We Are The Family of God

It's always so wonderful to step into these doors and have that warm, friendly, close family fellowship that we enjoy each week before services and afterward. Recently, our eldest daughter and her husband were visiting us, and they're not going to any church right now. My daughter, our daughter came up in the church but has not attended for many, many years. But they're looking for a church in their area. They don't want an entertainment church. They went to some of those where they have all kinds of music and entertainment type things. But that did not appeal. She wants one that preaches the Bible, and also they want a church where they feel that they belong. That is a warm, friendly, family church. Well, as I mentioned, she grew up in our church, God's church, actually. And we do preach meat from the Bible every week in our sermons. And God's church is a family church. We're a very close, spiritual family church. My first contact with the members of the Church of God was in 1958. I was fresh out of high school, and I had applied for Ambassador College. And so I jumped on a Greyhound bus one morning, and for three days crawled across the country from eastern North Carolina all the way to Pasadena, California. My first contact then with members of the church were Ambassador College students and church members at church services. I found a very close-knit group of people, both on the campus as well as in the local congregation. A close-knit family. A spiritual family. This new family took me, and I was actually 3,000 miles from home and had never been away from home at all. A very homesick kid, actually. They took me in. They made me feel very welcome. There was a genuine love and closeness. Oh, I still missed my physical family. But I remember Herbert Armstrong standing up and saying, You come to be closer to church brethren than your own family members, not in the church. Well, at that time, coming from a close family, a very close physical family, I disagree with Mr. Armstrong that I would ever feel closer to brethren than to my own physical family. But later I fully have come to agree with him. There is a love and a closeness in God's church family. It's a spiritual love. And spirit is stronger than something physical. That's why you come to be closer to brethren. It's a spiritual bond. You know, God wants His church to be a close spiritual family. Let's read a few verses about that. In Matthew 12, Jesus, during His ministry here, Matthew 12 and 46, while He was still talking to multitudes of people, behold, His mother and brother stood outside seeking to speak with them. So here was a big crowd of people. And Jesus' mother and brothers, you know, Jesus had younger brothers, at least four, I believe, are listed by name. And He had also some sisters, which are mentioned. So here's Jesus talking to this probably hundreds of people. And His mother and brothers want to have something they want to discuss with Him. And Jesus took this opportunity to say something about the spiritual family that His church is. In verse 47, He said to Him, the one that said to Him, Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak with you. In verse 48, He answered and said to the one who told Him, Who is my mother and who are my brothers? He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. So Jesus brings out the family connection that we have in the Church of God.

You know, obviously God wants us to be brothers and sisters to one another. He wants us to be actually sons of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters to one another. He wants us to love one another. Let's notice a few other verses in Romans chapter 8.

So we see that we are family. That's what I found when I stepped onto the campus of Ambassador College in 1958. I'd never been to a church service before. I'd never met church brethren before, after that time. We didn't have very many churches in 1958. In fact, as I learned where the churches were located and where the ministers were, I was able to pray for every congregation and every minister every day because there were so few at that time. During the 1960s, that would change. Churches would be taken all across the United States and beyond. But in 1958, in the fall of 1958, there were not very many congregations. So that was my first contact. And it was the first contact of many students at that time. Those were kind of pioneer days. They were beginning days. The church would grow much larger after that. Well, Romans chapter 8 and verse 16, the Spirit itself—New King James says himself, but even in the Greek it is neuter. It is not male. The Spirit Himself is incorrect. The King James version does have it right itself. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are—what? We are the children of God. That's what we are. Each of us, we are children of God. And if children then, heirs. And verse 21 goes on to say, Because the creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. We're going to be the full-born children of God in the family of God. And I tell you, God wants a warm, loving, close-knit family. Isn't that what every husband and wife also who marry him— they want a family that is close. And even children, as they look ahead and maybe envision, they might one day have a family. We have children here. I'm sure they would like for their family to be close, a close-knit, loving family.

Let's go to—here in Romans 8, verse 29. Verse 29, For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he—and this is talking about Christ— that he might be the first-born among many brethren. There are going to be many brothers and sisters in the family of God— in fact, millions and millions, billions and billions of brothers and sisters that we'll get to meet and be with. Let's go also to Hebrews chapter 2, just a few verses showing that what God is doing, he's building a family, and he wants that family to be a close-knit, loving family. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 10. It was fitting for him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, many sons of God, who will become members of the family of God. Verse 11. He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call you and me as puny as we are, as human as we are, and as short as we come up in doing all that we ourselves would even like to do. But we're hopefully making progress. But Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call you his brother and his sister.

