Christian Household Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Before we begin in the scriptures this morning. Today’s sermon is going to be a tad different than how I normally preach. There are so many different styles of preaching. The Puritans for example would preach for hours. They included almost zero information about themselves. It was all scripture. I like to model myself after Paul. He would include some information about himself but the vast majority was the Word of God.
Today we are going to talk about being parents, grandparents and great grandparents. just for ease, I will probably say parenting a lot, but I mean anyone that is involved in a child’s life. This will be the most personal sermon I’ve given. The priority of my life is as follows.
Following God
Husband and Father
Pastor
This is how I order my life. If I am not following God then the other priorities in my life will not be aligned properly. Remember from earlier in Ephesians
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
Much like last week. This is a deep water sermon. Everything in life boils down to if Jesus is your chief cornerstone. How you parent your child will be based on this belief. But before we dive into Chapter 6. We need to see where we. This is one of my biggest fears.
In the Old Testament after Joshua dies we find ourselves in the book of Judges
After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger
An entire generation did not know who God was. Now this may seem that we are pretty far away from this. However while we may not be in the ball park , we are on the road to the ballpark. People are coming to church less and less. People are reading their Bibles less. As I have said the stakes are to high for us not to do our parts. We aren’t simply talking about a good way to live. We are talking about eternity and sanctity of people’s souls. We are talking about helping our kids understand who Jesus is. We are talking about helping our kids spend their lives following Jesus.
One thing that I think a lot people get wrong is people want the road to Damascus moment like Paul had. Paul is traveling to persecute Christians and boom Jesus stops Paul in his tracks. My prayer for all these children in this church is that they don’t have that moment. I pray everyday that they will spend their lives following Jesus.
So let’s dive into it.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Kid’s church is next week but I wanted to do this without the kid’s here for a reason. First notice that these verses do not say they need to like their parents. Whatever your relationship to a child in your life whether it is uncle or aunt, parent , grandparent or great grandparent. We have got to start parenting these kids. The dangers that these kids are facing are unlike anything that we have grown up with. Thanks to the invention of the smart phone and corresponding apps, a stranger can invade your house from anywhere in the world. I am not my son’s best friend. I am his father. Now don’t get me wrong I am enjoying every moment because right now he is 10 and he still thinks I am cool. I coach almost all of his sports teams. But in a few years he is going to think I am very cool anymore.
Last week we looked at the proper order in relationships. This week it is still a proper order in relationships but this time it is with the kids in our lives. If you are an adult, a child cannot be your friend. It’s that simple. They cannot understand your problems or share your burdens. The calling from God is to great for us to keep ignoring it. We are to shepherd kids to the Lord. We are to teach our kids, parent our kids, and protect our kids. If you are not parenting your kids, I promise you that the world will gladly step in and do it for you. I promise you that you will not like the results. I recently read that 60% of teenagers in this country are on some type of medication. Now that number is way to high. Your teenage years are supposed to be the prime physical time of your life.
Parenting is by far the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I have had a rather odd life full of tough obstacles. Parenting is the toughest. You are never off duty. You are required to be on constant vigilance. This is why I chose to do this with the adults. It isn’t about if your kids like you or not. It is about how you shepherding them to adulthood. I pray that at some point far down the line that my son and I can be friends. But that is a very long time away. Right now my job is to get him to adulthood in one piece and that I have equipped him with the ability to navigate the world. That means he needs to understand the teachings of Jesus. He needs to understand the dangers of sin.
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
I am going to tell you one of my biggest parenting mistakes that I have made. It is a moment I wish I could have back but I can’t. Rowan was probably 4 or 5 when this happened. I don’t remember what he broke but he broke a toy that cost a decent amount of money. I lost my temper on him. For point of reference I have spent a good majority of my life learning to control my temper. Very few people have seen me actually be that angry. Now in that moment, I thought I was doing a good thing. I wasn’t doing a good thing at all. The look on his face was only a look a fear. I was teaching him exactly zero in that moment other than fear. It still breaks my heart to think about it. That is what Paul means by do not exasperate your children. There is a difference between a child knowing there is a line not to cross or boundaries and fear.
Instead we are called to teach them the instructions of the Lord. These are the only instructions that can get you through life with your hope and eternity secured. The Bible is the only thing that can do that for anyone.
Two weeks ago Mrs Terri stood up here and asked for help for our children’s ministry. I want to speak to you as a father and not one of the pastors of this church. The growth that I have witnessed in my son especially over the last two years has been amazing. One of the big contributors to that growth is this church’s children’s ministry. I will be eternally grateful to everyone that works with our children. It isn’t just my son that I have seen this growth. I have seen it in all the kids. The questions they ask and the answers they give me when I speak with them are awesome. They are asking big questions about God and about Jesus.
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
We are all to have faith like a child. If you want to watch these kids grow in faith and see your own faith grow at the same time. There is no better way to do that than to work with these kids.
One more quote from Jesus about the importance of these Children.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
Those are not easy words from Jesus. You can see the importance that Jesus has put on that we raise our kids the right way. Trust me, I know how exhausting it can be to in charge of a child. So many grandparents and great grandparents are stepping up to the plate. I know how tired single moms are. I saw it everyday growing up. But this issue is to important. You have to do whatever you can to be involved in your kid’s life. You have to know who they hang out with, who they are talking to online, or you can ban online gaming totally. We have to teach them the ways of Jesus because He is the only thing that can protect them, and heal them when suffering happens. Jesus will guide these little ones through life.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
Now I realize the wording of these verses probably make you uncomfortable. To quickly understand the history of this. First slavery was legal in Rome. Second God does not support slavery. In Great Britain it was a Christian, William Willberforce who was able to abolish the slave trade. Paul is writing here to work within the constraints of the time. One other quick point to make is that despite many countries outlawing slavery long ago. There are more slaves in the world today than there has ever been in the history of the world. So while we can be quick to judge the past, we also need to turn that on ourselves. For our purposes in the modern world, look to these as passages as how we do deal with people that have authority over us. In your jobs for example. We all have a boss. However who are we actually serving? Again this goes back to the chief cornerstone. At all times no matter the circumstance we are to obey God.
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
It goes back to what we talked about last week. People spend their lives chasing foolish rewards. There is only one reward that is worth chasing. That comes from God and only God. Everything else passes away.
And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
How we treat people matters. How we use authority matters. Jesus is the greatest leader the world has ever seen because of the way that He lead people. He did not use His authority given to Him by God in nefarious ways. He paid the price and we are quite literally bought with His blood. He builds us up, He does not leave us. How are we building people up? Do we always keep God in the front of our minds especially when we are in those moments where authority has been given to us.
So as we come to a close on Ephesians. Especially these last few weeks with Pastor Rick taking us through the armor of God. This is a book about the ways to live as a Christian. It takes practice and it takes failure and through all that your faith will grow. Originally Christianity was called “The Way”. I always thought that was a great name. It isn’t simply a belief system. That is to simplistic . It is a Way of life that leads to eternity.
As we move to our time of prayer together. If you would like to give your life to Jesus or rededicate your life, we are here in the front. One more call this morning. If you feel called help our kids. I would ask that you do not ignore that call. Please speak with Terri or Trudy , or myself or Pastor Rick. If you are worried about the logistics of time or how to make it happen. Do not worry about that. Instead put those worries to God and follow His call.
Let us pray.
