R379 The Home: Is It Worth Fighting For?

The home is it worth fighting yes it is, you will discover more in that message coming to Dr. Don Wilton today welcome to The Encouraging Word, the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton well-known author badge and seminary professor, and more. Today we go to Ephesians 520 on this message. The home is it worth fighting for. Turn with me to the Ephesians chapter 5 the whole is worth fighting for is your family and your whole worth fighting for. What is your phone mean to you that's read together. Ephesians chapter 5 beginning at verse 22 wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church's body of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for the microphone he cleansing her by the washing with water through the word to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless in the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself often roll. No one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound ministry, but I'm talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself and the wife must respect her husband, children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you might enjoy long life on the earth father's do not exasperate your children. Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Buffalo is it worth fighting for. The home is a wonderful place to be isn't. I asked myself the question, why is it important for for us here at First Baptist Church to spend time talking about and studying about the home and the family Sabin suggested reasons number one because God initiated the whole mix initiated by God. God instituted the home. The family number two because it is pleasing to God we going to discover that God is pleased when our home life and our family life is what God intended it to be number three because it's the best thing that we had.

I have said many times, and I'm certain that you say the same thing that you can take away everything from me, but not my home. My home is not up to debate my family and not up to the bite we love our homes and our families.

This something very special about our home and about our children and our grandparents and mothers and fathers that makes it worth fighting for.

Don't you think the best thing that we have under our salvation, but they number for the home is worth fighting for because we love one another it just a simple as that. I wish I could find some profound theological statement to say to you about about why we should study God's word related to the home, but it's just simply because we love one another. They something so special is about being around our sons and daughters moms and dads God, visiting one another going on vacation together doing things together. Number five. Another good reason is because time is marching on.

I wouldn't be surprised if they would be many people this morning who would readily stand up and say pasta I would stand up right now and say love your mother and father because one day they going to be gone. Love your husband and your wife and your children because time is marching on times going to come when when those people who are so close to you and so important to you are no longer going to be the children grow up so quickly and I've heard people say that once they reach college-age you never lose that love that they go well, there's 1/6 reason that we should do what we doing and why. The home is with fighting formats because the home is in crisis. I think we know that you and I know that families are in crisis.

The home is in crisis we going to look at several of these things during the next few weeks, but there's 1/7 reason the family is the very substance of society. I believe that Satan knows this.

Perhaps best of all residency is not going to take a communist tank rolling down Main Street to cripple the United States of America. Satan already has devised his plan is going to destroy the whole is going to destroy the family unit is going to divide us a son. Well, I think it warrants me saying something that is obvious. If we going to look at the family over the next few weeks and we going to discover what God's word has to say what comprises a family I don't want anybody to be left out of this code is who ever is in that home you may be a single parent.

Yours is a whole you may be a married couple with no children, yours is a home in the family. You may be blessed with one or many children that you view may be a single adult never married and you have a whole I went to the home of a single adult this week. A beautiful home in every sense of the word. A whole. You may be a grandparent in the you suffering from the empty nest syndrome. Yours is a whole maybe maybe you're a senior at Dalton and your window or a widow and you live by yourself and your home is is filled with pictures. I went into the home this week of one of the most precious ladies that I have ever met in my life and and just to going to a home in and to see the pictures on her wall. I even read a poem that one of her granddaughters had written so special grandmother whole will as we come to this time of trying to see what God's word would have to teach us I believe frames that there are five mornings that are made on the home today and I want to share them with you.

I want you to listen carefully. There are five I'm sure there are many more but there are there are five major loans that all falling upon the home to the number one is that the bond of changing values that has descended upon the home today in America. What what we mean by changing values will first of all, there is a compromise and tolerance have become the new buzzwords the order of the day is to compromise at the gospel of today is to tolerate. Secondly, moderation is perhaps the parts word to success in many homes today. Parents believe in teaching their children moderation. You can smoke as long as you only smoked one pack a day in Mark five. It's okay if you drink, but just do it in moderation. It's all right if you class but don't use four letter words and and and and just don't cost all the time. It's okay if you associate with these things and those things just not disputing moderation so we bought three buzzwords compromise and tolerance in an moderation which leads me to the third point about changing values that that difference between wrong and right is becoming increasingly blurred in the home today. What is wrong what is right.

How do we teach one another.

