Family

Family

[The below text has been machine translated and may contain errors. Please listen to audio for original and integral translation]

So I have the words here to say um, but I guess what led me to share today or what to share about. Um It is been kind of a recurring theme um that I’ve been thinking about. And if I go back to, you know, probably the biggest words that I heard from god I this year and a came through easy. Um ah, you know, we sent the kids out to college and um, we never knew ah, how prepared they are for the world and that’s brutal out there. Um and I guess it was eye opening to, you know, we tried to establish a good foundation. Come in and thankfully, you know, through this church and raising them here, you know, I think ah, you know, tammond, i had a part in it but, but everybody here had a part in building that foundation, mom and you know, we want to shelter our kids and we, in a way, I guess, you know, we want to shelter him from the bad stuff, but, you know, we just can, you know, it soon. They go out in the world, they’re going to get it mom than in November. hannah saying, you know, dad, you didn’t tell me, it was going to be this way. He anal. I mean, and I was just like, oh my gosh, you know, we, did, we failed the, you know, I don’t, you know, how do you prepare them for what they’re going to see out there and, you know, she went to greensboro. Yeah, no, it’s um, you know, we’re not very far. And I, you know, but there’s kids from philly and dc and, you know, the world’s much different than and I to them and they just, they weren’t expecting. Um, you know, gabby had her her share to of what the city was like and I think she got her fill of it and is now out there. Um. But then you know, easy. Last year it was, you know, we, we said 2 girls out so you know, the boys going to be easier, right? I mean, he anal, he’s a bowl and he’s ready to take charge and go out in the world and the anal the should be easy. And then the calls came in and in a week one and it was, it was frightening that it wasn’t good. The anal, i’m like, wait a 2nd. Yeah. Now the girls made it. Yeah. Now. And in that, you know, it’s not a, a masculine or feminine thing, but it’s like what they were prepared for. And he’s down in mickey’s port. And I, you know, Of some oversight there. And then he’s on campus, you know, with a bunch of guys and I’m in a dorm and stuff, but Oh, my gosh, in a week one went by week 2 and there was rough, you know, I mean, I don’t vienna, he really didn’t want to be there in for good reasons, when you see what’s out there in the world and down the, you know, coming from a church background are coming from a conservative background and you know, you think you’ve seen staff and of course, you know, they have social media and things like that so they’re not completely isolated from the world, but it’s different when you’re living in it and you know, week to, we’re still wandering the anal and I guess the girls had conversations with them behind the scenes say a me and I lucky better. You know, you don’t have a choice, you know, so luckily had some strong siblings to lean on and, and didn’t have the burden. His mom and I with everything that he was feel and let down. Ah, but you know, we got through it and we decided probably that that might not be the best fit for him. You know, going forward. And he, and he said to me on the, on the way home You know, everything that we’re dealing with in this world, you know, you can see the 3 boys um and none of them knew their dad. You know, I think 2 of them were incarcerated. One was just missing and you know, I, I thought she was gonna torpedo her classes to start because she was so busy helping them on their math. You know, they were so far behind and, and then they would stay up all night and play games and m L M, they just, you know, I had the teller in or you got to quit, you know, I mean I, you have a great heart and everything but you got to concentrate on you a little bit and you know, I guess that’s why we, you know, what we’re do and then is preparing our kids and send and mountain the world. And hopefully they can be the light. But um, you know, it’s so, so rough out there in, it seems like it’s gotten, you know, accelerated, you know, in the past couple years when we see in our cities on fire and, you know, everything that we grew up with is, in my age, you know, is all wrong, I mean, I never thought we’d hear about pronouns after english class. You know, now it’s the crazy stuff you know. And um, when people on a piece you know, will pull the bible apart and take pieces of it. You know, it’s either all you got to take it all, you know, it’s either all right. Or it’s all wrong. You know, they, you know, if we don’t have every bit of it in all the 10 commandments and you know, than, than we don’t have any of them. And um, you know, we, you know, have so many people working against us and work and against our family and dino. So that’s what my sermon is today is you know, just about, um, the gift, the family um and so much that we learned here here in this church and from other families. You know, I, now we don’t have too many young families here or, you know, I guess them You know, there are days that we do um, but I think the message, you know, is to help them. And, you know, I mean, there’s a lot of grandkids you know, represented by the grandparents here to day. So you know, we need to back them up in hold them up and pray for them continuously. Because you know, our numbers are getting, as christians are getting smaller, you know, if you see what’s happened, the United methodist church, you know, breaking apart, you know, over, you know, fundamental bible, you know, believing principles. And, um, you know, you just can’t believe it. He just can’t believe that they wanna, you know, change which is, you know, things that are 2000 or more years old that, you know, we’ve all believed in. And, and they wanna Gonna change it. And you know, it’s