Reflecting God's Family Plan

Well, that was wonderful, wasn't it? One wonders how they could even follow something like that.

Had a friend ask me recently, they said, you know, today's the day, are you nervous? And I said, well, speaking to 700 people doesn't make me nervous. Following the children's choir does.

It's very good to be here with you. When a schedule first came out for the piece of tabernacles and I saw that I would be giving a sermon, I thought, well, I better do a little research and make sure I understood what constitutes a good sermon. So upon reflection, I came across some words from George Burns. Maybe you didn't realize George Burns knew so much about church, but apparently knew he knew a thing or two. George Burns said this about a good sermon. He says, what constitutes a good sermon is that it has a very strong introduction, that it has a very good and strong conclusion, and that those two points are very close together.

Mr. Walker, in his wisdom, gave me a split sermon today, so hopefully we can accommodate you in that request. It is good to be together. Wonderful to be together on family day and see the families involved, see the young people involved. I believe taking ownership in the church and in the congregation is one of the most important things that our young people can do as they grow up in the Church of God. And so if you look out here today, you see we have young people running the cybercast and assisting in the sound and song leading and performance, and it's a very wonderful thing to see. Well, brethren, as most of the members or as the ministers up here have already given to you at the beginning of their sermon, they relate to you their title. I would like to do the same. The title for my message today is Reflecting God's Family Plan. Reflecting God's Family Plan.

Now, back home at the Moody household, we have a photo album which we like to take out from time to time, and the pages of that album contains pictures. It contains snapshots of things that are very important to us. There's pictures of weddings and anniversaries and special events that have happened in our family. There's pictures of our children when they were very young and growing up over the years. That photo album contains snapshots of feast trips and just many wonderful things that we've done together as a family, and as we look at those pictures, those pictures represent for us memories. They represent memories of things that are very important to us. Now, in the pages of the Bible, God gives us snapshots as well. He often gives us snapshots of the future, of the things that lie ahead, in order that we might have not memories, but in order that we might develop vision, in order that we might have an understanding of what it is that God is doing. And so, to begin my message this afternoon, I'd like to share with you a few snapshots related to these feasts of tabernacles. As I read them to you, I'd like to see, in your mind, if this does in fact produce a mental picture.

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the water cover the sea. Many people shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways. We shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, in the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

A couple more snapshots. Your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, This is the way. Walk in it. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them.

Brother, these snapshots show us that there will be a beautiful world one day, ruled over by Jesus Christ and the saints, in which all humanity will come to know their God. The picture is an age in which they will come to knowledge of His purpose. They'll come to understand the purpose of their creation. They'll understand why God created them, what is their existence meant for, and what is God's ultimate plan of salvation. Brethren, we understand that these Holy Days reveal that God is calling all men to salvation, all men to have an opportunity to share into the incredible destiny of the family of God, but not all at this time. God has a plan, and He has an order in which He's carrying out that plan. And those of us who have been called out now and given God's Holy Spirit now, we have the opportunity to go first, the opportunity to be first fruits of His harvest. Now, there are many more that are yet to be called to this great purpose, and these days portray a time when the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. In other words, there will be no dry place where humanity does not understand what God is doing and what is the purpose for their existence. The blessing in our lives today is that God has given us that understanding now. He's given us revealed knowledge. He's revealed to us the vision of what we shall be. He's shown us through His Word that God is our Father, and He's building His family. And that's an incredible vision that He's given to you and me. God our Father is building His family. If you would please follow me over to 1 John chapter 3. I'd like to look at just one scripture that shows this case in point. 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 3 will begin in verse number 1. Hear John writing, and he says, Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. Brethren, you and I, when we receive the Holy Spirit of God, we become spiritual children of God. It says, Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. You know, you and I sitting in this room, we're still mortal. We're still fleshly. We're still carnal in many ways. It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself just as He is pure. So, brethren, we will see God the Father and Jesus Christ as they are, because we will be as they are. We'll be in the same form, in the same likeness, in the same spirit, in the same family of God. Brethren, the vision that God would have us to capture is a family vision. Through that vision, we understand that God is a family. There is God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ as this thing together in a family relationship. And so, God is a family, and His plan is a family plan. And it's a plan that involves bringing many more sons to glory, adding many more children to that eternal family of God. It is indeed a great vision, a great understanding God has given us today. Why is this vision important?

