THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 5-23-2021
LESSON TITLE: THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANT – A CHRISTIAN HOME
WELCOME
IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH AND IT IS THIS MORNING THAT WE COME BEFORE SUCH AN AWESOME GREAT AND MIGHTY GOD AND ASSEMBLE TO PRAISE THE LORD AND MAGNIFY HIS WONDROUS NAME. AND AS WE BEGAN OUR HOMAGE TO GOD THIS MORNING WE WILL ALSO SPEAK TO OUR GOD IN PRAYER. WILL YOU BOW WITH ME AT THIS TIME, PLEASE?
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY IN EACH AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN AND TO BE SERVANTS IN YOUR KINGDOM. WE THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THAT WE HAVE NOW TO LOOK TO YOUR WORD AND TO SING PRAISES. MAYBE WE DO ALL THINGS ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT THAT ULTIMATELY WE MIGHT RECEIVE YOUR BLESSINGS IN THIS LIFE, AS WELL AS THE GREAT REWARDS IN THE LIFE TO COME. WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF JESUS AND IT'S IN HIS NAME WE PRAY AMEN.
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE YEAR IT IS AS WE ENJOY THE SPRING SEASON AND SEE THE MANY THINGS THAT COME TO LIFE. AND CERTAINLY THERE ARE MANY WONDERS OF NATURE AS WELL AS THE POWER OF GOD THAT ARE SEEN DURING THIS SEASON. I HOPE YOU'LL MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAY AND ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE YEAR. WELL, IT'S ALSO TIME NOW TO SING OUR SONGS OF PRAISE. SO LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME, AS WE SING OUR FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING. THE NAME OF THE HYMN, "I LOVE THY KINGDOM, LORD".
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
DON'T YOU LOVE THE SONG THAT WE JUST SANG? IT CERTAINLY REMINDS US OF ALL THE MANY REASONS THAT WE SHOULD LOVE GOD AND WHY WE ARE SO BLESSED BY GOD. THE REALITY IS HE HAS DONE A LOT FOR US. AND IN FACT OUR GOD WAS WILLING TO EVEN PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE IN SENDING HIS SON JESUS TO DIE ON THE CROSS. NO DOUBT, THIS IS EVEN WHAT JESUS WAS THINKING WHEN HE HIMSELF HAD GIVEN HIS LIFE. AND THEN LATER TOLD HIS DISCIPLES GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN THAN THIS THAN TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR A FRIEND. JOHN CHAPTER 15 AND VERSE 13. HOWEVER, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON FOR A FEW MOMENTS THIS MORNING IS OUR RESPONSE TO THE GREAT LOVE OF GOD. HOW SHOULD WE REACT? AND WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO SHOW GOD THAT WE TRULY LOVE HIM AND APPRECIATE ALL THAT HE HAS DONE? I THINK WE CAN FIND THE ANSWER CLEARLY IN ONE SHORT STATEMENT, WHICH IS FOUND IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 14:15. THERE WE READ THE FAMILIAR VERSE. "IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS." DID YOU CATCH ALL OF THAT? THIS SURELY IS NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND, FOR JESUS HIMSELF SAID THAT THE WAY THAT WE SHOW LOVE IS BY OBEDIENCE AND OBEDIENCE, SPECIFICALLY TO THE THINGS THAT HE HAS COMMANDED. SO WHY IS IT THAT SO MANY HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME IN DOING THINGS JESUS' WAY. I WISH I KNEW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT MANKIND OF ALL AGES HAVE HAD THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. AND EVEN TODAY, WE STILL FIND THOSE WHO HAVE A HARD TIME SIMPLY OBEYING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND THUS PROVING ULTIMATELY THEIR LOVE FOR HIM. A FINAL VERSE I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER FOR A MOMENT IS FOUND IN FIRST JOHN CHAPTER THREE AND VERSE 16. THIS PASSAGE HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND HOW FAR WE MUST BE WILLING TO GO IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT GIVE SERVICE TO GOD. THERE WE READ, "BY THIS WE KNOW LOVE "BECAUSE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US." AND WE ALSO OUGHT TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THE BRETHREN. YOU SEE THE ULTIMATE LOVE THAT WE CAN DEMONSTRATE TO GOD. IT IS A WILLINGNESS TO OBEY HIM EVEN TO DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH THAT WE MIGHT SUFFER FOR SOMEONE ELSE. BUT NOT ONLY A WILLINGNESS TO DIE FOR HIS SAKE BUT A WILLINGNESS TO DIE THAT WE MIGHT PROVE OUR LOVE BY OBEDIENCE. OH, HOW MANY OF US NEED TO LEARN THE TRUE LESSON OF LOVE AND HOW MUCH WE SHOULD CARE FOR GOD AND OBEY GOD. BUT EVEN MORE THAN THAT HOW MUCH WE SHOULD LOVE AND CARE FOR OUR BRETHREN. WE BRETHREN MUST LOVE EACH OTHER JUST AS GOD HAS LOVED US. AND BY THIS, GUESS WHAT? THAT IS HOW PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE HIS DISCIPLES AND NOW OTHERS KNOW AND SEE OUR TRUE LOVE FOR GOD. HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE GOD THIS DAY?
