The Answer
for All Our Family Problems
Revelation 3:20
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
4 July, 2010 AM
I.
Introduction (Revelation 3:20)
A.
God is FOR
the home!
1.
More is
learned about God in the home than in any other place. They will learn about
God, and how important or unimportant God is by what we teach our children,
by our attitudes and the way that we live at home. Or in Irish “Sabhaile” –
At Home!
2.
Before God
ever instituted human government, or even a church, He created the home!
B.
A sense of
the presence of God in the home is missing, and it shows in our nation.
1.
Same sex
civil partnership ball passes WITHOUT A VOTE in the Dáil
2.
The
crumbling of the family ideal – most people only want a girl, or a guy, and
have no concern about having a family!
3.
Churches are
struggling to rescue a general public that does not want rescued!
4.
I am not
talking about religious exercises and rituals, but a living, active
relationship with almighty God that is sensed and enjoyed throughout every
day!
C.
Illustration: I read of a man who visited
D.
Before we
can begin to address and fix all the myriads of problems in our homes, in
our marriages, in your teenagers, in our children… we have to get God back
where He belongs – in the very centre of our homes!
1.
That’s where
God wants to dwell (Ex 29:45,46; Lev 26:12; Eph 3:17; Rev 21:3)
2.
But He only
goes where He is invited (Rev 3:20)!
E.
This month,
I want to invite the almighty God of heaven and earth, the Great I Am, and
the Beginning and the End to return and take His place in our homes! We need
His blessing, and we all definitely need His help!
II.
Message
A.
God has Been Thoroughly Kicked
Out (Ps 10:4)
1.
Listen to
some excerpts from some articles presented by Time magazine in 1993 about
the future. This is what Time’s editors and their selected ‘experts’ think
will happen in the years ahead. They spelled it out in a special edition
entitled ‘Beyond the Year 2000: What to Expect in the New Millennium.’
2.
The magazine
consisted of 93 pages of dreary predictions and analyses of the future. Many
of their conclusions dealt with the institution of the family, which Time
believes is destined for the junk heap. For example, the section dealing
with marriage and parenthood bore this headline: ‘The Nuclear Family Goes
Boom!’ The article went downhill from there. This, says Time, is what we
were to expect in the 21st century:
a.
The family
as we have known it will soon die. It is nothing more than an interesting
anomaly – a mere blip in human history. We thought of it as ‘normal,’ but we
were wrong. The very term ‘nuclear family’ will give off a musty smell in
the days ahead.
b.
Replacing
“the family” will be multiple marriages, or what will be known as ‘serial
monogamy.’ Divorce will be so common as to be considered normal. Some
marriages will have ‘sunset clauses’ to automatically terminate at a given
age. Couples reaching their 50th anniversaries will be as rare as today’s
piano or cello virtuosos – gifted masters of their craft.
c.
Many women
will live with other women, much like the ‘Golden Girls’ are depicted on the
television sitcom.
d.
Children
will live with a bewildering array of relatives – mothers, fathers, multiple
stepmothers and stepfathers, stepbrothers and stepsisters, grandparents and
former grandparents, etc.
e.
The taboo
against incest will weaken. The fractured family will consist of relatives,
non-relatives and former relatives, breaking down the obsolete prohibition
against intimacies at home…
f.
Paediatricians will teach children about the use of condoms at the time of
their vaccinations against disease.
g.
Theology,
the study of God and the Bible, will soon die. Schoolchildren of tomorrow
will have no knowledge of spiritual matters, nor even any interest in this
topic.
h.
The triumph
of feminist religion will cause many Christians and Jews to shun references
to God in personal terms (no more Lord or Heavenly Father). This in turn
(will) strengthen the groups that worship a mysterious nature-force to seek
to deify only the self.
i.
Forced
abortion, such as
j.
The bottom
line? Let me quote: ‘…an even more radical approach may evolve. It is
reasonable to ask whether there will be a family at all. Given the ease for
divorce, the growing number of adults who choose to remain single, the
declining popularity of having children and the evaporation of the time
families spend together, another way may eventually evolve. It may be
quicker and more efficient to dispense with family-based reproduction.
Society could then produce its future generations in institutions that might
resemble state-sponsored baby hatcheries…’ In other words, in our new
millennium, human bodies are only for sex, and no longer for families!
3.
I’ll tell
you what has happened:
a.
Started off
with No time for God.
b.
Then turned
into No need for God – only reliance upon other people, and on governments
c.
Now, No
belief in God! Many religious leaders today deny that there is even a
personal God, and they ascribe everything to—a great Nothing, which they
designate Nature-mother earth. these teachings are being promoted in the
universities, colleges and theological seminaries, in the secondary schools
and even in the national schools
d.
Is it
surprising—is it any wonder that the rising generation is losing its God?
e.
Our modern
homes have kicked God out and…
1)
Replaced Him
with socialism, entertainment, girlfriends, boyfriends
2)
Idolatries
are anything in the place of God
3)
Does your
home have a huge TV that gets 95% of all the attention in your home?
4)
Do your
children have their own personal computer, personal ipod, mobile phone, etc?
