Family Faith, Part II

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 11:7The only way we can raise a family in a way that honors God is by faith. There is an urgent need to get our children on board the good ship of grace, and we do that through a solid, biblical family faith.Hebrews 11:7 says, “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.”In Genesis, Noah exhibited an active faith, in which he both worked and waited for the Lord. Noah did not wait until it began to rain before he prepared an ark. He was willing to look foolish, to stand alone, and receive ridicule from others.Adrian Rogers says, “Faith is not sitting around doing nothing; it is belief with legs on it.”Having been warned of the future calamity, Noah’s fear caused him to obey God.Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” The fear of God is recognizing His holiness and His awesome power, and loving Him in reverence.Because of Noah’s faith, God revealed three marks of calamity to Noah: indifference, immorality, and ignorance. Having the foresight and recognizing these markings, Noah went against the tide and prepared in advance to save his household.The Bible teaches about the beautiful prosperity of household faith. Though we can’t believe for our children, we can see that our children are presented with every opportunity to believe on their own.Finally, Hebrews declares Noah’s fortune: “...by faith, which he… became heir of the righteousness…”Because he obeyed the Lord, he received great fortune; as others bought, sold, traded, and married in vain, Noah put everything he had into the ark. This long-term investment saved his life, his family, and his future. He came out of the ark and inherited the world; yet, the things that truly mattered, he gained by faith.Apply it to your lifeAre you and your family onboard the good ship of grace? Have you given your children every opportunity to have a biblical faith of their own?