THIS MORNING, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE BROTHER BRENT GREEN WITH US AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER AND BROTHER BRENT IS A FULL-TIME INSTRUCTOR AT THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF MISSOURI. WE'RE ALWAYS THANKFUL FOR HIM WHEN HE JOINS US AND LEADS US IN THE MAIN STUDY FROM GOD'S WORD. AS FAR AS OUR LESSON OF THE DAY WE WILL BEGIN A NEW SERIES OF STUDY ON THE CHRISTIAN HOME WHICH IS ENTITLED, "THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANT." OUR SPECIFIC LESSON THIS MORNING WILL DEAL WITH THE MAKINGS OF A CHRISTIAN HOME. SO PLEASE STAY WITH US THIS MORNING AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER BROTHER BRENT WILL BE LEADING US IN THE MAIN THOUGHTS OF THE DAY, BUT FOR NOW LET ME JOIN TOGETHER AND WHERE WE ALL JOINED TOGETHER IN THAT SECOND SONG IN THE MORNING. AND THE NAME OF THE HYMN, "SEEK YE FIRST."
LESSON
BY BRENT GREEN
WHAT A GREAT PRIVILEGE IT IS ALWAYS TO OPEN THE WORD OF GOD. THIS SERIES OF LESSONS THAT WE'LL BEGIN, WITH THIS ONE HERE, WILL FOCUS ON THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANTS. THAT'S THE WORDING I USED BY DAVID. WE WANT TO BEGIN THERE. IN 2 SAMUEL 7:29, THESE WORDS ARE SAID, IT SAYS, "NOW, THEREFORE LET IT PLEASE YOU "TO BLESS THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANTS. "THAT IT MAY CONTINUE BEFORE YOU FOREVER FOR YOU "OH LORD GOD HAVE SPOKEN IT. "AND WITH YOUR BLESSING "LET THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANTS BE BLESSED FOREVER." DAVID IS ACTUALLY SAYING THIS IN RESPONSE TO WHAT GOD HAS TOLD HIM. DAVID HAD BEEN TOLD BY GOD THAT HIS HOUSE WOULD BE BLESSED. AND SO HE'S IN ONE WAY PRAISING GOD AND THANKING GOD, BUT SAYING, LET IT BE DONE. AS YOU HAVE SAID, GOD, I LET MY HOUSE BE BLESSED. OF COURSE WE CAN THINK ABOUT THOSE WORDS EVEN IN A GENERAL SENSE. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR A HOUSE OR A HOME TO BE BLESSED BY GOD? WELL, WE CAN UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WE WOULD THINK ABOUT THAT PRINCIPLE MORE SPECIFICALLY FROM SOME WORDS THAT ARE UTTERED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT JAMES CHAPTER ONE WOULD GIVE US A GENERAL PRINCIPLE THAT IS VERY APPLICABLE EVEN TO THIS SITUATION HERE. JAMES 1:25 SAYS, "HE WHO LOOKS INTO THE PERFECT LAW "OF LIBERTY AND CONTINUES IN IT. "AND IS NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER, BUT A DOER OF THE WORK. "THIS ONE WILL BE BLESSED IN WHAT HE DOES." WHAT WELL CERTAINLY EVERYONE WOULD PROBABLY SAY AT LEAST IN GENERAL, I WANT MY HOUSE TO BE BLESSED. EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY THERE WOULD BE MANY WHO WOULD SAY, "WELL I WANT MY HOUSE TO BE BLESSED BY GOD." I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WORDS LIKE DAVID HEARD FROM