God's Family

Chapter 3. I titled this message, GOD'S FAMILY. GOD'S FAMILY. And he looked, in verse 34, and he looked round about on them which sat about him, and he said, Behold my mother and my brethren, for whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and mother."

His relatives and Mary had come to get him. Remember earlier it says his friends thought he was beside himself, and that word friends is his kinsmen. They probably went back and told Mary and they came to get him, interrupted the service. They interrupted the service and our Lord set them straight. He put them in their place. We need to be put in our place from time to time, don't we? He put them in their place. I'll tell you who my mother, my brother and my sister are, those who do the will of God. Now when I was reading this, I thought the Catholics make a big deal about praying to Mary and other saints, treating them as another mediator before God.

Our Lord shows it differently here. He shows that they are no more important than the rest of the family. He doesn't have a special one in the family. If we want to say He has a special one in the family, it's His Son, Jesus Christ. This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased. But we know that Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and men. Not Mary, not Paul, not any of the saints. Jesus Christ is.

Now that being said, I want us to look at God's family for a little bit here tonight. You know one of the greatest privileges a person can experience is being a member of God's family. God's family is a very real family and in a little while He's going to gather every one of His children home in a little while. All his children are going to be with him and that's a great privilege. And the Word of God describes God's family.

It says they are forgiven, they are justified, they are sanctified, they are reconciled, THEY ARE REDEEMED! THEY ARE ADOPTED! THEY ARE BORN OF GOD! THAT'S GOD'S FAMILY! THAT'S HIS FAMILY! AND EVERY BELIEVER THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS A PART OF THAT FAMILY! GOD IS OUR FATHER! GOD IS NOT THE FATHER OF EVERYONE ON THIS EARTH! God is the Father of all those whom He saves in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are no more servants in His house, we are sons and daughters in His family.

Think about that tonight when you go home. I want you to sit down, I want you to think about if you truly believe you believe the gospel that you are part of God's family. That's just astounding to me. You know, I came from a big family. Counting mom and dad, there's nine in the family. Counting today's standards, that's a big family. But that's absolutely nothing compared to the brothers and sisters I have in Christ. We have a big family. is more than a religious organization. It's a family. It's a family.

Families share the same FATHER. We have the same FATHER. He said, I go to MY FATHER and YOUR FATHER. I go to MY FATHER and YOUR FATHER, that's what He said. We have the same LIFE, ETERNAL LIFE, the LIFE OF GOD. Same LOVE. THE LOVE OF GOD IS SHED ABROAD IN MY HEART, IT'S SHED ABROAD IN YOUR HEART. We have the same love and we have the same home.

The Lord Jesus Christ, He said, If I go away, He said, I'm going to go away and I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I prepare a place for you in John 14, I'LL COME AGAIN AND RECEIVE YOU TO MYSELF, THERE WHERE I AM. THERE YOU MAY BE ALSO. I WILL COME AGAIN FOR YOU. I'M GONNA COME AND GET YOU. AND I'M GONNA TAKE YOU TO THAT PREPARED PLACE. I'M GONNA TAKE YOU HOME. AND YOU'RE GONNA BE WITH ME."

And when the Lord takes one of our loved ones out of this congregation, as He's taken several out of this congregation, He's taking them home. IT CAUSES US SORROW, BUT NOT ABOVE MEASURE. IT'S SORROW, YET IT'S REJOICING THAT THE LORD HAS TAKEN THEM HOME. HE'S TAKEN THEM AWAY FROM THE EVIL. THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS OVER IN ISAIAH OR JEREMIAH, TAKING THEM AWAY FROM THE EVIL TO COME. TAKEN TO A PLACE OF PARADISE, A PLACE CALLED PARADISE. HE'S TAKEN HOME.

Now as we search the scriptures we learn several characteristics that distinguish God's family from all other families on this earth. First of all, God's family is a chosen family. God's family is a chosen family, every one of them, every one of them.

Our Lord said in John 15, 16, You have not chosen Me, I have chosen you. I've chosen you. Earthly parents do not choose their children. They receive them as gifts from God. But God, according to His eternal purpose and grace, chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. He chose His children. He chose every one of them. Ephesians 1 verse 4 and 5 according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world."

That's so clear! What is not clear about that? "...that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." It was God's good pleasure to make you His children.

And this truth ought to humble us. It really ought to humble us. Because there was nothing in us that deserved God's favor. Our salvation is entirely the result of the sovereign grace and mercy of God. Ephesians 2.8-9, For by grace are you saved. That right there tells us we had nothing to do with it. For by grace are you saved through faith. That's the means. God is a God of means. And that's not of yourselves. That faith is not of yourselves, it's a gift of God. And it's not of works lest any man should boast. Our salvation is entirely the result of the free, sovereign grace of God.

