Don’t drop the ball, saving our Families
Gen 2:15-17, 21-25
Introduction: As bowl season is upon us there is one play that can change a game for good or bad depending on who you are rooting for. It is a fumble – someone is going in to score and they drop the ball. I wonder how many families have dropped the ball in the last year. How many have failed to teach, train, and instruct their families in God’s word. In my many years of reading the Bible and Bible studies I just saw something that somehow in all my years I missed. And it is important for it changes the story of the fall of man a little in my mind. (Not the story just the way us male preachers, preach it) When God gave the command not to eat of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil, Eve was not yet created! She was not there to hear the voice of God saying don’t do it – Adam was the only person alive!! Eve comes into the picture a couple of verse latter. To me this raises the question – did Adam do all he needed to do in telling Eve about the tree and what God had told him? I bring it up for as I look out at our churches and the number of young adults lacking and the younger generation in a lot of our churches lacking I wonder if we have done all we could do to tell them about the grace and love of Jesus.
Understand Adam was the first leader on this earth, the first father, pastor, husband, and the first authority figure how or where did he fail so that he lost his home and had a child who was a murderer?
The first way may have been the do as I say and not as I do syndrome. A lot of parents have this. I thank god my parent never sent me to church they took me. Too many just send their children hoping for the best. It is like the little boy who didn’t want to go, His father said I went when I was your age so you will go, as the little boy left he muttered under his breath –it probably won’t do me any good either. If you tell your children don’t do this or don’t do that and then they see you doing it what message have you sent them? You have confused them and ruined all that you have tried to teach them. You have heard this said before and I say it again Morals are caught not taught. If you tell your children not to lie and they see you lie all the time, if you tell them not to steal and yet they see you steal, if you tell them not to use ugly words and they hear you use ugly words – guess which path they will take!
We are told to train up a child in the way he should go. Joshua said the word would never depart from him he would meditate on it day and night! You must teach your child the right thing and then you must live it out in front of them.
Besides the do as I say not as I do we must learn to take responsibility for our actions. It amazes me how many are like Adam – it is eve’s fault she gave me the fruit. I have a niece who when she was little had an imaginary friend names keekee. Whenever the room was a mess Keekee did it. When a drink was spilt Keekee did she was never taught to take responsibility for her actions. Today it is everyone else’s fault she has problems never her own. God help us. I know I have messed up more times than I would like to remember. I tell people I have the cleanest feet in town for they stay in my mouth.
I wonder what would of happened it Adam had said Lord I sinned I ate the fruit it is my fault. Perhaps he could have stayed in the garden; Cain may not have murdered Abel who knows. But we do not that he tried to pass the buck and we do the same thing today. We talked a little about this last week how it is everyone’s else’s fault I was just keeping up with the traffic give the other drivers a ticket not me , everyone else is doing it so why can’t I, But I saw you do it so I wanted to try.
Imagine how many marriages could be saved today if husbands would say I am sorry it is my fault, if wives would say I am sorry it is my fault. But instead of that there is a lot of venom and bitterness as both parties try to convince the other party it is their entire fault.
In one of our basketball games we had a young man make a horrible pass ,he threw the ball to no one and we lost by 1 point in the final seconds. After the game he said I am sorry it is my fault- had to remind everyone we missed x amount of free throws , we missed this many shots this many 3 pointers if we had just made one more basket we would of won- you can’t blame it all on one person. It takes two to fight!
Being spiritually mature happens when you learn to take control and admit your fault.
Remember the story of King David and Bathsheba – David committed adultery and murder and acted like it was ok until the prophet came along and pointed out his sin – then David wrote these words “For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done this evil in your sight”. Why was David so great –he acknowledged his sins? He owned up to his mistakes. If that had been Adam he would of said It is not my fault she shouldn’t of been taking a bath up here she should have had a better curtain she waved to me – all of these are invalid a man of God would of turned his head and went inside.
All is not lost though, even though Adam got it wrong there is an example of a man in the Bible who got it right and it affected his whole family the Rechabites in Jeremiah 35:6 the prophet Jeremiah calls them to talk to them and offers them wine but they refuse saying We will drink no wine for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us saying, “You shall drink no wine you nor your sons forever.” And apparently he made such an impression that they refused to drink generations later.
Imagine what would happen if we could make such an impression on our families about loving God and worshipping Him. Imagine the impact made if we could convince our friends the same thing. You want to change the world –then start at home with yourself and your family!
In the words of John Maxwell “They forget that while Adam’s failure started in the home, in just a short time it ruined all his relationships spoiled the beautiful place he lived, and ultimately destroyed the entire world.”(Maxwell leadership Bible page 7)
Imagine what we as Christians could do if we could win our families and make a difference in our grandchildren’ grandchildren life!!!
The best place to change is by accepting Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior – do you have a relationship with Him? If not how about today starting one?
