Raising Godly Families:

In an Ungodly World

I.                   History of family unit (PEW Chart)

A.     Nuclear Family (Cosby Show)

According to Martin Schneider of Etymology Research, “In its most common usage, the term nuclear family or elementary family refers to a household consisting of a father, a mother, and their children all in one household. It comes from the Latin lux/nucleus = core, kernel to signify that all members are part of the same core.”

Our first known nuclear family was Adam and Eve (Gen 2:21-25).

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; ²² And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. ²³ And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man. ²⁴ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ²⁵ And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

B. Blended Family (Brady Bunch)

1. Abraham (Genesis 21:1-21)

 NOTE: The wrong way to blend a family.

 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. ² For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. ³ And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. ⁴ And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. ⁵ And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him. ⁶ And Sarah said, God hath made me laugh so that all that hear will laugh with me. ⁷ And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. ⁸ And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. ⁹ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. ¹⁰ Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. ¹¹ And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. ¹² And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. ¹³ And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. ¹⁴ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. ¹⁵ And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. ¹⁶ And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. ¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. ¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. ¹⁹ And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. ²⁰ And God was with the lad, and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. ²¹ And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

2. Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25)

NOTE: The right way to blend a family.

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. ²⁰ But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. ²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. ²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. ²⁴ Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: ²⁵ And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

C. Single-Parent Family

1. Hagar (Genesis 21:15-21)

II. Commitment

A.    God-Marriage-Family (Threefold Cord) Triangle diagram

(Ecc 4:9-12) 9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

III. Rules w/o Relationship = Rebellion (RRR)

A.    God shows us in his infinite wisdom how he cultivates a relationship with us.

Ø God loves us and has a plan for our lives. (John 3:16 & 10:10)

Ø Sin separates us from his love and plan for our lives. (Rom 3:23 & 6:23)

Ø Jesus Christ is God’s only provision. (Rom 5:8 & John 14:6)

Ø We must individually receive Jesus. No one else can do it for us. (John 1:12 & Eph 2:8)

So without God, you’re living in open rebellion. Therefore, you cannot experience God’s love or his plan.

Psalms 78:1-8

 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. ² I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: ³ Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. ⁴ We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come to the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. ⁵ For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children ⁶ That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: ⁷ That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: ⁸ And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

I Corinthians 10:11

Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world have come.

B. How do we establish this relationship with our families?

            1. Love our families ___Unconditionaly_______.

            Give _________yourself_________ to them.

            Get involved in their _____Lives___.

            Know your spouse and your children's’ ____Love Language__.

            Establish and cultivate open lines of ____Communication___________.

            ____pray____ with and for your family.

IV. Conflict Resolution

            A. My family is not the enemy!

                        1. Identify the root cause(s).

                        2. Recognize the enemy in the midst of any disagreement.

                        3. Confront the enemy.

                        4. Pray, believe, and conquer! (Daniel 2:17-19)

                        5. Seek godly counsel when needed. (Proverbs 11:14)

Answer Key: unconditionally, yourself, lives, love language, communication, pray