Are You Part of God's Family?

We all can be defeated if you're not already.

If you're capable of that. If you are excited.

We are okay with that. Charismatics with a seatbelt and go run around and have us a good time. I will also last few weeks. It has been, and I just can't help but think of when your pastors.

I can't help but think about how we have really been emphasizing prayer over really the last few months here at the summit church and simultaneously as we've been elevating prayer God has been elevating some miracles in our midst, and I don't know about you but I just don't believe that's a coincidence. And so I still believe in the power of prayer just for me personally, I think I get to see this service for just a few weeks ago as a father for I was able to baptize my oldest daughter right over there, and so were the greatest things we could ever imagine. One down three to go for my wife and I and then little over a month ago actually here Mike and embarrass her, but one of our dear friends and neighbors, who is been coming since Easter we have been praying for surrendered her life to Christ.

About a month ago and so we are celebrating we just really do believe that prayer changes things and so I just can't help but but throw it out there might little cheesy, but is God good is a good yeah all the time and all the time God is good amen and amen. If you have about and pulled out to be in a marked chapter 3 is working to be some New Testament Matthew Mark chapter 3 this we can wrestling a step away from our first Corinthian series, but we are going to remain on the subject of the church, specifically when it comes to the church as the family of God.

I wanted things I've been reminded of over the last 18 months and scope began is the reality that we don't we don't go to church but that we are the church. My kids a lot they say they don't ever say are we going to church. I this are we going to worship and I never want to correct them on that because we are the church and we go to worship alongside our church family right into the church family is just supposed to be this collective body of believers under the sole banner of the name Jesus Christ.

A people who, as we often say around here. The summit church are gospel above all people, which sounds great, right.

Like maybe this is your first time here and if it isn't so glad you're here and you been hearing these awesome things are some invited you to come this awesome church already. You see, maybe a little little cracks and crevices or duct tape holding together some of the stuff in Pastor JD and Pastor Brian have reminded us of this over the last two weeks as we looked at the church at Corinth that the family of God sometimes can look pretty dysfunctional panic. It is, is the church dysfunctional yesterday. The summary also that way too quickly went to Valley yes and amen John molars the church, still God's family.

Praise God yes and amen. You can't help but think that when someone says the word church that we all have maybe different preconceived notions of what that word means someone says it.

Maybe it brings up something good or maybe even brings up something bad in your life you don't furious Jeffrey had maybe like a thought that I thought you knew something but it turns out that that you really didn't like a word or phrase that you viewed your entire life years and years and years and all of a sudden you come to realize like oh that doesn't actually mean what I think it means that some you live with somebody that is often wrong but never in doubt right had a few of these over the years don't don't don't don't hold me accountable to this one, but when I was growing up.

I love WWF wrestling okay now WW has a fixed FW efforts real okay that's what I believed, and am I kid you not. I remember the day and the time I remember where I was. What was happening when I came to the realization I'm spoiler alert that all wrestling is fake. Okay my entire worldview had been flipped upside down upset about all these questions and like I mean, did the undertaker ever really die and come back to life like that, he fake his death like a stone cold Steve Austin, even drinking real beer is just like Nick altar that is just like what's going on here. I don't know what's happening like my entire worldview had been flipped upside down and documents on my cell does as a kid, but this still happens when ashamed to say this just last week. This is not a joke. Just last week I was in a text read with some friends and what they're talking over talk about somebody said men's persons told me that they want the whole kit and caboodle and they typed it right. Kit and caboodle and I responded by saying don't you mean the whole kit and caboodle like now like to and there like ha ha no signal not getting caboodle 10 cycle and the caboodle is like about three girls that make sense, but to me that the kid in the hope that phrases like summer. Try to get everything they can write to me kitten cats are incredibly selfish individuals within a target as much. They can put it in their caboodle and they go about their day right. Let's test that's that's just what I thought and forgets about that. My point here is that there are things in our lives that we think we know what we really need sometimes is kind of an amigo Montoya to come alongside and so you keep using that word metal think it means what you think it means.

So what were going to see today from Mark chapter 3 is that Jesus fundamentally redefines what it means to be part of God's family. You might think that just because you show up to a building once a week or because you grew up in a Christian family because you prayed a prayer or walked in IL that you're good with God that he's happy with you that your eternal bed of clouds awaits you in heaven, and that you are part of the family of God, and I truly do hope that's true. I hope you are, but here in Mark chapter 3, Jesus is going to challenge what we believe about being part of God's family. And then he's gonna tell us the implications of being part of God's family, so more chapter 3. One of the things that I just love about the gospel writer Mark is how he's one of the few that actually focuses more on Jesus's doing. Then Jesus is teaching.

