In this sermon I discuss four blessings when choosing God over family. There aren’t many situations more difficult for Christians to face than having to choose God over family. Allow these four encouragements to help you if you find yourself in this situation.

https://youtu.be/h9rfdJkGLE4
Choosing God over family is one of the most difficult situations Christians face. Allow these four encouragements to help you.

Table of Contents* The Gospel Creates Peace Between God and Man* The Gospel Creates Division Between Man and Man* Encouragement One: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Be Like Christ* Encouragement Two: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Teach Our Children* Encouragement Three: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Teach Discuss Our Faith* Encouragement Four: Choosing God Over Family Allows Us to Show God We Love Him

Consider the following:

* A relative claims to be a believer but wants to marry an unbeliever, so you’re unable to support the relationship.* A relative claims to be a believer, but is living in habitual sin, so you have to confront the person.

I know people and when they chose God over family:

* It meant supporting church discipline against a family member* Or it meant asking a child to leave the house because that child was rebellious

As you can imagine, even though these people made the right decision, it was still excruciating.

There are examples in the Old Testament of people having to choose God over family members. For example…

Moses called for the execution of the individuals responsible for constructing the Golden Calf. This meant some Israelites had to kill their own relatives…

Exodus 32:27 [Moses] said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you KILL HIS BROTHER AND HIS COMPANION AND HIS NEIGHBOR.’”

This gives us a good idea of how wicked idolatry is.

Another example involving idolatry…

King Asa was one of the greatest reformers in the Old Testament. When he purged the idolatry from the land, he even had to punish his own grandmother, because she made an idol…

1 Kings 15:13 [Asa] removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

I can only imagine how much criticism King Asa might’ve received for banishing his own grandmother.

You could listen to this and say…

“Well, this is the Old Testament. It was much harsher. We are in the New Testament, which is more loving and gracious.”

But we have reached the verses in the New Testament that show that even though we aren’t called to execute family members, we are still called to choose God over them.

But before Jesus talks about choosing Him over family members, He first talks about the divisiveness of the gospel,