Family on Mission
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DEEPLY ROOTED FAMILIES |
Family On Mission
Genesis 18:18-19 (ESV)
18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
In Genesis chapter six, during the earlier stage of humanity's civilization, God decided to speak to Noah and reveal His plan of bringing judgment against his generation's violent and repulsive sinfulness. With this coming judgment, God gave Noah a specific mission of building a gigantic ark to secure the safety of his family, some animals, or some people who would believe his warnings. Fast forward, it would take Noah and his sons 120 years to complete their mission of building the ark and see the fulfillment of God's judgment against sin. Sadly, everyone died in the flood except for Noah and his entire family.
I know we are all quite familiar with this story. However, have you ever tried putting yourself in the shoes of Noah? Would you have believed and obeyed if God gave you the same mission? How about your children? Would they have joined you with the project that would take more than 100 years to complete? I think, since they lived in a society where wickedness was normal, I'm sure Noah's sons had friends who started mocking them for believing their father's message of judgment. And so, if it were us, how many of our children would be willing to stand up against peer pressure and join us in completing our mission from God? But, without a doubt, the fact that Noah's sons stood beside him in completing his mission is a remarkable testimony of the father's godly influence he had on his family.
This morning, as we conclude our family series, Deeply Rooted Families, I wanted us to be reminded again that just like Noah, we, together with our families, have been given a mission to fulfill while we are still here on earth. Time and again, we must be reminded that God did not create the family as an end to itself but as a means to an end. His ultimate purpose goes beyond us enjoying the blessings of relationships within our families, like relationships between husbands and wives, between parents and children, and between siblings. I know these relationships can bring so much joy, but if they're the only reason our families exist, then we will surely miss out on the eternal blessings of our families.
For my main text, I wanted to focus on God's words to Abraham because it was here that God would be more specific on His expectation of a godly family. We all know the role that Abraham, the father of Hebrew race, would play in God's overall plan of providing salvation for the entire human race. In these verses, we will better understand what it means to be a family on mission. Let's explore at least three essential elements of it:
I THE TASK TO BE ON MISSION (v. 18)
The task of missions originated with God. After Adam and Eve fell into sin and corrupted the succeeding generations after them, God was compelled to provide a way that would redeem and restore humanity to Him. As early as Genesis 3:15, God revealed His plan of salvation:
Genesis 3:15 (ESV)
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
God directed this verse to Satan masquerading as a serpent who tempted Adam and Eve to sin. Here, God plainly stated that Satan's deadly defeat would come through a woman's offspring. Following this plan in the Scriptures, we would find the significant role that Abraham would play. Out of his own family, God would bring Jesus out of the world. This plan will explain the words of verse 18 where it says, "Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"
Notice, according to God's plan, Abraham's family will be so great and strong here on earth, not for their own personal consumption and exaltation, but for God to use them as a channel of His blessings to the other nations. Evidently, the ultimate fulfillment of this purpose will come in the person of Jesus Christ, who came out from Abraham's family. His work of salvation at the cross will bring not only forgiveness of sins but also the assurance of eternal salvation.
Indeed, missions was started and initiated by God. For Abraham and the rest of us, our privilege is to join God and partner with Him in accomplishing His work of salvation here on earth. But we should not join as individuals; we need to influence our children and grandchildren to be a part of His mission.
Let me show you another passage that will prove that God wants our entire families to be a part of His missions program:
Exodus 19:4-6 (ESV)
4 You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."
The background of this text in Exodus is after God freed the nation of Israel from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. At this point, they were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai, where God would give them the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20. From these words, God communicated to the whole nation (Parents and children) three critical truths:
In verse 4, God delivered them from Egypt so they could have an intimate relationship with Him ("brought you to myself").
In verse 5, God demands complete obedience to His words for them to enjoy their relationship with Him.
In verse 6, their obedience to Him will result in them becoming a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
The third truth carries the mission's piece. In making them, His priests suggest that they will be instrumental in becoming God's messengers proclaiming God's work of salvation to the world. How do I know that this is the meaning of their priesthood? Well, the apostle Peter talks about the believers' priesthood, and he explains it in these words:
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Notice, just like the nation of Israel, we, believers in Christ, are God's priests and a holy nation called to be proclaimers of His excellencies because He saved us from darkness and brought us into His light.
Clearly, from Abraham to the nation of Israel, and for us, the call is to join God in His work of salvation here on earth. The question now is: Will you join Him?
