Episode Details

Series:

Blueprints: God’s Design for Church and Family

 

Last week:

The family is God’s blueprint for human flourishing

• Immediate Family
• God’s Family of Redeemed Humanity (CHURCH)

As the family goes, so goes the culture

• Place of Societal Stability

The enemy Hates the Family

• Because it is a blessing from God

God used marriage and family as a METAPHOR for his relationship with His Church

• Bride of Christ
• God has and is redeeming the concept of the family

 

This leads us to…

LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES

 

What are values?

Values: Ideas and behaviors that are important to a person or group of people

Values demonstrate who we are

We ALL value something
Culture is a combination of values

• The highway that leads us to flourish or decay

Jesus teaches about values in this way…

Matthew 7

24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

 

Jesus teaches that all values ARE NOT created equal

 

Our culture currently operates from a…

Desire Driven Values: Desire creates my truth from within myself; thus, everyone around me must align to MY values

• Emotions driven by desire lead to the truth that governs my life

 

The values of our SECULAR Culture

Individuality: How we view identity and personal value

• I am my own authority
• I choose who and what I am
• The individual overrides the collective

Moral autonomy: How we view shame and repentance

• I do as I choose and cannot be judged
• The only one who can make me feel shame is myself
• Shame is an abuse of the power of others over my life and is harmful to me

Power Projection: How we view protection and authority

• Race, wealth, government, sexes, individual communities)
• The “oppressed now has the right to oppress the oppressor)
• Victim mentality gives power
• Might makes right

 

How do these things work themselves out?

Galatians 5

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: (aka… Values of secular Culture) sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Do these values lead to FLOURISHING in the following examples?

• For mom and dad?
• For kids?
• Friends?

This leads to decay… NOT flourishing

 

Christian Family Values (Blueprint)

Spirit & Truth Driven Values: Objective truth is outside of myself; thus, I must align my life with its values

• Within the boundaries of God, our Lord and Creator

What are some Christian values?

Galatians 5

22 But the fruit of the Spirit (Spirit & Truth Values) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

Do these