THE CHRISTIAN PERSISTENCE PT 1

The last 2 weeks we have been talking about what a biblical family looks like. For two weeks we looked at the parents of a family – the husband and the wife.

The husband and wife through marriage complete the image of God –

As God is head of the church

The husband is head of the family

Wives are to submit to the biblical spiritual authority that is placed on the husband

Husbands are to love their wives like Christ loved the church – sacrificially

Then the husband and wife continue on the Genesis path Genesis 1:28 – and be fruitful and multiply - And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Whether the be fruitful and multiply is through having their own children or adopting children needing a forever family – children are the next logical step

And today’s message is for all children regardless of gender or age

Let Us Pray!

The Christian’s Persistence

Ephesians 6:1–4

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

I. THE FAMILY—vv. 1–4

1. Respect—vv. 1–3

a. Right—v. 1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Hypakouo – hoop – ak – oo – o – to be obedient to submit, to listen wisely, harken to a command

Both male and female – both genetically connected and adopted as well as in-law, regardless of age

Both parents not just the mom, not just the dad – step-parents and adopted parents as well as in-laws

Obey in the Lord – explain this meaning – in everything not sinful or unlawful – does not go against the Will of God

Proverbs 1:8-9 – Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.

Proverbs 17:25 – A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.

Ephesians 6:1 – Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Colossians 3:20 – Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Proverbs 3:11-12 – My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Luke 2:51-52 – And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Disobedience is seen as the downfall of a society

Romans 1:29-30 – They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

2 Timothy 3:2-5 – For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Proverbs 19:26 – He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach.

Proverbs 20:20 – If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

b. Respect—v. 2. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise).

Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16 – “ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Timao – high regard for someone

This takes it beyond just obey – honor – respect your father and mother

Leviticus 19:3 – Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

Proverbs 6:20 – My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.

Proverbs 15:20 – A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

Proverbs 23:22 – Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

God takes this serious –

Deuteronomy 21:18-20, 22 – “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Deuteronomy 27:16 – “‘Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

Proverbs 10:1 – A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Proverbs 30:17 – The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

c. Reward—v. 3 – “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Remember Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

God uses same terminology in Deuteronomy 5:33 – You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

2. Right Training—v. 4 – Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

While Paul used the word – pater – here – utilizing the text and the context of the verse – both fathers and mothers – remember verse 2 - “Honor your father and mother”

Neither parent should provoke children to anger but both should bring them up in the lord –

Remember that man and woman – husband and wife come together to complete the image of God – so both should provide the disciple and the instruction

It should not be only the father exercising discipline on the child and only the mother exercising instruction on the child – as the complete the image of God through the mystery of marriage – both need to provide both

How will boys know how to be men of God is only the mom is providing instruction?

How will girls know how to behave with other girls if only the dad provides discipline?

Do not provoke – parorgizo – par org id zo – to rouse to wrath exasperate, anger – it is the same Greek word for provoke and for anger – do not anger your children with anger

Colossians 3:21 – Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

This is not Dr Spock of the 70’s

But bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord

Bring them up – ektrepho – ek tref o – to nourish up to maturity – to nurture

Discipline – paideia – pahee di ah – whole training – mind morals commands and admonitions – care for the body mind and soul – cultivates the soul

Instruction – nouthesia – noo thes ee ah – admonition exhortation and correction

Discipline includes reproof –

Proverbs 3:11-12 – My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 13:24 – Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Proverbs 29:15 – The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:15 – Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

How – in the Lord

2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

1 Corinthians 10:11 – Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

Titus 2:12 – training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

2 Timothy 2:25-26 – correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Hebrews 12:5-11 – And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Children – regardless of your age – honor your father and your mother – receive their instruction with an open mind

As the Lord disciplines and instructs – so should we as parents discipline and instruct our children as well as receiving discipline and instruction from the Lord – we too even as adults should receive it from our parents while we have them with us.