I also love how fast he right.

He's the one that just right and immediately and immediately and immediately and so for summit talks fast and loud like this is my kind of guy I've already booked up.

I look like this. And so Mark shows us that Jesus is a man of action, and by implication, that in the Christian life neutral is not an option at this point in Mark just three chapters and Jesus is Artie been doing miracles. He's been healing.

He just appointed the 12 disciples, and now he's got this great crowd that's following him so let it what I wanted to watch me walk.

Verse by verse through this and make some observations. Mark chapter 3 were to begin in verse 20 okay verse 20 it says and Jesus went home and the crowd gathered again, so much so that they could not even eat apples.

The author, Mark one, things we need to know that he does not cast crowds in a very positive light.

Crowds represent the people who just find Jesus interesting from a distance to him. To them he just kind of this, you know, strange guy whose healing and performing miracles and Lebanese out of the David Blaine of the day so they're curious just doing magic trip tricks right if you think the crowds think of them, like modern day Twitter followers. They're curious there loud. They are easily entertained, but they're also incredibly rational right left out of the crowd. These are people who like Jesus as a lucky charm and a miracle worker, but they would quickly reject him as Lord is witnessing what Mark makes clear about this. Following this crowd is that Jesus was never Jesus never set out to impress a crowd. Jesus set out on a mission from God to usher in a kingdom that everything Jesus does has a purpose to look in verse 21 it says and when Jesus family heard it, but the crowd was gathering around. They went out to seize him, your translation might say to restrain him, for they were saying. He is out of his mind. This is bold from Jesus's family. They got the season to restrain him they think is out of his mind. Jesus's friends and family were convinced that at best.

He was confused or at worst, it was deranged and I completely lost his mind.

So at this point they decide to stage a little family intervention, not kidding when I say this when I was about 16.

If you will. My parents had to him promptly stage a family intervention with me, not because I was being too much like Jesus here.

Quite the opposite.

And when they did, I did what any levelheaded kid would do to try to prove that they are perfectly sane. I tried to run away from home and so I may or may not have made it to the front of the neighborhood before my dad convinced me I was a complete idiot and on the back of the car, but this was happening with Jesus's family.

I that come to stage this little family intervention with him and consult him on his own life choices because he they thought Jesus was out of his mind. That's what the Texas and one of the reasons they thought that is because Jesus means was not living what we could say was a normal Jewish life. Jesus is obedience to God the father was so radical that even his own family thought he was crazy and so, by implication, just three verses in there's a question that we have to ask ourselves here. If we call ourselves Christians little Christ do other people ever look at us the proverbial crowd ever look at us ever look at the way that we live out our faith and think that we are crazy, not weird crazy. There's a difference there crazy never had anybody asking like a tell me understand why you don't watch that show everybody watch that show what's what's wrong with that show donors that help me understand they help me understand what what you as a Christian. Treat your marriages like this understand what you have this view on on the sanctity of marriage at the sanctity of life or or divorce. Help me understand why your so generous with your money help just help think about this outside of the walls of the church. How does it make sense that I go to work.

Earn money goes in my bank account and I take it out of my bank account and given away freely, but that makes sense.

The way we spend our money should not make sense to the world that anybody asking what are you always asking me how you can help. Are you always trying to serve me help.

How do you have such positivity going through such pain and hard times in life. This anybody ever look at the way you live your life and say that just does not make sense you are out of your mind because of some we can look at you and say that if you live in a way that does that.

That gives you the opportunity to tell them about the kingdom that you are living for the kingdom that is not of this world and about the Jesus who gives you hope in all of life circumstances.

The family of God church should look and live fundamentally different than the crowds of culture. That's what we been seen so everybody's packed in this house right.

Look at verse 22 was packing his house and the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying Jesus clearly is possessed by buildable and by the prince of demons he cast out demons and Jesus called them to him and said to them in parables guys. How can Satan cast out Satan kingdom is divided against itself than that kingdom cannot stand. She's not just Jesus family who thinks he's gone crazy. Everyone else does too.

