Family

[The household and family of God]

Matthew 12:46-50 “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father . . . the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

[Isn’t this kind of a slam on Mary and his fleshly siblings?] (Was that rude or what? Still, it was the truth!)

Mark 3:31-35 [same]

Matthew 23:9 “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”

[Isn’t this kind of a slam on dear old Dad?] (If you quote this verse, right away everybody knows you’re not catholic.)

They ask: “Well, what do you call your father?”

I say: “Lord, or Holy Father, or Lord Jesus.”

They say: “No, I don’t mean that: what do you call your dad?”

I say: “Dad.”

They say: “What’s the difference? It’s all just words! Who cares?”

(John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words. . . .”)

[Who’s part of the family here, and who’s not?] (The Lord’s words have no place in them.)

John 8:31-43 “. . . ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.” (There are two different families here!)

Matthew 10:34-37 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. . . .”

(QUESTION: Why does the Lord make this particular comparison, rather than with your horse or your dog?)

(ANSWER: What do our parents have in common with lawyers?)

Luke 11:37-54 “Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” (Your cat won’t talk you out of serving the Lord Jesus in truth and Spirit.)

Luke 14:15-35 (26) “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (How does that effect your world view?)

(QUESTION: Why would a man have a problem with this verse?)

(ANSWER: While claiming to love his parents so much, who is it that such a man does NOT love?)

1st Corinthians 16:22 “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”

Matthew 13:44-46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Do you understand this?)

IT’S COMPLICATED TO BE A MEMBER OF TWO FAMILIES AT ONCE:

IN THE PHYSICAL SENSE: (Concerning flesh, given for analogy for spiritual things and so that marriage has a chance.)

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Couldn’t you just be a member of both families?) (Well, go for it, stupid!)

AND IN THE SPIRITUAL SENSE: (Having carnal and heavenly affections at the same time.)

1st Corinthians 7:28 “Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.”

vs. 32-38 “And this I speak for your own profit . . . that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.”

THE CHURCH: (The family of God.)

1st Timothy 3:1-5,12 “(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)”

[A bishop, pastor, deacon, or elder is a “caretaker”.] (A caretaker “takes care” of the place while somebody is away.)

[Here the church is likened unto a household, and so it is.]

Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. . . .” [a “family reunion”] (a weekly thing)

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one . . . and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

[In other words: two are better than one, three are better than two, four are better than three. . . .]

(But two are enough!)

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

[What if you’re thrown in prison alone?]

Hebrews 13:5 “. . . for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (That’s family!)

Psalm 27:9-10 “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”

128:1-6 “Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.” (in the thousand year reign)

See also:

Jeremiah 3:14 “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. . . .”

Matthew 26:29 “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Why not?)

(The Lord has ordained his wine for a wedding.) (Whose wedding?)

[Why is Jesus Christ called “the bridegroom”?] (Who will be the bride?)