Return to thine own house
Category: Repentance & Restoration
Key Passage: Luke 8
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: January 22, 2022
Turn your Bibles to Luke chapter number eight, if you would please. Luke chapter number eight. We had mentioned last Sunday that we’re going to be on the home, the family, last Sunday and this Monday morning.
I think real soon, maybe next Sunday, I’m not sure, trying to just seek the Lord. We’re going to do a short series on the end times. And how many think it’s getting close to the Lord coming back? Amen? Occasionally, we take time and focus on that. I believe we’re going to get there pretty soon. But this morning, we’re in Luke chapter number eight.
I’m not telling you the verse because then you won’t listen to me anymore. You’ll be looking down there, you know. But Luke chapter number eight, the portion of scripture we’re going to be looking at is this man called the Maniac of Gadara. How many ever heard of the Maniac of Gadara? It was a demon-possessed, crazy man. That’s just probably the best way to describe him.
I remember as a boy, I’ve not been around that a lot, or where it’s just very open, a lot, I should say, but I never forget my mom and dad had picked up a lady and she had said she had a demon. She had told my dad in that vision she had a demon, but she wanted to go to church, and they picked her up. And this is before car seats and seatbelts and all that, all right, so don’t, you know, think. But…
But I’m sitting in the back, just a little fellow sitting in the back seat with this lady and my siblings there. And all of a sudden, this lady that was demon-possessed, she starts talking in a man’s voice. I’m talking about a man’s voice and kind of a growl almost like. And I was a brave soul even at a young age. You know what I did? I started crying and got up to the front seat with my mommy, you know? I was sitting in the back seat with this demon-possessed lady.
And literally she was. Later on, she wanted to get rid of it. At the minute the church went over there and cast the demon out, she got saved, became a good godly lady. But this was a demon-possessed man, by the way. That does happen in her dead time. Demons are real. We’ve studied about it a while back, demonology on the Wednesday night series. But this man was just, he had thousands in him. Thousands.
One of the things I remember that I was amazed at when we studied about demons is how many there are. We don’t know the exact number, but we know it’s just a massive amount because we know there’s a massive amount of angels. I’m getting off, and there’s one third of the angels that became demons, and so just a massive amount. Billions, literally billions.
But this man had thousands of demons in him. He lived in a graveyard. Demons love death. I sometimes associate with skulls and all that. Yeah. They love all that stuff. And they love to hurt the person they’re possessing. This man was cutting himself. We had that going on under the end time.
How many ever seen somebody that have just taken an eraser and just so many times they got marks all over them, those things? Same thing. And he possessed supernatural power, demonic powers. They had put him in and change. They’d lock him up and he’d break them. He was demon-possessed. And Jesus comes there and he gets off the boat that came to this place here, the Gerasenes, and Jesus got off the boat, and this man comes running to Jesus. Now, I love that. We won’t go into all the details, but Jesus cast the demon out. And the demons begged, “Hey, can we go on to somebody? There’s a bunch of pigs over here. Can we go on these pigs?” And demons like to possess some kind of a body.
And Jesus permitted them to do that. We don’t know why. Maybe it was because the Jewish people were not supposed to be having swine, like maybe they’re Jewish people. I don’t know, but Jesus let them do that. And the demons, thousands, at least 2,000 swine. And so at least 2,000 they went in there. And they destroy whoever they possess, they destroy. I’ve seen suicides and just went to the scene, and there’s demonic symbols everywhere there. The devil is behind all those things. Anyway, these demons went in the swine and they ran down this steep bank into the sea there and they drowned themselves. Demons are all about that. The devil never comes apart from his stealing, killing, destroying. That’s what it’s always about.
So anyway, and this man really was sitting there after the demon was cast out. The Bible says he was in his right mind, clothed. By the way, you go the devil’s way and he wants to take your clothes off, you know. But he was clothed, sitting there in his right mind. But I want you to see something. After all this, this man, Jesus, he’s leaving that country for the time being. He comes back later on. Seems like this man had a great influence. But anyway.
