Controlling the Narrative – Childhood

Pastor Danny continues the sermon series “controlling the Narrative” by taking a look at our childhood messages. Below are the sermon notes which are also available to download as a PDF document.

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Outline: Controlling the Narrative from Our Childhood

Bible Text:

Jeremiah 32:37-41

37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety.

38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 

40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

Main Point:

We need to control the narratives we received from our childhood.  

1. I) Pursue Understanding of Our Childhood Narratives

 

1. verses 28 & 29 – Judgement
   1. I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and Nebuchadnezzar to capture it … burn the city
   2. judgement on family lines: broken/painful relationships (holidays such as Thanksgiving can reveal these issues), addictions, unhealthy emotional patterns (fear, anxiety, rejection), poverty
2. verses 30-35 Causes of the judgment – Reasons for the destruction
   1. have done nothing but evil in my sight since their youth
   2. have done nothing but provoke me to anger
   3. their kings, officials, priests and prophets … they have all turned their backs on me
3. Verses 37-44 Restoration
   1. verse 37 … I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety.
   2. what are the false narratives

Common destructive narratives:

1. Performance: meet certain standards to feel good about myself. Fear of failure. Unexplained anxiety, self-critical.
   1. God’s answer: justification – Romans 8:31
2. Rejection: approved by certain others to feel good about myself, bothers me when ignored or someone is unfriendly, people pleasing
   1. God’s answer: reconciliation, sonship, bride
3. Condemnation: unworthy of love and deserve to be punished. Hard on yourself when you fail. Find yourself blaming others when they fail. Tend to focus on the failings and faults of others.
   1. God’s answer: propitiation, Romans 8:1
4. Shame: I cannot change; I am hopeless. I cannot get away from my past failures
   1. God’s answer: regeneration – Romans 6

What are some destructive narratives that you have had to deal with?

1. II) Pursue Restoration

1) God wants to restore

37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety.38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

– The people will be restored to their land, and the country will again be prosperous.  After the punishment, a godly remnant will return from exile to security.

– Romans 8:1, 31 – no condemnation – God is for us

 

2) Restoration of relationships

– verse 39 … I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever…

 

Malachi 4:6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

Practice gratefulness

– Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always and for everything to God

– it isn’t an accident you were placed in the family that you were

– we need to ask why we are in the generational line that we are

Practice Mercy and forgiveness 

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you

1. a) call for mercy not a blind acceptance of behavior
2. b) releasing judgment is not walking in denial
3. c) the law of increase: the longer a judgment is present the more it will increase in your life

Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.

– it will go well with you in that very area that you do honor/cherish your parents and vice versa

Restoration of relationship with God – That may fear always

We don’t have any say as to what is handed to us but in Christ we have the power to change the narrative.  How has God changed destructive narratives in your mind?

III) Pursue Passing on Blessing 

“…for the good of their children after them”

1) The need to correct our childhood narratives so we can pass on godly narratives.

2) Be intentional about imparting true narratives

Family Fragrance: Practical, Intentional Ways to Fill Your Home with the Aroma of Love (Otis and Gail Ledbetter)

“AROMA” acrostic:

Affection: consistent and open display of love.

Respect: holding other people in honor so they might recognize their true value.

Order: the act of managing and modeling godly leadership resulting in a refuge of calm.

Merriment: an atmosphere of enthusiasm coupled with uninhibited laughter and noise.

Affirmation: is an established, clearly held position declared as true.

In which of these areas did you see, or not see, these qualities displayed in your family of origin?

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