A family of pedigree(

 

               A family of pedigree (pro 9:10~12)

 

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

¹¹ For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

¹² If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

 

 Intro)

1. Someone described the importance of family like this ‘Every 12 months in the year should be the month of family.’ However, due to the busy life, people often forgot how important their families are. So church usually makes May as month of family to remind people.

It is important to be successful in this world; however we should not forget the importance of family because of your work or other things that going on in your life.

 2. World’s famous leader ship theorist, Stephen Covey who is the author of the book ‘7 habits of highly effective people’. Wrote this in his book’s introduction ‘There is nothing else I put my passion more than writing this book, because I love my family………. If we do our best as a member of society but ignorant about our family, it would be like lining up chairs on the deck of sinking titanic.”

He was stress that it is important to become a successful person in the society however, the most important thing is take good care of your family and inherit that family custom to your children.

 3. Proverbs 17:6 says “ Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” What this verse means that as we grow old, our children should get better life. Children should be proud of and respect their parents. Same goes to parents, they should be proud of their children. We call these type of family as Good family, or A family of pedigree.

However, there is something more important than having a family of pedigree. A good perfect family will be meaningless at the end if they did not been saved by Jesus Christ. So how can we become a good family with good faith?
[1] Inherit your faith. 
Parents must inherit their faith to their children. If you have parents who are believer, then you are already blessed a lot when you are born. Please inherit your faith to your kids. Even if you don’t have parent whose believer then you can be the starting point.

We call Abraham as father of faith but his family wasn’t Christian at the beginning. His family worshiped false gods, however he became the first of his family and now we call him as the father of faith.

Recently there is huge decrease in young Christian population. Why is that? Because people are concentrate more on the success of life than having right faith. Parents are supporting their children to be better graders but do not really care about children’s faith. Judge chapter 2 warns us about this phenomenon.

Judges 2 : 8-10

⁸ And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

⁹ And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

¹⁰ And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

 

We can see that Joshua’s generation had beautiful faith but they failed to inherit that faith. Then, the people of Israel started to worship idols.

The other example is from Ernest Hemingway, he was successful writer and his both parents were Christians. However, his last moment of life was not all that beautiful because he committed suicide. Maybe his ancestors were good believers; however they sure failed to inherit that faith.

 True believers gather their family as one. It could be hard to inherit right faith to your children but you should never give up.

[2] How do we inherit our faith?

① I have to be the role model for my children. 
Parents are mirror of child. They copy their parents unconsciously or consciously.  Even if it is bad behaviors they copy it too. Same story in the church, new believers learn from people who were in the church before. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:6 “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.”

Also in 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul said “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

 So we should be the believers who can say “follow me”. We have to try hard to be reverent. We should be the example of prayer, offer, worshiper, and Bible reader.

② We have to pray for our children with tears.

Even great person can have problem when it comes to matter of his/her child. For example, Samuel was great prophet but his sons were not so great. only God can lead our children to the right way so we have to give our children to God and pray for them with tears. Even if you think you are not a good parent pray will fill the gap.

Moses mother could not be a good parent, because of the circumstances. She had to put his son Moses in the reed box and let the box float on the Nile River. Then she prayed with her tear. Then what happened to Moses? He became a prince of Egypt, furthermore he rescue his people in slavery and take them back to the Promised Land (almost at least). He became a savior because of his mother’s prayer. Our children not only feed on the foods but also our prayer.

 
③ Help your children to have good habit of faith. 
There is a good quotes from John Dryden, “We first make our habit, then our habits make us.”

Brothers and sisters, are you truly want your child to be a leader? To be a good servant of Jesus? To be happy? Then help them to have good habits of faith.

Habit of Learn from God (what would Jesus do?)

Proverbs 2 : 6-8

⁶ For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

⁷ He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

⁸ He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

Proverbs 1:7-8

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸ My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

Proverbs 9: 10-11

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

¹¹ If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

Happiness and long life is from wisdom of God. So we need to follow and learn from our God who is perfect model for us and our children.

* Habit of reading bible and pray. – Teach them to personally believe and rely on God. If this reverential life style becomes habit to your children, they will live well wherever they are because now they know how to learn directly from God.

1 Timothy 4:7~8 says ‘⁷ But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

⁸ For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. “

With this habit they will prevail in their life. So read bible and pray together somehow, parents should be the leaders. Pray and seek for wisdom from God about how to teach your child wisely.

* Habit of use time and money wisely.

If you learn how to use time and money wisely, you will become a most powerful individual in this world. But if you misuse those, it could be a huge disaster.

We need to learn how to use time and money wisely from God, why? It is because he is the owner of the time and money. We need to admit that our time and money is belongs to God. So, how do we admit that? By come to Sunday church service and by doing tithe.

# Educate faith can change person’s life. D.L Moody who was the one of the greatest evangelist in the history, never had chance to learn regular education. Instead, he only learned about God and faith from the Bible. Later he became an evangelist who turned 1,000,000 people to believe Jesus.

Rockefeller who was one of the richest people in the world, learned tithe when he was young and he kept it through his whole life.

# Andrew Carnegie born from poor but faithful family and their parent teach good faith to their child, later he confess “My parents could not inherit wealth, but they left more valuable thing which is faith.”

 

Brothers and sisters what should be our goal in this life? Having a faithful family sounds perfect for me. In that case we and our child and their child and so on, will be blessed and our society will be better place. Our family doesn’t need to have royal blood line, you can start, and you can be the father/mother of faith for your family. I hope you to remember today’s sermon and become a decent family of good faith!