THE GODLY HOME(Some adapted content from various sources)

FAMILIES are important.

From the dawn of time, God has designed THE FAMILY as THE BASIC BUILDING BLOCK OF SOCIETY.

Matthew 19:4-5 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

(5) And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

People can have A VERY NICE HOUSE but not have A HOME.

A home is THE PEOPLE in it.

What makes a family?

Karen Donovan started a company in California called Rent-A-Wife, to help clients decorate their homes, balance checkbooks, run errands, etc.

Donovan is already thinking big after four months of operation. She wants to hire her father to initiate Rent-A-Husband and her two teens to start Rent-A-Family.

She says, "We can do what any family does… We can come over and eat all the food, turn on all the lights, put handprints on the walls, take showers and leave the towels on the floor. And when clients are finished with Rent-A-Family, they'll have to call Rent-A-Wife.”

(Campus Life, October, 1980)

Families can be messy.

Families can be shaky or strong…

A nation is only as strong as the families that make up that nation.

So, how can we build strong?

How can we have a family that is strong in the Lord?

As with any building project, building a strong family means hard work.

First, we must follow God’s…1. PLAN

God has set a blueprint for what makes a home.

He has set out the best plan on what makes a family…

He is the designer and builder…

Psalms 127:1Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

God sets the plans to build by.

He has set the pattern clearly in His Word…

The blueprint, for… how to build… Our marriage Our children Our family Our home.

MARRIAGE is God’s plan.

He designed that a man and a woman marry and be a family.

God’s best is that we have a stable, vibrant marriage.

It starts as the Lord Jesus is at the centre of the home.

He is the builder and maker of a family.

Is the Lord Jesus in the home?

He wants to be in your home…

Our Lord Jesus came across a short man Zacchaeus – who had up a climbed a tree. And he then was able to peer above the swirling crowds, to be able to get a good view of Jesus…

Luke 19:5-6 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. (6) And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

Do we want Jesus to be in our home?

Will we make haste and joyfully receive Him?

Will we commit wholeheartedly to applying biblical principles to guide our home?

Will we commit to Christ, and finding and doing His will together?

Will we invite Christ into our home, as a permanent resident there…?

As Mary and Martha did…

Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

Be sure to stand on the scriptures and spiritual truth.

Maintain the walls of spiritual separation.

Many challenges face us as we seek to build a godly family.

So, Firstly, follow God’s plan.

Secondly, be sure to set a godly…

2. FOUNDATION

A good building needs a good solid foundation.

This is the most important aspect.

What are we building upon?

Is it the shaky foundation of sand? Of man’s making? Is it the shifting sands of men’s philosophies? Or is it on God’s unalterable sure and solid truth?

The Lord Jesus paints this contrasting picture between the two…

Matthew 7:24-25 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man,

which built his house upon a rock: (25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,

and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

The wise man is the one who hears and does what the Lord Jesus says.

Will we heed the Word of God and build wisely?

When the floods rise and the rains pelt your home… Will it stand strong?

This strength comes as we have a bond that is unbreakable…

It is founded on the Word of God and faith.

This will make a family strong…

As we…Play together.Pray together.

Pray for your family.

Share the Word with your family.

SPEAK of the Word… in your home… STUDY the Word MEDITATE on the Word TEACH the Word.

This is what we are urged to…

The Children of Israel were instructed to teach the Word, to carry the Word, and to write the Words of Scripture upon their homes…

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

(6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

(7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,

and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

(8) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

(9) And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

May we be sure that we are founded upon the right foundation…

Build your home on Christ and His Word.

The Lord Jesus and His Word is the sure foundation upon which you can build your life.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

May we follow the Biblical instructions about relationships and marriage and family…

If we are to build a Biblical home, a godly family, we need

A Godly PlanA Godly Foundation, and,

Thirdly, A Godly…

3. STRUCTURE

For a home to be well constructed it needs a strong structure.

The godly family needs a godly structure.

As someone has rightly said, “The most important things in your house are the people.…”

God sets a design and structure in place that we are to follow…

He has set a STRUCTURE and ORDER… A framework… For the husband and wife. For the mother and father.

God has joined the husband and wife together.

His design is that we be cemented – glued together – that we stick together…

Through all things, for better, or worse.

May we all work to build up a godly home…

God commends that we be builders of the home…

Proverbs 14:1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

There is a structure God has designed.It speaks to the husband, and his role…

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

The duties of a husband to his wife are manifold: He is to… Honour her Understand her Provide for her Support her.

The husband must live up to his godly responsibility. To be head of his wife, as Christ is the head of the church.

Not as a tyrant or as a dictator.

But leading with love and humility.

As a servant leader.

With godly headship.For the spiritual wellbeing of his home.

He has to take primary responsibility… To protect and to provide for his family To nourish and cherish his wife.

What of the duties of a father?

Eli failed to discipline… There was a breakdown of the structure…

1 Samuel 3:13-14 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. (14) And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. (early/promptly)

The man is charged with being the provider…

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.

Notice, that LOVE is like the roof on the top of this structure, this building…

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Love never fails.

The duties of a wife are spelled out…

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Submit is the sense of subordinate, obey. Respect.

The man is to exercise LOVING AUTHORITY.

The wife is to love her husband. With faithfulness.

Titus 2:4-5 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

(5) To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

They are to be homemakers, who manage the household affairs.

Then there’s…The duties of parents.

Colossians 3:20-21 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

(21) Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Provide spiritual training.

LOVING DISCIPLINE.

The duties of children…

To obey the loving authority and discipline of their parents…

If children are rebellious in the home, they will probably be rebellious in society.

It is under the parents where children are supposed to be trained to become members of society.

Are we building our lives, our marriage, our family upon the solid foundation?

Love your spouse

What makes a home? It’s the people in it.

CommunicationCommitment Consistency

LoveHarmonyGraceForgiveness

Warmth

JoyPeace

To recap, what makes for strong families…

We need to follow God’s…

PLAN

We need God’s Plan. God’s blueprint.

God’s plan is for marriage.

Marriage is God’s plan.

He which made them at the beginning made them male and female.

God’s plan for the home is that it be Christ-centred.

Will you receive the Lord Jesus into your home?

As the Lord, the head of your home?

FOUNDATION

To make strong families, we also need God’s foundation…

May we build a firm Biblical foundation…

Will we be a wise builder?

Will we heed the Word of God?

…these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart…

No other foundation can we lay than Christ. Our faith in Christ is a sure foundation for us.

And, thirdly, to make strong families, we also need…

STRUCTUREWe need a godly structure…

For a home to be well constructed it needs a strong structure.

Where husband and wife, and parents and children are living in accord with Biblical roles…

And where Biblical Love – 1 Corinthians 13 Love – is in action…

With loving authority and loving discipline.

Psalms 127:1Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it…