Good News Family

God’s first command is in Genesis 1:28, “...Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth…”,thus defining, from the very beginning, that the Great Commission is to “build a family.” Within this concept, making a family after the image of God is ultimately the overall mission of God’s kingdom. Although we don’t make them into a family, we get to be the mouthpiece that reveals the pathway to becoming a child of God.

In essence, we have two families to interact with, and both require special care. Our families we were born into at our physical birth is where we were nurtured as a baby, it’s where we adopted our personality and temperament, and it’s where we learned what love was—initially. Ideally, that upbringing will closely resemble the family we were added to at our baptism (Acts 2:47, Ephesians 3:14-19, 1 Timothy 3:5). However, for some, a family is seen as a group of dysfunctional people, selfishly battling for approval or an inheritance, always manipulating one another and trying to outdo each other. In contrast, God’s family is designed to function in a way that stands out from all other families. This family models attributes like inclusivity, mercy, burden-sharing, and equality in a way that speaks deeply to the needs of everyday people.

1 Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among (those outside) that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” The reality is that this family functions under the principles of Good News. It’s good news to be part of a family that models peacemaking instead of hatred and jealousy.

Perhaps one obstacle that often arises is "Who is qualified to tell others how to become part of God’s family?" Some people may assume they are part of the family already, and there are others that aren’t ready to accept the invitation yet. While God wants everyone to be part of His family, there are certain attributes that are required (Mark 16:16; Luke 13:3; Matthew 10:32-33).

The desire to trust (obey) God helps reveal our devotion to God as our father. Romans 8:14-17, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

As Jesus spoke to the woman at the well (John 4), He helped her understand that “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem….[but] the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks…” One important goal is for us to be that family that helps define what the Good News is all about.

The Love of a Father

1 John 3:1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

There may be many traits we carry with us from our fathers, but a deep, genuine, gracious love for those in our life may be the most important. These should be among the attributes we strive to demonstrate to the world, especially our family. As a father, I have to decide to demonstrate “lavished love” in ways that develop maturity and faithfulness. That can be a challenge at times.

Paul says in Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother...”— which is the first commandment with a promise—"...so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

From the beginning, God was setting an example of a good father loving His children. He is patient and kind (Romans 2:4), He models meekness (Matthew 11:29-30), and doesn’t seek to shame people without cause (Psalm 69:6). He is a father who doesn't seek His own will (Philippians 2:5-8). And as we get to know Him more, we find He isn’t easily angered (Psalm 103:8) and grieved when we choose wrong (Hosiah 11:9). He lavishes His love on those who repent and come to Him (Luke 15:10), because He is our heavenly father who always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Do you have a strong relationship with your children? The way we first think about God has a lot to do with how we experienced “father.” It's sad to see kids rebel against their parents. As a father, I can't think of a worse feeling than to feel distant from my children. Yet God has had to deal with that from the very beginning, which makes the passage in 1 John 3 even more shocking.

Throughout Jesus' ministry, those He came to save rejected, rebelled, and showed Him evil after He showed them good. More than enduring it, He anticipated it. Isaiah 53:3-5, "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds, we are healed."

Time and again He warned his followers that this is how the people would treat Him: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Many men struggle in their role as dads because their own fathers were either absent—physically or emotionally—or were poor examples. But regardless of what a person experienced in the past, the best thing any parent can do is imitate God the Father. For dads, what image of the Lord are you portraying?

Storms of Life

Most of us start out in our early years dreaming of some kind of adventure in life: job, relationship, hobby, etc. If those dreams are fed, and halfway realistic, then they can become our reality. However, there are plenty of obstacles that get in the way of any kind of dream.

In Scripture, we read of some men (apostles) who must have felt that what Jesus was promoting fulfilled some kind of dream for them. He invited them to “come follow Me,” and they did it! That first step required a lot of faith and guts. But that’s the power of Scripture… “living and active” Hebrews 4:12. That means it’s more than just a moral guide and “chastening rod.” It’s motivational and inspirational! (Romans 15:4; Acts 8:8; 13:52; 16:34) It brings life and joy!

But even in the greatest moments of joy, there can be storms that arise. Early on in Jesus’ ministry, after sharing the joys of being part of the Kingdom of God, He took his disciples across the Sea of Galilee to the Gentile territory. He had already given a great lesson on planting seeds and being a light; now it was time to show them how to do it. That’s when a storm blew in—shaking the joy of the followers and causing them to focus on what seemed to be a dire situation.

After Jesus calms the storm, the disciples say, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him.” (Luke 8:25). But calming storms was just the beginning (much like His words to Nathanael in John 1:50). They would soon encounter a demon-possessed man, who according to Mark 5:4 was “unable to be subdued”—yet Jesus brought life! Then they would meet a woman that had suffered at the hands of doctors (who couldn’t heal her)—yet Jesus brought life! Then, He raised a dead girl! Jesus brought life!

Perhaps these encounters helped the apostles’ doubts and fears that arose from leaving everything to follow Jesus. We all have storms that rock us to our core and cause us to question why we’re doing what we’re doing, and like the apostles, we may have to wait a little bit to have our doubts removed. Jesus showed them (and us) God’s power over what seems impossible. In the end, their faith was strengthened. Peter exclaims in Luke 9:20, “You are the Messiah!” This was a statement that he may not have been able to make prior to his experience in the storm.

We all face storms in life, but storms can reveal our distorted view of our problems, ourselves, and even Jesus himself. The more we trust Him in our current storms, the more we’ll be able to trust Him in the next storm. 

Jesus' Shocking Message

Jesus’ ministry is filled with moments where He shocked the crowds by His actions. Probably most notable are the miracles He performed on Sabbath Day. A “shock factor” has been described as an act done to provoke a reaction of sharp disgust, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions. When we are shocked by someone’s words, clothing, actions, etc,. it’s usually because they are either inappropriate or we didn’t expect that to come from whoever did it. 

It’s within the “shock” that makes us rethink what we had previously concluded about someone or something. Jesus often associated with people that made His followers (and those who read the accounts) question His reasoning. 

After Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, many people were inspired by His words. Matthew 7:28-29, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” The shock was that He didn’t quite fit the complete role of a Rabbi or a scribe, yet His understanding of scripture was amazing; a fact the religious leaders had discovered about Him nearly 20 years earlier (Luke 2:47). 

But how should that “shock” cause someone to respond to the message? The Centurion (Luke 7:1-10) acknowledged Jesus' authority and asked for help. The sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50) brought expensive perfume and a lot of boldness and humility. 

It seemed that those in attendance didn’t care to understand her powerful message, so Jesus helped them see how this shocking act of kindness, honor, and repentance, was the proper response to a shocking message. He told a “shocking” story of forgiveness.

Luke 7:41-43, “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 

Where they saw a sinner, Jesus saw “a broken and contrite heart” (Psalm 51:17), someone willing to express her love for Jesus no matter what she had to do or where she had to go. Unfortunately, not everyone who hears the amazing good news of Jesus Christ responds correctly. Yet, the same message that compelled many people to leave all they had and follow Him, or wash Jesus’ feet with their hair, or simply humbled themselves before Jesus—and that response is the goal for us today. How will you show your love for Christ today?