The Importance of Christ-Transformed Homes to the Future: You, Your Household, Church, & Nation
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If you don’t see in the home, you won’t see in school, church.
If you don’t see in the home, you won’t see in school, church.
HP: To foster true holiness, you must devote your closest relationships and home to the Lord!
1. It is sin and suffering to live, without the LORD in our relationships, especially in marriage! V.23
What are the two great commandments? Is it possible to live by only one of them? Way we were created we could never be satisfied with fellowship in God alone or in other human alone! We are built for relationship - communication, fellowship, intimacy with God and each other. Breaking of fellowship with God and with each other -breaks the conveantal sturcture of life! In our day with so much shallow relationship - important to ask: Do you have two or three people who are close enough that you can level with them?” It is sin and it brings suffering. Social relationships, fellowship in the church, and family relationships are vital necessities for life to flourish!
The problem we see here is that when God’s people separate their faith, their LORD, His word and His will from those everyday relationships, the design and blessing of God will fade away!
As we saw two weeks ago, the problem isn’t keeping pure blood lines, people from nations coming to fatih and joining the OT people of God. The problem goes in the opposite direction, when God’s people give up their faith and Lord in their relationships!
= called to steward your relationship = idea that husb/wife belong to each other;
For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
but first to God and together to God! = co-heirs of the grafce of life! how to dwell with each other, differences, in role - consideration -Why do dweel with this consideration husband to wife? co-heirs of the grace of life! Inheritign together from God as one!
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Ie. Covenanted in life together = have agreement - Once did wedding n this church with Missionary pastor - If saying no big diff anyways - better ask how much of a diff doesn’t Jesus make in your life… = co-heirs = submit to one another out of reverence for Christ;
but first to God and together to God! = co-heirs of the grafce of life!
Covewnanted oneness bound in:
But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
Sharing the Spirit who made us one, for the purposes of God in this world, bleonign to each other in that oneness, this why Paul also says something that should apply to marriage:
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
Why do you think these men were marrying from the surrounding nations? It’s possible just fell in love - IE SISTER passionate blindness - but much more suggests that they thought they were “marrying up”! Trading nations around them - even priests including high priests marrying - the enemy - how Sanbalat invited in - for economic reasons - say that it was a materialism - all I care about is good business, comfy lifestyle and this marriage provides me with that! This well-off lifestyle is more important than having a home a family that walks in daily life in faith!
Why do you think these men were marrying from the surrounding nations? It’s possible just fell in love - passionate blindness - but much more suggests that they thought they were “marrying up”! Trading nations around them - even priests including high priests marrying - the enemy - how Sanbalat invited in - for economic reasons - say that it was a materialism - all I care about is good business, comfy lifestyle and this marriage provides me with that! This well-off lifestyle is more important than having a home a family that walks in daily life in faith!
Youth Group - pull down.. That is indeed what Nehemiah uses as the warning in the example of Solomon. “Lord had told them “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods” Neverthless, Solomon held fast to them in love. “His wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fullly devoted to the Lord his God He followd Molech, .. Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord = ;
And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the Lord on behalf of the king, shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”
Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.
and look at the sad result
For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
Saddest thing - Satan WEDGE between each other and Lord - ie Eve with Adam standing by… blame game…
Do you see what happened? Good legitimate needs that could be met living faithfully - money, home, companionship - got twisted into illegitimate Wants.
Indeed same time period that prophet Malachi was writing, describes how left the wives of their youth, and traded them in for richer foreign wives.
Herbert Scholssberg: All true needs such as food drink companionship are satiable!
But illegitimate wants - pride, envy, greed and insatiable - It’s never enough, till your heart stops beating… !
John Bunyan giant, Lewis’ wicked Witch; offer their victims food that causes greater hunger!
Do well to ask whether our wants are legitimate and ask how they are affecting the relationships God has called me to be serving Him in! Is there greed, lust, workaholicism, addiction that’s robbing me of the relationships God intends! But look now at v.24
2. It is sin and suffering to live without the LORD in our family relationships, especially in parenting! V.23
And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.