And so Mark singles out another group of people that he calls the scribes scribes were part of this religious elite of the day you heard the Pharisees describe the kind of the elite of the elite and the scribes are over in this corner, talking trash about Jesus to one another when all of a sudden Jesus comes over to them and even though they never spoke to Jesus or asked him a question.

Jesus comes over to give them the answer to the question that they never asked in because Jesus has this really cool thing you can do work they can read your thoughts and know what's going on right and so Jesus comes over to them and I like hey how can. How can Satan you know he came to God by the name of buildable to cast out demons. All this and Jesus is like. I just need you all to think about your logic here if I'm playing for the bad guys. Why would I be casting out the bad guys. If I were sent here by Satan, for Satan's rule why would I be casting out Satan's minions done make sense if I'm Jesus on like that's the stupidest logic I've ever heard. You're supposed to be the smart ones in the room but then the sadness part is is Jesus is going to want to tell them that your failure to recognize who I am is actually going to lead to your eternal damnation.

When you actually think that just because you're part of the religious elite that you are grandfathered into God's family and he can afflict that on its head as to what Jesus is teaching all this skip all the way down to verse 31 just keeps getting more interesting. Verse 31 says in his mother and his brothers came in, standing outside. They sent to him and called him and yelled. The symbolism is so rich in the fact that Jesus's family is the one outside is again Jesus is about to redefine who is inside his family.

He's about to show these religious elites that who they think are in might actually be out and that those who may elite think are out are about to be welcomed in.

This is one of the things that makes the gospel so scandalous that it isn't necessarily about who it excludes, but rather who it includes you.

It welcomes in Pastor Brian showed us the so beautifully. Last week he he of the phrase he uses his little people. How God chases down the little people in the world's eyes. That's what the gospel is so beautiful y'all and then verse 32, says, in a crowd was sitting around him and I said to him, your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you and Jesus answered them, who are my mother and my brother's and looking about at those who sat around them. He said here are my mother and brothers for whoever does the will of God. He is my brother and sister and mother. So let's look at this for ways that Jesus challenges our thinking on what it means to be part of the family of God for ways that Jesus challenges our thinking on what it means to be part of this gospel community called the church first. What I see is that Jesus challenges what what will call a standard assumption. A standard assumption right here in verse 31.

Look at verse 31 it says in his mother's brothers came to him and standing outside. They sent to him and called him in a crowd was sitting around him and I said him your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you to the assumption here is that Jesus would've gone straight to his family when they call right, especially in first century Israel were not there. But in first century Israel your entire identity was built on what family you came from your family origins in so many ways defined your identity and in most cases predetermine your prospects and even your potential in life.

These are very strong. These are very proud family bonds at play when Jesus's family comes along and I can even get inside to the house to get near him. That in and of itself would've been incredibly disrespectful this thing about like this will say right now I am up here. Let's say we block the auditorium doors and somebody comes running up here on stage and I say, Dr. Curtis, your your wife is actually in the lobby. She's trying to get in here if I said who's my life.

All of you are my family.

Like with that.

But to be an incredibly disrespectful way to talk about my wife right it would. My wife has precedent. She has priority. My wife doesn't need a backstage pass to have access to me.

She has access to me that nobody else has and in the same way all this is Jesus's mother were talking about some real thought your mama like that, you catch a backhand rapid what's going on here. This Jesus not love his mother and his brother course he does for jump the gun must not be foolish here and think that Jesus is suggesting that we don't care or love or serve or provide for our families. The point he's trying to make is that not even our family should stand in our way to ultimate allegiance to God.

Jesus would never suggest that we abandon or ignore our families, only that we put God's will. Above everything else in life.

The way this is often says Luke chapter 14 verse 26 Jesus says that our love for God should be so great that our love for our family should actually look like hatred in comparison so hard teaching see what Jesus was doing as he was using this opportunity to challenge the standard assumption of the day about family and teach something extremely important.

The fact that he had a greater family than even his biological one that the family he was creating in and through the church of Jesus Christ would trump even the bonds of biology is a Jesus is telling them it is telling us that if you want to follow me in your identity, your primary identity your main identity. The foundation of your identity can be, and nothing else that your identity as a follower and disciple of Jesus in the family of God is more important than any other allegiance you have in life.

What he's doing is he's challenging the standard assumption about what is most important in your life about what matters most to you and so for some of you that is family for some of you to follow Jesus might actually cost you your family.

