Who You Are In Christ - Family and Household of God
Bob Eckel · Jun 1, 2008
Who You Are in Christ, No. 22
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492612397709

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

So I feel like I should go back and repeat everything that didn't get recorded. But anyway, what what I said, I will repeat just for the benefit of tape is really we're building on Rogers class last week on citizenship and that citizenship really is part of our relationship. as members of the family and household of God and today we're going to focus in on verse 19 because that's the text of the topic before us and we'll look less clearly in detail at 20, 21 and 22 which in context is all relevant to the topic before us. So the first question for the class today, to whom does you or ye, it's really in the plural in the Greek, apply here?

Believers. All right, but we need to be more specific here. What's Ephesians 2, this section of Ephesians 2, really all about? Exactly, Doug. I think this relates to the fact that the Gentiles now are brought in. Now, of course, the Jew is no longer a Jew. He or she is a believer. So the church is you know, a lack of discrepancy between the Jew and the Gentile. We're all brought into one relationship, one fellowship, one citizenship, one family.

But let's look just in setting this up a bit, and Doug, why don't you read this for us? You've got your Bible there, Ephesians 2, 14 through 18. Let's set up what, in fact, I'm sorry. correct that really establishes the fact that the Gentile is whom we're speaking about. I'd be fine I love it yeah no problem with the King James here for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall and partitioned between us having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace, that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which were far off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Okay Doug, so what are the examples of the contrast between the Gentile and the Jew in this section? Just name them, just look at them. How about verse 14, both one? And if you look even what precedes that, it's kind of the position of the Gentiles by nature is different than the Jew. But now by God's great grace, he's made peace and made both one. So there's an example. What else? Middle wall between them, right? I mean, there's another example of the distinction between the Gentile and the Jew. What else?

Verse 15. The enmity, right? Even the law of the commandments and ordinances. So that's all been ultimately done away with. Reconcile, verse 16, both unto God in one body. and the cross being the vehicle to accomplish that desire of God. Also the new man in 15. Alright. Which really means the church. It does. The group. Correct. The church.

And those that were far off were brought nigh, right? And nigh, those that were closer were the Jew. I mean, God's message of the Old Testament was directed to Israel, but yet the message was really that for the entire world, but now the Gentiles brought into a position of being brought nigh into God's prior message to the nation of Israel. And then both have access by one spirit. So we see about eight or nine examples in these verses that reflect the Gentile and the Jew being one in the church.

Okay, so that's, now therefore you or ye are no longer strangers and foreigners. So let's look at strangers and foreigners. These are different terms. So the stranger implies an alien. So, I heard, did you hear the news a couple of days ago? Somebody apparently got evidence that there are aliens. What was the story? It was a video. Yeah, a very fuzzy, dark gray video. Sounds like technology to me, right? Maybe, but not very clear technology. Enough said, Stan. We'll not go on from there, right? There may be people from Nebraska who'll be listening to this tape.

All right, but an alien in the original Greek is really someone who's actually a stranger from a person or a thing. So this would be clearly someone who's not accepted and not really part of the crowd. And that's to be distinguished from a foreigner, which is, again, distinct terms in the Greek. And what I've done is put down the definition of a foreigner. And this is somebody who's not an alien. You've got to distinguish this. I mean, what would be a foreigner? Let's think of common everyday life that we live. Somebody from France or whatever. Another country. Right. Mexico. OK. So what? Mexico.

Alright, so think about it. In our society today, let's think very colloquial in terms of, not so much spiritual, but let's think colloquial. How would you distinguish an alien from a foreigner? Language. Alright. Customs. Well, break that down Doug.

An alien as a person, could they be the same? One and the same? It could be the same. Sure. But an alien or a stranger could also be from another city as opposed to someone that's not a citizen. It could just be someone you don't know. All right. I think the concept here is the foreigner lives in a place, right, without the right of citizenship.

