The Blessing of
a
The
Psalm 127
Sept 9, 2012 AM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (Joshua
24:15) “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”
A.
A young
woman recently wrote down her view of marriage:
1.
"It's as
though I'm scanning a desert with a pair of binoculars. Everywhere I look I see
bodies strewn about in various stages of death and dying -- divorce, isolation,
abusive and decayed relationships, all types of devastation. After viewing this
I ask myself, Why would I want to begin that journey?"
2.
Many
people feel the very same way. Although they seek the security and joy of a
lifelong relationship, they fear marriage. One new bride said ten
years ago in a Newsweek article: "I had watched my parents' marriage fall apart,
and I didn't know if I could keep one together."
3.
No
generation has ever brought with it more baggage into their marriages than
today! Throughout
B.
The
question is, Is it really worth having a Biblically designed Home?
1.
The
answer is positively YES!
2.
But it
must be a God-designed home, not a Do It Yourself (DIY) kind of home!
3.
So many
marriages attempt to achieve a strong, enduring bond built primarily on emotions
– feelings – money – education – children. But they ultimately find that love
and acceptance continue only as long as the other person is meeting a certain
level of expectation.
a.
As long
as the feelings are warm between two people (at the same time), a husband and
wife can enjoy one another's company; they can overlook a partner's troubling or
annoying traits, communicate adequately, and still express affection.
b.
But when
the feelings cool, one or both find they have no reserves - no capability to
love an obviously imperfect person. Now needs are not met, which causes hurt,
which promotes defensiveness, which reduces communication, which heightens
misunderstanding, which provokes conflict, which fuels anger and bitterness. If
forgiveness and reconciliation do not break this downward spiral, the ability to
love one another becomes paralyzed.
c.
And
that’s how so many homes operate today – at the bottom!
4.
In spite
of a couple's best intentions, they eventually realize that two independent
people cannot both have all of their needs met all of the time.
C.
And yet,
the Bible portrays a
1.
Absolutely everybody has it hardwired into us to WANT such a kind of home!
a.
A HOME!
No matter what kind of a house you may live in
b.
A FAMILY
– no matter how little or much money you have
c.
A PEOPLE
that you would rather be with because of who they are - FAMILY
2.
And the
Bible was written so that you can actually HAVE such a home! There is no other
way!
D.
The
1.
A
Christian home is different by design – too many people want to blend and
not be different
a.
They
want a Christian home, but not a fanatical one
b.
They
want to have forgiveness, but no responsibility to forgive
c.
They
want to have salvation from hell, but still be able to live like the devil
d.
Funny,
isn’t it?
2.
Everybody today wants “diversity” – until it comes to someone stepping out of
the crowd and being like the Lord Jesus
3.
“Christian” homes are NOT much different today from most any other home
a.
“Christians” watch basically whatever everyone else is watching
b.
They
smoke like the world, drink like the world around them
c.
They
“live-together” before getting married, just like the world around them
d.
They
experience divorce at almost the very same rate as people who make no time for
God
e.
Their
teens get pregnant, and get addicted to drugs
4.
Christianity is not just about being different, but being godly – like the God
who made us
5.
How does
the Bible compare a Christian home with a worldly home – they ARE different:
|
A |
ALL OTHER HOMES |
|
Has only one God in it |
Have idols in it (money, music, selfishness, etc) |
|
Has a Dad and a Mom |
Have usually just a Mom |
|
Loves each other sacrificially |
Love only self at the expense of each other |
|
Does most everything together |
Do nothing together |
|
Talks with each other |
Never talk with each other |
|
Experiences disasters, and yet loves God and trusts God |
Experience disasters, and therefore hate God and distrusts His ways |
|
Loves God first, and succeeds at loving everyone, including enemies |
Attempt to love each other FIRST, and fails |
|
Lives within Biblical limits, and according to Biblical rules |
Reject all limits and rules – want freedom to do as they please (Judges
17:6) |
|
Humbles themselves |
Full of stubbornness and pride |
|
Adorning of the inner man with right attitudes (1Pet 3:1-6) |
Outward adorning of the hair, jewels and fancy clothes |
|
Living, Acting and Reacting like Jesus did |
Living, acting, and reacting like animals in a zoo! |
|
Enjoys the protective hand of God |
Ultimately experiences the judgment of God |
E.
