​"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'" Ephesians 5:25-31

In the beginning God began humanity with family.

"So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
                                                                                                                                                  Genesis 1:27-28

The family is the first institution God ever put together.

"23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." Genesis 2:23-24

Families have a lot of important roles to play.

Family:

"25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body." Ephesians 5:25-30

We are members of Jesus's Body.

Children:

"Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

'Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.' Psalm 127:3

The Inseparable Family -- God's plan:

6 “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[a] 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:6-9

The Family of God: All Believers:

Jesus is our Savior and Brother.

49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:49-50

From the very beginning God wanted us back.

"12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
                                                                                                                                                          John 1:12-13

God laid out the natural family to help us understand the spiritual family.

Live as a family:

Spend time together; give each other the benefit of the doubt.

"14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name." Ephesians 3:14-15

Children of God: 
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure."
                                                                                                                                                        1 John 3:1-3
Treat Each other like family:


"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10

"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." 1 Timothy 5:1-2

We are the Family, the Household of God:

 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:10

 God's Gifts to us: Earth, Sun, Moon and Stars – animals, plants, water

Life – flesh and blood, breath and memories

Family – Spouse, children, grandchildren

Every moment of our lives, joy and sorrow, gives us meaning and proves that we are alive!

The Greatest Gift:

​"For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
                                                     Isaiah 9:6

Wonderful Counselor
James 1:5   If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you
Mighty God
Colossians 1: 15-16   15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him

​Everlasting Father
Romans 8: 16-17  16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory
Prince of Peace
Philippians 4:6-7   6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Came in the Fullness of God's Love:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

​
God became a flesh -- the mystery

​​
 "Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
    was vindicated by the Spirit,[a]
was seen by angels,
    was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
    was taken up in glory." 1 Timothy 3:16

​Why Did Jesus Come as a Baby?

"During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him." Hebrews 5:7-9

Jesus was always perfect, always complete. But through his birth and life he experienced the frail, sinful life of man. 

The baby grew up!

Ask the Angels  Luke 2:11
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Ask John the Baptist  John 1:29
 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world

Ask the demons!  Mark 5:7
7 The man spoke with a loud voice and said, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? 

​Ask Paul   Philippians 3: 8
8 Even more than that, I think of everything as worth nothing. It is so much better to know Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for Him. And I think of these things as worth nothing so that I can have Christ.

Ask the Roman Centurion Matthew 27: 57
The captain of the soldiers and those with him who were watching Jesus, saw all the things that were happening. They saw the earth shake and they were very much afraid. They said, “For sure, this Man was the Son of God.”

Celebrate the baby, celebrate the sacrifice:

The trials and tribulations for Jesus started right away, and never ended
Herod tried to kill him when he was a baby.
Then he grew up and:
Nazareth (hometown) drove him away
He was homeless, hungry, weary, tempted
He was hated, accused, denied and betrayed
He was crowned with thorns, beaten, spat upon, and crucified
And yet…

JOY!

Matthew 28: 8-9
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.


Greetings = Chairete – Χαίρω  Be Full of Joy!

The Resurrection was the completion of the angels’ greeting

​"For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders." Isaiah 9:6

The child is born (man)
The Son is given (God)
The perfect gift, Jesus, wrapped in the wrapping paper of flesh. 

​“God’s love must be wonderful beyond comprehension. God could quite justly have abandoned us to our fate. He could have left us alone to reap the fruit of our wrongdoing and to perish in our sins. It is what we deserved. But he did not. Because he loved us, he came after us in Christ. He pursued us even to the desolate anguish of the cross, where he bore our sin, guilt, judgment, and death… It is more than love. Its proper name is ‘grace,’ which is love to the undeserving. God himself in his Son has borne the penalty for our law-breaking”. -
​                                                                                                                        John Stott, The Cross of Christ

The Origins of Sunday School:

Sunday School began in England in the 1780s. According to ChristianityToday.com, "It is important to realize that Sunday schools were originally literally schools: they were places were poor children could learn to read. The Sunday school movement began in Britain in the 1780s. The Industrial Revolution had resulted in many children spending all week long working in factories. Christian philanthropists wanted to free these children from a life of illiteracy. Well into the 19th century, working hours were long. The first modest legislative restrictions came in 1802. This resulted in limiting the number of hours a child could work per day to 12! This limit was not lowered again until 1844. Moreover, Saturday was part of the regular work week. Sunday, therefore, was the only available time for these children to gain some education.
      "The English Anglican evangelical Robert Raikes (1725-1811) was the key promoter of the movement. It soon spread to America as well. Denominations and non-denominational organizations caught the vision and energetically began to create Sunday schools."

