Our text this morning will be in 1 Timothy 1 as we begin a new series here in Paul's first letter to his young apprentice Timothy. 1 Timothy 1. We have a couple of international students who are living with us as part of our family this year. And so as we headed into fall here, it gave us an opportunity to rethink our house rules, our household standards. No shoes in the house. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Prioritize family dinner time. Put dirty clothes in the hamper. Preferably right side out. Keep the Lord's Day holy, set apart, distinct from the other six days of the week. For our own kids, if we can at all help it, don't do homework on Sundays. We'll leave that for the other six days. I don't break out the checkbook and balance the books on Sunday. I'll save that for the other six days of the week. I set aside the Lord's Day as a different day, one day in seven, that was to be distinct, to be marked out, a reminder that God is the one who's carrying the weight of the universe, not me. So that's part of family patterns for us. It's part of house rules for us. tangible expression in some different ways. And then of course, each person has responsibilities as part of the family, taking out the trash or mowing the lawn or setting the table, loading and unloading the dishwasher, etc. Now we hear that terminology of house rules, and we might think of something that's very oppressive, rigid, These rules don't make us miserable. On the contrary, they contribute to human flourishing. They keep us from strangling one another. They contribute to harmony and cohesiveness. House rules help create an atmosphere of love and mutual respect. They allow families to function with a sense of purpose and coordination. Of course, every house has different rules. And so it's important to know where you are. I remember being instructed in China, my year that I spent there in Beijing, that I would be offered something to drink, particularly in the context of older Chinese host. And I was to say, no, thank you. and that they would ask again, and I would say, no, thank you. And then they would ask a third time, and I was to relent and say, oh, okay, thank you. There's certain ways in which culture informs those standards and the ways that we act toward one another. When I was in college, we played a popular card game called Rook. How many of you played Rook? Some of you. And there were a number of variations in the game. What constituted a missed deal? Was the rook high or low? And could you shoot the moon after you picked up the kitty or only before? It depended on where you were playing. By the way, if you're going to come and play at my house, then we play rook low. That's the only way to play, at least in my house. These are house rules. We thought about using poker chips for a backdrop this morning, but we thought that might not be so appropriate. But we think about it maybe in the context of games and those sorts of things, as well as family. And certainly this is true of God's family as well. And we will be considering Paul's first letter to his apprentice Timothy. He had left Timothy there in the city of Ephesus to organize and strengthen the church. The church in Ephesus was young. It was newly established. And they needed to know the house rules. They needed to know the expectations for how they should live in God's house. This concept of family and household is very prominent in the letter. We'll be looking at it, of course, as we move through. We see here in chapter one, verse four, there's a reference here to Timothy and his stewardship. Paul says here that he was not to devote himself to endless myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The NIV translates that as God's work. Timothy had been entrusted with God's work. Don't let anything deter you or distract you from doing God's work. Literally, the word means house rules. or house manager. Timothy had been positioned, he had been put in charge of God's house. And that was a very important responsibility. One that he must pay careful attention to. And then later in chapter 2, We see Paul saying there in verses 14 and 15 that he hopes to come to them, he hopes to be able to teach them in person, but until then, he wants them to know how they're to conduct themselves in the household of God. So there's that notion again, there's that imagery, there's that metaphor that comes to the forefront. So this is very prominent here in Paul's letter. Now we will, in the weeks to come, be considering God's house rules. But here in the opening verses of this chapter, in Paul's greeting, we are challenged with just the basic concept of family, of thinking in terms of household, of thinking about our faith, not simply individually, but corporately. in the context of the family of God. And so let's look here at the first two verses of the letter. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus, Our Lord. May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His word. Here we see several things. that will help shape our thinking as we begin this series. The first is this, and this is one of the simplest outlines you're going to get, right? Three blanks in the outline today. That's pretty good. Unless you're trying to keep your kids occupied and then it's bad, alright? But three blanks. First, God is serious about His house rules. God is serious about His house rules. Paul's going to write about house rules, about how the church is to conduct themselves. And he writes identifying himself as an apostle. He drops the trump card right at the beginning of the letter. He writes as an apostle or literally as a sent one. Paul was an ambassador, a representative that had been sent from God. He comes with all of the weight of God behind him as he writes this letter. Paul is not simply a concerned believer with some good suggestions. He's not simply sharing his own opinion and viewpoint. He is writing as God's authorized representative. God is serious about his house rules. By the way, this is one of the marks of scripture when the early church identified the word of God. One of the key