That being said, instead of pride, God choosing us should produce gratitude. We should be the most thankful people on the top side of this earth. We really should be the most thankful people. God has saved us from the wrath to come. God has blessed us. Look what you have, you know, the homes you have, the living you're able to make, God gave that to you. God gave it to you. We've got to be the most grateful THIS OUGHT TO PRODUCE IN US A SPIRIT OF WORSHIP! THANK YOU LORD FOR SAVING MY SOUL! THANK YOU LORD FOR MAKING ME WHOLE!

There's a lot of people He hasn't done that to. I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, and whom I will I'll harden. That's a powerful verse. And it ought to give us CONFIDENCE and the unfailing love of our Father. And then God's family is a redeemed family. That means a purchased family. God's family was purchased at an immeasurable, unspeakable price. I would to God that we could really get a hold of Christ crucified.

His Christ's substitutionary work, dying in our place, executed in our place, under the wrath of God. It's one thing to suffer at the hands of wicked men, at the wrath of men, but the wrath of God? You know, when it comes to the wrath of men, there's an end to it. If they kill me, they can't do anything else. But there's no end to the wrath of God. And our Lord took that away. He took that away. We were slaves to sin. And brethren, I mean, we were slaves. We were slaves.

A ring in our nose. You see a ring in a bull's nose? They just lead that bull along by that ring in his nose. just a ring in our nose it's just like a like a like a dog to its master that send nature whistles and we come running to it we bow to it saved from the curse of the law which is a very real curse but Jesus Christ BY ONE OFFERING HATH PERFECTED FOREVER THEM WHICH WERE SINCTIFIED, THEM WHICH WERE SET APART AND GIVEN TO HIM, HE HAS PERFECTED US, HE HAS PUT AWAY OUR SINS."

Don't ever let that become dull to you, hearing it. I know we do, and I know you will. As I told someone about money, somebody's coming in with some money, I said, I promise you one thing, it will lull you to sleep. I don't care how hard you fight against it. Sooner or later, it'll do it. And I said, for lack of a better word, God will slap you out of it if you're His. He'll have to wake you up again. But it'll happen. Because I know this flesh. I know this flesh. I know what will happen to it.

Listen here in 1 Peter 1, 18-19, For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain, empty life, conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious, precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

No amount of money, no good works, no religion, no religious activity could purchase our salvation in any way, shape, or form. Only the spotless Lamb of God died in our place. put away our offenses and Ephesians 1 7 in him in whom it is in Christ we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace his cross reminds us that our salvation is both free it's free to us but it was very costly to him salvation is free to me and you it wasn't free to christ he had to pay for it he had to pay for all my sins your sins you who believe all the sins of all god's elect he had to die for every one of them he had to be punished for every one of them.

And He was, and He put it away. He put it away. Revelation 5, 9 and we someday are going to sing this with them. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof. For thou wast slain, That's a tough word, isn't it? He didn't just say, Thou hast died. He said, Thou was slain like an animal. That sin offering at Bullock was to be slain and then cut apart. It has redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, tongue, and people, and nation. And that being so, those who have been purchased by Christ should gladly, gladly live for the one who died for them. Your life, my life, is His. It's His.

I know when I was a real young man before I heard the gospel, I wanted to do certain things, I wanted to accomplish certain things. And then the Lord saved me and I had to grow up and I learned Christ is my life and I said, Lord, what would you have me to do? What would you have me to do?

And then God's family is born again by the Spirit of God. They're not only adopted, They are born of the Spirit. You know what the Word of God says in John 3? That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. He doesn't say it's spiritual, though it is. It's Spirit, it's of the same nature it's born of. That's what He's saying.

Membership in God's family doesn't come through natural birth. Just because someone's parents believe doesn't mean their children are going to believe. Because I've seen children that never bleed. I've seen it. Church membership. Baptism. A man said to me many years ago, said it was probably about 20 or 30 years ago. He said, well, before I die, I want to get baptized. His idea was that it would save him. It won't save anybody. There's only one baptism that'll save you. That's being baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit. That'll save you. But being baptized in water, that won't save you. Christ said this in John 3, THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE! THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE WITH NO EXCEPTION!

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN TO SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD, TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND TO BE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. YOU MUST BE BORN FROM ABOVE BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual life to those given to Christ and in time He gives them spiritual life. And because we are born of God, we now possess a new nature A NATURE WE WERE NOT BORN WITH FROM OUR PARENTS.

