Strong Homes in a Shaky World - Pastor Will Roos

I'm super excited about this world today.

Listen, we are starting a brand new series today and it's called

Strong Family. Yeah, let me put that up there.

A brand new series. Are you ready for the brand new

series Strong Family? Yay, Hallelujah, right.

So we, we're going to start the brand new series, Strong Family,

and we're going to go straight into that.

So for the next couple of weeks, it's two weeks or so, we're

going to be focused on the family because God cares about

the family. Yeah.

OK. God, he loves family.

He delights and family and marriages.

God cares about marriages, house, kids, children, family,

OK. And so God wants our homes to be

happy homes. Yeah.

He wants us to enjoy home life, happy homes, healthy homes.

He wants our homes to be stronger than ever before.

And so we're going to be looking at that for that couple of

weeks. So today we're just starting off

laying the foundation. So just going to go into it like

some foundations and then we're going to build every message on

strong family. And so today's first message is

called Strong Homes in a Shaky World.

How many of you know we live in a shaky world?

So I'll just put that up there because I really believe that

today is and now word for today because the times we are living

in, we are living in times of shaky, A shaky world.

And so I mean, let's just be honest, we just, you know,

sometimes it feels like life is just shaky.

It's just shaky around us, shaky in the economy, in the nations,

and it just feels some pressure rises, anxiety tries to creep in

and families face challenges. The homes, they come under

attack. And so the good news today that

I'm bringing is that when the world gets shaky, God still

knows how to build strong homes. Come on, somebody.

God knows how to build strong, solid homes on the rock.

Standing strong, solid on the rock, OK?

In shaky times, God knows how to build strong homes.

And we're going to look at that today from the book of Matthew

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

Chapter 7, Hallelujah, Matthew Chapter 7.

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

And we're going to pick it up from verse 24.

It says they forever hears these sayings of mine and does them I

will liken into a wise man who built his house on the rock.

And the rain descended, the floods came, and the wings blew

a bit on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on

the rocks. I just pray, Father, we thank

you for your goodness. We thank you for every family

represented in this place, in this room.

And Lord, we thank you that even when there's shakings, the

shaking world, that you are our rock.

You are our solid foundation, our peace and our help.

And I pray that this message will stir faith and strengthen

homes today. Jesus mighty name, we pray

somebody shower, Amen. And so if you look in context,

you to put in context Jesus in Matthew Chapter 7, he's talking

Matthew 7 · chapter mention

about two houses, two homes. And so he goes and he talks

about right now one house stands, OK, just stood and the

other one fell, right? So and you see the storm coming,

but there's two homes, 2 houses, but two very different outcomes,

two different results. The one stood in the one fell.

Now the one that's not because there was no storm and no

problems. He stood because he was built on

the rock. So the message is very clear.

The problem is not the storm, it focuses.

The factor is the foundation. OK, so if your life and your

family is built on the rock, you don't have to be shaken by

anything, not the economy, not circumstances, difficulties,

challenges. You do not have to be shaken by

anything. Come on, somebody, if your life

is built on Jesus Christ in the word of God, on the solid rock,

you do not have to be shaken by anything that the world throws

at you. No storm, no, no difficulty,

because you're built on the rock.

So you can stand strong, you can stand secure, you can stand

victorious. Somebody shout strong house.

Yeah, Hallelujah. Strong house.

And so are you with me. Somebody.

So I want you, you to grab this. That it's not the storm that's

the problem. The difficulty is shaking.

It is. We've got to look at the

foundation. What is pulled on?

What's the difference between the houses?

Because you look at both houses when you read both houses face

pressure. Both houses, The storm came.

The wind, the rain faced the storm.

So the shakening will everywhere.

Everyone goes through the storms of life, It will come to

everybody. So it came to both houses.

Both were tasted. OK.

But the difference is not in what came against the house.

It's not the storm. The difference is what they were

build on. Yeah.

The one build on a rock and the other one pulled on sand.

Yeah, which side do we want to be on?

Church. We want to be on the rock.

Let's just be very honest, you know, let's just be real in the

House of God, OK? We don't want any flaky stuff.

We want to be real. We don't just want to just go

through this or we want to be storm proof.

We want to be rock solid, unshakable, because the shakings

is coming. Everything is going to be

shaken. We are living in it.

It is going to keep on shaking. So we've got to look at the word

of God, what it takes for us to be storm proof because the

rainfalls. But what do we do?

We put on a raincoat. Simple, simple.

There's certain things that we can do in the word of God that's

going to make you storm proof when the economy hits, wherever

the world, the World War 3, whatever the difficulty,

whatever you want to be storm proof, you want to be safe in

the ark like Noah and his family.

So we want to be in that safe place.

OK, because both store, both houses were it.

But what made the difference is the rock.

So yes, the storms, they're real, but the rock is stronger.

So there's something that's strong that's going to give us

that firm foundation that's going to make a solid rock in

these entires. OK.

And so that's what we're going to look at today as we lay this

foundation in the series. OK.

So the rock is stronger. Somebody say the rock is

stronger. Tell your neighbors, say the

rock is stronger. Yeah.

Yeah, it's just simple because Jesus never said that we would

have a life without problems. Nowhere in the Bible Jesus never

promises said there's going to be no storms, no problem, you're

going to have a problem free life.

No, but Jesus shows us in his word.

The Bible is the answer is the road map.

Jesus shows us the principle what to do, how to bolt and how

to stand in the middle of the storm, how to stand in the

state, how to stand in these same times, what to do and how

to stand strong. That is what Jesus said.

OK, so storms will cut not Eve, but when.

But Jesus gives us this powerful principles in the word of God

that we're going to look about how to be storm proof.

And so, yes, if it's raining, all of that, I like, how am I

going to stay dry? Put on a raincoat, Simple.

So there's certain principles that we could do.

And I'm going to show you from the word of God today how we can

storm prove our homes. Are you ready for this somebody?