definitely attack of the enemy. Um, you know, if he can get in, pull the, the family apart, he can pull the rest of it apart to um, you know, the attack against the family. Ah, today is real. Like My go backwards. Yeah, but what’s up and what to down I think I’ve gotten that wrong before. No. So I’m going backwards. So this is up I. That’s all. Oh okay. The tax family is real, you know, to then I, this is to let the enemy do his work and to ignore it is to put our home under direct threat of the enemy. And you know, we need to bring our whole household to christ. And as christians, we believe that god has ordained 3 basic institutions. You know, the church, the family, the government, you know, and this is all for the benefit of Human kind. The family exist to propagate the race and to provide a safe and secure haven to which to nurture, teach love the younger generation. And the church exists to individuals and families by share and the love of god in the message of repentance and salvation through the blood. Of jesus christ and the government exists to maintain cultural equilibrium and to provide a framework for social order. Then the family is the institution ordained by god, provide safe nurturing enclosure, where husbands and wives been love, one another freely where children can be conceived, born, adopted, raised, loved, and courage, instructed and ultimately released to form their own families. It’s the place that is designed to meet our basic human needs. It’s a place to learn values in theology. It’s a safe, secure place To learn from our failures. It’s a place to live out our sorrows at a place to discover mean a life. It’s a place to talk think and try out new ideas in families. We should be loved and disciplined. And given a good example to follow, father should lead and mother should nurture. And it’s a place where we develop character in an atmosphere of unconditional and accountable love The eternal plan for a family. As I understand it begins with a lifelong commitment between a man and woman unguarded by absolute loyalty and fidelity to one another. The husband devote himself to the best interests of his wife, providing for needs and protecting her to the point of death if necessary. The wife honors her husband devotes herself to him and respects his leadership in the family. If they are blessed with children, those children are recognised to have inestimable worth and dignity, and not for what they produce or accomplish for who they are in god’s own handiwork. No, they are taught and very young, very young to yield to the authority of their parents boundaries of behaviors and established in advance and then enforced with reasonable firmness. They learned honesty, integrity, humility, self control, personal responsibility, sexual purity, concerns for others, with work ethic and the fundamentals of their faith. And they should never be subjected to humiliation rejection, sexual exploitation or abuse of any kind. Instead, they enjoy unconditional love and are raised in a fear in an admiration for the Lord you know, society depends on the family. It’s if the family falls apart or sigh, our society will unravel. And just and we can’t just keep looking away. And I’d like new hope to help families stay together and thrive. The home is the greatest foundation you’ll ever have to build on. Oh the concept the family goes back to the origins when god created adam and eve and told them Yeah, that can be fruitful and increase in numbers, fill the earth and subdue it. As a result, the 1st family came to be mean and through it was with a rough star families had been the basic building block of Human kind. ever since families are important. They give us our name In our identity. Oh, you know this year as we, you know, changed, you know, had hannah changed her name. That’s weird, but we joined the gay sick family and you know, through marriage and dumb, you know, I, I remember, you know, this is Tammy and I were raising kids. You know how we thought that was, you know, they’re only gonna be ballinger for so long and then they’ll join another family. And, you know, one of the biggest things we learned from this church though is, and we, we started when they are very little, is to pray for their spouses. You know, so even though we didn’t know cole at the time, you know, we’ve been praying for him for years. You know, I always wonder, do we, do, we know who we’re praying for. Yeah. There. You know, some, you know, and we didn’t, we really didn’t know call til just a couple years ago. Um, but now, you know, I got a new son and, you know, it’s, it’s a wonderful thing. But you know, these names, they, you know, they, they illustrate a family tree with the brutes. And, you know, we get to look at the why branch esther reading spreading over generations. And they give us, you know, and identity and self confidence and self esteem and dumb the quote from confucius. whats me and I’m not my guy, but no, he considered families to be the basic unit of Social order. strong families form the basis for strong community strong communities. The basis for strong states a strong states the basis for a strong nation. You know, it’s no secret that some families and have a better than others. And that’s a mystery. Why is it that, you know, out of one family comes a legacy of civic leaders while another generation after generation are dependent on the charity of others. You know, is it a matter a good genes or smart choices or luck of the draw or, you know, is it obedience to God? Um, we know that, Ah, In numbers. Oh. Okay. Oh oh, the numbers you know ah, from the sins of her father, the Lord is slow to anger, abounding love, and forgiving sin and rebellion. yet he does not leave the guilty and punished. He punishes the children for the sins of their parents to the 3rd and 4th generation. Good news is if we inherit the shortcomings of her parents, we also inherit the strength and virtues as well. And you know, I think we all say that we