The Keys to a Christian Home - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

The Keys to a Christian Home

Acts 10

Intro: One of the things that has burdened my heart lately is the lack of genuine Christian homes. I don’t believe that there are nearly as many Christian homes as we might think.

A Christian home has basic essentials that fit God’s criteria.

God intended for the dad to be the spiritual leader in the home.

He is supposed to lead his wife.

Ephesians 5

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

He is supposed to lead his children.

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

There are several keys to having a Christian home. Let’s look at some of them.

I. Where the Gospel is Experienced

A truly Christian home is where the family members have experienced God’s saving grace.

Husbands and wives should both be saved in order to have a truly Christian home.

That is why the saved are forbidden from being unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

A born-again daddy and husband is God’s design for a Christian home.

Where the dad or husband is missing, a mother can do her best to fill that space.

EXAMPLES: Several places in the Scripture indicate that a saved mother led her house to the Lord.

Lydia – Acts 16

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

1 Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

The Bible is clear that salvation can be and should be a household experience.

Several examples of this are found in the Scriptures.

Noah built an ark for the saving of his house.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

The Philippian Jailor

Acts 16

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

Crispus in Acts 18

Acts 18:8 And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house…

One of the greatest examples of household salvation is the story of Cornelius in Acts 10.

He was a great dad, but he was not a saved man.

By the way, Cornelius as a lost man put most Christian men to shame with his life.

Notice several things about this man that distinguished him from other men.

He was a leader – vs. 1 “…a centurion of the band…”
He was a fighter and a warrior – vs. 1
He was a devout man – vs. 2
He was a God-fearing man. vs. 2 “…one that feared God WITH ALL HIS HOUSE. – vs. 2
He was a generous man. – vs. 2 “…He gave much alms to the people…”
He was a praying man. – vs. 2 “…and prayed to God alway.”
He had a reverential fear of God. – vs. 3, 4 “…he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord?”
He was a just man – vs. 22
He had a good report among all the nations – vs. 22
He was a man of influence – vs. 24 “…he called together his kinsmen and near friends…”
He was receptive to the Word of God – vs. 33 “…we are all here present before God to hear all things…”
He believed the Gospel and was born again – vs. 44-48

How do we know Cornelius got saved in chapter 10? SEE Acts 11:12-18

Verse 14 says, “Who shall tell thee words, whereby…” Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God.
Verse 14 says, “thou and all thy house shall be saved.”
Verse 17 says, “…God gave them the like gift…” (the indwelling of the Holy Ghost)
Verse 18 says, “…God hath to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”