“Church As God’s Family”
Paul had two great passions, both of which were, he believed, under assault: Jesus and the church
To love Jesus is to love His church
Augustine: No man can have God as his father if he does not have the church for a mother
Peter says: “Love the family of believers” 1 Peter 2:17
● Paul’s passion for the church fills his letters
Colossians 1:25, 2:1
● Paul’s identity:
“I serve the church.”
“I work hard for the church.”
What is your identity?
God’s greatest work is wrapped up in the church
● Not just adults: if you are a Christian, you are to be a servant of the Church
● What can the church do for me?
Paul was so dedicated to the church’s welfare that he was willing to suffer on her behalf – Colossians 1:24
J.B. Lightfoot: “It is a simple matter of fact that the afflictions of every saint…do supplement the afflictions of Christ. The church is
built up by repeated acts ofself-denial in successive individuals and successive generations.”
It must not stop with Paul; it must continue with us
The church is built on the back of faithful, suffering believers
Suffering and working for the church includes:
1. The challenges of living with stumbling believers
a. I don’t love the church because it’s lovable; many times, it’s not
b. We don’t love the church because it’s perfect; we love the church because Jesus is perfect and the
church is His bride
2. Working to build the church
a. Who has time?
b. Suffering servants make time
3. Giving money- It should hurt, a little
4. Showing up on Sunday
Church is about relationships; watching a service isn’t relational
Paul’s sacrificial attitude toward church calls us to a whole new attitude of whatit means to be a Christian

Acts 21
“I am a servant of the church.”
“I work hard for the church”
Rich Villodas- Three stages of Relationship (Heavenly, Hellish, and the Holding detention stage)
1. Heavenly: New members: best church ever!
a. Like infatuation in a romantic relationship
2. Hellish: If it’s no longer like heaven, it must be hell…
a. You start to see the problems
b. You start to smell the inevitable stink
3. Healthy stage
a. Not angels, but not demons either
We gather, celebrate and proclaim a PERFECT SAVIOR, not a PERFECT LEADER
So how do we build community in a church thatlies somewhere between heaven and hell?
The WEAKEST part of most Christians faith is the lack of CHURCH RELATIONSHIPS
James Emery White
“One of the great myths of relational life is that community is something found. In this fairy tale, community is simply out
there—somewhere—waiting to be discovered like Prince Charming finding Cinderella. All you have to do is find the right person,
join the right group, get the right job or become involved with the right church. It’s kind of an “Over the Rainbow” thing; it’s not
here, so it must be over there.”
If you have to work at it, they think, it’s not real community.
“I cannot stress enough how soundly unrealistic, much less unbiblical, this is.
Community is not something you find; it’s something you build.
What you long for isn’t about finding the right mate, the right job, the right neighborhood, the right church—it’s about making
your marriage, making your workplace, making your neighborhood and making your church the community God intended.
Community is not something discovered; it is something forged.”
Find a church somewhere between HEAVEN and HELL and MAKE COMMUNITY there
“My point is that all relationships of worth are products of labor. This is why the Bible talks about people needing to form and
make communities, not just come together as a community or “experience” community. It’s why principles are given—at
length—for how to work through conflict. It’s why communication skills are articulated in the Bible and issues such as anger are
instructed to be dealt with. It’s why the dynamics of successfully living with someone in the context of a marriage or family are
explored in depth.”
You won’t just find community here but I believe you can make community here
When you look back at Real Life, it will be about the relationships!
“I am a servant of the church”
“I work hard for the church”