Imagine if every home was guided by the word of God—a place where the scriptures are respected and applied. Would not our homes be as God would have them? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1561/29?v=20251111
Friends, let’s talk about the home, that divine, God-given institution. And it is time to strengthen the home, and let’s do so today here on the International Gospel Hour. We’ll be right back.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s time for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jay Webb, and welcome to our study today as we embrace God’s Word to help us meet the challenges of today. Let’s open our Bibles and open our heart for this time of Bible study with our speaker, Jeff Archie, of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ.
SPEAKER 02 :
Here’s Jeff. Thank you to our Jay Webb, and greetings to all of you. It’s good having you with us today for our studies from the International Gospel Hour. Let’s talk about the Bible in the home, preserving the Bible in the home. The home is of divine origin, instituted by God in the Garden of Eden, and God has given the regulations and design for the home to be as it ought to be. We expect a divine institution to be governed by divine will. The home is the basic unity of society. As goes the home, so goes everything. Everything comes from the home. We cannot place too much emphasis on the home as God would have it. The Bible is not found in every home. Many homes with a copy just as soon not have one. I mean, the Bible is used for decoration, at funerals, weddings, to hold family records, or maybe to show when the preacher is expected. Respect for the Bible is sorely lacking. Just as it is true that a man who will not read is as handicapped as the man who cannot read, the home without a Bible is as well off as a home where it is not respected. The Scripture has much to reveal about the home. God’s laws about marriage, divorce, remarriage, husband and wife, relationship, parent and child relationship, duties, expectations, privileges, rights are taught in the Bible. The dignity and sanctity of the home is seen as the Lord compares His relationship with the church as a marriage and the church as the family of God. Whether the Bible will be preserved in the home depends upon parents or adults. The Jews were taught to keep God’s word before their young, Deuteronomy 6 verse 7. Parents today have the same obligation, Ephesians 6 verse 4 and Proverbs 22 verse 6. The primary place of learning is the home. Bible study classes at assemblies, vacation Bible schools, sermons, all of these can be of assistance, but it is the duty of parents to see that children know and respect the Bible. This way the Bible will be preserved in the home. Unless parents have respect for it and knowledge of it, the children will not likely develop the proper attitude toward it either. Parents need to remember, you cannot lead where you will not go. You cannot teach what you do not know. Children that come from homes where the Bible is respected and taught and lived are very noticeable. The proper place of the Bible in the home makes possible the accomplishment of the primary goal of the home – The salvation of every family member. And salvation is impossible without the word of God. James 1.21, Romans 1.16 The origin of the Bible must be taught in the home, for it is of divine inspiration. We must know how we got it, God’s plan of salvation, what God has done and what man must do, the identity of Jesus Christ and the evidence He is the Son of God. We must know it is divine authority and the standard of measure of man. We learn regarding the church, its nature, its work, its worship and destiny. We must learn personal responsibility, the existence and nature of God, about the home. From the Bible we learn how to treat other people, relationships in the church and family, our duties as civil government, our priorities and goals. We must learn the value of every soul. In the Bible we find God’s answers to the greatest questions. There we find revelation about heaven and hell, how to meet error and temptation, how to avoid sin and receive forgiveness. It is the parent’s duty to see that every member of the family learns these things. Every member should have his own copy of the Bible. Each one must learn to treat it with respect. Children need to have it read to them and learn how to read it. They must hear about the Bible stories, heroes, and memorize certain passages. There is an appalling lack of knowledge of the Bible, even among, if you will, church people. Family discussions of spiritual and biblical topics help keep the Bible preserved in the home. Friends, the Bible is lost in the home if… The members of the home are not striving to live according to its teaching in daily life. One may have a disease and the medicine to cure it, but until the medicine is applied, it is of no benefit. Man is diseased with sin, and we have the remedy in the Bible. Unless the Bible is properly applied, it will not benefit. Just having and owning a copy of it means little. There must be conformity to what it teaches in morality, speech, attitudes, actions, every phase of life. Our faith is demonstrated by our works, James 2.18. Of what value is a map showing how to reach a desired destination if no attention is given to it? Friends, every generation must be taught everything. Traditions are handed down. There are traditions of men that should never be allowed to take precedence over divine tradition. 