II THE TRAINING TO BE ON MISSION (v.19a)
The next essential element for the family on mission is found in the first line of verse 19 - "For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD." If you read this sentence on the Message Translation, the rendering would explain where I got the idea that Abraham was responsible for training his children. It reads – "Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe GOD's way of life."
This word "train" goes beyond telling his children what to do or where to go. Instead, training suggests teaching, disciplining, drilling, and developing behaviors that would become habitual in the lives of his children. Clearly, Abraham needed to be more than an educator; he needed to be a trainer to his children.
The parental responsibility to lead children in the right and godly way is consistently reinforced both in the Old and New Testaments:
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Considering these two verses, it is evident that the best training of hildren will always come from their homes. Yes, the church can help provide some instructions, but the real training would still be done in the home. Proverbs 22:6 gives us this sense of hope that when we start earlier in training our children, they won't abandon the right way. So, we have to exert our best efforts as early as possible.
With this expectation to train our children, parents are to see their homes as training centers or discipleship centers where lives are being shaped for the most essential calling of life, which is partnering in God's mission's agenda. God's design for the home to be a discipleship center is evident when God gave the 10 Commandments to Israel. Listen to these words from Exodus 20:9-10 (ESV):
9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
When God gave the nation of Israel the command to keep the Sabbath day holy, He gave it to be observed by the whole family. Although the molding of children happens every day, God has set aside a day that can be a constant reminder of how important He is to them and how much they need to honor Him in their lives.
The critical question about this responsibility to train our children is: How can parents fulfill this task?
Instruction
Parents are still the best spiritual teachers to their children. This is the main reason why God instructed them to teach their children diligently before Israel occupied the Promised Land.Deuteronomy 6:4-7 (ESV)
4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise.
The teaching that comes from the intimacy of the relationship between the parents and their children has so much potential to communicate the most significant lesson children must learn – Love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and might.
Imitation
The very first way children learn is by imitation, especially during their formative years. Therefore, parents should never fail to be role models in loving and serving God. If you go back to our main text, this responsibility is expressed when God said to Abraham – "he may command his children and his household after him." Notice, specifically, the phrase "after him." It was impressed to Abraham that his children should follow his example.Parents, what kind of example are you providing your children? Will they fall in love with God because of your example? These are questions we, parents, need to constantly ask to examine whether or not we have good examples for our children.
Inspiration
Parents should also find opportunities to encourage or inspire their children to love and serve the Lord. In a way, the apostle Paul showed the importance of this truth when he cited the opposite side of it in Ephesians 6:4 (NIV):
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Notice the word exasperate. This word carries the idea of provoking our children to anger. So, as parents, instead of provoking our children to anger, we should do our best to inspire them to love God and choose His way at all times.
I know this is not always easy. The biggest challenge for us parents is the balance between discipline and permissiveness or the balance of rules and relationship. For example, you found your son playing video games when he should be doing his assignments. Will you stop him from playing or just let him play? This situation is just one of those times parenting is really challenging. We need God's wisdom and good communication to provide balance in our parenting style.
III THE TRIUMPH TO BE ON MISSION (v.19)
Last but not least, the natural result of Abraham's responsible parenting is plainly stated in the second part of verse 19 - "so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him."
In other words, God's covenant promise to Abraham will be fulfilled when his children are walking in God's way. God impressed Abraham that His family's future is set when they love and serve Him. This truth will again be reiterated to them before they enter the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (ESV)
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,
20 loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
We should take these verses to heart. God is saying that if you are thinking about your children's future, there are only two options – life, which results in blessings, or death, which leads to curses. Then, beginning in verse 20, God defines the way to life and blessings, which is by loving God, obeying Him, and holding fast to Him. I hope to highlight the last part of verse 20, which says that this was not something new. God has already communicated this truth since the time of Abraham.
I hope and pray that we are all building families on a mission for God. I remember when we used to send families on mission trips to the Philippines and Cambodia before the Pandemic hit us. Let's pray that BCI would be able to do that again because it reinforces this truth within our church. One passage that I want to leave you as I close is Psalm 127:3-4 (ESV):
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.
Here is a great perspective emphasizing family on mission. Verse 3, our children are precious treasures entrusted to us by God. But, in verse 4, they are also "arrows." They are God's strategic weapons that can be used to destroy the works of the Devil in this world. May our families be effective instruments of the Lord in destroying the works of the Devil on this world!
-Bishop Jeremiah Lepasana