Fight for Your Family

This has been a time….a hard time.  If we are completely honest, we haven’t been making war we have been surviving at best. It’s why we are adding 24 hours prayer every last Wednesday of the month.

It is imperative that we fight.  It is imperative that we pray.  That we fast. That we resist temptation.

We have barely been able to catch a break…I don’t know about you….

But we must fight.  We must make war!!

Today we Fight for our Family

I realize that I speak to all kinds of different people in the room…

I speak to single mothers who are raising kids on their own…

I speak to grandparents who are raising their kid’s kids when they shouldn’t have to…

I speak to singles who don’t have kids or a family…

I speak to young people who attend church by themselves and their families are dysfunctional or don’t serve the Lord with them and it burdens you…

I speak to divorced mothers and fathers who only get their kids part of the time…

I speak to married families with no children…

And I speak to married families with children…

But no matter what group you are in you have family….and if you still don’t have someone you get us.

The home is under attack in the 21^stcentury. 

The enemy wants to make your family and marriage miserable. 

This is a costly commitment, but it is worth it. 

You better be committed to God and to your marriage and family.

Fight for your family.

There is almost a Spirit of Fear that has come upon us as we fight for families and marriages.  You talk to people and their concern is that their kids won’t follow the Lord. 

We must fight in faith, not in fear.

We must raise our families in faith, not in fear.

Nehemiah 4:13-23 

So, in the lowest part of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans (family), with their sword, their spears, and their bows.   And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.

When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan (putting up the fight frustrates the pans of the enemy)we all returned to the wall, each to his work.  From that day on, half of the servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.  And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building the wall.  Those who carried the burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.  And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me.  And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people.  “the work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.  In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

When we fight God fights.

Our families are worth fighting for.  Fight for your family.  Fight for your wife. 

Satan is on a rampage. Satan can’t destroy the church without destroying the home.

Noahwas the 8^thone on the ark and He made sure his family was on that ark.

Make sure your family is on the ark.

Don’t leave it up to the preacher, the youth leader, make sure your family is on the ark.

Joshua says“And Joshua said unto all the people [of Israel], … choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:2, 15).

Jobcontinually lifted up his 10 children before the Lord through animal sacrifice.

Continually.

He was fighting for his family.

He was saying to demons, to wrong relationships, addiction, pasitivity you lay your hand off my family.

You are praying and fasting, and claiming the blood of Jesus, God will fight for you.

We are not going to let hell, video games, Hollywood, education, friends, or culture raise our children.

People are failing to fight, but if ever there was a cause to fight it is for a family.

Stay in their business. Check their phones.  But safeguards on them. 

Take them away. Figure out what they are doing on the new app that you can’t understand.

Stay in their lives. They are worth fighting for.

Dr. Tony Evans says eat together, one meal a day.  His four kids follow the Lord.

Before 15 they do what you tell them, after 15 they do what you show them.

Be aware of Dangerous Distractions

Things that pull you away from the purposes of God. 

Things that pull your family away from the purposes of God

What is distracting you? What is pulling your family away?

--Find you and your family in the House of the Lord

--Be involved at the house of the Lord (when the doors open)

--Find you and your family discussing the things of the Lord in your House

--Display actively what you are saying.  Don’t just say it.

--Pray and Fast

Jetzen Franklin tells of a story of an attorney that had an alcoholic problem, and every morning before work he would stop in at a bar and drink.  He thought no one was watching, but one day his six-year-old boy followed him out of the house and to that bar.  The dad turned around and in that Chicago winter where snow had freshly fallen, he also saw the footprints of little kid.

He bought his child home and immediately fell on his knees and repented.

He said if my kids are gonna follow me, let them be to the throne room of God.

Our children are watching.

Remember that old children’s church song.

Be careful little eyes what you see, what you say, where you go.

That song is for us.

Be careful big eyes what you see because little eyes are following.

Be careful big mouth what you say because big mouths are following.

Be careful big feet where you go because little feet are following.

Fight for you family.