THE
CHURCH IS A FAMILY
(Ephesians
2:17-22)
Introduction: What is your view of Church? Is it an organization, an institution with
specific rules and policies? Or a social club of which I can become a member? In
his book, The Family of God, Batsell Barrett Baxter says the following: "There
are some who think of the church as an organization like other organizations. The
church is indeed an organization, but it is not primarily an organization. Instead,
it is a new way of life.
Those
who have the view that being a part of the church is like being a member of a
lodge, a luncheon club, a political party, or even a business is gravely
mistaken. Such people feel that they should give to the church the same kind of
support and loyalty which they give to these other organizations. It becomes my
church, as it is 'my club, or lodge, or party, or team.' The Christian’s loyalty to Church,
however, should be unique, for, in reality, it is a loyalty to Christ and His
way of life. The church is like no other institution on earth, and a person’s
membership in the church is like no other membership, which he may sustain. The
church is more like a vibrant, living organism than it is like a cold,
structured organization.
Some
make the mistake of thinking that the church exists for the entertainment and
enjoyment of its members. On the contrary, the church exists so that its
members may have an intimate relationship with Christ and God, as well as a
close relationship with others."[1]
During
the new membership class, I emphasized the fact that the Church is not like a
family, but it is the family, the family of God. All those who believed in
Christ, to them, Christ gave the power to become God’s children. Only through
Jesus Christ, an Intimate relationship with God is possible. I title this
message, “The Church is a Family.” Ephesians 2:17-22
The
fourth core value that we like to live by at Hope Church is that we are
Relationship-Oriented. “We believe that God has created people and churches to
dwell in communities of mutual love and commitment with one another. Our church
community is intentional about relationship investment and commitment, knowing
that spiritual growth and healing happens best in a relational context of love,
care, trust, and transparency.
We
realize that everyone is on a different point in their journey of faith, so we
accept people as they are. It is OK not to be OK. Each person is essential,
unique, and created by and for God.” I like this part that says, “It is OK not
to be Ok.” That means, none of us are perfect, none of us got it all together.
We all are a work in progress. God is
working in all of us.
The
basis for this core value comes from the passage in Ephesians 2:17-22; the
emphasis is on verse 19. This passage is conveying four vital truths 1. We
belong in the family of God 2. We are God’s House. 3. Jesus is the Chief
Cornerstone. 4. We are being built together.
I. WE BELONG IN
GOD’S FAMILY
Vs. 19, “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners.
You are citizens, along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s
family.” In the Bible, several metaphors were used to describing the Church,
such as the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, God’s house, the temple, and
the family of God.
When God created Adam and Eve, he intended
that they would live in a family. Similarly,
since the beginning, “God decided in
advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus
Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:5 During Jesus’ ministry on earth,
there was a great divide between the Jews and Gentiles. They both hated each
other. But God loved them and wanted them to live in peace in one family of
God. That became possible through Jesus’s death on the cross.
Verse nineteen tells us that both Jews and
Gentiles who have put their faith in Christ belong to God’s family. They become
citizens, along with all of God’s holy people worldwide. This bond with fellow
believers is stronger and often lasts longer than natural family ties. It is
true for Wilma and myself as we both do not have of our parents anymore, and
none of our siblings live here in the USA. But we have spiritual parents,
wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord in several parts of the world,
including here in Hope Church, which we call our Family.
As
we are aware, some families are sick, weak, and dysfunctional. The same applies
to church families; nevertheless, God wants us to be part of His spiritual
family. Without exception, when we accept Christ as our savior, we became part
of His worldwide family. But that is not enough; He wants us also to belong to a
local church family, here is the reason why?
A
Christian without a church family is like a person who says, "I want to
play NFL football, but I don't want to be a part of any team" Do you think
that will work? Similarly, you cannot say I want to belong to the worldwide
Church but don’t want to be a team player in a local church. If you're going to
be an active player in your Christian faith, you need a church.
So,
if you don’t have a church, you can call home, and you are looking for one
where you feel accepted and belong? Consider Hope Church. In our Church we say, it is okay not to be
okay. We are not the perfect church in town, but we seek to love God and love
others.
II. WE ARE GOD’S
HOUSE (Temple)
Vs.
20, “Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and
the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.” Here is another metaphor for the church, which
is God’s House or Temple. In the OT, God’s physical manifestation was felt and
seen in physical structures such as The Tabernacle, the tent, and the Temple. When
the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, they saw God’s glory
descending upon the Tabernacle. Exodus
40:34, “Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled
the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud
had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.”
Again,
after many years, they saw the same dark cloud the glory of God descending and
filling the temple built by Solomon. I Chron 5: 13-14, “At that moment, a thick
cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their
service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the
Temple of God.”
In the New Testament, Jesus became the living
tabernacle displaying the glory of God among people. John 1:14, “So the Word
became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” After
he has ascended to heaven, now who will display God’s glory on the earth?
It
is the Church, the house of God, or the temple of God, not a structural
building, but the spirit-filled believers will. Remember, together; we are the
temple of the Holy Spirit; we are not our own; we were bought at a price. What does this mean practically? It means
offering ourselves as living sacrifices. To take good care of ourselves, spiritually,
physically, and mentally. It means staying away from sins that contaminate our
body and soul. It means to the best of our ability, to live in peace with God,
with ourselves, and with one another.
III. JESUS CHRIST THE
CHIEF CORNERSTONE
In our worship, we sing, “My hope is built
on nothing less Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the
sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.” It is a
wonderful feeling to know that our lives are not built on shaky and shallow
philosophies or the empty promises of this world, but Jesus Christ himself as
the Chief Cornerstone.
When
Jesus Christ becomes our sure foundation, our lives can thrive, flourish, and
bring forth glory to God in this evil world. On what foundation are you
building your lives? Is Christ your sure foundation? If not, you can start
building your lives on the Chief Cornerstone today.
IV. WE ARE BEING
BUILT TOGETHER (21-22)
Vs. 21-22, “In him, the whole
building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And
in him, you too, are being built together to become a dwelling in which God
lives by his Spirit.” These verses emphasize the need for us to be a part of a
local church family because that is where we grow together to become the
dwelling place of God.
At Hope Church, as our core value suggests, we
recognize that we cannot grow spiritually, independent of each other. We need
other brothers and sisters in the family to challenge our faith, encourage us
when we are down, support, and pray for us when we are sick and in need of
help. As far as possible, we live in love and commitment with one another.
Let me recapture the main points once again.
We become members of God’s family by committing our lives to Christ. We are the
temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone, and we are
being built together. By becoming a member of Hope Church, we are saying, this
is going to be my church home where I am going to serve and be served, where I
will give and be given, love, and be loved so that together we can become God’s
household.
However,
our focus is not just us becoming the members of God’s family, or together to
be built up and to become a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. As we are
intentional to become all that and more, let’s not forget that there is a
broken world out there that desperately need to experience God’s love. As we
have found a home by coming to Jesus, now let’s go after God’s estranged
children, his prodigal sons and daughters, and bring them back home, where they
too will become part of God’s family and experience their heavenly father’s
love. Amen!
[1] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/74739/church-purpose-of-by-sermoncentral?ref=TextIllustrationSerps