take a bullet for our wives and Children, but you know, sometimes you know, that probably isn’t going to happen. But is that some of the damage that is being done to our wives and Children coming from our own? You know, I mean, yeah, we’ll take a bullet form. But, you know, are we willing to say the right stuff that we’re not damaging them? You know, that were things that are just as bad The impact that families have on us. A huge psychological psychological psychologist, tell us that are personalities are formed by the time we are 5 years old. So whatever your early childhood experiences is, the basis of who you are and what makes you tick. And that’s not the experience of a lot of people today. In today’s world, you’ll find every possible combination of blended extended and adopted family. Some are healthy, some are not any more healthy family as the exception to the rule and not the norm. yet the truth remains that we need a place of belonging, a place to be nurtured and loved, and given strength and courage meant to grow and become the person that god is created. us to be, you know, from the beginning of the time that place was and is the family, the problems with families, even the healthiest the families is the family loyalty can easily trump god’s authority. And We get from the 5th command at the honor, your father and mother, so that you may live in the land of your lord. Your god has given you, but not to be superseded by The 1st mamma. thou shall have no other gods before me. So, you know, even though we think of our parents is Sometimes gods when we’re little, you know, that they can do everything and they are all knowing. And you know, there’s nothing that they can’t do. You know, they’re, It’s critical that growing up that they accept the fact that they’re not gods, and they never have been and never will be. And they don’t have all the answers and that they’re not super heroes and that they’re not always going to be there to bill you out. So give your parents the respect that to do them, but pay the ultimate allegiance to God. The same holds true regarding children when jesus said In matthew, anyone who loves me, anyone who loves their father and mother more than me is not worthy of me. Anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And that’s an early lesson, you know, And you see that a lot today that the parents that worship their kids more than they worship their god and their kids can’t do anything wrong. You know, you have the term helicopter parents that just, you know, hover over their kids. And although it’s well intended, it’s just misplaced and because we’re all out of order with family and God, and, you know, we end up with that. You know, that, you know, when they flunk a test that the teacher small, it’s not their fault. And you know, when something a call goes, doesn’t go their way in sports that it’s the, you know, the restful, not the kids phone and that’s left on display. You know, everywhere you go, You know, left unchecked. The pattern of my child can do no wrong carries on the, in the, in the adolescence. And now it’s the employer. That’s be an unfair government that’s being unfair. They are someone of authority. That’s be an unfair Love and devotion within the family, whether children, parents, brothers, sisters, sans uncles, and cousins must always be tempered with the greater love and devotion to God. If not the family, it will become isolated ingrown and exclusive. And I’ll do this for him but not for you because he’s not family. And um, you know, then be, then we become planning and tribal and dumb. It leads to a lot of fighting and endless. I animosity and, you know, with the famous hat feels mccoy’s from appalachia. But now we’re, you know, we’re kind of there to, to day that we have, you know, read counties, blue counties or are we, you know, I mean, we’re at a point where We’re very divided and we don’t share anything in common. Um and you know, I do see a lot of Family on one side. I see less family on another side. Um, but I know with my experience, you know, I’ve left pennsylvania and flew down to Florida and met up with a whole bunch of other people in boot camp. And um, maybe we just weren’t politically charged them or, you know, I think it was a different world, but, you know, we all just got along. We weren’t that different whether we’re from New York or california or he anal. I mean, we had funny accents and things like that, but, but some, there wasn’t the divide that there is, there seems to be now and dumb. And that’s troubling. tribalism was never part of god’s great design for the family gardens. tent gods intent was for us to be united not only with the family of origin, but also with families in a common spirit and purpose. You know, as our church family working together for a common good, you know, for the glory of god and I think that’s where falls apart because some of us are working for god and a whole bunch of others are not. And we don’t then come together for the common good unity of the scope as possible. Only in a self identified family, identified racial, regional, and tribal identity and common identity and Children of god. And that’s possible only through the common faith in jesus christ. And Paul Said galatians for all of you who are baptized and cries so close yourself and christ, there is no jew or gentile neither slave nor free, nor is there a male or female For you are all one in christ. And if you belong to christ, then you are abraham seed. And here’s the, according to the promise With got her father and christ. Our brother were able to live in unity as a family of god and relate to each other as brothers and sisters in christ. How does that come exactly come about? Exactly. How do you get to be a member of god’s family? And the bible speaks of this and in 3 ways. You know, 1st there’s the inheritance. There are children who come into the family by faith, by virtue of being born into a christian family where the parents shares god’s love