Four Pillars For A Strong Home

 

INTRO: The last two weeks I have been preaching about things that help make a church strong, lasting and effective for the Lord. I talked about how important prayer was and then last week about the blessings of obedience. Today I want to continue along these lines, using Four Pillars For A Strong Home. If a church is going to be strong, viable, effective for the Lord, then it must have strong, healthy loving homes. These need to be homes that will nurture and care for our children and us. Let's start.

A home cannot be strong unless it has a…

Motivated Marriage - desire for a strong marriage

A marriage that is…

Morally strong

Devoted to each other and children

Gen. 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Pro. 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

And a marriage that is…

Monogamous (not monotonous)

Faithful in marriage

Titus 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

1 Cor. 7:2-5 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

4The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

And a marriage needs to be…

Memorable (in the Lord)

Working to strengthen

Working to protect

Working to enhance

A strong home will use…

Godly guidelines

2 Tim 3:14-17 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

God's laws bring…

Soundness - they are right

Security - they bring protection to our lives

Support - they lift us up

Strength - they help us do right

What good are Godly Guidelines unles we live an…

Exemplary example

1 Timothy 3:1-8 1This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

8Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

We…

Teach by existence - everyday of our lives

Train by example

Talk about eternity (they hear, they hear, they hear)

Turn them to excellence

And last, to have a strong home, we must have…

Lavish love - can we have too much real love in our homes? Our homes need to be a haven for our loved ones. A place where they want to be. A place where they are drawn.

Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

1 Cor. 13:4-8a 4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Charity never faileth…

Love needs to be…

Serene - suffereth long

Special participating - is kind - our family is special because the Lord gave them to us

Sufficient caring - 4b - envieth not, not easily provoked…

Strong lasting - endureth all things - never faileth

Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 021305am