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I grew up in the church.  We were there for Sunday School, Sunday morning worship, Sunday evening worship and Wednesday night church. One of my earliest memories includes receiving a stick of gum from my Pastor every Sunday after church.  I looked forward to it every week.  I remember puppet shows, crafts, Bible memorization, and prizes for learning God’s Word. 

There were so many people who loved on me as a child, who taught me Sunday School, who volunteered at Vacation Bible School, who led our youth group.  Church was always a happy place for me.  I looked forward to going to church.

I have vivid memories of people gathered around each other in prayer when they were sick.  I can recall prayer vigils during moments of crisis. 

There were Wednesday potluck dinners before our midweek service and picnics in the summer.  Church was a place where we got fed both spiritually and physically.

I remember times when I got sick at school and was taken to a church member’s home to lie on their couch before one of my parents could come and get me. That wasn’t even strange because I considered all the church like family.

I remember going out to lunch after church with church friends and going to church member’s homes to play games after evening worship.  So many fabulous friendships formed as we worshiped together and then did life together outside of the church walls.

I can recall being fascinated as people testified to how God healed or helped them. I knew people who had been touched by God!  It was a WOW!

I was a part of the church’s music ministry from a very early age.  I might have done my first duet at age four.  I played my violin in the church orchestra and sang in the children’s choir. I loved being in the kids’ plays and musicals. When I got to middle school, I became the leader of the kids’ worship time.  Church was where I learned to lead.  It was where I developed and got to practice the talents God gave me when He created me.  Whenever I sang a special, I remember the encouragement I received.  Church was a very affirming place for me. 

Church was where I learned to serve others.  It was where I was taught about pitching in and helping out. 

The lady who cut my hair, she went to our church.  The lady who hemmed my clothes, she attended our church.  The lady who gave me piano and violin lessons.  We attended church together.  Church was the river that sort of ran through the key parts of my life.

I remember people referring to my Dad and my Mom as “Brother and Sister.”  It didn’t seem weird to hear that.  They were Brother Senseman and Sister Senseman. I learned the lingo, and I loved it.  Church was the place where I had lots of brothers and sisters, lots of grandparents and cousins.  We were one big happy family.  We were an imperfect group of people who were being perfected by a perfect God. 

Church was where I learned the stories of Jesus, the stories of the Old Testament patriarchs and warriors.  It was where I met Jesus personally and was where I was born into this Forever Family as I said “yes” to Jesus.

I grew up thinking everyone had a “Church Home.”  That’s what we called it; a “Church Home.” Sounded like a good name for the Family of God.  I couldn’t imagine life without it. I was always “at home” at church.  I didn’t know there were people who were “Spiritually Homeless.”  I think that’s what people without a church home are.  They are spiritually homeless.  I can’t imagine it.  I can’t imagine how extra difficult my life would be without a church home.

Our church here at TVCOG has a reputation for helping folks in need, so I get quite a few calls and FB messages from people who reach out to ask for help.  As we talk, I usually ask, “Do you have a church home?”  The answer is almost always a “No.”  I ask because I want them to consider the difference it would make if they did have one, how it might make impact their current struggle.  There are people and networks and resources in a community of faith that are provided by God to help you get through the difficulties of life.  It’s true.

Listen, no one can make a biblical argument against having a church home, a community of faith where you can be known, can know others and can grow in the way God has designed for you to grow.  It is not only a good-thing to have a church family, but it is a God-thing.  It is God’s design that we come together as family, and God’s Word doesn’t make having a community of faith an option for His children.  Hebrews 10:25 says, “Do 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.”  If you take this verse literally, it says, “Meet even more than you are currently getting together to worship, to learn, to grow.”  God understands why participation in a spiritual family is so important and has purposed to use our experiences together to reveal who He is, who we are and who we are supposed to become.

What makes us family? 1.  We all have the same Heavenly Father.  God has adopted us. 

Ephesians 1:5 (Message Translation) “Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ.  What pleasure He took in planning this!”

