Series: Things God Wants Us To Have In Life
Part 2 – Family and Stability
INTRO: Last week we started a series on things God wants us to have in our lives. May think God wants us to be zombie-like robots that have no fun or happiness in life. The Christian life is often portrayed by Satan and enemies as a life of boredom, sadness, drudgery, and undesirable. But I tell you today, they are wrong. God has great plans and desires for our lives if we will but allow Him to help us.
One key area of God’s plans for us is our family. God certainly approves of family. In fact it was and is His plan that we try to remain adherents in this day and age. Satan paints a different picture, but God not only owns the canvas HE uses, but made it as well. God wants family and stability in your life.
Let’s get into the message.
When we look at family, we can see the family nucleus brings protection, provision, instruction and guidance, love, participation, and stability.
This is easy to see and be involved in as parents – I call this the “Danger, Will Robinson Syndrome.”
These actions by parents fall into the active guardian and preventive warning areas of parenting.
Physical harm hurts – hot stoves and roaring fires, dangerous heights and falls, sharp edges and corners, moving cars, poisons and drugs, electric shock, mauling dogs, raging waters or even a quiet smooth pool. You name it, parents are looking for and trying to prevent its hurting o children!
Preventative predictive posters, recommendation or alarm ringers, uneasy eager escorts, careful chaperones, bold bodyguards, all through our kids’ lives.
We don’t want them to be hurt – that is why we try so hard
I think that is part of God’s plan
Food, clothing, medical, and so forth.
How does God feel about these things?
1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Show me a parent that does not do their best to give their children the things they need in life to exist, and I will show you a selfish, uncaring and UNGODLY individual! I repeat ungodly.
Shame on someone who will not do these things
Companionship
Happiness and mirth
Simple instruction
Really we can have life with the other bare things, but it truly is a different arena when we are provided with love. Oh my what a difference.
You know they found in Russia in orphanages there were children who were placed away from basic human interaction. They were a sad lot. Yes, they were alive, but their spirits were maimed. They did not really function as they were intended to by God. They were a far cry from His plan. We need these things in our lives.
Just a note, the scripture tells us that God is love – we need that in our lives.
God wants us to also provide a…
Support
Education
Correction
Training
Instruction in spiritual and physical matters
We cannot get around the need to do these things for our families.
If God wants us to have family, He wants us to have proper guidance within our family too. That is where we come in as parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, even cousins, etc.
Acts 16:33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
1 Timothy 5:4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite [repay] their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
When we look at the patriarchs in Genesis we see how guidance was often lacking and caused a great problem down the road.
The problems in Abraham’s family and the issues between Sarah and Hagar can be partly tied to lack of guidance on his part, and it led to Hagar’s banishment. Our world faces some of the carryover from that even today. - Gen. 16:5
Joseph and his brother’s problems were partly due to poor guidance and the instability of their family was the painful result. - Gen. 37:4
David was told that his sin that had been done in secret would be played out upon his own family in front of the whole nation – 2 Sam. 12:11
Guidance is started through teaching and instruction for our little ones. God’s Word lets us know that importance.
Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
Deuteronomy 31:13 And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
There is so much involved in guidance, but one of the items is correction. God’s Word is not silent on correction:
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Proverbs 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Believe me, God wants stability in our families and the lack of correction brings instability.
Love transcends all things (but God)
Genesis 29:27-28 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
Song of Songs 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
We see a father’s love in…
Mark 5:23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
But that is a daddy’s love for his sweet little girl, but look at a father’s love for a prodigal son.
Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Love needs to be showered – idea of saturation
Love needs to be cherished – idea of “specialness”
Love needs to be flawless – idea of spotless
Love needs to be outstanding – idea of supremacy
Love needs to be overflowing – idea of superabundance
Love needs to be heralded – idea of sharing a good thing
Participation of all within
Usefulness
During God’s creating the earth and all things, He would look upon His work and see that it was good – or useful!
When a family brings their blessings to each other, it brings usefulness (I guess the idea here is each working for the good of the family)
Encouragement – Good things happen when encouragement is given especially within the family
Accomplishment – when nurture, encouragement, and work within the family is given, it brings accomplishment
Problems are reduced by proper action
Guidance will be consistent
Guidance will be godly
Support will be foundational or deep
Support will be lasting
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
2 Corinthians 6:17-18 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, {18} And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
We need to be part of God’s family
Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 012708am