GOD THAT MY HOME TOO WOULD BE ONE THAT WAS BLESSED BY THE ALMIGHTY GOD. WELL, HOW WOULD WE ACHIEVE SUCH BLESSINGS? WELL, THIS VERSE HERE IN JAMES 1:25, WOULD SAY THAT WE'VE GOT TO LOOK INTO THE WORD OF GOD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS. AND THAT WOULD BE IN GENERAL, BUT SPECIFICALLY WHAT DOES GOD'S WORD SAY ABOUT THE HOME, ABOUT OUR HOUSES IN WHICH WE LIVE. AND THEN NOT JUST TO HEAR WHAT IT SAYS TO DO IT, NOT JUST TO READ IT AND TO FORGET IT BUT ACTUALLY TO DO WHAT GOD SAYS IN HIS WORD. SO IF WE HEAR AND WE DO WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS, WE WILL BE BLESSED. AND THAT IS CERTAINLY TRUE IN LIFE IN GENERAL BUT IT'S ALSO TRUE CONCERNING THE HOUSE OF GOD'S SERVANTS. THAT IS OUR HOMES, GOD WILL BLESS US. IF WE LISTEN TO HIS WORD, IF WE LISTEN TO WHAT HE'S TOLD US ABOUT WHAT OUR HOMES SHOULD BE AND IF WE FOLLOW WHAT HE SAID, HE WILL INDEED BLESS US. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT HERE. WHAT ARE THE MAKINGS OF A CHRISTIAN HOME? WHAT IS A HOME I HAVE TO LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES A HOME HAVE TO BE IN ORDER TO BE BLESSED BY GOD? WELL, LET US CONSIDER A FEW OF THESE THINGS IN GENERAL. AND OF COURSE MORE DETAILS WILL FOLLOW IN THIS STUDY ON THIS TOPIC. THE HOUSE THAT IS BLESSED BY GOD IS A HOUSE THAT HAS A GODLY MARRIAGE. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S A HOME THAT'S ESTABLISHED AND ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THE STANDARD THAT GOD HAS GIVEN ONCE AGAIN IN HIS WORD. THAT HOME WILL BE ONE THAT IS BLESSED. WELL, LET'S THINK ABOUT THE VERY BEGINNING THAT IS IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS OF WHAT WE FIND ABOUT THE HOME. GENESIS CHAPTER TWO WOULD GIVE US SOME DETAILS THERE CONCERNING THE HOME HAS GOD ESTABLISHED IT. GENESIS CHAPTER TWO THERE, BEGINNING IN THAT CHAPTER IN VERSE 22, WE FIND THESE WORDS. IT SAYS, "THEN THE RIB WHICH THE LORD GOD HAD TAKEN FROM MAN "HE MADE INTO A WOMAN AND HE BROUGHT HER TO THE MAN. "AND ADAM SAID, 'THIS IS NOW BONE OF MY BONES "'AND FLESH OF MY FLESH. "'SHE SHALL BE CALLED WOMAN "'BECAUSE SHE WAS TAKEN OUT OF MAN.' "THEREFORE A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER "AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE. "AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." THOSE WORDS THERE SHOW THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HOME BY GOD HIMSELF. GOD IS THE ONE WHO INSTITUTED THE HOME. HE PUT THESE THINGS IN ORDER AND YOU SEE WHAT HE PUT IN PLACE THERE? GOD MADE A MAN AND THEN GOD, A WOMAN, ACTUALLY THIS FIRST ONE WAS MADE FROM A VERY RIB OF THE MAN THAT HE HAD FIRST MADE. SO GOD MADE MAN, GOD MADE A WOMAN AND HE PUT THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER. GOD ESTABLISHED THE HOME THERE IN GENESIS CHAPTER TWO.
