Mt.5:13-16
1. Introduction:
A. Gen. 12:1-3 Terah - Abram - Isaac - Jacob/Israel - Chosen people of God.
1. This is a tremendous example of the influence one family can have on the world.
2. Through this family that God brought salvation in His Son to us
3. Today, important political events are shaped, by the existence of this nation (people/ family).
B. Many (If not most) nations have a significant family that plays a key role in that nation.
1. In America, we currently have the Bush family. Vice President 8 years, President 4 years,
a. Governors of Florida and Texas, and possible another presidential term.
2. In the last generation it was the Kennedy family.
C. Many of our congregations are what we often call family churches
1. They are largely built around one or two core families and their friends and relatives.
D. Even among the Lord s Apostle s. When Jesus chose only 12, two sets of brothers were included.
1. Andrew & Peter
2. James & John
2. Three areas of Influence of a Godly family:
A. Generational your children, grand children, great , etc. (2 Tim.1:5)
1. Your children will learn from you. 2 Kings 17:41; Ex.34:7
2. A magazine gave some interesting stats of two families that once lived in the state of New York.
One man, Max Jukes, did not believe in religion and married a girl of the same opinion. From this union came 1,026 descendants. Studies showed that 300 died prematurely; 100 were sent to the penitentiary; 190 sold themselves to vice; 100 were drunkards,; and the family cost the state of New York $1,100,00.00!
Another man, Jonathan Edwards, believed in God and in his Christian training and married a girl of like character. From that union 729 descendants were studied and they discovered that 300 were preachers, 65 were college professors, 13 were university presidents; 6 authors; 3 U.S. Congressmen and 1 was vice president of the United States.
B. Personal your other family & friends (Acts 10:24)
1. Ungodly friends can destroy a family 1 Cor.15:33
C. Inspirational Other s outside your circle of immediate contacts (Josh.24:31)
3. What is a Godly family?
A. It should begin with a godly man Eph.6:4
1. This may not be a possibility in your home (death, divorce, or ungodliness)
B. It includes a godly woman 1 Tim.5:14
1. This may not be a possibility in your home (death, divorce, or ungodliness)
C. It is guided by a godly purpose Mt.6:33; Lk.14:26
D. They must be people of godly character Pr.31:10
E. It is not just leadership in the local church that makes a godly home. 1 Sam.8:1-3
1. David, Eli, Samuel, and others were godly men who were failure s as fathers.
4. The Shameful Legacy of an Ungodly Family
A. The sorrow of lost and ungodly children Pr.17:25
B. The emptiness of wasted lives Lk.12:15; Mt.16:26
5. A Mighty, and Influential, Godly family can Begin with You.
A. Joshua 24:2 Terah was an Idolater. He was NOT godly.
B. The most influential family in the world began when the son of an Idolater chose to stand for right and faithfully follow God
6. Conclusion:
A. Godly families doesn t have to be big (ie. Noah s family), successful, educated or impressive,
they just have to be faithful.
B. Will you stand and say "as for me and my house we will serve the Lord?"