1. Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer PhD Family Worship Center
The Church is a Family
Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer PhD Family Worship Center

2. Ephesians 1:5
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure”

3. Part One:
The Importance
of Family

5. The Importance of Family
God has actually created two types of families…
earthly and spiritual.

6. Part Two:
Your Spiritual Family

7. Ephesians 1:5
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure”

8. John 1:12
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” NIV.

9. Your Spiritual Family Adoption by choice!
Peter says he chose you in advance by His pre-knowing you would believe and receive Him – I Peter 1:2 “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,”
Paul reiterated it in Romans 8:29 saying “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son”
God wants YOU – but you need to accept His offer for adoption.

10. Think about this… God who had everything wanted a family and
He wants you in it.

11. “What is God’s family? “That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15b NCV). The Church, the Body of Christ, is not an institution. The Church is not a bureaucracy. The Church is not an organization or a social club. The Church is God’s family. It’s not about rules and regulations and rituals and religion. It’s about relationships.
It’s about love.”
(You Need the Support of Your Spiritual Family - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - September 9, 2016

12. Your Spiritual Family
Your physical family is a blessing from God but it grows up moves away and even dies.
Your spiritual family will outlast your physical family as your spiritual family is eternal.
When physical family is also spiritual family you have a double blessing.
God wants you in His spiritual family so you can be blessed.

13. Part Three: Your Church Family

14. Your Church Family The Church is there to bless you relationally.
Even in the perfect Garden of Eden God strongly stated “It is not good for man to be alone.”
You were never meant to go through life alone.
Proverbs 18:1 tells us “One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.” (HCSV)

15. God protects us from the dangers of isolation and self-seeking by
calling us to regularly fellowship at church –

16. Hebrews 10:24-25
“24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

17. The church is a place for positive and powerful motivation.
Hebrews 10:24-25
“24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
The church is a place for positive and powerful motivation.

18. Hebrews 10:24-25
“24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
The church is to be a place for loving, inspiring encouraging, and positive conviction NOT destructive guilt.

19. Motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
Hebrews 10:24-25
“24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
Motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

20. Motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
Hebrews 10:24-25
“24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
Motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

21. Not neglecting church because we really need it and
Hebrews 10:24-25
“24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
Not neglecting church because we really need it and
others really need us there!

22. “Encourage one another.”
Hebrews 10:24-25
“24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
“Encourage
one another.”

23. Hebrews 10:24-25
“24Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
We recently had a series on the return of Christ. Some people asked what “should we do since we believe Christ is returning soon?”. Hebrews 10:25 says encourage people to come and be faithful to church!

24. that God describes as intricately connected
We are a family
that God describes as intricately connected
and interdependent
like a physical body
(I Cor. 12).

25. Fellowship at church is God’s design and answer for loneliness and isolation.

26. Your Church Family The Church is there for you spiritually
The place where you hear the Word of God preached under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
A place for resources, Bible studies and small groups,
A place for encouragement and accountability.

27. Your Church Family
The Church is there for you emotionally/psychologically.
We all go through difficult and painful experiences in life.
We pray for each other and allow the power of God to flow.
We carry each other’s burdens – Galatians 6:2.

28. Closing…
“You have six days to do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to Me. No matter where you live, you must rest and come together for worship.” Lev. 23:3 (CEV)
“They worshipped together regularly at the Temple courts…” Acts 2:46a (LB)
“We celebrate as we worship You.” Ps. 68:4b (CEV)