Flourish the Family
Legacy: Living a Life that Outlasts You • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsA flourishing family begins with you.
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Introduction
Introduction
Importance of family
2015 Chicago Tribune Opinion
Jonah Goldberg
It shouldn't surprise anyone that family structure is so controversial. The family, far more than government or schools, is the institution we draw the most meaning from. From the day we are born, it gives us our identity, our language and our expectations about how the world should work. Before we become individuals or citizens or voters, we are first and foremost part of a family. That is why social engineers throughout the ages see family as a competitor to, or problem for, the state.
And the family wars will never end, because family matters — a lot.
We follow God’s ways not because we want to be rule followers, but because we desire flourishing.
First is done out of fear
Second is done out of joy.
*How do we lead our families into a place of flourishing so that it will leave a lasting legacy?
1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
The Teacher’s Bible Commentary The Faith of Israel (6:1–25)
(the Shema, from the Hebrew for “Hear”) are regarded by Jews as the essence of their faith. They are quoted in every synagogue service, are taught Jewish children at an early age, and are repeated twice daily by the orthodox
Deut 6
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Three Rings of Family Discipleship:
Three Rings of Family Discipleship:
Most people want to start on the outer ring, but that doesn’t work.
We’re not talking about only behavior modification.
A Note to Empty-Nesters:
Just because your children may no longer live in your house (If your son is 42 and still playing video games in your basement, the influence you need to have is - Get a job!), does not mean your do not or can not have an influence.
A Note to Singles:
These rings of discipleship do not only apply to our immediate family, but to our workplaces, circle of friends, any sphere of influence.
The church is your family
This is for all of us
Jesus and you, you and the family, the family and the world.
Family discipleship starts with GOD and YOU. (5-6)
Family discipleship starts with GOD and YOU. (5-6)
(Personal)
It all starts with God and your love for him.
‘you’ is singular in these two verses, but changes to plural in verse seven.
.Talks about unity of the family as well as the personal nature of our time with God.
Your family’s discipleship starts with YOU
not the church
church is not a spectator sport
not your spouse
However, dads / husbands you (ideally) are expected to take the lead.
DADS - lead your wives to Jesus.
- lead y our children to Jesus.
- when you get to heaven and Jesus asks you how you led your family in discipleship - you can’t point to your wife or your church.
We want to help you, encourage you, resource you, cheer you, equip you.
‘Love. . .’
You do what you love (and you talk about what you do.)
‘heart, soul, and might’
lit, everything you have.
Jesus answered with four components as the Greeks would have understood it as meaning the totality of the person.
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Teach your FAMILY as you do life. (7-8)
Teach your FAMILY as you do life. (7-8)
(Family)
You are already making disciples of your children, you are already teaching them.
You don’t need a seminary degree, or formal Bible training.
If Jesus is in your life and you are in your kids lives, you CAN disciple them.
If Jesus has affected your life,
‘Jesus-first’ as you go.
Minutes, Moments, and Milestones
Minutes
‘talk’
(You do what you love) and you talk about what you do.
What you counts shows what counts.
What you talk about says something.
This tells your children where worth is found. Unless they are shown otherwise, your children will spend the rest of their lives trying to prove their worth to you based on the value system you give them.
‘sit. .. walk. . . lie down. . . rise.’
Leverage the regular rhythms of your life.
ILLUST - my many failures at attempting family devotions during dinner. Finally works before Dickinson Domains.
20 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. 23 And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. 25 And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’
Moments
Capture the teachable moments
Recognize God is always at work behind the scenes.
Enter into your kids’ struggles and joys and bring Jesus.
(when appropriate) bring your kids into your struggles and show them Jesus.
Capture the teachable moments and make it Jesus-first.
Milestones
Watch for the ‘God-sightings’ in your life and your family and celebrate them with your family.
Praying (and sharing prayer requests) with your family creates the opportunity for God to work.
Deut 8:2-
2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.
What you talk about says something.
This tells your children where worth is found. Unless they are shown otherwise, your children will spend the rest of their lives trying to prove their worth to you based on the value system you give them.
Sometimes God uses trials and scenarios in our lives as a way to reveal himself.
ILLUST - Life-saving the boy who tried to swim across the whole pool, but did not want my help.
Milestones
What markers can you point back to of events in your life where God really showed up?
Sometimes I think we don’t see God show up in mighty ways because:
We do all we can to play it ‘safe’
We do all we can by our ‘self’
Maybe we need to do something God-sized as a family to see the size of God in our life.
*FIND the Minutes, CAPTURE the Moments, and CELEBRATE the Milestones.
Show Jesus to the WORLD (as you flourish). (9)
Show Jesus to the WORLD (as you flourish). (9)
(mission)
What would happen if a tv network filmed a reality show with cameras throughout your house filming on a daily basis? What would they call the show? Would people watch? Why?
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
The world recognizes a healthy family - it’s RIGHT.
The family that is redeemed has the potential to redeem it’s neighborhood, community, city, nation.
When your circle (personal or family) interacts with another circle,
None of us have a perfect family, but a family that is covered by the grace of God with parents that are walking in and teaching the ways of God display a flourishing that families that are not Jesus-first envy.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Change can only happen when we are: Real, Hungry, Holy
Take a minute to ask God what he needs to change, confirm, etc. based on what we’ve heard today:
ME:
FAMILY:
COMMUNITY: