Ephesians 3, verses 13. We'll start in verse 13 and read
through the end of the chapter. We're going to look at but one
verse. Ephesians 3, starting in verse 13. Wherefore, I desire
that you faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees
to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according
to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by
his Spirit in the inner man. that Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth
and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ,
which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all
the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to
do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according
to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen. He makes a statement here in
verse 15. 15. Of whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named. The whole family. And so That
sparked my attention, that arrested my attention, and I thought,
family, that's what we are here, family. Now we do have natural
family, but that's just it, they're natural family. There's something
very special about the church, the local body, the family. Now this word family, I looked
it up, and it means kindred, descendants, or the Oxford usage,
heir, an heir. And we are called in 1 Peter
3 and Romans 8, we are spoken of in Scriptures as joint heirs
together with Christ. So heirs, that's what we are.
We're family here. That's what we are. Now, functional,
dysfunctional, that's part of family life. You know, everybody's
different personalities. Even twins, it's amazing how
different their personalities can be. So I have questions. How are we made heirs of heaven?
How does that take place? Do we want desire to be in the
family of grace? What can I or what can we do
to secure citizenship Or what can we do to be a member of the
household of God in Christ? Do we even want to be? Do we
even want to be? I think it's in this day and
age, which is the same day and age since time began, since Adam
fell, family is very important. Family is very important. The demise of the family, family
institution, the institution of marriage, all these things
that are in this country just mocked and laughed upon, but
there's something blessed and sacred about the family of Christ. Well, there's humanly, you think
about it, there's only three, only three ways to be in a family,
humanly, which is interesting because scripturally these are,
they're found in the scriptures. One, you can be adopted. You can be adopted into a family. That means you weren't born,
you just, somebody comes, they fill out paperwork, and you boys
don't know anything about this, but there are folks that their
mom and dad are not their real mom and dad. They've been adopted,
and you want to start You want to bless your heart, go on Face
or YouTube and just watch a couple adoptions. Watch the parents
and watch the children and it's just beautiful. Adoption. The second way is by birth, which
Logan and Carter, by birth, have been born into that family. They have privileges with that.
And thirdly, by marriage. So this human position or condition,
it says a lot about our spiritual position and condition. The first
thing is that it is impossible for us, for we, to make ourselves
part of God's family. We can't do that ourselves. We
can't do that ourselves. Just as you've been adopted,
you didn't have really much to say. Now I know nowadays, you
know, they got the kids, they sign papers. But in the old times,
Spurgeon's time, he tells the story, well, Thomas Watson's
most beautiful on his section, his Body of Divinity, just a
section on adoption is the most beautiful illustration I can
ever remember. I would recommend everybody reading
that. And he talks about a boy being adopted. The boy didn't
have anything to do with it. The parents came, and they looked
at the children, and they said, we want that one. Birth, you
didn't have anything to do with your being born, male, female,
or the house, or the house that you came. Adoption is one way,
truly and really. Birth, there's nowhere found
in scriptures the decision by the baby to be born. That's just
sheer folly. And marriage, well, you say that's
consensual. Well, maybe between the husband
and wife, but the family that's outside the bride and groom? I met Melinda, her folks, I was
going to be a part of that family. But I didn't really have anything
to do with it. Biblically, second, Biblically, doctrinally, and
therefore truthfully, to be found of the family of the kingdom
of God is a sheer and pure act of sovereign revelation. This
is salvation solely and singularly based upon and rests upon with
God doing something for us which we could not do for ourselves.