When we accept the gift of salvation God offers to us, He becomes our Heavenly Father, and we become His children, which puts us into a relationship not only with God, but with each other. 

In this family:

We are supposed to have each other’s back.  Y’all know what that phrase means?  “I’ve got your back” means, I am looking out for you when you might not be able to see the danger that is lurking.  It means, “I am here to protect you.”

We all need people who are on the lookout for us, people who have our best interest in mind.  We need people who care if we are doing well spiritually and otherwise.  We need people to point out the pitfalls of sin.  We need people who will tell us the truth about the things the devil is up to.  We need people who can help steer us in the right direction when we might be tempted to veer off course.  We are better together, stronger together. 

It is easier for the devil to take a person down when they are isolated, when they are vulnerable because they aren’t protected, but when they are part of a group, it is more difficult for Satan to mess with them.  I am a covering or protection for you, and you are the same for me.  No one in this room is immune to temptation.  Each one of us is capable of just about anything if we give the devil any kind of authority in our lives.  We need each other to be able to stay strong and protected from his schemes. 

Hebrews 3:13 says, “Encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

When you call someone to check on them because they have missed a few Sundays, when you text someone to ask if they are doing OK, when you express concern for someone in the Body of Christ, you are serving as a protective covering for that person.  It isn’t good for them to be disconnected from the Body of Christ.  And listen, If you are on the receiving end of one of those messages, one of those gestures, be thankful that someone cares enough to reach out.  Be thankful that God has prompted someone’s heart to inquire about you.  That is what family does.

The second thing we are to do in this family is to bear each other’s burdens.  Galatians 6:2- Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

That’s pretty cool, isn’t it? God has put you in a family where when you are overburdened, you can find some support from others who will help carry you through. Several of you have been the recipient of financial help from specific people or from the church as a whole. There have been times of transition, when during a job change or a medical crisis that you needed a little extra help, and God has made a way for you to receive it through His church.  I’m not saying that every time someone has had a financial need that a Brother or Sister in Christ or the church has been able to help out, but I would say it has happened a lot during my fifteen years as your pastor.  Several of you have come to me privately over the years and told me that God has given you the gift of giving and that you desire to be available to give when special needs arise, and I have called on you from time to time.  What a joy to be able to express needs in that way.  Isn’t that what family does?  We share our resources, right?

I know of many situations where people have needed rides to doctor appointments and rides have been provided.  I know of times when caregivers were needed for aging parents and God supplied them through the Body of Christ.  I know of times when vehicles were broken down and there was a blessing that came in and through one of our mechanics.  I am aware of the ways that resources have been freely lent out which enabled people to keep from having to purchase something that they may have only needed to use one time.  I know of gas cards that have been given, grocery cards that have been offered and clothes that have been passed from one family to another.  I know of hair stylists who have donated their services, babysitting that has been provided for free at times, and people who God has used to mow lawns and make home repairs when someone couldn’t get to it due to a physical impairment or someone couldn’t afford the services.  Isn’t that what family does? We help pick up the slack when someone is down.

I know of people who have chosen to walk alongside the grieving and those who take time for people whose kids are struggling in some aspect at school or elsewhere. Isn’t that what family does?  We express compassion for situations that are distressing and that keep a person’s heart torn up. Family shows up when other family members are hurting.

I think one way we excel as a church family is to bear one another’s burdens in prayers.  We obviously can’t mention every prayer need in every service due to time constraints, but y’all take the needs in the prayer pots very seriously.  Often, I am asked about the need on one of the slips of paper because the person who drew that name and need intends to minister to the person whose name they drew. That’s what family does.  They care for one another in a personal way.

In this adopted family we have each other’s back, we bear each other’s burdens, and

We are to bless one another.

I can’t tell you what a blessing it has been to our family, to have a church family that would come out and watch our son play basketball or attend our daughter’s dance recitals.  Having you celebrate their birthdays or high school graduations, or post notes of congratulations online to them when they achieved something special, it means so much. 

