GEN. 2:18-25 "HOW TO HAVE A HAPPY HOME"
A) Divorce rate has risen 700% in this century. * In 1960 there were 393,000, now 1.2 million.
* They say there will be 1 million children involved in divorce in the year 2000.
B) There are three divine ordained agencies in our world: The home, Government, & Church.
* The devil is out to destroy all three, but his primary target is the home.
* Because, as goes the home, so goes the church, as goes the church, so goes the government,
as goes the government, so goes the nation, as goes the nation, so goes the world!
C) Don’t be surprised if the devil launches attack on your family!
* Do not sell short the power of the devil! * He is a powerful being!
* The devil goes to church, and he has to ride with somebody!
D) Wherever God’s people come together, the devil is always there!
* First, there was the home (Gen. 2:24) Then, came the government (Gen. 9:6),
* Then came the church (Matt.16:18) * It was established in the Book of Acts!
(1) THE HOME IS SACRED! * Do you want to know how sacred marriage is?
* God Himself performed the first wedding, bringing together the first man and woman, Adam
and Eve. * It was not Adam and Steve ... God does not accept homosexuality as a lifestyle!
* God plainly condemns it in His Word - Rom. 1: 26-27
(2) JESUS WORKED IN THE HOME! * Jesus performed His first miracle in a home!
* Remember the wedding of Cana of Galilee - John 2:1-11?
A) He observed a Passover in a home - Matt.26:18
* Jesus went home with a sinner and brought him salvation - Luke 19:5-9
* Jesus ate supper in the home of a sinner and led him to be a disciple - Matt. 9:9-11
B) Jesus was anointed with perfume in a home - Mark 14:3
* Jesus healed a man of palsy in a home - Mark 2:1-5
* Jesus taught in the home of Mary and Martha - Luke 10:38-43
C) I want you to get a picture of how important the home is!
* Our church is only as strong as the families that attend!
* If we build strong families, then we can build a strong church!
D) Professor Nick Stinnett, chairman for the Dept. of Human Development and the Family at
the University of Nebraska did a family research among thousands of families,
* To determine what makes a strong family. * Here are the results of that study:
E) A strong family loves one another and are committed to one another!
* A strong family spends time together and cares for one another!
* A strong family expresses appreciation to each other and makes ’em feel important!
F) A strong family has good family communication!
* A strong family is able to work out a crisis!
* A strong family has a spiritual commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ!
(3) COMMITMENT! * There are three major commitments:
A) A Commitment To God! * Are you a Christian? * Have you been saved?
* Are you washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus?
* Do you know that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
B) You will never know the true joy and peace and happiness of a happy Christian until you
have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior!
* Is God first in your life? * You’ll never know joy and happiness until He is first .......!
C) A Commitment To Your Mate! (Husband or Wife)
* Next to God, your mate must be first! * The mate is first above Mom, Dad, Brothers,
Sisters, Children or anyone else!
D) A Commitment To Your Children! * Love them, lift them, limit them, lead them,
* And laugh with them! * Commitment - a pledge or a promise.
* You promised God some things, * You’ve promised your spouse some things,
* You’ve promised your kids some things! * Let’s keep our commitments we’ve made!
E) I would like to close this message with the thoughts of Matt. 7:24-27
* The wise man built his house on a rock - then the storm came!
F) Every marriage will have storms, some rough times!
* But when the storm came, the house stood firm!
* The storm is not the issue - Marriages do not break up over problems, never have & never will!
G) The wise man worked hard, dug deep and built on a firm foundation!
* Marriage takes hard work! * It takes hard work to keep one woman happy all her life!
* You just can’t give up, you have to keep working at it!
H) The foolish man just didn’t care! * He didn’t try to build his house on hard work and a good
foundation! * He built his house on the sand!
* And when the storm came, the house fell flat!
I) We need to be like Joshua when he said in Josh. 24:15 " ... as for me and my house ......."
* And that’s how you have a happy home ....... COMMITMENT!
* Commitment to God, Commitment to your mate, and commitment to your children!
