We are Family
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning!
Personal introduction
dismiss children
Thankful for you being here and I’m excited for 2023. I hope the first week has treated you well as you come off of your time off and get back into school and regular schedules.
Don’t forget, be sure to work that sabbath into your schedule and rest.
Last week we started a series titled, Who is LBC?
Back in October we had a meeting where I was blessed to be able to facilitate a discussion around the idea of of who we are as a church, our core principles, Why we are doing what we do, our vision, what it is we do, our mission, and lastly, how we do what we do, our process.
What I love about these things is that it helps all of us know who we are and why we are here. It gives us something tangible to rally around that communicates clearly what God has called us to.
Listen, we can call these things whatever we want, we can paint them on the side of the building, hang them on banners, and such but if we are not living it out as people, then it doesn’t matter.
How we come to live them out is to see them for what they are, means of communicating the truth of God’s Word.
Every core principle we went over last week, any vision or mission statement, any process, WILL BE based on the word of God.
We don’t make up our own stuff around here. We stick to what the Bible says.
That’s exactly where our vision statement came from, the Bible and the heart of the church.
Some were asking if it would change from Love God, Serve Others, Make Disciples...
Yes..and at the same time no.
That evening with the church, the meeting our staff had afterwards, the conversations with deacons, the time in prayer that was had surrounding this, and the way God has revealed, through you, the church, who He wants Liberty to be in this community and beyond.
I’m excited about this. Vision excites me. It’s important to have vision too. YOu know why?
The Bible says “Where there is no vision, the people perish”
The vision is who we are becoming, it might not be completely who we are. Remember that.
So what is the vision that you established for Liberty Baptist?
VISION-Liberty Baptist Exists to Become a Diverse Family that Inspires People to Follow Jesus by Multiplying Followers of Jesus who love, serve, and invest in our community and beyond.
Liberty Baptist Exists to Become a Diverse Family that Inspires People to Follow Jesus by Multiplying Followers of Jesus who love, serve, and invest in our community and beyond.
I love it. Do you love it? Don’t tell me. If you don’t, come up with a better one
I love it. And to ensure that we all understand why this is the vision statement…I want to communicate the heart of the people heard that night and more importantly the Word of God behind it.
Last week we heard how we should have core values or principles Guiding our lives. This week I want to take the first statement there and see from scripture why it’s important for us to be a diverse family.
How many of you come from big families? I’m an only child. However, I have about 11-15 1st and second cousins.
Our family reuinons were huge. And even being raised in the same area, being about the same age, and going through similiar if not the same school systems, we all turned out different.
We’ve got me as a pastor, my first cousin is in construction, my second cousins range from drugs and alcohol real estate agents, umpires, factory workers, and on and on it goes.
Our natural families are diverse. They are diverse in interests.
They are also diverse in age. Unless you had one of those uplets…you probably don’t have more than 2-3 people in your home that are the same age. If you go out to the cousins, especially second cousins like mine, the age range is from me at the youngest to those in their 50’s-60’s.
My great grandparents had 8 kids or so on both sides.
Families are meant to be diverse.
What does it mean to be diverse in a church setting though? Well, it doesn’t mean diverse in doctrine. It doesn’t mean diverse in what we believe about Jesus. It doesn’t mean diverse in what we beleive about the Gospel.
It means diverse in ethnicity, in age, and in language.
Look with me at
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:9
Here is John the Apostle standing in Heaven and he turns and there are people from literally all over the world there.
You see, if we want to experience Heaven on earth, we can’t do that with just one ethnicity, with just one language, with just one age group, that’s not heaven on earth.
Heaven on Earth is the people of God from all walks of life and age groups coming together to worship the Lamb of God. And no they came from all nations and kindreds, I bet the styles of worship didn’t look the same.
I bet some will dance as David did, some will kneel, some will raise their hands, and osme will put their palms out.
the diversity of people welcomed and involved in a church family is not just so we can say “look at our diversity...” That’s stupid.
It’s because, I believe, the church should reflect the community.
This last year I received a report from Church Answers, a christian research organization ran by Thom Rainer, former CEO of Lifeway.