And I think if you think about the body of Christ, if you will, there could be foreigners around here. I mean, let's take it into the church. and it's not our job to find out who the foreigners are. God with his great grace and time will reveal those people hopefully, but the idea here is that there are people, how many people think they're going to heaven? 90% of people think that when they die that heaven is where they're going to be. Are those foreigners or aliens? the people who are not secure in their relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ in terms of their ultimate faith. They're foreigners. I think foreigners. We can say that we're foreigners here. Yeah, I like that. I like where Margaret's gone with that because remember Roger's lesson last week, where's our citizenship? It's not here. It's not here.

Don't get comfortable we get you know the thing is I think I'll speak for myself but I think many of you can relate to this. We have a lot of security blankets here don't we? I mean think about all the insurance we carry and our work and our paycheck and I mean all the things we relate to our retirement for many of you I mean we get kinda into this niche of making sure we're secure. But God says you're in a foreign country.

Now that doesn't mean we should abandon this and by the way we're going to come back to this today because there is a responsibility for the members of the family and household alike. This isn't something we say, oh gee, we're part of this family, so therefore I'm going to take it for granted that there are no responsibilities that I have. We're going to return to that. But here, this issue of strangers and foreigners really is something that ultimately is not part of being a fellow citizen. These are, if you will, the scripture says it well, strangers and foreigners in the citizenship.

Pat first, please. As a reminder, our daughter carries a green card in her wallet. Okay, so what would we call her? Not an alien. She's a foreigner here. But she has privileges, right? Right. As a reminder to her that this is not her home. Good, so in a sense she would be a foreigner still, even though she has a green card. She has certain privileges. But we don't think about that in Christianity, do we? Either you're not a foreigner, or you are a foreigner, right? And if you're not a foreigner, you're a fellow citizen. And we're going to get there in a second.

Is that fair? There's no people that have certain privileges as part of the family and household of God, right? We all have all the privileges. Not like a green card in heaven, is it? I mean, nobody's responding. We have a green card here. Because we do. We have certain privileges here. All right. We live here. Okay, so our green card is related to our existence here in the cosmos of the world system, right? We have privileges as humans, right?

And that's really God-given because that's government. I mean, God established government, why? Why was government established? To have order. Yeah, because of the sinfulness of mankind, wasn't it? I mean, in a sense, go back to Jadis' truth there. I mean, government's there because people are going to do the wrong thing. I thought it was because the Israelites wanted government like everybody else. They wanted a king, didn't they? They wanted all this kind of formality. They did. They wanted to be like them.

Okay. At least this way. So Pat, taking your example of a green card, I think that's the way we think of a green card, is in Margaret's expanded upon that, the concept of the green card here on earth of certain privileges being part of the human race. Roger? No, I was just linking. I was linking around Doug. Doug, sit still, please. Keep moving, Doug. It keeps Roger moving.

This is going to get energy expenditure out of the way for the most part. What I was going to say is that for us, looking back, it's not as monumental as it really was back then, looking forward. And it's interesting how this piggybacks on the sermon again. I mean, this is amazing to me. Well, it's not amazing to me, but it's interesting how the Sunday School It's just phenomenal how that works.

But they saw citizenship as being children of Abraham. That's all that was required. You just had to be genetically linked to Abraham. It's called seed, right? Right. Exactly. And now it gets to this place that now the book of Ephesians, and when they're talking about this bringing in the Gentiles, I mean, that was like, you know, it couldn't get any bigger than that. There's no connection to Abraham. no connection to the covenant. So on what grounds? Do we become citizens? That's what the Jewish people asked. That's why they were out there, the Judaizers were out there trying to change people back. We miss the essence of how big this is. Other thoughts here?

The next point here is that Ephesians 2.11 and 12, which actually preceded the verses Doug read, also is helpful here in terms of establishing this relationship between strangers and sojourners and foreigners, etc. It says here, Wherefore, remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision, by that which is called the circumcision, back to the sermons, Sam, the whole issue of circumcision, in the flesh made by hands that at that time ye were without Christ being aliens.

