Extreme Home Makeover: Family Edition

EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER: FAMILY EDITION

JOKE: A small boy was sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later: "Da-ad." "What?"

"I’m thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?" "No. You had your chance. Lights out."

Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad." "WHAT?"

"I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water?"

"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!"

Five minutes later: "Daaaa-aaaad." "WHAT!"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"

INTRO TO TOPIC:

• As a pastor, I have the privilege but also challenging responsibility of coming alongside of people in hard life situations – marriage conflict, parenting difficulties, etc.

• We as the church need to look for ways to help and support one another and our families.

THE BIG IDEA:

How many of you have seen those home-improvement shows?

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, is the popular reality home improvement show where families in need have their homes renovated by a specialized design crew. We are going to look at God’s design for a successful family in “Extreme Home Makeover: Family Edition.”

OPENING TEXT:

“1 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. 3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.” (Psalm 127:1-5).

• Solomon uses an illustration – building a family is like guarding or protecting a city

• We are living in a day and age where the family is under attack!

• If we have strong, healthy families, we will have a healthy church and a healthy society.

• God has given us a blueprint for building a successful family. Joshua 1:8.

• PERSONAL FAMILY STORY: I’ve been married for 13 years and we are trying to live by God’s design!

1. WE NEED AN EXTREME MAKEOVER IN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE FAMILY:

“And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 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." Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:18,21-25).

• God’s original design for family was one man and one woman married for life.

JOKE: WHAT CHILDREN THINK ABOUT MARRIAGE:

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

• Alan, age 10—You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.

• Kirsten, age 10—No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides for you, and then you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

• Camille, age 10—23 is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.

• Freddie, age 6—No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.

IMPLICATIONS: God’s design for family is one man and one woman married for life:

Jesus said, “Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mark 10:9).

• Divorce is wrong. (God cares for the widows & orphans, and so should the church!)

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

• Fornication (pre-marital sex), adultery and homosexuality are wrong.

2. WE NEED AN EXTREME MAKEOVER IN OUR MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIPS:

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her…Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:22-25,33).