Jesus is leaving and this demon—well, formerly demon-possessed man—wants to go with Jesus. Well, that’s a good desire. And I want you to notice what Jesus said. We’re going to just kind of use this as a springboard a little bit this morning. We’re in chapter 8 and verse number 38. Luke 8 and verse number 38 this morning. If you’re able to, would you please stand just to show the word of God respect, Luke 8 and verse number 38 of God’s word? And the Bible there says, “Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him. But Jesus sent him away saying…”
It’s amazing. If you have a red letter edition of the Bible, the words of Jesus are in red. These would be in red: “Return to thine own house and show how great things God hath done unto thee.”
Would you read just that portion, just that portion, the beginning of verse number 39, would you read it out loud with me, please? Here we go: “Return to thine own house and show how great things God hath done unto thee.”
And he went his way and published throughout all the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. Now we’re going to focus for just a bit on just that portion. There’s much more if we’ve got it all covered in it, but just that portion that Jesus said to him. We’re going to focus on that, just some words of that this morning a bit. Would you pray and ask the Lord just to speak to your heart this morning? Would you do that as I pray the same? Would you pray that in your heart? Lord, we come. Father, I pray that you would send your Spirit in power and take your word and do your work. Lord, please let us leave changed by your Spirit, your word. Lord, please. Lord, if you’re just a simple preacher, I pray you to do that, but would you do the work? Father, I’m asking for that in faith, Father, because I’m asking in the most powerful name in all the world, the name of Jesus. So Lord, we claim the victory in the name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
Just a couple words we’re going to look at. There’s that red letter there you read. And I want you to see this in verse number 39, he says, “Return to thine own house.” Just that right there: return to thine own house. This man had just had demons cast out of him. I believe he’d just gotten saved. Just his life was totally transformed.
He just went from being a crazy man that was running loud in the graveyards. I don’t know, maybe he had tried to dig up some graves, I don’t know, and get some bones up, but it was just a crazy, wild man. Maybe he could hear screaming at nighttime in the graveyard. This crazy man, he had just went from a wild, untamable crazy man to sitting. Now that to me is interesting. He’s sitting. I don’t know that he’s said a whole lot before, but he’s sitting, he’s got clothes on, which leads me to think he’d run around half-naked or all the way naked half the time. And now he’s sitting, he’s clothed, in his right mind. I mean, you could carry on a conversation, but you could talk with him. A normal man, if you will. And surely, Jesus would say, “All right, I’ll let you come be with me.” But Jesus said, “No, your life is totally transformed, and I want you to go shine inside those four walls called your house.”
There are three institutions we typically say that God created or instituted. The first one is found in the book of Genesis. It’s the home. It was a male and a female. Amen. And God put them down. That was the first institution, and God blessed them, gave them children. That was the first institution God gave.
Now a little bit later on, chapter 6, the flood. And then radical flood chapter 9, and God instituted government. And God let man govern man be there. That’s where he gave capital punishment. “If man sheds blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” That’s not just a government thing; that’s a God-mandated thing. By the way, you have saved lives by practicing that. Amen. A little weak on that.
Look over in Genesis 9, verse number 6, just so you know this isn’t just a man thing; this is a God thing. And I know it goes against a lot of the philosophy of our day and time, but I go with God every time, amen. Every single time. And we’re getting off a bit here, but trying to get everybody on board here for just a minute. Just Genesis 9, verse number 6 there.
If you’re going to chase a rabbit, you might as well shoot it, amen, you know? Look at Genesis, verse number nine. Look at verse number six. He’s starting government here in this chapter. “Who so sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Amen. “For in the image of God made he man.” Now, is that Bible or not? That’s not a man-made thing. That’s not a political thing; that’s a God thing right there. God instituted the government. Then the third thing, God instituted over at Matthew 16:18, he instituted and he started the church over the New Testament, the church age.
Now here’s what I want to get at: the very beginning of it all was the home. That is the basic unit of society. If you have good homes, you’ll have a good government. If you have good homes, you’ll have a good church. Friend, the home. Jesus told this man, “I want you to go to your own house.” The home. If revival, if revival, if revival does not go all the way to the home, it’s not true revival.
