Untitled Sermon (5)

Hey

2nd Intro

Affordable health care

Drug addiction

Affordability of a college education

Federal budget deficit

Climate change

Economic inequality

Racism

Illegal immigration

Terrorism

Sexism

Job opportunities for Americans

1. When asked what are the biggest problems were facing today in America, this was the list that was given by a majority of Americans. If that gives you any insight as to why a majority of political conversations cover these issues, its because people care about them. In general most people believe that one or many things on this list is the countries greatest problem.

2. Now we know as Christians that the world’s greatest problem, including America is that God is Holy. And we as sinners are not. And because God is Holy we have a big issue, God must punish us. But we know that God is rich in mercy and wants to save sinners from his wrath in Hell, and that’s why Jesus Christ the second person of the trinity was sent, to be born of a virgin as a man. Live a perfect life as our substitute and die in our place taking the wrath of God for our sins. And rise from the dead victorious over sin, death, hell, and the grave. And God says if we repent of our sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved through Jesus! Not through our own efforts or good works, but totally through the sacrifice of Jesus alone. That’s America’s greatest problem and the greatest solution wrapped in one. We know that.

a. But I think in Americas there is another big problem, one almost just as serious, one that is causing all sorts of issues and we’re just now starting to see the fruit of it.

b.

1. There is no doubt today in America that we are having an epidemic of families in crisis.

a. Teen suicide is up, more than it has ever been. It’s the second leading cause of death among young people ages 14-25. Suicide is up in general.

b. Marriages are failing, babies are being born to couples not married, same sex couples.

c. In 1960 %95 of of the babies born were to couples, one man, one woman who were married. Today only about %64 percent of babies born are to couples one man, and one women, who are married. (pew research)

d. Statistics say that 1 out of every 4 US children are growing up in a home without a father. That’s 18.3 million kids.

2. There are a lot of families that are broken, hurting, in sin, and in desperate need of the gospel of Jesus. That’s an issue, a big issue.

3. But I believe that one of the biggest issues we have today is not in the homes of unbelievers but in the homes of Christian families. And that is the lack of Biblical, loving discipleship happening in the home.

a. You see you and I can’t control what is happening in the homes of unbelievers, but we can control what happens in our homes. And I really believe that the biggest problem facing Christian homes, is a lack of understanding the necessity to teach our children diligently, the truths of the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and applying it. I’ll tell you why I believe this.

1. Because the Bible says so. The Bible puts great emphasis on parents teaching their children. We will be walking through that soon.

ii. I have not been in ministry very long, three years in December. But I have been in the church most of my life, and within the last 5 years counting my time in ministry I have had close to 1000 conversations about Biblical Truths with adults and people my age or younger who claim to be Christians. Middle schoolers, high schoolers, college, and beyond. And what I found is that %98 of the students I have talked to, self-proclaimed Christians, do not know even the most basic of Biblical doctrine, the most basic elements of the gospel. They do not know theology. And these are students that claim their parents are Christians, raised in a Christian household, and go to church, or at least used to.

iii. You see we have all heard the statistics, about youth leaving the church after graduation. As a matter of fact, the Southern Baptist Convention stated that it believed that 70-88% of their youth were leaving after their freshman year in college. That was back in 2019, pre-pandemic. Can only imagine it might be worse.

b. Why is this happening? Why are Christian kids believing that genders are fluid? Why do students and young adults today who attend church believe that Jesus is not the only way to god?

i. Probe ministries conducted a Survey found that %60 of Christian young people, self-identified “Born again Chrisitans” aged 18-39 do not believe that Jesus is the only way to God.

c. We have these statistics been consistent and growing for decades now. Why do we keep asking the question but not finding out the answer. I believe we don’t want the answer because the answer is hard to accept. And I believe that answer has been in front of our face in the Bible, that We are not teaching our kids diligently. We are not discipling them in our homes, teaching them sound truth, biblical doctrine, good and rich theology. We are too busy trying to build a kingdom on earth, make enough money to live the American dream, and more often than not the first sacrifice we make in our lives to accomplish our careers and dreams we is our children!

i. So, I want to dive into the Bible, and see what is God’s prescribed method for teaching our Kids. And not just the command, but the means to accomplish the command, and the amount of effort it takes to accomplish this command. How can we today, start reshaping our families and discipling our kids, so that they are grounded in truth, that they love Jesus, and they can stand up against this deceitful culture and all its propaganda. And live obedient lives to Jesus.

ii.

