A DIVIDED HOUSE

BIBLE PASSAGE: MARK 3:24-27; PSALMS 127:1

• 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.

 

In here, the enemy is on focus with the strong man in the house. If he bound the strong man, then the others followed. So you see the leader of the house has the greatest role in the family. 1 Timothy 3:4-5 reminds the fathers,

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