HOFC Sermon Archive: Serving the Lord Part 5: Serving the Lord Through Our Family

Previous messages by Rev. B. A. Shields found here

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Serving the Lord

Part 5: Serving the Lord Through Our Family

By Rev. Bruce A. Shields

This document is a Sermon Outline. You may hear the full audio of the sermon by following the link to the Online Audio Files located above for this and other Full Sermon Audios. For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on Facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church. #worship #godheals #newtestament #jesuslovesyou #churchfamily #godsword #loveoneanother #holy #godislove #church #jesus #god #bible #christian #love #faith #worship #jesuschrist #gospel #prayer #christ #christianity #pray #holyspirit #godisgood #hope #blessed #armorofgod

SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction to Serving

2. Serving the Lord through our Faith

3. Serving the Lord through our Relationships

4. Serving the Lord through our Marriage

5. Serving the Lord through our Family

INTRODUCTION

Today is Sunday. March 3^rd, 2024

Today, we will take what we have learned so far: serving God with our faith, our relationships, our marriage, and how we serve the Lord in our family, or more specifically, by leading a godly family.

SCRIPTURE READING

Deuteronomy 6:4-7

“Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”

Today’s Topic: Serving the Lord: Through Our Family

I. BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF FAITH IN THE FAMILY

a. Love the Lord your God

i. It is your responsibility to instill a love for God in your family

ii. Read from the bible and discuss what you read.

iii. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “So now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God ask from you, but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of Yahweh and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good.”

iv. Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

b. Teach your children

i. Diligently share your faith with your children

ii. Talk about God throughout the day, not just at designated times.

iii. Include God in your regular discussions and decision-making.

iv. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries between your eyes. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

v. Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

vi. Colossians 3:21 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.”

vii. Also; Proverbs 22:6; Proverbs 13:24

c. Live by example

i. There is no greater teacher than your example

ii. As their father, you are a picture of God the Father Himself.

1. Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God.”

iii. If your life, choices, decisions, and path are not “influenced” but directed by God, you will be a godly example!

iv. However, if God is nothing more than an after-thought, a passing word that is rarely mentioned, you are also teaching your children by example.

1. You are telling them the church is not really important.

a. You should go, unless you have something else to do

2. The Bible is a good book.

a. What about reading it?

b. Study?

c. Every day?

v. Your children WILL learn the most about God through how you live, how you act, what you allow and do not allow, how you speak (to people and about people)

1. I know decent Christians who believe they live as good examples but fail to examine themselves. In idle times, not paying attention, their actions, words, and deeds do not line up with the word of God, and they unintentionally teach this to their children.

a. Racism is a taught behavior.

b. Apathy towards the lost

c. Disregard for those in need

d. Pride/arrogance…children with a superiority complex

2. Your children are always watching, always listening, and always learning from you.

3. 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”

vi. Also; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7-8

Colossians 3:12-15 “So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you. 14 Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful.”

II. NURTURING THE FAMILY WITH BIBLICAL LOVE

a. Love one another…biblically

i. 1 John 4:7-10 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

ii. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

1. Where are feelings?

2. Where are emotions?

3. Where is the flesh and its desires in biblical love?

a. Nowhere to be found

iii. Because love is not the flesh, feelings nor emotions which are unstable, unreliable, and unpredictable

iv. Instead, true biblical love is sacrificial actions for the benefit of another.

v. Sacrifice that leads to the good (either salvation of or spiritual maturity of) another person for no benefit or reward other than your fulfillment and obedience to the call of God on His people to love others.

vi. Are you striving to give that sacrificial action (works) toward those in your family to bring them Salvation or spiritual maturity in the Lord?

vii. That is the “love of God manifested in us.”

YES…real love will manifest feelings, emotions, and desires in romantic situations with your spouse. However, these in themselves are NOT love!

Feelings, emotions, and romantic desires can be artificially re-created WITHOUT any proper God-like sacrificial actions.

“When he brings all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” ~ John 10:4

“whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” ~ 1 John 2:6

And this is why we do not follow the flesh and its desires, but rather, by walking in the Spirit.

b. Forgive

i. Teach forgiveness

1. If you do not forgive (not just family and friends, but strangers and enemies), you are teaching your children that God holds grudges and unforgiveness and that forgiveness must be “earned.”

ii. We were forgiven by the Lord without cost.

1. “And to the one who does not work but believes in[a] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” ~ Romans 4:5

iii. We were forgiven while yet sinners.

1. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ~ Romans 5:8

iv. We forgive because we were forgiven.

1. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” ~ Ephesians 4:32

v. When we forgive, we teach the grace of the Lord.

1. “For if you forgive others [ ανθρωπος / anthropos – “inclusive” Greek word meaning ALL of mankind] for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” ~ Matthew 6:14

c. Serve with a joyful heart.

i. Serving the Lord (through your personal relationship with God, your marriage, your family, your church, church activities, other members, strangers, the community) with a JOYFUL heart MAKES US imitators of Christ Jesus and the example the Lord calls us to be to our family and children!

ii. And always be mindful to use your gifts to bless others…your children see this as well!

“not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” ~ Hebrews 10:25

Remember, gathering together to worship the Lord, surrounding yourself with other believers, and attending church will only be a priority in your children's lives if it is yours!

I met a woman once who was angry her adult son didn’t attend church. I asked her where she attended, and she said nowhere…

III. GROWING TOGETHER IN FAITH

a. Read your bible and discuss scripture.

i. You should be able to read verses and discuss their meaning with your children.

ii. A NEW believer can read the text with their children and discuss its meaning.

1. NEVER be afraid to answer with, “I’m not sure…let’s look it up!”

iii. It’s good to teach your children that we may not have an understanding of every single oracle in scripture. However, we can always study and find out!

iv. Talk about applying it to your daily life

b. Pray and teach your children to pray

i. Don’t just spew forth a memorized prayer

1. This is not how we speak to the Lord!

2. Matthew 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”

ii. Repetitive/memorized prayers, such as before a meal or bedtime, become a meaningless ritual that has nothing to do with biblical prayer.

1. Neither do long prayers filled with words you wouldn’t speak in real-life conversation or long incantations in order to “charm” the listeners into thinking you are more holy or religious than you actually are.

2. The Lord’s prayer, which follows Matthew 6:7 is not something to be memorized and repeated to God. Instead, Jesus said in verse 9, “Pray in this way.”

a. How do we know that Jesus does not mean to pray these exact words?

b. Because Jesus JUST WARNED US NOT TO PRAY WITH MINDLESS REPETITION in verse 7!

iii. We need to encourage prayer for others and their needs and the world around us.

iv. Also; Proverbs 22:6

c. Seek fellowship as a family.

i. SEEK/ENCOURAGE the fellowship and church

ii. Participate in church/community fellowship events.

iii. JOYFULLY attend weekly church services

iv. Join small groups and build Christian relationships.

v. Serve your spouse, family, church, and community FOR THE LORD.

CONCLUSION

How we conduct our lives is the most significant teacher our children have.