And the interesting thing here about aliens is this is a different Greek word. And I tried to really kind of seek this out as to what this meant, that this is kind of a being made an alien, which, I mean, it's funny, you'd think that'd be out of the same root Greek word, but it's not. So maybe there's somewhat of a different relationship to being made an alien. So let's continue to read this.

Okay, that at the time you were without Christ being aliens or being made aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel. So in a sense, Being an alien in the family and household of God needs to be considered a bit differently than being made aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.

I couldn't really get at the source of why those words are different, but nevertheless keep in mind they are different. And strangers from the covenants of the promise. Now the word for strangers here is the same xenos we saw in verse 19, which is really the focused verse of today's lesson. and having no hope and without God in the world.

So help me think out loud here a little bit. What do you think might be different about being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel in terms of root word from being an alien of the family and household of God? Can anybody conceptualize without going... I mean, again, I went into all the Greek texts that I had. I couldn't quite understand why this was so different. Let's turn to Ephesians 4-18.

Christ came to the Jews first. And the non-Jews were aliens. So why do you think that would be different than being an alien in the family and household of God today? Ephesians 4-18 is the only other place where this same alien is used as it was in verse 12.

And let's just turn the page there. Maybe we should start with 17. This I say therefore, and testify of the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated. Now that's the same word that was used in verse 12.

So it's not being aliens of the family and household of God, but here again, being alienated from the life of God. So this principle in 2.12 where Gentiles are being alienated from the commonwealth of the nation of Israel, here as believers, our understanding, if we walk in the way the world walks, in a sense we're being alienated from the life of God. Maybe that's that separation. So again, I'm asking a question that I don't have an answer to. It's kind of interesting that the Gentiles were aliens to the family and household of God, but then they had been alienated from the nation of Israel, different Greek term.

And we as believers, when we walk the walk of the flesh, are being alienated from the life of God. Yeah, but the last one is obviously a conditional thing, right? The other two could be positional. I haven't really thought through it. I like that thought. So both are actually conditional, isn't it?

I mean, the Gentiles being isolated or aliens from the nation of Israel is a conditional issue, is it not? Was God's word, even though it was directed towards Israel, were the principles of God's truth really only for Israel? No, it's for all mankind, right? who's directed towards Israel, but look at the examples in the Old Testament, in fact, non-Jews who came to a, quote, a saving relationship, as we best understand it in the Old Testament, with the Lord. I mean, Ruth is a perfect example.

There are others. Yes. But, and I don't know how to say this, but I guess it goes along with dispensationalism, because, you know, you could say that God's plan was always for the Church, but the Church didn't start until Pentecost. Right. And so, when you have Gentiles, even though the Word of God was meant for all mankind, it really wasn't applicable until we reached that certain demarcation in time when God's plan provides for it. Does that make sense? Well, kind of.

The distinction of the Greek term of being alienated versus aliens Not sure perfectly helps there, but it does provide some inside other thoughts here. All right, let's not get bogged down there, because there's a lot more ahead. But I just found it kind of interesting that these are different terms. And it seems like when you're made an alien, you're made an alien by perhaps a different process in being established as aliens.

But anyway, we're not going to answer that clearly here. All right. Now, fellow citizens is one root word. So even though in the King James it's separated, and in many of your versions I'm sure it's translated as fellow citizens. This is the only New Testament usage of this word. So there's no other place in scripture you're going to see this statement.

I just kind of noticed after last week in studying the, it has the prefix SYM, but the core is that Yeah, that's right. Because it which is the city. Good point. Yeah. So actually, it is related in that particular with the prefix. There is not like you said, but but the core is that word for city and citizens and so on. Good. Thanks, Roger.

So, you know, the interpretation, the best interpretation is it's a native of the same town. So fellow citizens and here it's God's town. in a very practical sense. And figuratively it could mean co-religionist or fellow Christian, because we're all part of that same town. Our citizenship is in the family and household of God.

