Hot Mess – Family

Randy Murray 
The “Hot Mess” series has been an excellent one albeit one where I had a difficult time anticipating the exact manner of our Pastor’s approach. A “hot mess” in my lifetime would have been used as a phrase to describe a quantity of freshly fried crappie or deer steak, not a person! Relating it to an individual hasn’t been the easiest thing for this old East Texas redneck! This last installment though in the series may have been the most challenging in my opinion.
There has never in our history been as much background noise as there is for families today. Pastor Matt detailed a number of activities that compete for the attention of both adults and children and gave us some statistical analyses of these issues that were somewhat disturbing, to say the least. He then focused our attention on a number of scriptures that spoke mainly...dads…fathers…men…to our responsibility to do family ministry at home which then leads to a desire to participate with the Body of Christ in what is God’s will for this age…….Who will have all men to be saved AND come to a knowledge of the Truth (emphasis mine).
There is so much scripture that speaks to these things I have grossly inadequate word count to accomplish much in this short (supposed to be) blog. Matt held our feet (men again) to the fire concerning leading our families in the discovery of the power of God’s Word in our lives and further the need for us to bring our families into the halls of our local fellowship. Here the very beginnings of the Apostle Paul’s instructions that involve “Let us” (the second half of virtually all his epistles) are to be practiced amongst those who are supposed to be the easiest to love!!! Here our children can learn some things by example that cannot be learned anywhere else!
Men, you cannot lead anyone, even your families and specifically your children where you have not been yourselves!!! A kid can recognize a counterfeit faster than any adult!!! The outline of church function presented in the Pauline epistles is clearly one of men and women handing off this faith which we are to hold fast to others both individually and corporately! This begins with salvation itself, by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross. Those two parts are inseparable in sharing the Gospel. Through every dispensation from cover to cover of your Bible salvation has always been by grace through faith.
Faith in every age has an Object and during this age of the church, the dispensation of grace of God, the object of our faith is Jesus Christ and Him crucified, buried and risen from the dead. These two “parts” (by grace through faith + finished work) are not able to be divided nor should they be!!!! God the Father’s acceptance of this propitiation (a judicially satisfying substitute) allowed Him in Christ to reconcile the world unto Himself not imputing their trespasses unto them any longer.
As ambassadors of this greatest of all truths we now “beseech” those who don’t know Him “be ye reconciled to God”. He has accomplished all the work necessary to make us the “righteousness of God in Him”!!! All we must do is accept this great truth.
Gentlemen, until you put this to rest……the very FACT that God has removed the responsible man (Adam) from His eye……… and has placed us into union with the last Adam (Christ Jesus)…….until we are rooted and grounded in these facts, we can make no spiritual progress!!
You can’t lead your kids where you haven’t been, I will say it again. Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of the truth!!!! It takes time, effort, conversations with your family, participation in ministry (both at home and the local fellowship), and engagement both with family and other members of the Body of Christ intentionally to grow in grace!!!! There are countless scriptural references for everything mentioned above, I will deliver them to you on request. 
Men see you Saturday morning!