Family Church Portsmouth

Pastor Andy continues with his theme for us having new and fresh encounters with God. We need a fresh encounter with God. The good news is that God wants to give us fresh encounters. When we read about Jesus in the gospels, He always said, ‘Come to me all those who are thirsty’.  We need to thirst and desire Him in our hearts. We need Him to be our Lord and King, the good news is that He says He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. We need to feed off fresh bread from God, not stale bread we had months or years ago (spiritually speaking). 

Pride, procrastination and passivity can keep us from fresh encounters with God. The bible is full of people who had God encounters; we need only to think of Zacchaeus. If he had been too lazy to get up the tree he would not have had the encounter with Jesus that changed his life. Let us not be hampered by world ways, let us diligently seek our God for fresh encounters daily.

This week Pastor Andy begins a new set of messages about us truly encountering God – not just knowing about Him. A real encounter is something that will change our lives forever. Andy desires for each of us to have a fresh encounter with Jesus in this New Year, that our lives be changed forever. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to get an encounter without striving. We need to position our lives also to meet Jesus in a new way. What if he hadn't climbed the tree? What if the woman with the issue of blood couldn't have been bothered to push through the crowd? Answer, they would have missed out on an encounter that was life changing. We don't want anyone missing out on God encounters. The key is how we position ourselves to meet with God. 

In Genesis 28, we read about Jacob the descendant of Isaac and Abraham. He'd been raised in a Godly house and heard about God. He wasn't absent from concept theology or understanding that there was a God, but there wasn't yet a trigger point personally. In verse 16, we read of his dream where he looks up, and at the end of a ladder sees God, with ministering Spirits going up and down and God speaks to him in that moment of subconscious or dream state in such a way that when he wakes up his life changes. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought ‘surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it’. 

Jacob experienced an actuality of God, and awakening to His presence. The God of his Fathers that he had heard of became real. When God becomes real, everything we do finds its true purpose. We don’t need external motivations to serve in church or worship Him for example…….we can’t stop! There's no problem with the ingredients of our services and meetings – the problem is an absence of the actuality of God in our lives!

Actuality causes us to put legs on the things we claim to believe. How many people believe their loved ones are going to hell if they don't get a chance to receive Christ as saviour? Are we telling them? Maybe we are all guilty to some degree of not knowing as we should. But all of a sudden, the wind changes, the Spirit blows. We are woken and everything we believed suddenly makes sense. Like Jacob, we arise from an awakening ready to serve Him, give Him everything, and walk with Him all of our days. We don't need incentive or motivation. He is enough. 

Pastor Andy speaks today about the Spirit & Atmosphere of Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is Christ Jesus the Messiah who was given to us by God. The Christmas spirit seems to make people happy, indeed our Christmas cards are full of the words, Love, Joy, and Peace - things the world seems unable to provide! But do we lose all this the minute we pack away the Christmas tree, or is God for life, not just for Christmas? Ps Andy continues with quotes from the famous Scriptures in Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born....." and Luke 2:8 “an angel appeared to the shepherds bringing good news that will cause great joy to all the people....” The message here is for Great Joy to all people, not just some. Because God so loved the world and gave His only begotten Son it follows He is the gift of Love and Joy and Peace that lasts beyond a moment or a season, but forever in our lives if we accept Him. We often use the phrase 'Merry Christmas', but in fact, the gift, the atmosphere of God can provide for our whole lives. 

We do not need to return to a season of no love, no joy, and no peace after the 12 days of Christmas! God wants to be the gift that keeps on giving throughout the year, even in harsh times. Let us not pack God away after Christmas. God is for life and not just for Christmas, just like a dog is for life. It's not just for a moment; it's for the life that follows. God wants us to enjoy a relationship with Him, not a Festival about him. Let us keep the Love, Joy, and Peace in our hearts for all time and enjoy the fruits of a relationship with God as we take to our hearts the real good news of this season.

This week Pastor Andy concludes the series on Family Church values with the title ‘We are Honourable’. We are a people who give honour to each other and to God according to Scripture. Pastor Andy expounds this. The church needs to take a different direction to the world where people are choosing to be less honourable. We are the people of God, God has called us to be his people, and that makes us different. It means that we don't respond like everybody else response in many ways. We don't live like everybody else lives in the world that we are a part of. 

In Matthew 5 verses 13 to 16, Jesus makes an incredible statement, saying that we are Salt and Light in the world, for our light to shine that others may see the glory of God. So we are meant to be different, to live differently. Part of this is giving honour where honour is due, e.g. in our speech and actions. 

Pastor Andy continues by giving examples from the Bible to show how we should show honour to God, to His Son, to others, with our gifts, talents, wealth and more. 

Discover even more amazing ways we can honour God, His, Son, each other, our leaders, our elders by listening to this action packed message. As per love, to honour someone is a doing word, a verb. We are an Honouring people and God blesses us in our faithfulness. 

Today Ps Sean continues the series on Family Church values with the title ‘We are Responsive’. Being responsive means we are fast to respond or react appropriately, or sympathetically. The converse of this is being static and showing no interest, concern or emotion. We need to be people who are in the same place physically, emotionally and spiritually. Football fans are often more responsive than many in church! How much more responsive should we be to the supernatural things of God than the natural things of a football match! 

In Matthew 22:34 onwards, the Pharisees try to test Jesus by asking (NIV) “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments''. Jesus was immediately responsive with words about loving God and loving people – an active love. We are likewise called to have this active love and responsiveness to God and people around us – both those we love and those we don’t!

All of this begins with us submitting ourselves to God. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 

Jesus responded to His disciples by saying ‘follow me and I will make you fishers of men’…. Interestingly, their response recorded in the Gospels was “and immediately they left the boat….”.

So we begin our responsiveness by being responsive to God, initially in prayer which develops our spiritual relationship with Him, then we are in a position to be able to be responsive to others as well. An overflow of our internal responsiveness to God will cause an external responsiveness to others around us. This includes situations, the use of our time, money, gifts and talents. The lady with an issue of blood pressed past the crowd and reached out to Jesus by faith. Sometimes we need to press in and press through the crowd and noise. On the other side of this is a miracle - a touch of His Garment and a release of His power. Often when there is lack or need we must press into God with faith and submission to Him. 

As a church, the body of Christ, let us be responsive to the call of lost people in a lost generation. People may look like they've got it together, but they often haven't.  When they go home, they see brokenness within themselves. We are the people Jesus calls the light of the world. Let us be responsive to God and to people. God has responded to us, He gave us life through His Son.

Pastor Steu continues the series on Family Church Values this week by speaking about how we are Servant Hearted. We value serving one another and we value serving the purpose of God in Our Generation. In John 13:34-35, Jesus is speaking to His disciples and says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”.  Love is something we do and can see the result of.  We will be known by our love for one another.  As our love for God may be expressed in worship, our love for one another may be expressed in service towards each other.  Jesus modelled this on earth and we likewise need to be authentic…. It’s the way of God’s Kingdom. Jesus stepped into our world and displayed a servant heart, humbling Himself even to the point of death. Great leadership starts with great servanthood in Family Church. John 13; 12-14 is a great example. 

We also serve because we want to use the skills and the gifts that God has given us. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Natural gifts and talents as well as spiritual gifts are there for us to fulfil our purpose in the Lord and bring glory to His name in helping others.  1 Peter 4; 10-11 (NIV) says “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen”.  So we serve because we love one another; we serve because it's the way of God's kingdom, and we serve because we want to use the skills and the gifts that God has given us. God has given us responsibility in his kingdom, according to our ability; we don't all have the same things to do as we all have different abilities. We all have different skills but we all have something to do in God's Kingdom and God’s house, his church.  In serving, we contribute towards the strength of the church, to make it excellent and glorious (as David’s temple).  People seeing a church as such will automatically have a glimpse of the excellence of our God. 

How do we serve? Deuteronomy 10:12 (NIV) says “Serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”.  The Christian life must be all-in. The church in Laodicea was rebuked because they were lukewarm, God said I'd rather you be hot or cold! Society is half-hearted in many areas, apathetic and lazy but do not give into this. It is not the way that God called us to live. He called us to be a people who serve with all of our hearts. Romans 12; 10-11 says to love each other with genuine affection. 

So, let us be faithful in serving with small things, we shall be rewarded with greater opportunities. Lastly, we serve where there is a need. If there is a hole, we fill it, unconditionally and without delay. 

Pastor Andy continues the series on the values of Family Church with this week’s message “We are Family”. We celebrate our diversity in culture and age and are committed to developing healthy relationships in order that church isn’t just a meeting, but a community which resembles a family with values from scripture. Andy speaks about us being born again, how God gave us a new birth and becomes our Father resulting in blessings in abundance. In John 3, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus saying “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Ancient language translates the key words here as meaning ‘genes from above’ or ‘from the beginning’. So Jesus was implying we receive heavenly genes when we become born again. The genes make us who we are and heavenly genes bring us into God’s family with Him as Father. 1 John 3:1 (ESV) says “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 

The apostle Paul also recognizes this perspective saying “you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household”…….the household of God. In Romans 8:17 (NIV) it says “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”, 

So because we are born again, we are heirs to the Father and joint heirs, with His son. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God in the family of God. We function as a family in an inspirational manner. 