So we think of a town loosely. I haven't seen a very good description about what that town looks like yet, although you can look at the... Some of the commentators, by the way, take you to the temple. the, you know, the New Jerusalem. I thought that was a little bit out of touch here.

And some of the references to Mersus take you there too, and although the Eternal City is something that ultimately we will share it or be part of in some way, I don't think that's what we're talking about here. The same town is God's eternal positional town, right? It's this fellowship, this ephemeral town that is eternal in nature. So the question to the class then is do we really feel part of the household? Anybody comfortable at home here?

Well Bob, people in the same household have usually have, they think alike, I mean they're a family, they're together. And I think that's very true of the body of Christ in this local assembly that we're on the same page. I mean, and if we're not, we try to encourage, we try to get on the same page. Okay, so I think God's word is clearly true to the verbiage you just stated, that the body of Christ is all part of a household of God. In the way we establish local churches today and all the denominationalism, do you think that that household concept is really understood equally among all members of the body? I was going to say that this refers a little bit to what Roger said before, too, because there's a certain amount of condition and position here, too. Because the question is, do you feel part of the household?

Well, I think some days more so than others, but as far as God's concerned, always. Yeah, that's true. So, positionally, we're always part of this, according to God, and so it's a matter of relying on God. Carol's brought up a good point. It's not a matter of feeling, it's an established fact, is it not? And what helps you feel comfortable with your family and your household?

Well, when there's harmony. All right. Acceptance. Certainly. I'm sorry, what did you say? Acceptance. You know, and what I was going to say, too, is I think sometimes, depending on what denomination you are, you get so focused on the differences as opposed to what makes us part of the household. It's believing who Christ is, what he did.

I mean, it's pretty basic, really, to be part of the household. It's having that faith that he died on the cross for our sins. And you don't have to have all the other knowledge or growth to be part of the household. The household It's pretty simple to be part of the household. And I think sometimes we focus too much on, and everybody, all the denominations, focus on, well, this group doesn't believe this, or this group doesn't believe that. But the reality is we're all still part of the household. You may think I asked Margaret to say that, but that's why I included verse 20 in our text today. Let's look at verse 20.

We're declared that the fellow citizens with the Saints in the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief one. So I think that this family and household is built around the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And to accept yourself as a full and credible member of the family and household of God depends on what? And we're talking about their position. Could you say it's born? You're born into the household. Born into the household. We're born again. We are. We're born into a household here on earth and we're born again into a household of God. Okay. All right.

So the concept in my opinion of having an acceptance of this truth is not simply believing your sins have been forgiven and that you're going to be in heaven after you die, but the concept is accepting God's word as truest of who we are and where we're at now, positionally. I think that is so important.

I think as we gain increasing glimpses of how relevant that is to our existence here on earth, this is an encouraging and joyful message. I think so many people, live by their works in terms of trying to pay God back and that's not going to get the job done. God has done the job. And accepting our truth as members of the family, we're never dismissed from that relationship. There's a true rest and a peace about feeling at home in our citizenship and our position. So, so important.

Don't you think so? I mean, every time you slip or make a mistake to think that you somehow disengaged that relationship? Well, that's a great parallel. You can't, you know, as much as your children may frustrate you and they may, you know, and you wish they would do differently. They're still your children. That relationship never can change. And how wonderful is that's the same relationship.

I mean, we have a heavenly relationship with our father who's and his son who's taking care of it and guarantee that relationship will always exist. So, so we have a great analogy here in the human sphere for what we have in the heavenly sphere. For whom he did foreknow, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Again, the centrality of Christ in this family union, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. So this family is a good-sized family. All Abraham's seed brought forward, right, Stan?

Yeah, go ahead. And also, I think, and this is a personal feeling, but I think the Church today is so focused on what I did to become a Christian, so everything amounts And since I am part of the household of God, it really doesn't make any difference what I do on the face of this earth. But if you look at it that God is the one who chose that I was obedient to do what he wanted me to do, then it comes back to him what he's doing through me, not what I'm doing through him. And so the church has lost this focus. It's sad. You have to look at your own selves, but often when you go to the Lord, you're going on your behalf of what you need rather than what you want.