5)
Modern life
is only a series of Selfish demands without any need for God!
6)
And you
wonder why no one knows God in your home? There is no room for Him!
4.
Listen to
these Scriptures:
a.
Matthew
13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their
unbelief.
b.
Luke 8:32-37
describes how Jesus was forcibly pushed out of
c.
The entire
nation of
d.
How can all
that be possible? And yet it is the same today!
1)
Not many
mighty works
2)
Jesus is not
welcome
3)
We are
provoking God’s judgment
5.
God today,
is basically misunderstood, resisted, unwanted, and easily dismissed!
B.
Today’s False gods
1.
The fact
that the God of the Bible is unwanted does not mean that people are no
longer religious at all! No way! There are countless FALSE gods that people
look to instead!
a.
Pagan
philosophies
b.
Self-sufficiency
c.
Multitudes
of New Age of Self Helps like Oprah Winfrey
d.
Lighting
candles, and burning incense, and hanging pictures of saints on the walls
e.
Drugs, drink
f.
Visions,
apparitions
g.
People
immerse themselves into Role playing games like Warhammer
h.
Others just
simply surf hundreds of TV channels, and hours on end on the internet!
2.
But Only the
God of heaven can make your home feel like heaven (Isa 45:22; 51:3)
3.
Illustration: A man relates the following interesting incident back in the
early 1900’s: "The story is told of a little Japanese girl who studied at an
C.
The Missing
1.
What’s
Missing is not a THING…
a.
Many a
lonely woman thought a boyfriend would make their life complete
b.
Many a
husband and wife thought that a baby would make their family a home
c.
Many a
couple thought counselling would fix their problems
d.
Many a
married couple thinks time apart would do them good
e.
Many a
teenager thinks all they need is some freedom
f.
Many a
business man thought they only needed just one more chance, one more idea,
one more loan
2.
But… It
wasn’t money they needed, or a baby they needed; it wasn’t a boyfriend or
girlfriend; it wasn’t information or a feeling that they needed - it was
God!
3.
The THIRD
STRAND in your home, in your business, in your life!
4.
And NOT just
any religious expression of God… but the true God of the Bible (Cf
5.
6.
Philp 3:8-10
D.
Getting God in the Home
(Rev 3:20) The question is how do I start to have a real relationship with
God? And how do get it to affect those around me?
1.
First of
all, It takes Conversion! (
a.
I’m talking
about complete Conversion – not just a “go along with it” attitude
1)
Brokenness
2)
Humility
3)
Contrition
4)
Hunger and
thirst for God!
b.
You can
never have a relationship with God unless you have really been saved.
All the statues and icons, and rituals, and prayers mean nothing to God –
only Jesus in your heart makes you a Christian!
c.
Do you know
a time in your life that you realized you were a sinner and repented (turned
from your sinful self and your dependence upon yourself) to Jesus who alone
is the only one who can save you?
d.
Did you
sincerely ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and ask Him to come into
your life and be your Saviour?
e.
You are not
a Christian because you are a church member, been baptized, are a good
person etc. The Bible tells us very plainly “all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.” We need to repent of our sins and ask
Jesus to come into our heart and save us. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
f.
Are you a
Christian? If not you can become a Christian this morning. I’ll
explain how at the end of this message!
g.
Salvation
makes your body a temple for the Lord!
2.
It Takes Repentance
– God only moves towards a thirsty soul (Psalm 51:10; 63:1)
a.
Sorrow that
you have lived so long without God
b.
Sorrow that
you have been a hypocrite
c.
Beg God for
a heart for Him, a hunger and a thirst for Him
d.
Be
absolutely willing to make the Effort (Isaiah 44:3). There is no quick and
easy “get it over with” thing for you to do
e.
Be
transparent with your family about your failure in this area!
f.
They all
only happen if you are Determined (Josh 24:15) that God become real to you!
3.
It Takes True Worship.
Praise (Psalm 22:3), Honouring and glorifying God
a.
No wonder
with all the fighting and arguing, and rebellion in our homes! No wonder
there is no God there!
b.
Worship is
the deliberate lifting of one's eyes from man and his mistakes, to ponder
God and his glory!
c.
How often we
worship everything BUT God
1)
Our music
2)
Our friends
3)
Our heros
4)
Our money
d.
Worship
means loving God in everything we do. No longer blaming and blaspheming God,
but rejoicing in the Lord, and thanking Him, and enjoying His presence!
e.
Worship
means Uprooting things that insult God and defile your family – no more
fights for your “freedoms” to do as you please!
4.
It Means Reading Your Bible
(
a.
Read to
listen to God
b.
Read to
learn of God
c.
Study what
you don’t understand – God reveals Himself to those who seek and search and
dig and study! He doesn’t spoon feed anybody!
d.
If you
decide to get to know God through learning His word, then God will show up
5.
It Requires Obedience
(
a.
The Bible is
not only for information, but for transformation (Rom 12:2)!
b.
It cleanses
as you read it – thankfully!
c.
But it
changes you ONLY as you obey it!
6.
