Senhor e Salvador

“O problema maior com os crentes hoje é que ninguém mais quer matar eles!” Soren Kierkegaard

Josué 24.14-15; "Agora temam o Senhor e sirvam-no com integridade e fidelidade. Joguem fora os deuses que os seus antepassados adoraram além do Eufrates e no Egito, e sirvam ao Senhor. Se, porém, não lhes agrada servir ao Senhor, escolham hoje a quem irão servir, se aos deuses que os seus antepassados serviram além do Eufrates, ou aos deuses dos amorreus, em cuja terra vocês estão vivendo. Mas, eu e a minha casa serviremos ao Senhor".

Josué 24.15; Eu e a minha casa serviremos ao Senhor.

Josué decidiu servir Deus, tipo: “Eu tenho decidido, eu estou decidindo, e sempre decidirei”.

É uma decisão que é absolutamente necessário por cada homem que foi confiado com o cuidado e direção de uma família.

É uma decisão. Não é algo natural como vemos na maioria das casas que se dizem evangélicos, mas não servem o Senhor.

Muitas famílias adoram Deus nos prédios nomeados igrejas, mas poucas adoram ele nas suas casas. A religião da família quase não existe mais.

Até que vemos uma reforma na família, uma dedicação nas casas a Deus, nós não podemos nunca esperar uma reforma na igreja.

A reforma começa com cada casa cristã adorando o Senhor e isso começa com cada líder de cada casa decidindo, “Eu e a minha casa serviremos ao Senhor.”

Agora, vamos analisar essa frase de Josué principalmente eu quero que nós prestamos bem atenção numa palavra só: SENHOR. Josué podia ter fala serviremos o Salvador e isso teria sido tão verdadeiro quanto Senhor, mas ele não falou isso.

2 Peter 3:18; Porém, cresçam na graça e no conhecimento do nosso Senhor e Salvador Jesus Cristo. A ele seja toda a glória, agora e para sempre! Amém.

Jesus é os dois: Senhor e Salvador.

Salvador: Soter – aquele que liberta, resgate, salva, preserva.

De confiar em Cristo como Salvador significa de confiar em Sua pessoa e obra ... de verdadeiramente crer que Ele é Deus encarnado, plenamente Deus e plenamente homem, que veio da glória, desceu à terra, viveu uma vida perfeita, pagou o preço pelo pecado com Seu sangue derramado e a morte substitutiva na cruz e ressuscitou vitoriosamente da morte.

Senhor: De se entregar a Ele como Senhor é de humildemente se arrepender e verdadeiramente reconhecer e se submeter a Ele como Rei Soberano e Mestre - de viver para a Sua glória de tal maneira que nós alegremente obedecemos a Ele enquanto lidera as nossas vidas e conforme os nosso desejos e jeitos aos seus.

Salvador é baseado em o que Jesus fez. Senhor está baseado em quem Ele é.

Hoje existe um pensamento nas igrejas que aceita que uma pessoa “converte” ou “aceita Jesus com seu Salvador” e agora é salva ainda que a sua vida não muda quase nada.

A igreja moderna considera a pessoa salva baseado na sua “decisão” e a falta de mudança cair na categoria de crente carnal; admita que a pessoa não esteja vivendo como deve, mas resista em tirar o nome de crente.

A esperança da igreja é que em tempo, a pessoas fará Jesus Senhor da sua vida também.

O problema é Jesus não falou nada sobre somente sendo seu Salvador. Ele quer tudo. Ele comprou a sua vida não para você ser libertar e fazer o que quer, mas para nos submeter a Ele e andar com Ele o caminho leva a morte; a morte de quem nós somos. Eu não sou mais identificado como Jeff, mas seguidor de Jesus Cristo. Não é mais eu que vivo, mas Cristo que vive em mim.

Isto nós chamamos de discipulado; sendo um discípulo de Jesus. E o custo é alto.

Lordship implies entire submission at the outset. It is a strange salvation that knows nothing about daily submission to Christ the Lord.

Ro 12.1-2

Lordship implies willing service. The most outstanding conversion in the history of the church -- the great Apostle Paul -- is recorded in Acts 9. It is interesting to note his two questions in verses 5, 6: "Who art thou, Lord?" and, "What would you have me to do?" He was a willing servant.

