Three Homes
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/3Homes.html
2 Corinthians 5:1
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Every person ought to have:
• A Heavenly Home
• A Christian Home
• A Church Home
The first has to do with your salvation, and eternal destiny. The second has to do with your home and family, and the last with the local body of Christ that you become a member of. And having the first home ought to lead you to making sure you have the last 2 homes.
And knowing your eternity is secure should affect your present, and the rest of your earthly existence. Do this: boil it all down and there’s really just…
3 things we should strive for:
I. A Happy Heart
The psalmist stated, "Happy is that people…whose God is the Lord" (Ps. 144:15). Real happiness, of course, is always conditional.
A. Salvation is imperative.
Men who are uncertain about eternity will not be able to relax. The
prospect of losing the soul is a nagging thought. The possibility of a lake of fire will drain the fun out of a thinking and reasonable mind. The presence of the Lord in our lives is necessary, too. The Holy Spirit comes into the body of the believer and dwells there.
B. Surrender is important.
A fierce battle is fought between the old nature and the new man. There can be no true happiness until the new man is in complete control. Paul spoke of this in Philippians: "…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (4:11). He explained in I Corinthians, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection" (9:27).
C. Sacrifice is integral.
It seems strange that words such as sacrifice, cost, price, demand, give, and go could lead to happiness. Jesus said that the way to live is to die; the way to have is to give, and the way to revival is travail.
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever
will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt. 16:25).
D. Separation should be included.
Happiness leans heavily on whom you run with and whom you associate with. Those who associate with evil will want evil. Those who hang around the world will be worldly. We must walk with God to be godly. Those who would be spiritual must be in regular contact and
fellowship with the Spirit. "Come out," "Be not conformed,"
"Love not the world," "Have no fellowship," are just a few
phrases we find in God’s Word that show us God’s desire for His
children.
To be happy, obey the Lord’s commands and desires. And strive to have a happy heart by making sure Jesus lives there, within your heart, and that you are a surrendered, living sacrifice, and separated from the world. It all leads to a happy heart!
II. A Harmonious Home
Everyone wants a happy home. Love and companionship in the family circle is worth far more than gold, silver or worldly fame. When it’s cold outside, the only place you want to be is home.
Ill.—when the kids were out of school for snow days this week, they looked out the window wanting to be out there, but after just a few minutes out there…they wanted to go into their home!
When you are tired, sick or discouraged, there is no place like home. It’s not the carpet, furniture or fancy brick, but the love that counts. What makes a G.I. in Iraq hunger to come home? Why do we always want to go back to Grandma’s house at Thanksgiving and Christmas? That’s home, and we are looking for happiness.
A. Found in family devotions.
When there is a daddy who will call the family together and read the Word of God, the home will be happy. There must be a mother who is not ashamed of the tear slipping down her face while she prays that
God will use her boy and protect her girl. There will be children who will honor Mother and Father because of God’s command that they should do so. This makes for a happy home.
B. Found in fatherly discipline.
A child in rebellion and delinquency will rip the happiness out of a home and replace it with tears and broken hearts. Nothing cuts a parent’s heart like a wayward child. Anyone can execute discipline in the home, but dad is God’s favorite for this job, when possible, and the one the Lord holds responsible ultimately for discipline in the home. Eve may have sinned first in the garden of Eden…but God came looking for Adam!
The wise writer of Proverbs gives advice to head this off:
"Withhold not correction from the child . . ." (22:13). "Train up
a child in the way he should go . . ." (22:6). "The blueness of
a wound cleanseth away evil . . ." (20:30). "Chasten thy son
while there is hope . . ." (19:18).
C. Found in faithful dedication.
A home is worth dedication, and a dad who dedicates himself to fulfilling the office of high priest will not regret it. He is to lead in the church attendance, family worship and consistent living. The mother is to picture the bride of Christ in subjection to her Lord, maintaining purity, devotion and service in the home. The children are to obey, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. The happy home is dependent upon all being dedicated to their task!
More than we could ask or hope for is just to have a happy heart, a harmonious home, and…
III. A Healthy Church
Strength in the body of the local assembly does not come by accident. The church at Jerusalem had it; the church at Corinth did not. The disciples met in unity and in one accord. It is not surprising to read about their experiences being described with such words as "gladness" and "praising God." They had peace toward God, purity toward their fellow-Christians and power toward the unbelievers. If a church is to have harmony, they must follow certain steps.
A. There must be plain preaching.
The theme will need to be The Book, The Blood and The Blessed Hope. Men like Elijah, John the Baptist and Paul would not go over very well in our day, but they sure could do us a world of good!
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season . . ." (II Tim. 4:2). That is preaching when the people like it and when they don’t like it!