for the thumb and the early stages of infancy. And they read them bible stories and they teach and pray. They help them to learn how to worship, and they teach them right from wrong and how to use good judgment and make wise choices. These child children grow up, they assume their place in the church and they embrace the faith of their fathers and mothers make them make it their own. And you know in 2nd timothy, i am reminded of your sere, sincere faith in which which 1st lived in your grandmother, lois and your mother. Denise and I am persuaded now lives in you also While some children then inherited their place in the family, others ah find their place by association. They learn the ropes from living in a community of those around them. Come take for example, the x of the story, when the people of israel fled egypt, they took the children with them. As a result, they crossed the parted waters of the red sea and wandered into the wilderness with the people of god. Even though they had no idea where they were going. And then the new testament, peter went into the home of the roman centurion, cornelius, and ah, tonia lease accepted jesus and had the holy spirit come on him and his whole house was saved. Including his wife and Children, and in the servants. Now that he wasn’t, you know, there was another example or another example would bee pollen. silas, who went out to, to preach in the end of the crypt, created such a stir that, you know, they were beaten and thrown into prison and shackled. And you know, later that night with an earthquake the, the shackles fell off them an ah, the jailer that was in charge of them was so worried you know, that they would have all escape. And certainly that would have been death for him. And he was shocked when he seen polish silas were there and asked them how he could be saved them. And you know they are Where the jailer in a Called for lights rushed in and fell trembling before paul and silas. And then he brought them out. Now sir, what must i do to be saved? And they replied, leaving the Lord jesus and you will be saved You in your household, and then they spoke the bird lorden to him and to all in his house. And that hour of the night, the jailer took them, washed their wounds, and then immediately he and his household were baptized and the jailer brought them into the house and set a meal before them. And he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in god he and his whole household. Um now some you know, come into god’s grace by inheritance and by association than the others are just adopting into the faith M D and o. And you know, for those who were led by the spirit of god or the children of god, the spirit he received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear. Again. Rather, the spirit he received brought about your adoption and sonship. And by him we cry ever, father, the spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are god’s children, you know, and I love that image, that the and all the people, the earth, somehow god has chosen us to know him and share the good news of his grace and love with others. In god elect us, not for privilege but for service. It’s our job to bear witness to the living christ and to tell everyone that will listen what he’s done for us and what he’ll do for you. Um that’s what god would have. You know that by the inspiration, the holy spirit, he called your name and opened your mind and heart to knowing what you know that you belong to him. You know, and whether it’s by whether you come the faith by inheriting the face of your fathers are picking up from around you are hearing the word of god. Calling your name doesn’t mean a thing until you say yes that you embrace jesus christ, the Lord and accept them into your life. And only then will you truly know the place of Family. So I hope you know what you get out of this is 2nd to christ himself. The gift the family is the greatest gift to us for. It’s within the family of faith that we experience performance of his salvation, not alone, but in the company of all those who know jesus christ as their savior. This is gods. This is the nature of god’s great family, a faith, the family that knows no boundaries except an all encompassing love of god, made known by jesus christ and you know, there, there’s a old gospel song probably thus done by johnny cash. Maybe, you know, that asked will, the, will the circle be unbroken? You know, will the family in which we grew up with ever come back together again And we’ll be able to see our family friends and loved ones in heaven. Enjoy a glad and happy union with all those that have gone before us. You know, like I said, the answer might be yes, you know? And I guess so, and not only will the family circle be unbroken, it will be inclusive and it will be forever. So give, you know, thanks for the gifts, the family from gone. And then you know, we start with those that the brought us into the world and gave us our 1st experience of faith and hope. And then we brought that circle to our extended family or clans and our tribes and You know, and then you know, the whole family of god, you know, we are countless brothers and sisters in christ and are thankful for them. And you know, I think, you know, just the family is just so under attack that we just need to spend time praying for families in general play, praying for our families And you know, praying that we get back to you know, the new killer family, the family that’s described in the bible frame, you know, It only works that way. You know this, anything that’s hurted from that is not, you know, it’s not part of the bible. It’s not part of god’s plan. And that’s why we see all the, the turmoil and the craziness, and He, and I think, you know, we just need to spend that time frame for family. So in closing, more god, I just thank you for this message lord and I thank you for clear in any obstructions, whether it be lost glasses or lost the you know, bad clickers, lord that you