The Church As The Family Of Christ

Morning Service — Part One

Introduction: Scripture Reading- Romans 8:12-17

More Than a Congregation

• The Church is not a building or a club — it’s a family.
  • Misuse of terminology- many say “I’m going to church.” In the scriptures, “church” means Ekklesia or a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church. It is NOT where the called out assemble, but the assembly of those that are called out.
  • “church family”- these two words in scripture mean the same thing. We can say the church of just the family.
  • The church is not a social club- if you want that, the world has plenty of places to offer; religious example- Free Masons.
• God didn’t save us into solitude; He adopted us into His household.
  • I have often dreamed about living off the grid somewhere where it is quiet and peaceful away from all the hustle and bustle; however, even if I did move to somewhere like that, God would expect meet to meet and regularly associate with the family.
  • I know we don’t always have this attitude with our Earthly, biological families, but it is the kind of family God wants. He doesn’t want us to be ashamed of the family or any member of the family.
• Illustration: A family reunion — laughter, stories, shared history. Multiply that by eternity.

[Transition]: “This morning, let’s explore what it means to be adopted into God’s household — chosen, named, and secured.”

I. Adoption: God’s Intentional Choice

• Romans 8:12-17 — “Spirit of adoption” means God chose us deliberately.
  • 1) He predestinated the church collectively as brother Charlie discussed in his lesson last Sunday evening.
  • 2) The only way that God chose us individually is that our souls when we die will return to Him, the question is, “In what condition?” God does not wish that any should perish, but that ALL would come to repentance, not a select few but all. He shows is love and dedication to this wish, when a person becomes a Christian, He adds us to the church, His family (Acts 2:47).
• Adoption in Rome meant full inheritance rights.
  • Adoption was a legal mechanism for transferring patria potestas (paternal authority), and while it was most often used among elite families to secure heirs, it could extend beyond children to adults, including former slaves that were bought and freed or just simply freed.
• We are heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Acts 11:26 “  And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
  • Brother Earl has mentioned this more than a few times that the word “called” or chrematizo meaning spoken or given by God (Isaiah 62:2 and Revelation 2:17).

[Transition]: “Adoption isn’t accidental — it’s intentional. God didn’t stumble into saving you; He pursued you.”

Similarities and difference between God and Satan:

• When we are without God, He wants us to be a part of His family. Through providence and faithful, obedient Christians doing their duty and fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Satan doesn’t need to pursue us before we are adopted into God’s family, because he has us already, even if we don’t realize it because we have been diluted into believing a lie as a part of a man-made church and not the one the God established on Pentecost in Acts 2.
• When we are with God, He wants us to remain with him [Matt. 12:43-54]. When we become a Christian, our house should be empty and void from cleansing of the evil we learn and incorporate into our hearts from the world. It needs to be immediately filled with the all the good and love that God has to offer because if not we will see ourselves being the heart or soil where the seed fell on the on stoney places or in thorns (Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23). The difference here is, in order to stay with God and in His family, we have to make a decision to desire to be with Him. When we do that we will not commit spiritual infidelity and we will do what we can to keep our hearts pure.
  
• [Pacing Note]: Think for a moment on being wanted by God. The thing is that it is not enough for Him to WANT us, we have to WANT Him. We already discussed in an earlier lesson in this series, that to be the bride of Christ, we must rise above and be different from God’s first bride and not turn our backs on Him.

II. Identity: From Orphans to Heirs

• Adoption changes status: new name, new family, new future.
  • Legally we have the same rights within that family as any existing members, that the head of that family grants. Paul says we are joint heirs with Christ. Christ is in heaven and if we remain in the family, then we too can enjoy the joys and pleasures that heaven has to offer, mainly be with God the Father and Christ the Son for all eternity, worshiping them.
• We cry “Abba, Father” — intimacy with God.
• Illustration: A child adopted into a loving home doesn’t just get shelter, but belonging. I will always remember how loving and caring my step-dad was when I came to live with him and my mom. He could have completely rejected me. He never officially adopted me but to him I was and would always be a Bradford.

[Transition]: “When you call God ‘Father,’ you’re not reciting a title — you’re claiming intimacy.” You are accepting all of His authority as the head of the household and are willing to submit to His will, rejecting your own.

III. Family Ties: Brothers and Sisters in Christ

• Sharing a Father makes us siblings with each other and with Christ.
• Unity is not optional — it’s family reality.
  • “A family that prays together stays together.”
  • “A family that worships together…”:
    • “…thrives together.”
    • “…unites forever.”
    • “…stands together.”
    • “…grows together.”
    • “…shines together.”
    • Think of the scripture that could back each one of these up.
• Application: Treat fellow believers as family, not strangers.

[Transition]: “If God is our Father, then the person next to you, that is a Christian, is your brother or sister.”

IV. Living as Adopted Children

• Confidence: We belong.
• Responsibility: We care for siblings.
• Hope: We inherit eternal life.
• Challenge: This week, remind yourself daily: “I am adopted, I belong.”