This report reflect the demographics and psychographics of the population that exists with 20 minutes driving distance from the church.
I’m thankful for a church family that is open to anyone and everyone attending here. I tell you, for anyone to have any hint of racism in their hearts tells me they don’t have even a hint of Jesus. Because Jesus isn’t racist, nor was he a white guy like he’s often depicted.
Thank God He came for people of a different race, because if not…we would have been left out.
We want to be diverse in ethnicity and we want to be diverse in age
12 With the ancient is wisdom; And in length of days understanding.
Job 12:12
31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, If it be found in the way of righteousness.
proverbs 16:31
I’m thankful for each person older than me that has stuck around as I’ve made mistake after mistake. I’m very grateful for the ones that have come by my side and poured into me helping see the mistakes rather than just complaining about them.
Without those older than us we lose the wisdom they have gained in their lifetime. We lose the opportunity to pursue Jesus the way they have.
And on the other end of the age spectrum is the children that are a gift from God…I love the crazy kids running around here after service. I love the marks on the wall…granted I want to paint them all. I love the teens and their antics. I’m grateful for the young adults, and for us middle aged folks. Because God speak of the value we bring to the family
First we see Paul tell timothy
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
1 Tim 4:12
Those that are young…be an example. Be an example in what you ay and what you do. Speak love and truth to others and show up to the church when the doors are open.
Be an example in love and spirit. Live by faith…in all areas. Be pure in religion as we seek to serve the widows and the orphans.
And again Paul told Timothy
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 tim 2:22
It’s a choice we make as a younger generation to flee the lists of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and lusts of life. We pursue the things of God not always out of feeling like it. Often there is discipline needed and it always pays off.
That’s true for us at any age.
You know what helps us be disciplined? A support system, a fellow believer, a wiser believer coming beside us to help us grow and grow with us.
That’s who the people of Liberty are…a family.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Romans 12:10-12
Use trees on platform
Three volunteers
Imagine a large tree with its branches representing different members of a family. The tree is rooted in love, with the trunk representing the foundation of love that holds the family together.
The branches of the tree represent the individual members of the family, each with their own unique qualities and characteristics. Some branches may be longer, some may be shorter, and some may be stronger than others. But no matter their size or strength, they are all important and necessary for the health and stability of the tree.
The branches also have the opportunity to show love and support to one another. Just as a branch may provide shade for a younger, smaller branch, a family member can show love and support to another member by being there for them and helping them through difficult times.
The tree is also surrounded by other plants and trees, representing the broader community and world. The family tree can extend its love and support to others beyond its own branches, just as Romans 12:12 encourages us to "be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Round of applause
how does this happen though? It’s not always natural, especially for people we dont’ knonw.
We have to be intentional to be a family. We have to decide, this is the family God has given me. I’m going to connect with people. I’m not going to wait for them to connect with me.
I’m going to connect with the younger generation, I’m going to connect with the older generation.
We are here to connect to God and grow closer to Him, and also to each other.
Both the connection to God and others must be purposeful, it doesn’t just happen.
Notice also Romans 12:11 and 12
Fervent in Spirit, Enthusiastic..sound familiar? Don’t you lvoe how it all ties together?
Serving the Lord. That’ why we are here, that’s why we exist.
and lastly…rejoicing in hope, and patient in tribulation.
Paul goes on to write
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Romans 12:15
He is speaking to the same principle he wrote about in Galatians, “Bear ye one anothers burdens”
We are to be here for one another.
Maybe some of you are like me and your family is a little crazy. Or, your like me and your family isn’t all that close.
It’s been said “Family isn’t determine by those who share your blood. It’s chosen by you based on the ones you love.”
Love is a choice, and I choose to love each of you. Will you choose to lover each other? Will you choose to make this the family you always wanted?
Maybe you have a perfect family, would you be willing to help set the example for what it means to love each other, bear one anothers burden, to help others grow.
You as a church said you want to be a diverse family. The Bible calls us to be a diverse family.
Will you choose to be apart of the diverse family Liberty is and is becoming?
The starting point of that family is faith in Jesus
Time of Response
Time of Response