In fact, I'm sure he's proud if we are striving to do the will of God. He's proud to call us his brother or his sister.

Well, that's what I'd like for us to think about today. The title of the sermon that I've given it is, We Are the Family of God. That's what we are.

No, and we are to be a close-knit family, a loving, close-knit family. That's what I found in 1958. I think we lost some of that along the way. God's Church has been tried and tested in many, many different ways. But in many ways, those who are with us still have a love and closeness, maybe that is a very mature love and a very mature closeness. Those who have remained faithful are close, very close, and I think we're very close here. But God wants a family closeness in the family that he is building. I want you to notice that the early Church, when it began, got off to a wonderful example for us of closeness and love and unity. Let's go to the book of Acts, Chapter 2. Acts, Chapter 2.

And we'll begin reading in verse 41. Acts, Chapter 2, and verse 41.

Those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship. Notice it was not only the teaching, but also the fellowship, and breaking of bread, having meals together, and in prayers. Many signs and wonders were done. In verse 44, all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they even sold possessions and goods and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their bread with gladness and simplicity of heart. I mean, what a pure-hearted worship of God together in unity, praising God and having favor with all the people. And God added to the church daily those who were being saved, those he was calling. Let's read also from Acts, Chapter 4, and verse 32. Acts, Chapter 4, and verse 32. The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul. Brethren, let that be our goal as well, one heart and one soul. Neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own. But they had all things in common, and with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who liked, for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of things that were sold and laid them at the apostles' feet, and distributed to each as anyone had need. You know, this went on for apparently a number of weeks, or maybe, I don't know, could it have gone a month or two? How long may this have continued on into the summer? That began on the day of Pentecost, but it couldn't go on and on and on. Eventually, people had to get back to their homes, had to get back on their jobs, get back earning an income to provide for themselves. But this is something that happened to the early church. Such a great camaraderie, such a great unity, such a great closeness, looking out for, caring for one another. What a wonderful example. They went on to do a great work, the early church, during the 30s A.D., during the 40s A.D., during the 50s A.D., for at least three decades or more, maybe four, they did this great work. But there is indication as we come on toward the 70s and the 80s and the 90s, in the days that Peter and Paul both wrote about it in the late 60s, and then during the 70s and 80s, Jude and John, in their letters, wrote also, it does appear that this closeness, this unity, had faded, and it was not the same. The early church had lost that love and closeness that is many of them, and many of them had left the church.

We don't want that to happen to us, do we? We want to be close. We want to be a united church that is close-knit to one another, a family. We want to be a family. A family pulls together, doesn't pull up in different directions. It pulls together. Let's read a few verses on unity that God desires of us. Psalm 133.

This is a wonderful psalm I think many of us will remember it even before we get there. Psalm 133. This was the favorite psalm of the mother of Herbert Armstrong. His favorites, her favorite psalm. Psalm 133 and verse 1. Behold, how good, yes, and how pleasant, both good and pleasant, for brethren to go together together in unity. We'll just read that one verse. It just says it all. How good, how pleasant, for brethren to dwell together in unity. You know, we should do everything in our power to make it good and pleasant in every way that we possibly can, in the way we conduct ourselves to help to promote unity.

Like God, we should hate division. Let's go to a few verses on that. Proverbs chapter 6. Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 19.

Proverbs 6 and verse 19.

I'm sorry, verse 16. Proverbs 6 and verse 16. These six things the Lord hates.

And if God hates these things, so should we. Yes, seven are an abomination to Him. A proud look. God doesn't like that. A lying tongue. Hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that devises wicked plans. Feet that are swift and running to evil. A false witness who speaks lies. And the last one, one who sows discord among brethren. You know, we ought to sow the opposite of discord, peace. Every way that we possibly can, we should sow peace and not discord.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 10.

We read more about this thing of unity and how valuable and precious that is. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 10, I plead with you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing. You know, that would be wonderful, wouldn't it, if we all speak the same thing. And that there be no divisions among you. No divisions. But that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it's been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Cloy's household, that there are contentions among you. So this church was not really united. The church I found in 1958 was not this way. It was the opposite of this. There were brethren after church, people would stay around in fellowship. It was a great unity, a great camaraderie, a great closeness.

This Corinthian church was having problems with that. In chapter 3 and verse 1, I brethren could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal and to babes in Christ.

I fed you with milk and not solid food, because you're not able to receive it. In verse 3, you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, you know, we don't need that, do we? No human family wants it. No business family wants it for people at work.

