Seeking the Family-Integrated New Testament Church

by Phil Lancaster, October 21, 2003

Delivered at the 2003 Vision Forum Ministries Regional Conference for Uniting Church and Family.

I. Why the Church is So Important?

1. It was established by Jesus Christ. (Matt. 16:18)
2. It’s God’s temple. (1 Cor. 3:16,17)
3. God bought the Church with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)

II. Jesus & the Church

”...on this rock I will build my church...” (Matt. 16:18)

1. Jesus is the foundation of the church. (1 Cor. 3:11)
2. Jesus is the owner of the church. (Eph. 1:22,23)
3. Jesus is the builder of the church. (Matt. 28:18)

III. The Family Supplies the Church and State With People & Resources

1. The family provides the building materials for both the church and the state:
2. It provides people for both, tithes to the church, taxes to the state.

IV. The Family is Under the Authority of Church & State

1. The family is a subordinate authority to both the church and state.
2. The church can exercise excommunication, the state capital punishment. The family has no authority over either.

V. The Home: A “Domestic Church”

1. The home is the nursery of faith for each new generation.
2. The home is the primary arena for living out the Christian faith and life.
3. The home is a place for worship, discipleship, teaching, ministry, evangelism.

IV. Family Ministry

1. Ministry defined: meeting needs through the loving use of spiritual gifts OR just doing what needs to be done!
2. True ministry is relational, not institutional.
3. Ministry begins in the home, is most effective there, then spreads to church, world. (1 Tim. 5:8,16; Gal. 6:9,10)

V. The Great Commission: For Both Family & Church

1. “As you go, make disciples, baptizing and teaching them.” (Matt. 28:19-20)
2. Home and church are the God-ordained schools of discipleship.
3. Fathers and elders: the key disciple-makers. (Eph. 4:11-12; 6:4)

VI. The Church is a Family

1. Terminology of family: “household,” “brothers,” etc. (Heb. 2:11,17; Eph. 2:19; 1 Pet. 2:17)
2. Family life is the pattern for church life. (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Tim. 5:1,2)

VII. Other metaphors that show the organic nature of the church.

1. The church is a body. (Rom. 12:4,5; 1 Cor. 12:12,13; Eph. 1:22,23)
2. The church is a living building. (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:19,20; 1 Pet. 2:4,5)

VIII. Organism & Organization

1. Both the family and the church are primarily organisms with a measure of organization.
2. Both the family and the church are relationships more than by activities. Relationships are at the center of life. (John 17:3, 23; the “one another” passages)

IX. The Family/Church Connection

1. Families are the building blocks of the church; they should be committed as members and workers in the church.
2. Church is non-optional for Christian families.
3. Christians are called to belong, not just to believe.

X. The Family/Church Connection

1. Discipling families should be a major priority of the church.
2. Families are the key means of discipleship, evangelism, ministry.
3. “Sound doctrine” = teaching proper family roles and relationships. (Tit. 2:1ff)
4. Family and church have a symbiotic relationship.