things they were looking for was apostolic connection. Right? And so here we have it. Paul is writing as an apostle. He identifies himself as such. This is not just a casual letter. This is an authoritative letter coming from God Himself. And he says that he was writing at the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope. Very interesting. A description there, but again, he mentions not only the idea of his being an apostle, but the idea that he was writing directly in response to God's command. So there's this heaviness that sort of begins the letter. We can think about this in a lot of different contexts. The state of Michigan is serious about speeding in work zones. What do the signs say? Fines doubled. I heard you, Linda. Fines doubled in work zones or fines doubled when workers present or something along those lines. That's a serious offense and creates a very dangerous situation. The state is serious about drunk driving. So there's a series of television and radio spots that emphasize the consequences for driving while impaired. And those consequences continue to mount and build with each violation. The North Point Christian School held an assembly on the first day of school. in which they reviewed student conduct expectations, among other things, right? So this is outlined, it's laid out, people are put on notice, this is our expectation. We could think about this in the workplace, we could think about it in a lot of different contexts, but here we see God putting this emphasis here. even by the way in which Paul brings his message. God is serious about His house rules. And no one will be able to say they didn't know. He sent His representative to communicate it in no uncertain terms. I'm struck here with the motivation that Paul appeals to. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope. So Paul does identify himself very strongly. He's an apostle. He's a sent one. He is writing based on the command of God. But what is it that's motivating Paul? What is it that's driving him? And it's very interesting, isn't it? He really doesn't say, because God is God and you need to do what He says. He could have said that. That would have been pretty appropriate too, wouldn't it? He is Creator. You are creature. You're in His house. This is what you must do. But instead, he draws attention to God as Savior. This is the God who stepped into time and space and before the foundations of the earth, purposed to redeem and to rescue and to buy us back out of the slave market of sin. This is this God, this is the one who's giving the command, the one who has redeemed us, the one who we owe our life to. And the one who has issued this command is Christ Jesus, our hope. This is the Christ who is coming back. This is the Christ who is everything to us. This is the Christ who will make all things right and make all things new. This is the Christ whose return we long for, who loves us, who has redeemed us. And so, it's not so much that you have to, although if you're a follower of Christ, you do. But it's fitting, it's appropriate that you respond in a certain way to God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope. God is serious about His house rules. Number two, the gospel forges a more significant relationship than biological family. The gospel forges a more significant relationship than biological family. Timothy became Paul's true or legitimate or genuine child in the faith. That's what I want us to look at here. To Timothy, my true child in the faith. Now, Timothy and Paul were not related biologically. As a matter of fact, Timothy had a very different background than Paul. They didn't grow up in the same circles, let alone the same family. Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. So his mother was a believer, his father was not a believer in the one true God. He was from the city of Lystra, which is one of the areas where Paul went on his first missionary journey. We don't know exactly when Timothy came to faith in Christ. It is possible that Paul led Timothy to the Lord on that first missionary journey, but that's not certain. We do know that Timothy's mother and grandmother were godly women who undoubtedly influenced him and exposed him to the gospel at a very early age. We do know that he was a devoted disciple of Jesus, not just a Christian in name. Acts chapter 16 says that he was well-respected that his faith was evident and obvious and consistent for all to see. So this is a pretty mature young man. One who is clearly devoted to Christ. And with Timothy, in whatever way he came to Christ, when he came to Christ, it initiated and established a new relationship with Paul. They became family in the realm of faith. That's what Paul says to Timothy, my true child in the realm of faith, my true spiritual child. And of course, these believers, not just Paul and Timothy, but even within the church, these believers became siblings. And so on at least three different places here, we're going to look at them in a moment here, The terminology of brothers or brothers and sisters is used here as Paul talks to the church. So this whole notion of family, this incredibly significant relationship that has been forged by the gospel. Now, Jesus addressed this. This was not just Paul's idea. It was not unique to Paul. As a matter of fact, Jesus went further yet, not only to say that a new family unit has been formed based on faith, in the realm of faith, But Jesus went as far as to say that it is the primary family unit. It is first family. So let's just look at a couple of these passages. There's a number of them. I knew we wouldn't be able to turn to all of them, so I've included them in your outline. Matthew 3, verse 31. Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they told Him, Your mother and brothers are outside looking for You. "'Who are my mother and my brothers?' he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "'Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.'" Luke 11. As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "'Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you. He replied, blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. Luke chapter 9, he said to another man, follow me. But the man replied, Lord, first let me go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. Still another said, I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family. Jesus replied, no, no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. Luke 14, large crowds were traveling with Jesus and turning to them, he said, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And then Matthew chapter 10, do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." And so, in no uncertain terms, Jesus taught that the lines are redrawn based on faith. That the greatest reality, the greatest level of family was spiritual family. It would have been a radical concept for the first century believers. It's a radical concept for us. But certainly they were tracking genealogies. Family was so important and so charged. Their ethnicity as Jews was at the forefront of their identity And Jesus comes to say there's something more significant, there's a more enduring relationship in the realm of faith. The biological family is not our primary identity and place of belonging. The biological family is not the most important institution on earth. The biological family is not the primary vehicle of God's grace and salvation for a lost and desperate world. The church is the most important institution on earth. The church is the primary vehicle of God's grace and salvation for a lost and desperate world. The family of God constitutes our primary identity and place of belonging. Now the biological or nuclear family is immensely important. We can see even in the ministry of Jesus himself, his commitment to honoring his mother. Even in the context of the crucifixion, he's thinking of his mother and ensuring of her care. And he says to John, behold your mother. And he says to his mother, behold your son. He transfers that care to his disciple, to care for his mother. And we can look at countless passages that talk about our responsibility to honor our parents. Jesus confronted religious leaders who used their devotion to God as an excuse to not provide for their families and for their parents. Paul says the one who does not provide for his family is worse than an unbeliever. So biological nuclear family is incredibly, incredibly important. But we ought to have an even greater fidelity to the family of God. I remember receiving a phone call several years ago. A man wanted to talk about his sister who had attended the church here. She had left her husband to be with another man and was currently under church discipline. So as I took the call, I braced for a very unpleasant conversation, thinking that I was going to hear it from this woman's brother. But to my surprise, her brother thanked us as a church for getting involved in the situation. He said, we've been trying to talk to her about some of the destructive choices that she's making and destroying her family. And we appreciate the fact that she's receiving that counsel from her church family as well. And then comes the question. She's decided she's going to go ahead and marry this man that she's been living with. And we've been invited to the wedding. Should we go? And we talked for a little while. And he said, Pastor, would you go? And I said, well, my conscience would not permit me to go. And he said, well, then how could I go? He said, I'm afraid I have to make the same difficult choice because my first commitment is to Christ. That's a difficult decision to work through, but that man got it. He understood, at least in principle, the concept of spiritual family and his responsibilities and fidelity to the family of God. It was kind of fun yesterday. gave a toast, talked a little bit about holidays in the United Kingdom and the different holidays in the United States and some additional days off and such in the British calendar that they would love to incorporate into their family and of course Thanksgiving on the American side. And then he hemmed and hawed for a little bit, as Benjamin can do very well, and he said, but I'm just not so sure about the 4th of July. In his British accent. And Anna corrected him, Independence Day. Isn't it interesting how they could laugh about that in the context of a deeper commitment and a deeper bond that went beyond national commitments, the context of spiritual family, and certainly the marriage union, We need to see the church as first family. The gospel is not just about going to heaven when we die. It involves a radical reordering of our lives in the present. What would it mean to see the church as first family? It would mean that we stick with relationships even when they're hard. That's what families do. We would have to rethink our sometimes casual and temporary view of the church. It would mean that the family of God looks more diverse than my nuclear family, or my extended family, or even my own ethnic group. There's always a natural tendency to gather with people who are like us, but the family of God involves a redrawing of the lines. the powerful reality of the gospel and the family of God is most clearly seen when there are family members there from every tongue and tribe and nation. I'd love to be able to interact with those who follow Christ from various backgrounds. There's a wonderful bond that we have in Christ. It's a wonderful picture of what God is accomplishing in establishing the family of God. I think if we understood church as first family, it would make us more sensitive to the needs various family members. In many cases, when we have chosen to focus only on the nuclear biological family, we have tended to neglect and marginalize widows and orphans and singles. If we understood the church as a first family, we would be willing to risk biological family relationships for the sake of the gospel. A good portion of the world understands this very well, that to follow Christ means that they will perhaps be disowned by their family. We generally don't face that kind of reality, at least in the day-to-day, but there are some occasions where our commitment