The Family Points to Christ
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INTRO: Barrow, AK, sun does not set for 2.5 months
INTRO: Barrow, AK, sun does not set for 2.5 months
Healthy Church needs Strong Families, Healthy Families Need Strong Church
Healthy Church needs Strong Families, Healthy Families Need Strong Church
One without the other is not God’s Will
Those who are hurting? Healing happens.
Those who are healthy? Health is maintained.
TRUTH is of absolutely no value is it is not powered by and backed by the Holy Spirit
Keys to Healthy Family
Keys to Healthy Family
1) Relationships
1) Relationships
A) Each related properly to God - FIRST
A) Each related properly to God - FIRST
B) God’s Plan for Family Relationships
B) God’s Plan for Family Relationships
-must understand temporary and permanent relationships
READ - - Marriage, given by God; THIS is family, seen in Genesis 1
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
(Diagram illustration)
Marriage bond:
“Leave” -Begins by breaking ties with former relationships (parents) - called “leaving” in Genesis, indicating a former temporary status
Parents are no longer the primary source for counsel, comfort, and support. This is the role of the new spouse.
Done completely and Biblically, or it suffers
“Cleave” - Deliberate work to strengthen new bond
Hard work to love, especially when “feelings” start to diminish
Hard work - two sinners who want their own way are sharing this relationship
“One Flesh” - each has own personality, likes, etc
But this is now ONE unique identity
Two joined together are much stronger than either could be on his/her own
MARRIAGE IS THE ONLY ENDURING HUMAN RELATIONSHIP
Designed by God to be permanent
Then…that marriage couple has children, and the cycle continues
You have them until they are married and enter into their own “one flesh” and permanent relationship
What about “empty nest?”- Done right, the nest was empty when your permanent relationship/identity began. God’s design is that you empty it, and along the way, your relationship has grown stronger and stronger, both with God and each other. “Empty nest” is not a syndrome, but a spiritually blessed time.
2) Roles - Text
2) Roles - Text
A great picture of Christ
(Diagram illustration slide)
Husband
Husband
Leader - ,
Serving - Demonstrated by Christ
(Gentiles, lost - “boss, lord, authority over’ - let it not be so among you, THINK and DO differently!)
Learner -
“Understanding” means to understand what God expects in our understanding of how our wives are to be treated by us
“Weaker vessel” is primarily physical, but like a prized vase - beautiful, fragile, yet very strong!
“Fellow heirs”
Lover -
OVERALL - If there is hard work done here, it’s easy for a wife to follow
POINTS here:
Do I treat my wife in a way that makes submission appealing?
God despises and will not bless those in position of authority who mistreat those they are supposed to be leading!
Husbands and single men - Am I humble enough to submit to Christ, and let others see that?
Wife
Wife
Completer -
To complement something he is lacking
Follower -
“Submission” implies “arranging yourself under”
NOT demanded of all women to all men - this is the requirement of wives to husbands
And NOT a doormat
>>Husband is head of wife
>>Christ is head of husband
>>Therefore, Christ is greater than husband, so wives, submit to Christ!
NEWS FLASH - There IS a difference between husband and wife, between men and women
When the roles get reversed - it is a recipe for trouble in kids
Passive Dad, or controlling Mom, for example
(Issues like homosexuality run deeper than just a choice, like betwen Coke and Pepsi)
Children
Children
- “very good” without children :)
Obey Parents -
Honor Parents - 6:2
Related topic: parenting: One key to share: Children will obey, if you teach and lead them, and if you actually want them to obey. They know if you do or do not want them to.
And kids want/need you to be parents, not friends. When they grow up and move on, then they should be friends. But now, they need you to be their parents. They have friends already.
POINT: At the core of the strong family is a strong marriage
And at the core of a strong marriage is a mutual, passionate pursuit of Christ
POINT: When you passionately pursue Christ, the rest is not “trying” or “effort,” it just follows that you desire to follow Christ
Your choices begin to reflect following Christ
Your family will see that you are following Christ
POINT: The marriage relationship is NOT:
“Well, if you lead, I’ll submit”
“Well, I’ll start leading when you decide to submit”
Related topic: communication
Don’t let sun go down on anger () - does NOT mean to move to Barrow, AK from May 10 - Aug. 2 :)
OVERALL GOAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY - POINT TO CHRIST! THAT IS GOD’S DESIGN/PLAN/WILL
Husband - loving leader - same word “love” as Jesus loved the church
Wife - submit/respect, complete him - same word “submit” as Jesus submits to Father
Children - obey and honor - same word linked to Jesus in , obedience to death on the cross
NO EXCUSES NOT TO DO ANY OF THESE
KEY to all of these is found in - FORGIVENESS
And for all of us here, married, single, divorced, widowed…you can still grow and strengthen your personal relationship with God
Life and hurt happens
God would not ask us to forgive if He had not already demonstrated forgiveness, big time!
How healthy is our church? One barometer, one measure, is to look at the strength of our families
How healthy is our church? One barometer, one measure, is to look at the strength of our families
A strong church will actively help those who are hurting, a weak/sick church will merely tolerate them
A strong family will actively place their relationship with God and the Church above their own personal interests
Strengthening the church along the way
Growing closer to God along the way
It’s not a choice of one over the other.
The church needs the family, and the family needs the church
And we both NEED CHRIST!
Passionately pursue Him, and He’ll make us strong, by HIS strength!