I grew up in a large family. Based on today's standards, I grew up in a huge family. The boys in our family constituted a full basketball team - with four substitutes. We made up a complete baseball roster. Our sisters were utterly outnumbered, and yet there were five of them. We rotated through the bathrooms each morning like employees in a factory. As a complete unit, we constituted a voting block in our town. The mayor's office ran through our family. Joking aside, we were a large, close-knit family. Not without our faults (the rest of the siblings, not me), nor did we always experience complete harmony, but we remain a family, even after the passing of our parents.
In the English language, "household" describes the nuclear family. All those living under one roof and (generally speaking) sharing the same backgrounds and experiences. The Greek language, however, is a bit broader in its definition of this important term. To be a household in Greek (Oikos is the word) encompassed relatives, the community at large, neighbors, and those with whom one interacted on a regular basis. Those living under the same roof were described as a "house" or "household" (Matt. 9:7). Those living in the community were also described as a household (Matthew 10:6, 15:24). The actual building a person used as a domicile is described by the same word (Mark 2:11). The temple of God was a "home" or "household" (Matt. 21:13), and all of one's descendants also qualified (Luke 1:27). It was an expansive term, and it is utilized 117 times in the New Testament.
Our next preaching series will focus on this term. I have entitled the series "Oikos - Foundations for the Family." As you might guess, I have already experienced some gentle ribbing from some who know how the series will be titled, owing to the fact that it also describes a popular brand of Greek yogurt (the edible version is probably the only description of the word we will not consider during our series, with apologies to you yogurt lovers out there).
How do we function as oikos in the Christian community? What are our homes like? How are our children being trained toward godliness? What does it mean to be single, or widowed, or divorced in this household? Is a marriage partnership without children oikos? How do we interact in the local church? Do our marriages constitute true oikos as Scripture defines it? How are strangers welcomed into our home? What happens when a member of this community - this oikos - behaves in such a manner as to bring disrepute or disruption into the relationship? We will consider these questions, and a few others, as we walk through the series. The goal, as always, will not only be to inform, but to consider practical ways in which we might improve our community and strengthen our household.
Michael Green, in his work entitled Evangelism in the Early Church, describes how the apostolic church thrived on community. The oikosprinciple was a primary strategy for the advancement of the gospel. Paul focused his preaching and teaching on the Jewish community first by preaching in almost every instance in the synagogue of each city he visited before extending his influence and the gospel message to the larger oikos. If the message of the cross was received by the closer-knit family (his Jewish brethren), then receptivity to the gospel exponentially increased as the net was enlarged. The same can be said in our culture. If a family member comes to know Christ, the chances others in the family will both hear and respond to the gospel are far more likely. In my story, it was not until an older brother shared the gospel with another older brother, who shared the gospel with another older brother, who shared the gospel with me that I came to not only hear the good news, but to respond to it as well (a couple of my sisters were in that mix as well). Children of believers are far more likely to respond to the gospel than children of non-believers. This obvious fact often eludes us, but the responsibility parents have to raise their children "in the Lord" is so clear biblically that it constitutes a "no brainer."
This series may be a good one to consider inviting your unchurched friends to join with you for a Sunday worship. In our culture, about seventy-five percent of those who visit a church do so because they were invited by someone in their oikos. And while we are at it, let's all consider being a bit more conscience of the reality that some who are here on a Sunday that you do not recognize are visiting for the first time. Please, please, consider stepping out of your comfort zone and saying "hello" and shaking the hand of a person you do not recognize. They may tell you they've been here for two years - that's perfectly fine. We are not a mega-church, but we are large and it is easy to miss people with two services each Sunday. There are few things that sadden me more as a pastor than to hear that someone attended for two or three weeks and were never greeted. It is rare in our church family, but it still happens.
We are oikos at LifePoint. For the next couple of months (with a short break for our missions emphasis) we will spend some time considering that. I hope you will find it helpful. I have much to learn and apply in this area. I suspect we all do.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jym