Sunday School began in the USA in the 1800s. A man named Edward Kimball led D.L. Moody to the Lord through Sunday School. Kimball took Moody under his wing (Moody was a young boy).

God calls us to educate ourselves in His Word and in our faith outside of preaching.

4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as [b]frontals [c]on your forehead. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

It takes the loss of just one generation to  lose it all!

"All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." Judges 2:10-11

If we let up on educating ourselves, our children, our church family, we will see our churches die. We will see people walk away.

"18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 [a]Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you [b]always, even to the end of the age.”" Matthew 28:18-19

This is a responsibility Jesus has given all of His followers. 

We need to be life-long learners of the Word and the life of Faith:

"9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
10 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
[a]As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
And [b]regard Your ways.
16 I shall [c]delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word." Psalm 119:9-16

Sunday School can give us a fundamental understanding of the basics of the faith:
•Life, death and resurrection of Jesus
•Holy Trinity
•Inerrant Word of God
•The purpose of church
•Service
•Love, humility, grace, kindness,  all virtues
•Relevancy of the bible in today’s world

What is going on in Sunday School right now across the nation?

“Sunday Schools simply do not provide the quality of teaching and experience that people demand today in exchange for their time."
                                            George Barna

People just don't think Sunday School is worth their time.

Purpose of Sunday School:
•Augment what is done in the home

•Discipleship

•Peer lead study and discussion

•Relationships

•Church growth and health

•Leadership development

What do we want from Sunday School?

This is a question for everyone to answer.....

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:71-11

God set the family as an example of His love and the trinity from the beginning.

"21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[a] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[b] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man." Genesis 2:21-24

Back in Jesus' time unmarried sons would stay with family until marriage; and then marriage the husband was responsible for the family. 

In the USA:
1860s -- 1 out of 34 marriages ended in divorce.
​1900 -- 1 out of 5 marriages ended in divorce
Now -- 1 out of every 2. No difference between Christian and nonchristian marriages.

God knew Adam shouldn't be alone so He gave Adam Eve.

"God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”" Genesis 1:28

And then again in Genesis 9:7 God says the same thing:

"As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”" Genesis 9:7

God' purpose didn't change when He "reset" the world with Noah and Noah's family.

God calls whole families, not just individuals:

He called Abraham:
"So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there." Genesis 12:4-5

He called all of Abraham's ancestors!

The Role of Families:

1. Families are meant to stay together:

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”" Matthew 19:4-6

They will become one flesh. What if everyone had to have their right arms cut off when they divorced??? There would be much fewer divorces. 

People who don't have families suffer. The decision to come together in marriage shouldn't be taken lightly.

Children are a blessing from God.

"Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents in court." Psalm 127:3-5

No birth is ever a mistake! God creates every life. 

2. Christian Families are an evangelistic tool.

Tool for saving a lost world!

"Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
    who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
    blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing
    for the man who fears the Lord." Psalm 128:1-4

3. Family is where we learn to love and nurture.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." Ephesians 5:25-28

​"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”" John 13:35

4. Family is where we learn values and gain character.

"Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

"These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:6-9

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a] 4 Fathers,[b] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:1-4

We learn forgiveness in the family -- how to ask for it and how to give it (so, human parents are ideal -- not perfect parents). 

5. Our Family is meant to be an example of God's family.

How could God explaiin His love without the illustration of the family?



"While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”" Matthew 12:46-50

Christian famliies explain the concept of family to others.

"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father.”" Romans 8;15

Nobody deserves salvation or God's love; but God will give both if we ask. He gives love no matter what. He will give salvation to anyone who asks.

 "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
John 1:12-13

We have a perfect Father!