1. Deu 6:4-9

2. Deu 11:1-7; 19-21;

3. Deu 32:46-47

Deuteronomy Background:

1. Moses wrote Deuteronomy, it makes that claim in chapter 1. And the book of Deuteronomy covers the last month of the life of Moses before he dies and the Israelites under the command of Joshua go in and take the promised land. At the current moment when this was written and read before all Israel, Israel was camped out in the plains of Moab according to Numbers 36:16. They are just west over the Jordan river of the promised land. And The Israelites had just spent the last 40 years in the desert due to the disobedience and hardness of their parents’ hearts. Think back to Exodus and Numbers. After God had rescued them from Egypt, the nation gets close to the land flowing with milk and honey. And remember they send out spies to scope out the land. And the spies come back along with Joshua and Caleb and report how the people who occupy the land will kill us! We won’t be able to win, they make us look like grasshoppers, we will surely die. And so the people lost heart and didn’t want to go fight. And because the people did not believe that the Lord could provide for them the land and help them take it, he banished them into the desert for 40 years. And anyone older than 20 years old according to Numbers 32:10 could not enter the land except Joshua and Caleb. They were sentenced to die in the wilderness. And God gives them a dose of irony. Before they knew God was going to punish them, after the report came in, they complained and cried that their children would die in the wilderness, because they did not believe they could win the fight, and they knew they couldn’t go back to Egypt, so they believed they would all die in the wilderness. They got one thing right, they would die, but not their children. Their children would live. God said this in numbers 14:31, “But your little ones, who you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.” That’s important remember that.

2. 40 years have now passed, and every parent that was disobedient and did not believe the Lord is now dead and gone, buried in the desert. Moses is the last one to die before they can enter the land. Moses says, “But I must die in this land, I must not cross over the Jordan; but you shall cross over and possess that good land deu. 4:22. And just weeks away from taking the land, the people receive the book of Deuteronomy. Now we’re caught up.

3. So the people are camped out in Moab, just west over the Jordan river which feeds into the dead sea…

4. And Moses speaks to the people the words of God.

a. The first 4 chapters are a historical account of what God had done in order to get the people where they are now. Talks about their rebellion and how the Lord provided and was merciful.

b. Chapters 5 through 11 are laws and commands given by God for his people to follow and be in right relationship with him

c. 12-28 are rules for living in the new land, along with the blessing for obeying and the curses for disobeying.

d. 29-30 is the covenant renewed with the Israelites who are entering the land.

i. Reminding them of the idols they saw in the land of Egypt, and to not worship those. Speaks of the blessings of returning to the Lord when he curses you and the words of this covenant come to your mind and remind you of what God has said.

e. 31-32 is the final words of Moses, 32 being a song.

f. 33 is his blessing to them

g. And 34 is his death.

5. This is what’s taking place, And one of the main components of Deuteronomy is the responsibility that parents have to their children as commanded by God. This is not by accident. God is putting emphasis on this for a reason. The children at the time of the exodus are now grown, and it was their parents that rebelled. So of course, the Lord is going to spend a lot of time setting them straight, and it was a good generation to do that because they saw the mistakes of their parents, and the consequences that came from it and you would think they would not want to do the same. So He has a lot to say about their parenting, which in turn teaches us how to parent. And he begins with commanding the Israelites to

How do we teach them diligently?

