Sermon in Rockford 21.05.2017

Thank you that you have placed us upon that way. Give us strength to continue to gather the blood drops of your Son, the Lord Jesus, along that way. Give us strength, dear Father, to have those types of discussions in our homes, in our families, that edify our faith lives, that give us strength to continue the journey, that are able to help each other.

Above all, dear Father, we pray that you would continue to give us each personal faith, that each one of us, at the end of the journey, can close our eyes to this life and awaken them to the truth. A new life to come. We ask all these in your Son's name, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Tonight we have a home and family evening. On the topic that was given to me to present is keep faith and good conscience. And looking at this from a family perspective, I have to admit that when this topic has come up before, when I've thought about it, I've only placed it into the perspective of my own life of faith. How does this pertain to our family? And how does it pertain to the way we speak to each other in our homes, the way we relate to each other, to our brothers and sisters, to our children, our parents? It's an interesting way to look at this.

I will say that I didn't really come up with answers to anything. I had some questions. I'll present those questions to you in a little bit. And you can use those for your discussion topics. I did have a few things that I thought about that perhaps could help the discussion.

The topic actually comes from 1 Timothy, the first chapter, where the Apostle Paul tells Timothy that this charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare. So the Apostle started or began or prefaced these words with explaining to Timothy that thou by them mightest war a good warfare. Holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.

So our families are precious to us and we have been, as mothers and fathers, been joined together as one by God's word. And I guess in a sense when we look at this part of God's word, that's the warfare that we're confronted with. How do we raise our families? How do we make our home a Christian home as we've prayed even at the beginning of services for young couples? These are the questions that I had. And at the end I'll bring these questions back up. Perhaps in some ways I've provided some thoughts into the presentation that may answer some of these questions, but not so directly.

But as I thought about keeping faith and a good conscience from a family perspective, these are things I thought about. So if you keep these in mind throughout the presentation, how would you answer these questions? Perhaps that could be the guidepost for this discussion.

I thought a little bit first about families. What does God's word say about them? And we won't necessarily read all these word for word. Suffice it to say though that God's word tells us a lot. If we begin even from the beginning pages of the Bible to talk about marriage, how it was created by God, it's the beginning point for all this work.

So before we even begin talking about our homes and families and how perhaps it's governed by keeping faith and good conscience, we understand first that it's based upon God's word. And it's something that we must believe because I'm sure you know as well as I do that there are alternate views in this world about what family is.

I also want to say that I'm not a Christian. I'm not a Christian. I'm not a group! And what I want niners to Salon is a Comes so thank GOD so much and to show everyone how faithful we are that have us become Christians. We are battling right now in things that officials won't think of. We need to be to see right now. There is even a big talk.

God's Word tells husbands and wives some things. It tells fathers things very directly. It tells mothers things very directly. It tells about providing for your families. It tells the children how they should respect and honor their parents. There are so many good places that we could quote from in God's Word. And perhaps at the end, if you would like, we could come back to these portions of God's Word for reference.

As I thought about this topic, I kind of separated into four different perspectives as I perceived it. And perhaps you find your own perspective. And I'm sure we all have our own way to look at things. But as I prepared this presentation, this is what I thought of: Personal faith in family life, our conscience and unity of faith, caring for our family, and a mutual destination.

So we'll speak about these four topics in a few minutes. A few minutes at a time, I would say. This may not be a very long presentation, but we'll stop around at least these four bits of ideas.

Personal faith. When I prepared this presentation, it seemed like I couldn't avoid talking about some things that are in question today, even amongst believers. And this first part, I think, speaks to exactly that. Personal faith. What is personal faith? So before we even speak about how it relates to our families, how does it relate to us? How does it relate to us individually?

I guess as the way I look at it, there are two perspectives that have been presented. First, as I have known and understood since I've been a little boy, that personal faith means this, that we have been called by God to faith. And it's our personal faith. We follow Jesus. And the question of it being personal is this, that will we follow Him or will we not?

So I thought about it from this way, that if we look at believers as this group of sheep following Jesus, Jesus calls these sheep, He even calls them by name, and asks them to follow Him.

Personal faith is this, that we actually follow Him. It seems that there are some people, even amongst the believers, who perhaps think that personal faith means that I can believe as I would like to believe. My conscience says that it is sin, but maybe yours doesn't. That that is personal faith. That we have a different kind of faith in that sense. But I guess they may believe that we're all still following the same Jesus.