Dr. Tom Wallace put it this way:
I don’t believe I’ll ever forget my mother’s old proverb, "It’s not what you like that does you good." That old rag soaked in kerosene and smeared with lard was miserable around your neck all night, but it got rid of that sore throat. The kids hated castor oil, but it did the trick. The medicine is not the only thing that has been sugar-coated. The preaching is dainty and pretty now. Preachers ought to get fighting mad when some little old lady comes up after the message and says, "That was a nice little talk, Preacher."
B. There must be praying people.
Someone said, "No prayer, no power; little prayer, little power; much prayer, much power." It is the closet praying that counts. Jesus rose
up a great while before daybreak and went out to pray alone. He
knew He would not be bothered early.
{Few will come before God’s throne,
Their hearts’ desires to Him make known.
Few there are who seem to care,
Few there are who work at prayer.}
How much do you pray? How long do you pray? How often do you
pray? A healthy church will have praying people.
C. There must be personal participation.
They "all" were in one accord in the early church [not a Honda!]. We are all individual ambassadors. You are either a missionary or a mission field. In the Bible, words like "go," "daily," "from house to house" and "They ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ," refer to people, not churches.
Are you a member of the local body of Christ? Some here have a heavenly home, and a Christian home…so why not make this your church home? Membership is a commitment, like marrying your best girl, and not just living with her. Think of the analogy of a couple in love. Anyone can say they are serious by moving in with one another, but God requires a more solid commitment than that...marriage! Some say, "I’m already a member of the ’invisible church’." Truly, the full bride of Christ / universal church is a much larger entity than could fit into any one church building, and yet the Bible is clear in its command for us to join ourselves to a local assembly. Sadly, those who focus only on the ’invisible church’ have invisible attendance records, give invisible offerings, visit invisible nursing homes, and accomplish not very much that’s visible in their spiritual lives!
And, once you’ve found a home, treat your church experience like a marriage, knowing it won’t be perfect because it’s filled with imperfect people. For better or for worse, thru ups and downs, ’til God takes us all home!
Honestly, I have to respect some for not making the commitment. Sometimes it’s because they aren’t committed. We should respect someone like that for being honest, and it’s ok to just attend until you know what you should do. If you know you won’t be able to commit to attending, or supporting this ministry, then don’t let us pressure you to come forward and make some half-hearted statement of partial commitment. But if it’s clear that this is where God wants you, and if you are ready to make a commitment, then you are welcome to do so. There is a business aspect to the church, and membership is how the church historically conducts business. But we are more than an organization…we are an organism, and if you’re ready, you can join and become an official part of this local body of believers, taking your place as God leads you. And here’s some great news: we believe the commitment is a 2 way street…and so, we make our strongest return commitments back to you when we know you are fully committed and ‘on board’ at GBC!
There are 2 main philosophies of "what to look for" in a church:
1. "Consumer Mentality"--This person looks mostly at things like programs and location, etc. Their main question is "what can you do for me?" All of us must have this mentality to a certain extent when searching for God’s will...it’s only natural.
2. "Contributor Mentality"--This person looks for a place where they are needed. Their main question is "where is a local church that I can serve God thru?" They believe God’s perfect will includes more than just "what’s in it for me?" Matter of fact, they firmly believe that they will receive the most when they are giving of their time, talents, and treasures, believing that they cannot out give God.
God would seem to agree with philosophy #2...
• Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
• Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
• Romans 15:20
Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation.
You can be blessed by going to a church where others have sacrificed and built something good...but you can be "double-blessed" by going to a church with needs and becoming a part of the solution!
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So, what should you look for with this attitude?
*You should look for a church based more on preaching than on programs...that’s all about serving, not just sitting.
At GBC, we’re blessed to have some of the best programs you could ask for, and you should realize that this is only because the church leadership ALSO has a "contributor mentality." Our goal is to help you. Our mottos:
• "The Ministry is for People, not People for The Ministry."
• "You are more important than just your tithes and talents."
• "We’re more interested in what we can do for you than what you can do for us."
The 3 statements, above, make up a very important part of our Philosophy of Ministry at GBC.
Further:
*You should look for a church built on God’s Word.
We are not "politically correct" around here, rather, we strive to be "Biblically correct." Doctrine IS important...it’s the very foundation upon which a church is built. See what we believe.
*You should look for a church where people are getting saved and lives are being changed.
We give God all the glory for the full altars, moist eyes, and the well used baptistery...it all leads to something else which God gets the glory for: a loving, blessed church family that wants to share their blessings with others like you.
Do you know that you have a heavenly home? This is the most important question. If not, you can make sure today! Do you have a Christian home? You can be the founder and president of one! And make sure you have a church home. God will lead you…make sure you follow!
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/3Homes.html
