Learning
to Be God’s Family (1)
Scriptural
Text: Mark
3.31-35
Families
are places we can run to, where we feel warmth, trust, love and
security. The family of God ought to be such a refuge. How can we
be such a family?
1 – The will of God –Read
the Bible and Meet God in Prayer
Firstly,
as we learn to be God’s Family, let’s look at what Jesus
says in Mark 3:35: ‘Whoever does God's will is my brother
and sister and mother.’ The family of God is made up of those
who do the will of God. To do God’s will, we need to focus
on 2 things: read the Bible and meet with God often in prayer.
Proverbs 4.20-22 records the words
of a Father unto His child: ‘My child, pay attention to what
I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to
those who find them, and healing to their whole body.’ (NLT
2nd edition)
If we follow the above instruction
and not forget God’s word, hiding it often inside the depths
of our souls, we can embrace the abundant life He has given to us.
And when we pray, treat prayer as
a time to meet with our loving Father or the Big Boss up in Heaven.
He’s got a great plan for our lives and unless we meet with
Him regularly in prayer, we wouldn’t know what He wants.
What we put into our mind shapes
our life. Rather than allow the content of TV, magazines and Internet
shape our lives, let’s put the Words of God and our daily
prayer into our minds, through regular discipline – they’d
shape in our lives a beautiful relationship with God. And being
truly His family, when the storms come, we will be strong, because
what we put into our heads shapes our lives.
2
– Love Outside Of Your Blood Family
Jesus Himself showed the way. When
told that his mother and siblings were outside the building, waiting
to see Him, He responded saying that all who are God’s children
through faith, are His spiritual family too! His declaration signalled
His intention to embrace those beyond His blood related family.
Back in early European history,
there was a period whereby the Church was a Sanctuary from the law.
If you broke the law but sought refuge in a church, the law could
not arrest you while you were there. You’d be arrested only
if you stepped out of its building.
But isn’t that what the Church
is supposed to be? A Sanctuary is defined not just by its location,
or name, but its actions. It is a place for people to come to, when
they’ve nowhere else to go! The Church ought to be a place
that connects the world to God. But it cannot be so – unless
it is a warm place, whereby people feel loved, safe and are enfolded
in an environment of forgiveness and trust.
We need to make the Church a Sanctuary
for the lost once again – and to do so, we need to start by
loving those outside of our blood families, and learn to see that
God’s family is so much larger and tied by spiritual ties
through Jesus, our One Lord.
3-
Being ONE: Jesus’ Prayer For Us
Jesus prayed in John 17.20-21 –
‘I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all
who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they
will be one, just as you and I are one – as you are in me,
Father and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world
will believe you sent me.’ (NLT 2nd edition)
Friends, we need to be ONE. That
was Jesus’ desire for us.
When we partake of Holy Communion,
we eat of one meal – one bread and one cup. That’s because
we are ONE – not separated by wealth, race or education. Let’s
have no favourites as a church, but rather learn to appreciate all
as one family. Let us love and forgive one another.
As God enables, let’s make
the family of God a warm, loving, safe and attractive place for
all of us.
- Pastor Joel Yong
Prayer
Let’s pray. Dear Lord, our
earthly nucleus families are only a reflection of the larger spiritual
family You have intended for us to love and live with. Enlarge our
spiritual eyes and hearts to embrace the family of God, beginning
with our local church, and extending to the fellowship of believers
in Singapore and all across the nations.