Service Times: 8am / 9:30am / 11am
August 15, 2010
Strong Families Raise Good Decision-Makers – To Save a Family, Pt. 3
Sermon by Trent Thompson
Read Deuteronomy 6: 4-7
God’s Template for teaching children:
1. Love God
…v5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your strength”
2. Learn His Word
…v6 “These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts.”
3. “Impress them upon your children”
…v 7 “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you travel together and when you go to bed and when you get up in the morning.
…All scripture is god-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:17.
As parents and grandparents we are bound by God’s commands to equip and train our kids to be prepared to live in this world without compromise. We can give them the tools to stand up for themselves and be an example for others in the same desire to live as Christians.
They learn and are encouraged by the way we live our daily lives.
Read Luke 10:25-37
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” …In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
We offer three levels of love for God in this world: the one that asks “who is my neighbor?” in order to avoid the responsibility if we don’t ‘feel’ like it. The second type is the “I am too busy with all my important commitments” to stop and help anyone. The third love, the one our Lord has for us, is to help, commit and feel responsible, this is the what we should live for, to learn and work toward in out relationship to all people.
Read Luke 9: 57-62
“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the other man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God,” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 10:1 “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them….
Those who were left behind suffered being left out of the Lord’s work for the sake of convenience, of being culturally correct, and/or living by certain standards. We can’t live by the world’s standards and proclaim our allegiance to the Lord. The Lord’s work is urgent and can’t be put off. We can’t look back or worry about what others think – move forward, be willing to give up everything. Be committed.
“Salvation is free; discipleship will cost you your life” Dietrich Bonhoffer