EXAMPLE: I have seen godly men, take more time to invest and disciple someone else over their own kids. I’ve seen men spend hours every week with other men teaching and discipling them but leaving their son to fend for himself. That isn’t right…

#1 Teach Them Diligently 6:4-7

1. What is God commanding them to teach?

a. Verse 1-3 tells us. It’s verse 1 “the statutes and judgements which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you”. . . verse 3 “To keep all his statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson.”

i. 7, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons (children).

b. That word in the Hebrew means to sharpen. It is the word they would use referring to the sharpening a tool, a spear, a knife, something sharp to have an edge. And when it’s in this context it’s incredible. You see when a warrior would make something like a spear or a sharp edge to kill something he would have to take his time and carve the sharp edge of the blade. It needed to be pointed to pierce, but it also had to be strong. So you had to choose the right material, and you had to take your time in forming the blade. This is a perfect word picture for teaching your kids. You’re trying to make them sharp in God’s Word. And it’s not going to be easy. You must take your time, and sometimes you have to be gentle, and other times you have to beat it into the right shape. But you are making the same moves over and over. You are continually to teach these things to your children. Just like someone who continually sharpens a blade. And then it is used and what do they have to do regularly? GO back and sharpen them.

i. And this is a daily process. The word diligently is written in a tense to suggest repeatedly, some of your translations will have that word. Repeat them to your children.

1. And the Lord makes this clear when he says in verse 7, “you 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.”

ii. In every moment of your daily life, be looking for opportunities to teach your children the precepts, laws, and doctrines of God.

1. And it takes time, this isn’t a quick fix process. It’s a repetitious and theologically deep process of teaching them BIBLCIAL KNOWLEDGE. Opening the Bible and walking through it with them and challenging them. I was counseling a student a few years back and this student was struggling with depression and suicide. And my first session I started with who is God. Because she didn’t have an understanding of God. The next session her parents came to me and said we don’t want her to hear that, we just want you to help us give her some breathing exercises or something to help her calm down or feel happy when she has those bad feelings…..

2. Maybe count to 10 and release the bad emotions. Just something to help cope with it. What did they really want? They just wanted a quick fix. They didn’t want to really deal with the problem, because that would take real work. They wanted like American culture always wants, something quick and easy!

a. Teaching your kids theology, and Biblical truth, rich doctrines like God’s immutability, his sovereignty, his justice, and much much more isn’t a quick thing! It takes time! And years of forming their lives! And I know some parents hear that and say I don’t know that, nor do I have the time to get to know it or teach it!

1. If you don’t have enough time to learn Biblical truth, sound theology and doctrine. And if you don’t have enough time to then teach it to your children. Then your priorities are completely backwards, and you need to get rid of something. Because something is seriously wrong. This isn’t an option for a believer, this is a command! And how can you say you love your kids but you aren’t willing to sacrifice money, or your hobbies, in order to teach them, spend time with them, love them! Show them Jesus in your life!

a. You can’t teach them something you don’t know, which is why you have to be prepared as well. Look at 6:20

b. He says in chapter 6:20 “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;

1. You have to be prepared as a parent to teach them.

a. What if the child in this scenario comes up and says, hey dad what does this mean? Why is this Bible verse on at our church, why do we have this hanging up in our home.

b. What if you respond… I don’t know. You have to know God and His Word and be ready and regularly teaching them!

c. This isn’t just OT!

d. Matthew 21 when Jesus is riding in and the people are screaming Hosanna. Matthew notes that the children, meaning the youth who are below the age of pueberty, were also “shouting hosanna to the Son of David!” And the pharisees get upset and ask Jesus how he could let them to that, they say, “Do you hear what the children are saying? And Jesus replied “Yes have you never read: You have prepared praise from the mouths of infants and nursing babies?” How do young children praise Jesus Christ if they do not know about him and someone doesn’t teach them!?