THIS SAME THING WOULD BE CONFIRMED TO US BY THE WORDS OF JESUS. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WE FIND THE WORDS OF JESUS IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 19, MANY TIMES JESUS WAS ASKED QUESTIONS AND HE WOULD GIVE ANSWERS TO DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. AND THE ANSWER HERE IS ACTUALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION HE HAD BEEN ASKED. AND JESUS SAYS THIS BEGINNING OF MATTHEW 19:4, "HAVE YOU NOT READ? "THAT HE WHO MADE THEM AT THE BEGINNING "MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE." THAT'S WHAT WE JUST READ THERE IN GENESIS CHAPTER TWO. JESUS SAYS YOU CAN READ THAT IN THE SCRIPTURES, GOD'S WORD AND SEE THE GOD MADE A MAN AND A WOMAN THERE FROM THE BEGINNING. VERSE FIVE, HE CONTINUES AND IT SAYS, "FOR THIS REASON, A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER "AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE "AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." HE ADDS THIS IN VERSE SIX. "SO THEN THEY ARE NO LONGER TWO, BUT ONE FLESH "THEREFORE WHAT GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER, "LET NO MAN SEPARATE." GOD'S PLAN FOR THE HOME FROM THE BEGINNING AS JESUS CONFIRMS WAS ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN AND GOD DESIGNED THAT INSTITUTION TO BE FOR LIFE. SO A GODLY HOME, A HOME THAT IS BLESSED BY GOD IS A HOME THAT'S BASED UPON GOD'S STANDARD, A HOME THAT'S ORGANIZED AND THE WAY THAT GOD ORGANIZED AND ESTABLISHED THE HOME, WHERE A MAN WOULD BE JOINED HIS WIFE AND THE TWO WOULD BECOME ONE FLESH. AND OF COURSE MANY TIMES, CHILDREN FOLLOW IN THAT INSTITUTION. BUT THE HOME BEGINS WITH ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN. A HOUSE WILL BE BLESSED BY GOD IF IT'S ORGANIZED IN SUCH A FASHION. A HOUSE WILL ALSO BE BLESSED BY GOD IF IT HAS GODLY PARENTS. AND OFTEN CHILDREN DO FOLLOW AS THE NEXT STEP IN A HOME THAT IS ESTABLISHED. AND SO A HUSBAND AND WIFE ARE JOINED TOGETHER AND IN THE PASSING OF TIME, CHILDREN OFTEN FOLLOW. WELL A HOUSE THAT IS BLESSED BY GOD HAS GODLY PARENTS WHO ARE LEADING THAT HOME AND GUIDING THAT HOME IN THE PATHWAY IN WHICH IT SHOULD GO. THERE ARE SEVERAL VERSES, BUT ONE OF THEM IS WE BEGIN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THIS TIME, EPHESIANS CHAPTER SIX. THERE'S AN ADMONITION GIVEN SPECIFICALLY TO FATHERS OF COURSE, FATHERS ARE TO TAKE THE LEAD. BUT ALSO AS WE WOULD THINK IN GENERAL GODLY MOTHERS WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS AS WELL. BUT TO THE FATHERS IT SAYS, "YOU FATHERS DO NOT PROVOKE YOUR CHILDREN TO WRATH, "BUT BRING THEM UP IN THE TRAINING "AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD." OF COURSE, CHILDREN LEARN MANY THINGS FROM THEIR PARENTS FROM THEIR FATHERS AND FROM THEIR MOTHERS. BUT HERE SPECIFICALLY, IT'S THE IDEA THAT GODLY PARENTS WILL TRAIN THEIR CHILDREN IN THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD, THEY'LL BRING THEM UP IN THAT ADMONITION. PROVERBS 22 THERE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT VERSE SIX SAYS, "TRAIN UP A CHILD THE WAY HE SHOULD GO. "AND WHEN HE'S OLD, HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT." CERTAINLY AS CHILDREN GROW THEY LEARN TO MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES. AND WHEN ONE