Grateful for the opportunity to preach/teach at my home church, Transformation Church on 4/22/18. Some thoughts about my message, “We Are Family” and the full sermon below.

We Are Family:

The local church can be defined as a “family”. This family is unique and unlike any other. It is composed of different ethnicities and social strata – absolutely unheard of and unparalleled in the ancient world.

What is the purpose of this family? God has called this new creation “a family” or the “Ekklesia” to a counter-cultural community where brothers and sisters love each other as a missional witness to outsiders.

Paul in 1 Thess 4:9 refers to the people of God as a “family”. We are brothers and sisters and called to love each other with “brotherly love”. This phrase was used in Greek literature exclusively to describe blood relationships amongst family members. How could it be possible for different people from different ethnicities, social, economic, political, and religious backgrounds to become a family? To become “one blood”?

How can we become one blood? Because of the DIVINE blood that was shed, we can become this one blood – that is the family of God.