It Demands Regular personal
prayer, every morning (Heb 4:16)
7.
It Means Praying with your
children and your mate (Mt 18:20).
a.
The family
without the prayer circle is like a family living without a roof over its
head. When the storms come and the winds blow and the rains fall they have
no protection. Surely when the home is without prayer there is no protection
for the life from the problems and distresses which come our way!
b.
At the table
– thanksgiving (1Timothy 4:4)
c.
At the end
of each day! You don’t lose a child with whom you pray with every evening
before bed!
d.
And you
won’t lose a spouse that you pray with openly, transparently and
passionately every day!
8.
It Means Making Church
Attendance THE Centre of your World (Heb 10:25).
Not your home, or your job, or your fun – all of those things will flourish
based upon your commitment to public, unashamed worship as the body of
Christ on earth!
9.
It means Soul-Winning (Mt
28:19,20). God just shows up when you open
your mouth for His glory!
10.
It Means Serving
(
11.
These are
all MUST Do Priorities!
E.
Don’t Worry About Failed
Attempts – Just get Started!
1.
Illustration: After a pastor preached on the need for family worship one
Sunday morning, one of the church deacons went home and announced at the
dinner table that they were going to have family prayers. So he took out a
Bible and began to read out loud one of the Psalms. He got along all right
until he started to pray. He had never prayed before in the presence of his
children, who were nine and eleven years old. He tried to pray, but the
words would not come. His little girl began to titter, and then the boy
began to chuckle. The mother smiled, and he was a good sport and smiled too.
It ended with all laughing. He did not let the children know how his heart
was broken. He went to his room and got down on his face and asked God to
forgive him. At the supper table that next evening, he again opened his
Bible and read another Psalm; and then he gathered his family around him and
knelt down and prayed with his children, and there was no tittering this
time. There was a sweetness, and after his short but real prayer, the little
girl put her arms around her father's neck and thanked him. He had brought
something precious into that home.
III.
Conclusion
A.
Where are we
going with this?
1.
The Pattern For The Home –
Making Your Home a Taste of Heaven
2.
Child Training and Discipleship
3.
Resurrecting the Dead –
Overcoming “the Impossibles”
4.
Dealing With Family Issues
B.
Suffice it
to say, God is FOR the home!
1.
More is
learned about God in the home than in any other place. They will learn about
God, and how important or unimportant God is by what we teach our children,
by our attitudes and the way that we live at home. Or in Irish “Sabhaile” –
At Home!
2.
Before God
ever instituted human government, or even a church, He created the home!
C.
A sense of
the presence of God in the home is missing, and it shows in our nation.
D.
Before we
can begin to address and fix all the myriads of problems in our homes, in
our marriages, in your teenagers, in our children… we have to get God back
where He belongs – in the very centre of our homes!
E.
Even though God has Been
Thoroughly Kicked Out (Ps 10:4)
F.
Even though our world is full
of False gods
G.
Let’s invite
the almighty God of heaven and earth, the Great I Am, and the Beginning and
the End to return and take His place in our homes! We need His blessing, and
we all definitely need His help!
H.
He is The Missing
I.
Getting God in the Home
Involves…
1.
Conversion!
a.
Do you know
a time in your life that you realized you were a sinner and repented (turned
from your sinful self and your dependence upon yourself) to Jesus who alone
is the only one who can save you?
b.
Did you
sincerely ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and ask Him to come into
your life and be your Saviour?
c.
You are not
a Christian because you are a church member, been baptized, are a good
person etc. The Bible tells us very plainly “all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.” We need to repent of our sins and ask
Jesus to come into our heart and save us. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
d.
Are you a
Christian? If not you can become a Christian this morning.
e.
First of all
you need to make sure you really are a Christian. You can never have a
relationship with God unless you have really been saved.
f.
Do you know
a time in your life that you realized you were a sinner and repented (turned
from your sinful self and your dependence upon yourself) to Jesus who alone
is the only one who can save you?
g.
Did you
sincerely ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and ask Him to come into
your life and be your Savior?
h.
You are not
a Christian because you are a church member, been baptized, are a good
person etc. The Bible tells us very plainly “all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.” We need to repent of our sins and ask
Jesus to come into our heart and save us. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
i.
Are you a
Christian? If not you can become a Christian right now.
j.
Stop where
you are and pray this prayer. “Lord, I know that I am a sinner and I
ask you right now to forgive me of my sins. I turn from my sins and
myself to you and ask you to forgive me of my sins and to come into my heart
and be my Savior. I receive you now. If you did that you are now
born again or born from above. That is the place to start first. Now
you can start a new life in Christ to have a personal, intimate, passionate
relationship with Him. He loves you and died for you and wants you to
have an abundant life in Him. If you did make a decision for Christ
please lets us know that so we can rejoice with you and send you some
material that will help you.
2.
Repentance
3.
True Worship.
4.
Reading Your Bible
5.
Obeying What you Read
6.
Regular personal prayer, every
morning
7.
Praying with your children and
your mate
8.
9.
Soul-Winning (Mt 28:19,20)
10.
It Means Serving
These are all MUST Do Priorities!