Matthew 55
Jesus Vs Religion (Part 6)
We are one big family!
It’s been a bad few days for Jesus!
· The Pharisees tried to:
o Turn folks against Him
o Get Him to sin
o Called Him the devil
o Argued with Him
o Even plotted to kill Him
· And now His “family” is coming after Him
Mark 3:21 (NLT)
21When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
And they show up right as He is finally getting some peace!
Matthew 12:46–50 (NLT)
46As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.
47Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”
48Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
49Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
50Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
So today we look at why it’s so important to have a good church family. Today, just like in Jesus' day, it is so critical to have a good church family walking with you! So let's dive in!
6 reasons you need to be a part of a church family
1. A church family identifies you as a genuine believer.
· I can’t claim to be following Christ if I’m not committed to any specific group of disciples.
· Jesus said, ‘Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.’ (John 13:35).
· When we come together in love as a church family from different backgrounds, race, and social status, it is a powerful witness to the world.
· You are not the Body of Christ on your own.
· You need others to express that.
· Together, not separated, we are His Body.
· Iron Sharpens iron
· We were never made to go this alone
· God will never give the “body” more than it can handle
2. A church family moves you out of self-centered isolation.
· The local church is the classroom for learning how to get along in God’s family.
o That’s why you don’t walk away
o that’s why you learn to get along with others you don’t agree with
o eternity is a long time!!
· It is a lab for practicing unselfish, sympathetic love.
o Real love
o Unconditional love
o Where you are looking for nothing in return kind of love!
· As a participating member you learn to care about others and share the experiences of others: ‘If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor.’ (1 Corinthians 12:26)
o We learn to care about others more than ourselves
o We learn to care not because we have to, but because we want to
o That’s why sticking around is so important (we can’t choose our family, God does)
· Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependent on each other.
3. A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle.
· You will never grow to maturity just by attending worship services and being a passive spectator.
· Only participation in the full life of a local church builds spiritual muscle.
· The Bible says, ‘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.’ (Ephesians 4:16).
· We all need to stay in the bible together to continue to grow
· And some of you haven’t been in the handbook in a long time!
4. The Body of Christ needs you.
· God has a unique role for you to play in His family.
o This is called your ministry, and God has gifted you for this assignment: ‘A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.’ (1 Corinthians 12:7).
o Your local church is the place God designed for you to discover, develop, and use your gifts.
o You may have a wider ministry, but that is in addition to your service in a local church.
· The biggest thing the church gives you is a purpose that’s bigger than you
o We all need a purpose
o We all need relationships
o That is what we are all designed for
o The happiest people on this planet have two things in common
§ They have a clear purpose
§ And they have meaningful lasting relationships!
5. You will share in Christ’s mission in the world.
· When Jesus walked the earth, God worked through the physical body of Christ; today He uses His spiritual body, the church, as His instrument on earth.
· We are not just to model God’s love by loving each other; we are to carry it together to the rest of the world.
· As members of Christ’s body, we are His hands, His feet, His eyes, and His heart.
· He works through us in the world.
· We each have a contribution to make. Paul tells us, ‘He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.’ (Ephesians 2:10).
· Every believer is a sent believer on mission!
6. A church family will help keep you from backsliding. (Hey Stupid friends)
· None of us are immune to temptation.
· given the right situation, you and I are capable of any sin.
· God knows this, so He has assigned us as individuals the responsibility of keeping each other on track.
· The Bible says, ‘Encourage one another daily… so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.’ (Hebrews 3:13)
· We are called and commanded to be involved in each other’s lives.
· We need "hey stupid friends!"
o We do that through the relationships we have in the family God puts us in
