The primary commands for husbands: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word" (Ephesians 5:25-26). Husbands lead your wives by obeying these verses and the verses that follow.

https://youtu.be/tKxc4TPofqQ

Husbands lead your wives by obeying Ephesians 5:25-33. The most common complaint wives have is that their husband is not leading in the home.

Church and Family Life interviewed me for their podcast. Here is the description:

We are here today to encourage husbands to lead their families. The most common complaint wives make about their husbands is that they are not leading in the home. We also know that God gave husbands a hard job – they must lead their wives and children in very particular, highly defined ways. So, we hope this podcast will be an encouragement to them as they face the challenge and shoulder the responsibility.

Also, part of the interview were:

* Jason Dohm is a full-time pastor at Sovereign Redeemer Community Church in Youngsville, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992 with a B.A. in education and proceeded to a lengthy career in electronics manufacturing. Jason has been married to Janet for 30 years and has six children and four grandchildren.* Scott T. Brown is the president of Church and Family Life and pastor at Hope Baptist Church in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Scott graduated from California State University in Fullerton with a degree in History and received a Master of Divinity degree from Talbot School of Theology. He gives most of his time to local pastoral ministry, expository preaching, conferences on church and family reformation. Scott helps people think through the two greatest institutions God has provided — the church and the family.

The dangers of legalism and spiritual bondage are demonstrated in the account in Luke 13:10-17 when Jesus heals the crippled woman. Legalism makes people captives as much as any physical disability. The synagogue ruler was angry because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. It is hard to believe that something so beautiful could be so upsetting, but it reveals the bondage he was in—a bondage that was worse than the crippled woman’s bondage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCxyV95irrs

The dangers of legalism and spiritual bondage make people captives as much as physical disabilities as shown when Jesus healed on the Sabbath.

Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage (Luke 10:13-17)Sermon Notes for The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage (Luke 10:13-17)Lesson one: don’t be kept from worshiping because of (part one) suffering.Lesson one: don’t be kept from worshiping because of (part two) shame.Lesson one: don’t be kept from worshiping because of (part three) bitterness.Lesson two: we can’t free people physically, but we can spiritually.Lesson three: The synagogue ruler was in greater bondage than the crippled woman.

Family Worship Guide for The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage (Luke 10:13-17)

Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions:

Day 1: Luke 13:1-4, 11, John 9:2-3, Job 1:20—What do you think could have kept this crippled woman from attending corporate worship? What might keep you from attending corporate worship? Why do you think suffering, shame, and bitterness might keep people from church? What can we tell ourselves to prevent this from happening?

Day 2: Luke 13:12-13—What is legalism and spiritual bondage? What keeps people in spiritual bondage? What does it look like when people are in spiritual bondage? What can people do to be delivered from spiritual bondage? Why is spiritual bondage so dangerous?

Day 3: Luke 13:14, Galatians 5:1—why was the synagogue ruler’s bondage worse than the crippled woman’s bondage? In other words, why is spiritual bondage worse than physical bondage? How can Jesus set us free? What does Jesus set us free from? What doesn’t Jesus set us free from? In other words, what do we continue to struggle with after being in Christ?

Sermon Notes for The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage (Luke 10:13-17)

Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word and turn to Luke 13.

Luke 13:10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

You may be seated. Let’s pray.

The title of this morning’s sermon is: “The Dangers of Legalism and Spiritual Bondage.”

On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves in Luke 13. We will look at verses 10 through 17.

Jesus’ ministry is well under way and the people have been amazed, not just at the things He’s been teaching, but the things He’s been doing. In this morning’s verses we will get to see him perform...

"Should Christ or your spouse meet your needs?" This is a question every married person must answer. Fortunately, the answer is an easy one: Jesus Christ. Most people don't have to be married very long to recognize that their husband or wife will disappoint them at times.