e. Ephesians 6:1, “Children obey your parents in the Lord because this is right”

i. I know parents love this verse. But the problem is kids won’t obey the Lord unless they have knowledge in their heads and their hearts of him! He said in the Lord! Could it be the reason your kids do not obey you is because they do not have understanding of the great truths of God from the Bible because you haven’t been or never have taught them, and modeled it for them and therefore they do not have the love of God in them to want to motivate them to obey you because they aren’t obeying the Lord because they don’t know him! They do not know about his omniscience, his omnipresence, his omnipotence, his immutability, his hatred of sin, his wrath against sinners, his love for them as well, and his mercy in Jesus, and much more!

f. Ephesians 6:4 bring up your children in the training and instruction of the Lord! That’s the whole Bible, including Deuteronomy!

i.

2. This is daily. Verse 7

a. What do you do every day? You talk, you sit down, you walk, you lie down, and you get up. That’s in the morning, at breakfast, when you’re doing chores, at lunch, when you’re having family time, at dinner, and night night time. It’s all day every day.

b. My wife when she gets into a cleaning rhythm she can’t stop. I’ll see her clean, and I’ll do some things but there are some things I am not allowed to do. My jobs are mowing, trash duty, grocery shopping, vehicle maintenance, and vacuuming sometimes. Then she’ll get to the point of being tired and I can tell. And I’ll say, Hayley come sit down and take a break. This is what she replies to me almost every time, “Can’t stop won’t stop.” From some meme or song we probably heard in high school. And she won’t stop even to the detriment of our plans. We could have a scheduled meeting with the president and if she is in a cleaning mode, I know we are going to miss it.

i. But this is the attitude we should have when it comes to teaching and raising our kids. It doesn’t matter if everyone else says, “Why are you doing that? You should just let them grow up and worry about that stuff later. Why don’t you just Let the church take care of that that’s what they’re for. Or pay for a teacher, Or you should focus on your career. Or the state says give them to me we want your kids! Let us raise them! We should say no way I am going to raise my kids in the Lord! And I am going to do it daily! Myself! Not going to throw the responsibility on the Sunday school teacher, or the middle school minister, or the youth minister, or anyone else. They can help but it is my job and I will do it!

c. Since the 19th and 20th century’s when school laws become mandatory, most of the world taught their kids at home. I am not making a statement about homeschool or public school yet, I am stating a fact and wanting you to think about this. Think about it, why has the culture and feminisim, which I believe has Satan all over has tried so hard to convince our society, the nation of the United States, that both parents have to work in order to live the American dream, and to be a real woman you need to have a career. It’s because he knows that the Bible places the responsibility on parents to teach their kids Biblical truth, and he wants them as far away as possible from the life of their kids because of that! And if he can get parents to have only 3-2 hours of the day with their kids, and the schools and programs to take the other 14, he knows he wins! If the culture is pushing it, it should make you stop and think. Because usually what the culture pushing and wants, is the opposite of what God’s Word says is right.

i. I am not saying the public school is sinful, and if your kids are in public school then that’s wrong. No!

1. What I am saying is this. Your responsibility is to your kids commanded by God. MAYBE SAY THIS We’ll cover this in the next point, but the most critical years of a child are the first 5. WE should be making efforts to teach our kids and love them, and if we have or can make ourselves have the ability we need to raise them and not sending them off to 6 days a weekday care for someone else. You are to make disciples out of them. And there are many parents who have successfully done that sending their kids to public school, because they were diligent in teaching them. But understand this, if it’s not here already there will be a time when Christians are going to have to refuse to send their kids to the schools. Many of them are Satan’s boot camp to indoctrinate the youth and lead them down a path of destruction.

a. And many parents are watching their kids in real time be devoured by the world, by spending 8+ hours a day 174 days of out the year within the arms of the world. And then summer break hits and they are at home alone because mom and day work. And by the time they hit 18 they leave your home and leave the church and we all sit back, scratch our heads, and wonder why they turned out the way they did. It’s because we gave them right over to Satan, and did not take our responsibility to teach them, love them, and model discipleship for them seriously.

ii. All Christians should say no way, God gave them to me, and I’m going to teach them, I can’t stop won’t stop raising my kids in God’s Word and teaching them about Jesus and all his commands! I’ll make the best effort to put them in a school that is good, even if I have to move, or I will homeschool them. I will take seriously my responsibility to teach them diligently! To sharpen them!