The home. Jesus is telling this man, “I want you to go home and I want you to show at home what difference I made in your life.” Now here’s the thing, here’s the temptation. We can kind of fake out everybody else. You can probably fake out the pastor. Those that don’t think they get faked out, they really get it faked out, you know. That’s so true typically. But you can fake out the church members. You can fake out everybody else. But it’s really tough to fake Christianity to those inside those four walls you call home. And so the temptation is to go outside and look like we’re super Christian. “Look at me! I do this. I got my Bible. I know how to talk right. I know how to act. I got all this right, and yet I don’t live out Christianity at home.” And shame on me if that’s me. The Bible says, “Hey, I want you to go home. I want you to let your light shine at home.” If God’s truly changed my heart, those at home should know my heart has changed. So important. So vital that my revival goes home.
It’s tempting to get the outside where everybody sees right and then kind of let the home part slide. Shame. Listen to me, you should have—since you’re born a Christian—some kind of a ministry. It may be a ministry to your neighbor that’s kind of elderly and you help take care of them, I don’t know. But everybody should have some kind of a ministry. But your greatest ministry, now listen to me, your greatest ministry is to your family. Your ministry, it should be the hub of it. And from that hub, it flows out of there. Your family, your home, that’s how God started it all. Adam and Eve, that was the beginning of it all. And that home, that’s the basic unit of society. Christianity shines, begins to shine there.
I love this story. Someone asked me, “Are you talking about yourself?” No, I’m not talking about myself here. But years and years ago, the church that went to huge church, and they had a Bible college, and just a couple thousand—I think around 2,000 of the Bible college—and one of the guys had graduated and was thinking of going and taking a pastorate. And he was meeting with the senior pastor, and he was counseling them, and they were trying to [determine] if they could handle the ministry and all that. And the preacher looked at the wife and he said, “Wife, you know him better than I do. What do you think of his Christianity?” And she said, “Brother Howes, that’s the best Christian I know right there.” Hey, can your spouse say that about you?
We might be able to fool everybody else, but our spouse probably knows us pretty good. Friend, that’s where you want to shine for the Lord: at home. Probably a whole lot more genuine at home than anywhere. Probably the real you there at home than anywhere. The home, it is such a key.
Now, here’s the thing, another little fall on this thing here. Would you answer me please? Is it a good thing for that man to be with Jesus? Yeah, that’s a good thing. That’s what he asked Jesus, “Can I go with you?” That would be a good thing. But that wasn’t God’s will for him. And here’s the thing: so it would have been a good thing for that man to go and be with Jesus, but it would not have been the best thing.
“To obey is better than sacrifice,” remember that over there. And the best things are bad. So here’s the thing: if we’re not careful in our busy day and time, our society, we will get caught up doing a lot of good things, but if we’re not careful, we’re not being what we ought to be at home, which is the best thing. Amen. That’s so important. I say this over the years: if I, as a husband and I as a dad, maybe the Lord uses us to move over there and build a big mission and all that other stuff, and yet if I’m not the husband or the dad I ought to be at home, I failed my job. It starts. It ought to be at home. And we’re not careful, we get caught up doing a lot of good things. “Well, I got my friends here. I got this here,” but we’re not being the husbands, the wives, the moms, the dads, the young people who ought to be at our home. And if you’re ever going to shine for the Lord anywhere, you ought to shine for the Lord at home. It’s so important.
You say, “Well, I’ve got so many friends on Facebook,” or “I’ve got so many views on it, and it’s a good video.” Now, I’m for all that shining on the internet, but if I’m so busy doing it, I’m always on my phone, I never got time for my family—shame on me.
