Faithful Families Create Stability

1. Read: Genesis 18:19 – “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

2. About the Text:

1) Abraham was consistent in his obedience to God.

2) He also consistently taught his children and household God’s will.

3) This enabled God to bring great blessing upon Abraham.

3. Family Stability

1) What is the most important thing that you can do for your children?

2) Numerous studies show that family instability leads to stunted child development.

3) Family stability is the most important ingredient for rearing children.

4) God’s word gives us the formula for having eminently stable families.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Faithfulness in marriage.

1) “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

2) ‘And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”’ (Matthew 19:4-6).

3) “But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. ‘For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.’”

4) God designed marriage to be a stable environment for rearing children.

5) He does not want divorce.

2. Faithfulness in spiritual instruction.

1) “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him” (Genesis 18:19).

2) “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).

3) “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

3. Faithfulness in example.

1) Children follow their parents’ examples more than any other.

2) This especially applies to parents: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

3) May we be able to say with Paul, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor.11:1).

1. Consistent attendance.

1) We must prioritize God in our families: “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:36-37).

2) We must prioritize God’s kingdom: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

3) We start by being consistent in attendance: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

2. Consistent source of spiritual knowledge.

1) God doesn’t change: “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

2) God doesn’t repent: “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).

3) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

3. Consistent spiritual instruction.

1) “For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease” (2 Peter 1:12-15).

2) “But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

1. The world’s morality changes daily.

1) Cultural Relativism says do whatever the prevalent culture dictates.

2) Hedonism says do whatever makes you feel good right now.

3) Egoism says do whatever promotes your own selfish interests.

4) All of these will change on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis.

2. Jesus gives us something that never changes – truth.

1) “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32).

2) “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).

3) “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

3. God’s moral standard is the highest of standards; it is set and does not change.

1) The Golden Rule – “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

2) Loving your neighbor – “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10).

3) Loving your enemies – “‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:43-45).

1. Faithful families create stability because they have . . .

1) Faithful Parents

2) A Consistent Church

3) Unchanging Morality

2. Invitation