WHY THE FAMILY?  DFO 752  20/12/78

         1. WHY DID YOU GUYS JOIN THE FAMILY ANYWAY?--Let's get back to the basics, right down to the brass tacks: You didn't have to join the Family to get saved, you didn't have to join the Family to find the Lord. So, what was the point in joining? (Peter: To get training.) Right!

         2. We're like a school. We're a fellowship, what the churches call a church. But is fellowship the whole thing? (Peter: No.) Well, what is the whole thing? What's our excuse for living? (Peter: To tell the World about Jesus, to witness.) Right! If you're not going to be a witness and tell other folks about the Lord, what's your excuse for living?

         3. After you were saved, why didn't you just go back to your system job and just keep on working for a living and just keep on loving the Lord & going to church, etc.? (Peter: Because I has gone to church before & it didn't do anything for me. But I knew that the Family was following the Bible & the church wasn't, so I figured that was the thing to do.) So, you really liked us more than church? (Peter: Yes.)

         4. DO YOU THINK THE FAMILY DID YOU ANY GOOD? (Peter: Oh yes!) How? (Peter: Well, when I got saved I wouldn't have known what to do if it hadn't been for the Family. If it hadn't been for their training & the fellowship & the Letters & being together, I don't know what would have happened to me!) Well, that's true, because when you are born again you're just a babe in Christ, & you really do need spiritual parents to help you & to protect you & feed you & help you grow.

         5. When a baby is born he needs a family--a mother to care for him, a father to provide for him, & brothers & sisters to help him & teach him & play with him. When a baby is first born, several things just come automatically: He doesn't have to be taught to cry or taught to eat or taught to eliminate or taught to squirm & kick & so on--that all comes automatically, right? He is born with it. But then what do you have to do?

         6. You need to start teaching & training him to do certain things. Particularly you're making progress when you teach him to do things for himself that you used to have to do for him, right? So when you learn to really take care of yourself, you have really made a lot of progress. But when do you really become a full-fledged adult?--

         7. When you have to take care of not only yourself, but others!--Then you are an adult!--Then you are a parent, a leader, then you have spiritually matured. Spiritually speaking, that means when you can bear the spiritual babies!-And not only when you can bear them, but when you can also take care of them & train them & rear them, until they have grown & can take care of themselves & others!--Then you are an adult!

         8. SO YOU THINK IT'S PRETTY GOOD TO HAVE A FAMILY? But what if the Family starts getting selfish, & doesn't want any more children, & doesn't want old Uncle Harry & Aunt Mary & everybody else to move in with them, & doesn't want to take care of Grandma & Grandpa & the poor relatives, widows & orphans anymore?--They like it the way it is.

         9. Isn't that the picture of the average American family?--Living just as selfishly as they can possibly live, right? Does it sound a little bit familiar?--Hmmm? Of course, our Family is not like that, are they!?--None of our homes would be like that, would they?--Huh?

         10. Honestly, has our Family gotten to the point where we don't want any more children--And we don't want new disciples? Have you heard of any of our Homes like that? Do you think you, as a new disciple , would be as welcome today as you were seven years ago? Well, Beloved, we may think we're getting away with it, but we're not going to get away with it with God! It doesn't matter where we are, are we going to start living just as selfishly there as we would at home & as our parents did before us?

         11. Has our Family changed? Beloved, I'm sorry to say, I'm afraid you have!--And maybe that's why God is chastening us with persecution--We haven't been bearing enough fruit, or we're complaining about the fruit He's already given us! And when you come to the point where you want to stand still, you're going to backslide!--All the way home!

         12. Think about it! If you're not going to win souls & haven't room for new disciples, "Why the Family?" May God have mercy on us & help us repent!--Amen? GBAKYAMYAB!!--With more Family!


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