Building Families 2 - Edifying

Looks better in color, right?

As we focus once more on building families, let me recall a couple of things from last week. If you missed last week, you can catch it here. Our call in the home is to direct our families to a biblical worldview. Another way to look at it is helping your family see the world through the lens of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We address sin and sinfulness in order to embrace grace and righteousness. This will compel us to embrace the Gospel as being the only hope for the world as we rely on it for our hope.

Plain and simple, we have the individual task of ensuring that our families are built around the cross. However, this is not to be done alone. As a church, we hold great responsibility and place high value on equipping you to do so.

Paul writes these words in 2 Timothy 3.16-17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (NASB). We come back to the Scripture to see it’s full application for our lives: to equip us for life in Christ. The word Paul uses that the NASB (as well as most modern translations) translates “equipped” is a little stronger than it appears. It carries the weight of having been fully equipped, or as the NIV and NKJV render “thoroughly equipped.” Maybe that seems a little small to you, but it would be the formal equivalent of going to war having been equipped with a bow and arrow when you could have a tank.

The Bible fully prepares us for life in Christ. And, if you are honest with me as I will be with you, we NEED it! Sure, you can do some good things on your own, but you cannot live life in Christ without His Word and His equipping. You and I need each other to show the way to walk in Scripture together.

I love the biblical concept of being built up. We also call this being “edified”. In the Greek, it is the word oikodomai (eek-oh-doh-my), which is a combination word: oikos (house) and dome (to build). Think about Paul’s use of this word in 1 Corithinians 14, where his discussion of spiritual gifts is to “build up” the church. Yes, every use of this word in the New Testament is in the context of the church, except when a physical building is in view. Why not take this principle to your family? If this word is literally the building of a house, why not your home? Your home will affect the church and the church should affect your home.

That is the idea we carry into our desire to build families. We want to build you up. We want to equip you with the authority of the Bible. We want to see you fully equipped to lead your children to the foot of the Cross. We want you to be edified!

I am convinced that the edification of the church happens when the families of which it is comprised are edified. I am further convinced that you and I need to shepherd one another in the Word of God to see this happen. This is why it is our commitment to build families in Fairburn.

This is seen in our children’s ministry as we supplement your home with the teaching of the Word. You can be assured that your children will hear Truth and taught how to process Truth in their lives. You can also be assured that our children’s ministry is designed to be a resource for parents to equip their children. We desire to build the family through intentional exposure to the Gospel and by walking alongside of parents as they teach their children the Way.

Our student ministry furthers this commitment and takes the exposure to the next level. We want our students to have fun and enjoy the time they have together, but we are not an entertainment source. Our students are being equipped to be missionaries, to be lights of the Gospel. As parents deal with raising teenagers, we seek to walk the course with them in a way that affirms their striving to see God glorified in their children.

Building families is not just about the kids though. The kids are not all that constitutes a family. Our adult Bible studies and our main worship gatherings are geared toward edifying the family. My personal desire is to see foundational relationships forged among our members as we walk in Christ together. I need you to speak Truth into my life as I raise my kids and love my wife. You need more voices than just mine from a platform on Sunday morning guiding you in the Truth of God’s Word as you do the same. As you get older and your focus shifts from raising kids to retirement and beyond, you need the continuation of your edification as a family to form your later years.

The short statement is this: all families need the Gospel to form them. This is edification. This is being fully equipped. This is the priority of the church in making disciples.

If you aren’t part of a disciple making group, please contact me. I want to connect you to a group at FBC where you can flourish and thrive as a follower of Christ and watch your family be built on the foundation of His grace.