Sermon notes, Fifth Sunday of Lent

INTRODUCTION
Last week, we looked at parents' responsibility to guard the "inside" of the family from dangerous influences from "outside." But the family also has a positive relation to the world outside. A healthy family is open in proper ways toward the outside, and is supposed to affect the world outside.

THE TEXT
"Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh – who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands – that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise. . . ." (Ephesians 2:11-22).

CHURCH AS FAMILY
Again, we can take the church as the model family. In the Old Testament, God's household was made up mainly of Jews. Gentiles converted, but they remained at a distance, "excluded from the commonwealth of Israel" and "far off" (Ephesians 2:12-13). Through Christ, God broke down the barrier between Jew and Gentile (vv. 14-15), and formed from the two a single humanity, "one body" (vv. 14-15). As a result, those who were "far off" were brought near, and were made full members of the household. Instead of being strangers and aliens, they were "fellow citizens," and equal members of the same family with the Jews (v. 19).

In other words, God guarded the boundary of Israel for a time, keeping the Gentiles at a distance, but in the fullness of time removed that barrier and widened the scope of His family. While the church is unique in this regard, it models how family life should work.

HOSPITALITY TO THOSE FAR OFF
God brought those far off near into His house, and in imitation of Him we are also to welcome those outside into our homes. Scripture encourages hospitality in many places, both to fellow believers and to "strangers" (Matthew 25:35; Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 4:9). Inclination to hospitality is one of the qualifications for leadership in the church (1 Timothy 3:2). Hospitality involves not only entertaining people in the home, but giving travelers a place to stay, helping others through difficult financial and family crises, and providing for others’ needs.

SENDING OUT
Families are not only to bring those outside in, but are to send out members from the family to the world. As we've seen in previous sermons in this series, parents are called to train their children to leave, not only to create a new family but to fulfill a calling. Parents train and nurture their children (Ephesians 6:1-4) so that they are prepared to live faithfully. As we make disciples of our children, and send them out into various callings, we participate in the fulfillment of the great commission and play a part in the redemption of the nations.

LISTENING
Families not only seek to serve and influence the world outside, but are open to influence from the world outside. Parents need to have open ears to the advice and counsel of others, and it's proper children have guides and counselors other than their parents, such as pastors and teachers.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Monday, March 19, 2007 at 08:31 AM

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