Who doesn’t enjoy receiving an encouraging text or having someone tell you that you did a great job?  I’ve received some “just because” gifts over the years, times it wasn’t my birthday, but someone saw something that reminded them of me, and they just picked it up to bless me, and it did.  There have been times when our meal at a restaurant was paid for very sneakily by other church members who were eating in the same place.  We are supposed to intentionally look for ways to bless each other.

Galatians 6:10-Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.  Yes, we are to be a blessing to everyone we encounter, believers and unbelievers, but God says that because we are family, we have an extra responsibility to do good to each other.

I can’t be everywhere, but I want to be an active church family member, showing up to as many places where the family is performing or playing a sport or celebrating a special occasion.  Why?  Because family matters.  We matter to each other.  Our presence matters to each other. 

Jesus said that the way we love one another is proof that we belong to Him (John 13:34-35).  Can we take that to heart this morning?

You need a church family. Your church family plays a key role in the development of your faith, in giving you strength during difficult times, and in helping you become all God intended. Your church family helps protect you from the traps and temptations of the devil. Your church family should be a safe place when you’ve lost your way and you need to get back on track. It happens, and when it does, a church family should be the ones who help you pick up the pieces.

This morning I hoped to emphasize the need for a church family to all of us, but I especially wanted the kids and teens in this room to know how critical it is to have a fellowship of Christian believers to go through life with. Someday, you will grow up, and you will get to decide for yourself if you are going to go to church or if you are going to choose another path.  I don’t want you to make a decision without knowing how vital, how critical, how life-giving it is to be part of a healthy church.  Being accountable to and involved with a church family can make the difference between victory and defeat.  It is just that important.

Some of you here today may not have encountered the Family of God in the ways I have described.  Maybe some of you have dealt with hurt that occurred in a church setting, maybe even in this one.  Just as there isn’t a perfect family, and things happen, there isn’t a perfect church, and things can and do happen that result in hurt.  Know that isn’t the plan.  Know those things grieve the heart of God. 

To those of you who might be saying, “Pastor Melissa, your description of the church family experience hasn’t been my experience.  I haven’t felt the love and support you are describing.”  First of all, I say to you, I am so sorry.  That isn’t my heart for the way anyone who comes into this building encounters the Body of Christ.  We don’t want people to fall through the cracks.  We want you to be seen and known.  We want you connected in several meaningful ways so that when you have a need there is a support group in place to reach out. It’s not just about being on the receiving end, but it is about upholding your responsibility as a member of the family.  Whose back do you have?  Whose burden are you bearing?  Who are you blessing? 

It’s a lot to think about, right? What a blessing and what a responsibility we have in being part of the Family of God.  The main goal of this wonderful Family of God here at TVCOG isn’t just to take care of each other and train each other in Christian living.  That’s built-in.  That’s foundational, and it is awesome, but our main goal is so much bigger. Our overarching goal is to expand the family. He wants His family to grow.  God wants to adopt more children.  He wants everyone to belong to Him and to His wonderful family.  We need to live in such a way with each other that the rest of the world wants to be part of the family.

Often, when I post a picture of our daughter, Hannah, on FB, folks will say, “She looks like you” or “She’s your mini-me.”  There is a strong family resemblance between us. People can easily tell who she belongs to.  Is it easy for people to see who our Heavenly Father is?  Do we resemble Jesus in any way?  When people look at us, do they know who we belong to?  Can they tell what family we are part of?

Are you living at home in the Family of God?  Have you been adopted by God?  Have you said “yes” to Jesus and to becoming like Him? Or are you still spiritually homeless? Are you sharing in this fellowship at TVCOG in the ways that Scripture says we are to relate with one another as Brothers and Sisters?  Who else have you invited into the family? 

I was five when God adopted me.  I’m 53 years old.  I have walked with Jesus for 48 years, and I still need my church family.  I need the love, the care, the support, the friendship, the leadership, and the instruction that this Body of Believers provides. Next to salvation, the Family of God is the greatest blessing of my life.  Are you part of God’s forever family?  Are you at home in the Family of God, or are you spiritually homeless?

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