Sermon

Family Blessings

Genesis 12:3

1 John 2: 12-27

Introduction

Today is the last Sunday of November, and we have designated this month as our Thanksgiving month. In view of this, I have preached on "Thanking God for our Country", and " Thanking God for our Church", and this morning, I am preaching on " Thanking God for Our Families". Surely, we are one big family!

This is in keeping with our celebration today – the celebration of "everybody’s birthday".

You see, birthdays are family events. And it is surely a time for rejoicing. We rejoice because God has given us the gift of life an the extension of it. And not only that, but because we live within the context of a family. We have families.

Without getting emotional about this, perhaps, there may even some here who are deprived of a family. You are literally alone here in America. Or , you may have people of the same DNA with you, but you still feel alone. Do not be afraid, however, because, today you can have the power and freedom to pick a family or you can resolve to make your family what it ought to be.

That is why, if you are here today, I want you to seriously reflect on your life, and think that God has given you a Father, mother, brother, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles – and in-laws, and others. I want us to think of them as blessings rather than burdens. We need to remind ourselves that God gave them all to us – to bless us for they are a family!

I submit to you that today, the institution of the family is under attack. Dr. Kevin Lehman says, that " the family is our most endangered species". Furthermore, he observes that today, "the world is not family friendly".

This gives us, Christians this great challenge to "keep the family together even when the world is falling apart." Why? Because we are a different kind of people. We are the people of God. God is with us and He will help us make our families as He purposed it to be.

There are two things I would like to share with you this morning. First, We need to Praise God for our Christian families. Second, we need to Pray for our Christian families.

I. We need to PRAISE GOD FOR OUR CHRISTIAN FAMILIES

G. K.Chesterton in his article, " On the Institution of the Family" shares this principle: "The smaller the community, the larger the world." What he means was that in the small community of the family, our world becomes larger because the family prepares us and molds us in becoming how large our world would be.

This is what the Lord told Abraham in Genesis 12: 3. God called him and enlarged his family so that through his family, the world would be blessed.

This is quite a statement from God. Through one family, the world will be blessed. ---What a thought to ponder on for our own families. Will our families be a blessing to the world, or will it be a burden and a curse?

Let me suggest to you some reasons why we should praise God for our families.

a. It is a place of Identity – we get our name from it, it tells us who possesses us.

b. It is a place of security – it is a place where we are accepted, a place we belong to. It is a place where you know that someone in this world accepts you and loves you unconditionally:

- Inspite of your looks: a face that only a mother could love!

- Inspite of who you are – you are accepted.

c. It is a place of maturity – a place to grow and develop ( mentally, socially, emotionally- as a social being).

d. It is a place of continuity – we become a part of the future.

e. It is a place of sanctity – our values are formed, and we grow in godliness.

In the family, we become a total person.

But of course, there is no perfect family. Nevertheless, we can thank God for ours, and by God’s Grace, our family can be a blessing to the world.

II. We need to PRAY FOR OUR FAMILIES:

Nick Stinnet in his book, "Secrets of Strong Families", lists the qualities found in strong families. We can also pray for these qualities for our families:

a. Commitment – a sense of being a team

b. Appreciation – they help each other feel good about themselves.

c. Communication – they spend a lot of time talking and listening.

d. Time together – they eat, work, play, and talk together.

e. Spiritual health – it is a unifying force that enables them to reach out in love and compassion to others.

f. Coping Skills –some of their coping skills are seeing something positive in the crises, pulling together, being flexible, drawing on spiritual and communication strengths, and getting help from friends and professionals.

How can we practice these? The apostle John in I John 2: 12-27 exhorts us to:

- Love

- Forgiveness

- Unity

In the family of God, He is our Father, and we are all His children.

Conclusion:

While our families are not perfect, but with God’s power and with Christ helping us, we can make our families strong, healthy, and a blessing to the world.

Let us be thankful for our parents, our siblings, and our extended families. Let us pray that we will all grow in love, in forgiveness, and in unity.