Sermons

Building a Christ-First Family!

Posted by Alex on
Sermon on November 18 by Pastor Roland Eskinazi

Scripture: Psalm 127

What is the greatest task of any parent, and church family? Shaping our children to see that their lives are about Him!
Here is a psalm that in Jewish tradition is recited as part of a thanksgiving service after childbirth.

If you want to build a Christ-first family

1. LET THE LORD BUILD YOUR HOUSE!

  • Without the Lord you work and watch in vain (v1)
    Unless the Lord builds our homes, we will be teaching our children to find their security outside of Him.
    Do you worship the Lord in your family, or do you bow before pragmatism (whatever works for us)?
  • Without the Lord you worry in vain (v2)
    Are you trusting your life and the lives of those you love entirely to the Father’s care?
    Your failures do not define you as a Christian parent. So let the Fatherhood of God turn down the volume of anxiety to zero.

2. LET THE LORD BLESS YOUR HERITAGE!

  • Your children are gifts to be cherished, not squandered (v3)
    The Bible never conceives of children as interruptions, or burdens but only as blessings.
    Your children may well be a handful – before they become a quiver- full.
  • Your children are arrows to be sharpened, not stunted (v4-5a)
    An arrow was a stick first! Like arrows in Solomon’s day, our children must be carefully shaped and sharpened.
    Are you preparing now to release your child to live strategically for Jesus and the kingdom?
  • Your children are signposts to Jesus, not you (v5b)
    When children are raised to love Christ and walk in His ways, they become your living legacy to the gospel and grace.

Remember! None of us will get to the end of our lives thinking we have spent too much time teaching our children to love Christ- and to love and serve the church.
Let us build families where Christ is first, and where our children are shaped to live for Him.

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION
1. Why do many in our day think of children as interruptions to life? How can we be influenced by that thinking even in the church?
2. What is the greatest need of a child? Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Why do parents have the best opportunity to help their children frame what they know about Christ?
3. Why is the ‘arrow’ a good description of a child? What does this say to us about our responsibilities to our children?
4. Pray about opportunity to serve a child, children or parents whether you are single or have no kids.

 

Photo credit FreeImages.com/Crissy Pauley