2. It is sin and suffering to live without the LORD in our family relationships, especially in parenting! V.23
The marriage part was the beginning of this problem, but our sins seldom, and probably never just effect ourselves, they spill over to poison and harm others. It is this concern for the religious upbringing of the children that seems to be Nehemiah’s big concern. But that concern isn’t shared by these who marry unbelievers! And in our age too a relativism can slip in so that we enter a covenant of life with those who don’t want the Lord Jesus in the picture!
And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.
V.24 says: Did not know how to speak the language of Judah. Why was this such a big deal? MAYBE think not a big deal yet; but not just language issues = spiritual alphabet = language of faith = 10 Words, Aposltes Creed, Lord’s Prayer = conversation on things of God’s Word; weekly worship -Nehemiah concern was that this was all dispensed with! What a contrast to Boenhoeffer’s home: family nurture goes deeper than any form of nurture known anywhere else
V.24 says: Did not know how to speak the language of Judah. Why was this such a big deal? MAYBE think not a big deal yet; but not just language issues = spiritual alphabet = language of faith = 10 Words, Aposltes Creed, Lord’s Prayer = conversation on things of God’s Word; weekly worship -Nehemiah concern was that this was all dispensed with! What a contrast to Boenhoeffer’s home: family nurture goes deeper than any form of nurture known anywhere else
The family contains the church in embryo. Godly families produce stable, growing churches; unstable families produce ungodly churches that often split. You will be a blessing to your church if you make your family and its worship a top priority after your relationship with God and your spouse. Because the church is God's salt and light in the world, to preserve culture you must preserve the church; to preserve the church you need godly families. The family and church are inextricably interwoven with cultural blessing ().[1]
If want to make K of God spread an strong, bust have strategy to have godliness in families taught,
HOUSE TABLE RULES = , , … = all relationships put in Christ’s hands… PREAYER, BE CONSIDERATE OR AFFECTS ANSWER OF PRAYERS… Work, HOusehold of Faith, Family, Slave and Servant - Onesimus - Philemon = welcome back as brother in Lord! HANDLE anger, bitterness, contempt
most hopeful thing = deal with alienation - lonliness, shyness, awkward inexperienced building …
= God delights in turning crosses to crowns, and empty tombs to glorified resurrection lives; where sin abounds, able to make grace abound the more!
Ask why did they faulter here, why not have kids brought up in day to day, week to week exposure to God and His Word?
Relativism rejects Xn conviction that God has proviided us with absolute and immutable moral standards - vs. Right and wrong variable depending on ind, circumstance, local contexts, customs, changing human behaviour. When these israeli men ignored God’s Word and married other religions = permissive pluralism of our day! And the unique message of salvation of holiness to God is placed in jeopardy.
= practically don’t want to say God’s word governs what I believe and how I live!
When it comes to family this is critically important. God designed households, to be an earthly image of His household.
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
We can’t understand the Fatherhood of God without human fatherhood. But even more the idea of a household, pateras family, isn’t just coincidentally like God and His Kingdom, no God designs families to reflect his order, priorities values and life. And if we just do family the way our culture does, a household just for our comfort and convience, no hnour and duty to each othr, no outside purpose to serve, no inheritance to protect and preserve and draw from, that’s how increasingly we will see God’s CHurch, too, just self-serve meeet my needs, inspire and fill me up so I can live my nice indidual life, - not as the household of The living God - with purpose, with comitment. And that’s how so many see
But now comes the difficult question: what was Nehemiah to do, what are we do when this happens? V.25,28b
3. SIN MUST BE CONFRONTED AND COMMITMENT TO RIGHTEOUSNESS CALLED FOR
Not an out of control rage - some people think that is what the wrath of God is. But a measured yet strong anger against what is wrong and subsequent dealing with it! In this case, shaving of the beard and subjection to lashes as prescribed in OT law for such cases in the civl laws of Deuteronomy. Not a private individual flipping out: but a leader calling for a steadfast and costly commitment to God’s Ways and indeed the law of the land.
And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.