No church wants it. We don't... And God is not going to have it in his spiritual family when it wants it as perfected and complete. Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like near men? No, we don't want that. Instead, we want there to be a unity, speaking the same thing. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 13. There are a lot of verses about this in the Bible that God wants his family to be a united family. We want to live up to our name, united church of God. We want to do everything in our power to make it that way.

And are we perfected now in unity? No, I would say no we're not. Are we all speaking the same thing perfectly? I would say no. But I hope we have a high degree. I hope we have a good passing score. And not just a C, but maybe a B plus or an A. An A plus would be even much better. Let's read here in 2 Corinthians 13 and verse 11.

2 Corinthians 13 and verse 11. Finally, brethren, farewell.

Become complete. So there's a growth process there. Become complete. Be of good comfort. Be of one mind. Just good little admonitions. Be of one mind. Live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Just to show the closeness and even the affection, the fondness, we should have to word one another. Verse 12. Greet one another with a holy kiss. Today we don't do the holy kiss. We do the holy hug. We do the holy handshake. We do the holy bump anymore. But, you know, that shows, when there is a little touch there, it shows we're reaching out. We want an affectionate, close relationship, which is great. Okay, let's read Philippians chapter 2 and verse 1.

We're just going through a few of the verses on unity and closeness. The Bible admonishes us to be that kind of church. In Philippians chapter 2 and verse 1. Therefore, if there is any consolation, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded.

Yes, we want to be like-minded. Having the same love, being of one accord, just united as a body of one mind. And let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. All right, let's go to Ephesians chapter 4. We're just very quickly reading some scriptures right out of the Bible on family, unity, and closeness. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 1. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love.

You know, there is some bearing with one another, because I come up short. You have to bear with me, and you fall short. You're human. We all fall short. We all fall short, and we have to bear with one another and pray for one another and be patient and give ourselves the time to grow and to become complete and perfected. Verse 3 goes on to say, Endeavoring, that implies work, rolling up our sleeves. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

And then there's all these ones. I believe there are seven here. One body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. It goes above all. So, it does take some work. We've got to keep working at it. You know, think about it.

Even husbands and wives sometimes don't see eye to eye completely in everything, do they? Or is my marriage different than yours? Now, I think all marriages have areas for husbands and wives. And sometimes that's just fine. We don't have to have exactly the same preference in food. There are different areas we don't have to necessarily agree on in everything.

Spiritually, though, the more we do not have disagreement, the better. So, that's the kind of unity that we're really talking about. But it does take work, whether in marriage or marriage and family or right here in the Church. Let's go to Colossians 3 and verse 12. Colossians 3 and verse 12. We'll see unity and peace and love here in action. Colossians 3 and verse 12.

Therefore, as the elect of God, people chosen to be in the Church of God at this time, holy and beloved. Paul just uses a lot of affectionate language, holy and beloved. Put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering. I'll tell you, these things all lead to word peace. Kindness, tender mercies, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering. Bearing with one another and forgiving one another because we all do fall short. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

But above all these things, put on love, the love of God, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you were called in one body and be thankful. So, you know, a very rich portion of Scripture here on family unity and closeness. So, we want to set before us as a goal. As I mentioned, the Apostle Paul, he says that he was a very heartfelt individual.

He was able to express his feelings and his emotions so very well. And I want you to... Let's go back to the book of Philippians chapter 1. I want you to notice how affectionate he felt toward the brethren. You know, not only are we to have unity, we are to have such an emotional attachment that there is a fondness, there is a love, there is a cherishing of one another. Do we cherish one another?

We should. You know, we should cherish that we are willing to come out and be different. We're willing to keep the Sabbath day come what may, even to the point of losing our job, which a few members have done down through the years. But do we really... Are we fond of one another and cherish one another as much as the Apostle Paul expresses here? I would say that we should cherish one another. So, Philippians chapter 1 and verse 3, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

So, every time he thought about the Philippians, he said, thank you God for the Philippians. You know, I think we could say thank you God for those people here in the Macon Church and maybe others that we know upon every remembrance of them. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine, making requests for you all with joy. Notice he does use the southern expression for you all. And the translators just didn't get it right here. It should be y'all. They just didn't get the right translation. In every prayer, making requests, let's use the right translation for y'all all with joy. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, Paul is just so thankful for them, being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Just as it is right for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart. You know, we should have each other, I believe, also in our hearts. I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains. Paul was in that two-year imprisonment in Rome, as both in my chains and in defense and confirmation of the gospel. You all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness how greatly I long for you, for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. You know what? An affectionate portion of Scripture. It gets right into the heart of the Apostle Paul. He cherished these Philippians. He was really, he loved them. He was fond of them. I'm sure he loved all of his congregations as well. But wouldn't it be good for us to have that same cherishing and funness toward one another? The Apostle Peter also wrote about about closeness and unity and about fervent love. Let's go to 1 Peter chapter 4.

