BREAKTHROUGH – Part 2 – Winning the Battle for Your Family

GETTING STARTED:

We live in a world that downplays the value of the home. We don’t realize the kind of world our children face each day, and how things have changed. Our children in the Teens are growing up with Lady Gaga, Drake, iPhones, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, sexting, and gay marriage. Our kids see more, they know more, they experience more, and they grow up so much faster. Sex talk is nothing to them because they hear it every day. Against that reality, these words of Dr. James Dobson strike home: “We must make the salvation of our children our number one priority. Nothing else is more important.”

ONE BIG IDEA!

EVERY PERSON NEEDS A GOD, AND EVERY PERSON MUST SERVE THE GOD THEY CHOOSE.

STUDY:

JOSHUA 24:15D – “…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord (NLT).”

LEARN:

FIVE DECISIONS IF WE DESIRE OUR FAMILY TO SERVE GOD:

BUILD A GRATEFUL FAMILY (Joshua 24:11-13)

As Joshua recounts the story of the conquest of the Promised Land, he reminds them of what the Lord had done for them.

Do not forget that you owe everything to God.  Joshua wants the people never to forget they owed everything to God. After all, the Israelite army had won battle after battle, often routing the enemy from the field. It would be natural to start thinking, “We’re really good at conquering.” But that thought is always deadly. We should not take credit for the victories provided by God. Otherwise, we would soon turn away from the Lord. Bear in mind, the business, the job, the house, the car that you have are provisions from God.  Yes, you worked hard for it but God was with you. We ought to do with our families what Joshua does with the people of Israel. It’s a good thing to review past blessings and to make a written record of God’s faithfulness. A good memory of God’s blessings is a defense against backsliding on our faith.

TEACH FAMILY TO WORSHIP GOD (Joshua 21:14a) 

When we think about the fear of the Lord, many people get the idea of cringing in terror. The biblical concept is much broader than that. Fearing the Lord means having such deep respect for God that we want to please Him in all we do. One writer says, “Fearing the Lord means inner devotion that causes us to honor God.”

How do we share this “inner devotion” with our families? Inner Devotion is more of an ATMOSPHERE than a PROGRAM. When the parents truly fear God, their children will learn to fear Him too. When they love the Lord, it will be natural for the children to love him too. When they sing hymns, their children will learn the words. When they pray, their children will quietly pray with them.

Men bear a heavy responsibility in this area. For too many years, we have delegated SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP to women while we went out into the world to make a living. We have laid a burden on the women God never intended them to bear alone. God meant spiritual leadership to be a shared burden, but the men must take the initiative if we truly want God’s blessing. Worshipping God is better CAUGHT than TAUGHT.

SURRENDER TO GOD’S LORDSHIP (Joshua 24:14a)

Every area of life must be surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. “Wholeheartedly” means there can be no “hidden rooms” that we reserve for ourselves. It means putting aside the false gods worshipped by the pagans.

I read of a prisoner who received a book from a Christian author by the name of Ray Pritchard (show picture). In the letter, he shared this testimony of God’s grace in his life: “magazines like Penthouse, Easy Rider, American Rodder, Playboy, and Hot Rod. But today as I look around, none of those exist—only Bibles and good reading. I enjoy spending time reading the Bible. I can’t tell you how many times in my life I have tried to get what I saw others had from that book but never did. But one of my brothers here told me to pray for understanding. Just like that, reading became joyful. My Lord has changed my life, I never could have. I praise God for saving my life by sending me to a place where he could slow me down and take me from Satan. Thank you, Jesus.”

I believe this man’s conversion is genuine because when he came to Christ, he got rid of the gods from “beyond the River.” The old literature went out with his old life and was replaced by the Word of God and good Christian material. That’s a sign of the genuine work of God’s Spirit in his heart. It’s also a sign he is becoming a student of obedience.

REMEMBER YOUR SPIRITUAL HERITAGE (Joshua 24:15a)

Make your choice! If you don’t want to choose the living and true God, then go back to the false gods you used to worship. Some people prefer the gods of this world to the one true God of the Bible. Their eyes are so blinded by sin and their heart so given to fleshly indulgence that they would rather drink from the well of sin than to drink from the Water of Life.

Here we see the genius of biblical religion. We can’t force people to serve the Lord. If they prefer some other way, then so be it. It’s almost always a mistake to crowd people too closely when we attempt to win them to Christ. Someone said, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” We have nothing to fear and everything to gain by presenting the options and giving people the right to make up their own minds.

CHOOSE DAILY TO SERVE THE LORD (Joshua 24:15d)

We are to serve the Lord, and we are to do everything in our power to see that our family follows our example. Matthew Henry said, “Serving the Lord involves ‘serious godliness.’” That phrase captures the spirit of Joshua’s words. If we are going to do what he did and say what he said, it will mean “serious godliness” for all of us.

Note several implications. First, each of us must personally decide to serve the Lord. I can’t choose for you nor you for me. We need a generation of Joshuas who will make this choice for themselves. Second, parents have a special obligation to set the right example in this area. We can hardly expect our children to serve Christ when we take our duties lightly. Third, fathers have the highest obligation.

JOSHUA’S BOLD STATEMENT:

1. This is a PUBLIC statement: “But as for me…” He means, “I don’t care what the rest of you do. I’m going to serve the Lord.” Even though he was the leader of the nation, he was willing to part with his own people over this fundamental issue. If you follow Christ, there will come a time when you must say, “Do what you want, and whatever you do, I will still be your friend, but I’m going to serve the Lord.”

2. This is a PERSONAL decision: “But as for me…” In the end, it comes down to this. You must choose to serve the Lord. Choosing to serve the Lord won’t happen by accident, and it can’t be inherited from your parents. They can give you the heritage, but at some point, you must make it your own.

3. This is a PERSUASIVE declaration: “But as for me and my family…” Joshua speaks as the God-appointed leader of his family. He claims the right to speak for his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren, and even his servants. “As the leader of this clan, I hold their proxy in my hand. I declare that my entire household will serve the true and living God.” Every Christian man ought to make a similar statement about the family God has given him.

4. This is a POSITIVE statement: “We will serve the Lord.” How can a man be so certain about his family? Joshua could speak like this because he had taught them well for many years. And he knew of their own personal commitment to the God he worshiped.

GROW:

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

1. Would you say that your family is living out what Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”? What is your relationship like within the family? Is it godly or worldly? Does it have integrity or have double standards?
2. Have you ever made a decision that turned out to be life changing? Share to the group.
3. Describe a time when you had to take a stand no matter what anyone else around you was doing?