BECAME OF AGE, THEY MIGHT NOT CHOOSE TO FALL IN THE PATHWAY OF THEIR PARENTS. BUT THE GENERAL PRINCIPLE IS THIS THAT IF GODLY PARENTS TRAIN UP THEIR CHILDREN PROPERLY THEN GENERALLY CHILDREN WILL FOLLOW IN THAT TRAINING AND THEY WILL FOLLOW THE LEAD THAT THEIR PARENTS SET FOR THEM. THEY WILL FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE THAT THEIR PARENTS GAVE THEM IN THIS LIFE. IN ANOTHER PASSAGE WE MIGHT THINK ABOUT AGAIN THIS TIME COMES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. THERE IN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER SIX, THIS WILL BE KEY TO THE LIVES OF THE ISRAELITES AS THEY WOULD FOLLOW THIS AND LIVE BY THIS, BUT SUCH APPLICATION CERTAINLY WOULD HOLD TRUE. AS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS SCHOOL MASTER THE OLD TESTAMENT STILL TODAY. DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER SIX VERSE FOUR SAYS, "HEAR ISRAEL, "THE LORD, OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD, YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEARTS "WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH "AND THESE WORDS WHICH I COMMAND YOU TODAY "SHALL BE IN YOUR HEARTS." VERSE SEVEN. "YOU SHALL TEACH THEM DILIGENTLY TO YOUR CHILDREN. "YOU SHALL TALK TO THEM WHEN YOU SIT IN YOUR HOUSE "AND WHEN YOU WALK BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU LIE DOWN "AND WHEN YOU RISE UP." WHAT WAS THE KEY PRINCIPLE THAT THE ISRAELITES WERE TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN? THAT THERE IS ONE GOD AND YOU'RE TO LOVE THAT GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL STRENGTH AND MIND. AGAIN WHEN JESUS WAS ASKED QUESTIONS, WELL WHAT IS THE FIRST GREAT COMMANDMENTS? MATTHEW CHAPTER 22, JESUS IDENTIFIED THAT VERY COMMAND WOULD BE THE ONE WE READ HERE IN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER SIX. AND WHAT IS IT THAT GODLY PARENTS WILL DO IN THE HOME? THEY WILL TEACH THEIR CHILDREN THAT VERY PRINCIPLE, THEY WILL TEACH THEIR CHILDREN THERE IS ONE GOD. THEY WILL TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO LOVE THAT GOD WITH EVERY FIBER OF THEIR BEING. AND WHEN WILL THEY DO THAT? REMEMBER THE WORDING THERE IN DEUTERONOMY 6:7. "WHEN YOU LIE DOWN, WHEN YOU RISE UP "WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR HOME, WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN YOUR HOME." IN OTHER WORDS, ALL THROUGH THE DAY, EVERY DAY WHEREVER YOU ARE, TEACH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT GOD. GODLY PARENTS WILL DO THAT AND A HOUSE WILL BE BLESSED BY GOD IF THOSE GODLY PARENTS TRAIN AND TEACH THEIR CHILDREN IN THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD AND OF HIS WORD AND THAT HOME WILL BE A HOME THAT'S BLESSED. WHAT ELSE IS NECESSARY TO MAKE A CHRISTIAN HOME? WELL, A HOUSE IS ALSO BLESSED BY GOD IF IT HAS GODLY CHILDREN. WE CAN RETURN THERE TO EPHESIANS CHAPTER SIX AND NOT ONLY SEE WHAT WE READ ABOUT CONCERNING FATHERS, THAT HIS PARENTS, WE CAN ALSO SEE WHAT SAID THERE CONCERNING CHILDREN. ONCE AGAIN, IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER SIX, AND WE START THERE AT VERSE ONE OF THAT CHAPTER, WE FIND THESE WORDS. IT SAYS, "CHILDREN OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD "FOR THIS AS RIGHT." A HOME WILL BE BLESSED BY GOD IF THE CHILDREN OF THAT