But God's word is very clear that there's only two pathways. We either follow Jesus or we don't. And so the topic of personal faith is simply this, that will we follow Him? We all must make that personal decision. I can't make that decision for you. You can't make that decision for your friends. You can't make the decision for your children. But it's the same choice for all of us. Will you follow Him or not? Will you follow Him or not?

We can see that in our own personal endeavors what that means. Do we follow Him or not? We can lead ourselves away from God's kingdom or we can follow after the group of believers. But in our homes, it can come this way. Personal faith is tied to even our family lives.

That if the parents do not follow Him, if the parents do not follow after the Lord Jesus in their own personal endeavor of faith, if they have come to this conclusion that what's sin to someone else is not sin to them, the home life is totally different.

Some things may seem clear to us, but for instance, back in the 70s, there was a decision or a conversation or discussion about television. Televisions do not belong in the home of a believer. And personal faith to me seems to be this, that the whole group of believers believe that. And that those believers are following after Jesus.

And if you begin to make your own decision as a family or as parents, maybe we will get a television. You're going off on your own. That's not personal faith. And so you can see how your own personal faith can affect your family life. And what is, how you teach your children, or how you look to your parents. How do you respect your parents?

If you don't have personal faith, where we love each other, as Jesus has loved us, as scriptures say. If that's not important, there's no respect in the home. There's no unity. There's no peace.

On the other hand, there's many examples of the case where the parents wish to endeavor according to God's word, following after Jesus, wanting to put sin away, wishing to teach their children about matters of faith. And they battle against sin together. Parents and children and grandchildren, children, they live with the gospel.

I would say in this way that this personal faith topic is very important.

Another way it could show itself in our homes today, I've heard in some discussions that there, some believers have said that the gospel is simply a gospel. Just an assurance that your sins are forgiven. Or rather, as I believe, that the gospel is forgiveness. True forgiveness.

At that moment when a brother or sister or a father or mother preaches to you that your sins are forgiven, sins are forgiven. But if we begin to believe that the gospel is just some kind of assurance, it's really not necessary, though.

And so you can see how the family life changes depending upon what you believe, what your personal faith is. Then are you battling against sin together? Are you just living your own lives and trying to be good people? The pathways separate. And it doesn't only just affect the endeavor at home, but it affects your own life of faith. And it can lead you away by yourself. It can lead your families. It can lead groups of believers away from God's kingdom.

It pays to watch in personal faith, living of the gospel.

Tied along with this is the conscience. We carry the gift of faith in a good conscience. What does that mean? Again, this is one of those topics that it seems to me has become confused even in the minds of some believers.

I had one discussion with one believer in the last few months where this person told me very directly that what does conscience really mean? What is it? He said he didn't quite get it. What's the point of talking about conscience?

If you're a parent and have that question, what's the home life going to be like? If you're a youth struggling with things, how will you relate to your parents if you don't know what conscience is?

Conscience, again, isn't something that is our own thing, that we can decide amongst ourselves what is good or bad, right or wrong. Conscience is tied to God's Word. God's Word teaches us. It's tied to the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit will teach us in all things. It's tied to that. It can't be separated from that.

When we try to separate that from our inner conscience, take God's Word and the Holy Spirit away from that, what good is it? Where is it leading us? Is it leading us anywhere? Will we be floundering in the ways of this world?

Again, I say that when we believe in our conscience that it teaches us, it helps us along the way, doesn't that give us security of faith? We know what we can do in times of trouble.

Conscience doesn't mean that we'll never fall into sin. That's for sure not the case. But when our conscience is tied to God's Word and the Holy Spirit, it gives us the direction forward. It gives us a way out of troubles, a way out of fears, and a way past sin. It grants us security of faith.

Caring for our family. Caring for our family. In keeping faith and good conscience. How does it affect caring for our family temporally? Spiritually.

We can go back to that same example, temporally. If we're not caring for our faith and good conscience, how easy would it be to go on the television for our homes and try to say that, well, this is my life of faith, my personal faith. Remove our personal faith. Remove our personal faith. Remove ourselves from the care of God's kingdom and make our own decisions. That's a pretty easy way to go, isn't it?

But it also affects the spiritual care. How can we help our children, our grandchildren, if we are not watching in personal faith? Would we even see it necessary to speak to them about the dangers of the way that we are? Would we even see it necessary to be involved in the spiritual life? Would we be able to be a part of it?

