TITLE:  How big is your family?
TEXT:  Acts 17:26-29
PROPOSITION:  Family is the description for God’s church.
QUESTION:  What?
KEY WORD:  Groups
SCRIPTURE READING:  Acts 17:26-29

INTRODUCTION:

1. “Family Values” has become a political term.
2. Family is often reduced to – maw, paw and the kids.
3. Today – individual is more important than family
   1. Families are not as close
   2. Communities are not as close.
4. We need a wider sense of family.
   1. Beyond – What’s in it for me?
   2. “What’s in it for ALL OF US?”

1. Nuclear Family
   1. Very basic unit – “maw, paw, kids”
   2. Basic building block for all other relationships
   3. Never meant to stand alone
   4. We must belong to something bigger.
2. Extended Family
   1. In-laws
   2. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents
   3. After marriage – all these still remain family
3. Neighborhood / Community / World
   1. Christians often feel it is “us” against “them”
   2. Text – We all are the offspring of God
   3. We are all family – share the resources, problems, planet
   4. We are in the world – lights to the world – examples of better way
   5. Unity of all humanity is desirable and God’s will

                                                               i.      We are the offspring of God – Acts 17:28

                                                              ii.      God wants us to reconcile to each other and to Him – 1 Timothy 4:10

                                                            iii.      Learn to do good to ALL MEN – Galatians 6:10

                                                            iv.      Even our enemies – Matthew 5:44-45

4. Keep a world view
   1. News of disaster in India explosion, Iran earthquake, Malawi famine
   2. Size of your family = size of your faith
   3. This church –

                                                               i.      medical mission in Central America

                                                              ii.      Famine relief in Malawi

                                                            iii.      Local help with utilities, food, etc.

5. Best family of all – Family of God
   1. Jesus – God’s family better than human family – Matthew 10:37
   2. Church – all languages, races, political views – Revelation 7:9
6. 5 Motivational resources the church has to work with:
   1. Community
   2. Compassion
   3. Reasonability
   4. Commitment
   5. Challenge
   6. Which is most important?
   7. Many surveys done among different religious groups –
   8. Of the 5 – 2 were consistently selected as most important

                                                               i.      Compassion

                                                              ii.      Community

9. What will draw people to this church? Compassion and Community

                                                               i.      Compassion – sense of caring

                                                              ii.      Community – sense of belonging

Conclusion:

1. How big is your family?
2. The best family you can belong to – the church of our Lord.