Yeah. OK.

Because I wanted to start out this theory just so you know

that your home, it matters to God, your marriage, your family

matters to God. The atmosphere in your home, God

cares about the atmosphere. It matters to God.

OK, So the people in your home, they're not just there by

accident. The people in your home, your

loved ones, your family, their gifts from God, your spouse is a

gift from God. OK, Yeah, I thank God for my

wife and my kids. They gift from God.

Our family, they're treasures from heaven.

I mean, these people. And so that is why, because

they're so valuable, that is why the enemy attacks the home.

That's why the enemy comes against family, marriages, homes

against the kids, comes against the home, because he knows that

if he can attack their home and he can weaken the home, then he

can wound the people in it and bring instability for the next

generation. And so that is why the enemy is

doing everything he cans to fight the home, fight the

families, OK? But listen, the enemy does not

get the final say over your house.

Come on somebody, when your house belongs to Jesus, the

enemy does not have the final say over your home, over your

family. God has the final say.

I was like, God for me, my house we will.

So this house belongs to God, to you, Lord.

And so God has the final say. Somebody say that God has the

final say. Come on, say that again.

God has the final say. Somebody shout Hallelujah.

Yeah, God has the final say now maybe you year today and you

say, well, pastor, my home, OK, My home doesn't have it all

together. My home is not perfect all the

time. Right now my home is not going.

OK, let's just settle that right now.

It's OK, OK, Because none of our homes are perfect.

None of our homes, our family lives are perfect.

It's got it all together. We've arrived somewhere, OK?

Every family faces pressure. Every family goes through

something that they wish that they could do over again, OK?

Some difficult moments, some challenging moments.

Every family face pressure. And as had those stretch

seasons, OK, comes to every home, every family.

But that doesn't mean that God cannot bless your home, OK?

So let's just be real, OK? Because God is a rebuilder.

Yes, He's a restorer. He can restore what's lost.

He can heal what's broke. But what's broken and what's

been hurt? Come on.

God can. He's more than able to make your

home strong, To make your home strong and safe and secure.

Full with the fullness of God. God knows how to build your

house. Come on.

Somebody shout Hallelujah. Yeah, and that drinks to Joshua

24. Now Joshua stood in front of the

people and he makes his bold declaration and he sets it in

verse 15. He says, but As for me and my

house, we will serve the Lord, Amen.

And I love that because Joshua decided Joshua was not in

between in or out, OK? It's not like, OK, let's just

wait and see what happens with how the culture, where the

economy is going, where the culture, which way that goes,

OK? No, he made-up his mind.

He made a decision, a choice, a declaration that is not going to

be waiting for the culture. He didn't say, well, let's just

see what happens. Let's just see.

No, he didn't say that. We will serve God.

You know, when life is good, we will serve God.

When it's convenient, then we will serve God.

He did not say, listen, let the world, we're just going to wait

and see. Let the world decide how we

live. He, he drew a line in the sand.

He made a choice in the decision and he declared that, listen,

regardless of culture in the world for me and my house, this

is the direction we're going. We're going to be built on the

rock. We're going to go for God.

We will serve the Lord. Somebody say we will serve the

Lord. Come on, shout Hallelujah.

I want you to declare again, say my house, we will serve the

Lord. Amen.

So point #1 every strong home starts with a decision.

So we make a decision, we make a choice, we make up our mind.

We say, right, this is what we're going to do.

It starts with a decision because homes do not become

strong by accident, just automatically just by the by

chance OK by accident. When it's like neutral by

default it drifts, but a strong decision on how it stands.

Drifting. The problem with drifting is

very subtle. If you fly and an aeroplane and

that plane can go off course, if it's a few degrees off, it can

go off course. The pilots will tell you just a

few degree. You see, at first it looks

great. OK, we're on our way.

It doesn't seem like anything is wrong.

We seem like we're going to our destination, but just a few

degrees off. If that the plane is just a, it

can cause miles off for that plane to land where it's

supposed to land. That's the danger of saddle

drifting. It can happen to families too.

A little drift step, every little step, every little day, a

little less pray, a little less Bible reading, a little less

time together, a little less honor in the house.

And it's drifting slowly. In the beginning, it doesn't

seem anything, but it's slowly. It's just drifting.

And that is the danger. And that is why this matters so

much, because the strong homes, OK, don't just happen by chance.

Strong homes take intention on purpose.

Intentional. That's right.

Make a decision. Yes.

And I love Joshua's Paul's decision that he says that for

me and my house. And today we make a decision.

We are not leaving our homes just for chance, just for

chance. OK?

Listen, if nobody decides the direction of your home, the

culture will. If you don't set the tone in

your home, the world will. If nobody takes the lead,

something else will take the lead.

The culture will take the lead if we don't take the lead.

If nobody takes the lead, the culture will.

The world will. The social media will.

OK. And so if you don't decide the

direction of your home, the world will gladly decide for you

what happens in your house. So we have got to be bold.

We've got to stand and make a stand.

And I love it when Doctor Rodney Howard Brown took a stand.

When they say shut your church down or we will arrest you, he

said, the Bible says we gather together, we will keep the

church open. And when they arrested him, he's

in prison. But they had to release him

again. And now they are baking a stand.

So we have got to stand. We are the resisting restrainer,

OK? We are standing for what is

right. And that's what I love because

Joshua understood this. He's like, listen, this,

somebody has got to stand up. Somebody has got to rise.

Somebody has got to take the lead and say for me in my house,

we will serve the Lord. And he made that bold statement.

And that's what I love about Joshua.

And so I believe this is a word for us today for our lives.

So God is calling us back to the rock, calling us back to the

Word, calling us back to prayer, back to the praises of God.

Come on, somebody shout Hallelujah.

Yeah, this is, we are living in ancient, not a time now to float

and drift and take it easy occasionally.

Now is the time to decide. Now is the time to make a stand

and to say with confidence, As for me and my house, we will

serve the Lord. Amen.

