Upside Down... ~Impact Of The Breakdown Of The Home On The Church ~

   As noted in earlier articles in this series, the home is the basic unit of any society.  Homes  produce the next generation of adults that will their place in society and shape its culture.  When homes break down, that weakens their potential to strengthen the culture.  The more homes that break down, the greater the detrimental impact.  As goes its culture, so goes a nation.  Homes in our nation are breaking down at an increasingly alarming rate, and our culture and nation are suffering terribly as a result.  But it’s not just the culture of our nation that is being effected.

   The breakdown of the home also has a severe impact upon the Lord’s church.  Strong Christian homes have a much greater potential to raise strong Christian children who then become strong Christian adults who, in turn, establish more strong Christians homes that raise more strong Christian children and so on… 
   Strong Christians strengthen the church.  Many become leaders serving in vital roles.  The church needs members who are dedicated to learning God’s word and living faithfully by its teachings, being positive examples of Christianity to the world around them (Matt. 5:13-16; Phlp. 2:15-16).  The church needs a strong team of Bible class teachers, men and women, who care deeply about teaching God’s word accurately and effectively (2 Tim. 2:2).  It needs adults who will work with youth and instill within them a love for the Lord and a compelling desire to serve Him as strong Christians.
   The church needs an evangelistic army, members who care enough about the lost around them to reach out to them with the gospel, to show them the better way, the way to forgiveness and eternal life, the way of hope (Matt. 28:19-20).
   The church needs men who can enthusiastically lead the congregation in singing praises to God, men who can lead the assembly in heart-felt, soul-stirring prayers.  It needs men who understand the deep meaning of the Lord’s Supper, who rejoice at being blessed to partake of it each Lord’s day and count it a joy to lead the congregation in that act of worship.
   The church needs men and women who recognize the blessings bestowed upon them by God and thankfully give back in worship to Him from those blessings to support the work of the church.  The church needs a steady stream of elders and deacons and preachers who are strong in the faith and will provide the leadership needed by the flock (1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Pet. 5:1-3; 2 Tim. 4:1-5).
   The church needs members who love one another and exemplify that love in the way they treat each another (Jn. 13:34-35).  It needs members who will exhort, encourage and strengthen one another on an ongoing basis (Heb. 3:13; 10:24).  It needs members who love the Lord with all of their heart (Matt. 22:37), who are dedicated and committed to being His church.
   Broken homes are much less likely to raise up such Christians.  Sadly, broken homes are becoming more and more common within the Lord’s church, and the church is suffering immeasurably as a result.  We should be the example to the world, but to too great an extent we’re becoming like the world.  We need to take care, for things are turning upside down…