LESSONS ON THE HOME #7
GOD'S MAN IN THE HOME

Introduction:
  I. As one studies the Bible concerning the home, he 
     becomes startingly aware that a common failure among 
     good men is the failure to be what they ought to be 
     in the home.
 II. Easy to come up with list of great women in the home - 
     Hannah, Mary, Elizabeth, Jochebed, Eunice, the 
     virtuous woman of Proverbs 31.
III. Try to think of that many men who stand out for their 
     influence in the home - If you can name two or three, 
     you will do well.
 IV. On the other hand - Noah, David, Lot, Eli, Samuel, 
     Jacob - Great men but failures as far as their homes
     is concern.
  V. If these men could be failures as far as their homes 
     is concern, we men today will do well to study 
     carefully God's will for us, lest we also will be 
     failures.

Body:
 I. Causes of failure among Bible characters.
    A. Immorality.
       1. Noah.
          a. Would be easy to list him as a success.
          b. Brought up sons in world of incomparable 
             wickedness to fear God.
          c. Story ruined by one act of drunkenness and the 
             events that followed.
          d. Genesis 9:24-27.
       2. David.
          a. 2 Samuel 12:10-12.
          b. the baby, Amnon, Tamor, Absalom, Adonijiah.
       3. Men cannot give themselves to immorality, to 
          marital infidelity, drunkenness, profanity, etc. 
          and expect the home to remain strong.
    B. Greed.
       1. The character of Lot may not be appreciated by 
          some as it ought to be - 2 Peter 2:6-8.
       2. The thing that ruined righteous Lot as a husband 
          and father was greed.  Genesis 13:10-13.
       3. Source of many failures today.
          a. Man spends too much time in work.
          b. Man moves family to distant city.
          c. Man accepts job that separates him from his 
             family.
    C. Lack of discipline.
       1. Eli.
          a. A good man in many ways.  1 Samuel 3:18; 4:17-
             18.
          b. Sons were wicked. 1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22.
          c. Eli's failure.  1 Samuel 3:13.
       2. Samuel.  1 Samuel 8:3.  How sad that the good 
          name of Samuel has to be tainted by his failure 
          as a father!
    D. Partiality.  Jacob
    E. Too busy in other matters.
       1. Hard to put a finger on a scripture here.
       2. But cannot help but wonder if this did not 
          contribute to the failure of men like David and 
          Samuel.
       3. We are busy men in our society - things we are 
          involved in are important - but we must 
          distinguish between the important and the 
          essential.
       4. Cannot help but wonder if this is one reason why 
          so many "preacher kids" go wrong.

II. Positive steps that most men need to take to become 
    better men in the home.
    A. Develop greater worthiness of place of headship in 
       the home.
       1. God has placed man as head.  Ephesians 5:22-24
       2. But men must learn that this position involves 
          responsibility to be worthy of it.
       3. In so many homes, the woman is the stronger in 
          character and personality and conviction while 
          the man is a non-decisive, weak, vacillating 
          individual.
       4. And the woman tries to put herself in subjection 
          to such a man.
       5. 1 Kings 2:2.
    B. Develop greater thoughtfulness of wife and children.
       1. All scriptures that discuss man's headship give 
          him a warning.  Colossians 3; 1 Corinthians 11; 
          Ephesians 5; 1 Peter 3.
       2. Wife and children deserve your praise.
          a. "As long as I don't say anything she knows all 
             is fine; when something is wrong, I'll let her 
             know."
          b. Cooking - dress - conduct.
          c. Proverbs 31:28-29.
          d. Do you ever praise your children when they do 
             well?  Ever laugh at their jokes?
          e. Child needs criticism occasionally, but when 
             praise is in order, give it to him; and watch 
             him respond.
       3. Wife and children deserve your time.
          a. Easy after working all day on job, come in and 
             read all the bad news in the paper, to want to 
             bury heads in sand and to escape reality.
          b. Consequently, we lose ourselves in TV or some 
             project, scared to face reality.
          c. Meanwhile, we neglect family, no conversation, 
             no activities of mutual interest.
          d. Get your heads out of the TV or book or 
             whatever, and get re-acquainted with your 
             family.
    C. Develop greater leadership in spiritual realms.
       1. Mother must do great amount of teaching.
       2. But if family to have devotional period, man must 
          take the lead.
       3. "Family that prays together, stays together."
       4. Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:6-9.
    D. Develop greater example of faithfulness in home.
       1. As your children grow up, later to leave home, 
          what will be their memories of you be centered 
          on.
          a. Great sports knowledge, unusual ability in 
             occupation, as one who loves God and his word, 
             always faithful to him?
       2. Are you a Christian?
       3. Do children see hypocrisy in you?
    E. Develop greater patience.  Psalm 103:13.