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20th May 2007 PM
THE CHURCH - GOD'S FAMILY Pastor Colin Meadows
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Genesis 12:1-5, Matthew 12:46-50
Ø The Sagrada Familia – Barcelona’s Amazing Basilica! In 1884, work began on the Church of the Holy Family in Barcelona, Spain. Designed to show the living vital nature of the church, it was to comprise a main church building plus a cluster of schools and other buildings. Its architect, Antonio Gaudi, wished to produce a work that was living and growing and full of colour, much as a plant would be. Gaudi intended that the church would have three central features highlighting the nativity, the passion and the resurrection of Christ. Each of these features was to have four towers. A total of 18 towers were later planned, 16 for the apostles and evangelists and two for Mary and her son Jesus. The tallest tower, reaching a height of some 170 metres, was to be reserved for Christ. The inside of the basilica was designed to represent the heavenly city with Jesus as the Lamb of God.
When Gaudi died in 1926 the building was far from complete, with just the north front of the building and one tower completed. Other architects took over and continued building. Several times work stopped altogether. At one time parts of the building were damaged and Gaudi’s building plans lost. Work recommenced in 1954 and has continued ever since. Even today it is still being built, funded largely by public donations. Cranes and scaffolding continue to clutter the site.
Some people are concerned that the building will eventually be completed, something that Gaudi said shouldn’t happen. The church, Gaudi said, is to keep growing, like a plant, reaching out to the world. One prediction states that the building will be completed in 2026 but this has been disputed by the architects.
There are some fascinating parallels that we can draw on from this building as we look at our next image of the church, that being God’s Family. Just as the church in Barcelona is being built to represent the holy family, so we are being built up in Christ to represent the family of God. God has a heart for family.
Ø God places us in a family God’s plan for humanity was that we grow up in a family setting. God saw that it was not good for a man to be alone and thus provided a wife for Adam. The family setting was thus to be replicated whenever a man married.
Gen 2:24 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”
The new couple would then create their own family setting as a place of safety and nurture. Unfortunately the model that God so desired was not always followed by humanity. Because of circumstances or because of sin, severe stresses were placed on families and they fractured. This continues to this day, with many people living in one parent homes or in some cases children living alone without any parent present. In our cities today, many people are homeless, wandering in search of a place to belong. A report on family breakdown and suicide in Australia in 2004 noted ‘There is a growing feeling that the loss of family can now be measured directly in poor achievement at school, unemployment, bankruptcy, domestic violence, homelessness and suicide.’ Family life is thus vitally important.
But what if our family situation is a mess? Is there any way out for us? God has acted to reach out to us all. No matter what our family circumstances, He is calling us to himself, to become part of his family, his extended family.
Ø God calls us to be in His family God has acted to draw us into family, his extended family.
Psalm 68:5-6 “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing…”
God does not want us to continue to wander as orphans. He calls us to join his family, to go on a journey with him. This can be seen in the life of Abram.
Genesis 12:1 “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’”
God called Abram to begin a new family, a family living in obedience to God, a family who would be a blessing to others. In the OT this family grew to be called the nation of Israel. In the NT this family of people called out by God is given the name ‘church’. Jesus referred to this group of called out ones when he to spoke with Peter.
Matt 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
The word used here by Jesus for church literally meant a ‘group of called out ones’. Christ would build his group of called out ones on the basis of what Peter had declared concerning Christ, that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Christ was to be the rock on which the church was founded. Just as God called Abram to take his family and go on a journey of faith, so today Christ is calling us to be in his family and to go on a journey. We would thus be members of two families, our earthly family and our spiritual family.
Have you responded to the call of Jesus to join the family of God? He is inviting you to follow him, to leave behind your life of self-will and to submit to him as Lord. As we bow the knee to him so we are adopted into his family. We are born again spiritually, was how Jesus explained it to Nicodemus. We are born into a new family.
1 John 3:1 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should called the children of God!”
We thus begin a journey with God. What will this journey mean for us?
Ø God calls us to a life of obedience in His family
To be in God’s family means to live a life of obedience. With God as our Father, we will want to live in obedience to him. In the power of the Holy Spirit God calls us to live lives that honour Him.
1 John 3:10 “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.”
God calls us as his children to lives in obedience to him. He wants us to demonstrate to an unbelieving world that his children live in obedience to him. As we live godly lives so we will strengthen our own families. That is how it should be.
Unfortunately thus does not always happen. To many people the church is a joke because of the way some Christians have lived. Just look at how the church is depicted in the media. While some of this is malicious reporting, in many cases the criticism is just. God’s children have not always lived in conformity to God’s wishes. We have messed up badly!!
Let us in God’s strength seek to live in obedience to him. At times this will mean that we will at times separate from our earthly families.
Ø God calls us to put Him first
There will be times when following God will mean going in a different direction to our earthly families. Jesus experienced that in his own life. His mother and brothers came to speak to him at one time. His response was to make a clear distinction as to who was directing his life.
Matt 12:48-50 “He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”
To live in obedience to God as part of his family may mean at times that you go in a different direction to your earthly family. Certainly we are to honour our father and mother and to care for our siblings. But it may mean that as you listen to the sound of God’s voice, then He may take you in a different direction. For myself, it meant going with my wife to Bible College and then Africa, much to my parents concern, in order to follow God’s voice. It may be similar for you. Listen carefully to God’s voice and be willing to obey.
God places us in families.
God calls us to be in His family.
God calls us to a life of obedience in his family.
God calls us to put Him first.
Yes, the church is God’s family, a beautiful picture of the future blessing when we enter heaven.
Remember again the Sagrada Familia - a building that is still being built, growing, vibrant, colourful. Right in the centre of the cathedral in Barcelona is a beautiful place where the Lamb of God is worshipped. This is the future that lies ahead for us all as part of God’s family!! Let us thus live as obedient children in God’s family and thus bring glory to Him!