Marriage is a gift. God wants our relationship with our spouse to provide us with joy and blessing. But regardless of how committed our spouse is to Christ, he or she is still a sinner. Every husband or wife will fail to meet our needs at various times. God wants us to enjoy our marriages, but looking to our spouse the joy, contentment, and peace that only Christ can provide will inevitably lead to discouragement at times.

https://youtu.be/MHDmS8Sf4mU

"Should Christ or our spouse meet our needs?" This is a question every married person must answer as they learn to look to Jesus Christ.

Interview Description for "Should Christ or Your Spouse Meet Your Needs?"

I was interviewed for the online series, "Walk in Your Worth: The Secret to Creating Remarkable Relationships Filled with Intimacy, Joy, and Love." You can watch the interview above or simply listen to the audio on my podcast. Here's Daniel's description…

I absolutely LOVED my interview with pastor and author, Scott LaPierre. I get all excited in this interview about how to date and what a beautiful future marriage can look like =). I recommend this interview no matter what relationship status you have! You will learn:Where is the line of asking one another in a marriage to meet your needs vs having Christ meet your needs? What are some keys to recognizing and resolving conflict in your marriage? How important is it to understand the roles and responsibility of husband and wife in a marriage? If any of these questions resonate with you, you’ll really enjoy today’s interview.Danielle Schaaf

If you’d like to interview me for an online event, or have me as a guest on your podcast, please let me know.

I was interviewed about these important topics - submission, love, and respect - for the Modern Christian Bachelorette. Here's the description…

"Is submission equal to being a 'doormat'? Is submission for wives relevant in today's society? What should submission look like in marriage? Pastor Scott LaPierre shares deep insights on submission versus respect versus love between a husband and a wife. He breaks down the difference between the need for women to submit to their husbands versus the need for husbands to love their wives according to God's prescripts and design for marriage."Thobile Mogorosi

https://youtu.be/l3Pg0bMYQK4

Interview about these important topics - submission, love, and respect - for the Modern Christian Bachelorette online summit.

If you’d like to interview me for an online event, or have me as a guest on your podcast, please let me know.

Interview Topics About Submission, Love, and Respect

Submission is difficult to address. Some people cringe at the word. I will be the first to say submission has been misused and abused in relationships, sermons, and counseling sessions. In this interview I tried to approach this sensitive command in both a biblical and delicate manner. While you listen I would like to encourage you to do the following two things:

* First, please commit to taking the time to consider what Scripture itself says about submission and how it applies to everyday life. Clearly, the fact God made this such a key part of His marriage instructions means it is important.* Second, please keep in mind that as our Creator and Designer, God knows the ideal for our relationships. Not only does He know what is best for us, He wants what is best for us. For us to reject His design is to settle for less than God’s best, and say we know better than Him. Let your confidence be in His wisdom.

We must bear fruit in keeping with repentance. The main point of Luke 13 verses one through five is that we must repent. Jesus says, “You are looking at people who died in these tragedies and asking if they died because they are worse than everyone who lived. Instead, you should ask whether you have repented, because they perished physically, but if you don’t repent you are going to perish spiritually, or eternally.” Then Jesus adds to this in verses six through nine by talking about fruit, because if people have repented they will produce the fruit. John the Baptist said, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). Jesus and John put repenting and bearing fruit together because they go hand-in-hand. Usually when we think of repentance, we think only of stopping. We should also think of starting or producing fruit. This is known as putting off and putting on (Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIMk-VVWYSc

We must bear fruit in keeping with repentance. When we think of repentance, we think only of stopping. We should also think of starting.

Table of contentsFamily worship guide for Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance (Luke 13:6-9) Sermon notes for Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance (Luke 13:6-9)Lesson one: repentance involves stopping and starting.Lesson two: fruit is an evidence of genuine repentance.Lesson three: God is patient (part one) so we have time to repent and produce fruit.Lesson three: God is patient (part two) even when he knows people won’t repent.

