Family Ties: Build Sacred
Family Ties: Build Sacred
Opening Illustration:
How many of you have been to the doctor this week? Maybe you went to an Urgent Care or perhaps you’ve been to the American Family Care Clinic that shares our parking lot? Wow, several of you have been do the doctor. First off, I hope that you feel better. Secondly, did you notice how busy doctor’s offices are nowadays. Even with all the fancy check-in systems, doctor’s offices seem busier than ever before. The other day, I heard a story about a man who visited a very busy doctor’s office.
This fella walked into a doctor’s office and the receptionist asked him what he had. "Shingles," he said. So she took down his name, address and medical insurance number and told him to have a seat.
Fifteen minutes later a nurse’s aid came out and asked him what he had. "Shingles," he said. So she took down his height, weight, complete medical history and told him to wait in the examining room.
A half-hour later a nurse came in and asked him what he had. "Shingles," he said. So she gave him a blood test, a blood pressure test and an electrocardiogram. Then she told him to take off all his clothes and wait for the doctor.
An hour later the doctor came in and asked him what he had. "Shingles," he said. The doctor said, "Where?"
He said, "Outside in the truck. Where do you want them?"
Point:
We are not very good at slowing down are we? If the receptionist, the nurses, or the doctor slowed down long enough to actually ask the correct question, maybe they would have received a more clear answer. They definitely would have saved this poor roofer a lot of embarrassment and hassle.
Psalm 27:13-14 reminds us to patiently wait for the Lord stating, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”
Point:
Sadly our lives are in more of a hurry than ever before. Not only our lives as parents, but we are passing down our hurried lifestyles to our children as well. Let me tell you friends and family that yours truly is guilty of running the hurried, fast paced, rat race. Like many of you, I have felt the sting of burn out. Have you noticed that the more you hurry the more you seem to have to do. I’ve got news for all of us this morning, we were not created, our souls were not created, for this fast paced lifestyle. We have become a slave to our calendar and a bond servant to our reminder app.
Like many of you I plan my daily routine on the native reminder app on my iPhone. Every night before I go to sleep I build my to do list for the following day. There are many days when this to do list is 40 to 50 items long. Many of you plan your days in the same manner. I can do 90% of my to do list but I feel like a failure if I cannot complete everything on my list.
My wife loves Proverbs 31 Ministry. That is what she uses for her daily devotions. One of the writers for Proverbs 31 is Glynnis Whitwer. She stated in one of her devotions that “hurry” is our greatest enemy. The biggest problem with “hurry” is that “hurry” never gets us what we want. Listen to what she writes:
I want deeper relationships with God and others; hurry makes them shallow.
I want to think more deeply about the Lord and the world around me; hurry makes it impossible.
I want to do better work; hurry steals any excellence I hope to have.
I want to serve others well; hurry causes me to brush over their needs.
Hurry steals the best from me…
Hurry steals the best from our families as well. So this morning I want to ask you a question. Is your family feeling overwhelmed, overanxious or overburdened? If the answer is “yes”, use God’s Word to help you overcome.
Point:
Brothers and sisters, God desires for your family to be a haven, a refuge. Sadly our families have become dominated by demands and exaggerated by expectations. On social media our families look perfect, like we have it all together but social media doesn’t show the exhaustion and the daily exasperations. Our families look a lot like a duck. Above water the duck looks peaceful, even tranquil. Above the water the duck seems calm, like it doesn’t have a care in the world. Still, when you look a bit deeper, you see that the duck is paddling for its life.
Point:
If you remember, I made the comment that Satan is attacking our families. If Satan can’t ruin your family through infidelity or abuse, he will clock your family with a busy calendar. He knows that if he can cancel God’s plan for the family then he can cut the our culture from beneath our feet.
Charles Swindoll knew the importance of the family when he wrote “A family is a place where principles are hammered on honed on the anvil of everyday living.”
Today’s Thought:
Is Your Family Feeling Overwhelmed, Overanxious, or Overburdened?
If “Yes”, Let God’s Word Help You Overcome!
Today’s Quote:
“A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living.”
-Charles Swindoll
Point:
This morning we will be reading from Acts 2:42-47. Acts was written by Luke The Physician. Luke wrote the book to a beloved friend named Theophilus. Theophilus means “One who loves God”. Some believe that Theolophilus was not really a person but a group of people. Early ancient Christians perhaps. The book of Acts or The Acts of the Apostles as many of your Bibles state, chronicles the start of the early church. It shows the ascension of Jesus Christ, the coming of Holy Spirit, the evangelism of the Apostles, and the rise of Paul. In Acts 2 we see the formation of the early church. The church, or body of Christ, was far more than a building. In fact, the church were just regular people meeting in homes throughout Jerusalem. The church gathered together regularly, prayed for one another, met each others needs, and shared the Gospel with the city. Church for these early Christians was a daily experience, not just a Wednesday and Sunday time together. So let’s read about the goings on of the early church in Acts 2:42-47. Im reading from the English Standard Version.