I don't belittle that I don't Passover that I don't make light of that, that's the reality of your situation. But Jesus comes to me since I promised him to be worth. I promise that the spiritual and eternal family that you gain in the church is to be greater than any earthly family for some of you the most important thing is your job, or maybe financial security and following Jesus might actually cost you nothing frozen minstrels and sales for for many many years and let me tell you the moral and ethical standards.

According to the world and sales are not the same standards as Jesus's standards. You're in sales.

Okay, that there are so many ways so many sales tactics I could abuse to beef up my bottom line, but to do so would been to compromise my faith and not live out my faith in the way that Jesus has called me to do it and so some of you following Jesus actually living out your faith and being part of the family of God, having somebody look at you and say I don't understand why you won't sell like that might actually cost you your job. But Jesus to send what you gain in me in the kingdom is so much greater. Some of you the most important thing to you for some reason is your personal freedom you think that escaping outside the bounds of what God has called you in the way he has called you to live according to this book is actually to bring you the most freedom and the most pleasure in the most joy Jesus is saying that I created you.

I know it gives you more joy and more pleasure and more freedom. It's not to be living your life not to be love is like B any of these things is not to be with the world tells you it's going to be to live according to the way I have designed you was what God says so here to challenge the standard assumption about what we think is most important in life. Jesus is saying freedom and family and purpose and provision and pleasure. All great things but they are first and foremost found in me and your identity as a disciple and a family member of the church of God is what is most important. This is the standard assumption he's challenging.

He's reminding us of the new family.

He's creating in Christ Jesus challenges the standard assumption of many goes one step farther and challenging their thinking by asking a strange question number two. A strange question this in verse 33 says and Jesus answered them. Here's a strange question for my mother and my brothers you're wondering what verse right next Mother's Day card. This is not the one I jealous, and these are not the words of an insensitive and careless man who's indifferent to his family. On the contrary, the Gospels give plenty of evidence that Jesus was so deeply devoted to his earthly family. If you want to go another step farther. History shows us that Jesus himself has done more for the family unit along with the valuation of women and children than anyone or anything else in the history of the world. Jesus was not being rude and ignoring this request. He ignored them because he knew that even though their motives were right there method of going about those motives was wrong, because see when Jesus family came to take him to seize him if he had gone with them, then he would actually been playing right in to the hands of the religious opposition because they would like see Jesus family think he's crazy in here bracelet because he's going so so he's obviously crazy. So you can't take this man from Nazareth. You can't take them too seriously, you can't listen to anything he's teaching or saying Jesus was on a mission from God and not even his own earthly mother was to stop him from completing that mission. Now I would be incredibly fair to Mary here.

Mary is actually one of the few people in the Scriptures who seems to from the get-go, be more aware and morphs more supportive of the mission that Jesus was on from the day he was born there so many places that Mary exhibit such incredible faith. Think about your hanging out into angles drop down and tell you your to be pregnant when you're a virgin. Not sure if you're aware how that process works is not how it normally works and she's like alright, let's roll like this is kinda what she does and then fast forward to the end of Jesus's life and at the cross. He's one of the few people that doesn't abandon Jesus there so many places that Mary exhibits great faith right here sums going on as she just doesn't quite see what Jesus is doing and so she comes to get her son because he thinks is a little crazy and see without even realizing it. Mary is doing the same thing that so many of us struggle with today to. So often we have this view of family where protection and preservation are actually our highest priorities should be priorities. Hear me clearly that's great, but often our desire for comfort and safety and protection of our family come at the very detriment of what God might be calling you to do. We see this all the time in our church.