Family worship guide for Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance (Luke 13:6-9)

Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions:

Day 1: Luke 3:8, Ephesians 4:25-32, Colossians 3:5, 12—Why does repentance involves stopping and starting? Explain putting off and putting on. What are some examples of sins that aren’t listed in Scripture that you would stop, and what are the accompanying behaviors you would put on?Day 2: Luke 13:6-7, Matthew 13:23, Acts 26:20, Ephesians 5:8-9, Colossians 1:5-6, Hebrews 12:11—Explain the parable of the fig tree, what the different elements represent, and the main point(s). Discuss insincere temporary repentance and sincere lasting repentance. How can we tell the difference between the two? Why is fruit an evidence of genuine repentance?Day 3: Luke 13:8-9, Matthew 12:20, Leviticus 19:23-25, 2 Peter 3:9, paste that—Why is God patient with us? What happens if we don’t produce fruit, or another way to say it: what does it mean if a person doesn’t produce fruit? Why do you think God is patient with people even when he knows they won’t repent? Can you think of some other examples in Scripture of God being patient with people who did not repent?

Sermon notes for Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance (Luke 13:6-9)

The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance.”

On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 13 verses 6 through 9.

Recently I shared with you that while I enjoy going verse by verse, because we look at verses in sections, it is easy to ignore what comes before or after those sections. In other words, it is easy to look at the verses out of context.

With this morning’s verses it is particularly important to notice how they flow from verses one through five, which we looked at last week: "Are We Suffering for Sin?"

The main point of verses one through five is that we must repent. Jesus says…

“You are looking at the people who died in these two tragedies and you are wondering if they died because they are worse than everyone who lived. You are asking the wrong question. Instead, you should be asking whether you have repented, because they perished physically, but if you don’t repent you are going to perish spiritually, or eternally.”

Now Jesus adds to this in verses six through nine by talking about fruit. The idea is if the Jews repented as Jesus commanded...

The common tendency when experiencing trials is to wonder if we are suffering for sin. When Difficult situations occur we wonder what we did to cause the suffering we are experiencing. In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus taught that suffering is not always the result of sin. When Jesus commented on two tragedies that took place, he didn't explain why they happened, because we don't often get to find out why suffering occurs. Instead, he said we must all repent so we don't perish eternally.

https://youtu.be/s8ykAvmI8xk

During trials we wonder if we are suffering for sin. In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus taught that suffering is not always the result of sin.

Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for Are We Suffering for Sin? (Luke 13:1-5)Sermon Notes for Are We Suffering for Sin? (Luke 13:1-5)Lesson One: Suffering isn’t always the result of sin.Lesson Two: All suffering is the result of sin.Lesson Three: We don’t always get to find out why we are suffering.Lesson Four: We must all repent or perish eternally.

Family Worship Guide for Are We Suffering for Sin? (Luke 13:1-5)

Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions:

Day 1: Luke 13:1-5—why did the people share this news with Jesus? How would you have expected Jesus to respond if you weren’t familiar with the account? How did he respond and why did he respond this way? How did Jesus elevate these physical accounts to the spiritual level?

Day 2: 1 Peter 2:20, 3:17, 4:15, Hebrews 12:5-6, John 9:1-3, Job 1:8, Hebrews 11:35-37, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28—do you see any similarities between the Tower of Siloam falling and the Twin Towers falling, in particular regarding the way people responded? Besides the examples from these verses can you think of other examples from Scripture of godly people suffering?

Day 3: Job 38-41—what does it mean that all suffering is the result of sin? Why do you think Job didn’t find out why he was suffering? Why didn’t God tell him? How do we know if we are suffering for righteousness’s sake or because of our sin? What did Jesus mean when he said that we must repent or we will perish?

Sermon Notes for Are We Suffering for Sin? (Luke 13:1-5)

The title this morning’s sermon is, “Are We Suffering for Sin?”

On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at Luke 13. We will look at verses one through five.

Many times I have responded to people’s questions by asking them a question. Someone asked me why I do that so frequently and I said, “Why shouldn’t I?”

