they're just like, their whole worldview corrupts

and they leave the church. Why? Was your faith

in the pastor? Was it in the people that you're

around? Like, what? No, it's in God. And God's

calling us to be around people. God's calling

us a part of his family. His brothers and sisters

in Christ were supposed to view one another,

right? And it might mean that you wind up in

a different local family or gathering or whatever.

It might mean that all these bad things happen,

but don't ever place anything, In your life higher

than God. Right? Don't place people in that position.

Because you know what? People will always let

you down. But God will never let you down. Amen?

So we need to obey his word. And God wants to

use the church. His family. God wants to use

this church. God wants to use elation. We are

his family despite all of our imperfections.

Whatever kind of baggage you walk through the

door with, God's going to use it, right? He's

going to use you for the kingdom. Nothing you've

done discredits you, look, from participating

in the family of God. Yeah? God wants to use

this church despite all its imperfections. as

a vehicle, as a conduit for his eternal plan

today. God wants to use the church. God wants

to use your individual family as a conduit, as

a vehicle for his eternal plan in the earth.

God wants to use the global church, the universal

church, as his vehicle, his plan to accomplish

his blessing in the earth. It's not something

that we can just walk away from. The family is

how he designed it to be. God instituted the

family before the church. Dad said this the other

week, and it just like light bulb to me. He institutes

the family before the church, but he continues

the family model in the church. Through generation

to generation to generation, it happens and it's

formed the same way. So in summary, what the

family of God is all about, what it's about motivating

each other towards radical generosity, it's about

motivating each other towards love, the God kind

of love, motivating each other to good works,

to sharing with one another. The family of God

is about miracles. We should expect to see the

miracle power of God in our lives and in this

body. Amen? There's no sickness in Jesus' body.

Listen, so why is there sickness in our body

if we're in him? Think about it. I'm going to

leave that alone. The family of God is about

fellowship, right? But not just fellowship, you

know, it's supposed to be continual fellowship.

Together, regular fellowship with people in one

place. That's what we're doing. That's why you

come to church. It's a vehicle for us to participate

in what God has called us to do. Galatian is

just a fun name that we tag on what we're doing,

right? Because we're supposed to have great joy

when we meet together. Right? Galatians is not

the church. You are the church. You are the called

out ones, the people of God, right? We're supposed

to fellowship together in one place. We're supposed

to be about spiritual teaching and growth, prayer,

communion, multiplication. We're supposed to

be welcoming. Family of God is supposed to be

about honor. And great joy. This online worship

experience was brought to you by the friends

and partners of Elation Church.