I would contend that what's really at stake here was seen very clearly during the last heresy. My father relates of going to our, my relative's place. I don't remember it so well. My older siblings would be able to tell this story better than I can. But things were very unclear then.

But at that time when we went to visit them, one of my siblings located, hidden away in a closet, a television. And of course, as kids would do, would ask, what's this? So my father and my uncle sat down and began to talk. They talked and talked.

The conversation was very similar to this. It's my faith, my personal faith. But his conscience was hardened to that. He must have known that it was this, not acceptable, but he still kept it. But it made it more acceptable if he hid it in the closet so nobody could see it.

But in the middle of that discussion, my father remembers that he was exhorting him to repentance. And my uncle turned and looked out the window and said, Isn't it a nice day outside? I didn't want to hear. The topic was over.

Isn't that the kind of discussions we would have about our concerns if we didn't have conscience to lead us and true personal faith that we're following after Jesus, not our own constructs?

We have a mutual destination as believing family. Haven't we all felt that? Haven't we all felt that?

I guess perhaps it's not... It's perhaps... I've seen best in those moments when a believing son or daughter or father or mother has given up faith. And you realize that you're not on the same road anymore. The discussions begin to be really difficult at home.

Where do you look for your child when they're struggling, when they're not in faith? How far will you drive to find them? I've seen that in our home. The worry and fear.

On the other hand, when parents are working together with one goal in mind, that first and foremost their own life of faith depends on the gospel and their only goal is to make it to heaven, and then care for their family members comes in there. It grants security even in those times.

I'll never forget that day when my father told me that one of my siblings received the grace of repentance. What a wonderful day that was. To know that we're now walking on the same pathway again.

It's really a confusing time as a youth to see children or their own siblings wandering their own way in disrespect first to their parents and disrespect to God's word. But to know that you're all walking along that same pathway, it's a good feeling.

But we all make it there. Isn't that our goal as parents? It's not just... It's not just that I would make it there. Sure, that's my first and foremost goal, that I make it to heaven. But just as God's kingdom is that way, that we're all trying to help each other along that path, isn't that the goal of mother and father in the home? To raise their children that way that we'll all make it there. That's our goal.

Gently calling to children as they stray to help them. We already have anchors in heaven, don't we? Our loved ones who have gone before us. They wait for us. I'm sure you have your own examples of how that helps.

Some of you, like me, have siblings. Some of you have children that have passed away. I've related this story before, but it seems like it makes sense to say it here.

My own brother, I at times have had conversations about faith with. Not as much as I would have perhaps wanted to or should have, but I know he died in faith. I believe with my heart that he made it to heaven. I believe that he made it to heaven.

How will I make it there? How can I get there to the same place that he made it to? Perhaps I can have solace in the fact that he left a few markers in his life that helped me. He left a little note on his desk that we found after his passing. It was like his motto for life. And it was a few sentences.

It said that if I lose my money, I've lost a lot. If I lose my friends, I've lost a lot. If I lose faith, I lost everything.

Our lives depend on that, dear brothers and sisters. Our own personal life. Isn't that what we based our family on? We placed our faith in God. We set our family in His care.

A dear brother in faith a long time ago wrote a song. I believe it was called A Testament to His Son. Where he related that that's one of the things that he left his son. Is a holy faith in God.

Can we make those promises to your parents? To have that as our goal. First and foremost, that we keep faith and good conscience. Secondly, that we could leave our children a holy faith in God.

And dear children, make that your goal. Dear youth, make that your goal. That first and foremost, you will keep faith and good conscience. And then as God allows, as He leads your life, perhaps you'll find a spouse. Perhaps you'll continue as single. But that you would keep that as your goal. Faith and good conscience.

And if God grants a family to lead your children in that, that they would keep faith and good conscience. Faith and good conscience. It's a good motto for all of our families. How we lead our lives.

In the middle of all that, little dear brothers and sisters, I'm sure you know how the journey goes. It never seems like it just goes straight forward in hope and freedom. There's always those little roadblocks and stumblings and worries and fears.

Beginning of this discussion, dear brothers and sisters, you can simply believe all those forgiven in Jesus' name and precious atonement blood. Believe it unto peace and freedom and joy.

And I thought as preparing this presentation that perhaps I'm the worst choice to do this. Feeling how the way is never clear and sins so often beset. And I wonder, can I hear the gospel? Can I believe too? I want to believe together with you.

So with that, I'll leave that to our moderator.