And we'll begin reading in verse 7. 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 7. But the end of all things is at hand. Well, we can say that more in our time, I think, than his. The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things, so put this up at the very top of the list, above all things, have fervent love for one another. Not just love, fervent love for one another. For love will cover a multitude of sins. It means we're going to have that funness, that cherishing of one another, even though we all come up short. We fall short. I do. You do. That doesn't matter. We're just human. Human beings on the way toward perfection through God's power in us. But we are to have a fervent love for one another. I like that, don't you? That's the kind of love we want. I think I found that in 1958. Yes, I think we lost that somewhat in the 70s and the 80s, maybe early 90s. I think United Church of God has done a good job in rekindling that love and that closeness to one another.

Are we as united and as close as what I found in 1958? I don't know. I don't think we're beyond personally, but we do have a closeness that is very good and a unity that is very good. Let's go to 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 8. 1 Peter here in the previous chapter of verse 8. Finally, all of you be of one mind. Yes, one mind. Having compassion for one another. Love as brothers. Be tender-hearted. Be courteous. Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. So we are to love as brothers.

You know, I've got brothers. I'm one of six children, four boys, two girls. I've got three brothers, and I know that they would do anything for me, and I would for them. We grew up on a family farm. We were bonded together, working in the fields with each other and with our parents. My mother and father. So love as brothers, as brothers should love each other. Brothers grow up together. Sometimes they might not appreciate each other as much as they should as they grow up. Then later after they get away, they begin to really appreciate their brother. Well, if you have, if we have any, we do have ones here that have brothers, love them while you're together. The day will come you will part and go your separate ways.

It may be states apart, even long distances. You'll want to get together from time to time, and you'll really learn to appreciate your brother or brothers even more then than you do now. But love as brothers, as brothers and sisters, it's just a natural type thing that we have that kind of love. And in the church, that's what we want. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 1. That's our goal then. Love as brothers love one another, or should love one another. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 1. Very short little verse. Let brotherly love continue. Word in the Greek is Philadelphia. That means love of a brother, love of a brother. Philadelphia. Let brotherly love, Philadelphia love, continue. So we must constantly be looking for ways for that brotherly love to manifest itself. Love as brothers. Let's go to 2 Peter chapter 1. 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 5. I want you to notice these virtues that are listed here, and especially emphasized in the last two. 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 5. But also, for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control. All these are good things that kind of progress us along. To self-control, we add perseverance, and to perseverance, we add godliness. And to godliness, we add brotherly kindness. Next to the last one is brotherly kindness. We're talking a lot about that today. And to brotherly kindness, add love. Well, brotherly kindness, again, is Philadelphia. Brotherly love. And then love, to brotherly love, or Philadelphia, we add agape. Agape is just an unconditional type of love, the kind of love that God has for us. It ends then with a godly kind of love, the love of God.

Interesting, isn't it? All these good virtues, they all lead toward brotherly kindness and the love of God. And if these things are in us, it says we are on our way toward the kingdom of God.

It is very clear, then, that God is building a family, and He wants that family to be close, to He wants the members of that family to be close and to love one another. To love one another. To be...God wants a family that He is endeared to, and a family that is endeared to each other. The Scriptures state that He loved us first. So God has made the first gesture. He has...well, let's turn to that in 1 John 4. God has made the first move, you might say, and He wants us to make the second one. 1 John 4, verse 10.

Well, we might even begin in verse 7. You know John writes a lot about this, loving one another. Verse 7. 1 John 4, verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

So it's very important, the love we have for one another. That's how we really come to know God. And he goes on the sale a bit later in verse 20 that if someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, if we can't love one another, who we can see, how can we love God whom he has not seen? And verse 21 puts both of the great commandments together. This commandment we have from him, that the first great commandment, he that loves God, must second great commandment, love his brother. It puts the two great commandments together in one little expression. But going back to verse 8, he who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us. God made a move first that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we love to God. We weren't born loving God. That's something we've learned since being born, since being called to God's church and given his Spirit so we can begin to have love for God. Not that we love to God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We love it if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. And skipping on to verse 17, love has been perfected among us in this that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in the world. There's no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. And I was leading up to verse 19 because it shows that God has made a big first move. He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. And as Paul says in Romans 5, God demonstrated his love that when we were yet enemies, Christ died for us. So look at verse 19 with that in mind. We love him, we love God because he first loved us. And God made the first gesture. He endeared himself to us. I mean, who can feel ill toward God? He gives us life, everything physical. He gives us also spiritual meaning and purpose. He wants us to be in his family forever. He gave his Son so that our sins can be forgiven. His Son also comes to live in us through the Spirit so we can grow and become the children of God. Who can feel bad toward God?