Today’s Scripture:
Acts 2:42-47 ESV
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Point:
This morning you can see I have a table on stage with me. Imagine that your family is this very table. There is nothing more annoying than a wobbly table. We want our tables to be steady and secure. Just like our families. Now, what makes up the strength of this table? Naturally strength is found in the legs. If the legs aren’t strong, the table becomes week. If you were to come up here and saw one of the legs off of the table, the table may stand, but not for long. You have dramatically weakened the table. I believe that Acts 2 shows us, illustrates for us, how the early gatherings of the church, can help us build strong families. Today you will see that the church had 4 legs, strengthening their fellowship. If you were to use the same four strong legs in your family, your family, your table would also be strong. If you used these same four legs in your family, your family, your table would be able to hold up heavy weights, withstand difficult storms, and serve as a foundation for your children and their children to build off of for years to come. So, what are the four legs that can add solidarity to your family this morning? Let’s carefully review Acts 2: 42-47 this morning.
4 Legs On Which Your Family Should Sacredly Stand?
Leg One: A Family Prizes Teaching vs. 42
Acts 2:42 ESV
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Point:
Leg One: A family prizes teaching. Moms and Dads, the early church gathered often. Every chance they could, they gathered together. What did they do during this time? They were taught God’s Word. They read God’s Word together. They spoke it aloud and examined the finer, the deeper, and the difficult parts of Scripture. These early church friends allowed the Bible to inform their decisions, influence their passions, and they allowed God’s Word to determine the course of their lives.
Moms and Dads, I cannot share with you the massive importance of teaching your children to love God’s Word. Your kids are being influenced powerfully by this world. Satan owns the film industry. Satan owns the music industry. Satan owns the social media of this world. Our children are being daily bombarded with the messaging of the evil one. It is critical that we guard our children. It is critical that we ourselves are reading God’s Word so that they can see our example and read it for themselves. How can we expect them to love God’s Word if we ourselves remain obtuse to its power.
Let me illustrate the point. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable about a man who finds a treasure hidden in a barren field. So great is the treasure that the man who finds it, goes to his home, gathers all of his belongings, and sells all that he has to purchase this land. Remember, in the ancient world, whatever is on the land, above the land, or in the land belongs to the owner of the land. So this man sells all that he has, everything, and purchases this field. The people that he purchased the land from must have looked at him as if he was crazy. He had lost his mind. No one wants that land. However, upon purchasing the land the man became wealthy beyond imagination. The treasure in the story is symbolic of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is valued far greater than anything this world has to offer. In similar fashion, the knowledge of God’s Word and the application of the Bible is far more valuable than anything this world has to offer.
Point:
A question for you today families, how strong is your love of God’s Word? Is the reading of God’s Word in your family a priority? Are you and your children memorizing Scripture together? Are you having devotions together before you go to sleep or before you cart your kiddos to school? The most important leg of having a strong family is to have great respect and reverence for God’s Word. If you are desiring peace and prosperity in your home, if you are looking for your children to respect you and obey you, if you are wanting your family to be spiritually grounded, then read daily the Bible together as the early church leaders did.
Remember…
Isaiah 40:8 ESV
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
4 Legs On Which Your Family Should Sacredly Stand?
Leg One: A Family Prizes Teaching vs. 42
Leg Two: A Family Prioritizes Time vs. 46
Acts 2:46 ESV
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts…
What is your second leg? Leg two is that a Godly family prioritize time. Notice that the early church day by day, went to the temple together, they ate together, and broke bread together.
Moms and Dads, one way to strengthen your family is to share regular meals together. We live in such a go go go society that we often deprioritize meals together. I must confess that in my own family we have struggled with this lately. Jay turned 16 roughly a year ago and with that age came a truck and freedom. His little brother Jack likes to go with him wherever he goes. Angela and I have very busy schedules. When I get done working I like to go for a run. I run close to 120 miles a week and sometimes that puts me getting home late. I confess that I need to do a better job of being home and encouraging my own kids to be at home. When the kids were little this was not hard but when one of them got wheels, this became much more difficult. Jay and Jack like to go to the gym too. Then when you add school, baseball practices, play practices, and Angela works 2 jobs. I pastor a church with a host of needs. Ive conducted 2 funerals in 2 weeks and that does not count the sermons that I have had to prepare for Sunday morning, my life group class, our staff retreat, Wednesday night, and our youth small group. My Mom recently had a stint in the hospital. Angela is a Mom, I am a Dad. We have a lot going on and the first thing to be sacrificed is our time eating together.
