FAMILY FIRST: Our only hope 6-30-24

FAMILY FIRST: Our only hope 6-30-24

 

INTRODUCTION

 

I am grateful.

 

Family first.  Let me go back to the beginning of this sermon series.

 

“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

           1 Timothy 5:8 NIV

 

In 1987, I was blessed to work as an intern at Northside Christian Church.  I learned a lot from the minister, Robin Hart, who is preaching his final sermon next Sunday as he is retiring.  It did not take long for me to find out what was the strength of that congregation.  It was the predominance of strong families

 

Strong families.  The Hanjes, Anderson, Derhammers, Simmons, Stones, Blackmores, Riters, etc.

 

I.  STRONG FAMILIES ARE CHRISTIAN FAMILIES

 

           A.  The idea of a strong family is a fundamental found in the Old Testament.

 

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”

           Psalm 127:1a NIV

 

       B.  Strong families have a strong sense of what God requires.

 

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV

 

       C.  Strong families follow Jesus’ example.

 

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

           Luke 9:23-25 NIV

 

Be strong!

We are not here to play, to dream, to drift.

We have hard work to do and loads to lift.

Shun not the struggle,

face it: ’tis God’s gift.

Be strong!

Say not the days are evil. Who’s to blame?

And fold the hands and acquiesce, O shame!

Stand up, speak out

and bravely, in God’s name.

Be strong!

It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,

How hard the battle goes, the day is long:

Faint not, fight on!

Tommorrow comes the song.

-- Maltbie D. Babcock

 

II.  STRONG FAMILIES ARE SERVANTS

 

A woman was interviewing a prospective servant and asked, “Can you serve company?”

The applicant replied “Yes, mum, both ways.”

The woman looked puzzled and asked, “What do you mean, both ways?”

“So they’ll come again, or stay away.”

 

       A.  Strong families serve.

 

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

           Joshua 24:15 NIV

 

       B.  Strong families are stewards of God ‘s gifts.

 

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 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.”

           1 Peter 4:10-11 NIV

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Whatever our gifts are and whatever God has enabled us to do, we have a responsibility as believers to use those gifts for the building up of his Kingdom.

 

       C.  Strong families lead by example.

 

“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

           John 13:15 NIV

 

Albert Schweitzer said: “I do not know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

 

III.  STRONG FAMILIES ARE NOT PERFECT

 

Leo Tolstoy opened his novel, Anna Karenina with this line:

"Happy families," he said, "are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

 

           A.  The bar has been set high.

 

“Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”

     Colossians 3:18-21 NIV

 

           B.  The balance is tenuous at best.

 

“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

       Matthew 12:25 NIV

 

"The logical beginning point of any family relationship is a covenant commitment, which has unconditional love at its core. Out of the security provided by this covenant, love develops grace. In this atmosphere of grace, family members have the freedom to empower each other. Empowering leads to the possibility of intimacy."

           Jack and Judith Balswick

 

           C.  The tools are at our disposal.

 

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

     Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

 

           D.  The world is watching our example.

 

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

           Psalm 133:1 NIV

 

CONCLUSION

 

Strong families are Christian families.  Strong families are servants.  Strong families are not perfect.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.