CHRIST:  THE KING OF THE HOME

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Christ is definitely a King.

1.     He comes from a kingly lineage (Matt. 1:1-18).

 

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

 

2.     He has been anointed by God for the position.

a.     Luke 4:16-21

 

…and stood up for to read…the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.

 

b.    Hebrews 1:9

 

…therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

 

3.     He has been given all authority by the Father of heaven (Matt. 28:18).

 

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 

4.     He is presently ruling and reigning as the King of kings and Lord and lords (I Cor. 15:26; I Tim. 6:15).

 

For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

 

B.    In His position as King, Jesus is also to be the King of our homes (I Cor. 11:3).

 

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

 

1.     Man is the head of the woman in the home, but

2.     The head of every man is Christ.

 

C.   The title of our lesson this morning is:  “Christ:  The King of the Home.”

1.     This lesson focuses us again on our theme for the year as a congregation:  “Make Christ Your King in 2013.”

2.     This lesson is of paramount importance to the success of every home.

 

I.           THE HOME MUST RECOGNIZE CHRIST AS KING

 

A.   Many of our homes today are Christ-less.

1.     Christ is not known.

2.     Christ is not acknowledged.

3.     Christ is not honored.

4.     Christ is not obeyed.

 

B.    There are heads of household found in the Old Testament who understood the need to have deity over their houses.

1.     Abraham (Gen. 18:19)

 

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord…

 

2.     Joshua (Josh. 24:15)

 

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:  but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

 

II.         THE HOME MUST GIVE THE KING ALL AUTHORITY

 

A.   The purpose of a king is to be the “chief authority.”

1.     Hebrews 2:8a

 

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.  For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.

 

2.     The father is the head of the house, but he is not the “king” of the home.  The mother is the “keeper of the home,” but she is not the “king” of the home.  Only one occupies the position of “chief authority” and that is Jesus Christ.

 

B.    A father in particular must be willing to give Jesus the position in the home that is due Him.

1.     Father’s need to heed the words given to Abram in the long ago (Gen. 17:1).

 

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God:  walk before me, and be thou perfect.

 

2.     The parents of John the Baptist understood the place of God in their home.  Listen to the words which describe the home of Zacharias and Elisabeth (Luke 1:6).

 

And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

 

C.   NOTE:  Partial authority is not enough. 

1.     There are two components of the king’s authority that must be understood.

a.     His authority is total, that is, pertaining to all aspects of the home.

b.    His authority is to be absolute, that is not restricted in any way by the members of the household.

2.     The first king of Israel gave God partial authority, but not all authority.  He was rebuked for his failure to fully honor the voice of the Lord (I Sam. 15:22-23a).

 

And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry….

 

III.       THE KING’S AUTHORITY IS FOUND IN THE WORD OF GOD

 

A.   Jesus taught this very early in His ministry (Matt. 7:24-27).

 

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not:  for it was founded upon a rock.  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell:  and great was the fall of it.

 

1.     Homes have two choices; they can be founded upon a rock, the teachings of God’s Word.

2.     Or, they can be founded upon the sand.

 

B.    The father and mother in the home need to be an intentional, deliberate effort to make certain that they adhere to God’s Word in their homes.

1.     The roles of all members need to be respected and maintained (Eph. 5:22-6:4).

2.     There must be religious teaching and trainings components in every home (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4; II Tim. 1:5).

3.     The home needs to be a “heaven on earth.”  If it is to resemble heaven, then evil needs to be put out of the home (Rom. 12:1-2; I Cor. 7:1; Tit. 2:11-12).

4.     The home needs to be closely connected to the local church, using it as a supplement to the training of the home (Bible classes, worship, programs of work, youth programs, etc.).

 

IV.        HOMES NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEIR ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE KING

 

A.   Romans 14:12

 

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

 

1.     Husbands and fathers will give an account.

2.     Wives and mothers will give an account.

3.     Children will give an account.

B.    There are numerous houses in the pages of God’s Word that serve as examples of the home’s accountability unto God.

1.     Eli’s was held accountable (I Sam. 3:11:-14)

 

And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.  In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house:  when I begin, I will also make an end.  For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.  And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever.

 

2.     We read of Samuel’s sons being evil men.  Therefore, the children of Israel desired a king instead of his vile sons reigning over them (I Sam. 8:1-5).

3.     David’s also struggled with sons who were corrupt.  They plagued his house for many, many years (II Sam. 15:1-12; I Kings 1:5-7).

 

C.   All who are in homes today do not need to be deceive.

1.     God is watching their homes.  He knows what is transpiring within them.

2.     One day, there will be a day of reckoning as to what is happening within that home.

a.     The King returns and all are gathered before Him (Matt. 25:31-33).

 

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:  and before him shall be gathered all nations:  and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:  and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

 

b.    All give an account of themselves unto the King (II Cor. 5:10).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   It is sad to think of the following.

1.     Christ is the King of the world, but the world rejects His kingship.

2.     Christ is the King of all the nations, but the nations of the world reject His kingship (including the USA).

3.     Christ is the king of the church, but many churches have rejected His rule.

4.     Christ is the king of the home, but so many homes have dethroned Him.

5.     Christ is the king of the Christian’s home, but, there are some of these homes who do not submit to His total and absolute authority.

 

B.    Rulers throughout the world, including the rulers of all homes would be wise to hear the words of the psalmist in Psalm 2.

1.     He speaks to those who have rebelled against the King (Ps. 2:1-3).

2.     He lets all know that God has set His king upon his holy hill in Zion (Ps. 2:6) and has given Him all authority (Ps. 2:7-9).

3.     He then gives this admonition (Ps. 2:10-12).

 

Be wise now therefore, O ye kings (fathers):  be instructed, ye judges of the earth (parents).  Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.  Blessed are all they that put their trust in him (emp. mine, vme).