Culture of Family (sermon notes)

I have to start my sermons with something funny:
My cousin Jean sent me this email:
Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner, they retire for the night, and go to sleep.
Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.”
“I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes” replies Watson.
“And what do you deduce from that?”
Watson ponders for a minute. “Well,
Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.
Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo.
Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three.
Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the universe.
But what does it tell you, Holmes?”
Holmes is silent for a moment.
“Someone has stolen our tent!”

Today I’m continuing a new VISION sermon series…
Let’s Dream Again church, we even have some extra space to dream about!
Everybody needs a ministry, Everybody is a minister
What is God calling you to do at NBCC?
I pray we are truly creating a NEW culture of Mission, Love, Passion, Team, Celebration, Kindness and today we get to talk about creating a culture of Family…

I believe the church is much more than a social club, business, or organization…
It is set up by God for God…
We are the family of God, the church of Jesus Christ!

What does it mean to be the family of God?
OH SO MANY THINGS, but I have a couple thoughts to share today…

1. The family of God is not a casual commitment.

My parents taught me by example to be radically committed to the church of Jesus Christ no matter what!
It is not just a job for me to pastor, but my calling from God!
It is not just a volunteer position for you to minister in the body of Christ…it is your calling, your mission, your purpose!

We don’t make it difficult to join in membership of our church because the only prerequisite is belonging to the family of God… accepting Christ as Savior… a working relationship with Jesus … But that is no casual commitment.

Our society is casual with its commitments.
Marriage vows are thrown away casually.
Family relationships are tossed aside casually.
Casual Friends, Church hopping…you name it…

2 Chronicles 16:9For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Psalm 86:2Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.

Matthew 6:24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

Acts 2:42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 18:5Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

Romans 12:10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

OH to see the family of God truly DEVOTED!
God doesn’t stand for half-hearted Christianity.
He spits out the lukewarm. Rev. 3

The Family of God is not a casual committment
and
2. The family of God overcomes adversity.

John Maxwell wrote an article entitled Leading thru adversity
He says
Overcoming Adversity Creates Resilience
Overcoming Adversity Creates Maturity
Overcoming Adversity Creates Greater Opportunities
Overcoming Adversity Wins Respect

As an African proverb says…Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors…

Early in his career, Walt Disney’s Laugh-O-Gram studio went broke, leaving the talented man out of work…
Abraham Lincoln plummeted into financial ruin as a young shopkeeper…
Milton Hershey failed dismally in his initial attempts to open a candy store…
Henry Ford’s Detroit Automobile Company went bankrupt before reorganizing as Ford Motor Company…
(don’t know if this is the best time to use this illustration)
H.J. Heinz’s venture to sell horseradish flopped before his recipe for ketchup met with commercial success…

Going through adversity, though not pleasant at the moment, opens the door to new levels of influence. By staying poised and keeping a positive attitude under pressure, the family of God can pass through adversity having grown in stature more than we ever could have in comfortable times.
We can do all things thru Christ who strengthens us! Phil 4:13

The Family of God can even look at a poor economy as a time for Benefit!
Willmer and Howe wrote Ten Benefits of difficult economic times…
A time for counting our blessings
An opportunity for trusting God
A time to rejoice
A time for renewal of prayer
An opportunity for ministry collaboration and hospitality
A time for the renewal of the work ethic
A time for the renewal of simplicity and common wisdom
A time for the flowering of spiritual gifts
A time for revival in the church
A time for generosity

Tommy Barnet wrote
Success doesn’t come by never failing; it comes by repetition. You try and fail, and try and fail, and try and try until you succeed. In fact, failure is one of the primary tools God uses to develop your dream and your character.
God uses failure to educate us
God uses failure to motivate us
God uses failure to cultivate our character and refine our dreams

Psalm 119:71…It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes…

Romans 5:3-4…We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character…

Galatians 6:9…Let us not become weary in doing good. For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!