How many times do we do the second Corinthians 3.18 and just reflect His glory and really know Him and increasingly, you know, being dwelled by the power of the Spirit, reflecting the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ within us. It's hard because it's not your faith, but that's where the truth stems from.

Jesus Christ is everything. Everything. We have a role, and that's an active faith. We're going to return to that, because we must be active in our faith. We just can't say, let go, let God. God's in the business of changing our lives by our active faith in what He's established us to do in Jesus Christ.

I guess going along with what Margaret was saying, we're all a member of this household, but it's this various viewpoints on issues that create differences or a conflict. It doesn't change the fact that you're in the household, but it creates that friction sometimes. It does. It's like my new puppy dog. He's in the household, but he just hasn't learned yet what's expected and what's okay.

What the rules are. The older cow, she likes to play with And a second verse is simply reflecting what Roger taught last week about our citizenships in heaven for which we also eagerly await for the Savior. Think about that a little bit. If you position yourself in heaven where God has you and you're fully accepted and the beloved, in our position we're thinking about the return of the Savior. Isn't that all back and forth? What is that all about? Think about that a little bit. If we're taking position and we're reflecting on Christ himself, and allowing that reflection to be seen in our lives by faith. This return of the Savior, what's that all about?

Is our position ever going to change? The second coming, you mean? Well, second coming for the church, of course, would be the rapture, right? Our condition reaches fulfillment and peace. Yeah, you know, these conditions we so carry with us, don't we? I mean, God says he sees our sin as crucified and dead and gone forever, but yet we still have to deal with it all the time, don't we? So, looking for the coming of the Savior really is eternal absence from our earthly condition, right? I mean we have this green card, Pat, good concept as we brought that forward. The green card on earth here is no longer necessary once the Savior comes back to bring the church home. Yes?

And that's why the power of Satan is growing, right? Because he can no longer hold our sin over us and we don't have to worry the sting of death is gone, as Paul says. Because the sin has been forgiven. So we only, he only has power when we give it to him. When we give it back to him.

And that's all too often, isn't it? Yeah. But isn't it refreshing to know that even though, what happens when we sin? In terms of this positional truth. Nothing. But yet what happens to us when we sin in terms of our condition? It's fellowship. It's entirely fellowship. and you know the first John 1.9 you know comfort that we all have we confess and we move on because God is not going to get back on the cross again. It's a done deal.

I mean the Adam nature was crucified all our sins have been forgiven for eternity and the other interesting thing again Hebrews 2.14 one of my favorite verses Satan's power before God has been done away with for eternity. It's a done deal even though Satan's alive and well He's operating in a world system that we're not part of. Our brain cards allow us to have the privilege of stopping at a stoplight when we see one.

But anyway, this is such an important truth to reflect. And I'll just, this is personal, but boy, when I get hung up with the trials and tribulations of the existence here, I should talk thinking of Burma and China. I mean, who should we say that we have problems, no matter what they are? When you reflect on your citizenship, there's a rest that cuts through these things.

And in terms of eternity, God's using that Romans 8.29 to conform us to the image of his Son.

Lovely. This family is a great union that is eternally established and provides great rest. Now, big question. This is going to take the rest of our time here together today. Are there responsibilities in this household? Taking out the garbage? cleaning up your room, raking the leaves. What do you think? Do we have responsibilities? Yeah, we do. Let's look at a couple of verses that reflect on this aspect of responsibilities in the household. And we're going to use the term household to establish what these responsibilities might be.

So we're going to start with Galatians 6.10. It says, therefore, as we have opportunity, careful, As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. Class, what's this mean? How are you doing at this?

Nobody's answering. I don't do it. Christ does it through me. I totally agree. But you know, Christ doing it through me sounds to me like kind of a catch-all, kind of an excuse in a way. I agree with you, but I'm saying it sounds like kind of a cop-out. I'm not criticizing what you're saying.

