The Supernatural Power of Family I

I. God’s system of government is family. Jesus came to reveal God as Father.

II. The first institution God created on the earth was family. From the context of family, Adam and Eve were supposed to extend the realm of Garden of Eden over the whole earth.

A. The church is a family (Fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters). Our assignment is to bring heaven to earth, or cover the earth with the knowledge of the glory of God. Hab 2:14 This can only be accomplish through the power of family.

III. There is no perfect family or perfect church. When we describe God’s plan for family, we aren’t doing so to make people feel condemned for not having that. We’re showing how God treats us, so that we’ll be empowered to experience progressively more of it.

A. God longs to connect people relationally. This takes time and personal risk. Psalm 68:6

IV. Characteristics of God’s view of family

A. It is characterized by the restraint of power, not the use of power to bully or manipulate. God is a lover, not a dictator. Hosea 2:16-17

1. Jesus is Lord and all powerful, but He humbles himself and voluntarily restricts his power so as to allow others to have power. He delights in this. Gen 2:19

2. God does not withhold love or affection from you in an effort to alter your behavior (this is manipulation). Rom 5:8

3. God has many, many titles, but His favorite is Father. As Father, God loves leading, guiding, protecting, coaching, etc. but He won’t make all our decisions for us because He believes in the people He’s created us to be and enjoys seeing what we’ll do.

B. It values identity over performance. Jesus died to move us out of slavery to the devil and into sonship to the King. Gal 4:7

1. Even though we are sons, we get the joyful opportunity to become the servants of Christ.

2. If the emphasis in our teaching is more on service than on sonship, we create an elder brother syndrome.

C. Honor and Covenant hold it together.

1. Covenant has to do with viewing family as a lifelong commitment that we don’t back out of if things are hard. (This doesn’t mean it’s never okay to divorce—whole message on that later) Covenant says, “I choose connection with you above our disagreements, hurt feelings, mistakes, and differences.”

2. Honor has to do with how I treat you inside of this commitment that we’ve made. Honor is when I see you how God sees you and treat you that way. 2 Cor 5:16

3. Honor allows me to receive the gift of who someone else is, and empowers them to be who God created them to be. Mt 10:41