Household

Bringing Christ to Our Households (Acts 16:9-15, 27-33) “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household.” (Acts 16:31, see also Acts 11:13-14) “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15) The Scriptures tell us that the households of Cornelius, Lydia, the Jailer, Crispus and Stephanas were saved and baptized. (Acts 10, 16, 18, 1 Cor. 1:16) What is our “household”? The Greek term "oikos" normally referred to all members of the family--including infants and small children and even extends to the servants and their families. Who are the members of our households? A possible definition: All those people whom God, in His grace, has allowed us to spend a significant period of time with and achieve a significant level of intimacy with, in or around a place that we have considered to be our home. God’s people have a responsibility to help members of their household to be “saved”. Noah was directed to bring all of his household into the Ark to be saved. (Gen.7:1) Rahab was directed to bring all of her household into the house marked with the scarlet cord so that they would be saved from death. (Josh. 2:17-19, -2, compare Ex. 12:13) Elisha directed the women whose son she had healed to take her whole household out of the land that they were in to avoid the upcoming 7 year famine. (2 Ki. 8:1) Do you think of your marriage as a ministry? Do you think of your role as a parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle as a ministry? Do you think of your role as a child/grandchild/nephew/niece/brother/sister as a ministry? Do you think of your role as a friend/neighbor/roommate as a ministry? What group of people most often have the greatest influence on a person?

Pray for and with your household Cornelius prayed prayers of supplication to God that were answered (Acts 10:2-4)

Lydia was found by Paul in a place of prayer (Acts 16:13-14) Pray that God will open their hearts to respond to Him (Acts 13:48, 16:14, 1 John 4:19) Bring the message of the Gospel to your household How can they be saved unless they first hear the gospel message? (Rom 10:14-15 ) Teach your children about God (Deut. 4:9-10, 11:18-21) Cornelius gathered his family as well as friends to hear Peter. (Acts 10:24,33) The jailer invited Paul to his house and Paul spoke the word of the Lord to the jailer and to his household (Acts 16:32) How can we bring the Gospel to our households? Strive to demonstrate the love of Christ and the fruits of the Spirit to your household (1 Cor. 7:12-14, Eph. 5:22-6:4, Col. 3:18-21, 1 Tim. 3:1-12, 1 Pe. 3:1-7) But, don't hide the fact that you are saint AND sinner so that the members of your household will understand that all people are sinners, all need Christ, and all are welcomed by Christ. Something to think about: When the jail cell was opened by God, was it opened for Paul & Barnabas to come out or for the Jailer to come in? Chrysostom, a renowned preacher of the early eastern Church, once declared about this Jailer that "He washed and was washed, he washed them from their stripes, and was himself washed from his sins."