OK, so that's the foundation. Now that we've got the

foundation, now let's go deeper. Once you've decided we've made

the choice, we've decided we take a stand there.

Now the next one comes. The question is what will fool

the house, OK. Because whatever is filling the

house will shape the people in it.

It will form the people in it, OK.

And so I want to give you some things that must fool your house

for a strong house. OK.

And the very first thing, a strong house is God's presence.

And we see this in second Samuel chapter 6, verse 11.

2 Samuel 6:11

It says the ark of the Lord remain in the House of Obadi

Edom the guitar. And the Lord placed Obadiah and

all his household. Somebody say all his household.

So the Bible says that God blessed Obadiah Edom and his

entire household. So when the ark of God came into

his house, now the ark of the Lord represents the presence of

God. The moment the ark came into the

house, the presence of God, the thing that happened, and he

wasn't just about it was his entire household.

The entire household was blessed.

So the moment the presence of God comes in, just like possibly

shed the life, life comes, it comes alive.

When the presence of God comes in, the blessing of God comes

with it. OK, so God's blessing upon the

household is connected to his presence.

So the moment we welcome God's presence into our homes, always

welcome God's presence, but comes with his blessing upon the

entire household, the the kids, the home, the family life, every

area there's a blessing. And so it tells me that we are

not just called to build a nice cozy house, nice furniture, nice

things. And that's all good.

I have nice for a nice house and nice busy hours.

OK, but we are called to build a Godfold house.

Amen. I might not have all the nice

fancy furniture, but you know what I want the presence of God

in the house. Number one, I'm like, Lord, your

praises, come see your first and yes, we'll look at the sofas in

the furniture and that's great at the blazing walk up.

But first of all, I work. So first thing and I thank God

when we moved in, Charles at Blue Mountain, God bless us, a

brand new house, brand new. And I realized I walk into this

house, This is the first owners, the first people.

God blessed us. We're like, OK, thank you, Lord,

for buying this. The first people in this house,

the first thing I did, Lord, this house belong to you.

Your presence is welcome in this house.

Oh, the presence of God is welcome for me.

And how we will step along. Yeah.

Yeah. And so the praises of God in the

house. OK.

Because the house is more than just furniture and routines and

more than you know, here's the thing.

A house carries an atmosphere. You can feel it.

Yeah. Yeah.

You can feel. You don't even really need the

sermon. You walk into your house, you

can feel it. You can feel the atmosphere in

the house. Just walk through the door.

You feel it. There's some houses you walk in.

You feel peace in this house. Peace.

This house. I walk into the house through

the door. I feel.

I feel like I feel this is alive.

This house is alive. You walk in some houses, you

feel pressure. Why is this house still so

heavy? Pressure, The pressure pressing

thing at this house. Because every house, when you

walk into a house, you can feel it like that.

Every house carries an atmosphere.

It carries an atmosphere. It's not neutral, okay?

It carries an atmosphere. Are you with me, somebody?

Now I want to show you something in Deuteronomy 6 because it

brings this into our everyday lives.

It says you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul, with all your strength.

You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk

then when you sit in your house, OK, so I said, listen, I want

you Jesus saying I want you to love me and Jesus saying,

listen, I don't just want you to love me now and I want you to

love me with all of your life, with your heart, with

everything. I want you to love me.

And then I want you to talk to your kids about me.

I want you to talk about my ways way we just read it.

Where where do you want to talk about it?

At the house? OK, so that's what he want.

He's like, listen, I want you to talk about the ad hoc, not just

at church. So it just tells me that faith

is not meant to just stay at church on a Sunday.

Faith is meant to live at your house right there in your home.

That's why we everyday lives at the prayer breakfast table,

dinner table, bedtime praise, bedtime, read OK in the house.

He's saying I want you to talk about me in the house and that's

a stronghold. That's what he says in your

daily conversations. A stronghold is built when the

things of God becomes normal in your everyday life.

Prayer becomes normal in the house.

Talking about God, praise and worship God is normal.

It becomes normal. The word of God becomes normal

in the house, in the house with my kids, with my we can talk

about God, we can talk about the word, prayer time.

It becomes a normal a part of your everyday life.

OK. And so that is how a house

becomes strong, day by day, choice by choice, having

conversations about God. Let's talk about God in the

home. Let's pray.

And it's not spooky or weird or anything, OK?

We just, every day is normal, right?

And we talk about God. And so with God first.

Now if you want a strong home, we make room for his presence.

That's the first one. I mean, now the next one that

you must fill your house for a strong home very important is

joy, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.

And a family that laughs together lasts longer together,

OK Laughing, enjoying life, enjoying each other, OK.

Because it's a strong home. It should be alive, OK.

Yes, of course there should be standards in our home, standards

and boundaries, sort of. But there should also be

laughter. We should all be laughing and

enjoying one another and celebrate one another in the

home. OK.

Yeah. It's not just all work and no

play. We got to play together in the

home and have fun, OK. And I just love it because I

enjoy. I play dinosaur.

My kids jump on my back and we just play and we laugh.

And we have a ball of. So we have got to laugh, Yeah,

in our homes and play with one another and enjoy each other,

OK. Because they need to be more

play because we are living in such a busy life.

Everything busy, busy, busy, busy with this, everyone's

rushing, busy with that pressure, yeah, pressure that if

we are not careful, the home can feels like boot camp or just

rushing boot camp feels like this pressure zone just

constantly. But a strong home should not

feel like boot camp, just just the pushing that no, it should

feel like a happy, joyful love after he says medicine.

The Bible says, come on, we got to take our lack of belly love

and they say, you know, kids love up to like so many times

during the day and that's good laugh this medicine.

And so we got to laugh and enjoy life and God wants us to enjoy

life everyday life. It's not just work hard with

that. We do that, but we have also got

to enjoy everyday life. Jesus come that we can enjoy

life everyday life. So we enjoy our family, we enjoy

one another. And he says yeah, in

Ecclesiastes, not enjoy life with your wife.

