ROOTED IN CHRIST: It Starts in the Home

Nehemiah – no matter how daunting the task seemed, made up his mind that he would not be deterred, He was determined to complete the task God had given him.

Now looking with me at 2 verses in the fourth chapter of the Nehemiah, let’s begin reading with verse 14:

“And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, (Now, if you are in the habit of underlining things in your Bible, the next phrase is one of those things that I would underline) BE NOT AFRAID OF THEM:  REMEMBER THE LORD, which is great and terrible (That word terrible here is translated to mean AWESOME.  Our God is Great and Awesome!), and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

• We are talking about your homes here;
• We are talking about fighting for your families;

¹⁵ And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought (That’s another good place to underline), that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.”

Verse 15 finishes with these words – EVERY ONE UNTO HIS WORK:

• Young or old;
• Rich or poor;
• Male or female;
• Educated or uneducated.

Every single person had a job to do.  Every single person had an assignment from Jehovah God!  Every single person had a purpose, a mission to fulfill – IN THEIR GENERATION.

• I cannot accomplish anything in my Father’s generation – that is in the past;
• I cannot accomplish anything in my grandchildren’s generation – that’s in the future;
• I can only accomplish the work of God in my generation- HERE AND NOW!

The only generation that I can affect for God is my generation.  And folks, I determined long ago that in my generation, I am going to serve the Lord with the best that I have in me BY HIS PERFECT WILL.

What I want you to understand with me this morning is that every one has a work:

• EVERY WOMAN;
• EVERY MAN;
• EVERY CHILD

“Every one unto his work!”

And notice with me where it started with Nehemiah:

• It started with the family;
• It started with the home.

LIVE OUT THE GOSPEL IN YOUR HOME (Col. 3:18-21; Eph. 5:21-25)

Now turn with me Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5 and 6. What we are going to find is that this same theme is repeated in the New Testament.

In Ephesians chapter 6, we are told about how to fight the devil, the adversary.  We are taught how we are to put on the whole armor of God and be prepared for the battle ahead.

• But, before you ever get into this spiritual warefare;
• Before you ever engage the adversaries as Nehemiah did;
• And before you have to face those who oppose the work that God has given you.
• And before you can build any walls for God – You have to understand THAT IT STARTS IN THE HOME!

Colossians 3:18-21 and Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 22, and folks, if we’re going to build the walls, if we’re going to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, if we’re going to fight the enemies of God, we’ve got to start off RIGHT – IN THE FAMILY.

Verse 22 says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord;”

Nehemiah said, “We’ve got to fight for our sons; we’ve got to fight for our daughters, we’ve got to fight for our wives, we’ve got to fight for our homes, we’ve got to fight for our families!”

And here in the New Testament, we are getting the same truths: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”

Verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

• Now we can talk real spiritual about serving God;
• We can speak about doing a great work for God;
• We can talk about building the walls;

But I’m gonna tell you where the “Rubber meets the Road.”  The Rubber Meets the Road – IN THE HOME – IN THE FAMILY – IN YOUR CLOSEST RELATIONSHIPS.

And listen folks, Paul tells us here in Ephesians,

• You can forget fighting the battles against evil IF you can’t win the battle in your home;
• You can forget fighting the opposition, if you can’t win the battle in your home;
• You can forget building any walls, IF you can’t win the battle in your home!

And Nehemiah understood this and he said, “If we’re going to build this wall, everybodies got to build in front of your own house.”  And that’s how he assigned everybody “IN FRONT OF THEIR OWN HOUSE.”

• YOU build that section of wall;
• RIGHT where your family lives;
• And Fight for your wives;
• And fight for your sons;
• And fight for your daughters;
• And fight for your homes.

And the Apostle Paul says the same thing before he ever engages in Spiritual Warfare, in both Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5!

• Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands.
• Husbands, love your wives.

And then in chapter 6 and verse 1 he says, “CHILDREN, obey your parents in the Lord:

The most spiritual thing that a child can do, the most spiritual thing that our kids can do is “Obey your parents in the Lord – FOR THIS IS RIGHT.”

• Wives – Submit;
• Husbands – Love your Wives;
• Children – Obey.

All of that is spiritual.  It’s IN THE LORD. 

• It’s IN THE LORD that a wive submits;
• It’s IN THE LORD that a husband loves;
• It’s IN THE LORD that our children obey.

So building the wall starts at home.  To serve the Lord Jesus Christ – starts at home. 

Folks, there are all kinds of opportunities for people to do a work for the LORD in our society.  I look around our church and there is so much people could be doing for the LORD.  But I am going to tell you this.

• Before you can do a work for God;
• Before you can build the walls;
• Before you can fight the spiritual battles;

You’ve got to start at home!  And Nehemiah was so wise in understanding this because he knew that if we could never win the battle in our homes:

• Then we could never build the walls;
• We could never win the battles;
• We could never build a testimony;
• We could never do a work for God.

Now look at Colossians 3:20 and Ephesians 6:2 and 3, “Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;  ³ That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

You want to have long fruitful life; You want to live a great life – HONOR your father and your mother!”

• Folks, do you want a long, fruitful ministry for Christ?
• Do you want to leave behind a legacy for your kids and grandkids of building the walls for Christ?

Then Wives SUBMIT; Husbands LOVE your wives; Children OBEY and HONOR.  And folks that’s the only COMMANDMENT WITH promise “Thou mayest live long on the earth.”

• Folks, I’m going to tell you this morning what is wrong with America;
• I’m going to tell you what’s wrong with our churches;
• I’m going to tell you what’s wrong with OUR church:

We’ve tried to do all this stuff for the world, and we’ve tried to do all this stuff for the church – AND WE HAVEN’T BUILT OUR HOMES!