One of the standards by which we operate today the world it it it seems to me has so infiltrated the home to David that it's difficult to to to push everything else aside and to be able to understand that there are very clear lines of absolutes are families today have a tendency to run away from the word absolute never use the word absolute. Don't ever talk about this is absolutely the way we need to do things. There's 1/4 dynamic related to the Damond of changing values there are shifting values which have become the order of the day, it seems, perhaps in in our families and homes that every day we wake up there's a new emphasis there's a there's a shifting value divorce is more acceptable. Sex is more recreational homosexuality is more natural marriage is now more negotiable. Gender is more undefinable child-rearing is more reprehensible. Motherhood is more socially unacceptable fatherhood is more reliable family commitment is more and more unthinkable stable family relationships are becoming more impossible and family values are more and more politically unmentionable shifting values, whether it be divorce or sex or homosexuality or marriage or gender or child-rearing will motherhood or fatherhood of family commitment or family relationships or family values, the Damond of changing values has descended like a cloud upon the whole visit.

Is it worth fighting for but there's a second Damond that I think equally debonding and that is the Damond to watch television. You say, surely not possible. How can television affect home life the Damond to watch television. More and more people are spending more and more time watching television.

It's captivating it it's debonding and what do we see when we turn on the television set daily reports on crime on abuse daily reports on uncontrolled sexuality. Daily reports on militant groups on the fringe of society more frequently Damond their perverted rights, poverty-stricken families operated to satisfy the insanity or bold desire for the American public to do good without having to do single parent frustrations are being prorated across the talkshows of America, poor schools, neglected children standards that are being turned upside down on their heads and to satisfy the world in which we live. We now have a TV rating scale that is prorated so that we can at least know what we are supposed to be watching the Damond watch television. What is it do for the family will first of all, it robs us of time together.

I think we can be honest with that robs us of time because we spend so much time watching the television set so takes away from the special nature of what we trying to do.

But secondly, it impacts our educational standards because the educational means by which our young people are now cleared is to a large extent through the television set the standards in the values and the morals that they are applying to themselves in their formative years are being given to them by the characters and personalities that they see on television, but there's 1/3 impact upon the family. This Damond watch television called exhaustion a lack of sleep. I think we need to be honest with one another. When we set up late at night and watch television or we spend all our time on a beautiful day sitting in front of the TV say it exhausts us physically I hear from educators that more more children are arriving at school it exhausts like tire they cannot think properly because they going to bed so late they watching TV for there's the Damond of changing values in the Damond watch television but there's 1/3 one that comes up on the family and that's the Damond to achieve. There is an incentive bill appetite in America today for everybody to achieve maximum nothing wrong with that. I hope that all parents want their children to achieve many parents want their children to succeed at all costs. Nothing else matters.

Many live out their dreams and and they failed used experiences through the lives of their children.

This can be seen in three different areas and it's a Damond on the family.

It seem first of all, in their relationship, particularly when that door pro sun begins to date. Mom and dad begin to live out their dreams and and their fantasies through their children and begin to impose and begin to push and begin to shove all different directions in the development of their relationship why they want them to succeed.

They want them to marry will they want them to be seen with the very base. It's also seen in the classroom. My prayer is that every young person at First Baptist Church of Spartanburg would have straight A's every two I think that is a noble goal.

I desire that for my family and for every young person but I'm game to say to you my frames that the Damond to achieve whereby the parent believes straight A's at any cost comes at a price the day and age in which we live to the straight pay becomes far more important than the development of character and personality is become a substitute for truth, and many parents today also bent on the children. Getting straight A's and being listed in the school bulletin is having straight A's or whatever it is that parents are not helping their children to do homework anymore. They are doing their homework for them. No wonder so many children arrive at school with perfect projects are perfect papers because mom or dad of Santa Fe and on the whole thing for them what's happening. We are cultivating a generation of young people who no longer need to think for them so the Sapa generation if we don't like this channel we go to the next.

I don't have to think for myself. Television impacts reading our children no longer read their standards are dropping and the more the standards drop, the more the society in which we live, says let the standard so that everybody can be on the same level because we don't want to leave anyone out there that seen in the third place on the sports field. I call it the award syndrome.

The push to achieve the many parents today who are making excuses for their children, they exempt them from spiritual food. They tell them they don't need to be honest retreats they don't need to be in places where they going to be fed spiritually.

All because of the ballgame.

Parents are increasingly making excuses society doesn't help because when we come to the end of the year no matter what is done, everybody's going to get an award one way or the other. One of these days I'm going to look forward to going to an award ceremony with those who have achieved are going to get the award. But in our society today regarding award ceremony and everybody in the entire school gets an award because you cannot leave anybody out and with teaching our children the wrong values when not teaching them discipline and what it means to be rewarded for good work will not teaching them to try for themselves the Damond to achieve what suffers as a result, this spiritual development, their social development, their character and personality development. Their value system begins to suffer, but there's 1/4 Damond and that's the Damond on time on the family as the words and family worth fighting for time. All I could talk about time the age of hyperactivity action oriented people. We all guess what what that's exactly what we all wear action oriented with dizziness is associated with productivity where there are constant new opportunities.