I'm just using it as an example of what are we really talking about here. that God brings rain for the good and the bad and I think this kind of this does relate to that because we are supposed to do good to all but it says especially to those of the household of the faith and God even though he brings rain on the good and the bad he gives special blessings to those in the church so this focuses on the church as well even though he is supporting the entire world system here.

You know, with his reign. Well, what do you mean by special blessings? Well, the church has, other than the world, we have, well, we're talking about the riches of divine grace. We have 33 things here that the world doesn't have. So, God does. Especially for those of the household of faith, God does that as well.

Okay. Well I guess what's jumping out at me and I see you have the word bolded is the opportune moment. The opportunity as something presents itself as a need. There's that part of the opportunity and there's also part of the opportunity that is mine am I equipped to deal with that need in somebody else. Okay. All right. I'm glad you mentioned that. If you look, you know, like it binds, or I used, I think, word search for this.

If you look at how opportunities use, it's used meaning time. So, therefore, as we have time, or, you know, season is used much less frequently in due season. Or the opportunity is used in the translation only twice and due time is twice. So as you have time does that, as we have time does that mean when it's convenient for us to do good?

Is that all people? Bobby knows another part I think that ties in with what Ruthie said. God says in terms of good works, which I think we're kind of alluding to here, good works. amazingly enough, he has already planned those. And he's not asking us to invent good works, he's asking us to walk by faith in those good works. And so I kind of take that look at the opportunity as that by faith we say, we respond to what God would have us do. It's not like, okay, let's say I can fit in a good work here between now and 1030. I'll get that good work done and I'll go on and check off that good work.

No, you respond by faith. The Lord you know, shows you something and you say, wow, you know, I can help. And maybe because you're a doctor and I'm an engineer, I can help. I can do something. And it's just, it's not, it's not, it's a response by faith.

And I guess I'm trying to tie back to that. And God said he's already foreordained those good works. Amazingly, to us, it sounds like we're kind of doing it on our own, but we're not. And that's the part where it's Christ in me. It has to be. He kind of put those all together.

And so when we see these opportunities, quote unquote, God has already planned them. He's saying, I want you to respond by faith to that. Sometimes we may totally blow it and miss it, in my mind, and sometimes we may respond by faith. You know, this whole foreordaining, it says in that same verse that God, in the Greek, says, well, it's a perfect temple. We'll continue to perform it, right? He foreordained works, and he's begun those works in us, and he will continue to perform it. And what allows that to occur? Is it us keeping our list of good works? No, it's a life. It's a life that does the works. Ruth.

I think sometimes, speaking from personal experience, I sometimes will say, I've got to look for the perfect opportunity to say this to somebody, you know, and then, you know, if I'm doing that, looking for that perfect opportunity, that's me doing it. not Christ. Versus last night on the porch with Rachel, she came to know the Lord, boom, just like that. And I didn't plan that. It just happened. I was like, okay. So, you know, all I did was ask her a question and all of a sudden she was in my lap accepting the Lord.

So, you know. Praise God. The angels are rejoicing. Yeah, exactly. And I think when we take our focus off of what we're doing and just live our life of faith. Those opportunities come up and we're ready for them. And the Lord gives us the grace and the peace and the comfort whatever to carry it out. It's kind of like wherever we are, whatever we're doing, there are potential opportunities. We don't have to pray for an opportunity. It's a life. Christianity is a life. It's not a series of good deeds or works. If I may, I think this is kind of a worldly example, but it may be a good analogy.

And if you go to, and I'm not a NASCAR fan, but let's say, for example, that you have a car and your responsibility is to take care of that car, make sure that it's operational, that the gas is, that the tank's full, that it's got plenty of oil, that it runs properly. And then God's going to tell you your start time. And so it's our responsibility to keep our temple of God you know, in working order, so that, and our keg being the Holy Spirit, if we keep our keg full...