No one that thinks rationally can feel ill, but instead quite the opposite. We feel endeared. God has truly endeared us to himself. So we realize what he has done. We reciprocate and we love God. And we thank him daily and all the time. But God also, as with these verses we just read indicate, he also wants us to be endeared to one another. Don't parents want their children to be endeared to one another? We have four children and that's what we have wanted. And I think that we did come up as a pretty close family and then went our separate ways. And now the children do want to get together, even including Mom and Dad, which is very nice. Got together recently with kind of family reunion and that was very, very nice. So and the children become more endeared to each other as they went their separate ways, not coming back together again. So God wants his children to be endeared to each other. And that's the type program that he is working out so that we are endeared to each other.

I'd like to, at this point, coming near the end of the sermon, just a few more verses I would like for us to consider. I'd like to read from a little booklet-like publication called American Essays Number Two. In this particular essay here, this is a family. And this applies to human families. It applies to our church family. And it applies to the eternal spiritual family that God is building. Okay, this is a family. It's by Dan Valentine who wrote this American Essays Number Two. A family is the most important unit of all mankind. It is the core around which great nations are built. It is the foundation of any great society. A family is many things. A family is a cheering section when a victory is won. A family is a place for beginning again when a cause is lost. A family is a very private organization only bonafide members are allowed in.

As Rudyard Kipling once wrote about families, all of us are we and everyone else is they. A family shares things like dreams and hopes and possessions and memories and smiles and frowns and gladness. A family is a place of respect and understanding. A place where love and faith dwells. A family is a place where all members can enjoy the dignity of their own personalities. A family is a clan held together with the glue of love and the cement of mutual respect.

No person is ever alone who is a member of a family. A family is a group of human beings who care about each other and feel comfortable with each other and who will stand up for each other. Like all groups of human beings with the frailties of human beings, families will taunt and fight and bicker among each other. But when trouble threatens from outside the clan, there's an instant closing of the ranks against the outsiders.

A family is all of these things, but most of all, a family is a group of human beings working together to build something beautiful and lasting. A family is truly a colony of heaven right here on earth. Actually, we are a colony here in the Church of the Kingdom of God.

This very much applies to our Church family, doesn't it? God is building a family. He wants the family to be a close and united family, to be endeared to each other. We'll read just two or three scriptures here at the end. Let's turn to Romans 12 and verse 10. Romans 12 and verse 10.

It says so neatly what I've been trying to say in this sermon. Romans 12 and verse 10. Of course, in verse 90, he begins this thought by saying, let love be without hypocrisy. It does have to be genuine. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Now verse 10, be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor, giving preference to one another. I wanted to go back and look at kindly affectionate. Kindly affectionate in the Greek is phyllostarchus, and it means cherishing one's kindred, or to be fond of natural relatives, one's family relatives. But also, it carries over to being fraternal with fellow Christians. That means in the church, there's a family fondness and closeness. Kindly affectionate, cherishing, then brethren here in the church. The second phrase here in verse 10 is brotherly love. We are then to be kindly affectionate, that is cherishing one another with brotherly love. Brotherly love is, again, from the Greek word philadelphia. And phyllos means love, and adalfos means brother. And it carries the connotation of being from the same womb. You know, I'm from the same womb as my three brothers and two sisters from the same womb. But we are to have that feeling toward each other in the church. We are from the same spiritual womb, aren't we? And we will be born into the same spiritual family as well. Let's read one final scripture in Revelation chapter 21. Final verse here. Revelation 21, we have the new heavens and the new earth. And here we have the completed family of God. Those who have learned to be endeared to one another, to be close to one another, to dwell together in unity, how good and how pleasant that will be, God will not let there be anything else than what will bring peace and harmony and unity in the family. In Revelation 21 it talks about the Father coming down, the New Jerusalem, and the tabernacle of God being with men, and God wiping away verse 4 every tear, being no more death and no more pain. And God says, I make all things new. In verse 6 He said, it is done. God's family plan, the family God is building is now complete. It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things. God's going to share the vastness of his holdings. It's just like parents who want to share their family business and fortune with their children. God's going to share everything with his children. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Let's be there in the completed family of God.