Peter Tan-Chi - Discover God's Design for the Family
Praise God! Praise God, glorify God for the 36th anniversary Sunday service. Do you remember our main message last Sunday? Why God calls us, to make disciples. Discipleship begins at home. Discipleship begins at home. Start at home. I am reminded of the story of an old man. He asked all the children to gather around him because he knew his life was coming to an end. He told his family: "When I was a kid, I really wanted to change the world, but later I found out that it was very difficult. So, I told myself 'What if I change my country first?'" He later found out that this was also the case. Very difficult.
Then he thought: 'How about I change my city first?' Later he found out that this was also difficult. Then he thought 'What if I tried to change my community?' Then he realized that would be hard too. Then he was thinking, what if I change my family first? Then I realized that the best thing is, I should change myself first. By changing myself, maybe I can change my family. By changing my family, maybe I can impact my community. By changing my community, maybe I can impact the city. By affecting this city, maybe I can change a country. I realized that family is very important. Why? Someone once said: "As families have their affairs, so have their nations".
So I want to share with you, from the study of secular history researchers to the Bible, you will see the importance of family. Many years ago, John Unwin, a British anthropologist, studied 87 civilizations spanning more than 4,000 years, and this was a shocking discovery. "Families go from bad to worse, families are broken up, and so are civilizations". He said, "There are no exceptions". Another famous writer, Edward Gibbon, he wrote a book "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" and this is his conclusion: There were 5 major reasons for the fall of Rome.
Guess what the first reason is? Family. "The breakdown of families was the first reason why Rome began to decline". Other reasons were the desire for pleasure. But let me focus on family. In the early history of Rome, there was a famous philosopher named Seneca. He warned the Romans, he said, "Families broken up will destroy our nation". They didn't listen to him. He wrote that Romans divorced in order to remarry, and they married in order to divorce. His predictions were so true. Friends, history now tells us: "The same thing is happening".
Look at the statistics below, teenagers from dysfunctional families, especially families without fathers. Here are the shocking statistics: 85% of teenagers who come from dysfunctional homes are in prison, 60%, over 60% of youth suicides come from dysfunctional homes. 75% of drug addicts come from dysfunctional families. 71% of those who did not complete school came from dysfunctional families. In fact, the Washington Post wrote in an article, "The most important predictor of criminal behavior is the absence of a father". Today, it is a burden on my heart and a passion in my heart to share with you the importance of family. sex. Why is family so important? It affects us all.
Now, you may be thinking "I'm single" Let me ask you a question. "Are you part of the family"? Think about it. The truth is we are all part of one family. Either you have parents, uncles, aunts, you have brothers and sisters, you have cousins, you have nephews, you have nieces, you have grandparents. No matter what it is, we are all part of a family and it affects us and you affect your family. Let me tell you why. This family has some unique characteristics. You have a relationship, and because of that, you have influence. I want us to discuss and learn about the most important topic of all: "Discovering God's design for families".
Why is this important? You need to discover God's design so that you can maximize the joy of your family. When you discover God's design, you will avoid unnecessary pain and headaches. Discover God's design so you can experience God's blessings and be a blessing to others. You may not realize this: God created families, and I praise God for families. I want to show you a picture of our home. Praise God, I have 5 wonderful children, 5 wonderful wives, and 20 grandchildren, counting! In a few months, by the grace of God, the 21st one will come. Discovering God's design for your family is so important. I want to share with you the main takeaways from today's message.
Discover God's design, I want to show you God's goodness. God's design is to pass on a legacy of godliness. God's design is to fulfill God's mission. You will discover these three important principles in God's design. God designed this family to show us His goodness. When I started studying Genesis 1-2, I was amazed that God had created the greatest invention. Let me tell you how important this is. Great artists, successful people usually have one or two good works. For example, Michelangelo. If you think of Michelangelo, what was his greatest achievement? You might say this painting is the Sistine Chapel.
If you think about George Lucas, what is his greatest achievement? You might say "Star Wars Saga" or Steven Spielberg, you might say "Jaws" or "Jurassic Park" whatever it is, What strikes me is God's greatest creation. Think about it. What do you think? I realize it's not just the universe. No, not the moon, not the stars, not the beauty of the earth, the mountains, the trees, the thousands of beautiful birds of all colors, but God's greatest invention. Can you guess what it is? Family. Why do I say "family"? There are two basic components to a family. First, man and woman, husband and wife and the Bible tells us: God created them male and female in His image.
Let me share the Bible with you. In Genesis Chapter 1, verses 26-27, the Bible tells us: God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds in the air and over the livestock of the earth and over all the earth. and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created he. You notice what makes us so unique. We are created in the image of God, meaning that unlike animals, we are the only creatures that are not just physical beings, we are the only creatures that are not just physical beings, we also have spiritual beings that we can be "created in His image" means that we are.