And the price of gas is right. This is God's grace. It's all the gas in the world, right? So now, the price of the Spirit and burning gas and butts. No, isn't that kind of... Yeah, I like it. I really do. The race car is ready, that's us, we live by the Spirit and faith and that car drives, right? Yes.

What about making opportunities? in the pro-active, there's a lot of activists in the Christian world making opportunities. So how do we deal with that? Are we in a position to be judgmental there? We've got to let the Spirit work through individual members of the body to see what the motives are. I don't want to be in a position to judge somebody else and have their called by the Lord for this or that.

And also, don't we think the Lord is big enough to even if that person's motives are wrong, you know, it's all about them. But don't we think the Lord is probably big enough to take whatever that is and use it? He does every day. Paul said, he didn't care so long as Christ was preached. Yeah, I mean, he's certainly big enough.

I think that sometimes we try to put God in a, you know, well, in a box sort of, you know, but God, he can do anything he wants and he can take any of those things and make good things come out of them even though maybe the motives from that person who's the activist might not be correct. I was involved in the evangelical explosion and to me that was the easiest way because I stopped people on the street.

I was too. As you look back at that, what's your memory? What's your reflection? I've had a lot of, well I've had a few people, I mean there, you know, but I've had a lot of people except for me, you know, the whole program, you know, I mean the whole, you know, questions. And they, you approach them, may I ask you a question?

Well, yes. If you were to die tonight, you know that you would be going to heaven. And it's a very, you know, it's a very simple process. And I used that time to do a lot of walking. But you feel spirit led then to stop someone on the street then and ask them? Yes. I mean, I just, I mean, I'm walking and I just, you know, I see someone waiting for a bus or just walking the opposite direction or something. May I ask you a question? How interesting.

You know, when I look back at, shortly after getting saved, I got saved in Seattle in 79, and Sharon and I moved to Denver that same year. Actually, I got saved in 78, we moved in 79. But anyway, all that aside, the first thing I did formally was take that class, right? And, you know, we went around knocking on doors.

And, you know, I can't say that that wasn't worthwhile because I learned kind of a way of approaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I was new. It was very formal and structured, but yet I memorized a lot of verses. And so that's a benefit of that whole program. Evangelism explosion, right, was the term. And you know, so that Ephesians 2 10 and all those kinds of verses now are part of my heart and soul. But I don't, you know, it's a fairly structured kind of rigid program, but they can be spirit led. And I think there can be a lot of salvation through it. But it, you know, I think, but it's not a program. It's not a formality.

Sharing the gospel is a life. And as Mark often says, you know, the world is your life to begin with, and then God gives you the privilege often of sharing the world with somebody. And what a thrill that is, to be able to have somebody asking questions. And it may well be that sometimes being Spirit-led, you say to somebody, do you know where eternity is going to be for you? Yeah, Bob? Yeah, Bob, it sounds probably like maybe a trivial thing, but we got a little fella in our condo in the district.

He comes riding around. He likes riding Nora's little three-legged bicycle, and I'd let him do that every time, make friends with him. He's kind of a tough little guy, and lives alone, kind of watches out for himself, one thing or another. And we've got little tires. He didn't want him riding a bike around. I tried telling him that that's Nora's bike.

But anyhow, it just happened. Yesterday, I happened to be going out by my car to check something, and he showed up there. And he'd come out there, and he was talking about this and that, and one thing or another. He says, my mother I think is way up there in heaven. He says, I don't know where that is. He says, but it's somewhere around. He said, you know where heaven is or anything like that? And I says, well, I'll give you my understanding of where it is. And told him that.

And I says, as far as I'm concerned, I says, a lot of people think they're going to go up there, but nobody gets there and nobody knows how to. 90%. And he brought up the point. It sounded like the last thing I'd want to do with a little guy like that.