If you respond to people’s questions by asking a question you shouldn’t feel too bad about it, because Jesus seemed to do the same thing. In these few verses he responds to the news about two calamities, not by explaining what happened, but by asking two questions.

Look with me at verse one…

Luke 13:1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Instead of simply saying Pilate murdered some Galileans who were offering sacrifices in Jerusalem, he uses this vivid way of describing the violence.

This incident is not recorded anywhere else in Scripture, but it is not out of character for Pilate. Josephus, the great Jewish historian, records several incidents in which Pilate murdered Jews.

These people weren’t just talking to Jesus. They were giving him an important news update for two reasons:

First, he and most of his followers are from Galilee, so people would assume he’d be interested in this news.

Second, he’s perceived as a leader and people would want to know his thoughts. It reminds me of press conferences with political leaders who are being asked their take on some controversial situation.

It’s also possible that they might have been warning Jesus because he was heading to Jerusalem where the violence took place.

Whatever the case, receiving this news put Jesus in a difficult situation because:

Each city of refuge served as a beautiful type and shadow of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As Hebrews 6:18 says, "We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us."

Table of contentsThe Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:5-6 and Numbers 35:9-12)Christ Is Our City of Refuge (Hebrews 6:18)Pursued by an Avenger (Numbers 35:19)Refuge from Death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)The City of Refuge Is Accessible by All (Numbers 35:15) The City of Refuge Is Near to All (Deuteronomy 19:3)Released from the City of Refuge by the High Priest’s Death (Numbers 35:25)Life Ensured in the the City of Refuge (Numbers 35:26-28)No Other AlternativeHelp for the GuiltyApplicationSpread out for MinistryAre We Welcoming?Are We Content with Christ?Do We Recognize Your Guiltiness?

The twelve tribes of Israel were given a portion of the Promised Land as their inheritance to live in. The exception was the tribe of Levi: “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the Lord's food offerings as their inheritance” (Deuteronomy 18:1, see also Numbers 18:23-24; Deuteronomy 12:12, 14:27; Joshua 14:3, 18:7). Instead, the Levites were assigned the duties associated with the sanctuary and religious activity of the nation, including being the nations’ priests: “The Lord your God has chosen [Levi] out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time” (Deuteronomy 18:5). Even though they weren’t given an inheritance in the land, they needed places to live, so God assigned them areas throughout the nation. By providing cities for the Levites throughout the land all the people had access to them and their ministry:

The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.

Numbers 35:1-3, 6

The Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:5-6 and Numbers 35:9-12)

The Levites were given a total of forty-eight towns to live in, and six of them were special, being called, cities of refuge. In the ancient world, there was no police force; therefore, it was up to each family to avenge murders. Under the Old Covenant: “If there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Exodus 21:23-24, see also Leviticus 24:19-20, Deuteronomy 19:21). The nearest blood relative to the deceased was charged with the responsibility of executing the murderer, so there was “life for life.” But the nearest blood relative’s own emotions, passion might cloud his judgment. He could end up avenging his relative’s death by indiscriminately killing someone who wasn’t guilty of a capital crime. For example, what if the murder took place in self-defense, or even by accident. Here's a description of such accidents:

When someone goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbor so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live, lest the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbor in the past.

Deuteronomy 19:5-6

Imagine two men are working in the field and one man trips and falls in front of the other man’s plow and animals. Perhaps the injured man later succumbs to his injuries.

We should make every effort to settle with God before we stand before Him. In Luke 12:58 Jesus said, "As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison." If we are involved in legal disputes and we are accused and guilty, the best thing to do is try to settle outside of court, because if it goes to trial, we will be found guilty and it will be worse for us. In modern day vernacular, it is as though Jesus said, "Do everything you can to settle outside of court, because if you stand before the judge it is not going to go well for you.” The spiritual application: If we wait to get right with God until we stand before him, then it is too late.

https://youtu.be/2IJlFCOLukY

In Luke 12:58 Jesus said we should make every effort to settle with God before we stand before Him on Judgment Day. Otherwise, it is too late.

