I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      Almost everyone has heard the phrase, “There is no place like home,” which is the moral from the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

                                                             1.      In the beginning of the story, an immature girl begins to despise her home and her family because of a few minor events that are not to her liking.

                                                             2.      By the end of the story, she learns that her home and her family are really the foundation of the most important things in her life.

B.      As simple as it sounds, it is a profound truth that there is no place like a God-centered home to teach, promote, and preserve the most important things in life.

                                                             1.      No government policy, no school, and no social program can substitute for a strong, God-centered home life.

                                                             2.      Likewise, no church can provide an individual with spiritual strength and godliness if the individual is not willing to commit himself to God in his own home.

                                                             3.      Nothing presents a greater opportunity for building strong faith in God than a home that is built and operated according to God’s will.

C.      Therefore, it should be the goal of every person to make the best of his home in the service of God.

                                                             1.      Every person in the home – man, woman, child, husband, wife, father, mother, etc. – should resolve to make God the center of his or her life.

                                                             2.      If every home would make that same great commitment that Joshua made, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24:15), the world would be blessed indeed.

D.      With this goal in mind, it is the aim of this series of lessons to promote the building and preserving of God-centered homes.

                                                             1.      The focus of this series will be on the broad topic of the home.  Whereas many persons are left out of studies that consider only marriage, parents, or children, the intent of this series is to consider everyone’s home life.

a.       The Bible has answers for everyone and every home.  There should never be any sentiment that modern situations have no guidance through the Scriptures.

b.       While many of the Scriptures address the traditional “nuclear” family, the principles given in the Scriptures may be applied to all homes.

                                                             2.      In every point, the emphasis of the series shall be on creating and sustaining a home where God is the undisputed ruler and Satan has no place.

II.      A HOME, A CASTLE

A.      In this series, the term “home” will be used in a broad way to describe the place where one lives, the people with which he lives, and the things he does in that place with those people.

                                                             1.      Consider the New Testament word “household” and some of the passages where it is used.

a.       The Greek word oikos is translated as “house” or “household.”  This word literally means “a house” or “a dwelling,” but in its various contexts it can mean more than just a material structure or physical location.

b.       In many passages, this word is used to describe the home and those who live there.

i.         Notice that Acts 16:15 says that Lydia and her household were baptized.  This describes the actions of those who lived in Lydia’s home.

ii.        In 1Timothy 3:4-5, one of the qualifications for an elder of the church is that he must manage his household well, which indicates that he must have control over those who live in his home.

iii.      Other passages to consider are: 1Corinthians 1:16; Philippians 4:22; 2Timothy 4:19.

                                                             2.      The words “home” and “household” can describe many different persons in many different situations, including married couples with our without children, single persons, persons living with relatives, widows or widowers, etc. 

B.      In many ways, a home is like a kingdom, and it can be helpful to our understanding to think of the God-centered home in this way.

                                                             1.      There is an adage that says, “A man’s home is his castle.”  Whether it is a man or a woman who is in command of the home, it is true that the home is someone’s domain.

a.       God is the authority over all people, but He has given man dominion over His creation, the earth (Gen. 1:28).

b.       The home is the most basic unit of that dominion, and each home should be governed according to God’s will.

                                                             2.      Just as a king must exercise authority and take responsibility for his kingdom, so also must someone practice leadership and take charge of the home.

a.       The order of authority in a home is set by divine ordinance: husbands have authority over wives (Eph. 5:22-23; Col. 3:18), parents have authority over children (Eph. 6:1-3; Col. 3:20), and Christ has authority over all (Matt. 28:18; 1Cor. 11:3).

b.       Not every home fits the formula of husband/father, wife/mother, and children, but there needs to be authority in every home nonetheless.

i.         Where there are gaps in the “chain of command,” the next person in the chain may assume the authority and responsibility.

ii.        Even in single-person homes, a person needs to take responsibility for the activities of the home and lead himself or herself in the right direction.

c.        Whoever has authority in a particular home should set the home’s purpose and direct its activities.  He or she should also decide what is permitted in the home and what is not permitted.  All decisions should be made in accordance with the word of God.

                                                             3.      In a kingdom, not every person can be the king, and in a home, not every person can be in charge.  Some have to submit and follow the leadership of others.

a.       In His wisdom, God set an order for the home just as He set an order for the church and an order for the nations.  God’s order must be respected in a God-centered home.

b.       Just as it is vital for the person in authority in the home to practice leadership, it is also vital for those who are in submission to willingly follow.

                                                             4.      No kingdom is perfect, and neither is every home.  Nevertheless, members of that home must do the best they can.

a.       Many homes have poor or unbelieving leadership or are otherwise dysfunctional.  Certainly, every home has its problems.

b.       Regardless of these obstacles, a godly person must do his best to commit himself to God in his own home.

III.   LESSONS SORELY NEEDED

A.      This series is presented because the lessons are sorely needed in a society where the home is under constant attack.

                                                             1.      Many things are working against the home in our society, such as the popular media, the prevalence of divorce and adultery, and an army of political and social groups that are set upon promoting ungodly living through laws, schools, and court rulings.

                                                             2.      Not only do these things work against the home, but the failure of Christians to act against these influences has allowed their homes to deteriorate.

B.      To counter these attacks, the home needs to be prepared, strengthened, and protected through the word of God.

                                                             1.      God and His ways must be actively pursued and purposefully exalted in the home, or else these worldly influences will have their way.

                                                             2.      The only way for us to know God’s ways for the home is through His word.  Therefore, the Bible must be studied in the home as the guide for what the home should be.  Those things that run contrary to God’s will according to the Bible should be eliminated from the home.

C.      Building God-centered homes will benefit everyone, for many problems can be remedied through homes that are centered upon God.

                                                             1.      God-centered homes teach respect for authority and love for others, which are qualities that benefit the individual, the community, and the nation.

                                                             2.      Moreover, God-centered homes have a profound spiritual effect, for they bring people closer to God, and they promote the growth of the Lord’s household, the church of Christ (1Tim. 3:15).