We see it were a student comes to their family and said I would go on this mission trip. I feel like God is is ignited something in my heart and I want to go and parents out of not wanting their student to go because of wanting to protect them. Don't allow them to go and do what God has called them to do. We have men in this church who think that it's more important to create a lavish lifestyle for their family so they work 14 hours a day, but don't realize that by doing that they're making themselves absent as the spiritual leaders of their household, which is the primary main thing God has called them to do. We have brothers and sisters in the faith who do not want to confront one another about sin and have hard conversations because they're afraid it's going to damage the earth the relationship even though God calls us to hold one another accountable and build one another up and if you've been part of one of those really hard relationships. You probably were actually closer to the person when it was done, not farther away. Don't even here at the summit church is awesome as this is we have so many so-called followers of Jesus were only willing to be obedient as long as God's will, aligns with your wants and so we all need to hear this message that Jesus is preaching right. We must refuse to allow comfort to become more important than our calling and our obedience as followers of Christ. If you and I are following Jesus and allowing him to be Lord of our lives, we will not be living in neutral will constantly be seeking out God's calling on our lives daily. Not trying to seek out what's the most comfortable place you go sit and be entertained once a week on Sunday morning. What Jesus is showing us here is that true family affection should never be a deterrent to God's call on somebody's life. In fact, rather it should be the greatest source of encouragement and support of service to what ever and wherever God has called some one scholar love how he says it this way because a family church family and earthly family should be a harbor from which the ship leaves to sail the seas and not a dock where the ship ties up and rots. Let me make this incredibly personal for a moment what that means. What that means is that my daughter my daughter who I baptized a few weeks ago, the one who stood right over there in that tank and I said baby, do you believe that Jesus has done everything necessary to save you and she said yes I do that the one the one who I ask okay in light of that declaration, but that's that your declaration of him as Savior. Now what about Lord AB are you willing to go where ever Jesus sends you into what ever Jesus calls you to do and she said yes that's awesome that's a proud moment we clap. We celebrated top three greatest moments of my life. But the reality is, there could be a day coming when she comes to me or she says mom and dad. I feel like God is calling me to take the gospel overseas to unreached people group. I feel like God is calling me to China so I got is calling you to Southeast Asia. I see what's going on in Afghanistan and instead of fleeing out of their God is actually calling me into that place to be salt and light into that dark place and I'm here to tell you that is when your pastor me in my flesh remove the spirit of God for second in my flesh. What I am going to want to do in that moment is wrap my arms so tightly around her and say no baby don't go there. Daddy can't protect you. There daddy can't doesn't know what awaits you there and what her job is going to be is to say dad remember that declaration I made rice and am willing to follow Jesus wherever he sends me even though I love you that Jesus is my highest party. Jesus is my greatest mission, and this is where Jesus is calling me to go and then my job as her earthly father but greater than that has her brother in Christ as her spiritual brother is to get support her and pray for her and serve her and love her and I she goes and hopefully shares the gospel and listen. She might go and she might get hurt. Something might happen, but then what if God uses that pain and hurt to bring people to Christ, we have to say in light of eternity. That's worth it, didn't like, but if you think about this in the glowingly overseen like and read.

This is this is the reality of what were doing here.

This is in the game. I get choked up even thinking about what I was in first grade versus going but this is what were called to do in your God might not be calling you somewhere overseas or somewhere incredibly hostile to the gospel he might just be calling you as a parent back to your home to raise up the beautiful kids that is given you that your first mission field. God might be calling you as a teacher back to your classroom to be salt like there God might be calling you here at the summit church is a single man for a single woman to be a church father her church mother who mentors and loves disciples and prays for younger folks in our church for a lot of you your your body and your like yes I'm here I'm rallied around this mission right around this vision and this weekend, God might be calling you to finally get off the sidelines and get in the game and begin serving right here right now. This weekend at the summit church stimuli, pastor the church is just so big and I get to know some people first and then they go start servants.

Let's work on that after JD shared with us a couple weeks ago that over the last eight years our annual church survey shows that the people who feel most connected most known and most loved this church are the people that serve that's the common denominator, not the people that are in small groups, which is also not the people that give, which is awesome.

The people that serve those are the ones those are the ones the people on serving teams feel most connected you want to feel your next big summit church a little smaller start serving on the serving team is out of nowhere to serve about 200 feet from where I'm standing. There's unreached people group right back there called summit kids go serve there's people right now serving in what we call a prayer ministry this people right now sitting in a room flex day right over there who are praying for you. Praying over the service, praying over my sermon you're like I was then pray little harder for your sermon. This is not go serve in the prayer ministry. Some you need to serving guest services.

You know I know like Buddy the elf smiling sister favorite like you were just born with a smile on your face.

You need to go hold the door and smile and greet somebody for the glory of God the mail I got a like kids I like thick smiling fun. You know what you know you can go serve parking team.

Okay you can waive the time you get somebody production team back to sit behind the camera. Younger :-) but you just point the camera appear okay like I don't know if that really makes a difference helping the gospel go forth clearly through production and the high quality standards that people can hear the gospel to the power and the salvation for all who would believe in the people's attorneys are changed. That's a pretty important okay like this is parking team important.

I don't know.

We may or may not have at 766 first time guess at this campus. The capitals campus alone in 2021.