Well, that can happen, especially nowadays with these little instruments we have that’s got everything in the world on. I mean, everything. My son, he got new tires for his truck, you know, and they’re bigger tires. And so I was telling him, “Well, you know, John, so your speedometer…” He said, “I don’t get as good gas mileage.” You know? Well, your speedometer is going to be accurate because your tires are bigger, you know? And, you know, the answer to it is, your fault. Just download that app. I mean, everything’s on your phone nowadays, what I’m trying to get at. You know what I mean? You want a steak meal pretty soon? Well, you can push a button, it’ll be delivered. Come on, everything’s on there. You might try that one out on my phone, you know. I mean, and that phones are amazing, but if I’m not careful, my wife’s sitting over there on the couch, I’m on the easy chair over there, my daughter’s there, my kids are there, whatever. And if I’m not careful, I’ll be so wrapped up in this, I’m not there for my kids. Amen. My wife.
Look over, if you will. This is an interesting verse. Look over in Exodus. I want you to see this little nugget here in the Word of God. Look over in Exodus chapter number 24. God is here talking to Moses. Moses was a great leader. We’re studying about the life of Moses on Wednesday night. Many would say he’s the greatest leader in all the Bible, Moses here. The Bible’s talking about Moses over here. And Moses has got millions, literally, of people that he’s over. Some will say two million, some will go to a million and a half, some will go over three million. He’s got millions of people he’s over, so his mind is scattered in there. And he’s supposed to go up with God on Mount Sinai, and God’s going to give him the Ten Commandments. All right, y’all follow me, understand where I’m at? And God’s giving Moses instruction, and I want you to see just two words that God says to Moses kind of emphasize. Really interesting little thought. I want you to kind of see if you’re in Exodus 34. You’re there already? Say, “We’re waiting on you, preacher,” right? Look at verse number 12, would you please. Look at verse number 12. Exodus 24. Have I changed it to 34? It was the first one I said, 24. I’m getting bad about these numbers, aren’t I? Tell you what, I can only use those fingers so long as an excuse, too, now, you know. Garrett’s leaned over telling his friend John he’s going to talk about his fingers, watch it. I’ve seen that right there. It ain’t my fingers; it’s my head. That’s the problem in numbers, all right? Now, you know. Chapter 24, look at verse number 12. This is interesting. 24:12. And the Lord said unto Moses, “Come up to me into the mount and be there.” I don’t want your mind about everybody else, all the other problems. I’ve told you, put boundaries down there around the mountain and everything. I want you to get up on the mountain. I want you to get up on the mountain and be there, and I will give the tables of stone and the law and the commandments which I have written, that thou mayest teach them. Be there.
Are you being there when you’re with your spouse, your kids? I say this: when’s the last time you made a tent in your living room and slept underneath with your kids? Let me be hard because my kids are 28 and 26, you know, but we used to do it. Or, or here’s the good thing: you can let the kids fall asleep and then you can sneak in there in your soft mattress and sleep there, amen. Just make sure you get out there before they wake up the next morning. They’ll never know. But do you have time for them? Are you there? And I’m so caught up and busy that I’m doing everything else in the world. I’ve got no time for my wife. My wife says, “Well, I think my husband’s a pretty good guy. I never see him, though,” and I’m failing on my job.
Now, we’re all busy, but my wife ought to know, “Hey, if I really need him, he’s there.” Well, we have time. We’re going to be away from everybody. It’s just us because I’m supposed to shine at home. You know what? A good way to ruin your kids: be so busy doing good things you don’t have time for the best thing. Good way to do it.
