Sermon Guide
GOD COMES WHERE HE’s WANTED | THE HOME
Teaching Text
Joshua 24:13-15
So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’ “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Sermon Recap
This Sunday, Pastor Jon continued our sermon series “God Comes Where He’s Wanted” with a teaching on how to intentionally cultivate Godly homes and prioritize the next generation. God designed us to flourish within families, and the choices we make about how we live and what we prioritize in our homes have a huge impact.
Pastor Jon highlighted four key components of building homes centered on God. First, families must make public and prophetic declarations about their values, committing to serve the Lord and reject the cultural idols that surround them, just as Joshua did for the Israelites in at the end of his life. In order to avoid passing down family patterns of pain and dysfunction, we have to address them head-on. Especially in a place like New York City, where the pressure to succeed can dominate family life, we have to consciously choose to serve the Lord in our homes, rather than serving busy schedules, achievement, or even the temptation to put our kids before God. Pastor Jon urged households and families to be "on mission," together, integrating their faith into all aspects of family life, serving together and making God's work central to their lives.
Second, we must resolve to make the home the primary place of discipleship and leverage our children’s formative years. We can cultivate a Godly culture of discipleship in the home through a focus on family rhythms, values, and relational health. Third, Pastor Jon warned against outsourcing the spiritual formation of children to others, pointing to Eli the Levite’s and King David’s stories Scripture. Their failure to discipline their sons led to decline and disobedience in the next generation.
The current cultural moment for young people is incredibly challenging, and Pastor Jon reminded us that Church of the City is committed to making a serious investment in our kids, youth, and college ministries. As a community, we have refused to drop the ball on the next generation, and raise them up in love as integral parts of the church.
Finally, Pastor Jon declared that our genealogies do not determine our destinies, but grace does. When we commit our whole lives to the Lord, He is faithful to redeem our stories and family lines. The Bible focused on families and households in the context of tribes, nations, and communities at large, extending beyond our modern understanding of families. With this in mind, Pastor Jon called us to commit together, whether married, divorced, single, or currently raising children, invest in the next generation, however we can, so that they can inherit a legacy of faith and be blessed.