Come on. Oh, come on, guys.

Am I the only one? Yeah.

OK, guys, come on. I enjoy your life.

OK. Yeah.

Thank you. Jules.

Mike, I I've said summer, somebody's with me.

Wonderful times. We are.

It's just amazing. OK, so we just hold hands and

you know, Michelle, I'm like yeah, okay, all right, so I'm

enjoying my life, Happy Mother's Day.

So yeah, enjoy life now. Enjoy it.

We got to enjoy each other. We got to love, we got to have

fun, OK, because the world out there is very stressful.

And when we come home, we want to have that relaxed time.

Even though we've got some busy boys jumping off the couches, we

still we in and through all of that, it's it's not perfect, but

there has to be some laughter, some joy, OK, some everyday

simple moments. You know, when children, they

talk about what they enjoy about their family, it's most of the

time it's not about the, the big flashy day out or the big

distractions. And we thank God for the, the,

the rides and the Legoland and all these places.

But most of the times the kids say time with dad, with family,

mom and dad family together, those simple moments.

And Michelle and I've, we have seen this with our boys.

We have found this in our home now.

We have pulled back a lot on constant screen time, constant

PlayStation, all that because we we've decided to make more room

for family time around the table and played some board games.

You know, like, you know, you showed us how to play, you know,

I mean, I don't know. And then you play so many board

games. I mean, I'm like, thank God for

board games and we've got Scrabble.

I've never assignment showed us how to play Scrabble and we sit

around the table and play Scrabble.

I've never played Scrabble in South Africa.

OK, I'm like, wow, that's the and we just love these board

games. OK, I grew up, I knew about

snakes and ladders. That's a nice board game.

And so we as a family sit around and we could spot for the it's

right because we pulled back from the concert some screen

time. All of a sudden we're sitting

around the table and we're laughing, we're enjoying

ourselves, we're interacting. What a turn around in our

family. Yeah.

We've personally seen this in our home.

Yeah. And one, one time there was just

we had like a place in every room.

I'm like, what on earth? Let's get rid of all the the

screen time, you know, and let's start playing board games.

Let's sit around the table. And, you know, it's so funny

when I realize some people like these board games that, you

know, some people they, they play for fun, but then some

people play to win. I'm like listeners without kids.

I'm like, OK, it's a board game. But, you know, some play.

Listen, you got to win this. This is like the final of the

World Cup, you know, And then some people need counselling off

of the second round of Snakes and Ladders.

At some point. I really, because I realized

Joshi, my 4 year old beating me on snakes and ladders and I

realized, OK, this game is playing level field because my

degree and my smart and my talents not going to cause me to

win this game. I'm like, so how can I figure

out how am I going to win my 4 year old in this game because

Joshi, my 4 year old is beating me.

It's snakes and ladders rolling the dice.

I'm like, Oh my goodness. So it's not about how smart I am

on my qualifications or but and that's what I love about these

board games because it's teaching us so many things.

It's just it's those moments and it may, it's like teach

patience, self-control. These create these amazing

memories in our families. And honestly, they've become

some of these amazing meaningful moments in our home, in our

family. Because The thing is with

screens, constant screen time can become isolating.

And you have so many people in the room, but it's like everyone

is in the room. They're there, but they're not

there. Like 1 is on YouTube, 1 is on

face monitor. And it's like in the same room,

but everyone is in their own little world.

And I've seen literally our hunt transformed like that.

And that guy, like, listen, I want you to share this with the

church because this works. This is a principle.

And all of a sudden we sit around the table, we are

interacting with my sons. We're talking, we are laughing,

we are connecting. Yeah.

And so, yeah, I mean, I was just amazed because Simon taught us

how to play Scrabble and here I have.

I'm like you, you showed us. Now the boys come to me and and

I said, like, Dad, can we play someone on Scrabble?

I'm like, I'm my word. Isn't that incredible?

What a turn around. And here's the thing, what I

love about Snakes and Ladders, even though it's like a very

basic Snakes and Ladders is a picture of life.

Life. Come on, somebody.

I nearly, I wanted to bring the, the board game here this morning

just to show us how amazing metaphor that is of life because

it's full of ups and downs. That's life.

Oh yeah, it's, it's up and down life and, and, and and that

simple book, it teaches us so many things.

Up and down life. That's life.

Yeah. The one time, 1 moment we are

praising God, we hit a ladder, we are going up.

Oh, and the very next moment we hit the snake and we are sliding

down. Oh boy, that my boys have been

laughing at Daddy When I hit that snack, I'm right at the

top. I'm about to win that boy.

I'm like, come on now, I got to win this.

And then I hit that snack like all the way back down.

Oh, those boys love it. They love it when they beat

Daddy on the board. And I'm like, this is just

crazy. You know, the one moment we hit

the ladder, we're climbing up, and then the next moment we hit

the snake sliding down, repuking snakes.

I'm repuking them. Oh, my God.

I'm gonna just review that snake on that board game.

No, no. And that is his life.

Life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, forward

progress and then setbacks. And I'm like, wow, this is you

can really learn something about board games, snakes and ladders.

And he just teaches the children how to wait.

They take. Yeah.

And so how to handle disappointment.

Yeah. And how to lose without falling

apart. You know, I got it.

And after this guy, OK, I need some cancer with, you know, and

also how to win without becoming pride proud.

And so for them to keep on going, it teaches them just keep

on going. OK, done.

Now we have a meltdown. Or just keep on going even now

when things don't go your way. It's a ball guy.

But he's great. It's teaches to it teaches our

kids I've seen a huge turn around in these basic things and

you know, I just love this verse.

It says here in Proverbs 2416 when a righteous man person of

my fall 7 times that arise again and one of the greatest things

you can teach your teach your kids is resilience.

Get it back up again so many times.