Here’s an interesting story about John Rice. John Rice sits back there. He’s taken to the back row. Brother Rice, would you raise your hand? That’s John Rice. That’s not that John Rice I’m talking about here; it’s another man, John Rice. He’s in heaven now, Star of the Story of the Lord. They have the same name, though. But John Rice, he’s—if you go get off 24 on the 96th or Franklin Road, go to the right, and then that thoroughfare to the right, right where Sam’s Club is, you know, that’s John Rice Boulevard. You know what I’m talking about? Anybody ever been to Sam’s Club right there? Come on now. You’ve never been to Sam’s Club? Come on now, you know. You’re going there. Don’t go in there and buy anything. Just go through all the exhibits and eat their food, amen. Come on now. Cheap, that’s what you call cheap right there. I’ll tell you what, yeah. And that place, that’s where John Rice used to live. That’s why it’s John Rice Boulevard. He used to live right there where Sam’s Club is. He used to have a house, a big house there. He was an evangelist. He had a very known—traveled across America. Started the Story of the Lord. God used him greatly. Busy man. John Rice has got four, five daughters. I had a bunch of daughters. And the story is told that a preacher, John Rice—one of his heroes, and he was in town—that preacher was in town, Murfreesboro, and he wanted to meet with John Rice. But he didn’t give an advance notice and all that, so he called and said, “I was trying to meet with John Rice.” And John Rice said, “I cannot during that time. I’m busy during that time.” And the story goes that man rode over to where John Rice Boulevard is now, and he’s seen John Rice in his backyard playing ball and whatnot with his girls. And he got mad. “Well, he ain’t got time for me, but he’s out there playing with his own children!”
Hey, praise the Lord! John Rice is a wise man. He said, “I’m going to shine inside the walls of my home. I have time for all that I will, but my first—by the way, husband, your first person potential, oh, your first person that you’re responsible for you want to have, make time for—is your spouse.” People-wise, second, your children. They are, that’s the word up, they’re your priority, people-wise: your spouse and then your children. Brother Rice knew that, and he was working at that.
So number one, he said—he said back over here in Luke chapter number eight—number one, he said, “I want to go with you, Jesus.” And Jesus said, “Return to thine own house.” All right, y’all still out there? All right, we’re in verse number 39. Let’s keep going. Verse number 39: “Return to thine own house,” and what’s the next word? “Show.” Now, I want you just look at that. “Show how great things God hath done.” Show. In this instance, he’s talking about going to thine own house. He does not—you know what it’s not there—he does not say, “Go home to thine own house and preach.” Now, when giving out the gospel, he says that, but he said, “You go home. My husband will come to church, and I want him to live for the Lord, and I want that so bad.” Can I tell you how to make the situation worse? Go home and preach at him. Just get a piece of your mind. Be careful with that. It doesn’t say go home and preach. So, won’t you go home to thine own house, and I want you to show it.
Can I say this? Don’t go home and try to change them; go home and try to live it before them. That is so important. You’re going to do damage, you’re going to turn them off to church, you’re going to turn them off to the Lord if you go home and try to force it down their throat. Go home and show them. That’s so important.
Husbands, over in Ephesians 5, he gives very clear commands. What’s the biggest command that God gives to us husbands in Ephesians chapter 5? Help me out. What is it? To love. To love her like Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. So don’t go home and try to browbeat her into doing right and being the wife she ought to be and you submit and all the rest of that. You go home and you lovingly lead. Can I say this? It’s not your job to make her follow, husband. That’s not your job. God didn’t tell you, “Go home and make your wife…” That’s not going to work. God says, “Go home and love her like she is.” Now, you love the Lord supremely. So what does that look like? “Honey, I love you, and it breaks my heart if you don’t go to church with me tonight, but I’m just going to go myself.” And it doesn’t mean every time you go to church, “Well, are you going to come this time?” You just lovingly lead. It’s between her and the Lord whether she follows or not. You just lovingly lead. That’s your job. And I love you, honey, like you are. You’re going to break my heart if you’re not with me, but I’ve got to follow the Lord. That’s what God’s called us to do.
Wives, don’t try to—you know, the more I tell him, the more he’ll listen. Men and ladies both, and children, especially teenagers—these young men right here will testify—they have this little switch in the back, and when you keep talking over and over and over, it just somehow clicks off, and it just doesn’t work anymore. It happens with men and ladies, husband. In fact, look over first Peter. First Peter, this isn’t quite as known as Ephesians 5, so let’s look at this one. And it actually tells us what to do if the husband will not be won by the words. You’ve told him, “God loves you, Jesus died on the cross, and he wants to save you, forgive you,” but he doesn’t want to listen. He’s not going to listen. What do you do? You know, you put X-lax in his breakfast every morning, right? Is that what you do? Don’t get any ideas there, all right? Now you know. What do you do? The Bible tells us what you do. Look over in 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3. And the Bible tells us what you do. First Peter 3:1: “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word”—they’re not going to listen to the word—“they also may without the word.” Now, notice that, that’s very important: “without the word.” You don’t use the word anywhere. You don’t beat them over the head with the word. “Without the word be won by the conversation of your life.” So you don’t preach it then. You don’t—“Well, the Bible says you’re supposed to love me.” You’re just living.