Point:
Eating together was something vital to fellowship throughout the pages of the Bible. Much of Jesus’ ministry revolved around parties, eating, fellowshipping, and feasts. Remember that Jesus’ first miracle involved a party where people were eating and drinking. Jesus often shared meals in Bethany with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. In the Gospel of John, after Lazarus is raised from the dead, the next thing that we see is Jesus and Lazarus eating with the disciples. One of Jesus’ most impressive miracles involved him using a small lunch from a little boy to feed 5 thousand people, actually more like 20000 when you count women and children. After Jesus resurrected, one of the first things He did was sit down and eat with His friends.
Anne Fishel, Ph.D., a family therapist and co-founder of The Family Dinner Project, describes the kinds of gains that can come from family mealtime: “The benefits range from the cognitive ones (young kids having bigger vocabularies and older kids doing better in school) to the physical ones (better cardiovascular health, lower obesity rates and eating more vegetables and fruits) to psychological ones (lower rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse and fewer behavioral problems in school).”
Sharing mealtimes gives us an opportunity to pray for one another, to play games together, to tell stories about our lives, and to laugh with one another. Eating together provides necessary routines for kids. Moms and Dads, you children will never tell you this but they want to spend time with you. They want routines, they want boundaries, they want guardrails for their lives and sharing a meal together does just that. Having meals together reinforces good manners. I was speaking to a young girl the other day who had moved from the West Coast to Alabama. I asked her what was so different about being here. She said that she was not used to the yes mams and no mams. Manner were a bit of a culture shock for her. Eating together provides us an opportunity to teach those Christian manners.
I could go on and on. Parents, carving our times for meals may be difficult but give it a try. Don’t stop. Shoot for eating together 2 days a week and go up from there. Trust me, you will see immediate benefits and it is never too late or early to start. Stay committed to doing it and eventually it will become a habit for you.
Proverbs 16:3 ESV
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
4 Legs On Which Your Family Should Sacredly Stand?
Leg One: A Family Prizes Teaching vs. 42
Leg Two: A Family Prioritizes Time vs. 46
Leg Three: A Family Provides Tenderly vs. 44-45
Acts 2:44-45 ESV
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Paul tells us in Galatians 5:13-14, “you, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
So, what is our third leg? The third leg of our table is a Godly family provides tenderly. The Godly family serves others together. They serve the Church and they serve their fellow man together. Years ago I realized the value of this in my own family. I have taken my children on various mission trips. To this day they still remember those moments with me. When we serve others as a family it expands the idea of the word “neighbor”. Our neighbor is not just the person who lives next door to us, it is the family in Stockton.
Play Stockton Pictures
I cannot fully express the impact that serving together in Stockton has had on my family over the years. Our church has a month mission opportunity called Second Stockton Saturdays. We have a partnership with Prodisee Pantry in Spanish Fort where we bring food to the city of Stockton. Stockton is just 27 miles away. We partner with Zion Fountain AME Church, which is an African American church. This is a beautiful thing for my kids to see. They see the members of our church, working with members of their church. We are not blacks and whites working together. We are not the communities of Stockton and Daphne working together. We are Christian brothers and sisters working together. Serving together has broken down barriers and extracted the seed of racism from the lives of my children. My children may notice the color of someone’s skin but they have never falsely assigned worth to someone because of their skin color.
Just as the early church came together to serve their community, it is vitally important for our families to find an area, a people, to serve. Someone came up to me the other day and asked why we don’t do a service project somewhere other than Stockton. Do you know what I told that person? I told him that we were just waiting for someone to come along and plan another mission opportunity for our church to go and serve those people, just like we do in Stockton.
Serving together as a family also provides us perspective. It opens our eyes to the hurt that is going on around us, the pain of others, and they impact we can have in the name of Jesus Christ.
So why do it? Why serve someone or somewhere in the name of Jesus? First, it allows you to work with other people that maybe you’d never work with or have the chance to work with. Second, it is a great encouragement to serve others who have a great need. Do you know that I have never heard my kids say that they wish that they could have done something else. Lastly, and this is a purely selfish reason, it just flat gives me joy to serve other people. Paul again reminds us in Philippians 2:4 of the importance of serving others.
