The Battle for YOUR Family
Neh 4:14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
Intro: Give the context
I. Satan wants to destroy your family. He knows that if mom and dad are saved that he can’t get them. If anyone knows the great and mighty power of God it is Satan. However, while he can not get their soul he can hinder their service and testimony before their children and the rest of the family and friends.
II. This battle has been going from the beginning of time.
1. Adam and Eve in the garden
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
2. Cain and Abel
Gen 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
Gen 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Gen 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Gen 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
3. Abraham and Lot (Lot’s family)
Gen 13:6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.
Gen 13:7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
Gen 13:8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
Gen 13:9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
Gen 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
III. This battle is going on right now.
A. We live in a generation that has more temptations and distractions than ever before.
1) Drunkenness-underage drinking is rampant
2) Drugs-available even in our own medicine cabinets
3) Pornography -easy access on any tech device
4) Sports-Keeping kids from being at Church because of practice and being so obsessed that we don’t consider the souls of our children
5) School-Academics are important but, what good is an Ivy league education here on earth if your family members lift their eyes in hell. Luke 16
IV. What can we do?
A, Imagine if you will that you are in a busy store and you have your child with you and someone walked up to your shopping cart and tried to snatch your child. What would you do? Would you sit there and smile as your child was taken? Of course you wouldn’t, you would fight the very demons of hell to get your child back. You would die before you would let that happen.
B. What are the weapons that we can use in this fight?
1) Pray for your family that God would put a hedge around about them and that God would work in their heart.
2) Preach the gospel to them. Men you have a solemn responsibility to be more than the financial provider, provide for them spiritually as well.
3) Prepare them for the wiles of the devil. Warn them of the dangers and distractions of this world.
V. Keep them in Church
A. Hebrews 10:24,25
Conclusion: Zechariah was asked to be on a travel baseball team last year. As you know we love sports, and Zech loves sports too. We allowed Zech to be on the team with the understanding that anytime that anytime there was a game or practice going on that if it conflicted with Church that Church always came first. Thankfully that only happened a couple of times and the coach knew and respected our position. If parents would stand up leagues and coaches would have to schedule things around Church. There are 7 days in a week. Why in the world don’t leave Sundays and Wednesdays alone? It’s because Satan wants your family and he uses these thing whether it be academics, sports, family gatherings, etc to get them away from God’s people and and encouragement to preach the gospel.