Table of contentsFamily Worship Guide for Make Every Effort to Settle with GodSermon Notes for Family Worship Guide for Make Every Effort to Settle with God Lesson One: We should be more interested in spiritual matters than earthly matters.Lesson Two: Make every effort to settle with God before standing before him.Lesson Three: People can’t settle their debt in hell.Lesson Four: Only Christ can pay our debt.

Family Worship Guide for Make Every Effort to Settle with God

Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions:

Day 1: Luke 12:54-56—What rebuke did Jesus have for the Jews in his day? Why do you think the Jews were unable to interpret the present time? What are you most interested in? What are you most knowledgeable about? After answering these questions do you think you’re more interested in earthly or spiritual matters?Day 2: Luke 12:57-58, Revelation 12:10, Job 1:8-11, 2:3-5, John 8:44, Luke 13:34-35—What does the devil’s name mean? How does he live up to this name? What does it mean to settle with God? Why should we make every effort to do so? Explain Jesus’s second illustration in your own words.Day 3: Luke 12:59, Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Revelation 14:11, Mark 9:48, John 5:29, Acts 24:15, Matthew 6:12, 18:23-27, 1 John 2:1—What did you learn about hell from those verses? Describe our debt. What makes it different than a financial debt? What can’t we do about this debt? What can we do about this debt? What does it mean that Jesus is our advocate?

Sermon Notes for Family Worship Guide for Make Every Effort to Settle with God

The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Make Every Effort to Settle with God.”

I like preaching verse by verse, but one thing we need to be cautious of is taking sections in chunks and looking at them independently of the passages around them. So, it’s a good idea as we go verse-by-verse to consider the context:

Look back at verses 35 through 40. You probably have a heading in your Bible for this section. Something about Christ’s return. Jesus is telling the crowds that we must be ready.Then in verses 41 through 48 he talks about faithful servants who are ready when he returns and how they will be blessed, and unfaithful servants who are not ready when he returns and how they will be punished.In verses 49 through 53, which we covered last week, he talks about the purpose of his coming, but it’s not exactly like we tend to think. He says in verse 51, “Don’t think that I have come to give peace. Instead, I came to bring division.” How do we explain this when we know other verses teach that Jesus brought peace? He came to bring peace between God and man, but this can create division between man and man.

Then he follows up with this morning’s verses about discerning the time. He uses two illustrations that stress the importance of discernment and diligence in spiritual matters. The two illustrations are:

First, discerning the weatherSecond, diligence in settling lawsuits.

Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'” All of this was wonderfully foreshadowed with the bronze serpent. This is part two. Here is part one.

Table of ContentsUnder a Curse from the LawTaking the Curse of the Law for UsPersonal Application (Continued from Part One)Complaining about Circumstances Can Be Complaining about GodIngratitude Is SinDiscouraged Too EasilyDisciplined for GoodRuining the GoodThe Gospel Is Meant to Be SharedThe Only Way to Be Saved

Under a Curse from the Law

Galatians 3:10 says, “All who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’”  This is a quote of Deuteronomy 27:26 which says everyone who doesn’t perfectly obey God’s law is cursed. Because none of us perfectly keep God’s law all of us are under a curse. Some Jews, whether out of pride or ignorance, believe they can go to heaven by obeying God’s law, but it is this same law that tells them they are cursed if they don’t keep it perfectly.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The law must be viewed as a unit, which is why it’s always spoken of singularly: law versus laws. The law contains 613 commands, but it is only one law, and to break part of it is to break all of it: “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (James 2:10). Imagine a boy who throws a rock through his window. His parents confront him and he replies, “I didn’t break the whole window. I only broke part of it.” This is the same argument as the person who claims to have only broken part of the law.

The first part of Galatians 3:11 says, “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law.” Justified means, “Declared righteous.” Nobody will be justified, or declared righteous, by the law because nobody keeps it perfectly. But what is the purpose of the law if not to save us? It is meant to show us our sinfulness: “Through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). When we become aware of our sinfulness we see our need for the Savior.

