Calling House in Order

Calling

House in Order

When Paul speaks of the qualification of an elder in 1Timothy 3, he says  

He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)V. 4,5

Family first

Must manage family first

Make sure your leadership works at home

Over my life time I have seen many men and women

Who felt the call of God on their lives run with the call

And leave holes in the family

The hardest place to live the godly life is in the home

A worthy saying is

“If it doesn’t work at home, don’t export it” 

Is your house in order?

House in Order

As a young pastor, I was blessed to be

serving in a church that was thriving.

The church was not in competition with other activities

in the community, the church was the competition.

Every time the church doors were

open, people filled the building.

When the church doors were not open,

 people were meeting house to house.

The power of the Holy Spirit had

filled the people with love and unity.

 

It was an incredible time.

We did not have programs to get people

to church because everybody was talking

about what God was doing for them…

And people came from everywhere to experience God.

I was caught up in the glory like everyone else.

I had read in Scripture that God was coming back

for a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle

and I could see it happening right before my eyes.

As we were trying to line up with the Word of God

and ordain elders and deacons to help lead

this powerful work of the Holy Spirit…

Something happened that hit me like

nothing I had experienced before.

One of our deacons and his wife

announced they were getting a divorce.

I loved them both and saw the

power of God in their lives.

I was devastated.

I went to both of them and tried to

help them work the marriage out.

They both were kind to me and said they appreciated

my concern, but the decision was made.

I asked myself how this could happen

in the midst of this mighty move of God,

that had been going on for years.

40 years later as I write this, I want to cry.

Somehow as much as the church family was thriving…

As strong as we were on family…

Divorce had come into the church.

When Paul speaks of the qualification

of an elder in 1 Timothy 3, he says…

  

He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 

(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family,

how can he take care of God's church?) V. 4,5

Family first.

Must manage family first.

Make sure your leadership works at home.

Over my life time I have seen many men and women

who felt the call of God on their lives run

with the call and leave holes in the family.

The hardest place to live the godly life is in the home.

We cannot ignore the importance of

proving your ability to lead in the home.

I have seen powerful leaders take a leave from

promenade roles of leadership to care for their families.

These are great leaders.

I have also seen powerful leaders rush and

push their families and suffer great hardship.

A worthy saying is…

“If it doesn’t work at home, don’t export it.”

 

Yes, some have let family hold them back.

 Jesus warns us of this.

Like the man who wanted to

first go back to care for his father.

My mother could not understand why
I left the denomination I grew up in.

For a year or so she cried every time she saw me.

I continued to show my love and support of her

and over time I gained a level of respect from her.

I learned a valuable lesson when the

deacon and his wife got a divorce.

I learned that no matter how powerful God is working…

No matter how strong the call of God is on a person…

You will have times of conflict at home.

You must deal with family correctly even if it

means stepping back from your calling to

others in order to strengthen your calling at home.

Yes, Jesus Christ is LORD.

He is to be our first love and concern.

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 10:37-39

Even though Jesus speaks such strong words…

He is not excusing us from caring for

and leading our families. 

As Jesus followed the will of His heavenly Father,

 it was at times meet with opposition

from his mother and family members.

Jesus stayed on course, but His love and

respect for His mother and family stayed intact.

Is your house in order?

Scripture Reading

1 Timothy 3:1-7

3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.