By Jeff Barnhart with Laura Springer
Key Idea: Christians who know they are family live in community as they worship and serve together. They hear and obey their Father and actively participate in life with their siblings by doing the one anothers and sharing God’s love with the world.
We live as family by listening and obeying the Father and imitating our head brother and redeemer, Jesus, in words and deeds. We train every time we are gathered together as a spiritual family. Here, we sharpen each other to become more like Christ before we disperse to our various mission fields: at work, home, hanging with friends, gathering at a local restaurant or pub, or in the rhythms of everyday life. While dispersed, we proclaim the excellent news of redemption and restoration to our Father and declare the great mercies, blessings, and grace he has bestowed upon his children through His Son, Jesus Christ.
We love God as a worshiping family by listening and obeying our Father. Both the Old and New Testaments see obeying God as hearing Him and walking in his ways. In biblical times, genuinely hearing God's Word implied obedience and action instead of simply acquiring additional head knowledge. Today, we must listen by making time with God throughout our busy day by spending time in the Word and continually conversing with the one who has chosen us. We must desire and do everything with God, even in our dark places and messiness. Since God has told us to listen to Jesus, we must obey and do what he has commanded: love God, love people, and teach others to do the same.
We love our siblings as a worshiping family by imitating Jesus. Like Jesus, we must put the needs of our spiritual siblings before our own. What would it look like if everyone put one another's needs before their own? We would love, care for, offer grace and hospitality, and encourage and remind each other of our true identity in Christ. We would not hold grudges but would forgive each other and confess to one another when we have done wrong. Unify God's family! The New Testament commands us to do the one anothers 59 times. That’s a lot. All of these were modeled by Jesus. As we listen to and imitate Jesus, we dare not pick and choose the things we want to obey. All his commands are critical for us to work out our salvation and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, transform us to be more like Him, thereby being the light and showing Christ to those on our mission field.
We share Jesus's love with the world by loving our neighbors in Word and deed. We love those in our mission field by listening to and meeting them where they are as well as providing for their physical needs. We must not forget that we were once enemies of God, and only by his grace did he save us from our sins. From this position of grace, we speak God's truth with love by recognizing that everything stems from Him and explaining why He is our ultimate love.
Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper.
