Sermon Cloud

COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING FAMILIES

Core Value:  Strengthen Families and Family Values

Genesis 18:19

19) For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

Ephesians 6:4

4) Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

15) But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

            Is your home built on the right foundation? Once, the Lord Jesus warned concerning building the right foundation because of the inevitable storms of life. He said in Matthew 7:24-27:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

            Plainly, Jesus drove the point that in order for the home to survive the storms of life, it needs to be founded in the Bible. If anyone insists on ignoring the Word of God, His or her home is bound to sure destruction.

            Since the home is important to God, He has provided His Word for it. In the same token, He also has built the church. I believe that one of the reasons why the church exists is to provide support to Christian families. When you go to the New Testament, especially the apostles' letters to the churches, you will find specific instructions both  to parents and children.  In a  way, the apostles were saying, you cannot have strong churches without strong homes.

On this basis, BCI has established this core value - Strengthen families and family values. Now, with the family as a church priority, you can anticipate the following:

• Ø Sermons designed to help families will be preached during the family months (May and June because of the celebration of Mother's Day and Father's Day)
• Ø Encourage membership to different fellowships.
• Ø Encourage participation to annual family camp.
• Ø Encourage involvement to our missions projects as a family (Medical missions, Nursing homes, Block parties, etc)

In all these efforts and activities, we hope to consistently convey to everyone these three important challenges:  

I           ACCEPT THE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP

      In every home God has an appointed leader. Generally speaking, fathers have been ordained for this role. This truth was impressed to Abraham in Genesis 18:19. He needed to teach his offspring righteousness and justice (what is right and just) so that they might enjoy God's blessings.  In other words, the children of Abraham will miss out on the promised blessings of the Lord if they do not learn to walk according to His ways. Let me ask you, how many children today are missing out on God's blessings simply because they are not walking with Him? I know some might be saying, "Well, they are not really that miserable." I believe they will still be much better if they only walk in God's will for their lives.

            I do acknowledge that in some families, fathers are absent or in some homes, they don't want to be the spiritual leaders. In such cases, the mother or any member of the family can stand in the gap. It might be more difficult, but that is much better than having no one to lead spiritually. Notice Paul's comments about the spiritual training of Timothy:

2 Timothy 1:5

5) I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

            Clearly, Timothy's faith was passed down to him by his mother and grandmother. In the failure of the father to be the spiritual influence, praise God for mothers or grandparents who are willing to step up! Let me make a comment about grandparents since we have several in our midst. Your influence does not end with your immediate children. God wants you to bless your grandchildren:

Deuteronomy 4:5-6

5) See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it.

6) Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people."

9) Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

            Don't miss the last sentence of verse 9 - Teach them to your children and to their children after them.  Again, God wants to affect your grandchildren.

            Another truth  that I want to also emphasize is the fact sometimes there are Christians who need to recognize that they have been called to be the spiritual leader because they are the only ones who are saved in their families. Here is a good example:

Acts 16:31, 34

31) They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household

34) The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.

            You probably know the story, how the prison guard asked Paul how he can be saved. Paul's response in verse 31 included a promise from the Lord. Yes, when salvation enters a home, grace goes with it. So God makes the promise that it is possible for everyone to come to the saving knowledge of the Lord. You have to understand that this is not automatic. In the next verse, the jailer brought Paul to his home and allowed him to share the gospel to everyone in the house. Then, everyone believed.  Again the point is - someone must lead. Are you willing to lead your family?

            Joshua took the lead and made a commitment for his entire family (Joshua 24:15). He understood the importance of someone in the family taking the responsibility of spiritual leadership.

II         ACQUIRE THE SPIRTUAL PROTECTION

            Another very important truth I must remind everyone is the spiritual protection we need for our families. The Bible speaks of the Devil in very plain words especially with his purposes:

John 10:10

10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

            The thief in this passage refers to the Devil, and Jesus summarizes his purposes into three - to steal, kill, and destroy. Therefore, we all need to be conscious of the fact that Satan is not up to give us a better deal in life.  He ultimately wants to destroy us. I would say that he does this in two ways:

• Ø He would do his best to keep us from being saved.
• Ø If ever he fails, and we get saved. He will steal from us by keeping us from living effectively for the Lord.

Dr. Neil T. Anderson, who wrote the book The Seduction of Our Children, shared the results of the interview that he and his friend, Steve Russo, did to more than 1,700 professing Christian teenagers in one evangelical Christian high school. Here are the statistics:

• Forty-five percent said they have experienced a "presence" (seen or heard) in their rooms that scared them.
• Fifty-nine percent said they've harbored bad thoughts about God.
• Forty-three percent said they find it mentally hard to pray and read the Bible.
• Sixty-nine percent reported hearing "voices" in their heads, like there were subconscious voices talking to them.
• Twenty-two percent said they frequently entertain thoughts of suicide.

            I trust that none of us will be on denial about the presence of the Devil and his demons. The Bible reminds us:

Ephesians 6:12

12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

            Now what do we need to do as believers? I believe we need to remember four important things:

•1.      Stand on the power you possessed - our position in Christ gave us the power against the devil.

1 John 4:4

4) You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

•2.      Surrender to God in order to oppose the enemy:

James 4:7

7) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

• 3. Saturate ourselves with the word - God bestows power through His Word. So we should not be ignorant about it.

Hosea 4:6

6) my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.

• 4. Surround ourselves with prayers- our prayers can be a powerful weapon against the devil's stronghold.

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

3) For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

            We need to avail of God's provisions in order for us to remain victorious. The experience of victory can be for every member of our family.    

III        ACHIEVE THE SPIRITUAL FORMATION

            Lastly, we need to help our families develop the necessary disciplines that will facilitate a productive Christian life. This is what we call spiritual formation.

            Paul in Ephesians 6:4 talks about the training and instruction of our children. You see, spiritual formation goes beyond spiritual information.  It means the development of key spiritual disciplines like reading the Bible, prayers, attending church, serving the Lord, etc.  We need to understand that all these contribute to a good relationship with the Lord, and eventually lead to productive living.  Consider Christ's reminder to his disciples:

John 15:5

5) "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

                It is not enough for us to know Christ, we must maintain an intimate relationship with Him. Families must encourage one another so that every member in the family maintains a vibrant relationship with the Lord. Someone suggested THE TOP 10 WAYS TO TURN OFF YOUR KIDS TO CHURCH:

10. Schedule personal or family events to conflict with church services and activities.
9. Don't get too close to anyone in church. Refrain from developing relationships with Christians lest your children learn the joy and benefits of fellowship with other believers.
8. Look often at your watch during worship and complain bitterly, look annoyed, or freak-out when church lasts longer than you think it should.
7. Tithe and financially support your church and its missions with the same enthusiasm you pay taxes.
6. Do the best you can to make sure the kids arrive on time to soccer lessons and school events, but don't worry if they miss or are late to church.
5. Bring you family to church only when a.) you have nothing better to do; b.) you have a personal need; c.) you feel really guilty.
4. Don't volunteer for anything or make any kind of long term commitment at church. Remember, you've got to keep your options open to do things that are more important.
3. Change churches every few years.
2. Remind your kids how imperfect your church leaders are and regularly point out their mistakes.
1. And whatever you do, don't let church influence the way you live your life.

            How can we encourage the development of spiritual disciplines? One effective way is to be a good example. It has been said that Susanna Wesley provided the greatest influence for Charles and John to become ministers of the Gospel. I hope our children can say the same thing about their parents. BCI is committed in building families. May God allow us to faithfully fulfill accomplish this!