Get back up again. You know, maybe it's they fall

off their bicycle or so we just like, come on, you're going back

on your butt. Try again, pray again, trust God

again. It's to get back up again, OK.

And that is what those family moments are doing.

And it's just not only just ball games, you know, I've just seen

amazing when we go to John's Lane, play football.

Wow, we go play volleyball. My word.

It's incredible how it teaches the kids when we go for a bike

ride, Frisbee, have a picnic, we go fishing.

We're just out and about. And that is not just interested,

it bolds family. Oh, we live in a busy world,

maybe in the world that's not very flashy, you know.

Oh, you're going for your that bolds family.

It's I've seen it in our lives. We are in that fight.

And I've seen how we just go and we go simple.

I mean, we've just got to play football.

The boys that come alive, they learn things.

OK. Are you with me, somebody?

Yeah. It's just those kids didn't

show. The children know how what it

feels like. They how to feel, how joy feels

like, teach each other how love feels like, how safety feels

like. Yes.

What? Yeah, How it feels like.

Because, you know, people might not always remember what you

said. And this cause in any corporate,

they might not always remember what you said, but people will

remember how you made them feel. Yeah, that's not true.

Yeah, that's not true. They'll always remember how you

made them feel and that's what I want my boys and my family.

That's a leg is that I want my boys that it was a safe home.

A home was joyful, safe warmth. I want them that for them, for

my kids, for them to feel wow, their home was safe and for.

And that doesn't mean it's perfect, but when he's fallen

off the bicycle or something's happened, there's been a

meltdown. Things go rough and tough and in

the Hut, even though we've been knocked down 7 times.

OK, right, Not perfect, but by the grace of God we can stand

back up again. Hallelujah, family life.

That's what I love. So yes, bring correction, set

boundaries, put that in play, but also love, celebrate one

another, play together, enjoy each other.

OK, so fill the house with joy. Now can we go a little deeper

because this one is very, very important that I want you to get

about a strong house. A strong house is prepared.

It's got to be ready for what's coming, OK?

Because we know the shakings is coming.

And now what happened was the storm came.

But what? I love the Bible.

Now Noah built an ark. And this is what God is showing

us, how we're building an ark. OK.

These are principles from the word of God, how we build an

ark. Now Noah built an ark.

Why? He built an ark for the saving

of his family. Yeah.

OK. We are moving in the end times.

We are moving in shakings. God wants to keep our homes and

our families safe. OK.

Now we want to make sure we are on the rock, on the safe place,

and be ready and prepared for what's coming.

So we don't live in fear, but we live in faith.

Now I want you to see this. When Noah built an arc for his

family. So God used one man to save his

family. Watch this.

It says here by faith, Noah being divinely worn.

So there's a caution, there's a warning of things not yet seen

because the flood's coming. Move with godly fear.

Prepare that ark for the saving of his household.

So God's like, listen, I'm giving a warning because there's

a big storm coming. Yes, Noah, praise God, he

obeyed. Yes, God, we obeyed.

We're going to follow the principles of God.

We're going to build our house, our homes, our families on the

rock. And so he built that before the

storm came. OK?

So he was already prepared. Noah did not wait until the rain

starts. Noah was prepared before the

pressure came before the storm, before it arrived.

He already built the ark for him and his family before the storm

hits before. So we have got to a strong

family is ready and prepared for what's coming.

That is the word of God for us today.

Somebody OK, And so God wants us to have a storm proof house.

So back to Matthew 7 that when that storm's coming, one house

stands and one house falls. The Bible says it very clearly.

David says it in the book of Psalm 99 says, listen, 1000 may

fall, OK, it will happen. It will hit the world, but it

will not hit our house. It will not hit us.

Go to another address, not at not at my house.

Devil, you are not welcome in my house.

I will not open that door to a devil or to a deal, OK?

It will fall. David said.

He will fall on my 1000, fall on my right, my right side, 10,000,

right. But it will not come near me and

my house. Just like these rising Goshen.

When the plagues hit Peril and Egypt, all those plagues hit.

It did not touch Israel in Goshen.

So was there like a security fence?

So you get all these flies, all these plagues they just couldn't

get through. I mean, they're right next door,

right next there. Goshen is right there by Egypt.

How is it that the plagues did not eat this wrong?

This is what God is saying to us that we are in this time right

now to prepare, to get ourselves ready to make our home storm

proof for what is coming. Can you say I mean somebody?

Because strong families are bold by people who say I'm not

waiting for things to fall apart before I start serving God and

get serious about God. I am not waiting for the

marriage to drift apart, for the marriage to get cold before I

sow love. I'm not waiting for my family

and my children to get into trouble before I start covering

them in prayer because prayer is one of them as well.

OK, so I'm not waiting until a crisis hits and things go wrong

before I build an ark. No, we are building an ark right

now. We are putting principles in our

lives, in our families, is telling these things that we are

storm proof and ready for the storm.

I meant we've got to be ready. Like Noah.

He pulled the ark before the storm for the saving of his

household. And you know, here's one of the

amazing details. What I love about Noah's story

is that Noah and I love this. He made sure that his whole

family was on the ark. Wow.

He made sure his whole family was on the ark.

Now that's amazing. I mean, and so he wasn't just

casual about it, but he was intentional, was fully invested,

watchful for its family, looking out.

I'm building this ark and the Bible says Noah was the 8th on

the ark. That means Noah got on lost.

Why? He got on lost on the ark before

the ark store closed because there's gonna come at some.

He got on lost because he wanted to make sure that his whole

family is on the on the ark. He made sure.

I want everybody on board because there's a flood coming.

There's a storm coming and I don't want my family to be

destroyed. There's trouble coming.

Jesus said it. It's gonna come.

But what can we do to remain safe?

Noah made sure his whole family and that is a spiritual parent,

a spiritual parent. Always look out for everyone

else and make sure everybody is in.