I refuse to be discouraged, To be sad, or to cry;I refuse to be downhearted, and here's the reason why...I have a God who's mighty, Who's sovereign and supreme;I have a God who loves me, and I am on His team.He is all wise and powerful, Jesus is His name;Though everything is changeable, My God remains the same.My God knows all that's happening; Beginning to the end,His presence is my comfort, He is my dearest friend.When sickness comes to weaken me, To bring my head down low, I call upon my mighty God; Into His arms I go.When circumstances threaten to rob me from my peace;He draws me close unto His breast, Where all my strivings cease.And when my heart melts within me, and weakness takes control; He gathers me into His arms, He soothes my heart and soul.The great "I AM" is with me, My life is in His hand,The "Son of the Lord" is my hope, It's in His strength I stand.I refuse to be defeated, My eyes are on my God;He has promised to be with me, as through this life I trod.I'm looking past all my circumstances, To Heaven's throne above; My prayers have reached the heart of God,I'm resting in His love.I give God thanks in everything, My eyes are on His face;The battle's His, the victory is mine; He'll help me win the race.

The family of God is not a casual commitment
The family of God overcomes adversity
and…
3. The family of God is filled with wounded healers.
Let’s go to Mark 5
A business executive became depressed. Things were not going well at work, and he was bringing his problems home with him every night. Every evening he would eat his dinner in silence, shutting out his wife and five-year-old daughter. Then he would go into the den and read the paper using the newspaper to wall his family out of his life. After several nights of this, one evening his daughter took her little hand and pushed the newspaper down. She then jumped into her father’s lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him strongly. The father said abruptly, “Honey, you are hugging me to death!” “No, Daddy,” the little girl said, “I’m hugging you to life!” This was the greatness of Jesus. He took people where they were and hugged them to life. That is precisely what we see Jesus doing here in this dramatic passage in Mark 5. He is loving needy and hurting people, hugging them to life. This passage is a fascinating one because here we have a story within a story, or two healing stories rolled into one and the people involved could not be more different. On the one hand, the family of Jairus represented the “upper crust” of society. Jairus was the ruler of the synagogue. He was a man of substance, rich and powerful and religiously prominent. In the synagogue, he called the shots. He decided who would preach, what scripture would be read, and what hymns would be sung. He represented the Elite of Society, especially the religious world, but this day Jairus was troubled. His 12-year-old daughter was dying. On the other hand, the hemorrhaging woman in the crowd was a social outcast. She was considered unclean as one who was under the judgment of God and therefore not allowed to set foot in the synagogue. In this magnificent passage, these two vastly different people, the down and out hemorrhaging woman and the upper-crust daughter of Jairus, are loved into life by our Lord…
Love Has the Power to Heal.
Love Has the Power to Reconcile.
Love Has the Power to Redeem.

With all its imperfections, sins, blemishes, and warts, the Church of Jesus Christ is the intended healer of the world’s wounds. Christians are called to be compassionate, wounded healers.Perhaps, Henri Nouwen, the Roman Catholic theologian, has said this better than anyone else. The author of many books, Nouwen speaks of Christians as "wounded healers" who have compassion. Compassion is not pity. Pity lets us stay at a distance. It is condescending. Compassion is not sympathy. Sympathy is for superiors over inferiors. Compassion is not charity. Charity is for the rich to continue in their status over the poor. Compassion is born of God. It means entering into the other person’s problems. It means taking on the burdens of the other. It means standing in the other person’s shoes. It is the opposite of professionalism. It is the humanizing way to deal with people. "Just as bread without love can bring war instead of peace, professionalism without compassion will turn forgiveness into a gimmick."

Can New Beginnings Christian Center truly be a NEW culture of Mission, Love, Passion, TEAM, Celebration, Kindness and Family?
I’m daring to believe…

Hear it again and for the first time…
No Matter Where you’ve been
No Matter what you’ve done
You can begin again
Come to Jesus