3. This was the command of God given to his people by Moses, and as an extension given to us today.

Teach them diligently

#2 Start While They’re Young

1. Turn to chapter 11:1-3; 7, 18

a. Who was it that saw all the mighty deeds of God when they were being freed from the bondage of Egypt? It was the children of the parents that disobeyed and were refused by God to enter the promised land. Those kids were the ones that saw everything. Let’s do some math real quick.

i. This is the last month of the life of Moses. The people of God have been wandering for 40 years in the desert thanks to the rebellion of their parents. And now all of them are dead.

ii. That means, that the children who saw God perform miracles and rescue them and their parents 40 years ago, they are now in their forties and 50s. The youngest would be 41, and the oldest would be 59, give or take. The entire tribe! Because remember back in numbers 36 only those 20 or younger could enter the land.

b. God says in verse 2, 2 Know today that I do not speak with your children, who have not known and who have not seen the chastening of the Lord your God, His greatness and His mighty hand and His outstretched arm—3 His signs and His acts which He did in the midst of Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to all his land

i. Who has not seen all that God has done? The young kids who have been born in the desert with their parents now! They didn’t see these things. Why not? Because they weren’t born yet. And so who has the responsibility of teaching it to them? The parents who saw it happen! Verse 18-19, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

2. Hang with me on this, because it might be a dozy.

a. God is expecting the parents who were young kids and teenagers back then during the time in Egypt, to teach their kids all that they have seen, including the commands. What does that mean? It means that kids aren’t dumb and can learn and be challenged with deep ideas and deep truth from the Bible! And it’s not just that they can, but they must be taught.

i. How in the world did I get that from those verses? Because the parents now were kids back then. Some of them as young as toddlers! And I know this because the Lord has been commanding them in these passages we read to teach their kids, that’s the Hebrew word for young children before the age of puberty.

ii. How old are the parents that were teens in Egypt? In their 50’s. How old are the parents who were below the age of puberty? In their 40’s! They were young kids, even toddlers in Egypt. And they were expected by God to recall what they had learned from their parents, and recall the events that took place in Egypt, and then teach it to their kids! Hebrew word, young kids, they have toddlers, babies, and kids below puberty now. They are to teach them!

1. Kids aren’t dumb! And think about what the parents were expected to recall as kids, and then teach their kids!

b. All the plagues! And the understanding behind them, how Egypt had worshiped false gods including the Nile, frogs, the sun, and others. The hail that killed many people and animals, and the death angel that passed over all those who put the blood on their doorposts! How God spared those who trusted in the blood!

c. The red sea, and its parting, how they walked on dry ground. The Egyptians that chased in after them and were swallowed up by the Lord! The ten commandments that Moses received on Mt Sinai, the golden calf and the rebellion of their grandparent’s committing idolatry and immorality. The rebellion to trust the Lord for the land. All of that!

i. The young kids were expected to remember that, and now as parents they were expected to teach all of that. Including all the commands that the Lord was to give them in Deuteronomy!

3. Your kids aren’t dumb! And they need to be challenged!

a. The common argument is, they are just young kids, that is too much for them, they need to just be concerned with having fun and being a kid, they can’t handle those things! Pssht! They can memorize whole episodes of Bluey, they can build whole Lego cities, they can out control you on your own phone, most of them are teaching you by age 5 how to work technology, they are memorizing songs, games, all sorts of things so they can learn Godly things!

i. Its like every waking moment of a young kids life is proving to their parents that they are not stupid! They memorize songs, books, crazy facts, they repeat to you whole sentences that you didn’t think they understood or that they were listening! They are smart!

