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Serving the Lord
Part 6: Serving the Lord in our Home
By Rev. Bruce A. Shields
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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
6. Serving the Lord in our Home
INTRODUCTION
Today is Sunday. March 10th, 2024
Over the last few weeks, we have talked about how the Lord has called us to serve Him and the many ways in which we can do that in our lives. It begins with our personal relationship with Him. We honor and serve the Lord by submitting to His Holy Spirit and allowing the fruit of His spirit to be present in our lives.
Biblical love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
As we mature spiritually in the Lord, we discover that our strength comes from Him. He is our tower and mighty fortress. He endows us with His Holy Spirit, giving us the full armor of God so that we may face this world with confidence.
The Lord also gives each of us spiritual gifts. We spoke about how these gifts are explicitly for us to build, strengthen and edify the Body of Believers, which is the true church, the Body of Christ.
As followers of Christ, called to serve the Lord, we may sometimes struggle with understanding the “how” to serve Him and what we are to do.
In our series so far, we have examined how serving the Lord begins with our relationship with the Lord and expands into serving the Lord through relationships with others, how we serve in honoring our marriage, and last week, we discussed serving the Lord through our families.
Today’s Topic: Serving the Lord: Through in our Homes
SCRIPTURE READING
Joshua 23:15
“If it is evil in your sight to serve God, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”
In the book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis, who also wrote The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, said, “We might think that God wanted simply obedience to a set of rules: whereas He really wants people of a particular sort.”
I. A FOUNDATION OF NURTURING SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND FAITH
a. We are to teach our children the ways of God.
i. “These
words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 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.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
b. Our godly home is where God is heeded.
i. “seeing
that His divine power has granted to us
everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him
who called us by His own glory and excellence.
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and
magnificent promises, so that by them
you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world by lust.
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all
diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence,
knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control,
perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness,
brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. (spiritually maturing)
8 For if these things are yours and are
increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the full
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For in whom these things are not present, that one is
blind, being nearsighted, having forgotten the purification from his former
sins. (forgetting they were set free
from the bondage of sin by salvation)
10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and choosing sure; for in doing these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” 2 Peter 1:3-11
ii. If
we want to build godly homes, we must act godly in our homes. We can’t just
acknowledge our need for God. We must obey Him. We must choose godly words,
godly attitudes, and godly actions. Heeding God’s Word is what distinguishes
godly homes from other homes.
c. We are to raise our children with discipline and instruction from the Lord
i. Godliness requires training
1. “For
the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly,
righteously, and godly in the present age” Titus
2:11-12
ii. “Fathers,
do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4
iii. Training
in godliness is not easy, especially in this present age where so many
influences seem committed to training us in ungodliness. But the greatest
threat to my home is not the ungodliness on the outside. The most significant
threats to my home are the ungodly passions still living inside my heart.
Because those passions remain in me, they often spill out onto others in my
home. That is a reality for every family. That is why every family needs
training in godliness.
iv. Godliness
is something we must pursue
1. “But
you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, perseverance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith. Take
hold of the eternal life to which you were called…” 1 Timothy 6:11-12a
II. A HAVEN OF BIBLICAL LOVE, STABILITY AND PEACE
a. Our godly home is a place of peace, not chaos
i. “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.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,” Colossians
3:12-16
ii. “knowing
their thoughts He said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid
waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.” Matthew 12:25
b. Our godly home is a place of biblical love.
i. I
have spoken many times over the last few months about biblical love and how it
differs from the love of the world.
ii. Understanding
the difference is paramount and required to live godly lives, have healthy
relationships, and serve the Lord properly.
iii. Throughout
scripture, we see examples of godly love and how it is sacrificial and for the
benefit of others. Actions that may bring feelings and emotions but are not
feelings and emotions in themselves.
iv. Because
you can have feelings and emotions without biblical sacrificial love. This is
the feel-good, emotional, irrational, usually lust-driven, so-called
unconditional, but generally very conditional, love of the world, which is
almost always self-serving.
v. We
have all experienced the “never-ending love and adoration” of someone whose
words did not align with their actions.
vi. True
biblical love begins with sacrificial actions serving others, which bring about
feelings and emotions because the person's actions match the words.
vii. Biblical
love of I Corinthians 13 is
the sacrificial action of putting another's interest before your own.
c. Our godly home is stable, drawing its strength from God.
i. “Therefore
everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise
man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain descended, and the rivers
came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall,
for it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone hearing these words of
Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house
on the sand. 27 And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew
and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24-27
ii. A
godly home serving the Lord is a home your family knows is stable, safe,
nurturing, and whole.
iii. Over
the last 20 years, even when I served as an elder and then interim pastor for
the Baptist church, Terri and I hosted Adult Bible Study in our home.
1. Her
gift of hospitality and ability to cook made her a great hostess.
2. Many
times, when people would come for the first time or even to visit, we would
hear the same compliments repeatedly.
3. I
love your home. You can feel peace here. You can really feel God.
4. We
even had non-Christian visitors making some of the same statements. Why?
5. It
was not because Terri and I “did” something to make it that way. Instead,
we worked hard at not doing what we know is contrary to the Spirit of God.
a.
That’s what submission to the Lord means
b.
Staying out of the way of God working
in your life and not quenching His Holy Spirit as He works.
iv. And
it begins with reading God’s word and submitting to His Spirit.
III. A BEACON OF HOSPITALITY AND SHARING GOD’S BLESSINGS WITH OTHERS
a. A godly home is hospitable and blesses others.
i. “Let
love be without hypocrisy—by abhorring what is evil, clinging to what is good,
10 being devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one
another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, being fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord, 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in affliction, being
devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing
hospitality.” Romans 12:9-13
b. A godly home is a safe haven, sanctuary, an embassy of God
i. Whoever
steps into a godly home should sense the influence of Christ.
ii. This
doesn’t mean a bunch of crosses on the wall, Jesus pictures all over the house,
or bibles on every end table…but an overall attitude of strength in the Lord, structure
in the home, peace in the valley, godly counsel when applicable, love and
kindness, even to strangers, and sharing what the Lord has given you with
others.
iii. A
safe place, even for those who do not know the Lord…especially for those who do
not.
iv. Some
of the worst treatment I have received over the last 20-plus years as a
Christian has been from those within the church. Some were from my
congregation, some from other congregations, and some were even Bishops and
leaders of various denominations I have worked with. They all have two things
in common. They all called me a friend at one point and claimed to be
Christian.
v. This
should never be.
vi. “A
good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So
then, you will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:18-20
vii. Actions
trump words. Are the actions sacrificial or self-serving? Good or bad fruit?
c. A godly home does not happen overnight.
i. It
takes time, hard work, devotion, dedication, and tenacity, but no matter the
time it takes, the reward is great.
CONCLUSION
Having a godly home begins with your relationship
with the Lord.
Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short
of God’s glory.
Romans also tells us that the wages of sin
are death, but that while we were still sinners, Christ died to pay that debt.
Anyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes God raised Him from
the dead will be saved.
What is “saved”?
Saved from the debt your sin is owed, which is eternal separation from
God.
But in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. His promise is eternal, and we will live in His presence.
NEXT WEEK: Serving the Lord Part 7: Serving in our Friendships
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