Homes are falling apart and Marriages are crumbling – and folks, that’s why America is falling apart.  As a society, we have even tried to redefine the family and the home.

And as much as we’d like to blame our government for the problem, I will tell you right now:

• The problem is not in the White House or the State House;
• The problem is in our house!

Folks, that’s where our country is crumbling – in our homes. And sadly, that’s where our churches are crumbling.

Man, you can look everywhere in our society today and see the family in shambles – no wonder people can’t decide which bathroom to go to!

And folks, I will tell you today that there is no Bill that’s going to pass Congress and there’s no Order going to come from the Supreme Court that’s going to fix the problem.  The only thing that will FIX the problem is:

• Wives – Submit to your Husbands;
• Husbands, Love your wives,
• Children, Obey your parents and Honor them. 

Our only hope is to HONOR this Great Commandment with PROMISE!

You see folks, the problem didn’t start in Congress and it didn’t start in the Supreme Court – it started in the HOME!  It started in our FAMILIES!  We SINNED Against God.

And Nehemiah understood that if we don’t get the family right; if we don’t get the home right; we can forget building the walls for God!

So Nehemiah says to the people:

• Get your homes right;
• Get your families right;
• Fight for your brethren;
• Fight for you sons; 
• Fight for your daughters;
• Fight for your wives; 
• Fight for your homes!

Folks, before we start trying to fix the politics in this country, and before we can fix the schools in our country, before we can begin to fix EVERYBODY ELSE’S problems, we’ve got to get things right in our own houses. The gospel is proclaimed not only from pulpits but from kitchens, living rooms, and dinner tables, seen most clearly where we live most closely.

LIVING OUT THE GOSPEL IN THE WORKPLACE (v. 22-23, Eph 6:5-8)

In Colossians 3:22–23, and Ephesians 6:5-8, Paul widens the scope of gospel living beyond the home and into the workplace, reminding believers that Christ is to be honored not only in relationships but in responsibilities. Though Paul addresses bondservants within the first-century context, the principle transcends time and culture, applying to every work relationship today—employees, employers, students, volunteers, and anyone entrusted with daily tasks.

Paul begins by addressing the manner of service, warning against “eye-service,” the kind of work done only when someone is watching, and against people-pleasing, which seeks approval rather than faithfulness. Instead, believers are called to serve with sincerity of heart, motivated by a reverent fear of God. This transforms work from mere obligation into an act of devotion, where integrity matters even when no one else sees. Paul then addresses the motive for service, commanding believers to work “as to the Lord and not to men.” When Christ is the true Master, every task, no matter how routine or unnoticed, becomes sacred. There is no biblical divide between sacred and secular work; all honest labor falls under the lordship of Christ.

Ultimately, who you work for matters far more than where you work. The searching question is whether our work ethic would change if we truly believed Jesus signed our paycheck.

LIVING OUT LIFE LIKE YOU’RE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD (v.24-25)

In Colossians 3:24–25, Paul concludes this section with a truth that is both deeply comforting and deeply sobering: Christ sees all, and Christ will reward justly. After calling believers to honor Christ in their homes and in their work, Paul lifts their eyes beyond present circumstances to eternal accountability. He reminds them that faithful service is never wasted, even when it goes unnoticed or unrewarded by others. The believer’s confidence rests in a certain reward, for our inheritance does not come from employers, institutions, or human systems, but from the Lord Himself.

Christ is not merely the object of our service; He is the Master we serve, and He alone determines the final outcome. This promise reassures those who labor faithfully in difficult or unjust situations that their obedience is seen and remembered by God. Yet Paul balances this encouragement with a warning of fair reckoning. Wrongdoing will be repaid, and God shows no favoritism: status, position, or outward success provide no exemption from His justice. Earthly injustice does not cancel heavenly justice, and delayed judgment does not mean denied judgment.

These verses call believers to live with eternal perspective, asking whether we are driven by temporary approval or eternal reward. Christ is revealed here as both a gracious Savior who promises an inheritance and a righteous Judge who holds every life accountable, urging us to live faithfully before Him in all things.

Conclusion

Colossians 3:18–25 reminds us that the Christian life is not lived in compartments but under one Lord. To be rooted in Christ means His authority reaches into our homes, shapes our work, and governs our future hope. Paul makes it clear that the gospel is not proven by what we claim on Sunday but by how we live on Monday, how we speak to our spouse, how we lead our children, how we submit to authority, how we work when no one is watching, and how we respond when life feels unfair.

Christ does not merely want to be acknowledged; He demands to be honored as Lord in every sphere of life. When Christ rules the heart, it shows up in redeemed relationships, sincere responsibilities, and a life lived with eternal accountability. Nothing done for Him is wasted, and nothing done apart from Him escapes His notice. The question before us is simple , “Is Christ truly Lord where we live and where we labor, or only where we worship?”

Invitation

Today’s passage calls for more than reflection; it calls for response. For some, the Holy Spirit may be pointing to a home that needs repentance, forgiveness, and Christ-centered restoration. For others, it may be a work life marked by shortcuts, bitterness, or people-pleasing instead of faithful service to the Lord. And for some, the deepest issue may be this: you are trying to live a Christ-honoring life without ever surrendering your life to Christ.

And for believers, this is a call to re-surrender, to say once again, “Jesus, You are Lord of my home, my work, and my future.” As we respond, may we be a people truly rooted in Christ, living out the gospel where it matters most.