ZNA-233

930502AM

FAMILY-1 FAMILY SERIES PART ONE GOD HAS NO GRANDCHILDREN

PSALM 78

A biblical family is a choice every generation must make. This morning each of us is either a personal member of God’s family or not. You can’t get spiritual life by association, only by personal reception…

To best understand the biblical family let me remind you of two verses: 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. (NKJV)

With that basis lets go to a key family chapter of the Old Testament Psalm 78. A biblical family is one that does well only one thing: it passes the truth to the next generation:

Read Psalm 78:1-7

God will tell usat the Judgment (not ask us to emotionally defend ourselves) how we did at communicating, modeling and folowing the truth. Is it paramount in your life?

See:

* teach them * tell them * put their confidence in God * not forget God’s work * keep his commandments

If God has no grandchildren. You and I will be good and faithful servants only if we pass the truth to the next generation

But what if i am single or we are childless? The same only you like paul and other first century examples, are to seek out the fatherless, widows, afflicted, new and so on. We all are to be involved in the next generation.

Discover the Book Ministries | www.dtbm.org | 866.815.2601 | [email protected] Page 2

Stop for a moment- how does you life match up to the criteria of disciplfng others? Are you actively involved in your family, church family, home bible study, neighborhood outreach andsoon?

Back to the text. What was God’s plan? Teach and talk and model the truth,

How did they do? Not well. It appears they were:

1. Personally Stubborn and rebellious (v.8) = they turned back (v.9) 2. Family way A generation that did not prepare its heart (v.8) = they did not keep the covenant(v.10) 3. Publically And whose spirit was not faithful to God (v.8) = they forgot his deeds (v.ll)

But is it fair to criticize? Did they really have biblical guidance? Lets look and see. In overview of the scriptures we can say a hearty yes. They were given three critical areas to pursue

I. Their personal lives were to reflect the plan of God. II. Their family life had to revolve around the word of God. III. Their public life had to remind the world of the people of God…

Now lets study the biblical family from the perspective of its personal life. Open to Exodus 33:7 Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass [that] everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which [was] outside the camp. (NKJV) that is what God expected them and expects now!

A quick overview: 1. Moses is born in ch. 2 2. The plagues begin in ch.7 3. The passover and exodus is in ch. 12 4. The sea is split in ch.14 5. Manna and meat in ch.16 6. Water from the rock in ch.17 7. Ten commandments in ch.20 8. The tabernacle is detailed in ch.25-31 9. The people sin deeply with the false worship of the true God in ch.32 10. Now, listen to 33:7… a) before the bible b) before the system of sacrifices c) at the first, God wanted discipline

Discover the Book Ministries | www.dtbm.org | 866.815.2601 | [email protected] Page 3

Spiritual growth comes when we reflect God’s plan by discipling ourselves to seek Him. It will always cost us something. Think of growing up in a campground with 600,000 tents!

Disciplining ourselves to: • costs something … Get up, walk by every one • requires discipline … Up before going to flocks, plan enough time for the walk… • Is optional yet mandatory, if you seek the lord its on his terms.

Secondly, the biblical family was not only to have personal spiritual growth, a second factor was the consistent family focus on the word of God.

Deuteronomy 6:1-4 “Now this [is] the commandment, [and these are] the statutes and judgments which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe [them] in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 2 “that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 “Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe [it,] that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you — ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD [is] one! (NKJV)

What was the BIBLICAL FAMILY to focus upon? Simply stated, three things: 1. Love God enough that you experience personal consecration. v. 4-6 2. Teach about God by choosing to emphasize biblical communication. v. 7-9. 3. Fear God enough to want to eliminate all worldly contamination. v. 10-15.

Do you see your role of a priest to the lord? We are called to • Present God to our children. • Present our children to God.

1. Their personal lives were to reflect the plan of God, as ex.33:7 shows. 2. Their family life had to revolve around the Word of God, as dt.6 shows 3. Finally, their public life had to remind the world of the people of God…

Have you ever wondered why God set up the elaborate system of rituals, liturgies, feasts, holy days, priests and all? It was simply to give regular, vivid, scheduled times to remember to worship God.

In Leviticus 23 God says: o Every seventh day stop everything for a day (52 days @ year or 14% of their time) o There were SEVEN ANNUAL FEASTS on top of all that was the annual feast days they were to go up to Jerusalem to participate as families. They were:

Discover the Book Ministries | www.dtbm.org | 866.815.2601 | [email protected] Page 4

1. 1st month =8 days pass/unlbrd/fruits 2. 3rd month =1 day pentecost 3. 7th month = 10 days trump/atone/tabs/sac assemb 4. 12th month = 1 day purim 5. That equals 3 weeks (or 6% of their time) o Every seventh year stop everything for a year. (14% of time) o Every 7 x 7 years stop everything for a year of Jubilee. (2% more of time) o That equals 52 Sabbaths, 7 Feasts, plus holy year and Jubilee. o That factored in made roughly 36% of there lives or 14 weeks a year in worship. And you thought sundays and wednesdays were bad!!!

What is the point? The worship of God must rest at the heart of any family that wants to be biblical. o personal lives reflecting the plan of God.. o family life revolving around the word of God.. o public lives that remind the world we are the people of God..