1. And what are we doing during those formative years!? We are giving them tablets, and tv shows that are rotting their brains and taking the critical years of their life and wasting it! We are allowing Satan and his schemes to steal the golden years of our children, and raise them for us! No way.

a. Did you know the first 5 years of a child’s life are those most critical years in learning.

2. “The science is clear. From the time a child is born, he or she is learning every waking moment. In fact, babies and toddlers are either learning or sleeping. And between birth to age 5, a child learns at a speed unmatched the rest of his or her life! It is during these years – when more than 85 percent of a child’s brain is formed – that crucial brain connections are created. These connections help develop indispensable academic, social and cognitive skills, which are the basis for learning.” (readingfoundation.org)

3. Unicef works with the UN in over 190 countries, committed to protecting rights of children.

4. DR. Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D.: Or people would think about learning in preparation for school, people would say, "Well, so...The year before you start school we should make sure that a child is oriented towards learning." Learning doesn't begin then, learning starts in infancy. Babies are learning all the time. So I think that's the most important message about the early childhood years is there's a lot going on inside that little head right from the moment of birth. And we need to understand it, we need to respect it, we need to understand how much what happens early on can affect things later on. (Unicef.org)

5. And we know this! We have all heard how important it is to talk to your baby inside the womb, to read. Because learning starts there! Even before they are born! We have all said at one point, I wish my parents would have taught me another language when I was young. Do you know how are it is to learn a language, and we wish that we were taught while we were young, toddlers. Why would we want that if kids are dumb, its because we know they are not, they can learn. Psalm 78:1-6

6. There is records from the time of the life of Jesus of an old Jewish saying about parenting and raising children in the Word of God it goes like this, “A child sucks in knowledge of the Torah at the Mother’s breast.”

a. They knew, that God determined that instruction of his word to a child was to begin at infancy! And they determined to teach them the torah beginning then!

7. Because of Deuteronomy, Jewish kids were taught from their moms. By age 10 they were expected to learn and memorize the entire torah!

ii. We have to start while they’re young. And determine to teach them, challenge them. And raise them well. God’s Word says it! He’s the one who created us and he knows us best, we are to teach them from birth on.

b. Why? Verse 9, “that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants

i. Implication: If you or your children to not obey me, then I will be forced to judge them in the land. But if they do, then they will prolong their days.

ii. How can the children obey the Lord if their parents do not teach them.

4. Listen we must understand the importance of this more than anyone as Christians. Because we are living in a time, even Christians in the church, where parenting has become too much of a hassle, and we will use any means necessary to push that burden onto something or someone else to give us relief of the task in front of us.

5. These are taken from Global News, and National Public Radio Organization

a. %98. The number of families in the country that have a smartphone or tablet available to their children 8 years old and younger.

b. %42 percent of young children have their own tablet or device.

c. %49 percent use those, use their deceives for an hour before bedtime.

d. When you add up all screen time in their life, children under 8 watch approximately 2:20 min of something on a screen a day.

e. A Study done in 2016 at the university of Michigan found that parents are more likely, that’s over half of parents, are more likely to give a child a device to calm them down during temper tantrums, then any other solution.

1. What happened to taking the time to correct your child. To lovingly explain to them why they are being disciplined. To sacrifice our comfort and really pay attention to them. To avoid the temptation of handing them your phone because you want a quick fix of a solution just because you need the peace and quiet. Isn’t the development, isn’t the spiritual need of our kids more important than worrying about all the people looking at you in the restaurant?

f. You don’t know how negatively these things are impacting our kids. They need invested parents. They need moms and dads that are disciple makers. They need that. And they need it from day one.

i. I want to correct a misconception because I believe this is important.