But he led me deliberately right into the steps of salvation. That Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. And he took that all in. Sit there for over 45 minutes and listen to me talk to him and ask questions. And I thought that was a blessing I did not really expect. Remember God to have all. at times is gracious for us open doors, and I think that life needs to move through the door. One thing, in my day, I was raised in a church. I remember I was in scripture the whole time I was a year old, I think, two years old, and so therefore I was praying for scripture.

All right, we are going to pick it up here a little bit. So don't get hung up on good. It's exactly what it sounds like. Agathos is good is good. I mean, we don't have to really measure it or describe it. It's what it sounds like. And Romans 12, too, is a good example.

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So what is good is the life. And as the life gets increasingly extended in the world system where we live, that brings about good. Remember, this is the household of faith first. We should look around our body of believers here and quote, do good by the power of the Spirit there, preferentially. But it says, let us do good to all also. So this really reflects on the world system around us.

1 Timothy 5.8, another example. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith that is worse than an unbeliever or infidel. Wow, that's hard stuff, isn't it? Household. Same word. And in the three uses of the term household in the New Testament, they all really should be translated as an adjective. In or of the household of.

So that's true actually of Ephesians 2.19 where we're told we're members of the family and household of God. So it's an adjective of God, his household. So it's really kind of relating to being a member of.

Provide promeo, not porneo, promeo, to look out for beforehand. And worse than implies evil. And I think you have to be careful here. Somebody doesn't provide for his household or her household under the circumstances where a single mom may be taking care of the children. What do you make of this? It's worse than that.

And to be very quick, 2 Peter 2.20 gives you another example. And this is for after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, talking about believers now. through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it, meaning the world system, and overcome. The latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

So this worse than can't exist within the life of a believer. We're not saying that if a guy doesn't work and his family is starving that he's not a believer. In terms of the comparison of what God has called them to, it's worse than an And in other words, in terms of the outcome for a believer not meeting the needs of his family. And so the infidel is someone who is either unfaithful or unbelieving. Even though it can be translated as unbeliever, it can be someone who is unfaithful.

So one of the privileges of this household of God is how we respond to the trials and tribulations that come our way. And I don't know that we're going to have time now to read this, but Ephesians 3, the book of Ephesians really is our text today in many aspects. Ephesians 3 13-19 really and I'll just start and end it. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you which is your glory. Remember he's already established this as members of the family and household.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Then he goes through the uplifting of the believer in these trials and tribulations we face day in and day out. So, another responsibility of being a member of the family and household of God is to realize that these earthly trials are all part of our experience as members of this household. And that through these trials, ultimately God's truth will provide and purvey the circumstances so that ultimately we're lifted up and sustained.

Remember, the earth is just our business address, right? And it's who we are that determines on how we respond. 1 John 3, verse 1 is nice here. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called again, children of God, members of the family and household of God.

Therefore, the world doesn't know us, because it doesn't know Him. So the way we respond into Christ Jesus is a way the world doesn't understand. I don't know about you, I fall short so often here, because I kind of whine and stuff about the church. I mean, the issue is that God's called us to a higher existence, to really take these things in, tuck them in, and reflect God's glory as to how we deal with those. Let me end with this.

Like citizenship in heaven, a participation in the household and family of God is a position exalted as high as heaven itself. and honorable to the degree of infinity. Thus, there is communication with all other features of the riches of divine grace. And that's Schaeffer himself. So he's defined, of the family and household of God, as one of the 33 divine graces that we're studying in who we are in Christ.

And hopefully this today has been helpful to you. It's been helpful in your preparation. Let's close in prayer. Our Father, we're grateful. for the word. So many people look at your word as having so many discrepancies and inconsistencies, but being born again and positioned as citizens in heaven, we're given an opportunity to read your letters to us in a way that everything becomes reconciled and true. And this privilege of being an eternal member of the family and household of God is something we often ignore or take for granted and don't truly understand. That being part of the family means we're ingrained with the blood, adopted as sons. ultimately to bring glory to your name as we take each and every step day in and day out. And Father, may we reflect on the peace and the rest and the truth that comes from being a member of that family and household. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.