Why is it that we understand what God is doing now? Well, the famous baseball player and manager in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, Yogi Berra, he made this comment. I don't want you to confuse Yogi Berra with Yogi Berra, who Mr. Walker quoted the other day, but Mr. Yogi Berra made this comment on vision, and I think it's rather insightful, somewhat humorous. He said, if you don't know where you're going, you'll probably wind up somewhere else. So let's just think about that for a minute. He said, if you don't know where you're going, you'll probably wind up somewhere else. And the point of that is, for us as humans, there has to be a focus. There has to be a purpose for our life, something that gives us direction and gives us meaning. Otherwise, we're simply wandering through life aimlessly, without direction. Proverbs 29, verse 18, puts it this way. It says, where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint. Where there's no revelation, the people cast off restraint. Now, the word revelation refers to a prophetic vision. It refers to the ability to see something in the future, as it has been revealed by God, rather than we've been given a vision by God. He's shown us that he is building his family, and it's our destiny to be members of the eternal family of God. He's called us today to assemble before him to learn more of our purpose and more of our vision. The question for you and I is, are we restrained by that vision? Are we living our lives today in perspective of the future that God is revealed to us? Let me put it to you in another way. Do our families reflect what God is doing? God created the physical family with the intent that it would model his family plan, that it would demonstrate what God is doing on a much larger scale. Understanding that God is building his family, it needs to motivate us. It needs to drive us and give us determination in order to preserve the structure of the God-centered family in our life today. Our physical families need to be a reflection. When people look at us, they need to see what God is doing. They need to see the plan and the plan of salvation reflected in the structure of our family.

This afternoon, I'd like to talk to the members of this spiritual family. We are a spiritual family, but we're also divided out into physical families as well. I'd like to have us consider what the Bible has to say about the structure of the God-ordained family. I'd like us to consider, if we're living up to the standard and the reflection which God set before us. So, brethren, I'd like to talk to husbands and wives first. The Bible has a lot to say about the husband-and-wife relationship. As I was looking into this concept, I came across a quote from Agatha Christie. Again, maybe you didn't realize that Agatha Christie was an expert on marriage relationships. But Agatha Christie had this to say. She said, an archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her. I think some of your women could say, I could dig that. That is quite funny, but it's not the focus we want. Brethren, let's go to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5, we're going to pick it up in verse 22.

Some of you are saying, I know where he's going. Ephesians 5 verse 22, let's see what God's word says. It begins by saying, wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body.

Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be subject to their own husbands and everything. Verse 25, it says, husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church, gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be a holy and without blemish.

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Verse 29 says, for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. So what we see here is that the relationship between the husband and the wife is intended to reflect the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church. And just as Christ leads the church in a very committed and a very loving way, having her best interest at heart, so also ought the husband conduct himself towards his wife.

Now the wife, in turn, as we saw, is instructed to submit to the leadership of her husband as through Christ. And you know what? That's not a very popular concept. It's not a very popular concept in the society and the world in which we live in that the wife would submit to her own husband. And yet, brethren, this world doesn't have the family vision that we have. It's not restrained by the family plan of God. Now this type of relationship between the husband and the wife is a very wonderful thing. It's designed to work well. And you know what? It's something the wife generally does willingly if her husband is loving, if he's honorable, if he's committed to leading in the manner in which he should.

Now I've read the Bible cover to cover. I've looked at the relationships between husbands and wives. And husbands, nowhere in Scripture does it say that you can demand your wife to submit to you no matter what. This is a speaking of a loving relationship and a God-centered relationship in which each member serves one another in the bond of love and trust. And it's a wonderful thing to experience when it's done in the right and proper manner.

You know, a wise man once said these words. He said, men, if you have to keep on telling your wife that you're in charge, guess what? You're not. You're not. The point is, that trust and respect has to be earned. It has to be built over time. It can't be demanded. That's why the courtship process is so important, that the man and the woman get to know each other very, very well. That the man understands that this is a woman that he can love and cherish and nourish and guide and direct.

And the woman understands that this is a man that is godly and leading in the right direction, and that he is someone that she can submit her life to. Now, brethren, if we understand that God is building a family and we understand the relationship whereby the church becomes the bride of Christ and the family of God, then we should be compelled to put our best efforts forward to making our marriage relationships work today.

I understand not every relationship will work. Honestly, I understand that there are legitimate reasons why every relationship does not work. But, brethren, that should be a rarity in the church of God. Those numbers should be very, very few, and I would say, frankly, fewer than as they exist today. God has called us to be a reflection of the family in which he is building.

