Godly Home

Sermon on 18 September 2011.Shortened version.

God designed the home to be the heart of ministry. It is to be a place of worship, learning, health, hospitality, and productivity for each member of the family and a base for reaching out to others in the community.

1.    IN THE GODLY HOME THE MEMBERS FEEL SAFE PROTECTED AND NURTURED

The home of the godly family should be a place where every family member feels safe, protected and nurtured. I am always thinking that it should be a place where the members feel as David wrote in Psalm 91 about those who dwell in the secret place of the most High. In verse 4 David said

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust”

I see the family members safely as under a mother hen. It must be a place where they know they are significant on the one hand but it is also the place where they can share their problems, their little secrets etc. The members must know in this home they will not be condemned or broken down. Their house is a place where we build and never break people.

2.    IT IS A STABLE GOD-SERVING HOME. It is a place of prayer,

The Christian family is the first place of education in prayer. Based on the sacrament of marriage, the family is the "domestic church" where God's children learn to pray "as the Church" and to persevere in prayer. For young children in particular, daily family prayer is the first witness of the Church's living memory as awakened patiently by the Holy Spirit. This is a lovely prayer for parents.
THEY ARE GENEROUS AND SHOW CHARITY, LOVE AND AFFECTION.

This was the first specific opdrag command from the Lord to me to you and ...I have the words and I had to fill it in.  

I WANT, FOR ONE SECOND, TO TAKE YOU BACK TO A PREVIOUS SERMON I GAVE ON THE LOVE OF GOD.

I told you about the revelation I had on how great God’s love really is. I preached about a love that none of us can ever comprehend. A love that none of us can ever understand – the love that our God has for us. It is a godly love that only God can comprehend.  It is the biggest thing in the whole wide world – The love that our God has for us. From eternity to eternity.  From heaven to earth from the beginning of the world to the end of the world. Louie Giglio tells us how great our God is but as great as our God is, so great is our God’s love for us.  He loves us and holds on to us. As great as the universe is so great is the love of our God. The God that created us, created our Galaxy that is millions of light years away. This big God that could say let there be light - has such a great love for us.

The people in the Godly home should live this love. We all know that we must love God, our neighbours, ourselves and our children. It is a nurturing kind of love, forming permanent relationships.

Loving God is obeying God (John 14:15). A true love for God will result in a true love for one another within the home. This means that a Godly Home will be overflowing with love. Everybody will see and know the love in this house – it will be love that flows from Jesus heart. He died for us.

GIVE AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNDTO YOU.

Throughout the Bible, we are instructed to reach out to those in need, particularly offering generous help to those who are poor.

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered (Proverbs 21:13).

3.    THEY ARE IN THE GRIP OF GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY AND FAVOUR.

Mercy and Grace. The Big Picture Before the foundation of the world
John 17:24b for You loved Me before the foundation of the world
Eph. 1:4b just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world
Matt. 13:35b I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

God had a plan of Salvation – before the foundation of the world

MERCY as Inus explained so well to us is God withholding the punishment we deserve because of our sinfulness. The consequences of sin are death, yet Jesus paid this penalty for us. If it wasn’t for God’s mercy we would not be here. We are deserving of judgment, of destruction, punishment and condemnation.

GRACE is the unearned gifts the Father gives to His children. The Lord relates to us by His grace. Grace has provided salvation to all who come to Him, though we deserved destruction. God knew that the man He created would sin. God wants us to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace in times of need.

I am preaching Jesus to you. I cannot stop preaching Jesus to you for what He has done for us on the cross.

I am in the grip of His Grace. It is all Grace for me. Can anything separate us from God's love? Does He really love us, no matter what?

How does He feel about me when I snap at anything that moves? When I've failed as a parent? When my thoughts are gutter-level? When my tongue is sharp? Have I drifted too far? Waited too long? Slipped too much? The answer is found in one of life's sweetest words-grace.

It is God who lovingly holds me in the eternal grip of His grace. My good deeds won't help. Perfect performance is not required. The God who made me has redeemed me and covered my sinfulness with His righteousness. His holiness is sufficient for all my sin. And that's grace.

THEY UNDERSTAND GOD’S FAVOUR

Beloved all our answers is found at the Mount of Golgotha, the place of the Skull. It is the place where the sinless Man became sin so that we can become the righteousness of God. His righteousness is our right to Gods unmerited favour. God sees us through the lens of the cross of His Son and as Jesus is today deserving of blessing, peace health and favour, so are we. Our righteousness if freely given and not earned. Paul says in Galatians 2 verse 21”do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

4.    THEY HAVE FAITH IN THE LORD – TRUSTING HIM IN EVERY WAY.

Parents must understand the principle of faith and trust in our God.

5.    THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS VISIBLE IN THEIR LIVES.

How light the life that dwells in God's presence! When we engage in continual conversation with God; walk with Him in faith, humility, simplicity, and love; and think, say, or do nothing that may displease God, we live in His kingdom on earth as we hope to live with Him in heaven. 

6.    

.