Ps Andy then spoke of some aspects we model as church family. We are loving (as in 1 Corinthians 13:4-2). We celebrate equality, especially in status, rights and opportunities, rejecting racism, prejudices and classes which have no place in our church. We love diversity, seeing it as a strengthening blessing. We are a growing family, healthy things grow, and our desire for our church is just this. We need to be welcoming, always with room for new people. We resolve our individual issues and differences rather than wandering off foolishly. Forgiveness and repentance is essential between brothers and sisters, involving others biblically (Matthew 18:15). 

1 Corinthians 12:12 onwards speaks of Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ. Every one of us has skills, talents and God given abilities necessary to keep our Family running smoothly.  Paul says in this scripture that we are many, one body, one group, one family. Let us be an inspirational family that honours and glorifies God as we all play our part. Get involved, meet your brothers and sisters and grow together in your faith!

This week Janine speaks about the what, why and how of worship as we continue the series devoted to Family Church Values.  Janine began by looking for a single verse about worship in scripture, but there are 188 references to worship and 259 references to praise in the Bible! Reading her Bible she looked at verses saying….’He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak’….’The Lord is the Everlasting’….’ God, the creator of the heavens and the Earth’. Reflecting, she naturally found herself wanting to respond and worship. The more she read, the more she was filled with awe and the more she just wanted to respond in thankfulness to God. When reading about His greatness, His goodness, His majesty, His love for his, how could we not want to respond in worship?

When we love God and know God and his love for us, it fills us with awe. Our natural desire is to show him our love. How do we show him? Our love is our worship. For example it’s the difference between being in love with someone and showing them we love them. We show our love for God through our life, our actions, our obedience, our thoughts and our words. 

God has called us to do better things and to be set apart. Because of that we say yes God. It's not just about singing. It's not about us coming together religiously. Our obedience is worship. When we choose to express our love for him every day of our life, we are living a life of worship. 

Romans 12:1 (NIV) says “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”.  So, this is an everyday thing, not a Sunday thing.

Janine spoke of personal circumstances in her own family where relatives were ill; her heart sank at the sad news. Her response was to worship God. When we open our mouths to worship, our focus shifts to Jesus (above the sound of anxiety and fear). We speak bold prayers, we declare God’s promises, our faith builds and our soul is brought into alignment with what God says over us and our situation. So even though worship is for Him, is to Him and is about him, it also speaks life over us and our situation. 

We worship because He is good and He is good all the time. It's not about how we feel. It's about God. We will not choose to be passive in the presence of King Jesus. We will not be holding back on the one who gave us life, who gave us everything. What it looks like is not significant, its gratitude and thankfulness in our hearts that matter. Let us focus on Jesus, engage our hearts and lift Him up.

This week Ps Sean continues the series on Values of Family Church with ‘We are Spiritual’. He references the story of Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God but Nicodemus does not understand what He (Jesus) means. 

But when Jesus speaks to us, He is not speaking logic and understanding. He is speaking Spirit and life. Often, like Nicodemus, we get our kind of thought process, but it isn't going to work in order for us to have a relationship with God and then understand the things of God. First we must come to the place of spiritual life. This can only be achieved by believing in the name of Jesus, the name who saves. Then we can transform our natural thinking into spiritual thinking and understand Jesus. This is based on believing in faith. 

The new life, the believing in Jesus, being born again, this moment is called salvation as Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV) “ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory”. This seal, the deposit, or down payment means nothing can come against you because you have His presence inside of you – awesome eh!  We will face trials and tribulations but we stand by faith saying ‘God has marked me, is in me, and is the great overcomer’.

We are the redeemed people of god who once walked in darkness yet now have the Spirit of God within us to help us understand the Word as never before. John 14:26 (NIV) says “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”. So we don’t need to depend on earthly things when we are down - often they make us feel worse! Immediately after these verses in John 14 comes the passage abiding in the vine in John 15. If we remain in Him and he remains in us we shall bear much fruit…..apart from Him we can do nothing. The key here is continually abiding in connection with the Holy Spirit and living life submitted to the Spirit – hard at times when the flesh wants to take over. The fruit mentioned here is described in Galatians 5:22 onwards….. Love, joy, peace…there is no law against these things because they are of the Spirit of God. No force acts against these fruits, they are of the Spirit of God. A Christian walking in the Spirit produces fruit of the Spirit just as an apple tree produces apples – no law governs this.

The rest of Galatians 5 is devoted to living life by the Spirit. If we walk by the Spirit we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. We are not free to do whatever we want, but if we are led by the spirit, we will develop Spiritual fruit and our lives will be recognised as such.  Let us eagerly desire the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

Pastor Andy addresses the Portsmouth Congregation upon the twenty fifth anniversary of the formation of Family Church.

Andy and his wife Gina are the Senior Pastors of Family Church. Since the launch of our very first service in 1997, Family Church has grown into the thriving multi-congregational church it is today with congregations across the south-coast, the Philippines and an online congregation reaching the world.

https://family.church/timeline/ shows the timeline of the church to date. All praise to Jesus our Lord and provider.