Seguindo Jesus é “deixando de lado seus próprios interesses e tomando sua cruz”.

Lordship implies obedience. Jesus said in Luke 6:46: " Por que me chamam de “Senhor”, “Senhor” quando não fazem o que eu digo? " Obedience.

Lordship implies ownership. If He is my Lord He owns me lock, stock and barrel. When sinners bow to His Lordship they not only get saved but their pocketbook gets saved also. The Bible says we are bought with a price. He owns us (I Cor. 6:19, 20).

E tudo isso tem muito a ver com a família. Primeiro, se você é pai, Jesus é Senhor da sua vida? Você fala com Josué: “Eu e a minha casa serviremos ao Senhor”?

Pois se você não serve o senhor, vai ser difícil fazer a sua casa servir o Senhor.

Ele é Senhor da sua vida? A realidade é que se Ele não é Senhor, ele também não é Salvador. Não tem como separar os dois. Ele é o não Salvador e Senhor da sua vida ou ele não é nada.

Muitos querem Jesus como Salvador, seguro contra inferno, mas somente com Senhor quando é conveniente, quando não vai custar nada, quando não vai contra a sua própria vontade. Por que me chamam de “Senhor”, “Senhor” quando não fazem o que eu digo? Podemos ter um, mas não o outro?

Ele é Senhor da sua casa?

Josué 24.15; Eu e a minha casa serviremos ao Senhor.

For years, church leaders have heard the claim that nearly nine out of ten Christians accept Jesus as their savior before the age of 18. If that statistic was accurate in the past, it no longer depicts U.S. society. The current Barna study indicates that nearly half of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (43%), and that two out of three born again Christians (64%) made that commitment to Christ before their 18th birthday. One out of eight born again people (13%) made their profession of faith while 18 to 21 years old. Less than one out of every four born again Christians (23%) embraced Christ after their twenty-first birthday. Barna noted that these figures are consistent with similar studies it has conducted during the past twenty years.

• Nearly half (43%) of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (2004)

• Two out of three born again Christians (64%) accept Jesus Christ as their savior before their 18th birthday. (2004)

• One out of eight born again people (13%) made their profession of faith while 18 to 21 years old. (2004)

For instance, among Christians who embraced Christ before their teen years, half were led to Christ by their parents, with another one in five led by some other friend or relative. Comparatively few accepted Jesus in response to a minister’s personal prompting (7%) and only one out of eight cited a special event as the turning point in their journey. Among those who mentioned events, about half identified a church service. Just 1% mentioned media evangelism or other special situations as being responsible for their conversion.

People who become Christian before their teen years are more likely than those who are converted when older to remain "absolutely committed" to Christianity.

“Families, churches and parachurch ministries must recognize that primary window of opportunity for effectively reaching people with the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection is during the pre-teen years. It is during those years that people develop their frames of reference for the remainder of their life – especially theologically and morally. Consistently explaining and modeling truth principles for young people is the most critical factor in their spiritual development.”

This should put pressure on us as parents.

Parental Misunderstanding Of Salvation. Truth is, 90% of people in the church think that walking an aisle… praying a prayer… and getting wet while calling it baptism saves people.  It doesn’t!!  Still, parents understandably want their children to be saved so bad that they jump on any… and I do mean ANY… interest their children have in being saved.  As a result parents push for their kids to “ask Jesus into their heart” and “pray the prayer for salvation” (This includes pastors who are unwilling to lovingly say the time isn’t right.).  The result is a host of kids who grow up thinking they are saved when in reality they aren’t.  Thus when they leave home there is no desire in them, because they’re not saved, to follow Christ.

Parental Unwillingness To Model Christ Outside Church. Two to three hours of taking kids to church is not faithfully discipling them to follow Christ.  Kids watch their parents and listen to them 6 1/2 days outside church.  It is what they learn at home that leaves the most indelible mark.  They listen to how their parents talk about the ministers… how they talk about other Christians… they watch the TV programs their parents watch (Desperate Housewives… oops… that’s preaching)… they learn from how their parents act when not at church… they learn from their parents own business practices.  In short, kids recognize hypocrisy early and learn it from their parents.  Add this to a false conversion and you have a recipe for leaving the church.  Deuteronomy 6:6-9 works to build and hinder faith…

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

As a result of the contradiction which children observe, they choose to leave the faith and the church when they have an opportunity.

