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PROVERBS- FAMILY MATTERS

January 9, 2005 PM

Sermon Outline

PROV 24:3,4

INTRO: There is just no doubting the fact that family is a matter of great interest and concern to God. Matters relating to family are mentioned from chapter 1 of Genesis throughout the Bible. From Gen 2:24 come the memorable words Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. When we come to the book of Proverbs, it is evident, almost from the beginning, that it has much to say about family matters. Tonight, I would like to assemble some of that valuable information into a single lesson ... family matters.

1. The foundation of the home and family - righteousness - 12:7

a. we use the definition in Ps 119:172

b. this, then, gives me the source of information for righteousness

c. and God has most assuredly given us His will concerning the home

d. I think of Eph 5:21-33; Col 3:18-21; 1 Tim 5:2-8; Titus 2:1-5

e. homes founded on His revealed will have strong foundations and have the basis for surviving storms of every sort

2. The husband - 31:28

a. I believe the husband can be a great blessing to his wife

b. here is a husband praising his wife - does this help her to be a better wife?

c. earlier, the husband is said to trust her (31:11) - so, he is trusting and praising her ... such a husband communicates value to his wife

d. Prov 5:18 - this rejoicing continues throughout the marriage ... even into old age - recall Mal 2:15

e. Eph 5:28 - if we do this for wives, it will build them & strengthen marriage

3. The wife - 19:14

a. a prudent wife? think of 3:6 as the basis of this prudence (14:1)

b. then, 31:10 - she is virtuous - more valuable than the most precious material possessions

c. because of her virtues, her husband safely trusts her - 31:11

d. such a wife is truly a gift from the Lord

e. this wife lived her role in such a way as to be deserving of husbands praise

4. The parents - 1:8

a. one of the important roles of parents is that of teaching and training - 31:1

b. Prov 29:15b reminds us of a very important truth - a child left to himself may well describe a vast number of todays children

c. and parents then wonder why their children become rebellious, unruly, uncaring, without affection and loyalty (not to excuse the children, however)

d. Prov 4:4 - here is a verse I contend is filled with parental affection! (note Ps 17:8 - the apple of the eye)

e. Prov 29:15a - parents must correct their children with firmness, conviction

5. The children - 10:1

a. children do have a responsibility to their parents - to consider how their own behavior will affect parents

b. yes, their behavior will depend in large part on parents parenting

c. but the Lord makes it clear that children cannot behave irresponsibly

d. so, Prov 28:7 - ...a companion of riotous men shameth his father

e. Prov 30:11 with 20:20 - parents are not perfect - but parents who are in the Lord and giving their all to parenting deserve respect, honor and love

6. The grandparents - 17:6

a. I know of few grandparents who would not agree with this passage

b. Ex 10:2 & Deut 6:2 - God has given grandparents a very important role in the lives of their grandchildren! teaching, reminding, encouraging

c. as our society has become more mobile, transient, families are losing this very important support and influence

d. Prov 13:22 - Im sure that in the ancient culture of Proverbs a material inheritance was much more important than now ... but I wonder if the spiritual inheritance is much more important ... and how are we acquitting ourselves as grandparents in the spiritual inheritance department?

e. I take very seriously this aspect of family matters!!

CLOSE: Read again the text with me - Prov 24:3,4. Are the rooms in your house filled with the precious and pleasant riches of happiness, love and contentment? It takes each of us building on righteousness to make it so.

Cecil A. Hutson

January 9, 2005

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

You must believe and have faith in God because "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the "Sinner's Prayer" to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus "Lord of your life." Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just "accept Jesus as your personal savior." We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God's grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God's grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)