I'm like, it's amazing to see us here together today as a church.

Make sure look how amazing. Bring your son to church.

Isn't that a come on somebody? Isn't that incredible?

Yes, look today, my God, my God, I just love it because what's

incredible is we as parents, we're like, listen, I let's do a

headcount whispy, right, Paul, Josh, all of you, you with

daddy, mommy, you on the ark, you safe.

Noah got a lost to make sure he's all family safe.

Oh Hallelujah, because it's important to cover your family

and I believe this is a word of God in this time for us as a

church. God is saying build an ark of

safety. Come on, somebody.

This is a word of God. Pulled an arc of safety.

All right. Somebody said build an arc.

Yeah. There's an urgency here today.

Tell your neighbor, build an arc.

Build an arc. Yeah.

Are you with me, somebody? Yeah.

Because God's interested in families.

God cares about the the home matters.

He cares about family. Then we see this throughout the

Bible. This is pattern Acts 10.

It says here talk about Camellias, A devout man, one who

feared God with all his household, who gave arms

generously to the people and prayed to God always.

OK so that is just amazing. What a testimony for heaven to

record that over a family because there's family.

It shows us the principles, and that's amazing because not that

they were perfect, not that they had it all together, not that

they didn't have any problems, but the Bible says that they

love God, devoted to God, OK. And so there's generosity.

I talk that house is full of prayer.

It says it did not just Cornelius love this because

that's what we do. I'm teaching my kids the prayer.

So the whole household is full of prayer.

They're full of serving one another, OK, Generosity going

on. And so that is a legacy that I

want for my family. When I read that, I'm like,

what? I want that for my family.

And we're on this process now. We are teaching our boys.

And before bedtime we're like pray, OK?

And we're like pizza pray, Paul, pray every our kids pray.

We like teach you to pray. And like when they get pocket

money, like, OK, now my son, listen, when you get pocket

money, OK, just some belong to the church, to God, some belong

saving. Yeah.

And then to enjoy. So you don't just when you get

pocket money and I'm teaching him, it's like, oh, I'm going to

buy another toy. I'm like, no, don't just spend

all your money at a very young age.

I'm teaching him giving very powerful principle.

Listen, we are talking about building an ark.

How do you build an ark? Generosity.

Simple principle. How do you build an ark?

Prayer. So I'm teaching my children at a

young age already. Right now they get their pocket

money right from the 10 lbs one pound and he comes to church and

he put it in the bucket. That principle is taught.

That's going to, that secures, it brings a blessing, a covering

of his life at a very young age. Because generosity doesn't just

come automatically. These things don't just happen

automatically in the family. It needs to be taught.

Pray. It doesn't just happen.

I have to teach my children to pray, so I've got to teach them

to pray so Daddy will pray and show them an example.

And after Daddy has prayed, now you pray, my son.

It doesn't happen automatically. It's being taught.

Take your pocket money, sell it into the church, give help

somebody else. That's how we teach our because

that's how the home is so powerful, because it's always

teaching. Yeah, it happens in the home.

It's not just up to the school or the government.

No, they cannot, they cannot replace your responsibility in

your home. It's not up to the church or the

God or the school. It is up to us in our homes, in

our families. We cannot, cannot be replaced.

We cannot put it on somebody else.

Are you going to teach my kids about God?

We as parents do that. It's not up to the, it's the

first responsibility. A spiritual parent.

That's what we do Amen. And so X chapter 10, it shows us

this amazing principles, how to cover our homes.

So how do we cover our homes? Serving generosity and prayers.

Now let me show you another guy by the name of Job.

Now job is spelled JOB. Job because job in the book of

job, he has got a job. One of the first jobs that job

has got. His job is to pray for his

family. Very powerful.

Sounds simple, but you are covering your family.

The very first thing when I get out of it, the first thing I do,

I cover my family. I'm selling you church.

Very powerful. The first thing we do, we cover

up. We call that joke.

I'm going to show you. When he got up, he covered his

family. What did it?

Watch this? It says yeah.

And joke because a strong home is not just build on wisdom, but

it's build on prayer. It says Job would sing and

sanctify them, talking about his joy, and would rise early in the

morning and offer burn sacrifice according to the number of them

all, according to the number of all.

OK, that means each and everyone.

So it rose early and he offered sacrifices and he covered his

family, each one. He covered them before God.

He called their names before God who was covering them.

So Job understood something that every parent and every person

that loves their family must understand, that there are some

things in life that you in the family you cannot fix by just

trying harder. You cannot fix by just

counseling and talking more and worrying more about it.

You have got, there's some things that you have got to take

to God in prayer. You have got to talk to God

about it. Lord, we've got the situation in

the family. You've got to have that

conversation with the Lord in prayer.

It's not just having more worries about thinking about the

person hoping about it. Talk to God in prayer about it.

Call their names before God because the moment you call

their name before God, you're covering your family.

You call that person's name. You call that person wherever

thou on the world. I call them my moments are my

family. I just yes, God, I call their

names out before you. I'm covering them.

I said a lot to a lot of people when they're round them all that

I say you covered a pastor, but how can you say God because I

prayed for you. I mean, even when our brother

Andrew went through Somerset, I had dream after dream and God

showed me in the dream, he's going to be OK.

So there's the storm that hit. But God gave me the dream.

And I remember in that dream when I sent Andrew, I sent you,

I think it was on the Friday evening, I sent you the message

that I had the dream and I said, I want to send you the the

message very quickly because I don't want to forget about it

because God give me dreams all the time.

I see people's faces all the time, but I'm not going to go

and do. But at that particular I send

him the message. I say right in the dream, I

said, listen, I see you. You're looking very, very smart.

You've got the tire on. You're on this.

So whatever happens, do not worry when the storm hits

everybody. I said to my wife, I said, do

not worry about Andrew. He's going to make it.

Oh, but across the world, how do you know he's going to make it?

I saw it in the dream. I saw it godshot me.