I’ve seen, and praise the Lord for it—it’s the Lord, I don’t want to take credit—it’s not me; it’s the Lord. And these people, God used them. But I’ve watched over the years husbands and wives, and I say, “You know what? I’m not going to try to browbeat my wife. I’m not going to ask her every time if she will come to church with me. I’m not going to do it. I’m just going to love her.” And wise or she says, “You know what? I’m not going to tell him he ought to be this good, godly man, leader of the home. I’m just going to be a sweet wife for him.” And I’ve watched when that happens, God begins to work. Now, I’m not going to promise you that every time that spouse is going to respond like they ought to. I would be lying to tell you that I’ve never seen that happen. I have seen that happen over the years. But that’s when God works, because out of faith, you’re beginning to obey what God tells you to do. And God responds to faith. Now, they still have a choice in the matter. But he did not say, “Go home and preach to your spouse.” By the way, if that’s your spouse, you can borrow this pulpit right here and set it up in your living room, you know, and you preach at them. How about that? You know, anybody want to borrow that after service? No. Show them. Show them. That’s what he said. Go home, go to thine own house and show them.
Man, I can think of so many illustrations of people that just said, “You know, I’m going to try to be the best husband, the best wife that can be.” God starts moving in. You’re trying to show it to them. By the way, for children—for children—now when they’re young, we’re supposed to train them up in the way they should go, and part of that is spanking them. “The rod of correction bringeth wisdom,” but “a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame,” and many verses about that. But as they get older, you know what? The less and less that I can use the rod of correction, and the more and more, you know, my example speaks volumes to them. And that child has a mom and a dad that loves them, and nobody’s perfect, but they know that mom, that dad honestly, sincerely tries to live a Christian life in front of them. That speaks volumes to them. You show them. They know you’re not all about you; you’re all about the Lord. That speaks so much to them. Volumes to them.
He said, “Show how great things.” And boy, we’re running out of time. Can I just add another thought in there? Probably this guy that Jesus is talking about, this maniac there, he probably came from a messed up—at our day and time, we call it a dysfunctional to the max family. I don’t know that about it, but I imagine a guy that ends up demon-possessed like that, I imagine he came out of a pretty bad situation. You agree with me? I think you can kind of assume that there. So probably when he went home and started showing this, not everybody in his realm was influenced in his own house. Here in this scripture it says, in other places that says home and friends. But imagine not everybody around him got right. Someone were messed up, I imagine. And it’s not my job to go home and let me see if my wife is doing everything right, or my kids are doing everything. And a little bit with your kids as you’re younger or whatnot, but my job is to go home and show them what great things God’s done to me. That’s my job.
And sometimes—well, I’d say every time—not everybody gets right, even though we get to say we still got problems. But my job is to go home and show them. See, that’s my job.
Then let’s finish it out. We’ve got to finish this thing yet. We’re back over here, Luke 8, and we’re in verse number 39. Luke 8, verse number 39. We talked about “Return to thine own house.” We just, for a bit—it took 30 seconds now—no, a little longer than that, I’m joking with you. But, and “show.” What’s the next thing we’re doing? And “show how great things.” What’s the next word? “God hath done it to thee.”