We have wisdom, we can think, we have emotions, we can feel, we know what love is, we know what it means to experience joy, but beyond that, we have a will, we can choose, we can decide. In addition, God tells us: He gave us a soul, a soul that can connect with Him. In the family of God, you and I can learn what true love is from your husband. Love. You see what this family reveals to us about the love of a father. I have never understood the love of God more fully, until I became a husband, until I became a father. I knew that true love is about commitment. True love is sacrificial. True love is unconditional. Where do we learn this? In God's masterpiece, God created a family so that you and I could experience His goodness.
Now, when God created male and female, you'll notice the meaning, family, not just marriage, but family, and God blessed them; husband and wife said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply. That's what parenthood is about. So in the beginning, the amazing thing about this family is that every family has a special calling to fill the earth and subdue the earth. In other words, we are. Given the amazing task of representing the Creator, representing the King of Kings as His Regent, representing the King of Kings as His Regent over His creation, read, Why God Created Family. Our good. Remember, God always designs for our good, to bless us. The Lord God placed that man in the Garden of Eden to work it and to keep it.
Notice, this man had a mission to work, to cultivate, to steward. The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper". It was God who said that it is not good for the man to be alone. You see God invented marriage. Why do I say this? Therefore a man will leave his parents and cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. God created the family. How else would you and I know what true love is? I realized that family is a reflection of who God is and how He wants to connect with us. God provides us with pictures. For example, God is our Father. What does a father do? He provides physical needs, emotional needs, and social needs.
God's goodness is thus revealed in the family, because family is not just for material life, it is not just for our physical protection, but it is how God wants us to know Him. But this is how God wants us to know Him. His love for us, His care for us, and His desire for what is best for us. This is a wonderful revelation of God, especially His relationship with us. You can see that God designed this family well. It was for our blessing, for our good, for our protection, for our sustenance, and most importantly, for us to know Him. However, you will also notice that Satan wants to attack this family. You can see this in history because Satan doesn't want us to experience the goodness of God and the blessings of God.
The next important thing I want you to understand about God's design is that it is to carry on God's legacy. What does it mean to carry on God's legacy? In Psalm 78, let me read for you, My people, pay attention to my teaching and give ear to the words of my mouth. It is what we hear and know, and what our ancestors told us. We will not hide these things from their descendants, but we will tell them about the goodness of the Lord, his power, and his wonderful works. In other words, God's design for families is not just for one generation, because God's goodness must be passed down. Therefore, the importance of legacy is something we need to understand about God's design for families. It is he who commanded our ancestors to pass it down to their descendants, note, inheritance.
So that the children who are to be born may know; and they shall rise up and tell their children, and now you'll notice, Psalm 78 is not just about raising children, but the children of grandparents, and even great-grandparents. This is God's design and divine heritage. Have you noticed God's design for families? Not just to show us His goodness, but to pass on a legacy, a spiritual legacy. The greatest blessing you can impart is knowing God. This is what Psalm 78 is all about. What will you pass on? What will you tell the next generation? The Bible tells us: So that they may look to God and not forget what He has done, but keep His commandments and not turn toward God like their forefathers were stubborn and rebellious people with evil intentions. Do you notice the important point of being dishonest in heart? Let them trust God and not forget what God has done.
What I learned is that God's design for families is for parents to tell their children about God so that they can trust Him. If you don't know God, how can you trust Him? How can you trust God? How will you know God? The Bible tells us: Tell them stories, tell them what God has done, not just what God did in the days of Moses. do, what God did in the days of Joshua. What are the current events? What has God done in your life? Do you have a story to tell your children? That's why I tell parents, God is so important in your life, in my life, so that we By telling stories to children our children will be drawn to God and then they will learn to trust Him.
What's our problem? The Bible is clear about our problem, according to Psalm 78, "a stubborn and rebellious generation," in other words, I see myself. I'm very stubborn. I'm very rebellious. Generally speaking, I don't have to follow God, that's our sinful human nature. That's why this series is so important. Why? Discipleship begins at home. Let me say it again, God's plan is for us to train our own children. Now, you can say, "I am not a father," "I am not a mother," and you will learn something. Even if you are single, you have a responsibility to discipline you. family.
Did you know that character development occurs in the family? What do I mean? Where do children learn to respect others, to work hard, to serve others, to be responsible, and to have no privileges? Family. The family is also the center of emotional development. How do we learn to get along with others? How to forgive? How to be kind? In the family. What about spiritual form? How are people going to know God? And I would suggest to you, this is the question for many sincere parents today. We don't realize God's design for the family to be the center of discipleship, teaching one another, brothers and sisters, bachelors, you may not realize this yet but you have the greatest influence on your family members don't think you are young, you don't have on your parents any impact.