Specifically in the human terms of adoption or birth had nothing
to do, we had no control. And we'll see biblically marriage
or being betrothed, we were fighters, we fought against this, a shotgun
wedding so to speak. So from start, election unto
salvation, to finish, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit to
eternal life. It is by grace through faith
alone, and faith is not of yourselves, lest any should boast, Ephesians
2. Had our great and merciful God not selected His people,
not married His people, not birthed His people or adopted His people,
No one would ever come to Him for life and salvation. That's
just a fact. That's how bad and wicked we
are. Let's look at what the Bible says. Adoption. Turn to Ephesians
chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. Adoption. Ephesians 1, starting in verse
1 and going through verse 7, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, to the
faithful of Christ Jesus, grace be to you and peace from God
our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, according as He hath
chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by, or the source of Jesus Christ
to Himself, why, according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made
us accepted in the Beloved, in whom We have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace. We were adopted. What did we
have to do with it? Nothing. Nothing. We are simply
the sovereign recipients. We are simply, oh bless God,
it is so, the recipients of His goodness. Born in sin, not caring
for the things of God, He adopted His children and loves them evermore. That's the fact. He adopted us. He initiated everything. That's
why it's called grace. Born. Born. John chapter 3. To be born of God. What does
that mean? To be born from above. John chapter
3. Verses 5 and 6. Jesus answered, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of
the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit His
Spirit. He talked to Nicodemus. You must
be born again. And he didn't understand. He
was a doctor of the law, a teacher of religion, a Bible class teacher,
Sunday school teacher. And he's like, how can that be? He didn't understand it. We can't understand. We can't
understand unless the Lord reveals. These things to us. We're born
in sin. We're not born in righteousness
or unrighteousness. Our first parents were, but after
they fell in the garden, it plummeted the whole human race. So this
second, to be in order to be in a family, you've got to be
born. Adopted or born. Birth into new life. Christ says,
your fruit is found in Me. who gave His life a ransom for
many, to be born of God. So that's the second way to get
in to be a family member. Adopted, be born, and married. Revelations chapter 21, and verse
2 and verse 9, and then we'll go to Hosea chapter 2. Revelation chapter 21, And I,
John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And verse 9, And there came unto
me one of the seven angels, which had seven vials full of seven
last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will
show thee the bride, The Lamb's Wife. Now, Hosea chapter 2, which I think is more clear. Hosea chapter 2, verses 19 and 20. And I will betroth thee, God
says, To thee unto me forever. It's God's doing the work. Yea,
I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, which we heard
in Bible class, we've got to have that. And in judgment. He's just and justifies the ungodly.
And in loving kindness. And in mercies, we get something
we didn't deserve. In verse 20, I will even betroth
thee, I will marry thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou
shalt know the Lord. Marriage, adoption, and birth
is all done outside of us. So I go back to the questions.
Do we want to be part of the family of God? Do we even desire
to be part of a family? Cry, O cry to be a family member
of the household of grace. Cry for mercy. We sing that song at Calvary,
O the love that drew salvation's plan. This plan was drawn up
before the foundation of the world. Adopted. Born. and married. Now, this is perhaps
just as important, how do we treat those family members? Now
once your family member, you know, says membership has its
privileges, credit card commercial, how do we treat family members?
How do you treat your family members? How do you treat your
children? How do you treat your wife, your spouse? I'm going to list them, and then
we'll look at them. You care for them. You love them. You pray for them. You comfort
them. You admonish them. You edify
them. You be at peace with them. And
you forgive. 1 Corinthians 12. You can listen. You can turn
to these if you want. And I'm not saying, this is difficult to say or how
to express it, but if somebody keeps abusing you, yes, you do
this in your heart, you may not, you don't, the believer foresees
evil and he runs from it. You run from it. You don't continue to take abuse. You get out of the situation.
So you use your head. This is mutual. This is family. This is family members. This
is mutual. It's not one-sided. It's mutual.
1 Corinthians 12. Verse 25, there should be no
schisms in the body, but that the members should have the same
care one for another. Care for one another. Care for
one another. John chapter 13. John chapter 13, verse 34. Love. That word care back in
1 Corinthians that care for one another is take thought for.
Take thought for. Think about. It's premeditated
to do them good, to do one another good. John chapter 13 and verse
34, A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another
as I have loved you, that you also love one another. That's
what we ought to do. Despite our idiosyncrasies, despite
our personalities, And love is telling. See, this is what the
world thinks. Love in the world is mealy-mouthed
and weak-kneed and has no spine. You love somebody, you may tell
them you're out of line. You're out of line. So it's not
just... Well, look at 1 Corinthians 13
when you get home. James 5. James 5. Remember, we're speaking about
how do we treat these family members. James 5 and verse 16. Confess your faults one to another.
Pray one for another that you may be healed. The effectual,
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. I find myself,
and William and I were talking about this the other day, if
we would just read the Scriptures and do what they say. What did
Christ say? Happy are ye if you do them.
Be ye doers of the Word. and not hearers only. So, it's
like Bruce said, we're different. Yes, we still sin. Yes, we still
struggle hard with sin, but we are new creatures in Christ.