NONE OF THIS CAME FROM OUR PARENTS. THIS IS ALL OF GOD. THIS HAS COME FROM OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, BUT NOT MY FATHER ON EARTH. I ONLY GOT SIN FROM HIM. AND NOW WE HAVE NEW DESIRES. CAN YOU REMEMBER A TIME THAT YOU DID NOT DESIRE TO BE HERE? Your desire was somewhere else.

We have a new relationship with God. He's not our judge, He's our Father. He's our Father. God's our Father. My soul, God's my Father. And just as children inherit characteristics from their earthly parents. Believers increasingly are conformed to the character, the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as we receive characteristics of our Father on earth, we receive them from our Father which is in heaven.

The older I get and the people that knew me growing up and they knew my father, you know, for years, every time they see me, if I go to a funeral back home, they see me. They say, well, Daryl can't deny you. They do. Daryl can't deny you. You look just like your daddy. And now that I talk like him, I catch myself laughing like him. My brothers and sisters tell me, say, you're just, you're like dad. My mother, Once time after Daddy passed away, she looked at me and said, Good night, Darryl. I looked so much like Dad to her. Well, those who are born of God, they have characteristics of God, don't they? You love what He loves, don't you? You love His Son, He does. There was a time you didn't love Jesus Christ at all.

WE TAKE ON CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. And 2 Peter 1 verse 4, WHEREBY ARE GIVEN UNTO US EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES, THAT BY THESE YOU MIGHT BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, HAVING ESCAPED THE CORRUPTION THAT IS IN THE WORLD THROUGH LUST. The evidence of the new birth is the new life that increasingly reflects the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it is to be conformed to the image of Christ. It's not my flesh looking like Him, it's my spirit, it's my attitude looking like Him, or being like Him. Love what He loves.

If I could, and you, you believe, if you could, you wouldn't sin again, would you? You hate sin, just as He hated sin. But now is the time you didn't hate sin. It upset you when you couldn't figure out how to do what you wanted to do. Oh no, we are being conformed, as each day goes by, we are being conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, thy will be done. I'm more willing to say that now than I was 40-some years ago. Even after I was saved, I'm more willing to say it now than I was then. Because I have learned over the years that God's will is the best will, no matter how much it hurts. His will is the best.

And we submit to His will. Then God's family is a HOLY FAMILY! His family is a holy family. Holiness is not only our standing in Christ, but our experience in the new birth. We are made holy in Christ. And that new man that is born of God, listen to this, Ephesians 4, verse 24. And that you put on the new man, which after God, which in the image of God. You know what God said in Genesis? Let us make man in our image and after our likeness. This is the fulfillment of that scripture. This right here is when we are born of God, we are made in the image of God.

Listen, that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, not a pretense. It's true, it's real, and it's yours. In God's sight, you're holy. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY HOLY IN GOD'S SIGHT IN JESUS CHRIST. THAT NEW MAN, THAT NEW NATURE THAT'S BORN OF GOD DOES NOT SIN.

IT'S BORN OF GOD. IT'S BORN OF GOD. You know, children are the offspring of their parents. And likewise, God's children are HIS offspring. And they bear HIS IMAGE OF HOLINESS IN THE NEW CREATION. HOLINESS IS NOT AVOIDING SIN! THAT'S NOT HOLINESS! Do you know what one of the meanings of HOLY is? OTHER THAN! It's OTHER THAN! You see, God is OTHER THAN US! God is HOLY, we're SINFUL! It is OTHER THAN OUR FIRST BIRTH! It is a NATURE that is OTHER THAN OUR OLD NATURE! It's born of God. It's born of God.

As members of His family, we should demonstrate His character in love and faith and obedience. Listen to this in 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1, 15 and 16, But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. That means in all manner of your life.

Now you know and I know that we can't do anything that doesn't have sin attached to it because of this old nature we have. But in Christ we're holy. You know the worship right now, the worship we're giving right here, it's holy. Is it not? It's holy. Christ makes it that way. HE MAKES IT THAT WAY! HE TAKES THE SIN OUT OF IT! I CAN'T PUT ALL THAT IN! I CANNOT PUT THAT INTO WORDS! BUT HE MAKES THIS WORSHIP SERVICE ACCEPTED BECAUSE IT'S A HOLY WORSHIP SERVICE! That's hard for us to understand, but it's so. Our lives reveal whose family we belong to. You know that? Over time, our lives reveal the family we belong to. 1 John 3, verses 9 and 10.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. That means he is not the servant of sin as before. That means if God saves a drunkard, he's not going to live like a drunkard the rest of his life. If He saves a drug addict, if He saves a prostitute, they're not going to go out and just continue living like that. They're not going to do it.