When people look at us and they look at our marriages, they should see a reflection of the family plan of God. The question is, are they? I certainly hope that they are. When I look around the room, I see many individuals that I knew growing up in the church who were married. They are married today, and they've set a very wonderful example of how this marriage relationship works. It's an encouragement to me. I hope it's an encouragement to you as well.

Now, in most cases, the marriage relationship leads to children. The marriage relationship leads to parenthood. And as parents, we then have an obligation to continue the education of God's way of life down through the family line. Again, God is building his family, and our family should reflect what he is doing. The parent-child relationship is designed to teach us of the care that God has for us as his spiritual children. And so, we in turn teach our children. Let's notice Psalms, chapter 127. There's some very important instruction here. Psalm 127, we're going to begin in verse number 3.

Psalm 127, verse 3, and it says, And so, when I stop and think about it, I ask myself, what does a warrior do with an arrow? We heard about superheroes in the first message today, and I was thinking about the lone ranger in Tonto, and on a cage, and Tonto would whip an arrow out of the quiver. What did they do with it? Well, they point it towards the target, and they fire it off.

As parents, we're called to point our children to God as the target. We point, we guide, we lead them in that direction, and we set that course in their life. At some point, we have to release them. We have to let them go out and live their own life. But hopefully, if we pointed them in the right direction and they mind their upbringing, they will live their life in service to God. Let's continue on in verse 5 of Psalm 127. And it says, So children are a blessing that we as parents must come to embrace in the way that God intended it. We need to see that the parent-child relationship teaches us of God, teaches us of the plan of salvation. It shows us in a very direct way what we shall be and what we need to be in our relationship with God today.

Let's take a look at some further instruction in the book of Deuteronomy. If you're following me over, please, to Deuteronomy 6.

Deuteronomy 6, we're going to begin in verse 1. Here, Israel is being led by God coming up to the Promised Land. He has some very specific instructions for them, a specific way of life that he wants them to live as they go up and enter into the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 6, beginning in verse 1. Again, this very much applies to us today.

It says, God is saying, Jumping down to verse 5, it says, Teaching our children begins with the parents. Verse 7, carrying on, it says, You know, it's not saying that you constantly hammer your kid's head with Scripture every waking moment. Scripture is important. Scripture is the foundation. And so we do teach that. But it means that we use object lessons that life provides as we teach our children. In our house, we often get up early in the morning before the kids go to school. My wife and I are up. The children are up. And as we're drinking our coffee, eating breakfast, we like to sit down in front of the TV and catch the first 15 minutes of the national news. And believe me, the headlines give us ample opportunity to demonstrate God's way versus the world's way. My wife's always saying about the headlines. She's always saying, See, kids, that's why God says, Don't do this. Or, see, kids, that's why God says, Do that. If you ever watch the news, I think you know what I mean. Sometimes we simply have to turn it off, because it's not worth watching. But, brethren, God gives us opportunities to teach our children. We teach them through object lessons on a daily basis. Additionally, God wants us to teach our children to look to Him in faith and in trust.

This year, I had the opportunity to have my son come out and work with me in my landscape business, and so I was always looking for opportunities to teach him on a daily basis. And for me, it was a blessing to have him along. We got to spend a lot of hours working side by side, and I could teach him not only aspects of work, but aspects related to this life as well. I believe it was a blessing for him as well. He did learn something. He learned he didn't want to do landscape for the rest of his life. He learned he wanted to use his mind, get an education, so he didn't have to work for his dad the rest of his life. But the fact is, as we walk through our lives on a daily basis with our children, look for opportunities to teach them. Look for ways to point them and direct them and shoot them towards God as an arrow towards a target.

Now, parents, teaching our children involves so much more than just words. Teaching our children involves actions. When our children look at us, they need to see that God's way works. They need to see the truth of God reflected in our lives and the way that we live our life on a daily basis, and how we interact with one another, and how we treat our spouse, and how we deal with life situations. Our children need to see that God's way works. It's not enough to say that God's way works, and with on the other hand, we can't seem to demonstrate it in our life. Our children are attentive. They listen to us. They hang on our every word, but they also watch our actions. And hypocrisy is the kiss of death to young people. Hypocrisy is the kiss of death. If we're going to be teaching our children this way of life and expecting that they would walk in it as well, as parents, we better make sure we're living it, too. We better make sure that we're the example.

