Family Matters 1 | The Deliverance From a Dysfunctional Home

Family Matters 1 (Deliverance From a Dysfunctional Home) (Ephesians 5:1-2, 17-23)

Satan tried killing off the early NT church: that didn’t work.

Satan tried infiltrating the church: this has worked to a degree.

Satan is now infiltrating the home: this is detrimental to the church.

1 Timothy 3:5 “(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)”

If one cannot rule/care for his house, how can the church be took care of?

Comply In Childlike Faith (vs.1)

Follower - a person who copies the words or behavior of another.

Walk - to imitate, conceived of as following after someone by stepping into the marks left by their feet.

Just as children tend to copy their parents, we should copy our Father!

We shouldn’t be followers of this world. We need not look at Hollywood, bestselling authors, psychologists, or unsaved counselors to help us with our home. We shouldn’t look to “The Notebook”, “The Last Song,” or “Dear John” for how our families should turn out.

We’ve confused the common with being normal. (parents and kids screaming, cursing, hating, defying, deceiving one another to make each other’s lives miserable.) Brothers and sisters may treat each other like enemies. Moms and dads may argue, lie, and cheat on each other. THOUGH THESE THINGS ARE COMMON, THEY ARE NOT CHRISTLIKE.

For us to have a godly home, we need to give our heart. Not to the godless, but to God!

Proverbs 23:26 “My son, give me thine heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways.”

Joshua 22:5 “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”

Joel 2:12 “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, And with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:”

Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

The world will tell you that you can’t have a normal home. If you take God’s blueprint for the home that he has put in his word, you can be delivered from a dysfunctional home.

Control Carnal Flesh (vs.3-13)

A carnal home is a chaotic home. A spirit filled home is a stable home.

Compare works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.

Comprehend Careless Faults (vs.14-17)

Driving is one of the most dangerous things you could do. When you first started driving, you would make sure that you were constantly between the lines, doing the speed limit, hands on 10 and 2, buckled up, no music on, cell phone up, no distractions, and eyes always on the road.

Because we’ve done it so long, we start taking our eyes off the road, text while we drive, jam out to gospel music, watch YouTube, eat, put make up on, brush your teeth, all because we’re used to driving now.

DON’T GET CARELESS WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR FAMILY. Just because we’re used to it doesn’t mean we should use our family.

You’re marriage can turn into just a mutual living together. A home can just turn into a house. A family can just turn into folks. Your children can turn into some kids.

Sometimes we use our family to take out our frustrations, belittle them, berate them, because of the bad day we’ve had.

Sometimes the new wears off in a marriage and we don’t date anymore.

The cuteness wears off of the baby and now there’s fighting over who changes the next dirty diaper.

YOU’RE HOME SHOULD BE THE MOST CHRISTIAN PLACE AROUND.

Cultivate a Continual Filling (vs.18-21)

Filling of the Spirit (vs.18)

We tend to look for other things that bring us what is lacking in our lives by everything but the Holy Spirit. “Be YE filled” is the command expected of us.

Filling of Song (vs.19)

Psalm 40:1–4 “I waited patiently for the Lord; And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, And respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”

Never get tired of singing the song of salvation. Don’t just let your family see you praising God at church. Let them continually see you praising God.

Filling of Satisfaction (vs.20)

We’re saved. We have the bills paid, our home, a healthy family. A thankful family is a tickled-to-death family.

Families worry about getting birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, anniversary gifts so they make their family “happy.” You’re devotion to the word of God and to your family is worth more than what you can dispense.

Filling of Service (vs.21)

Serving your family means that you must constantly put your self on the back burner, serve God first, then your family. If you want to be delivered from a dysfunctional family, everyone is going to have to serve God in their place.