Mostly because of materialism and covetousness, parents are forced to work long hours which has led to the neglect of our children’s education. The emphasis in many Christian homes today is on material wealth and the education and training to secure it. What is most often compromised is our children's spiritual training. Why is it today that so many of our children drop out of church when they "come of age" and show no interest in ever coming back? Could it be that parents have trained their children to despise the Word of God and the Lord's church by making secular education and wealth top priority in their lives? This is, not always, but often the case.

Provide a Home Environment that Is Conducive for Cultivating commitment to the Lord

The home environment very often turns out to be the most important influence in a person’s life. But unfortunately today, we are witnessing the invasion of the home environment by the world. The Christian home today faces powerful influences from the world. And we cannot close our eyes and pretend that these strong influences are not there.

Quanto tempo é gasto na frente da televisão junto comparado com o tempo gasto em oração ou leitura da palavra.

Prepare to Lead in Family Devotions

Some may say, "We don’t have time for family devotions, and anyway our children can learn God’s Word when they go to Sunday School." Well it is true that God’s Word is powerful and effective when taught by any person. But a tremendous difference can be made in a child’s life by whom the child learns the Scripture from. A child is more likely to remember and regard principles and values when they are taught to him by his parents than when they are taught to him by his Sunday School teacher. To hear the same truths from the lips of one’s parents adds assurance, confidence and familiarity to the child in what he learns.

If you are a parent or plan to be parent, please remember this. You have an important duty to your children: The duty of inculcating moral and spiritual values in them, as well as healthy spiritual habits: Your children must learn from you how to love God and His Word, how to do basic things like giving thanks at mealtimes and at bedtime, and also how to do their quiet time. Remember that you are your child’s spiritial leader or mentor, seeking to bring them to faith in Jesus Christ. And one of your duties as a Christian parent is to have regular family devotions.

Family Devotions

Some Practical Considerations: (from Dr. SH Tow)

Find a Place: Your sitting lounge or some convenient place.

Find a time: "No Time" is no good excuse! (e.g. before dinner or just before chilctren’s bed-time.)

Find a Leader: Father, mother, or some mature leader.

Find a Song: Be a singing Christian, not a sinning Christian!

Read a Bible Passage: Read together a portion of God’s Word. Use RPG or some daily Guide. Apply the portion of God’s Word to some situation in life.

Pray together: God hears and answers prayer. "Men ought always to pray and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). Seek God’s blessings for the family, for the church, for friends and loved ones.

Enjoy fellowship. As believers, we have fellowship one with another, and with God the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). What a blessed fellowship!

Some Advice:

Do not be too ambitious. This is not a formal full-scale worship service. 10 minutes is quite good. Remember that we want to train our children to love worshipping God, not to dread it. Don’t make elaborate plans.

Don’t hurry. Everyone is bound to be busy and wanting to hurry off for something: to do housework, homework, to get really for a meeting or appointment. It is more important to have Quality time than just to get over with the family worship time.

Remove all distractions so that there will be full attention: Turn off the TV or sound system. Put away toys. Leave phone off the hook. No one should leave unless there is a good reason. No one should be talking or whispering to one another.

Variety is important. On some days spend more time on Bible reading than on other things. On other days spend more time singing, or praying. Do whatever your children will be interested in doing. Sing songs that are familiar to your children – e.g. short choruses.

Get everyone to participate. Eg. Prayer time - assign items to each member of the family. Encourage children to ask questions and to tell how they feel about God, about church and Sunday School. If someone in the family can play the piano or guitar, encourage him to provide some music for singing.

Use the Question and Answer Method to Teach. E.g. using the booklet "Questions and Answers on Eternal life" printed by our church. Do one question a day. Read through the answer the first time round and explain the meaning. The next time, just ask the question and get the child to answer. Give each child a turn to answer the question.

Fp 2.9-11; Por isso, Deus o exaltou no lugar mais alto e deu a ele um nome que está acima de todo nome, 10 para que ao nome de Jesus todo joelho se dobre, nos céus e na terra e embaixo da terra, 11 e toda língua confesse que Jesus Cristo é o Senhor, para a glória de Deus o Pai.