FAMILIES UNDER PRESSURE!
by Dr. Edward Watke, Jr.
Introduction:
• We live in a world full of pressures. . . pressure in the political world, socially, and economically. Yes in every way we see pressures. Pressure all around us; pressure in every part of life.
• Mother had one of those pressurized cookers used on the farm about 40 years ago or so. It had one of those values to let off pressure so it would not explode. We had company that Sunday and the cooker had sucked the valve into the green beans and my mother could not find it, but the visitor found it in the green beans.
• It seems like today we often feel we are in a pressure cooker and there are no release values.
• Lots of pressure on some of us here today - in our families, tensions, strife, financial pressures, yes, pressures of every kind.
• Families are under pressure in our country -- all of us face it, whether we are rich or poor, saved or unsaved, a dedicated Christian or a backslidden one -- one thing is sure - we will have pressure in life.
• Satan’s first attack was made on the family. Satan engaged against Adam and Eve, he entered that home and sought to enslave them.
I. WHY THE FAMILY IS UNDER PRESSURE!
A. Because God’s plan is built around the family; God’s purpose and strategy for the human race is the family.
B. The family is God’s first priority; since the beginning Satan has endeavored to destroy the home. This is nothing new for he has been working at it from the beginning.
C. The home is not an after thought with God; but instead the family is the building block of the church, of society. The very foundation!
D. When we realize God’s purpose for the home, the family, then we understand Satan’s purpose in his attacks -- his goals, his purposes. He is the destroyer. Eph. 4:27; II Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:10-14; I Peter 5:7-9; Luke 22:31-32.
II. THINGS SATAN USES TO PRESSURE THE FAMILY:
We will look at a few things, not exhaustive!
A. Individuality -- individualism --
1. I will have my home, my marriage my way. Marriage to some is like
“What-a-burger . . .I’ll have it my way.”
2. We live in a me-centered society; a new book written some years
ago was entitled SELF. The thesis of the book was: “have life your way; do your thing... get the gusto, live for what you desire.”
3. So people avoid the responsibility of the commitment of marriage. They
want life their way and that may mean living with another without
marriage and if I am married, “I will have it may way or not at all.”
B. Social activities outside the home:
1. It seems to be that each person in the home has his or her club, gold buddies, group meetings, doing almost everything outside the family unite and the
family is fragmented.
2. Most activities are outside the home; each doing his or her own thing which tends to divide, to fragment the home; little is done together.
3. Even churches do the same for most programs divide the family and little is done together. Home has become a filling station -- just a cafe, a motel.
4. There is little unity, no cohesiveness, no inter-play, little fellowship, etc.
C. Role Confusion: (Eph. 5)
1. Men have more passive; not the guide, lover, provider, protector,
leader, that God wants him to be.
2. The woman does not consider herself the helper, homemaker, healer... she is more masculine; aggressive... and the man has become more passive, and effeminate.
D. Non-Biblical Basis of Morals and Ethics:
1. This is an embracing of situation ethics.
2. A giving into the new morality, an embracing of relativism resulting in no absolutes, and therefore there is no basis of right and wrong according to such people.
3. Everyone does that which feels good and the humanistic, secularistic approach to most things rules the day.
4. As Christians we have a book that is our authority!
E. A rootless society:
1. We live in a very mobile age; a high mobility that brings a lack of identity;
a lack of loyalty to the family is seen around us all the time.
2. No longer does a father and son work together but often live 100’s, if not
thousands of miles apart. Often they have little in common.
3. Youth move and have no one around who know them.
F. The Decline of the church and its impact in most places.
1. There is a growing lack of loyalty to the local church.
2. We see a lack of importance of the church in the thinking of so many who
say they are saved.
3. The church today seems to lack impact, power, and influence upon the family. In fact some don’t want the church to have any influence in their
ife-style or home.
G. Alternate Authority Sources
1. The Word of God is no longer the authority in the thinking of many -- even some church goers. Psa 119:128
2. Parents assume it does not matter. People go by their own ideas and
embrace the opinion of others around them.... over a cup of coffee....
at the shop, etc.
3. The Word of God must become to you... the only authority for faith and practice!
III. A WIFE’S OPPORTUNITY IN THE MIDST OF PRESSURES: I Pet. 3:1-6
• A wife has a great opportunity in the midst of the pressures the family experiences.
• She has a great opportunity to be what God wants her to be for the sake of her marriage and family.
A. Wife -- Be a Help Meet!
1. Ladies, build on the Biblical truths and principles. Recognize that God said,
“There was not found a help-meet for him.” Gen. 2:18-24
2. Be the complement of your husband’s life ministering to your husband. God gave you to him to be a helper along side. I Cor. 11:3, 8,9; Gen. 2;
B. Be that submissive wife, be in subjection to your husband. I Pet. 3:1-3
1. Allow him, encourage him to be the head of the home. . . don’t take over,
don’t act out the life of independence from your husband.
2. So live, that if he is unsaved, he will be drawn to Christ by what you life in front of him.
C. Work on the inner adorning
1. God is not saying you should look unkept, or neglect the outward.
2. The inner adorning of a meek and quiet spirit is of God ... of great price.
3. Give your husband support, respect, honor, a reverent life; a voluntary
purity and inner beauty of a godly life. I Tim. 2:9-10; 5:14
D. Accept your husband
1. Accept him; don’t compare him; let him lead, don’t hinder; make him your
hero. . . and not the object of scorn, resentments, hostilities.
3. Learn to honor your husband.
III. THE HUSBAND’S RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MIDST OF PRESSURES:
I Pet. 3:7
A. Dwell with your wife --
1. Be at home with; love to be home with; dwell with. . . enjoy being with her
as when you were dating.
2. Fellows you began the dating process. What you did in courting to show respect and honor, do today.
B. Understand your wife
1. God commands you to understand; there will be a great penalty if you don’t and you will be the loser.
2. Understand her needs, recognize her basic personal needs as your wife,
a. love b. acceptance c. security
3. Understand your wife -- her unique needs for she is a unique person with special needs based on her personality and temperament, etc.
4. Be considerate; treat your wife right . . . cherish, nourish, sacrifice for her,
C. Honor your wife
1. give due respect to her,
2. maintain her authority,
3. protect her person,
4. support her,
5. delight in her conversation,
6. afford her ample, support financially,
7. place due trust, confidence in her.
You Must:
• Face reality
• be a leader
• respond to old hurts, repent, forgive, remove wrongs
• keep your commitments
• grow up socially, be mature --grow spiritually
• have convictions, keep them
• give yourself. . . give approval, uplift, edify
Answers in the midst of pressures:
• Be sure you are saved. . . that your family comes to Christ. . . that they truly know the Lord.
• Dedicate your home to the Lord... Dedicate your own life to Christ... give it all
to HIM to control.
• Our WILLS must be involved... yield your WILL to Him.
• Get the home to all the services of your local church!
• Be an enabler.... not just a rescuer when everything is falling apart.
• Some are always trying to pull their family out of the deep water -- teach them how to swim. . . to walk with the Lord.
Know, live, and show mutual joy.. mutual peace... mutual blessing.
Sermon By Dr. Edward Watke #.