know, you got us through this lord and I just pray for all the families, lord, all the families of this church, lord and all the families in jesus christ that are out there. lord. And we just pray for the restoration of those families more that they can come to know you better lord and through soci ation for through people watching them Let them see that light. Let them see that a way that family has something, you know, what is it that they have? Let us, you know, go out and be the song and light, lord of families everywhere that we can help spread this faith and help spread your word. lord, come in and we see these other 0, one of the families that in our just aren’t designed them with you in it lorden and we see them fall apart and see them have problems. And lord, help them realize that, you know, there’s only one true family lord that you know that we need to be in fellowship with you lord than the that’s the only way family survives lordy. We just thank you lord, and we bless this day for our dinner here. lord. And we thank you for your hand and lord jesus christ branan In israel was sharing at the end here a sort of filling lead. Ah yeah. It sort of a safe place here. Yeah, we, we, we do everything we can to ensure that it’s a safe place. So what I would encourage you is if you’re sure this morning and even if you have a, a, what looks in the outside a healthy family. No mom, dad room says whatever, or whether you’re fail is completely torn of heart and broken. If you are in need of healing right now, if you are feeling broken in relation to your family, ah, if he could raise her hand and for those who are not in that place, we gather round them. And I’m gonna make you come for and start praying for healing and restoration of families. You know, no matter how broken your natural family may be. Um, you know, and your daughter, the family of god there’s, there’s always healing for you. Ah, the one though never leave you the one that will never forsake you. Ah, so I could encourage you be so vulnerable if you could use prayer right now for healing from broken this in your family and please feel for razor here. Was my garage in love on you pray for, you Know, that, you know, maybe it’s not a survey or a break, or maybe there’s not something that you can say that me it’s he own we all mean more of god in our family. We all need to focus on him more. I him be the center things we often let other things get in that place. And so whether that’s, you know, there’s a specific need right now, or whether it’s just any more of the Lord really? Um, so that’s why I wanna pray and honestly, I don’t need you to raise your hands. I know that’s a great idea. I love it. But if you can just reach out your hands to the people nearby you. Most of your with your families, which is awesome. And exciting. So if you can just reach out in and just we’re gonna pray over everybody in the room. Okay. So it’s not just pacific thing because I know that there’s need everywhere. God, it wants to meet them all. I know he does. So I’m gonna pray and, and then just kind of pray for each other. You know, I’m, so lord, we do thank you so much for your truth and your word. And you are our source and you are a foundation and our families. We thank you for robin lowered you late on his hard to share to day guy is so true, lord that we need you. So god, I pray right now for each one in this room right now. This is your body, this is your family and lord. So I pray for their specific needs, god, you know, every heart represented here, you know, every situation, god, you know, the depths of each one of us and God, I know that she want to reach us where we are. So I pray, holy spirit to wave through this place right now, or that she would fill each one to overflowing. God, that every single need every single desire, every single thing that they’re holding out to you or that it would be met to day or that they would know you’re real. They would know your true cat that you haven’t forgotten them, where they are, they know, you know, every single detail learn whether they’ve asked for it or not. You know, you know. And so right now I’m asking on the behalf of those and maybe did in math or maybe they don’t see it the way you do. But lord, you have a plan and a purpose for each one of us. And so god, I pray for intervention and with you the day ward that she would meet each heart where they are or that you would speak the words they need to hear. Whether it be through a one of us, whether it just be inside. They know, god, holy spirit that you’re there, or we know that you have our best in mind all ways. So god help us to yield to you. Help us to recognize that truth, that you are about we need, you will fill those away. It’s kind that maybe were caused by who knows what you are, the answer you want to be are all in all you are more than enough. You have paid the price. And so god, I li, each situation to you to day. Holy spirit, i really way here are we thank you for your blessings. We thank you for your pro vision. We thank you for your healing. We thank you that you love us so much where that you want want to me? That’s where we are. So god, I pray for yielding to day lord, I pray for softening. What did I pay for a rob, alicia, and who you are to us where we are. This is not only a corporate thing, this is an individual learned, you know, each one of us, you know, every hair on our head. You’ve known us before we were born. God, you had every, every good thing for us. So I pray right for receiving of those good things where I know it takes us co operating with you where to take as a recognizing who you are. So god, I pray for revelation in each hard, in each life, in each family car, the you are the source, you are the center of all that we we need. Where do you providing who called this world enter exist you spoke get into existence. You spoke us into his head to head and so hi, babe you beg your hard. Thank you lord you’re so good. You are so good. Thank you.