Why is family so important? In fact, it can affect us either positively or negatively. I know some of you are hurt. Maybe you grew up with a father who didn't love you very much, and it's still affecting you to this day. I know friends who, when they think about their fathers, they react, and to this day they react to authority, and they don't like to listen or surrender. The fact is that family affects us. But it's a blessing, whether you like it or not, you are always part of a family. That is, you can't change your past, you may not be able to change your ancestors, but you can certainly do something, you can do some positive things to affect the future. Your life, your family, even your descendants.
Please note that God designed the family not just to show us His goodness. It is not just to carry on His legacy, but to fulfill His mission. What does this mean? People don't realize that every family has a special calling, and if you don't understand God's design for families, God's design for marriage, you think, getting married just because I love someone is not good enough. Because you must always consider God's will. God has amazing purposes and plans for your marriage and family. It is never just about ourselves.
My wife and I have been married for over 47 years, and praise God, as we look back, we've discovered what keeps our relationship going and healthy. We discover that it is never ourselves because we are God-centered. We focus on doing God's will and making plans for our lives. We know that the more you love God, the more you serve Him, and the more you will love each other. I've seen a lot of other couples, and if they just focused on each other, I could almost predict that the marriage would eventually have problems, because God designed marriage not just for us, to show us His goodness, for us to pass on a legacy A sacred legacy, and most importantly, fulfilling God's mission.
What do I mean? The best example is Abraham. God chose Abraham, believe it or not, and told Abraham: I will bless him who blesses you, and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you. God promised to bless Abraham. God promised Abraham: All the families on earth will be blessed through you. God's purpose for Abraham was not just to bless him, but to use him to bless the entire world. How did that happen? Look at Genesis 18:19. I visited Abraham so that all the things I promised him came to pass. God gave Abraham a mission. What's that mission? Take good care of his family. That he might command his sons and his household after him to keep my word. Are you beginning to understand now? Abraham was chosen by God to carry out a special mission. He has a job to do.
This is why Abraham was very picky about who Isaac would marry. Abraham was so picky, Isaac was so picky about who he would marry. Why? That's God's job: take care of your family and make sure they marry the right man. The truth is, most parents today are not properly trained. To be fair, many parents are clueless about their role. They have no idea what God has designed for their families, so delegate this to them. But through delegation, you can delegate your child's education to your school or Sunday school. But what can I tell you? You can delegate, but you can't give up, and ultimately God holds you accountable. You cannot delegate your father, you cannot delegate your mother, you cannot delegate your husband, you cannot delegate your wife.
So understand that God gives us responsibilities. There are things you can delegate and there are things you can't delegate. In God's eyes, I am a steward. I don't have children of my own. My children were given to me. Family members are ours. housekeeper. Management of Influence, Management of Relationships I realized that my wife and I, and I had to take responsibility in educating, in teaching our children. So they in turn can take on the responsibility of developing their children's character. This is critical. A lot of times, we're so busy, we focus on secondary things, a lot of parents, they mean well, they focus on material provision, they focus on career, they focus on money. They fail to realize that God's design is to carry on a spiritual legacy. I'll give you an example of taking responsibility and completing God's mission.
One of the examples is in 1 Samuel chapter 1 verse 3 where there were two sons of Eli, Hophni, Phinehas was the priest of the LORD. You were introduced to a priest, whose family were priests, Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who served as priests to the Lord. But, a few verses later, I was shocked: Eli's two The son is evil. How? They don't know Jehovah. How could the priests and the sons of the priests be like this? Described as evil people, described as not knowing the Lord.
Can I tell you why? Here's a hint. 1 Samuel Chapter 2 Verse 22 Eli, when he was very old, heard what his two sons were doing to all the Israelites, and how they were sleeping with the women who were waiting at the door of the tent of meeting. The Bible tells us, Eli, when he was very old, Then, and only then, did he know what his sons were doing. What is Eli doing? Maybe he is too busy. He was so busy in the ministry that he neglected his children. He is so busy preparing his children for their careers that he neglects the foundation of character, the knowledge of God. Very sad. The Bible tells us that God put Eli in charge, and He put the father in charge.
Look at 1 Samuel 3:12; I will always fulfill it in Eli. The words I spoke concerning the house of Eli, I told him in due time that he would inflict everlasting punishment on his house, bringing a curse upon himself. In other words, God held Eli accountable, and He was going to judge Eli and his children because He knew his son. He did not condemn them for committing evil. If you continue to read the Bible, you will find the consequences of not completing God's mission. You will discover the consequences of not completing God's mission. There are immediate consequences and long-term consequences. What can we learn? You may not be able to change your ancestors, but you can certainly influence your descendants. You can influence them and the future.
Begin today and discover God's design for you and your family so you will experience His blessing and be a blessing to others. Blessings. I want you to learn to appreciate your family. No family is perfect, but God is. Purpose gives them to us, whether you like it or not it's the family members that have the greatest impact. You can be single or you can be married. I want you to hear someone's testimony about how single people can influence families.