He's going to be. And now he's going to set aside

this time he's going to get this exactly what Jesus told his

disciple of Peter. Oh, when Peter, when Jesus said

I'm going to go and die, Peter said, no, you're not.

Jesus said to him, I'm going to. But he repeat, Peter denied

Jesus three times, failed Jesus. But Jesus said, I prayed for you

that your faith will not fail. You're going to come out on the

other side. Even when the storm hit, you're

going to make it OK. And so, yeah, maybe you feel

that you have pride and you feel OK.

You've not seen everything. But don't give up.

Don't give up too soon. Don't quit.

Just because you haven't seen movement yet, it doesn't mean

that God's not moving. It doesn't mean that God's not

working. Behind the scene, your prey

seats, they are still alive. And just because that child

looks distant, OK, it doesn't mean they are too far gone.

It doesn't mean they are too far out of reach, beyond the reach

of grace. Your prayers are working.

They are seeds that are alive. Keep on praying, don't give up.

OK, that son who seems so far, God knows their name.

God knows his name. That child, that son, that

daughter that seems called, God knows their name.

That loved one that makes wrong decisions wrong, God knows their

name, OK? God is a rebuilder and so God

knows. Just keep on praying, keep on

calling their names before God, keep on loving them.

Keep on. It's not too late, you know, and

look at Noah. When God spoke, Noah was in

advance in years. Age is not an issue, OK?

It's never too late. Just keep on.

Don't let the enemy tell you that it's too late.

Don't let the enemy tell you that your family is too far

gone. Don't let the enemy lie and tell

lies that they cannot get into the boat, OK?

We've seen many lives, many families turn around because God

is a reporter. God is a restorer.

God knows how to restore what was lost.

He knows how to, He knows how to bring joy back into the heart.

God turns it. Sometimes it feels very messy

and hard and difficult in store. God knows how to turn that

situation around and then and it just takes 1 surrendered heart,

one person, A1 knower because one surrendered heart, one

person can start and shift an entire family.

One person, God use one person, no one save this entire family.

When God rebuilds A harm, it starts with one person, a

surrendered heart, somebody that says yes, like Joshua for me in

my house, OK, no one, one person, yes, Lord starts with

me. It starts with me.

I'm like, Lord, every family, it starts with me.

Come on, say that. Somebody say it starts with me.

It starts with me. Now let's bring this to a close

because it all comes down to this.

Someone is following your footsteps.

Someone is following your footsteps.

Your life is preaching wherever they're watching you.

Yeah, yeah. And that's the thing.

After a while, children do not just do what you say.

Children do what you show. Your life is an example.

They're watching. They watch what you value.

They watch what is important to you.

They watch you what you stand for, what you tolerate, what you

allow, what you don't. They watch your life.

They watch your choices, your decisions, what you value.

They watch your life. What's important to Dad?

What is his type and what is he doing?

They watch you more than That's our lives.

This is like a sermon. They watch you.

Yeah. That's how it is.

What you pursue, what you. It's that picture of the family,

that father, that walking in the snow.

And so the day he looks around and he saw that his little child

steps into the same footprints. And so the father turned back,

he looked and he saw his little child step after step, stepping,

walking, followed in the same footprint.

The child, his little child walked where he the way the

father walked. And the moment dad looked back

and he saw that my son, my child, and he saw that my child

is following me, stepping in the same position.

The moment he saw that, it was like he's hot.

It was like conviction hit him and hit him so hard that

conviction that and he realized my child is walking where I walk

and he's like this is my child and he's following in my

footsteps. My little child is walking in my

footsteps, following my example and that became his brain.

He prayed inside. Lord, let my footsteps lead my

children to you. Jesus, what a prayer.

What a prayer. What a prayer.

Late my footsteps, late my life lead my child.

I told my family to you. Lord, come on.

That's the cry of the species. We, we see families here today.

You know how incredible it is. I see my children with me in

church. Yeah, jeez.

We see the kids, we see the family church, the the little

one is following Daddy, Mommy, wait, wait.

We are an example. Not just sermon, not just

talking. What we show.

What do we show them? More than just speaking, my son

this. He's driving in a car, Thank you

Jesus. What does my son see when he

sits next to me and he sees his dad praying?

Not religious, a relationship with Jesus.

I'm driving here this morning with my sons in the car talking

to Jesus and and not freaky because you can talk to me.

Yes, dad, we're going to go for a bike right after church.

Yes, my son, of course, and then I'm thank you Jesus for your

goodness today. Thank you Jesus, you are

wonderful. Thank you Jesus.

Daddy, come, we come. So conversation with the Lord

and with my son. We are seeing a turn around in

families because the kids follow a true genuine example, not a

flaky thing just on Sunday. Oh, we got to go pray every day

of my life. It's natural.

It's very normal for us in our heart.

And that's why God wants to release this message.

I believe to the body of Christ that family matters because when

that dad looked back and he saw his child following his

footstep, it was a conviction that he didn't realize

everything I do. And that is the cry of this

message. Late my footsteps leave my

family to Jesus. Let my words, my choices lead my

family to Jesus let my life lead my family to Jesus closer to

Jesus let my home be a place where Jesus is real.

It's real, it's the real and dad and moms in our relationship.

It's real. It's not a makeup fake.

If like it's genuine, it's real when we talk about God, it's

it's real. It's a real relationship.

I mean, and so because of the end of the day, the thing that

matches the most, and I'm closing with this, and this is

this is really I want I really want you to get this.

The thing at the end of the day that matches the most is not how

impressive we look. It's not about our looks.

It's not how impressive we look. It's not about how successful we

are in the world, in the business and all of that.

It's not about the titles that we carry.

It's not about the thing that matters the most before

ministry, success, all of any of that.

The thing that matters. Did my life lead my family

closer to Jesus? That's the bottom line.

