A Christ-Centered Family

ON LOAN – these 2 words powerfully describe YOUR family, YOUR home.
Our families, our homes – they are OURS FOR A WHILE, so THEY CAN BE GOD’s forever. 1 Corinthians 4:2; Luke 12:48.
What kind of legacy – what kind of spiritual emphasis, are YOU leaving within your family and home?
Few questions are more important. HOME – where all live for and love each other, and altogether live for and love the Lord. HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A CHRIST-CENTERED HOME!
Four OT Foundational Passages
1. Psalm 127 – the Lord must build the house
2. Deuteronomy 6:4-15 –
  1. Hear the Lord continuously (4)
  2. Love the Lord fervently (5-6)
  3. Teach the Young diligently (7-9)
  4. Remember the Lord constantly (10-12)
  5. Obey the Lord faithfully
3. Proverbs 24:3-4 – knowledge rooms filled with all precious and pleasant riches
4. 2 Kings 20:15-18 – what have they seen in your house?
Ephesians 5:15-17 in the NT –
1. Be careful how you walk (15)
2. Redeem the time (16)
3. Do not be foolish but understand what the will of God is (17)
From Ephesians 5 & 6, we can learn much about what a Christ-Centered family looks like. From these chapters in Ephesians, we can see 10 Priorities of CHRIST-CENTERED families.
1. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES GODLINESS A PRIORITY (5:18-21)
  1. 1 Timothy 4:7-8; 6:11. Colossians 1:27.
  2. Godliness has to do with SPIRITUALITY – 18 – (Romans 8:6).
  3. Godliness has to do with PRAISE -19 – (1 Corinthians 14:15).
  4. Godliness has to do with GRATITUDE – 20 – (Psalm 103:2; Col. 3:15).
  5. Godliness has to do with SUBMISSION – 21 – (Matthew 26:39-41).
2. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES LOVE A PRIORITY (5:22-33)
  1. 1 Corinthians 13. Galatians 5:6, 13.
  2. Supreme, Satisfying, Sanctifying, Selfless love.
  3. 1 Peter 1:22; 4:8.
3. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES OBEDIENCE A PRIORITY (6:1)
  1. The necessity of obedience to God (Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:8-9).
  2. Obedience is to be BOTH taught AND modeled! (Phil. 4:9).
4. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES RESPECT A PRIORITY (6:2-3)
  1. To honor, respect – to look up to.
  2. Malachi 1:6-9.
  3. When a child, “to carry a lot of weight” was to respect / honor. Their manner of life, actions, words, thoughts and example.
5. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES GENTLENESS A PRIORITY (6:4)
  1. 2 Corinthians 10:1; Galatians 5:22-24.
  2. Fathers have a special role here – “do not provoke to wrath” ” do not exasperate” – John 14:15.
  3. Rules without relationship equals rebellion; relationship without rules equal chaos.
  4. Matthew 11:28-30; Number 12:3.
6. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES MATURITY A PRIORITY (6:4)
  1. “Bring them up.”
  2. Whole child development – getting our family home to God!
  3. Luke 2:52 –
    1. Wisdom – mentally
    2. Stature – physically
    3. Favor with God – spiritually
    4. Favor with man – socially – it DOES take a village to bring up a child – the support of God’s people important!
  4. 2 Peter 3:18
7. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES DISCIPLINE A PRIORITY (6:4)
  1. Proverbs 13:24; Hebrews 12:11; Revelation 3:19.
  2. Instructive, Corrective, Punitive (without being unloving and abusive!)
  3. My Mother believed in discipline – “I need Thee Every Hour!”
8. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES RESPONSIBILITY A PRIORITY (6:5-9)
  1. John 9:4; 17:4; 19:30.
  2. Work existed in the Garden of Eden BEFORE sin entered the world!
  3. “As to the Lord.” Philippians 1:27.
9. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES STRENGTH IN THE LORD A PRIORITY (6:10-17)
  1. Is your family prepared for battle – for war? Spiritually speaking.
  2. John 15:4-5; 2 Corinthians 3:5.
  3. Too many are not strong “in the Lord and in the strength of his might”
  4. Fighting our family battles without truly stressing Jesus!
  5. Faithful attendance at public worship, family worship, serving others – Being real and authentic.
  6. We don’t really stand if we do NOT stand in the Lord.
10. A CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY MAKES PRAYER A PRIORITY (6:18-20)
  1. Always – All prayer – All perseverance – All the saints
  2. Can’t imagine life apart from prayer, and certainly NOT FAMILY LIFE!
  3. Illustration: our children and my step-father. Their words, their sweet prayers, their very lives slowly melted his hard heart.
  4. No one in the family can stop you from praying for them!
CONCLUSION
1. Family – OURS FOR A WHILE TO BE GOD’S FOREVER!
2. Leave a legacy. Make an ETERNAL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF YOUR FAMILY!
3. A Christ-Centered family makes ALL the difference!

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