Can anybody think of a story or a phrase from your past that you never forget, and you keep referring to a lot? It can be just one sentence or a whole story.
For instance, in one sermon I heard about 20 years ago. The pastor ended with this line, “the first time Jesus came was for salvation, the next time will be for vengeance…“
Or it can be something silly like a movie line you think of all the time. Every time I see the word, Lexington, I think of a Simpsons episode where they were doing a bit with Tom Brokaw saying the word Lexington with his speech impediment… Lexington…
Or, it can be the topic for tonight‘s Bible study. I’ve told the story in here before, but a lot of you are new. When I was a new Christian, we were out to dinner with a couple that took particular interest in me and Stacey. They were 10 years older than us and they had been Strong Christians for those 10 years. And we were out to dinner and he asked, “has anyone ever prayed over your house?”
Stacey and I looked at each other like he was nuts. We were brand new believers and had no idea what he was talking about. But he told us that he likes to pray for people‘s homes, especially young couples. It was so important to him that he wanted to come over to our house, take the time to do this, so we said… “I guess…“
He and his wife went through our house in every room and prayed. Stacey and I sometimes would look up and glance at each other and roll our eyes like “what is this???” But when he was all done, Stacey asked “will you go downstairs and do the unfinished part of the basement where the computer is sitting?” In the amount of time from beginning to end of him praying for our home, she became a believer in what he was doing.
The other day in our morning Bible study, he (Todd) made a comment that he likes to do this. He did this for me over 20 years ago, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. It made a huge impact on my young Christian life.
For tonight‘s Bible study, we’re gonna look up a bunch of verses about your home. Praying for your home. Praying for what goes in and out of your home. Praying for the people in your home.
I believe that it’s your duty, as the man of your house, to be the spiritual leader in your home. And that includes praying for your house and everyone in it.
But don’t worry, I’m not gonna leave you empty-handed. I have attached the very prayer that he uses when he does this for people.
So let’s dig into the word regarding our homes.
Goal:
Isaiah 32:18 – ESV
18. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
Look at the key words, Peace, Security, and Rest.
Does this describe your home?
Is your home filled with Peace?
Do your wife and children feel secure?
Is your home a place of rest?
If not, what can you do to make it that way?
God to Us:
Proverbs 24:3-4 – ESV
3. By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4. by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
It takes wisdom to build a literal house. But this proverb refers to much more than boards and nails. How does one gain wisdom?
Fear of the Lord. We referred to this hundreds of times in this room. Wisdom starts with fear of the Lord.
So by substitution a home is built with fear of the Lord. Or “in the beginning, God…“
Everything that goes in or out of your house should begin and end with God.
Psalms 127:1 – ESV
1. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
I absolutely love this verse. What does it look like to have a house that the Lord builds versus a house that is built without the Lord?
How does the Lord “build“ your house?
2 Samuel 7:27-29 – ESV
27. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
This is part of a prayer from David to God. It says that God revealed to David that he will build him a house. And David asked him to bless the house that God will build for him. He’s talking about his home, his family, and his lineage forever.
David, who the Bible says “is a man after God‘s own heart“ thinks it’s important to pray for his house. Should we pray for our homes?
Benefit:
Proverbs 3:33 – ESV
33. The Lord ‘s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
Any comments on this verse? This one seems straightforward. If we want the Lord’s blessing, we need to be righteous. What does that mean, and how can we do it?
Matthew 7:25 – ESV
25. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
This is such a cool verse. In this case, there’s a few lessons. First of all, never believe any Christian teaching that says you’ll never have problems or storms. That is false teaching. The Bible teaches the exact opposite. Storms will come.
This verse uses a house as an analogy for your faith. If your home is built on the foundation of the rock, or Jesus, your house, or your faith, will not fall.
Fun fact-I wanted to see if the three little pigs was based on this Bible verse. So I asked the Internet. The first several answers came back as “absolutely not! The three little pigs has nothing to do with the Bible whatsoever!”
Made me think, how can you possibly know that? You could know that the opposite was true if the author had mentioned it in an interview or something. But you could never know that the Bible verse had absolutely no influence on the author whatsoever.
I found it more interesting to see the answers that were placed on the Internet, and how absolutely certain they were that that was literary fiction, and not anything to do with the Bible.
Like I’ve said many times, eternity is written on your heart. (Ecc 3:11) Nobody would care that much to go out of their way to say it has nothing to do with the Bible, unless deep down they are being pulled towards God and they’re fighting it.
Transition to Jesus:
Isaiah 28:16 – ESV
16. therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
What is this corner stone that is mentioned here?
In 1 Peter 2:4-87
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.”
1 Peter 2:4-8 NIV
They are talking about Jesus. Jesus is the cornerstone that everything is built on. In ancient times, and even in modern times every significant building has a cornerstone. It is like the heart of the building. This is Jesus. But in this verse, it says the cornerstone is lifted up, but it also causes people to stumble.
What does that mean?
What does that mean for our physical home?