Church, come on now, I'm giving you the truth of God more than

more than anything in life. Did my life lead my family

closer to Jesus? And we thank God for all the

money in the bank and all the success and all the titles and

the good looks and the smile, all of those things.

But before all that, the number one thing, did your life lead

your family close it to Jesus part of life.

And so today is a turning point. Today is a fresh decision that

we make for honor on behalf of our families who stand in the

gut that for me and my house, we shall serve them.

Amen. Let's all stand.

So right now, this is a destiny moment.

It's a line in the sand moment right here for us today.

And so if you're saying post, I'm responding on behalf of my

home. If that is you, I want to know

we're going to raise hands. If you are saying right, I'm

going to stand in the gap for my family, my marriage, my fat, my

kids, If that is if you are a no one in this place and I'm

telling you storms are coming, not if when they are coming,

they're going to hit, but God is giving us his principles to be

safe. If you are a no on this place

and you're responding on your family, yes, I see that hand.

I see another hand there. Raise your hand before God.

God wants to see that you. Yes, I see those hands all

across this place. What are now raise both hands up

because this is a destiny moment.

Right now. We are drawing a line in the

sand here for my house, my family.

I want you to say this, As for me in my house, we will serve

the Lords. Now I want you to put your hand

on your heart because I want to pray over your right now.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for every person responding

in this place, for their homes, for their marriages, their

families, their kids. Lord, I thank you that today

homes are being strengthened. Lord, I thank you that peace

comes back into the home. Every family represented here.

Joy comes back into the home. Healing comes back into the

home. Forgiveness comes back into the

hub. Let prayer rise in the house.

Let the Word of God rise in the house.

Let the things of God become normal in the house.

Let our conversations be about God in our homes and our family.

And Father, I thank you that every attack against the home,

the family, the marriages today, it's broken in the name of Jesus

Christ of National, by the authority in the name which is

every attack against the marriage, the children, the

home, broken. Every spirit of confusion and

division and strife in the home, that heaviness is broken.

Every spur of depression, it's broken.

Lord, let the joy. Let us laugh again in the home.

I thank you, Lord, that you are building strong homes in a shaky

world. Thank you, Lord, that the

children will serve you. Thank you that the marriages

will be strong. Prodigals will come home.

Lord, families will be covered by your mercy and grace.

Lord, let this be a turning point today, a fresh start, a

new beginning for every home in this place.

As for me and our house, Lord, we will serve you.

Come on, somebody, give God some praise.

If you receive that Hallelujah, praise God.

So just remain standing right we are.

If you just say pastor, I need Jesus, I need to give my life to

Jesus. If that is you and you say yes.

I want to make Jesus the Lord of my life.

I want to be a child of God. Yes, I want my family safe.

Yes, I want the household and my marriage.

But I want to make sure it first starts with me.

I want to be the one. I want to raise my hand this

morning and so make that commitment.

So maybe you need to come back to God.

Maybe you've drifted, maybe you've gone cold.

Maybe you're far away from God, but Jesus is calling you home

right now. And if you want to make that

decision this morning, I want to give you the opportunity to say,

pastor, I need Jesus, I need to be saved.

If the day is my Lords day on earth and I stand before you, I

need to know that I'm safe and that I'm born again and a child

of God. I need to make things right with

you right now, Lord. So right now, just flip up your

hand right now you all across if there's anybody says yes, yes,

yes, I see that hand, yes, yes, I see that hand.

God bless you, God bless you, Thank you, thank you, your thank

you. Now I want to just pray this

out. I would love together say Lord

Jesus, I come to you today, I give you my life, forgive my

sin, wash me clean, make me new, be my Lord of my heart, my home,

my family, Fill me with your peace and your presence.

I belong to you. I am a child of God, I am saved.

Amen. You have part of the family of

God. You've been saved, washed in the

blood of Jesus. Your sins have been completely

forgiven. You have been translated from

darkness into light. Oh, I feel the prayer, the

presence of God, because when you come into God's family, you

are protected. Listen, the world can shake.

You don't have to be shaken. You don't have to fall because

you are in God's ark. You are in the praises of God.

You are in the hand of God. I think it snatch you out of

your Father's hand. So before we leave, let's

declare this together. Say it out loud.

My house belongs to Jesus. My home is pulled on the rock.

My home stands strong. Peace and joy rule in my house.

Prayer rises in my house. My family is covered by the

grace of God. My footsteps will lead my family

closer to Jesus. And As for me, in my house, we

will serve. Come on, somebody.

Did you surprise in this place? Hallelujah.

Yes. OK.

So this week, remember, the world may be shaky, but your

house, OK? It doesn't have to fall.

This is awesome. Hallelujah, somebody praise God.

Thank you Jesus. This is exciting news today.

The storm might be real, but the rock is stronger.

We have Jesus, our solid rock. Hallelujah.

So we are unshakable. We are strong.

So this we go with the rock of Christ in your heart and in your

life and your home and your family.

So be blessed in Jesus name. Now just put your hand on your

stomach and say thank you Jesus, that you are always with me,

that you'll never leave me nor forsake me.

Now take heart to the person next to you.

And right now pray for them as the glory of God falls and

floods this place. Lord, we thank you.

We pray for one another. Right now.

It's time, Elisa, being restored, being strengthened,

homes in Jesus name, marriages, children.

Now I want you to call that child, I want you to mention

those names before God, that prodigals call them back into

the ark Karaboshi under Ababa God, we call in the prodigals,

we call in our children, we call them in.

We thank you God, we thank you, Lord that you know their name.

We thank you. That's right.

Cry out for your family. Pray right now for your family.

Everyone of us Araboshi under pray in the spirit Karaboshiya

the God we cover our families with prayer.

We thank you Lord Jesus. We thank you, Lord Jesus, for

protection, for the ark of safety.

Hallelujah. That's right.

Pulled the knock. I see people are building up.

You pull that off. Pulled it.

Building over your home, over your marriage, your children,

your family, your finances. That's right.

Build it.