Because we can’t be justified by the law, we must be justified another way. That is by faith so Galatians 3:11 finishes, “For ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” This is a quote of Habakkuk 2:4. Those who are justified, or declared righteous, “Live by faith,” versus works for obedience to the law.

Galatians 3:12 continues, “But the law is not of faith, rather ‘The one who does them shall live by them.’” By quoting Leviticus 18:5 Paul juxtaposes living by faith in the previous verse with living by the law in this verse. The law and faith are mutually exclusive. To try to be justified by one is to choose not to be justified by the other. When people choose to be justified by faith they are choosing not to try to be justified by keeping the law. When people try to be justified by keeping the law, they have chosen not to be justified by faith. And should people try to be justified by the law, they must also “live by” it, which means keep it perfectly.

Taking the Curse of the Law for Us

We can be justified by faith, but this still leaves us with a problem: because we have broken the law we are under a curse. Either we bear the curse or someone bears it in our place. But if someone would be willing to bear the curse in our place, he would have to have perfectly obeyed the law so as not to be cursed himself. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” This is a quote of Deuteronomy 21:23. Jesus kept the law perfectly and was willing to be hanged on a tree to take our curse for us.

In this sermon I discuss four blessings when choosing God over family. There aren’t many situations more difficult for Christians to face than having to choose God over family. Allow these four encouragements to help you if you find yourself in this situation.

https://youtu.be/h9rfdJkGLE4

Choosing God over family is one of the most difficult situations Christians face. Allow these four encouragements to help you.

Table of ContentsThe Gospel Creates Peace Between God and ManThe Gospel Creates Division Between Man and ManBlessing One: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Be Like ChristBlessing Two: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Teach Our ChildrenBlessing Three: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Discuss Our FaithBlessing Four: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Show God We Love Him

Consider the following:

A relative claims to be a believer but wants to marry an unbeliever, so you’re unable to support the relationship.

A relative claims to be a believer, but is living in habitual sin, so you have to confront the person.

I know people and when they chose God over family:

It meant supporting church discipline against a family member

Or it meant asking a child to leave the house because that child was rebellious

As you can imagine, even though these people made the right decision, it was still excruciating.

There are examples in the Old Testament of people having to choose God over family members. For example…

Moses called for the execution of the individuals responsible for constructing the Golden Calf. This meant some Israelites had to kill their own relatives…

Exodus 32:27 [Moses] said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you KILL HIS BROTHER AND HIS COMPANION AND HIS NEIGHBOR.’”

This gives us a good idea of how wicked idolatry is.

Another example involving idolatry…

King Asa was one of the greatest reformers in the Old Testament. When he purged the idolatry from the land, he even had to punish his own grandmother, because she made an idol…

1 Kings 15:13 [Asa] removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

I can only imagine how much criticism King Asa might’ve received for banishing his own grandmother.

You could listen to this and say…

“Well, this is the Old Testament. It was much harsher. We are in the New Testament, which is more loving and gracious.”

But we have reached the verses in the New Testament that show that even though we aren’t called to execute family members, we are still called to choose God over them.

But before Jesus talks about choosing Him over family members, He first talks about the divisiveness of the gospel, and I’ll explain why in a moment.

Look with me at verse 49…

Luke 12:49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 

Fire represents judgment, so Jesus is saying He came to bring judgment to the earth.

This isn’t how we normally think of Jesus’s first coming, is it? We think about him bringing judgment at his second coming but bringing salvation at his first coming.

For example, he said…

John 12:47 I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

Yes, Jesus came to save the world in his first coming…but what happens to people who reject him?

They get judged!

In the very next verse Jesus said…

John 12:48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words HAS A JUDGE; the word that I have spoken WILL JUDGE HIM on the last day. 

So, reject Christ, get judged, and experience the fire he brought.

But now look at the next verse for those who RECEIVE Christ…

Luke 12:50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 

So right after talking about the judgment unbelie...