HOME WILL FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION GIVEN TO THEM BY THEIR PARENTS IN THE LORD AND OBEY WHAT THEIR PARENTS HAVE TAUGHT THEM. SO THAT BRINGS BLESSINGS UPON THAT HOME. NOW FURTHERMORE, IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF OBEDIENCE BUT YOU CONTINUE THERE IN VERSE TWO. IT SAYS TO THE CHILDREN, "HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER "WHICH IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH PROMISE, "THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, "AND YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH." I KNOW THERE ARE TIMES THAT PARENTS NO DOUBT GET FRUSTRATED. AND MAYBE YOU AS A PARENT OR YOU AS A CHILD REMEMBER A PARENT SAYING THIS TO YOU. I BROUGHT YOU INTO THIS WORLD, I'LL TAKE YOU OUT. WELL, MAYBE THOSE WORDS ARE UTTERED AMID FRUSTRATION BUT PARENTS ARE NOT HERE TO SOMEHOW DISCOURAGE THEIR CHILDREN OR TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN DOWN. NO, PARENTS ARE HERE TO TRAIN UP THEIR CHILDREN AND CHILDREN NEED TO REMEMBER THEIR PLACE AND REMEMBER TO LISTEN TO AND OBEY THEIR PARENTS. AND REMEMBER THAT AS THIS TRAINING IS GIVEN TO THEM IN THE LORD THAT IS ACCORDING TO GOD'S PRINCIPLES AND GOD'S STANDARDS, THEY'LL BE BLESSED, NOT TO FRUSTRATE THEIR PARENTS IN DISOBEDIENCE, BUT TO HONOR THEIR PARENTS BY OBEYING WHAT THEY'VE BEEN TAUGHT AND FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF THEIR GOOD GODLY PARENTS. AND SO AS CHILDREN FOLLOW THEIR PARENTS EXAMPLE, AS THEY FOLLOW THEIR PARENTS TEACHING, THEY WILL BE BLESSED. AND THAT HOME WILL BE BLESSED. I THINK IN GENERAL, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE LITTLE EYES OF CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS WATCHING AND WHERE DO THEY LEARN HOW TO SPEAK AND WHERE DO THEY LEARN HOW TO WALK AND WHERE DO THEY LEARN ALL THOSE THINGS THAT THEY GROW UP DOING IN THIS LIFE? YOU KNOW, OFTEN YOU CAN HEAR A CHILD SPEAK AND HEAR THE VOICE OF THAT CHILD'S FATHER, THAT CHILD'S MOTHER IN THE WORDS THAT THEY UTTER AND IN THE WAY THAT THEY SAY THINGS, WHY? BECAUSE CHILDREN OBSERVE THEIR PARENTS THEY WATCH THEM AND THAT'S WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING. BUT PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THEIR GODLY LIVES AS CHILDREN LEARN TO OBEY THEIR PARENTS AND HONOR THEM THEN THEY WILL BE BLESSED. AND THAT HOME WILL BE BLESSED AS WELL. A GODLY HOME IS ALSO MADE UP AS IT IS WITH FATHERS AND MOTHERS AND CHILDREN BUT A GODLY HOME IN ITS ENTIRETY IS MADE UP BY A HOME, A HOUSE THAT PUTS GOD FIRST. THAT WAS A GENERAL PRINCIPLE IN MATTHEW 6:33 THAT SAYS, "TO SEEK GOD FIRST, SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, "HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS "AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU." THAT PRINCIPLE CAN BE APPLIED TO THE HOME AS WELL. WHAT SHOULD HUSBANDS AND WIVES AND FATHERS AND MOTHERS AND CHILDREN BE SEEKING FIRST IN THIS LIFE? YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE CAN SEEK AFTER? AND MANY OF THEM ARE NOT WRONG IN AND OF THEMSELVES BUT IF PUT BEFORE GOD AND SEEKING HIS KINGDOM FIRST CERTAINLY THEY CAN BECOME DISTRACTIONS AND THEY CAN BECOME WRONG. HOW MANY TIMES IS IT THAT THOSE IN THE HOME ARE SEEKING SOMETHING ELSE FIRST, OTHER THAN GOD? MAYBE IT'S