OUTLINE FOR OPEN CELLS
(Week of 6 /6 – 6/12, 2010)
The Church And The Coming Kingdom (1)
"Institution Or Family?"
Subject - The Kingdom of God is ever unfolding in the earth. (Is. 9:6-7) The Church, on the other hand, has had its ups and downs for over 2000 years, at times almost disappearing from prominence, only to re-emerge in a reformed state that once again surges with growth, enthusiasm and vitality. Once again, we stand at a crossroad. The Kingdom is expanding. The Church is, at least in the west, declining. What reform will help us to once again intersect with the larger vision of the Kingdom of God that will one day fill the whole earth?
I. "Let us make man in our image and in our likeness." This divine dream fostered a family.
A. (Gen. 1:26-28) The family was ordained to fill the whole earth with fruitfulness and dominion. They were blessed and commanded to do this without the assistance of any institutional expression of God.
1. family/a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not (The family was created in the Garden for the world.)
2. institution/an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, esp. one of a public, educational, or charitable character (Institutions were created outside of the Garden by the world.)
II. The Kingdom of God; how is it best expressed?
A. Institutional church/primarily focuses on teaching (content) and relies upon special people, special times and special places (The "special" nature of the institution brings severe limitations.)
B. The Church as family/is free to focus on equipping (the person), training (tasks) and teaching (content). There need be no reliance upon special people, times or places. The family exists and functions at any time, in any place, empowering and validating everyone. "You will be my witnesses."
C. (Is. 66:1) The Father asks a supremely important question: "Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?"
1. house/2026 times in 1715 verse (OT and NT) varies in meaning from a building to a dynasty
2. household/61 times in 60 verses (13 in the NT) primarily a family and its entourage
3. family/123 times in 76 verses (only once in the NT)
a. (Eph. 3:14-15) "I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." (family/pa-tre-a'/lineage running back to some progenitor, ancestry, a group of families, all those who in a given people lay claim to a common origin)
III. The vision of Christ for God's family (household) unveils its real destiny and divine function.
A. Eleven of thirteen New Testament uses of "household" are translated from some form of the Greek word oikos/belonging to a house or a family (It is this oikos that we are each called to reach out to.)
B. The remaining two usages of the word household are ascribed only to Jesus' revelation of its real place in the world. Jesus ties the family (Eph. 3:14-15 - one Father) to its central purpose.
1. (Matt. 24:45, Luke 12:42) "And the Lord said, 'Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.'"
a. household/the-ra-pa'-a/service rendered by one to another, specifically medical service: curing, healing, household service, body of attendants, servants, domestics
2. (Mal. 3:10) "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be enough room to receive it."