to Christ will cause and bring about some level of estrangement with our own biological family. It's a blessing when it doesn't. It's a blessing when our biological family and our spiritual family overlap, but that's not always the case. If we understand the church as first family, it would ensure that we're never too busy for the church. It would cause us to adopt a corporate mindset, to think about every decision and how it impacts the family. I think if we look through 1 Timothy, we won't do it today, but chapter 4, verse 6, chapter 5, verse 1, chapter 6, verse 2, where this sibling terminology is used, there's a certain way in which a sibling relationship works. It allows us to speak to one another in a certain way. It causes us to respect one another in a certain way. To honor one another in a certain way. And that sibling relationship ought to increasingly characterize our relationships within the family of God. Finally, number three, God as Heavenly Father has made every provision for His children. God as Heavenly Father has made every provision for His children. Paul wants Timothy to know that he has a Heavenly Father who cares for him. Notice how he closes his introduction to Timothy, my true child in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace. And notice the designation, from God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord. See, even in the opening foray, He's laced it with terminology of family and household. And he wants Timothy to know that he has a heavenly father who cares for his children. God is not distant or uninvolved. He does not leave us to struggle with responsibilities that are far too great for us. He does not give us more than we can handle. He is committed to providing for his children and helping them to do what he has asked them to do. When my older kids were younger, they would often want to help me with various projects, and I have this image in my mind particularly of the wheelbarrow, and they wanted to help carry the wheelbarrow, and they were completely incapable of carrying the wheelbarrow. And maybe I should have let them carry the wheelbarrow and clean up all the stuff from off the lawn. But instead, let them stand there, put their hands on the wheelbarrow, right? And stand behind them and do what they couldn't do. Right? Let them do what they could do, and then do what they couldn't do. in steadying the wheelbarrow and getting it off the ground and going up the hill. And I can't help but think of this as I read Paul's words to Timothy. He pronounces grace, mercy, and peace. As we consider these house rules, there's going to be plenty of times when you and I will feel overwhelmed. when it will seem too much for us, when it seems that we can't attain God's standards. This letter will include some very challenging themes. It's going to talk about sexuality, about ethics, about doctrine, worship practices, gender roles, leadership requirements. And the Father is committed to giving grace along the way. What an encouragement. He is firm, but patient, demanding, but generous. So what is your view of the people of God? How do you think about the church? Is the church like a store where you go to get what you need? Is the church a childcare provider who watches your little ones? Is the church like your workplace where you go out of a sense of obligation because it's just what you need to do? Is the church sort of a special interest group where you go to find people who are of like mind and share your political convictions? Or is the church family? The place where you belong, the place where you are truly known, where you love and are loved unconditionally. Some here today need to be challenged to live under God's house rules. You need to be reminded that God is serious about His house rules. You need to be reminded that this is not your house. You need to be reminded that Scripture is not suggestions, but authoritative commands. Some others here today need to consider the far-reaching implications of the family of God. You're not opposed. You want to be obedient to the Lord. You want to be serious about your faith. And you need to revisit what this really involves to view the church as first family. What does it mean? to give priority to the family of God. You need to give some thought to the nature of the sibling relationship. And what that means for your relationships with one another. And perhaps there's others here today who are serving faithfully and who simply need to be encouraged. Encouraged in knowing that the Heavenly Father will give you everything that you need. to live in his family and to grow as his child. Maybe there's been a few failures this last week, a few times where you dropped the ball, a few opportunities that were missed. Feel like you're overwhelmed with the demands of life, let alone the family of God. And you need to simply be reminded that God is there to provide grace and mercy and peace. He's there behind you holding the handles of the wheelbarrow that is too heavy for you. I should also mention as we close this morning that not everyone is part of the family of God. Scripture is very clear. There are no natural born children in God's family. Jesus is the only son of God. And we are all adopted into his family by faith. And so there's sort of a sense in our culture of the universal fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man and this general assumption that everyone is part of God's family. And we must be very clear that that is not the case. Scripture leaves no ambiguity in that regard. If you have done nothing about your sin, then you stand not as part of God's family, but as God's enemy. You are at odds with Him. You are hostile to Him. And it's only by coming to Him in faith and claiming the blood of Christ that you can come to peace with God, that you can be seated at His table, that you can be adopted into His family. And that would be His clear invitation to you today, and I would urge you today to not leave without knowing that you are part of the family of God. We'd love to talk with you if that's your situation today. Let's pray together.