A DIVIDED HOUSE
A DIVIDED HOUSE
BIBLE
PASSAGE: MARK 3:24-27; PSALMS 127:1
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- Picture taken from Google
- Lesson Prepared by: Krisha of Solomon’s Wisdom FB page
- Lesson ideas taken from: https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons
NOVEMBER 06, 2022
MEMORY VERSE
Except the Lord build the house, they
labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the
watchman waketh but in vain.
PSALMS 127:1
INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever noticed how divided we are as people? We allow
the simplest things to push us apart:
skin color, age, education, money, vaccination status. Instead of trying to
find those things we have in common and
building a bond around those things, we choose to focus on the differences.
Unfortunately, this is not a new thing. In
Matthew 12:22, we read an amazing testimony. A man possessed with a demon
that caused him to be both blind and dumb was brought to Jesus and He healed
him. The Bible tells us that “the blind and dumb both spake and saw” (KJV).
This should have been cause for celebration.
A man who had been unable to see the beauty of creation or to vocally express
his thoughts now had the ability to do both. But the children of Israel were
divided in this matter.
The common people were amazed. They believed
the miracle Jesus had performed identified Him as the Son of David who had been
promised, the Messiah that was to come (Matthew 12:23).
The Pharisees accused Him of casting out
demons through the power of Satan (Matthew 12:24). I love Jesus’s response to
them,
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto
them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation;
and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided
against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by
whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your
judges (Matthew 12:25-27).
If in every
aspect, we are divided, how about in the family matter. We know that that there
are different views among the members of the family but in spiritual matter, do
we mind having different gods to be worshipped? For those who already have a
family and worship together as a family is a great blessing but to those who
are not is a great struggle. Therefore, is very vital for those people who’ve
recently started building their family and the couple have the same faith.
LESSON
OUTLINE:
1. A DIVIDED
HOUSE CANNOT STAND (MARK 3:25)
“And if a house be divided against itself,
that house cannot stand.”
A
house defined as a residence, family, people connected by blood. How about
divided? This is easy to understand. It means disunited, to differ, to
sectioned off, and separated. What does stand mean? According to some scholars,
this word is the same used mentioned in Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to stand against the wiles of
the devil.” Which means postured in a forward moving position, ready to
advance or ready to move forward. Standing means moving forward.
Before
we go further, I have questions for every one of us to answer. Does your family
have spiritual goals in mind that needed to reach? The problem is we become
contented with our family of not moving forward. There are some couples are
contented with the family’s spiritual state. Children are contented of not
having goals in studies, and others. Does our family have the goals to become better
as family? Are your family divided? These are some questions only God and you can
answer. If we try to compare our family’s state from last year to this year
what could be the result? Let’s ask ourselves, “Is the family more
compassionate, more loving and more caring than last year?” Let’s be observant
to our family’s routine every day. We
eat separately and if there’s time for eating together, everyone uses their
phone and not focus to the communication. We
pray separately and some members don’t pray often. Also we worship separately and some members
of the family don’t have the time to worship the whole Sunday. Let’s put in
mind that the enemy wants your family to be destroyed and no spiritual values.
WE CAN’T STAND IF WE CONTINUE TO SEPARATE. WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD IF THERE ARE
DIVISIONS BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY. I don’t know what are the struggles of
your family faces right now but let’s look for ways for us to be united and not
be separated. We know seldom for the family to have meals together, the mother
is busy in the kitchen or household chores and the children stay in their rooms
for online class or other schedules outside the house. No matter what schedules
everyone’s has, let’s look for ways and opportunities to stay united and
connected like prayer time, devotion and also try to lead the children in
prayer.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Sometimes
we think small issues in the family doesn’t matter or it’s not a big deal but
let’s remember that big issues start in small issues. I remember a mother told
me to change the receipt of the total amount she paid in tuition fees. She
wanted to get a kickback from her husband’s monthly salary. Another thing,
another scenario, a husband called me and asked about his personal debt and
reminded me not to tell his wife about the debt. These simple issues show that
these families didn’t operate as a team. This world we live in are full of
wickedness and we cannot fight if the family is divided. We know we can’t do it
by ourselves; we need spiritual weapon. Hebrews 10: 31 reminds us,
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
2. A DIVIDED
HOUSE CAN BE SPOILED BY THE ENEMY
Verse 27 says, “No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his
goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his
house.”
Who is the strong man in the family? The leader of
the house, right? We know that the bible speaks to the father if we talk about
leadership. There’s only one head in the family – the father. I remember a
pastor made a joke about head of the family. He said, if the family has two
heads or leaders, that is a monster because the normal thing is only one head.
One that ruleth well his own
house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a
man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of
God?)
The father should be the role model of the family;
he leads the family in the right way. If we have a faithful Christian father,
we are blessed. How sad if we see a father who doesn’t do his responsibility
well to the family. What if our father does these things: he always holds his
cellphone to play games, he doesn’t see the things needed to fix in the house,
he has no patience taking care of the baby for so long, he doesn’t lead the
family to spirituality, he’s not concerned to the spiritual situation of the
family and he rebels to the spiritual leader in the church, with these, the
family is in great danger. What is the evident proof that something is going on
in the family? The family doesn’t prioritize spiritual things.
One thing I can’t forget is the words enunciated by
a mother when she was asked about her spiritual condition after her separation
from his husband, “You know what, what I lost is not only a father to my
children but a pastor who has led the family in spiritual way.” We have seen so
many parents who failed to lead their children in the right way and we’re so
blessed that in spite of the failures, there’s a church we can go to in guiding
our young people, and every one of us.
CONCLUSION:
James wrote: “For where
envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:16)
For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of
evil. Envy, pride, anger, bitterness, jealously, selfishness, dishonesty…they
all have something in common. They are
home-wreckers.
The more internal divisions and strife there
is in a home, the quicker and harder the home will fall. Since homes are made
up of sinful and willful human beings, having a home united and strong can be a
very daunting task. Satan would love nothing more than to see a Christian home
fall to ruins and he works hard every day trying to make that happen. If you
crack the door open just a small amount, Satan will squeeze his way in and take
up residence.
We need to guard our homes and our marriages
and we do that through complete and total surrender to God. When we are
surrendered to Him, then we are on the same team, working to achieve that same
goals rather than seeking our own selfish best interests. It’s way past time
that we kick Satan out on the curb and give Christ the place of honor and make
Him Lord in our homes, marriages, and family.
Except the Lord build the house, they
labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the
watchman waketh but in vain.
PSALMS 127:1
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