The Image of God in Your Home

When We look at our Homes How would others see the Image of God Portrayed

Psalm 128 NKJV

A Song of Ascents. 1 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways. 2 When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord. 5 The Lord bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. 6 Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!

We have just come out of a season of Patriotism a season with the Memorial Holiday and the Fourth of July now in our rear-view mirror.

Many of us are looking forward to the next big Holiday, maybe that's labor day or Thanksgiving or even Christmas. We are a Nation built around Holidays but in ancient Isreal they were also. Around the time of King David about 1000 years before the birth of Christ if you would have been present you would had been looking forward to the pilgrim festival that took place 3 times a year where everyone came together to Worship the one True God. There were songs as in the Song of Ascent found in the the This was a time of Joy and praise amongst the nation and during this time some of the most Profound words related to family life were written in the Bible. This gives us a glimpse of What God intended for our Homes. Prehaps the best example is in our text today in

In this Psalm is the picture of a bountiful nation the peoples blessings is directly related to the health of their families. What brings this Health in these families?

The secret is really an insight into the heart of why home and life and its restoration is so vital to the well-being of our nation.

As we read the passage take notice that 3 times the psalmist speaks of blessings in words like Happy, Peace, Prosperity.

What is the Key to Happiness?

Its found in the front of the first verse blessings come to “everyone who fears the Lord” and Walks in His ways”

The word Ways is translated elsewhere in the Hebrew scriptures simply as “Road”

This Idea that a person is blessed when he walks along the same road as God. On the path that He has Directed for your Life

Or simply put he does what God does or desires for his life

So the source comes from waling in obedience , but that obedience is fr more than saying we should understand and then do what God says

The source of the blessing is doing what God does.

Similarly in The book of Ephesians chapter 5 Paul writes about one of the most profound passages on the Family

it begins with the command “ be imitators of God”, as dear children”

Genesis 1:26 NKJV

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

We were made in the image of God this is to be given the privilege of demonstrating His likeness in our own attributes

God is faithful likewise we can demonstrate faithfulness, God id Love, Holy, Good, and wise Likewise we ought to strive to demonstrate these in our own lives. We should walk in His ways

As we look back to we will see the ink between the image and the family

Take Note of the 3 important implications of that Image.

The Image Grows at Home

2. When the image is Broken everything is Broken

3. When you fix the Image you fix the Home.

The image Grows at Home:

As we read through the Psalm we notice the flow of the passage how the writer goes from the blessings of living the image to the blessings of the family.

Now remember in our scripture from Genesis where Man was made in the image of God the next verse He tells them to be fruitful and multiply

God designed the Home to be the primary location for us to bear His image

Throughout Scripture God reveals Himself through Family terms, WE know Him as God the Father or God the Son and God the Holy Spirit

our Salvation is also seen as a adoption into the Family of God

Those who put their trust in Him are known as the children of God

Paul relates in the book of Ephesians the church to that of a marriage, as it is also stated throughout the Gospels As we the Church are His Bride and He who is Jesus is the Groom

God relates our relationship with Himself as a family because He wants us to first bear His image in our own Families

Is He the center of your Family of your Marriage? Does your household reflect His image. Do your children feel the Love of God through you?

When the Image is Broken everything is Broken

Follow the progression of the Psalm you.... your wife...... your children..... your nation....... your children's children......

When we reflect Gods Image the Impact is Felt throughout our homes and way beyond

The opposite is true also

When the Home is unhealthy living after selfishness worldly desires the Children the Grandchildren the nation will soon Follow!

Anyone remember how the old copiers worked?

When you made copies of Copies they got worse after each one

This is how the Image Breaks down in the Family

In It speaks of the Fall of Humanity then goes into the lineage of Adam

It speaks of Seth being in the likeness of Adam and with each generation moving further from the ways of God.

IN

Deuteronomy 5:8–10 NKJV

8 ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 9 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:8-10

God here warns us that making a image to worship would result in generational curse

This is a practical reminder that the image of God is not to be obstructed or the family's blessings attributes

That future generations can be robbed of His blessings

THIS IS SERIOUS AND THE REASON OUR COUNTRY AND THIS WORLD IS SO MESSED UP THE IMAGE OF GOD SEEMS TO BE INCOMPLETE

MANY OF US NEVER TRULY EXPERIENCING THE TRUE PICTURE OF GOD

Going back to our scripture in Notice the natural picture of Home.

THE DESCRIPTION OF A FRUITFUL VINE AND OLIVE PLANTS

What we experience at home as we reflect Gods image is supposed to be natural.

We demonstrate Gods Faithfulness, His Mercy, His Holiness, His Grace, and our Children our Grandchildren see it and respond

When you fix the Image you Fix the Home

How do you get the Image of God Back?

How can you restore the homes to what they were supposed to be?

You must get intentional about restoring the image of God in your Home above all else

Through Gods Word he reminds us in that Jesus is the Image of the invisible God

When you look toward Jesus, you see the perfect image ........ nature..........Holiness.......Love......Of God

By the Power of the Holy Spirit He van restore you to a reflection of His Image of His greatness of His Glory to His Nature and His Love

If you want to Fix what is broken look to Jesus

not to the World

14

John 17:14–16 NKJV

14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

The Enemy has for to long been attacking this country through the family, Through the feminist movement, through the LBGTQ movement, and even through everyday things such as TV programs the music the culture we surround our family around.

If you are to live in His ways you are to do as God does.

We must hate sin but love the sinner we must safeguard our children from the pagan society rituals by monitoring what the see hear and the people they surround themselves with.

Remember Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments.

Have you distorted the Image of God in your Life! in your marriage, in your Home