God's given them a new heart, a new nature. He's given them a love, the love of God is shared abroad in their heart. They love God, they love Christ, they love God's people, and they love righteousness. They love righteousness. WHOSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD DOES NOT COMMIT SIN, FOR HIS SEED REMAINS IN HIM. HE CANNOT SIN BECAUSE HE IS BORN OF GOD. IN THIS THE CHILDREN OF GOD ARE MANIFEST, AND THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL. WHOSOEVER DOES NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT OF GOD, NEITHER HE THAT LOVETH NOT HIS BROTHER." He's not of God.

He doesn't know God. and Titus 2 verse 11 and 12 for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world that's your life that's your life on this earth in Christ and that's the way you seek to live I'm not trying to live without sin I'm just trying to live in the in the light of the Word of God WE JUST DON'T LIVE THAT LIFE THAT WE USED TO LIVE! SIN DOESN'T HAVE DOMINION OVER US LIKE IT USED TO!

And then God's family is made up of LIVELY STONES! It's made up of LIVELY STONES! 1 Peter 2 verse 5, He also, as LIVELY STONES, LIVING STONES, are built up a spiritual house holy priesthood, so you're holy, you're a holy priesthood. You offer up prayers to God, you pray for one another, you offer up thanksgiving, prayers of thanksgiving, sacrifices it's called, of thanksgiving. You're a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, how? By Jesus Christ. That's how they're accepted. through the Beloved, in the Beloved.

Peter describes believers as lively stones. Stones by themselves accomplish nothing, but when placed together by the Master Builder, they become a dwelling place for God s presence. That s what s going on. God s building His temple that He s going to dwell in forever and ever. EVERY BELIEVER HAS BEEN SHAPED BY GOD'S GRACE TO FULFILL A SPECIAL ROLE, A SPECIAL PLACE IN HIS CHURCH, IN HIS BUILDING. EVERY BELIEVER! You know the disciples, this thought come to me, remember when they passed the temple and they said to the Lord, Look at this, look at these stones, look at this building. And the Lord said, One stone is not going to be left on another.

But look at God's building. Sinner saved by grace, made righteous in Jesus Christ. Now look at that building. It's the glory of God. It's the glory of His power, the glory of His grace, the glory of His love. It's the glory of God. That building is beautiful, the one that God's building.

THIS BEING SO, WE HAVE A PLACE IN GOD'S BUILDING. EVERY LIVING STONE IS FITTED IN GOD'S SPIRITUAL HOUSE. This led me to this verse today as I was writing all this over the last couple, three days. First Kings 6, verse 7, BUILT IN THE TEMPLE, AND THE HOUSE WHEN IT WAS IN BUILDING WAS WAS BUILT OF STONE MADE READY BEFORE IT WAS BROUGHT THERE." I thought, Wow, God's making us ready. That's what's going on. These trials, these heartaches, these things are making us ready.

We're in what you call, is it called a quarry? I can't hardly say it, like a gravel pit, but I think it's called a quarry. He's saying that these stones that's for the temple, it is to be hammered and chiseled and done in that place. And when it's brought to the temple, and when it's placed, there's to be no hammer, no chisel, anything laid onto it.

It's to be finished there. We are being chiseled and hammered here. And when God's got us ready, when He's got us ready for that place, He'll take us home. And we'll be fitted in that building. And there won't be no hammering and chiseling going on there. Can you get the image that I got? I mean, I saw this and I thought, my, this is what's going on. We're being hammered and chiseled here. And one day, we're going to all be taken there, and then all the stones are going to fit beautifully in that place.

And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither, so that there was neither a hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was being built. And then God's family is a building, fitly framed together. We're lively stones, and now we're a building. Ephesians 2 verse 20 and 22, And we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building, the temple of God, fitly framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. Paul speaks of God's family as a building. The Lord Jesus Christ, we know, is the chief cornerstone. The apostles and prophets laid the doctrinal foundation, and every believer is carefully placed in God's spiritual house. You know what that says? Be content where God's put you. Be content where God has wisely put you.

No stone, and listen to this, no stone is unnecessary. If they take one stone out of that building, what are you going to see? It will be like somebody smiling and they've got one tooth missing. It's like, You can't stop looking at it! You got one stone, you got one beautiful building, and there's one stone missing, and everybody's saying, well there's a stone missing. Oh, no stone is unnecessary.

Every believer has a purpose in God's building. Everybody does. Be happy where you are if you're in God's building. The church is not simply a gathering of individuals, but a unified body that God Himself is constructing. That's what it is. Therefore, we should value our unity, we should seek peace, and faithfully serve God where He has put us, this being so.

