Keith Battle - God's Family - Part 1

Hey, I’m starting a new series today. I forgot I can’t dismiss y’all yet! I’m starting a new series today; it’s a four-part series is called «God’s Family.» Everybody say, «God’s Family!» God’s Family! Yeah, we’re going to talk about that for the next four weeks. To get us ready for it, we’re going back to 1979, before most of this band was even born. Let me see if y’all remember this one: «We Are Family.» Sing it all with me: «We Are Family!» Everybody! «We Are Family! I got all my good ones with me!» We all have—hey, does anybody remember that song from 1979 at the Capital Center? The Back to School Boogie! Anyway, all right, we are family! With all of our quirkiness and all of our dysfunction, we’re still a family. We fuss and fight, but we’re still a family. We argue with each other and have our own idiosyncrasies, but we’re still family. We have different backgrounds and different beliefs, but we’re still family. We are more family than you know. Why? We are blood relatives because of the blood of Jesus that has dripped on all of us. That’s why we are the family of God. Amen!

In this series, we’re going to be talking about what He expects of His family. What does He expect of our devotion to Him? What does He expect of us as it relates to church leadership? What is our responsibility in our interpersonal relationships with each other? What does He say about the pneumatic teachings? I want to go into a book in the New Testament, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. I believe it contains content that we can use during this series, and I’m going to break it down again into four parts. If you have access to a Bible and you want to follow along, join me in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. We’re going to look at five verses today as we open up part one. Now, if you are physically able to stand with me as I read these verses without harm to yourself, please join me in standing.

Now, I’m going to read verse 11. Then I’m going to read the last clause in verse 13. I’m going to read verses 14 and 15, and I’m going to read verse 26. Those are going to be the verses we focus on today as we discuss the importance of interpersonal relationships in God’s family. It starts off in verse 11 by saying these words: «Therefore encourage one another.» Now, when you see the word «therefore,» you have to ask, «What’s the therefore, therefore?» Right? And «therefore» is there for this reason: it is going back to all the way to chapter 4:13 to 18 and in chapters 5:1 to 10, where there is what is called eschatological information. It is talking about things of the future, particularly the Rapture of the church. It’s saying that when people die—who? Believers—we don’t have to sorrow like people who have no hope. That’s right, because there is a life beyond this life, and that’s what all the verses leading up to this are about. It says, «Encourage one another with these words.» We don’t have time to do an eschatological teaching at this time, but I want you to know what’s happening.

When we get into verse 11, it says, «Therefore, in light of the fact that we have hope beyond this life, encourage one another and build each other up just as, in fact, you are doing.» So, I’m going to do this a little differently. It says, «Encourage one another.» Everybody say, «One another.» One another! Then it says, «Build each other up.» Everybody say, «Each other.» Each other! Just as, in fact, you are doing.

Now go down to verse 13. I just want to read the last clause in verse 13. It says, «Live in peace with each other.» Live in peace with who? Each other! Each other! Yeah, each other! Verse 14 says, «And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive. Encourage the disheartened, help the weak, and be patient with everyone.» Verse 15: «Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong because two wrongs don’t make a right. Yeah, but always strive to do what is good for who? Each other! It’s about each other! Each other! Each other! And for everyone else.» Verse 26: «Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.» Uh-oh! All you single people, that’s your moment! If you’ve been feeling somebody in here, you like somebody, that’s your moment! The Bible says you can go give them a holy kiss right now, even if they don’t believe it. You should! God did, and you didn’t want me to kiss you? God did! Amen!

Let’s pray. Father, please speak to us through Your word. Your servants are listening in Jesus' name. Amen! You may be seated. Over and over again in this passage, you see the words «one another» or «each other»: live in peace with each other, build up each other, encourage one another. Paul is making it clear to the Church of Thessalonica that we’re not in this by ourselves. We’re all in this together. Christianity is a «one another» religion; it is about each other.

And my subject today is: Love each other. Love each other! Love each other! Love each other! Love each other! Say that with me: Love each other! Again: Love each other! One more time: Love each other! In the world in which we live…