God’s Design for a Christian Family

About this sermon

The Christian family is divinely designed to fully develop followers of Christ. Although God works through nations and leaders, a family is a transcendent unit, ordained by God to do great things. In the case of a medical emergency, if we have a broken arm or our child’s fever spikes, we know exactly where to go. Doctors and nurses, technicians and staff are trained at any hospital to help us through our crisis. But many of the crises people are facing today are non-medical. So where do we go for the urgent care most of us need? In this message, Ed Young looks at God’s Word to show us how the family is set up as a trauma center. It is only there that we can receive the personal care and attention we need to help us through whatever emergency we may be facing in life. Why Is a Christian Family So Important? You can say your family is like a hospital or a trauma center. That’s the purpose of a family. When your family becomes a trauma center, everybody can be part of the healing process. It's a safe place. 4 Ways to Make Your Christian Family a Trauma Center: 1. Motivated staff Mom and dad, you're the staff. If you're a single parent, you're the staff. You are the staff and you're the chief physicians. If you understand your role, you can be motivated to fulfill God’s design for a healthy family. The Bible states in Mark 2:17 (NIV), “'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” In Galatians 6:2 (TLB), it says, “Share each other’s troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord’s command.” Finally, Hebrews 3:13 (NIV) reads, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” Parenting is the most difficult thing to do. Children need discipline and boundaries. They want love, but they also need to experience consequences. The Christian family provides them with the safety net they need to mature and thrive in this world. 2. Educated approach When you're educated, you can discern between drama and trauma. We know that our kids like to separate and dominate. Learning how to parent your kids is vital. We have more resources available today than ever before. Books, articles, and YouTube, it’s all available for us to learn. Bedtimes can be a learning experience when the kids are small. Go into their room, just let them talk, and ask some questions, you won't believe what you'll hear. This is one way you can help them in this family hospital. Meal times are a place to help our kids learn how to talk and converse as well. Ask questions and then listen. When your Christian family becomes a trauma center, everybody can be a part of the healing process, even young children. 3. Dedicated plan What's God's plan for parenting? In case you’re wondering, the family is not a democracy. No, it’s designed to be a theocracy—God-led. This is straight from Scripture. Parenting is the process of teaching (Deuteronomy 6) and training (Proverbs 22:6) your kids (Genesis 2:24) to leave. Spouses stay, kids leave. The Christian family is beautiful when we're doing it God's way. You can do it another way, and it might be okay, but we want to reach the ultimate pinnacle. We want to have the ultimate success, and that comes by doing it God's way. If you have an injury or an illness, the doctor sends you home with a plan. It may be physical therapy, it could be a prescription, it could be a diet and exercise plan. It’s essentially a detailed plan to get you healthy. As believers, we have the Bible to guide us, which is God’s dedicated plan for a healthy Christian family. 4. Saturated system Hebrews 10:25 (NIV) says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We have an opportunity to allow the church to assist us in making the home a trauma center. What entities really highlight and underscore family values—those transcendent values given to us by God? You might say our educational system. But by and large, I would say no. There are some exceptions, but for the most part, no. How about the government? Doubtful. How about arts and entertainment? Family issues, those transcendent values? Not really. If you’re among the sick and hurting, ask God to lead you to a Christian trauma center where your healing can begin. The Bible says God is the great Physician and He knows every part of your pain. Turn to Him today. If you have questions, need prayer, or want to make a commitment to follow Jesus, reach out to us online or in person at Fellowship Church, where we believe the Lord is faithful to refresh, rehabilitate, and renew our homes, our families, and our hearts day by day. The Family is a Trauma Center | Family Business | Pastor Ed Young God’s Design for a Christian Family #ChristianFamily #ChristianValues #ChurchFamily

Topics

• Children & Family