1 Peter 1.18, Colossians 2 and verse 8. And there is apostolic tradition, 2 Thessalonians 2.15. This is a tradition, or the tradition rather, that must be handed down. We cannot be saved with a borrowed faith, a faith that is second-hand. Each must have a personal conviction based on evidence, not something accepted simply because others before him accepted it. Having a personal faith does not necessarily mean one will believe differently from those before him. If both hold to the truth, they will believe alike, but we cannot allow ourselves to be intimidated and drawn from the truth simply because we may have to leave the religion of ancestors. Every conversion in the New Testament was of a person who changed religions. Thus, the Bible is preserved in the home by study, personal, regular study. There are many aids to study. There are books, there are tracts and commentaries, papers and material on a great variety of subjects. But our focus must always be first and foremost on the Bible. Study is not optional, but it is essential. The home must be the primary place to preserve the Word of God. Friends, we hope that your home has the Word of God that is evident there within and among your family. You know, when we think about Ephesians chapter 5, to where beginning around verse 22, Paul talks about husband and wife, but he’s referring to Christ in the church. But isn’t it something how he uses husband and wife illustration to talk about Christ in the church? And that goes through verse 33 of chapter 5. And then going into chapter 6, which remember, chapter breaks are placed there by man. But moving on into chapter 6, how children are to obey their parents in the Lord. Well, if they see their parents and the parallel there is Christ and the church, then the children will also learn. The more the parents are involved, the more children are involved. Many a study has shown that. And then to go into chapter 6 of Ephesians and see how children should obey their parents and the Lord, the reminder of fathers to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and then to go into verse 5 concerning the slaves or servants one would have at the time, that how, as they were owned then, part of the home, so to speak, how they were to be treated, how they were to respond. We learn more of that when we study about the book of Philemon. So friends, the Bible in the home, you and I must agree, that the Bible in the home will help the home, well, become more like the Bible, God’s will. Now friends, I want to share a special little tool with you. To complement our study today, we want to send you a free tract entitled, You Can Do Bible Time. Now this is a good tool written by a good brother named Wesley Skelton of Cleveland, Tennessee. It’s a good tool to help homes take time each evening for Bible time. Time with the Bible for you and your family. And sometimes we find it a little difficult to get that started. And Wesley deals with some ideas you can use. There are some good ideas and practical help is available. Now to receive this free track, all you have to do is call us at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address or even your email and just say Bible Time. We can mail you the track or we can reply to you with the PDF copy by email. Now again, we’ll mail it or email it, whichever one you prefer. Just call us at 855-444-6988 and leave your name and address or your email address and just say Bible Time and we will send it right away. We hope this will help you preserve the Bible in your home. And once again, friends, I am indebted to a beloved brother and friend who has passed on, the late brother James W. Boyd, for our study today, courtesy of his work titled A Burning Fire, Volume 19. And might I mention his children, Amy, Bill, Steve, and Sam, who decided to make Volume 19 of A Burning Fire available for everyone. How thankful we are for this good family and for their families as well. We’d like to give you another tool of study. Check out aburningfire.net. That’s one word, aburningfire.net. And you can see more additional sound, solid biblical material penned by Brother Boyd from over 70 years of preaching. Again, friends, that is aburningfire, one word, aburningfire.net. That’s Brother Boyd’s website. We hope these tools will help you in your study and in your home. I appreciate you joining me today for our studies here from the International Gospel Hour. We will continue these studies together another time. So thank you once again for joining me. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening today to God Be the Glory and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. Feel free to listen to our other programs at our website at internationalgospelhour.com and join us next time.
