Doorpost Living
Stand Alone: Shema • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro: Flat Stanley (Flat Jesus)
If you have your Bibles, go ahead and read them. Go ahead and grab them. We're going to be in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. This is what the Jews would have called the Shema.
It was how they understood God growing hearts towards himself. I want to make a statement before we get to far this morning. If you are a parent, you are making disciples.
You don't get to go, well, you know what, I'm a parent, but I'm not really going to make a disciple. You may think that is my job, but you are in fact discipling them.
You see this all the time. Like a four year old run up and say something absurd like Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU. You know that their parents are discipling them, right?
I call it abuse, but whatever. What happens in that moment is you have discipled your children. Okay, unfair example maybe, but there is a point to what I am saying.
Every time your child does something that you do, you see that you've made a disciple. When they talk like you, act like you, and mimic you, right?
We have all had that moment of crisis where our kid just acted like us and we went, 'oh no', right? They're literally doing what I do. That's making disciples.
For teachers, it’s the same for you too. You teach these kids and put all the information in their minds, and even how to do things a certain way. Illus: Teaching Jonah and Abigail math. (You’re doing it wrong!)
The question is not, the argument is not, are you making disciples, but rather what are you discipling them towards?
That's always the question because as a parent and teacher, you are discipling your children. You're shaping how they see the world. You're shaping how they interact with that world.
You have created for them what successes and failures are. You have done that. You have said, this is the win in or this is the loss. You do that.
Whether you know you're doing it or not, you have said to your children, this is what's important and this is what's not important.
Regardless of how old your kid is. You are discipling them. You are doing just that. You're saying to your family, this is what we value, and this is what we do not value.
The Shema is actually quoted by Jesus in the New Testament when a group of men ask him, what's the greatest commandment? What does it really mean to follow the Lord?
He quotes the Shema. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. You should love your neighbor as yourself.
The second command is like the first. They're tied together. The Shema is deep with meaning. So, let’s take a moment to look at it together. Read: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and 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.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
There are powerful words right off the bat. Read: Deuteronomy 6:5-6
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
That is what it means to be a Christian. This is what applies to us who are parents, and influencers of kids.
This is a stunning pronouncement of how and what it looks like to follow God. Now let me say this as best I can. We are not thinking beings, and I know that sounds off.
What I mean by that is your life is not marked by what you think is right and wrong. Your life is marked by what you love. We are primarily lovers and worshipers.
We can say with our mouth all we want about what we value and what we treasure and stand for. But when all said and done, you are a person driven by your loves.
This is universally true. This is why Jesus says where your treasure is, there's your heart.
You want to know what you really value, what you really love. Look at what you spend your money on. It's our hearts and our loves that drive us.
That's why Jesus' command, the command of God coming down to the people of God, is not do these things', but rather work on growing a love relationship with me.
Because if you love me with all your heart, all your soul, all your might, then all of the rest of that takes care of itself.
So that's what the Christian does: give themselves over to the filling of their lives, the things that stir their affections for Jesus.
What is it that stirs my affections for Jesus? And what is it that robs me of that affection? Those are two very important questions we should ask ourselves today.
If we've got any shot of discipling our children, and what ultimately will matter, it starts with us being serious about a growing love relationship with God, right?
Secondly, I want you to see what we find in verse 7. Read: Deuteronomy 6:7 Now we shift to the children themselves.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and 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.
You're teaching them a love for the Lord. You can't make them love the Lord, but you are model it for them.
Create what it looks like to love the Lord so that you're not just church goers, but your home is shaped by this God that you say you love, right? Now we move our focus to verse 9. Read: Deuteronomy 6:9
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
This is where we will spend the rest of our time today. This is the focus of outward missional living, where the world sees that we value and treasure Christ in a way that's compelling.
It's on our doorpost. It's on our gates. People know that we're the weirdo religious people that are not just church goers, but we've been transformed by something.
We're talking about time, moments, and milestones, creating intentional time built into the rhythm of the family's life for the purpose of thinking about, talking about, and living out the gospel.
This is something we must be intentional about. It is going to look different for every family, and it will look different for those who are influencers of kids.
The one part that is the same for us all is that we are called to do it. And note we are called to do it consistently.
What I mean by consistency is it's not a one-time conversation where we check the box, right? We don't have one spiritual conversation with our children.
But it's consistent in we keep bringing it up. We keep having conversations. Look for clarity and ask open-ended questions. We want to know if they get it.