I think probably helping them find a parking spot pretty easily.

Therefore, eliminating any barriers for them to receive the gospel, but that's probably pretty important event. The point y'all is that we have to stop prioritizing comfort over obedience and start serving one another as the body of Christ is the way we are called to do.

Okay Jesus challenges the standard assumption. He asked a strange question and I was to make a shocking statement shocking statement. Look at verse 34 says, looking about at those who sat around him. He said here my mother and my brothers again hotel beside Jesus talking to hear he's talking to the Jews of the day the Jews were then radically offended by Jesus's words because the Jews were God's special people. They were God's family right there were the chosen ones. They were the ones who God gave salvation in favor and blessing they were Abraham's descendents all the promises of Genesis 12 and 15 and 18. In all these covenants that it was theirs because they were Abraham's descendents, but then Jesus hits them with the shocking statement to make clear that the new family. He is building is not made up just of descendents of Abraham, but of believers in Jesus is not just about the family you were born into. It's about the family you can be reborn into it's not being part of the right family with the right race or the right culture, or even the right church or would have, there's no physical connection that gets you an automatic bid into the kingdom of God into God's family. Now what I don't want you leaving here thinking is that you must do something or come from the right background in order to earn your way into the family of God. I can tell you personally. It's so easy to believe that our sense of belonging to the family of God is based on something we do, rather than from someone who did something for us to slide back into thinking that our work is defined by our social class or friendships for moral goodness or whatever it may be and honestly for 21 years before I became a believer. That's why I thought I was a believer flat 21 years. I was actually not following Jesus candle yells from a really great family. I felt like comparatively. I was better than most. I had great grades.

I had great manners. I went to church I went to confirmation class. I only slept with the girl I was dating at the time and sure I party to tonic a drink with the best of them right into like any hard drugs, at least right over sailor. But nonetheless, my sense of belonging to God's family was based on something I was doing. I thought all week. I just accrued this list of sins, and as long as on Sunday morning, I asked God to forgive me of those that that's what kept me in my God, I'm here present I show up to church. I asked for forgiveness right then I go living my life exactly how I wanted to. I never said it. This clearly, but I thought God owed me salvation based on my background and my upbringing and my church attendance and my morality and I cannot say it any clearer or louder. That is not the gospel that is works based righteousness that is trying to earn your way to God by climbing a religious ladder that you will never reach the top. In fact, even as one of your pastors right now.

You remove Jesus from the equation and I stand here right now and the only thing I am out before you is condemnation. That's the bad news but that's also why the gospel is such good news that because even though you and I could never measure up, Jesus measured up for us.

The good news is that even though you and I sinned and fall short every single day.

Jesus has already made provisions for that sin.

It is finished by living the life we should have lived, and then dying the death that you and I should have died, and then to prove ultimate victory over sin, to prove ultimate victory over death. He rose again three days later and now those of us who are in Christ. Even though we die, yet shall we live in Christ for eternity. That's the gospel we can't earn it. We certainly don't deserve it. The gospel is the power under salvation.

Listen to me for any and all who would believe anyone who would call upon the name of the Lord there welcomed into the family of God. You're welcome, then by faith in Christ and Christ alone. The family of God that over centuries has welcomed zealots and the religious elite and is welcome tax collectors and sheets and sinners and thieves and drunkards and liars and legalists and churchgoers and prostitutes in the self righteous and the proud in the depressed and the prisoner and the addicted and all sorts of other sinners just like you and me.

So welcome to the family of God. If you fit in those categories. Okay now we are part of this family, we who have been saved. We have been born-again equipment regenerated whatever phrase you want to use whatever theological term we would have been welcomed into the family of God have done so solely based on what Jesus has done for us.

It's not on biological or political church affiliation not on good works are good resumes for good behavior know it is not of good that I have done it is nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace. This is all my righteousness is why we sing all precious is the flow that makes me even though I make everything red with my sin. It makes me white as snow. There is no other fount. I know I can give you the satisfaction the foundation in the hope and the salvation there's nothing but the blood of Jesus and so church what I'm sent to do with pastor JD sent here to do every single week is to stand up here and open this book and present to you not a standard you must live up to what a Savior that you have the opportunity to bow down to and when you bow down to that Savior and make him Lord of your life. He doesn't shame you, he doesn't condemn you know you find a Savior.