[Transition]: “Adoption isn’t just a doctrine — it’s a lifestyle. Let’s live like heirs.”
[Pacing Note]: Wrap with a 5-minute exhortation, building momentum toward the closing scripture.

Conclusion:

• You are chosen, loved, and adopted.
• Let’s live like heirs — secure, joyful, and united.
• 1 John 3:1-3
• Invitation

[Pacing Note]: Remember that our security in this family rests on our determination to stay in the family and our willingness to stand with and support our brothers and sisters. Don’t be ashamed of the family; be a true working and faithful member of it.

Evening Service — Part Two

Introduction: Scripture Reading- Ephesians 2:11-20

From Strangers to Family

• Ephesians 2:11-20 — “No more strangers and foreigners.”
• The Church is a construction project — God is building a household.
  • The foundation has been built for about 2,000 years, but each individual brick is slowly being laid upon that foundation.
  • Vs. 20 again

[Transition]: “This evening, let’s see how God is building us together — brick by brick, heart by heart.”
[Pacing Note]: Spend 3 minutes here, setting the tone with the construction metaphor.

I. Belonging: No More Outsiders

• In Christ, we are citizens and family.
• The Church is a place of belonging, not exclusion.
  • That belonging is based on the requirements that God has given to be in His family.
  • A person can’t simply say I want to be in God’s family and pray and ask Him to be in His family.
  • God requires us to hear His Word, believe it, repent of our sins (turn from them and not live in them), confess our faith before others, submit to be immersed in the waters of baptism, a rise to live faithful to the point of death.
  • These are God’s requirements that can clearly be read throughout the New Testament and not road blocks that man has come up with to keep us from God.
  • There are two sides to every coin. God has done His part by giving us a clear instruction manual and giving that manual power by sending His only begotten son to this Earth to suffer, bleed, and die for all mankind. The least we can do is our part in obedience to Him.
• Illustration: A house with open doors — everyone has a room.

[Transition]: “When you’re obedient to Him, you’re not a guest in God’s house — you’re family.”

II. Structure: Fitly Framed Together

• [Verse 21] — “fitly framed together.”
• Each believer is a brick in God’s house.
• Christ is the cornerstone — alignment comes from Him. The concept of cornerstone has been both a practical necessity and a symbol of stability and identity even from times before Christ.
  • In construction, without a cornerstone, the rest of the building will be crooked and lopsided.
    • Definition: The cornerstone (or foundation stone) was the first stone set in ancient masonry. Every other stone was aligned to it, so if the cornerstone was off, the entire building would be crooked.
    • Practical Role: It determined orientation, level, and stability. Without it, walls would collapse or lean.
    • Symbolic Role: Over time, it became a ceremonial marker — often inscribed with dates, names, or even containing time capsules.
  • Archaeological & Historical Examples:
    • Egyptian Foundations: In Egypt and Mesopotamia, builders performed “foundation rituals” — placing offerings or deposits under cornerstones to invoke divine protection.
    • Great Pyramid of Giza: Archaeologists have found evidence of a carefully leveled base and perimeter structures that acted like a cornerstone system. This precision is why Khufu’s pyramid is mathematically exact compared to earlier pyramids.
    • Sacrificial Practices: In some cultures (e.g., ancient Greece, Romania, Japan), sacrifices were associated with foundation stones, symbolizing strength and permanence.

[Transition]: “Without the cornerstone, the house crumbles. With Christ, it stands forever.”

III. Family Values in Practice

• [Galatians 6:7-10] — Do good, especially to the household of faith.
• Values:
  • Care for one another.
  • Forgive and reconcile.
  • Celebrate and mourn together.
  • And more: (Romans 12:9-21)
• Illustration: Acts 2:42-47 — breaking bread, praying, sharing possessions. This is what families do.

[Transition]: “Family values aren’t slogans — they’re lived out in daily choices.”
[Pacing Note]: Explain the time my brother got with his friends after school to beat me up on the playground. Lesson: “Blood is thicker than water.” Just because he and his friends were close and could work together, he saw an opportunity to attack someone that was weak. If you can be trusted to protect and care for your own family, then what in this world can you be trusted with. (James 2:15, 4:11, I John 2:9-11, 3:10-17, 4:20-21, 5:16)

IV. Living Out the Household Reality

• Be present — families show up.
• Be vulnerable — share joys and struggles.
• Be generous — give encouragement and resources.
• Be forgiving — heal relationships.
  • This means make the attempt. Just like with being a part of God’s family, healing a relationship has 2 sides to a coin:
    • The offended party goes to the one who offended and lovingly lets them know what they did to hurt them.
    • The offender must be willing to repent and make everything whole, bring forth fruits demonstrating that repentance.
    • The offended part must then, be willing to forgive the brother or sister who repented. (Colossians 3:13 “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
• Be welcoming — evangelism is adoption outreach.

[Transition]: “This is how the household of God shines in the world.”

Conclusion:

• You are not alone. You are family.
• God is building us together for eternity.
• Let’s live like it — bearing burdens, celebrating victories, preparing for reunion.
• 1 John 3:1-3
• Invitation

Author: Patrick King