I have a good friend that grew up in the Church of God. He attends in the Spokane congregation. He's around my age. And I asked him one day, what kept him in the Church all the years that he was growing up? Because, you see, back in 1995, when heresy and heretical teachings entered the Church, most of his friends stood up and walked away from this way of life. Yet he's remained faithful. In a group of 20-25 people, he's one of the few that remained faithful to the teachings and to the truth of God. And so I asked him, what kept him in the Church as he was growing up? And the number one point he said to me was that it was because his parents made this way of life real in his eyes. He says they lived it. He says as a kid, if he barges into his parents' room without knocking on the door, he often saw his father on his knees by the bed in prayer. And that had an impact on him. He said one day there was a wildfire that was coming up towards his house. They lived in a residential area, but it bordered on the woods. And there was a wildfire that was burning out of control. It was coming very, very fast. And the fire department was going to the neighborhood knocking on the doors. And they told his mother, who was home at the time, that they had to get out. They had to leave. The fire was coming fast. It was a mandatory evacuation. And he said his mom had himself and his sister get down on their knees right by the glass door, where they could see that fire raging. And they prayed that God would spare their house. And he says they got up and they got out. And as they headed out the door, the wind changed direction, and that fire turned and it went completely the other way and missed their neighborhood altogether. And he said, you know what? At that point, he knew that God heard their prayer. He knew that God had intervened on their behalf. He said the fact that his parents lived this way of life in front of him is what made it real to him as well. Parents, we have a huge responsibility placed at our feet. Raising up children as a heritage and turning them in service to God is a very, very large responsibility. I hope we never take it lightly. I hope we never underestimate the weight and the serious nature and the calling that God has given us.

Parents, pray for God's help. Pray for his direction. Pray for his inspiration in raising your children. Because you know what? This is a tough world. We're going to walk out of these doors in a few days, go back to school, go back to work. This world is very, very different from what we're experiencing today. Our children face many challenges, and in many ways those challenges are so much more difficult and different than when even I grew up. So pray for God's help. Pray for his inspiration. Pray and ask him to help your family reflect the one that he's building. It is a very high calling.

I'd like to shift gears now for a minute and talk to the young people as well. Because you see, in this family relationship, if we're going to make it work, if we're going to have a family that reflects what God is doing, it takes everyone doing their part. So I'd like to talk to the young people. First of all, I'd like to talk specifically to the children. I'd like to talk to the children that were up here singing in the children's choir and all those out there around that age. So, children, if I can have your attention for just a minute, I'd ask you to please listen. Children, the Bible contains many important instructions for you as well, and they teach you how you must function within a family relationship. There's many scriptures we can go to, but I'd like to go to just one today. I'm going to read to you Ephesians chapter 6, verse 1 through 3. I'm going to read it to you out of the Living Bible translation, because I believe it helps to give a little clearer meaning for you. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 1 through 3, these are words that were written by the Apostle Paul.

And here these words say, he says, children, obey your parents. And you're thinking, oh great, one of those scriptures. You just lost me. Hang on, let's see what it says. He says, children, obey your parents. This is the right thing to do, because God has placed them in authority over you. Honor your father and your mother. This is the first of God's 10 commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise that if you honor your father and your mother, yours will be a long life full of blessing. Now, that sounds pretty good, doesn't it? A long life full of blessing. That sounds good to me. I want long life. I want blessing. Here God is saying to honor your father and your mother, and it will be a blessing to you, partly because their instructions will help to keep you on the right path. They'll help keep you from making so many of the mistakes that so many others in this world have made. Additionally, young people, the things your parents teach you are intended to direct you into a relationship with God, even at your age. It's so important that you understand from your age, as a child, that your father in heaven wants a relationship with you. It's not a matter of if or when you'll be called. I have no doubt about it. You are called now. God has extended a personal invitation to you to have a relationship with Him because of your parents' relationship with God.

Acts 2, verse 39, we won't read it, but ask your parents to read it to you. Ask them to explain it to you. Acts 2, verse 39 shows you that God wants a relationship with you as well. God's calling is a great blessing. It's a blessing that sets you apart from all the other kids in the world. I mean, just think, kids, what you would be doing right now if you weren't called by God, if your parents weren't called by God.

I suspect most of you would probably be at home in school sitting in math class.

If there's any math teachers out there, I apologize. I just thought I'd add that. I encourage you young people to grow your relationship with God. Whatever point it's at, seek to grow it more. Pray to God. Develop a relationship with Him. Ask Him to come live in your life and walk with you personally. If you draw near to God, He will draw near to you, and He'll guide and direct your steps as you live this life.

Now, eventually, our children will be able to walk with God. Now, eventually, our children do grow up. They grow up into teens and the young adults. They begin to gain their independence. Our children begin to stand on their own two feet and strike out on their own. And the question then becomes to young people, how will your life be restrained by the vision of the family plan of God?