We are a clock conscious people, where in an age where making money is the order of the day way younger and younger people are going out to work with the sheer pace of our work means that we are working longer and harder and later to currently but as long as we earn them as long as we have will pay whatever price no matter what it costs our family and our homes, their high stress jobs people here this morning who are in high stress jobs long, long hours, you can see it in your faces and it just bears down upon you.

There's the traffic congestion of society would take you hours to get from the east to the waste with town meetings are being held in order to discuss why certain roads are being blocked up why there's so much congestion. What can we do, then there is the more mentality there are so many shops to choose from. You feel like you getting giddy and lightheaded. Just trying to decide which one to go to the Damond on time. But then there's 1/4 Damond the Damond for convenience has descended upon the whole modern conveniences and technology only Damond that in the home. We need more and more of it. Listen about answering machines frames to call friends expect friends to call back frames if I really want to remain friends, and it's one thing to have an answering machine and come home and have have 15 or 20 messages but you gotta sit there, go through them on for them, talk to people. Nothing wrong with modern technology, but beloved friends the Damond for convenience has descended upon our family line. The whole is it worth fighting for. Please forgive the eruption will be back with the rest of today's message. The home is it worth fighting for. With Dr. Don Wilton just a moment the doctor done what you know were available for you to pray with you anytime day or night at 8668. That's 866899673 or online@tw.org that's TW.org where you'll find great resources like this The Encouraging Word sale prices will start at six dollars that's right six dollars. Visit us online@wonline.org store located at the top of the page. We appreciate your support The Encouraging Word as a viewer listener supported Street thank you for listening today. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. It's not that we've got these things that we throw out the window and that we don't need technologies not going to stop the monster not going to stop conveniences not going to stop televisions not going anywhere. It's what we do with its how we discipline our sewers. It's how we handle these things is the family worth fighting for is the time that that we spend together worth fighting for. As I began to study this incredible subject on the home and the family are also God to give me a starting point and I went back to the book of Nehemiah.

You want quantitative data. Nehemiah chapter 1 because Nehemiah was a man who was about to build a wall. He was about to embark on a project.

He looked around.

God told him Nehemiah the wall of Jerusalem is broken down. I want you to sit about doing something that may seem impossible that perhaps may be beyond repair.

That may be too difficult to overcome and very Nehemiah chapter 1 and verses five through 11 we find the Lord's servant.

Nehemiah going through a wonderful time of preparation. Let me share with you, just four principles that Nehemiah applied in his own life as he began to consider building the wall. Perhaps we can take these principles in our homeland and our family life as we begin to believe what God is saying to us number one he pray he pray look at verse four. The Bible says when I heard these things, I sat down and whipped for some days I mourned and I fostered and I prayed before the God of heaven he pray someone has said that the family that prays together stays together.

Prayer is the key may be in your family today you recognize so many of these things is as we all do, and you look back and you say is too late. Is there anything that I can do. Pray about what you do that, would you over the next couple of weeks as we study this important subject. Just simply trying for an about your firm about your wife, your husband your mother your father your sons and daughters would you just what you pray for for your family. If you're single adult would you pray for yourself or your home. If you are a widow, would you would you pray for for your home number two. He confessed he sent the verse six. The second part. I confess the sins we Israelites including myself and my father's house have committed against you. Perhaps God is already said to you that this is what you need to do and you know that what you have been doing is not pleasing to God and confess that sin is what the Bible says.

The Bible says that if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. Number one. Pray number two. Confess your sin, your circumstance to God. Number three. He remembered he remembered look at verse eight. Bible says remember the instruction you guys remember but then finally off for help, you pray and awesome God in your family would God has said he will do what a powerful teaching Dr. Wilton today. Again, God is ready to do what he said he would do you open your hearts. Now as the pastor comes in the studio and shares wounds on his heart. Next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my phone in Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is it, citing you were wrapping up the broadcast now, but perhaps it's a brand-new beginning for you if you just prayed to receive Christ has Dr. Don Wilton reading that prayer moments ago will rededicate you to Jesus all we want to celebrate with you what to put some free resources in your hands. Dr. Wilton has prepared and we want to pray with you into the next steps of growing in your faith. Please give us a call and let us know how God's working 866-899-WORD is our phone number that's 866-899-9673 or connect with us online at tewonline.org. That's TW online.org by their be sure and sign up for the day The Encouraging Word oceanfront Dr. Don that's it tewonline.org