Us to Others:
2 Chronicles 7:15-16 – ESV
15. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.
In this verse, God is talking to Solomon. Solomon is King David’s son. It was David’s dream to build the temple, but it was his son Solomon who actually completed it. At its completion, God is blessing it, or concentrating it, as a house of worship. God says that he has chosen this house in his eyes, and his heart will be there for all time.
Two keys that relate to our study:
This is a “house” of worship. So it’s not necessarily our own personal home, or is it? What do you guys think?
We can model our own private home as a house of worship. We don’t need to go to church to worship God. We don’t need to be a church employee to spread God’s message. It begins in our own home.
Another fun fact from this verse. God says that his “heart“ will be there for all time. It is very rare in the Bible for God to refer to himself as having a heart. The only other times that he does is when he’s talking about his heart suffering pain because of the evil of humanity in Genesis, first Samuel, and Acts.
So in the Bible when God mentions his heart it is about pain or his “house.”
Mark 5:19 – ESV
19. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
This is a comment from Jesus that he made to a person who was possessed by demons that he healed. This is the man who had a legion of demons in him, and Jesus commanded them into a herd of pigs, who then jumped off a cliff and drowned. The man asked Jesus if he could go with and be one of his disciples, and this is Jesus‘s response in this verse.
Why does Jesus tell him not to come with but to go home and tell everyone what happened?
God‘s calling for everyone isn’t to join the church and work there. He wants all of us to spread the message of the good news, the gospel, and his teachings right where we are. Some people he calls into professional ministry, but everybody he calls into sharing the good news. He tells this man to go home. Sharing the gospel starts right in your own home. You are the spiritual leader of your home. It is your responsibility to teach what you know about Jesus to your family.
1 Samuel 25:6 – ESV
6. And thus you shall greet him: ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.
This is a phrase spoken by David in a story of when there was a rich man who had a bunch of sheep, and he was shearing them. David sent some young men to go ask him for some food for David’s men who were out in the wilderness. It’s a long story, and in the end David vows to slaughter this rich man, but that’s not the point of this verse for us tonight. I just thought it was cool that when David went to approach this man, he said peace to you, and peace to your “house.”
When you say “Pease to you, or Pease to your house“ it’s the same as saying God, please give them peace. It’s like asking God for a blessing. And it was important to David to ask this man to have his home blessed by God.
It might be something that is said simply like when you sneeze, “God bless you.“ It is said today without much thought, but it actually has a deep meaning behind it.
Psalms 91:1-2 – ESV
1. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Of course, this word treasure can refer to material items, but what else can it refer to?
What does Jesus say about treasure in heaven? (Matthew 6:19-21)
““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 NIV
Hebrews 13:2 – ESV
2. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
What does this mean?
Do you think an angel has ever knocked on your door?
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 – ESV
6. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
These verses are so good. Here God is talking about the 10 Commandments. Deuteronomy 5 has the 10 Commandments in it. And then he’s telling his people to not just read them and follow them, but put them in their heart. In other words, “don’t do it because I told you, do it because you trust me with in your heart “
Directly before these verses 6 through 9 is Deuteronomy 5 which sums up the 10 Commandments:
Deuteronomy 6:5 – ESV
5. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
God is telling the people to change their heart and then… tells them to take about them and literally write them on the doorpost of your house. …talk about them when you sit in your house. God puts a huge emphasis on your house!
Summary:
We just went over a ton of verses about your house, but let’s go even one further…
Hebrews 3:3-4 – ESV
3. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
Psalms 91:9-11 – ESV
9. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— 10. no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Most of the verses tonight have been referring to your physical home.
-Inviting God into your home.
-Asking God to bless your home.
-Asking God to help you teach the people in your home about him.
-Asking God to help you serve the Lord in your home.
-Inviting God to make his dwelling in your physical house.
But this verse goes beyond that. All that stuff about your physical house is good, but even better make your home “in the Lord.” There is a difference here though.
You as the spiritual leader of your home can do all those things I said first when it comes to your home. But you can’t change the heart of your wife and your kids. Only God can do that. You can make it so your home serves the Lord, but only God can make it so the people in there choose him. You can choose to make your home in Jesus. And then teach your kids and wife how to do the same. It is a personal decision for each person to make.
What is the reward for this?
Psalms 128:1-3 – ESV
1. Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2. You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 3. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
(Look back at questions. Maybe pray for your home??)
…and after all that, next time you visit someone…
Luke 10:5 – ESV
5. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’
Make this the law of your home:
Joshua 24:15 – ESV
15. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.
…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord …”
…Sneak peak for next week….
Spiritual leader of your home
Acts 16:25-32 – ESV
25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26. and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29. And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31. And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.