1. We have this idea in American Christianity, that we can and are fulfilling this command to teach them diligently and start while they’re young because we are bringing them to church.

a. Let me be clear. Bring them to Church, show them how important church is and gathering with God’s people. And don’t give them conflicting messages with that. Explain to them why church is important, and why Jesus loves the church so much that he died for her. And don’t say that in one breathe but then skip it anytime for your sporting events… That’s a conflicting message. That teaches that sports is more important. But bring them to church. But that is not fulfilling the command to teach them diligently, to make them into disciples of Jesus Christ.

i. You see I fear that even at Crossway, we have fallen for the ruse, a trick, a lie, that the most important thing a parent can do for their children is provide for them a good life. Make sure they are clothes, have food, and a good education.

b. The most important thing you can do for your child is to love Jesus yourself and teach them to do the same.

i. And you do that by explaining the Bible to them. Seeking to learn yourself. Living it out in front of them 24/7. That’s God’s prescribed method for raising kids. And to start while they’re young.

ii. Don’t hand them off on Wednesdays and Sundays and check the box off of discipling your kids. That isn’t it. The responsibility isn’t on the church, its on parents. We are here to help, but not take over. The primary discipleship by far comes from Dad and Mom.

c. And yes, it’s a lot of work. But it’s worth it.

Teach them daily

Start while they’re young

#3 Take Scripture to Heart

1. Deuteronomy 32:46-47 These really are the final words of Moses. And it comes in the form of a song. You see chapter 32 is a song written by Moses for the people to remember and cause them to observe everything that Moses had commanded. “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”

2. These are the final charges of Moses to the people of God. And within that final call he makes sure to mention the command to teach their kids to observe these things, all the words of the law. Do you see how important and vital this is in God’s eyes. Basically, the beginning of the book and the end are captured by teaching your kids.

a. *Set your hearts.* What does that mean? It means to determine in your heart, meaning your mind, determine, set your heart on the importance of the scripture. Another translation is place. Place your heart on scripture, the Words of God.

b. The heart is the seat, emotions, and thoughts of a person. It is the real you. And the Bible says the heart is wicked. But when God saves you, he changes your heart. You still have the flesh and still sin, but now your heart has been changed in Jesus Christ! And you must determine to place your heart, meaning your life, all that you are on the rock, the foundation of God’s word! Jesus said if any man hears my words and does them he is like a wise man who builds his house on the rock.

i. That means that you listen to the Word of Jesus, the word of God and you allow it to take hold of everything you are.

ii. How do you do that? How do I set my heart on Scripture? On Jesus!?

1. Read the Word daily!

iii. You think about Jesus! Listen the whole Bible is about him, the Holy Spirit was sent to testify about Him. God the Father gave all authority to Him. Every shadow and picture in the OT pointed to Him. Every apostle and Christian martyr died for Him! It’s all about Jesus! You say what about the Israelites, they didn’t know about Jesus? No but they knew that someone was coming! And they knew that God had saved them from Egypt, and that because of his demonstration they were trusting him to save them from their sin.

iv. Today though we know who was sent to save us. And we think about him! And every doctrine and truth bring us closer to Him! And our understanding of our own sin, and his payment for them as our substitute, it gives us gratitude and motivates our worship of Him. And obedience of Him, and discipling our kids and others for Him, and witnessing for Him.

c. You can’t rightly teach them diligently if your teaching isn’t focused and centered around Jesus Christ! And you can’t do it if you haven’t taken that to heart!

i. What does it mean to take it to heart?

d. Has he really changed your life? Have you really understood what he has done for you in averting the wrath of God onto himself, so that you could go free?? Have you understood, and does that understanding shape how you act and what you do in every area of your life? Does he come out in everyday conversations? At the table, with friends? Have you taken all that God has revealed to you in your heart?

e. And do your kids see it!? If you mentioned the name of Jesus, would your family say I know that’s real, because my mom or my dad they really love Jesus, I can see it! They talk to me about him regularly, they pray with me!

i. Or is it weird now? If you were to talk about Biblical things would your family feel strange, because it’s not normal. Listen. You won’t do any of these things unless you take it to heart.

f. I think it’s helpful to use another example to understand this. We take other things to heart very easily.

i. I am passionate about daily wire, because I enjoy listening to them. But I have talked to people about it, why? Because I have centered a lot of my time around it, and it becomes something I have taken to heart.