And then God's family meets together to worship their Heavenly Father. I sat down two days ago and because I had to look at this and I was trying to look for the message and then every one of these points you BAM BAM BAM and then I finally put some meat on the bones the day and yesterday but God's family meets together to worship their heavenly father that's what we're doing right here God's family John 4 verse 23 and 24, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

You know, healthy families spend time together. You know, like I said, I have a large family, not all of them believe the Gospel, but we all get along real well because the way Mom and Dad brought us up, I mean, it's a real testimony to the way they raised us. And you know, we get along very well as far as just a family goes. And healthy families spend time together. God's family gathers regularly for worship, don't we?

Here we are on Thursday. And we'll be back on Sunday, Lord willing. We'll be back here. We gather to worship our Father. We gather to pray as Johnny prayed and Tommy prayed back in the study. We've gathered to fellowship because we're fellows in the same ship, we better get along. But we've gathered to fellowship. We gather to encourage one another. If you know somebody's down, encourage them. And we gather to study God's Word and to preach His Word until He comes.

Hebrews 10 verse 24-25, LET US CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER TO PROVOKE UNTO LOVE AND TO GOOD WORKS. Let's not provoke somebody to anger, but to love. Let's reverse what provoke means to us. Let's provoke one another to love and good works. NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS, BUT EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER AS SO MUCH THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING.

EXHORT ONE ANOTHER. ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER! WORSHIP IS A PRIVILEGE! WORSHIP IS A PRIVILEGE! I THANK GOD HE'S ALLOWED US TO BE HERE TONIGHT! I THANK GOD HE'S GIVEN US THE DESIRE AND THE ABILITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT! AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST WE ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AND GLORIFY OUR HEAVENLY FATHER TOGETHER!

We do. You know, one of the strange things that I've learned from my parents being gone now is how much they were the glue to the family. They were like the hub. We all gathered around Mom and Dad constantly going around to see Mom and Dad, you know, getting together. We had big gatherings. And now they're gone and it's like, We don't get together like that now. Now me and my brothers and sisters are going to get together again this September in the Smoky Mountains. Mom wanted those girls to promise her to get us together once a year. Families ought to get together that love one another.

Worship is a privilege in Acts 2 42 and they continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers they continued in that continuously. The local church is God's appointed place where His family, His family grows in faith and love and in knowledge of Christ.

Don't think you're going to grow in faith and love and knowledge of Christ if you're just here once in a while. Now if you're just here once in a while, you're just here to quiet your conscience. Some people have just enough religion to make them miserable. Just enough religion to make them miserable. And they'll show up once in a while and it eases their conscience.

That's not why we're here, we're here to feed. We're here to learn, we're here to hear from our Father, our God. and therefore we are to participate in the life of the church and demonstrate our love to one another as God has loved us. And God's family do the will of their Heavenly Father. He said, Who's my brother, my mother, my sister? Those who do the will of God. What's the will of God? First and foremost, to believe Him. to love Him, to love one another, and look after one another.

Psalm 110.3, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. God's family are obedient. We're not a bunch of rebels gathered together here tonight. We're a bunch of rebels saved by the grace of God and we're not rebels no more. We've been reconciled to God. God has been reconciled to us through the blood of Christ, now we be reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. God's Family is OBEDIENT.

Matthew 6.10 We pray, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Can we pray it like this? Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth and in my house as it is in heaven. THY WILL BE DONE IN MY HOUSE AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. And then last of all, I'll close.

The family of God is unlike any family on earth. We are a chosen family because God graciously chose us. We are a redeemed family because Christ purchased us with His WE ARE A HOLY FAMILY BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN BORN OF GOD, WE HAVE BEEN MADE HOLY IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. WE ARE A UNITED FAMILY FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER IN GOD'S SPIRITUAL TEMPLE. WE ARE LIVING STONES EACH WITH A PURPOSE IN HIS CHURCH, HIS FAMILY. WE ARE BORN AGAIN FAMILY, SHARING THE LIFE OF GOD THROUGH GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND WE ARE A WORSHIPING FAMILY, GATHERING TOGETHER TO HONOR AND WORSHIP OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

Here is a scripture that describes God's family, 1 Peter 2.9, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people, a purchased people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Now if the Lord has saved you and me, we belong to the greatest family that has ever existed, the Eternal Family of God. Let me read you this scripture in our clothes.

In Revelation 21, And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city of New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, For these words are true and faithful." This is God's family's future. I just read you our future.

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