How God Can Help Your Family

How God Can Help Your Family

Psalm 127

Intro: Welcome everyone to our annual friends and Family Day

¨ You were invited because you are either a friend or a family member, or both

o We want you to feel as welcome as possible this morning

o Will be reading Psalm 127 from the New International Version Bible

§ All verses I will be reading are on the screen behind me

§ Page 441 in your Pew Bible

¨ In the next 25 minutes I will be talking about Family

o Something we all have

§ May not be the best family but it is all the family you have

o Dorothy was right when she said there is no place like home

§ Go away for vacation or business

§ It is always nice to get back home, home where your family is

¨ We will look at Psalm 127 this morning

o It tells us what God can do for our families

§ We have strong families we will have a strong community

o The Psalmists mentions at least 3 things God can do for our family

I. God can help us Build our families:

Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

a. The author is not talking about building a shelter but rather a family

b. In the beginning of time God established the family

i. After creating earth and man

ii. Man was told to name the animals and look for a suitable helper

iii. Adam could not find one

Genesis 2:22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

c. He created Eve so that the man would not be alone

d. They formed a family and then God told them to be fruitful and multiply

e. Point is, if want proper foundation for a family go to Master builder himself

i. In order for any structure to be strong it must have a good foundation

f. Mexico City gets damaged quite extensively anytime there is a earthquake anywhere close to it

i. Built on a dry lake bed

ii. Ground shakes it is like Jell-O, many homes are destroyed/Damaged

g. Same way it is for our families,

i. If we do not have a good foundation when trouble comes

1. Our families will break apart

h. How does God help us build our families?

i. Does not wave his wand over you and your spouse and magically transform both into Ward and June Cleaver

ii. Or over kids and make them the Brady kids

i. Rather he leaves us instructions

i. It makes sense that if He created the family, he would know what is good for the family

j. If you have ever just skimmed the New Testament, notice not much addressed to the family and how to deal with problems

i. Yes, there are a few instructions dealing with the family unit

ii. But by in large these documents deal with the church family

1. Church as a group of believers.

iii. The family is the church in miniature

1. Church is made up of people who are different

2. NT tells us how to get along with those who are different

a. Just like the people in our family

i. May be born from same mother but can be different like night and day

k. In the NT we learn about forgiveness

i. Story of father who accepted his repentant son back after he left and spent all his inheritance

ii. We learn about sacrificial love we must have for one another

iii. Personal integrity

iv. Self-denial, selflessness

1. Putting others needs ahead of our own

l. Yes, the NT does tell us how God can build our families.

II. God can help us provide for our families:

Psalm 127:2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat-- for he grants sleep to those he loves.

a. God does not provide food for family by sending it from heaven

i. Instead it is through good old-fashioned work!

ii. He tells us to provide for our families by earning a good honest living

b. Verse 2 describes 2 types of fathers who try to provide for their families

i. First one cannot sleep at night cause he is not content with what he has

1. He works long hours to provide family with luxuries of life

2. Ecc. 5:10-12

ii. Second can sleep at night, not cause he is lazy

1. Because he is content with what he has

2. He works to provide family with the necessities of life

a. He is content with that.

c. Bible tells us we need to know the difference between luxuries and necessities