Can I word it this way? When I get to this Christianity that’s “Look at me, what all I am,” it’s pride. And if I go home and say, “Well, I’m doing everything right. Y’all need to sit and follow me,” there’s going to be contention. Proverbs 13:10: “Only by pride cometh contention.” And we fuss and fight. But if you go home and say, “You know, I’ve messed up so many times, but God’s doing a work in my life. Man, if you just see what—it’s God! God’s so good to me. I’m sorry, I’ve messed up about a million times. I’ve not been the husband, I’ve not been the dad, I’ve got problems. God’s working in me.” And you just keep building up God. “How great things God… God’s been so good.” Children, man, we messed up a thousand times, but God has really just stepped in in His grace. Praise the Lord, He has gotten a hold of your heart. Me and your mom, we have so many problems. We’ve had so many problems, but God’s held us together. God’s been so good over the years. God’s changed our life. God’s been so gracious to God, God." You see the difference? It’s how great things God hath done.
By the way, if I get proud, what does it serve? Then James 4:6: “God resisteth the proud.” If God’s resisting you, hey, Psalm 127, you’re vain if you’re trying to build a house without God. It’s about to fall apart. “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain.” But if I just humble that, “God, God’s been good to me,” then you get grace. Wow, God’s been so good. He’s been so gracious over the years. See the difference of the attitude? Go home and show how great things God hath done for me.
My mom, it’s been about three weeks ago, something like that. Mom had knee replacement. And she just had her yesterday. She said, “Mom, you need anything?” I did it as much as I should, but I did yesterday. And my mom replied very wisely. Here’s the first thing she wanted—you can say amen right here. She said, “I need some Dr. Peppers.” Somebody say amen right there. That’s good preaching.
And some other things, but the main thing was the first thing was Dr. Pepper. And she said she went—she was able to go the other day to a therapist. And she probably shouldn’t, but she said, “I’m going to chime in.” She went on her own Friday. And she—the first time out, still very, very limited—and she did it. And she wanted to, she did. So I had to go the other day, and she said, “Man, I had a great visit.” She said, “My therapist…” She, a young lady, young girl. And she said, “Paul, she was telling me how that when she was in college, she kind of came up rough, if you will. And she said she was mean in college, just kind of hateful, intelligent. And she’s just kind of mean and gruff and mad at the world because of the problems of her life, that type of mentality.” And she said, “Paul, she told me she met a Christian at college that the light was shining through.” By the way, it’s amazing. You get one good Christian in a home that the light can shine through. Wow, God can shine a lot of light through one person surrendered, humble before him. And she’s seen this just a sweet, godly young lady in college, and through that, she got saved. And Paul, she’s a sweet lady now. And she said she was going to be one of these science—I can’t remember, Mom didn’t know exactly what it was either—one of these science, you know, fields. But this young lady that the light was shining through was a therapist. God shined through her. She got saved, and she said, “You know, I want to help people.” So she changed her major to a therapist, too. She’s a physical therapist. Friend, when somebody just goes inside the home and they say, “You know, I’m messed up with the rest of you all, but I got some light. Now, I got problems, but I got a light. He can do wonders for you. He’s done great things for me.” And when you let his light shine through you, he can bring a whole lot of light to a messed up family. That’s what God wanted to use this man right here to do: to shine his light through.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? Heads bowed, eyes closed. It all starts, friends, so it ought to start my Christian life. The hub of it ought to be at home. You say, “Preacher, I want to be a better Christian at home.” I like to work at my home life; the rest will probably take care of itself. I like to be a better Christian at home. God spoke to my heart about that. I like to be a better Christian at home. God spoke to me about that. Is that you this morning? You lift your head and preach you. “I like to be a better Christian at home.” Me too. I’m with you. Me too. Oh, that’s so key. That’s where I’d really like to shine through you in a great way. God bless you. God bless you. Many, many hands. Maybe there’d be one more. God’s kind of convicted me. I need to be a better Christian at home. I see that. I see that. Anybody else? God bless you. God bless you. Thank you so very, very much.
Maybe you hear you say, “Preacher, I really kind of the heart of it. I need to stop preaching, try to live it. I need to just show them.” Stop expecting everything about them to change and just show them. I am less about me and more about God. I just need to show what God’s done in my life to them. God spoke to my heart. I need to just kind of stop some of the preaching and just try to show them. God spoke to me about that. Anybody that’s you, just slip it up. God bless you. God bless you. We’re all there from time to time. God bless you. That’s so important. All of us are there from time to time. I guarantee everyone has been there. Anybody else? I really just honestly need to stop preaching at home and just start trying to show it at home. Anybody else? That’s this kind of a thing I need to work at. God bless you. God bless you. That’s good. That’s good.