And this is what we do. This is what we do. Pray for
one another. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And verse 18, wherefore comfort one another
with these words. Comfort. I remember back in the day, tomorrow
morning you're going to go back to work. And the people you're working
with, they may be the nicest people in the world, but if they're
not believers, they hate your God, they hate the covenant,
they hate grace, So it's tough. So when we gather
together, and I was thinking about this, I am so thankful
that this little flock, there's no drama. I hate drama. First of all, I'm
not smart enough how to deal with a lot of stuff. I am so
thankful we come in here and we just worship. a soccer team, we don't have
a volleyball team, it's all these things that all these churches
have. We just come and just Christ. Christ is it. Christ is it. That's what I told you all when
you came, when Nathan and them came. It's just us. Sometimes I feel sorry for you
all, but it's like, you know what? It's just us. We don't
have a lot extracurricular. I don't want extracurricular.
I just want to know you, and you know me, and we worship Christ
together. I mean, that's what it's really
about. But we comfort one another. So when you come in here, and
we all have baggage, we carry stuff in, but something, a look,
a smile, a hug, a word, And you're like, oh, that's great, I needed
that. We're family. Romans chapter
15. Romans chapter 15. Verse 14. Romans 15 verse 14. And I myself also am persuaded
of you, my brethren, speaking to the church at Rome, that you
also are a full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able
also to admonish one another. Admonish one another. What's
that mean? That means to be gentle, or warm, or put in mind. Put in mind. You know, I work
tomorrow. I don't have to work tomorrow.
But I think about you, Lord willing, I'll remember you, and I'll pray
for you. And if something more needs to
take place, give me a call. We help one another. We encourage
one another. And that's one reason why I really enjoy the fellowship
meals. We just sit down and just chat. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. And verse 11. Wherefore, comfort yourselves
together and edify one another, even as also ye do." Edify, that
means to build up or to confirm. You talk about the Gospel. Yeah,
that's right. That is the Gospel. That's what
this book says the Gospel. Well, you do this and do that.
How do I handle this? Well, I don't know. This is what
the Bible says. Confirm what the Scripture says in our lives.
Edify one another. It's building up. There's way
too many things in this world, especially work, that we tear
one another down. It's just a good pastime. People
like to talk about people and tear one another down. No, this
is building up. This is building up. Husbands,
wives, children. Mark chapter 9. Mark chapter
9. Mark 9 and verse 50. Salt is good, but if the salt
has lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt
in yourselves, and have peace one with another. If a person
is in the flesh, or not very spiritual, or again, a lot, If
you linger in this world and this world is going to pull you
down, as a believer, we're supposed to be salt. We're supposed to
be iron sharpening iron. But if the salt has lost its
saltness, why use it? Why waste it? But
if you have salt in yourselves, Spiritually minded, if you ask,
you know, all these different things about, first of all, being
in a family by His grace, and grace produces these things,
how we treat one another, you have peace. That's another thing,
it's with drama, there's no peace. There's always something going
on. I remember John Sebaugh. He took me outside and tried
to get me all stirred up, which he was wont to do. Well, what
about this guy? What about that guy? This guy
hadn't been coming to church and he wanted to know why I didn't
go and hammer him. And I said, he knows he's supposed
to be here. He knows what he's supposed to be doing. His family
knows what he's supposed to be doing. Not a very good example
for his children. They know what they're supposed
to be doing. He tried to get me stirred up, which is what
our former pastor did. Our former pastor, he would get
people stirred up and then just drama. And I just said, I'm not
going to take the bait. I'm not going to take the bait.
Because I want peace. We had 10 years of truth, 10
years of doctrinal correctness, but not much peace. I want the
truth, and the truth will make you free, and you will have peace. Have peace one with another. Live in peace. Be in peace. And
lastly, Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, verse 32, Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath
forgiven you." That word forgiveness or forgive means to rescue, to
show favor, or as it's used up here, kindness. So in closing,
family, I address each one of us, let us beseech our kind and
compassionate Heavenly Father to make us family, to make us
family together, and do these things to each and every one, showing just how merciful our
Savior was to us, and thereby glorify the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To Him be all praise, honor,
and glory. There's nothing more beautiful
in this world than after you live a few more years, you'll
begin to see this more and more. There's nothing more beautiful
than the gathering together as a family, comforting, encouraging,
and rebuke, that's all part of it, admonishing, but exhorting,
being kind, forgiving one another, as Christ forgave us. We talk about a sovereign God,
we talk about a merciful God, we talk about a compassionate
God. May we show these features in our lives one to another.
Because you're not going to get it out there very often. Now
there are some folks that are genuinely kind people, Start telling them about the
gospel and let's just see how kind they are. They'll turn on
you. But I'm thankful for you and
I pray you're thankful for me. Just continue to encourage one
another in the next year, and in the next year, and in the
next year. May the Lord bless the Word. Bruce, would you close us?