Overcoming A Dysfunctional Family
The Home As God Would Have It • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: The Home As God Would Have It
We have been discussing the value of the home as God desires and wants it to be with a reality that this isn’t the case today for many.
That idea is at the forefront today as we discuss “Overcoming A Dysfunctional Family.”
Satan’s attack on the home has led the majority of our homes in this country to become dysfunctional in many different ways, but spiritually most importantly.
God certainly desires our families to not be dysfunctional.
Genesis 18:19 (ESV)
19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice…
Exodus 20:12 (ESV)
12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
God desires husbands and fathers to be the masculine leaders he created them to be.
God desires wives and mothers to be the feminine homemakers he created them to be.
God desires every person’s home to be harmonious, happy, and a haven of support.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality for most homes today.
Because of man, most homes are more havoc than harmonious, more harsh, than happy, and more haphazardness than supportive.
Let’s dive right into our lesson by first looking at…
The Hurting Home
The Hurting Home
Dysfunctional Families In The Bible.
Dysfunctional Families In The Bible.
The bible is replete with illustrations of families that were dysfunctional.
Adam and Eve’s family became dysfunctional, at the very least, when Cain murdered Abel.
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Eli’s family was dysfunctional.
12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.
Jacob’s family was dysfunctional.
Jacob loved one of his sons more than all the rest of his children.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.
Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him but instead sold him into slavery.
26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Ananias & Sapphire had a dysfunctional family.
They put their love of money first in their life.
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
David’s family was dysfunctional.
He committed adultery with Bathsheba and against his family.
3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
He had a son try and kill him to take control of his earthly throne.
13 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”
Summary
Summary
The point I want to make from this is that today is not unique to what has been happening for a long time now.
Dysfunctional families have long been the standard rather than the exception throughout human history.
There is no doubt that many homes are dysfunctional and hurting so what are the…
Reasons Homes Hurt
Reasons Homes Hurt
Rejecting God’s Guidance.
Rejecting God’s Guidance.
Most homes today simply reject God’s law and guidance seeking their own path instead.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Having rejected God’s readily available guidance, homes are dysfunctional because of…
Idolatry
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Recreation and riches have become a god of parents and why so many homes are hurting as recreation and riches cannot replace eternity in the heart placed by God.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Immorality
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Parents putting Immoral activities such as homecoming, social drinking, fornication, etc., ahead of moral activities and even worship is why so many children leave the church later in life.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Indifference
20 He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.
Parents talking the talk but not walking the walk such as skipping worship services, not being seen by their kids studying God’s word, or praying will find a home that is dysfunctional and hurting due to the indifference they “display” in their actions more than their words.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Summary
Summary
Families are dysfunctional and hurting because of…
Idolatry in the home.
Immorality in the home.
Indifference towards righteousness in the home.
So then…
What Is The Remedy?
What Is The Remedy?
Rejecting Satan.
Rejecting Satan.
Simply put parents can only remedy the dysfunction and hurting in their home by rejecting the ruler of this world and liar from the beginning, Satan.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
This will allow a family to fix many of the pains inflicted upon it and most importantly it will allow for the family to start…
Rejecting Worldly Worry.
Rejecting Worldly Worry.
A faithful family is not worried about money.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
A faithful family is not worried about persecution.
41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
A faithful family is not worried about what others think of them.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Summary
Summary
The remedy for a dysfunctional family is rejecting Satan completely, loving God whole-heartily, and rejecting worldly worry.
Conclusion
Conclusion
One cannot help the family they are raised in.
Some are certainly more fortunate than others in this regard, but it isn’t how one is raised that determines their spiritual future.
We can overcome a dysfunctional family and break the cycle of sin in our family if we are willing to put God first and reject Satan.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.