If there is one thing that I can express to all adults here when it comes to kids, be genuine. You don't want to manipulate them with the Bible or try to control them with religion.
We want there to never be a doubt that we love them and that we're for them. We want to love the kid we have, not the one we want. Right?
You know, some kids, they're optimists and everything's always awesome. They're kind of Tigger. And then some are like Eeyore. I knew it was going to rain today.
They're more like Eeyore. And you don't ask Eeyore to be Tigger, and you don't ask Tigger to be Eeyore. You love the kid you have, not the one you want. Right?
You engage them where they are. You love them. And so, they might not agree with you, but there shouldn't be any doubt in their minds that you see them and that you love them.
And we’ll end today talking about milestones. Milestones are marking and making, celebrating and commemorating milestones of God's work in the life of the family and child.
Number one, let's talk about marking. Marking. God has wired us to be people that remember. I just think this will be a universal experience for everyone in the room.
If you ever go out with a group of your friends, or you ever go out with a group of family members. Every single time you get together at some point it will devolve into storytelling.
Right? And as soon as somebody starts to tell the story, then you can just see other people go, uh-huh, just waiting for them to finish so they can throw their story out there.
And then it just becomes, hey, remember that time? Or hey, one time I was, we are a storytelling people. Most of the stories are crazily embellished and different every time they’re told.
We're a storytelling people. We remember, and yet one of the pieces of evidence that not all is well in our hearts is what we choose to forget how it might have actually gone down.
The people of God throughout the scriptures and throughout history are very quick to forget how good God has been to them historically.
And so, God will deliver. He will save. He will make a way. He will invade dark spaces and drag into the light. He will show up and support and build up and enable and empower us.
And then what will happen is we'll hit another storm. We'll hit another low point. And then all of a sudden, we feel like God's abandoned us and that He betrayed us.
And we just knew he would eventually do this because we don't have a consistent quiet time. And we knew, right? That's where we go. We go to the dark place.
We're prone to forget the goodness of God. And when we're talking about marking, we're talking about remembering and building things into our lives that enable us to remember.
Let me show you one place this happens biblically. Read: Exodus 12:24-27 And then later on, when the people of Israel cross the Jordan River, now they're in the promised land.
24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.
25 And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.
26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’
27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’ ” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
God commands a man from each of the 12 tribes to grab a stone on the other side of the Jordan River. Why? This was so they might look and remember.
When the rough times came, they could look back to see what God already accomplished, that God longs to anchor us to himself, his goodness and grace, to fortify us in the day of trouble.
As we live in this space in between what Christ has purchased for us and the fulfillment in the return of Christ or our death, we remember.
We're anchored in the truth of God's goodness in our lives by building milestones that enable us to remember; this is what marking is all about.
And so for our kids, we're looking for those moments that are probably more significant moments than the smaller moments.
So, let me give some examples: when your child is baptized, that's a pretty big milestone. We want to commemorate that, and we want to celebrate that.
Your kid's first Bible, their first communion, right? Those kinds of things, those kinds of spiritual highlights, we want to mark those things. We want to commemorate them.
We want to write some things into our lives, so they'll never forget all that God did to get them to that point. We want to figure out a way to celebrate that.
It doesn't have to be complex. It can be taking them out to dinner. It can be buying them a gift. It can be a trip.
That's what I mean by milestones, setting a marker down in a way that the mind is informed, and the heart is stirred up. From here we move into making.
And when we talk about making, here's what we're talking about. Marking is looking back, making is looking ahead. And again, this idea of kids needs something to aim for, right?
What's the next step? How should I be growing? And again, I think this is stuff you're already doing, right? Every time you say to your son, 'Hold the door for your sisters,' you're doing a making.
You're saying, this is what men do. Every time you say to your girls something, you're teaching them, this is what a woman does.
You're giving them something to strive for, something to grow. Why should you be doing this at home? Because just like our Heavenly Father knows us, you know your kids.
I will do all I can to help you along the way, but the impact of what happens at home will rush them to the throne of grace over and over again!
I thought we would end today by reading out loud together, boldly, Psalm 145:1-9 and just fill this sanctuary talking about the greatness of God and commending the greatness of God to the next generation. Read: Psalm 145:1-9
1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.
Amen. Father, we thank You. We bless Your name. Would You, in Your mercy, encourage our hearts, strengthen our hands? And I pray that we might, in small ways, nurture and cherish the souls You have entrusted to us; it's for Your beautiful Name we pray. Amen.