Philippians 2:4 ESV
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
4 Legs On Which Your Family Should Sacredly Stand?
Leg One: A Family Prizes Teaching vs. 42
Leg Two: A Family Prioritizes Time vs. 46
Leg Three: A Family Provides Tenderly vs. 44-45
Leg Four: A Family Praises Together vs. 42, 46-47
Acts 2:42, 46-47 ESV
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Friends there is an epidemic that is running rampant across these United States. Across this great land we have less and less families worshipping together. In 2013 at study was done of families that had daily times of worship together. In that same year, 36% of the respondents replied that they had daily worship. Moreover, 1-6 respondents reported that they had never had a time of family worship. In 2018, the numbers worsened. The proportion that answered they never had daily worship rose to 21 percent.Another notable question on the 2018 survey asked whether, during childhood, “having morning or evening worship with one or more parents was a habitual practice in my family.” The percentage of people who agreed was less than 50 percent. What was also interesting is that in that time general unhappiness in the American family is higher than ever before. Over the past two decades, the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion has grown from 8% in 1998-2000 to 13% in 2008-2010 and 21% over the past three years.
The great preacher John Wesley is best known for helping to establish Methodism. He travelled throughout Britain sharing the gospel and witnessing the spirit’s work as the Church grew rapidly. But Wesley also argued that the revival would not continue unless families worshipped together, spending time in prayer and reading scripture. For Wesley, family worship was the ordinary way in which God brings children to faith. Without it, the Church was bound to decline.
Today, we know that many children who grow up in Christian homes later reject the faith. While 95% of those born to ‘non-religious’ parents remain ‘non-religious’ as adults, 40% of children raised in Christian homes no longer identify as Christians in later life. In the Church of England, half of the children of churchgoing parents stop attending church when they reach adulthood. The main reason for the Church’s decline is not its failure to evangelize but its failure to pass on the faith to the next generation.
Point:
Friends, the early church valued their worship of God and it was the top priority in their lives. They would dared not miss it. Not out of fear or judgement, it was just something that they loved with all their heart. What’s interesting about worship as it declines in the United States, it is on the rise where it is most oppressed. It is on the rise where there is less material distraction. North Korea is experiencing a mighty revival. China is experiencing the same. Places like Haiti have a growing and thriving Christian presence. Yet the United States sees it faith declining.
Point:
Why? I believe that we sacrificing family cooperate worship because our culture has bought the lie that what the world offers is better than what the church can give. Our selfish desire for pleasure has overridden our calling to worship. We live in a culture that states with their actions that they will come to worship if the weather is not bad nor good but just right. They will come to worship if their football team won but if the win came at the expense of a late night and an early morning, then we have to sleep in. Now it is never a thought to plan a vacation over a Sunday. Parents chase rings and trophies on the Lord’s Day now. By the way, Im not saying anything to you that I myself have not struggled with over the years.
Point:
Moms and Dads, I want to make a deal with you. I want you to try something for me. I want you to try to come to church every Sunday for the next month straight and see what God does in your family. I want you to choose a ministry and serve in that ministry every week for a month. Serve in FIT. Serve in the nursery. Join the choir. Serve for one month and see what God does in your family. Lastly, I want you to give to the church for one month. Give that 10% for a month and watch how God blesses you. If you come for a month and do those things and nothing happens, you can say you’ve proved me wrong. But you know what, Im not wrong. I give you my word that if you come, serve, and give, your marriage will improve, your family life will improve, and you will divorce proof your marriage. Put it to the text. Prove me wrong.
Listen to what Jesus said about worshipping together.
John 4:23-24 ESV
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Your Family Is Sacred! Secure It By Serving God And One Another!
Bibliography:
Web-Sites:
https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/8434/communication-general-by-sermon-central
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202%3A42-47&version=ESV
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2018/08/17/the-simple-blessing-of-slowing-down
https://www.premierchristianity.com/home/why-the-church-needs-to-recover-family-worship/1739.article
Sermons:
Kingdom of Heaven First Southern Baptist Church March 21st Eric Hall
Books:
The Shaping of the Christian Family
Elisabeth Elliot
Restoring The Christian Family
John and Paula Sanford
Building the Christian Family You Never Had
Mary DeMuth
Articles:
In the name of the family, rethinking family values in the postmodern age
J Stacey
The Family, Teacher of human and Christian Values
R Pirola
Commentaries:
Holman New Testament Commentary Acts
The Broadman Bible Commentary Acts
Clarke’s Commentary Acts
The Gospel and Acts: The Holman Apologetics Commentary on the Bible
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