Embracing Our Identity as a Church Family

And so we believe here that God is calling us to be a church family. A church family who grows together in our relationships with Christ and with one another. And I don't know where you are with that statement of belief. that statement that comes right from the scriptures of who God is calling us to be. I don't know where you are with that song you just heard in those lyrics, right? But church, church, to be a church family is where we are going together and seeking to grow together. So, as we get into this message, I want to start with this. [00:42:56]

Jesus, first Corinthians chapter 15, the Apostle Paul says that if he did not rise again from the dead, then our faith is feudal. Right? In fact, it's all a lie. Jesus himself is a liar. But Paul says, in fact, he did rise again from the dead. And because of that, we know we're forgiven and that this faith has a foundation. It's the resurrection of Jesus. And when Paul says that statement, he says that is true because there were eyewitnesses. There were eyewitnesses of that resurrection. [00:01:14]

And so one of those kids was named James. In the Gospel of Matthew and Mark actually mentioned four of his brothers names, who these brothers were. Were they Joseph's kids from another previous marriage? Uh were they just close family relatives? Uh we believe I believe right that this was actually Jesus's brother. But get this, what we see in the Gospels is that Jesus's family, his blood family didn't believe in him, right? They actually thought he was kind of crazy out of his mind when you read the accounts of them with him. [00:02:24]

And even at the foot of the cross, right, his brothers and sisters, they're not there. His sisters aren't there. But Mary's there, his mom, right? Still holding on to that truth of what the angels spoke to her and the immaculate conception. But then John, apparently, maybe his little cousin is there. and because the brothers aren't there, the immediate family's not there. Jesus says, "Mom, right, he's going to take care of you and take care of my mom." But then all of a sudden, the resurrection happens and Jesus starts appearing to people and he appears to James, his oldest, younger brother apparently. [00:03:00]

And guess what James does when he sees his resurrected brother? I believe I I believe what mom was telling us was true. I I believe in you. I believe that you are the fulfillment of all the scriptures. You rose again from the dead. How can I not believe in you? So James becomes a leader of the church of Jerusalem, a lead disciple of Jesus because of the resurrection, what his brother did. And then in fact in the gospels, you hear another brother's name and that name is Jude. [00:03:32]

And we believe that Jude, the younger brother of James, is also the youngest brother of Jesus. And so Jude, not believing in his brother, believing in his brother, says this at the end of Jude. It's in the Bible. There's only one chapter in Jude if you read it in the New Testament. At the very end, he says this about his big brother Jesus. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. To the only God our savior Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, dominion, power, authority forever and ever. Amen. [00:04:01]

And you read through the scriptures, you start to see Jesus. And this isn't new thought for many of us if you stop to think about it, right? Jesus refers to us as brothers, as sisters. What do we do with that as we get into this word church family? Uh, a couple of the scriptures that come to mind, Romans chapter 8 29, it's up on the screen. For those whom he forneew, that's God the father. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son Jesus in order that he might Jesus might be the firstborn among the many brothers, the brothers and sisters, right? [00:04:41]

That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them what? Brothers. Brothers and sisters, right? I love it. The resurrection when the women uh see Jesus, he says, "Go tell the brothers. Go tell the disciples, right? That I'm alive and that I'm going ahead of them just like I told them. Go tell the brothers." In Mark 3:35, Jesus says this, "Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." [00:05:30]

When I think of Jesus, I can't help but know that he did the opposite of what that big brother did in that situation. Jesus didn't just stay there and see the little brother leave and say, "Dad, I can't believe he's doing that." No. Jesus, and we know this is true, right? Left heaven, left the home, and brought his little brother back. did everything he could, giving up his life for his little brother, for us, for his people. And I hope you know that. I hope you know what Jesus has done for you and everything that he's given up for you. [00:08:54]

Church family, right? This is what we're talking about. This is where we believe God is taking us to be a church family, right? Romans 12:10 says this, right? Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor, brotherly affection, right? This felos brotherly love, right? Not something new to us. But when Paul says that, right, think about the scriptures, if you're familiar with the scriptures, do we ever see really good brotherly affection? Seems like there's siblings rivalry everywhere, right? [00:09:37]

But when Paul says this, when God's word says it, he's talking about the brotherly affection that God gave us in Jesus, right? And so we know what that true love is. But he says, "Love one another with that love." When I think about that, I think about a phrase that some of us said, and I'm going to have you say this. I love you, bro. Anyone ever say that? Say that for me. I love you, bro. And certainly, uh, we can say that to Jesus. I love you, bro. [00:10:27]

Bro, as we live in the truth that God is calling us to be a church family. And so be stands for being a church family that bears with each other, right? This brotherly affection, bearing with each other. Colossians 3:13 says this, bear with one another, bearing with one another. And if one of you has a complaint against another, don't complain. Instead, forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven you. Give grace to each other. So you also must forgive. [00:12:18]

If we’re going to say, "I love you, bro." and actually love each other, we got to bear with each other. Bear with each other, right? What does that mean? To give grace to each other, to forgive each other, right? To not walk away from each other, right? So even when we want to complain, do we complain if we're bearing with one another? No. But yet it's so real that temptation and to walk away from relationships. We're called to bear with one another. [00:13:47]

And so my hope and my prayer and I think it's our father's prayer is that when I ask that question a year or two from now that you're going to have somebody here from church that God's calling you to bear with doesn't sound exciting but what that means is that I hope and I pray that our relationships get strong enough to where we actually know each other's weaknesses that we actually rub each other the wrong way. And when that happens that we bear with one another. [00:15:10]

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service with the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and everyone is the same God at work. Now, to each one the manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good, the common good of the family of believers. [00:16:11]

And again, we want you here. God wants you here, right? And there's stuff that he has for us. And yeah, we all have different roles, but the big question is, what are you bringing to the table for this family? How are you contributing to this family? How has God shaped you in such a way so that this family, right, can be a stronger family that this family can welcome the rest of the family that don't even know they're part of this family, but they're part of this family as well, right? [00:19:30]

And so Paul says just like our body, right? Foot, ears, nose, mouth, eyes, organs, all the stuff that makes us complex of who we are, right? That's the church, right? We all have different these different roles, but yet we're one. We're one. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane prayed yes to the father, right? about the cross and not my will but your will be done. But he was also praying the high priestly prayer in John chapter 17. He was praying for you and for me. [00:20:09]

But the scriptures in Jesus himself, right, is saying it's not just your family. You got a family. And blood is thicker than water. It is the blood of Jesus, right? That unites us. And it's his blood because it's our blood, right? He became human, right? And there's one race, the human race. He took our blood on as our savior and spilt his blood for us. And so when we have this meal together, this is a family meal proclaiming, right? It's the blood of Christ that has unified us. [00:23:55]