Maybe you hear this morning you say, “Preacher, I can’t let that light shine through me because I’ve never let that light into my heart. I’ve never been saved before, and I need to go to Jesus Christ for my salvation. I need to let his light shine into my heart. I need to accept his death, burial, his resurrection as payment for my sin, and him to be my Savior, for him to shine through me. I need to get saved. I don’t know that heaven’s my home. I need to settle that, first of all. I need to get saved, accept him as my personal Savior.” Preacher, I need to get saved. Anybody like that this morning? Just slip your hand. “Preacher, I need to get saved.” Anybody? Just slip it up. Just slip it up. God bless you. I don’t see any hands. If that’s your situation, please let us know in the invitation time. I’d love to be a help to you.
Would you please stand? All of us, would you please stand? I’m going to ask—we did this last week. We’re not going to do this every week, but I’m going to do it last week and this week. I’m going to ask for homes and families to pray together. Something about mom and dad just maybe holding hands and dad praying together as well. Something about that. “Lord, help your light to shine brightly in our home.” Would you do that? I’m going to ask couples if you just come pray together, families to come pray together. Would you just spend some time? Lord, we want your light to shine brightly in our home. Maybe you’re single. Maybe a great time. Lord, I won’t even now to pray for my home. I’m going to have one day. Maybe you’re a teenager. Very important that you shine in the home also. God can use your teenager and shine so brightly in the home. Soul, but I think of stories where a teenager got seeking for God and it changed the whole family. It’s amazing. But would you come? We’re going to pray. Would you come and spend some time? We won’t be long at an old-fashioned altar before the Lord. Father, thank you for telling this man to go to thine own house and show how great things God hath done for thee. Help us, Lord, to obey what you said there. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Would you come? Would you come? Was our instruments play? Husbands and wives, great time for you to come here together. Everyone, singles, you bless my home, my future home. Maybe your spouse is not here. You can come pray for your home. Represent your home. That’s right. Just something about God’s people praying. Oh, that’s good. Some of you, I know your spouse would be here if they could. Have you come pray for your home? Represent your home. I want your light shining through in our home. Amen, amen.
We are to the point. Of course, her son’s 28, married and got two kids. Her daughter’s 26, been married three times, divorced. No, no, she’s single. But we’re to the point where we realized, “Hey, man, we messed up here. We should have did more of this, less of this.” And every parent in the world, you’re going to go through that. And so I say that to say, we haven’t did it, and I don’t want to act like we did everything right. But maybe—I was thinking here—just maybe one of the best things we did to influence our kids for the Lord when they were very young, we didn’t have the money, and we had to work at it. We had older—we bought and sold things a lot of times for our vacations. But we’d take vacations. A lot of times we’d go somewhere where the cell phone wouldn’t pick up. We’d just go out in the middle of nowhere and just have a lot of fun together. No preaching. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know if it really had devotion during that time, and I’m for those things, but we just went and had fun, had a ball. And our kids always loved it, looked forward to that. And I thought, “Well, you know, that made Christianity look pretty good to them,” and just showing it to them. So very, very important.
I’m glad you’re here this morning. You say, “Preacher, you’ve got to quit. You’ve already preached one minute. You’ve tried to preach another.” And I want you to come back at 6 o’clock tonight. And so make sure you’re back if it can be. We’d love to have you. Wow, I’m amazed. Miss Painter, ten days after open heart surgery, she’s in church. Wow, I tell you what. She needs four men to help her walk out of here. Carry her out. I’m teasing. She’s got to be weak. That’s amazing. She’s here, and just thrilled to see everybody here today. We’re glad you’re in the house of the Lord. What a blessing that is. And amen.
Original File: Return to thine own house - Pastor Paul Chisgar - Sunday AM 2122022