Just a little before - divorce was prescribed by God through Ezra the priest. Nehemiah doesn’t go so far - but does call for public acknowledgment of the sin and definitively says, we must break with this practice! Don’t give son or daughters in marriage to those who will compromise their faith and faith of future children! Martin Bucer interesting chapters on marrying godly spouse when paretns dont agree (won’t to get a head in the world). But this is the oposite - one in our household or in our care a Nehemiah - not just to each his own…
But he does more he says we are going to re-commit to this oath we had signed, but now make in more specific way:
ATH = keep marriage pure; white ribbon; Ring… But Nehemiah saying even more important keep to pure faith, join self with person of faith!
Lived out, stewarded as faithfulness to God
= 5 premarital questions = track record of solving biblically.
If not lesson of Solomon = start off ind faith… but will stumble… by one sin, “led into sin” of idolatry and almost apostasy =
But even one more action in v.28 doesn’t he.
And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me.
And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me.
There is a standard that Israel’s leaders are to uphold and when that standard is not upheld in their home life - they are not qualified to lead! So Joiada is forced out! Like what an elder once said to me, if I start failing at home, if my children don’t respect me - got to step down - NT qualification of overseer - not saying can make them believers - but role in family of faith is respected and being carried out!
Future of our church also at stake isn’t it. Big question is will we take individualistic approach - Chacun Sans Gout - To each his own. Dare act, direc, guide - not that we cherish, nor do it with iron fist; but
ople so as to deal with disorders that emerge from time to time.
Necessary Conviction - acknowledge serious need is where we have sinned; there was no possibility of significant spiritual progress in the life of the community until those gross sins - exposed, acknowledged, abandoned! Modern church finds it easier to adopt new schemes than forsake old sins!
But not just calling for negative don’t, but a positive affirmation of what a marriage, home life, a friendship looks like when discipleship is happening! Like Nehemiah we must call for a renewed practice - older couples mentor younger ie. Goderich,
old practice of hospitality/ friendship, family worship -again something modeled - experience praying, singing, reading, discussing - ie. Kingswood
Not just a nominal Xn thing: what religion in box; but a radical commitment to holiness = relgious life not just head, heart emotional thing; but if doctrine thoroughly biblica = a transformed pattern of life
= holiness of a believers life - reflected in prayer, demonstrated in surrenders, expressed in service, tested in conflict, manifested in love , and proved in perseverance = each cahpter of the book
In modern world the holiness of a believers life continues to be one of the most potent and persuasive evangelistic instruments… a holy people is the best ad for a transforming message!
What a closing chapter - not mountain peak believer, but perseverance for the long haul, recognize deformation devil working at , and overcome it with a steady obedience and a radical dependence on God in prayer! FOUR ARROW PRAYERS, 10 SCATTERED IN WHOLE BOOK. HoW THE BOOK BEGINS, AND HOW IT ENDS!
4. PERSEVERE IN THE DUTIES GOD LAYS ON YOUR HEART: EVENTS ARE GODS’S; DUTIES ARE OURS
Dear congregationof our Lord Jesus Christ - whether it’s in care of the poor, worship matters, evangelism, family matters, work habits - the LORD calls you like Nehemiah to look outward with compassion to find the duties placed on your shoulders for this time, this place! He calls you to prayerfully commit to that duty, and then coureagously and persistently work at it!
In tonight’s message that means: you are called to relationships in your home/family, friendships, ask the Lord how can I steward these, not for my convienience or s peopple will meet myneeds; but that I might serve them in Christ! Start a prayer card for those people, for what you feel God’s calling. Clearly identify the task God’s called you to in his church.
And then with perisistence steadily work at it, believing the Lord will lead:
She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
“she has done what she could, beautiful thing for me” May it be said of you too: That’s what Nehemiah asks: this thing remmber it prosper it; goes unnoticed by the world, reward isn’t the pat on the back from people; but believe it: in as much as you did it for theleast of these my brethern you have done it unto me. so too you = Nehemiah = do what we can for Lord’s sake, ie. Henry Martyn’s face = Do not triffle, = reminding Simeon not to fritter life away in trifling pursuits! = little acts of love and loyalty = life’s most purifying ambition: TO hear well done good and faithful servant”
Persistence = not moved by successes or failures - but steadily work and believe Lord leads
HP: In the midst of spiritual set backs, we continue long-term renewal, personally and corporately, by genuine repentance!
[1] Sword and Trowel p. 41