Sam Cotten

The Power of a Covenant Home

OK, yeah – this format is a bit different this week, but here’s why. I am putting my entire sermon notes in blog format here, because there was a lot of information to process this week. PLEASE comment. Thanks

1. Intro:
   
   1. Review
      
      1. 1 Corinthians 7:13-14 [+/-]1 Corinthians 7:13-14 [13]If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. [14]For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. (ESV)
         means you have power.
         
      2. Paul got this from Abraham & Moses, BUT some of Abraham’s children never got saved, same with the people of Moses’ day.
         
      3. Conclusion: just knowing you does NOT guarantee your children will be saved.
         
   2. This week:
      
      1. It is normal for our kids to walk with Christ.
         
      2. God’s means of saving kids (and arguably his primary means of expanding his kingdom) is the covenant home.
         
         1. Knowing this is like discovering a room in your house after a hurricane that has a powerful generator that you did not even know was there.
            
2. The Biblical Mandate – train
   
   1. Prov 22:6 [+/-]Proverbs 22:6 [6]Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
      
      
      1. “Train”
         
      2. Probably not absolute, but a principle, establishes “normalcy”
         
      3. Our expectation should be that our children walk with Christ.
         
   2. Confidence and Caveat
      
      1. Confidence: you have reason to be confident
         
      2. Caveat: God saves kids, so I am not blaming you if your kids are not walking with Christ today.
         
   3. Weed and Feed
      
      1. Weed – discipline
         
      2. Plant – put Gospel seeds in the ground
         
         1. We don’t want just well-adjusted kids, who succeed in society, but go to hell.
            
         2. We want covenant people.
            
   4. Train: Both elements together
      
      1. Key NT text – Eph 6:1-4 [+/-]Ephesians 6:1-4 [6:1]Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [2]"Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), [3]"that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." [4]Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (ESV)
         
         
         1. See notes
            
3. Application: Covenant Homes
   
   1. Family Devotional
      
      1. Kids Catechism
         
         1. www.reformed.org
            
      2. Prayer
         
      3. Bible
         
   2. Sabbath –keep it
      
   3. Education – take responsibility
      
4. Conclusion
   
   1. You cannot give away what you don’t have
      
      1. Christianity is infections through the infected.
         
      2. Lukewarm?
         
      3. I am who I am b/c my parents had a walk with Christ that was constant and real.
         
   2. Examples: dad at the table, being raised by biblical principles.
      

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