Family of God | Chris Searcy

I. FAMILY OF GOD 

A. Jesus committed to build His church, and He exhorted us to make disciples (Mt. 16:18; 28:19). Thus, the primary calling for each ministry is to know God and to make Him known, as we work together with others to build the Church and engage in the Great Commission. 

18 “I will build My church…” (Mt. 16:18) 

19 “Go…make disciples of all the nations…” (Mt. 28:19-20)

B. The Lord desires that all of His people have a sense of belonging to a spiritual family and that they take responsibility to do their part in serving, supporting, and building up that family.

C. Jesus revealed the transcendent God of Israel as the Father—He thinks, feels, and acts like a father. He desires to express His heart as a father through spiritual families that care for one another. He wants each member of His family to experience and express His love to others. 35By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (Jn. 13:35)

D. When unbelievers see love consistently expressed in local churches to the weak, the needy, and the lost, they conclude that God is a Father who inspires such love. 

E. Spiritually strong believers are to pursue loving weaker believers who cannot enhance the natural resources, influences, or profile of the spiritually strong. 12This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn. 15:12)

F. God ordained that each believer be a “joint of supply” that reveals His love to others. 

16 ”From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph. 4:16)

G. We are not to forsake gathering together. Many embrace a “churchless Christianity.”

Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

II. THE FATHERS HEART AT HOME

A. In the end times, the Spirit will restore the heart of the father in the Church. There is a crisis of fatherhood in the home, society, and in the Church. This is the first generation in which children are influenced more outside their home than inside it. 

B. The solution starts with understanding and receiving the father-heart of God for our personal lives. 

5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children…" 

(Mal. 4:5-6) 

There is a concerted effort to separate families, physically, emotionally. 

TWELVE UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES:

APPLY IN RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, FAMILY, AND OTHERS

Principle #1 Relationship building: Friendship based training is not the same as being peers or pals relating around entertainment. We invest in others according to their heart cry and passions.

Principle #2 Affirming: Our greatest emotional need is for the assurance of being enjoyed. There is power in speaking blessing to others. God delighting in mercy gives us confidence (Mic. 7:18).

Principle #3 Calling forth: envisioning and inspiring them to take action.

Principle #4 Coaching: training in how to do it, giving them responsibility, then overseeing it

Principle #5 Encouraging: speaking words of life and reminding of God’s perspective

Principle #6 Serving: Seeking the greatness of the children with a servant spirit. Our goal is to their greatness in God’s will instead of seeing them only as a resource to help our vision.

Principle #7 Correcting: pointing out blind spots without provoking them to anger (Eph. 6:4)

Principle #8 Enduring: being patient and gentle with their failures without giving up on them

Principle #9 Celebrating: supporting them emotionally and enjoying God’s blessing on them

Principle #10 Providing: investing our resources (time and money) in them in practical ways

Principle #11 Taking initiative in reconciliation: takes the lead humbling ourselves in conflicts

Principle #12 Standing in difficulty: supporting them in the battles, difficulties, and setbacks.