My wife loves this lifts your head and instantly welcomes you into become part of his family no matter what you done no matter what's been done to you, no matter what that abusive parent said about you no matter what hell you have endured, and no matter how many times the brokenness of life, has threatened to break you. You can know that there is a place you belong and it's called the church of Jesus Christ is the church. JD is the church perfect.

You said it like to know the church is not perfect, is it full of sinners.

Yet one is a fool of those who were to mess up and let you down.

Yes, it can be your perfect confluence of music and preaching in service and community and fellowship.

No. So yes, the church of Jesus Christ is dysfunctional. The summit church is dysfunctional, which means you should feel right at home.

But even in her imperfection and dysfunction. The church is going to be the divine Albion dusty body of Christ the true family of God who are brothers and sisters rallied around one thing which is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The power under salvation for all who would believe and that body of believers were called to care for one another to love one another to serve one another to be there for one another to pray for one another to speak truth and to encourage one another every single day. So for those of you who are here and you feel like you have a place in the world to call home. This is your place if you're here and you don't know what it's like to have a family or yours is dysfunctional at best. Jesus today is welcoming you into his family if you like, you know when it would do an offer be good enough to be part of God's family. Good news is that faith in Jesus is the only prerequisite to becoming part of God's family. When you enter into that family. You instantly inherit a heavenly father who loves you the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of you, a brother and a friend in Jesus who right now at this very moment is at the right hand of the throne of God, praying for you.

A cloud of Christian witnesses who have gone before you and a whole slew of brothers and sisters in Christ, right here in this church who would love to walk beside you and encourage has nothing to do with the family are born into. It has everything to do with the family. You can be reborn into by putting your faith in Jesus which brings us to our final way that Jesus challenges our thinking he challenges it with a significant truth, a significant truth.

This is where our belief meets our behavior. Look at verse 35 is part of the family of God.

Jesus says for whoever does the will of God. He is my brother and sister and mother. Those who put their faith in Jesus and then demonstrate that faith by doing the will of God and obeying his commands that Susan, the family of God. We told you this many times before, but you will only know the will of God. Inasmuch as you know the word of God make the summit church never be a people who are only hearers of the word, but who are doers.

Also to be very clear that it enough but obedience does not start a relationship with Jesus. Only faith can but obedience is a sign of the faith that you put in Jesus gospel obedience always flows out of gospel transformation because when when when Jesus becomes your Savior God story becomes your story his mission becomes your mission doing God's will becomes your delight in your desire, because the gospel is no longer just the power to obey the power that makes you want to.

When my wife first got saved, used to say that God changed her want to use her want to change because in the gospel, she realized that Jesus did for her. She could never do for herself. When you realize that it makes you want to obediently follow him and engage as part of the family. Close with this many years ago during Desert Storm, ABC News was doing this report there actually outcome up near the battlefield with with the term group and is on the eve of this battle. The reporter called over this young African-American soldier asking this question. They said how you think about your freight I got, thought about it for a second, he responded he's not I think will do just fine I think will do okay were well-trained and took this big deep breath and he looked over at his fellow soldiers and he started gesturing toward him to come near him all his army buddy started surrounding him and he started putting his arms around his army buddies of every age and race and color and all of a sudden he got kind of a smile on his face and he continued by saying I'm not afraid not afraid because I'm with my family and other soldiers got all excited and I started south I started saying tell about say again saying again say to get tell them a little louder. I said, I'm not afraid this is my family and we will take care of one another know if that's not the creed of the local church. I don't know what is this, this collection of people from all walks of life from all backgrounds of all skin colors of all cultures of all political parties, this is my family and we will take care of one another because we are united by one thing. The most important thing in his name is Jesus summit. There is one name that we will declare above all else and is the name of Jesus. There is one thing the district prioritize above all else, and it's the gospel, which is power unto salvation to change people's turnings. So as we march forward together on this mission from God. We will not be afraid because 90 rounds look around this church family and we will take care of something very simple and very obvious question is have you ever experienced, and accepted the love of God by receiving Jesus as your Savior and becoming told you nobody in here was born a Christian, it's not because what families not because of your moral deeds ended up your sin and placed your faith in Jesus. It's only by belief and faith that you come into God's.

And if you are part of God's family. I'm here to encourage you to push a little bit that you shouldn't be living life should be asking yourself where is God calling me to take my next as part of this church family. Thank you for your word on thank you that it does not return void safe people that you send them on mission in Jesus name, amen