The Family
Family Discipleship • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsSetting You, Your Household, and Your Whole Community On Mission to Love God, Love People and Make Disciples That Make Disciples.
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The Family
The Family
“The key is to understand that our children don't belong to us—they belong to God. Our goal as parents must not be limited by our own vision. I am a finite, sinful, selfish man. Why would I want to plan out my children's future when I can entrust them to the infinite, omnipotent, immutable, sovereign Lord of the universe? I don't want to tell God what to do with my children—I want Him to tell me!” - Voddie Baucham Jr. “Family Driven Faith”
What is Family Discipleship?
Family discipleship is doing whatever you can whenever you can to help your family become friends and followers of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is both what we heard Jesus command and what we saw Jesus doing.
Jesus’ method of discipleship was not intended to be unique, it was a prototype. He invited others to live alongside him so they might lead others in like manner. He could have started a training school. But instead, he built his training around time in his presence as he exercised his trust in the Father, practiced relentless love for all people, and carried out his mission WITH his disciples. - Matt Chandler
To disciple your family as Jesus discipled the 12, think less of your children as students in your home-university and more as apprentices invited to study and exercise the way of God they see in and hear about from you. When your kids ask questions, think of ways that you might give them an invitation for an answer just like Christ did:
“In my time spent as a youth pastor I made it a priority to take note of the children who were well behaved so I could ask their parents the secret. The answer I received more than any other was spending intentional time with them. I take them with me to work. I take them with me to the store. If I’m going somewhere and they’re around, I take them with me.” -Ben Stuart
I think that’s beautiful for two reasons.
1. You’re being intentional.
You’re intentionally giving up your “me” time. You are through the effort showing what’s worth your personal investment.
2. You are serving so you may lead.
“Come and you will see.” (John 1:39)
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (ESV)
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.
Verses 5 & 6 - The Heart
Verses 7 - The Family
Verses 8 & 9 - The Community
We’ve been exegetically (or line by line) going through the Hebrew Shema and unpacking the meaning of the verses as they pertain to Family Discipleship. We’re doing this by diving into Scripture and seeing what it has to say about The Heart, The Family and the Community.
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.
We’ve talked about this discipling to not be another thing that you add to your list, but rather it be something to weave throughout your day. The way God words this here is almost like he knew we would be on the go and have trouble carving out time so instead he put those times rhythmically in our day. As brother Blake mentioned, God specifically brings up times in your day when people might be naturally winding down.
What does it mean to lead your family?
1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
To truly lead means to serve. Focus on the family over ourselves.
Matthew 20:26–28 (ESV)
26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
For a husband, leading your wife is synonymous with serving your wife. For a parent, leading your family is synonymous with serving your family. You serve to lead. You don’t lord your position over your family.
What does the Bible say about family?
God teaches us about our relationship with him through family.
Ephesians 5:1 (ESV)
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
2 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
God loves kids.
Psalm 127:3–5 (ESV)
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Mark 10:13–16 (ESV)
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
God created marriage to resemble his church
Ephesians 5:32–33 (ESV)
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
God commands that children are to be cared for and trained
Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
God commands that parents are to be honored and obeyed.
Ephesians 6:1 (ESV)
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Exodus 20:12 (ESV)
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
God tells and shows us what to teach children.
Psalm 78:4 (ESV)
4 We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
Proverbs 23:15–19 (ESV)
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
my heart too will be glad.
16 My inmost being will exult
when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not your heart envy sinners,
but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day.
18 Surely there is a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear, my son, and be wise,
and direct your heart in the way.
God does not take family responsibilities lightly.
Matthew 18:6 (ESV)
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
1 Samuel 3:13 (ESV)
13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
1 Timothy 5:8 (ESV)
8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
God gives families the gift of forgiveness.
Luke 17:3–4 (ESV)
3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Colossians 3:13 (ESV)
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
John 13:35 (ESV)
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Good family discipleship is both intentional and consistent with a clear goal to see your kids conformed to the image of Christ. Because it takes intentionality and consistency, it requires a plan. That will look different for everyone, but we will begin trying to give ideas into what that looks like.
Next week we remain in Section 2 of the Family, but we are going to begin breaking it up into the 3 C’s, Consistency, Creativity, Clarity.
Take note of all the things God calls us to do “diligently.”
Deuteronomy 4:9 (ESV)
9 “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—
Deuteronomy 6:7 (ESV)
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.