The
Importance of the a
1.
The Home
is directly CONNECTED with the city, and the nation - As goes the home, so goes
the nation!
2.
Without
Bible believing homes, any nation will end up like hell on earth (Psalm 9:17)
3.
Do you
want to know WHY our world is self-destructing?
a.
Complete
breakdown of society
b.
More and
more murders, drugs
c.
Divorces
and separations continue to climb and outnumber marriages
d.
Fewer
and fewer marriages – except amongst same sex partners
e.
It used
to be described as Societal Decline
f.
But now
is constantly referred to as a complete collapse!
4.
Have you
ever heard of civilizations disappearing before?
a.
The
Mayan civilization
b.
The
c.
The
d.
The
e.
Why did
they all disappear?
5.
It is
because there is no heavenly restraining power anymore!
a.
Abraham
actually protected
b.
I wonder
just how much our homes are keeping THIS nation from being swallowed up in God’s
judgment!
6.
God
works from the inside out (the heart), and from the bottom UP, from the Home
outward… and yet our modern world has it all backwards! People only worry about
themselves, and they look to the government to give them happiness and
protection, instead of God!
II.
Message
- How to Have and Enjoy the Blessings of a
A.
Only the
1.
All our
best efforts, when done without God are vain.
a.
To have
something that lasts, requires the Lord’s work (Eccl 3:14) – not just OUR
labours
b.
It can’t
be built without the Lord doing the actual building – assembling of everything
c.
Every
home needs HIM in charge, NOT YOU! We all need the Lordship of Christ running
our lives – we need a “governor” – an authority
1)
Why obey
the Bible? Because the Lord Jesus wrote it
2)
Why do
the hard things, and suffer and stay with
d.
HE puts
things into your life that HE thinks you need
1)
Like
your wife or husband - Realise that it is the LORD who puts people together (Mt
19:6)
2)
Like
your children, or lack of children - It is the Lord who gives children and opens
or closes the womb
3)
Like
GRACE instead of things - It is the Lord that gives us the needed grace to
handle the problems in a home
4)
Like
Biblical rules and expectations - It is the Lord who has given us the rules to
live by
a)
Marriage
has rules, just like driving does
b)
Break
the rules, result in serious consequences
c)
GOD made
the rules
5)
One of
these Sundays, I may be able to give you The rules of a Christian home – as
opposed to the “modern” home – it will blow you away!
2.
A
a.
God
compares the making of a
b.
It takes
Labour – Hard Work
1)
There
are THREE builders of a home
a)
The two
whom God joined together for that very purpose – the husband and the wife
b)
And
Himself (1Cor 3:6-9)
2)
In old
days, in the old West in
3)
BOTH
take an immense amount of work
4)
And yet,
almost NO ONE works at building their home today – they just “HAVE” one – and it
ain’t nothing to be proud of!
c.
It takes
Time – what we don’t seem to have but MUST reclaim!
d.
It takes
Attention to details - According to the Biblical pattern (Cf Ex 26:30) – NOT the
ever-changing patterns as seen on TV
3.
Thank
God that he can save messed up and even destroyed homes (Acts 16:30,31)!
B.
Only the
Lord Can PROTECT Your Home
(Ps
127:1)
1.
What
good is a home that is EASY for thieves to break in and destroy?
2.
We need
to take the PROTECTION of our homes VERY seriously (Mk 3:27; Lk 12:39)
3.
Many a
parent has invested great amounts of time into their relationships and children,
only to lose them on the first or second days of school (1Cor 15:33)
4.
Our
homes HAVE to be Guarded!
a.
Protect
and Keep what has been built
b.
Who are
the watchmen of the home?
c.
The same
people who built the home!
d.
Be sure
to make protective rules / walls for your home – don’t be afraid of rules
C.
Most
People Waste Their Time in their Homes
(Ps 127:1,2) - Wasted Efforts
1.
All your
efforts to keep your marriage, or your children, could be wasted!
2.
Without
God and His instruction – all efforts without His influence are wasted efforts,
no matter how good you may think you are as a Mom, Dad, Teen, or young person!
3.
Most
homes are full of Worrying, Fretting, Stress, Sorrow – overmuch sorrow and worry
today
a.
By wrong
focus – on mainly the children, or on the job, or career
b.
By wrong
expectations – that nothing will change (yet the marriage vow was, “For better
or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health…”
c.
By
carrying guilt and burdens you were never built to carry
d.
By
believing God doesn’t care!
4.
God
gives us rest from fear and failures! Thank God! WHEN we do things HIS way –
that is our theme this month! Having a Revival in our homes! In our home-LIFE!
D.
The
Value of Children
(Psalm 127:3-5)
1.
It’s
funny how God finishes up by talking about the blessing of children! You would
think He would talk about the blessing of Husbands, or a godly wife, but He ends
with a reminder of the value of children!
2.
Funny
how our modern world talks so much about children’s rights, and about the
needs of children, and yet
a.
They
murder them by the millions in the womb every year
b.
They
don’t care that millions more have to endure multiple divorces by their parents
c.
They
ignore the fact that physical, mental and sexual abuse of children is exploding
through the roof
3.
The only
people who really care about children and their deepest needs
a.
Are not
all the social workers
b.
But the
Christian Mom’s and Dad’s who sacrificially give of themselves to train their
children up to be like Jesus (Pr 22:6)!
c.
Only the
Bible elevates children correctly without spoiling them (Mat 18:1-3)
4.
Children
are Three Things
a.
God’s
heritage – His legacy- what HE has passed on to us – LIFE! They are eternal
b.
God’s
gift
1)
They are
only a reward - the grace of life - A blessing upon a home!
2)
Not
accidents, or nuisances, or a curse
3)
They are
all miracles from God (Ps 139:13-16) – not a by-product of evolution!
c.
A Threat
to the world system – instead of the world system being a threat to the family!
1)
Our
children can change our world
2)
Our
children can hinder the devil’s work, and can save nations – see young Samuel do
it! He was SUCH a threat to Satan’s attack against the nation of
3)
What
could YOUR child do that could change and save THIS nation?
III.
Summary
A.
Is it
really worth having a Biblically designed Home?
1.
The
answer is positively YES!
2.
The
Bible portrays a
3.
But it
must be a God-designed home, not a Do It Yourself (DIY) kind of home!
4.
And the
Bible was written so that you can actually HAVE such a home! There is no other
way!
B.
The
C.
The
1.
As goes
the home, so goes the nation!
2.
God
works from the inside out (the heart), and from the bottom UP, from the Home
outward… and yet our modern world has it all backwards! People only worry about
themselves, and they look to the government to give them happiness and
protection, instead of God!
D.
How to
Have and Enjoy the Blessings of a
1.
Only the
Lord BUILDS Christian Homes
– and Especially RE-Builds Them
a.
A
b.
It takes
Labour – Hard Work
c.
It takes
Time – what we don’t seem to have but MUST reclaim!
d.
It takes
Attention to details - According to the Biblical pattern (Cf Ex 26:30) – NOT the
ever-changing patterns as seen on TV
2.
Only the
Lord Can PROTECT Your Home – and it NEEDS protecting
3.
Most
People Waste Their Time in their Homes
- Wasted Efforts
a.
By wrong
focus – on mainly the children, or on the job, or career
b.
By wrong
expectations – that nothing will change (yet the marriage vow was, “For better
or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health…”
c.
By
carrying guilt and burdens you were never built to carry
d.
By
believing God doesn’t care!
e.
God
gives us rest from fear and failures! Thank God! WHEN we do things HIS way –
that is our theme this month! Having a Revival in our homes! In our home-LIFE!
4.
Your
Children are Priceless
(Psalm 127:3-5)
a.
God’s
heritage – His legacy- what HE has passed on to us – LIFE!
b.
God’s
gift
c.
A Threat
to the world system – instead of the world system being a threat to the family!
Our children can change our world
d.
And by
the way, so is your wife, and your husband!
IV.
Application - What To Do Now
A.
Start
building along with the Lord a Christian home – instead of working against Him
B.
CHOOSE
to Have a Christian Home – Decide this month is going to be a game changer – a
month where decisions are going to be made no matter how hard, or how
humiliating
C.
Trust
the Lord FOR a Christian Home – not Dr. Spock, or anyone else
D.
Fear the
Lord’s Judgment Against Ungodly Homes – we are losing homes all around us
E.
Obey the
Lord’s Instructions on How to Function as a
F.
Rest in
God’s Promise to Make Your Home, A Christian One!