3. Let me tell you how important it is to take the scripture to heart.

4. If you don’t, do you know what kind of kids you’ll produce. You’ll produce legalistic kids. And I have met these kids. They’re parents teach them diligently, and even while they were young. But their kids grow up and they hate God, and the church, and their parents. Why? Because their parents just taught them to be legalists, everything was harsh. And their parents didn’t even obey most of it, they were hypocrites, there was no love in their teaching. Jesus didn’t mean anything to them. And the kids saw right through it, it was just a bunch of dos and don’ts without the whys present. It was a process to produce conservative Christian moralists. We need more patriots. And the kids could see that mom and dad didn’t take these things to heart, so why would they!?

a. Take the truth of God’s word. To heart. Let it impact every area of your life. When you sin, apologize to them. When you’re mean to your wife or husband. Apologize to them, then go to your kids as well and say, “Dad was mean to your mom, because your dad is a sinner just like you. And he sometimes lets his flesh take over. But daddy is thankful for Jesus, that he paid for his sins, and that Jesus forgives him! And I apologized to mom and she forgave me, and I wanted to apologize to you because you saw it and that wasn’t right. Will you forgive your dad!”

i. Let them see that Jesus has changed your life!

b. Moses gives his reason for doing this. In verse 47, “For it is not a futile thig for you, because it is your life.” Referring to God’s Word.

c. It is your life. In other words, take the Bible to heart, or die. It’s that important.

End Story: Growing up I heard my parents and grandparents repeat some things to me over the years. Some of the common ones were I love you which I am grateful for. Work hard. Okay, just quit asking me! And where have you been? But another common one that I heard in different ways not only from my parents but from everyone else’s parents, was “I just want my kids to have a good life and be taken care of.” As a matter of fact, my grandfather told me before he died a few years ago, that the most important thing I can do is try and put 10,000 dollars away a year for retirement in a good IRA account. Those were his last words to me. I know he meant well. He wanted what was best for me in his mind.

1. I think that is one of the most common things parents want for their kids. They want them to have a good life. Seriously, there are not many parents that want bad things for their kids. You want them to have a full and satisfying life. TO be safe, find a good spouse. You want them to be taken care of and have a good job. I get it. But Moses said to the People, and God is the one who is the author of the Bible so God said, “These words are not meaningless to you, but they are your life.”

2. Christian parents. The Word of God is life, because it reveals Jesus Christ! And the Word of God is the life of your children. It is much better than sports, and games, and food, and comfort, and clothes, and education. The Word of God is life. Therefore, give your kids the richest life you can, and teach them the Word of God, diligently. Daily, while they are young until they are old, and take the things of God to heart, to your inner most being, they will see it. And you’ll see the old proverb be true, “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

I know there are many parents who while I preached this could only think of the fact that they are falling short in this area. But now during my prayer, let them think of and dwell upon the fact that grace is abundant in your Son Jesus. That as believers their sins in life and in parenting are removed, and let them cry and weep for their sins and failures, but don’t let them stay there. Let them remember your grace, ask for forgiveness knowing you will grant it, and give them strength to pick up their heads, and begin to fulfill the hard but yet wonderful work of teaching their children diligently. Let me decide to make hard choices maybe even sacrifices to make sure that it done. To spend time with their kids, and to love them with the truth.

Anyone who does not know you, maybe had rough parents and has been running from you for a long time because of that. Let them know that you are a good father, and those who trust in your son become children of yours. And you will never wrong any of them, but rather seek to make us like Jesus, and grow us in our faith and understanding of you. Draw them tonight, to be saved.