Young people, what will your focus be? Ecclesiastes chapter 12 contains some very important instruction for young people. We were there earlier in the feast with Mr. Titian's sermon, but I would ask you to turn there again. Ecclesiastes chapter 12—let's begin in verse 1.

Very important instructions to young people.

Ecclesiastes 12 in verse 1, here Solomon writing, and he says, Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth. Before the difficult times, before the difficult days that come, and the years draw near when you say, I have no pleasure in them. He's saying, don't put that relationship off to someday. It's so easy to say, someday I'll have a relationship with God. Someday. Someday after school. Someday after I establish myself in a career. Someday after I have a family and a wife and develop myself and live this life. Someday I'll have a relationship with God.

This verse is saying, don't put that relationship off. Establish it now. The younger the better. Dropping down to verse 6, it says, Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed. Or the golden bowl is broken. Or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain. Or the wheel broken at the well. You know, it's just saying, develop that relationship while you have the ability to do so. Before it's too late. Verse 7, Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the Spirit will return to God who gave it.

Remembering your Creator in your youth has tremendous advantages. For young people, these are your energetic years. You have the strength, you have the energy, you have the zeal that you can put into studying God's Word, pursuing His way of life, and living it actively now.

Remembering your Creator in your youth means that you're highly teachable at this time. And so your mind is like a sponge, and it's open, and you're capable of absorbing so much more information than even someone who's well advanced in years. So remembering your Creator now has tremendous advantages. Remembering your Creator means you're going to save yourself much unnecessary heartache. If you internalize those things that you learn, if you apply the way of God in your life, if you let those principles lead and guide your steps from the beginning, you're going to avoid making so many of the mistakes that so many others in this world have made.

I plead with you, young people, remember your Creator now. Establish that relationship while you can. Now, if you're here and you've come before God because He commanded, and you're coming here in response and in service to Him, it's always a good time to increase your relationship, to build it, to focus on it. And in this room, we're all supportive of one another. We have activities, we have sermons, we have interaction by which we can all learn to increase our fellowship and our relationship with God. Take advantage of this opportunity. Additionally, young people, I want to remind you that even though you're growing up, even though you're living this life very much on your own, don't forsake the loving teachings of your parents. They are important. We're in the neighborhood. Let's go back to Proverbs chapter 1.

Proverbs chapter 1 and beginning in verse 8. Proverbs chapter 1 and beginning in verse 8. Here we're simply a reminder of the things you need to call a mind as you walk through this life. Proverbs chapter 1 verse 8, it says, My son, hear the instruction of your father, do not forsake the law of your mother, for they will be graceful ornaments on your head and chains about your neck. So what Solomon is saying here is that young people, the teachings of your parents have value. Listen to them. Consider them. Apply them as you walk through this life. And I think you'll find that their instructions will be a treasure to you as you live according to your calling.

Finally, this afternoon, I'd like to speak to everyone else here.

If you're not a spouse, if you're not a parent or a grandparent or a brother or sister, gotta still place you within a family structure. The concept of the family applies to everyone in this room. And if you doubt that, simply look around. God has called us to be brethren within the body of Jesus Christ. He's called us to be part of the spiritual family of God.

In his instructions to Timothy, the Apostle Paul instructed him to treat the older men as fathers, the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger as sisters. That's how a spiritual family works. We work together, and we live together, and we're bound together in a family relationship.

Be honest with you. Up here, looking out, I have a pretty good view. And you know what I see?

Well, to be honest, the first thing I see is a lot of white hair.

But you know what? That's a good thing. It's a blessing. It indicates experience and wisdom. That's what this family needs very, very much. Looking out there, I also see a lot of young people, and that indicates the energy and the zeal that's needed to carry this spiritual family forward in the work that God has given us to do.

I'd encourage you not to be strangers from one another. I'd encourage you to get to know one another, meet new people at the feast. We're going to be spending the afternoon together, the evening together. Make it your goal to meet two new people at a minimum today. Get to know your spiritual family. Get to know how you can strengthen one another, how you can encourage one another. Seek ways that you can stir one another up to love and good works, because in doing so, we will glorify not only our father, but the family plan in which he has called us to today. Brethren, God is a family. His plan is a family plan. He's placed each of us in a family relationship so we would understand and reflect the purpose for our existence. Let's keep that eternal family vision burning brightly in our minds. This is the Feast of Tabernacles. Today is family day. Brethren, let's go be a family. Let's go reflect God's family plan.