SPORTS, MAYBE IT'S RECREATION. MAYBE IT'S SOME FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT OR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. WE ALL HAVE THINGS WE ENJOY DOING. MAYBE IT'S FISHING OR GARDENING OR WHATEVER YOU ENJOY IN THIS LIFE. IS IT BEING PUT BEFORE GOD? YOU SEE A HOME THAT IS BLESSED BY GOD A HOME THAT WILL RECEIVE GOD'S BLESSINGS IS A HOME THAT SEEKS GOD FIRST, EVEN JESUS THERE IN THE TEMPLE IN LUKE CHAPTER 2:49, HIS PARENTS CAME SEEKING HIM. YOU REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID TO THEM? DON'T, YOU KNOW, I MUST BE BY MY FATHER'S BUSINESS. IT SHOWS AS A PRIORITY, THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN THIS LIFE OUR VERY FIRST PRIORITY IN EVERYTHING WE DO SHOULD BE TO SEEK GOD FIRST AND TO BE ABOUT HIS BUSINESS. ARE WE DOING THE WORK OF GOD IN BENEVOLENCE THAT IS DOING GOOD WORKS? ARE WE DOING THE WORK OF GOD IN EDIFICATION, BUILDING UP OUR FELLOW CHRISTIAN BRETHREN? ARE WE DOING THE WORK OF GOD AND EVANGELISM? ARE WE ABOUT THE FATHER'S BUSINESS AND ARE WE DOING THAT FIRST AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY IN OUR LIVES? ARE WE EVEN DOING THAT AS IT RELATES TO WORSHIP? OR DO WE PUT OTHER THINGS FIRST? A HOUSE, A HOME THAT WILL BE BLESSED BY GOD IS ONE THAT SEEKS HIM FIRST. AND FINALLY A HOUSE OR A HOME THAT IS BLESSED BY GOD IS ONE IS WORKING TOWARDS THAT HEAVENLY GOAL TOGETHER. AND WHAT A GREAT GOAL THAT IS, TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT ONE DAY WE WILL BE ABLE TO REACH AT HEAVENLY HOME.
THERE IN FIRST PETER 3:7, TALKS ABOUT HUSBANDS AND WIVES DWELLING TOGETHER. AND IN THE MIDST THAT CONTEXT, IT SAYS THAT THEY ARE HEIRS TOGETHER OF THE GRACE OF LIFE. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, CERTAINLY IT DOES TAKE A LOT FOR HUSBANDS AND WIVES TO LEARN, TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO GET ALONG AND TO MAKE THE HOME WHAT IT SHOULD BE BUT THEY'RE HEIRS TOGETHER, THEY CAN LOOK FORWARD TOGETHER TOWARDS THAT HEAVENLY HOME THAT THEY ARE WORKING TOWARDS, NOT JUST HUSBANDS AND WIVES, BUT ALL CHRISTIANS. WE WOULD FIND THE WORDS THERE IN ROMANS CHAPTER EIGHT THAT I THINK THAT ARE FITTING, CONCERNING THE FACT THAT WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS THAT HEAVENLY GOAL AND WE ARE HEIRS OF THAT PROMISE STILL TO COME. ROMANS 8:16, SAYS, "THE SPIRIT HIMSELF BEARS WITNESS "WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD. "AND IF CHILDREN THEN HEIRS HEIRS OF GOD "AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST." WE ARE HEIRS OF WHAT, THAT INHERITANCE THAT AWAITS US. AND SO AS FATHERS AND MOTHERS AS HUSBANDS AND WIVES, AS CHILDREN, ALL CHRISTIANS ARE HEIRS OF THAT HEAVENLY HOME, THAT INHERITANCE THAT AWAITS THEM. AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER AS GOD'S FAMILY. I'M REMINDED AGAIN, OF THOSE WORDS THAT DAVID SPOKE, "GOD BLESS THIS HOUSE, BLESS THE HOUSE OF YOUR SERVANTS." WHAT HOUSE WILL BE BLESSED? WHAT HOME WILL BE BLESSED BY GOD? IT'S THE HOUSE THAT'S LIVING ACCORDING TO GOD'S STANDARD, IT'S THE HOUSE THAT'S LIVING ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD. SO ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION, IS MY HOUSE BLESSED? IS MY HOME BLESSED BY GOD? IF NOT, WHY NOT?
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