Psalm 78

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

So our commitment is to disciple these children…,

until one day we pray they make a conscious decision to become a follower or a disciple of Jesus Christ Through their faith in him…,

and when that happens we will gladly baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

But today…,

we commit together as a church family to pray for them, to disciple them, to walk with them, until they are ready to repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus.…,

We have 16 families to pray for so we are going to do this in three rounds…,

So I am going to invite pastor Drew to lead us in round 1. …

Round 1: Drew

Timothy Butler

Hannah Telschow

Lydia Graft

David Lucas

Elora Lucas

Hazel Smith

Round 2: Cole

Allie Fehr

Brier Fehr

Lincoln Norton

Caralynn Primaeux

Jena Ramon

Eden Kingsmill

Round 3: Brandon

Hallie Harvey

Ridley Schmidt

Lawson O’Neal

Gaius Arauz

Carson Paz

Dane Telschow

Introduction:

If you have your Bibles let me invite you to open with me to the book of Psalms chapter 78.

We are taking a break from our study in Revelation today.

Chapter 16 of Revelation plunges us into another series of seven visions which describe the wrath of God being poured out on all creation on the last day.

Though I was very tempted to continue on as scheduled

because I do think there are some big implications for parenting and for the children we just prayed for earlier in the service..,.

I thought the occasion of a baby dedication., might lend itself to something slightly more obviously relevant.

I want us to think a little bit more deeply about what we were praying for this morning in our time of baby dedication

And what the members of St. Rose Community Church are committing to when one of our fellow members has a child.…

A full nursery in a church is a blessing.

The loud hustle and bustle of a Sunday morning

with all the little noises

and whispers

and whimpers

they are like music to the ears of our Lord who is himself a Heavenly Father.

But a full nursery in a church is also a full responsibility.

These children are gifts of grace

meant to be stewarded For the ongoing glory and the great commission of our God.

We turn our attention to a Psalm which very much emphasizes

the corporate responsibility that the people of Israel were to feel for the next generation of God’s people…

This is a Psalm which actually retells the whole story of God’s people from the Exodus all the way to King David…,

The same story we briefly recounted last week as the backstory to Revelation 15:1-4.

We aren’t going to work through the whole Psalm…,

but rather we are going to focus on the introduction and the purpose for which this Psalm was written.

And the implications of this Psalm for our lives together as a church.

So lets read and lets pray for understanding.

Psalm 78:1–8 ESV

1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3 things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. 5 He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, 6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, 7 so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; 8 and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Lets Pray

Psalm 78:1–3 ESV

The psalm begins with an acknowledgment that God has spoken.

There are words , teachings, sayings from of old..,

that we need to hear and believe..,

God speaks..,

and the questions is first whether we will incline our ears to what he says…,

The assumption and plain teaching of the Psalm is that God speaks…,

but also that God has a plan for his word to be passed down from generation to generation.

This psalm itself would have been used for the passing of God’s word on to the people of God.

It begins with what seems to be the song leader, but then it quickly transitions to include the people who will be singing or reciting this song.

This song is about the teachings that WE have heard and known…,

that OUR fathers have told us.

This is a song that was written to be sung or recited by the people of God corporately…,

The psalms were written for this purpose..,

for the singing and reciting in the gathering of God’s people…,

but the psalms are not just for singing…,

they aren’t just for stirring emotions in the presence of God…,

these psalms are also for teaching…,

They reinforce truths to the gathered people of God…..

These songs rehearse old truths for the people of God that they should have already been taught…,

What are these parables and dark sayings from of old according to this Psalm?

Well he’s speaking of things that have been previously revealed..,

the Psalm goes on to...

retell the story of God’s great salvation of the People of Israel from the land of Egypt all the way to the appointment of David as King..,

It is the story of God’s saving work that is being sung…,

It is this story of salvation that is being rehearsed…,

and it is this story the people should have already heard.…

but how will they have heard it?

Psalm 78:3 ESV

things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.

They will have heard this story of God’s saving work…,

hopefully because their own fathers had told it to them?

That is God’s design for the passing down of his wisdom, and revelation.

It is the family unit where we are to first hear the good news of God explained to us over and over again…,

and just as we were somehow the receivers of God’s grace in hearing the word of God taught to us…,

our God-given responsibility is to pass down his word to our own children.

This is what goes on to be articulated in verses 4-8…

The song is a dedication of sorts…,

The song itself is a commitment

so listen to the promise being made in the lyrics…,

Psalm 78:4–8 ESV

4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. 5 He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, 6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, 7 so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; 8 and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

So what is the desire of the Psalm…,

its that parents would tell their children about God’s word and God’s works..,

SO THAT their children would:

set their hope in God

keep his commandments

avoid the mistakes of the past

And have hearts that are steadfast and faithful to God…,

All of this brings us to the first truth I want you to right down which I hope is plain by now.

Truth #1 Teaching the Next Generation is the God-Given Responsibility of Every Parent

Parents in the room…,

The Bible is crystal clear on this point.

God has given you the primary responsibility of your children’s discipleship.

Adam and Eve were commanded to be fruitful and multiply so that God’s glorious image would be displayed to the ends of the Earth.

The people of God in Deuteronomy were given this familiar command.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

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.

The command is that God’s people teach God’s word diligently to their children…,

If you remember the testimony of the proverbs…,

this is the model for how wisdom is passed down.

Proverbs 1:8–9 ESV

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

So let me just pause here and say a word to the church members who stood up to be prayed for this morning with their children…,…,

Child raising is a part of the plan of God to fill the world with worshippers…,

Making disciples of the next generation

is part of the plan for making disciples of all nations…,

and as we have seen in the book of Revelation…, Satan hates that plan…,

he is seeking to devour our children just like he sought to devour Jesus himself…,

He will try to destroy your marriages by turning you against one another…,

And he will constantly fill your head with the wisdom of the world which prioritizes the wrong things for your children…,

Their greatest need is not to be good at sports…

Their greatest need is not a college education.

Their greatest need is not for you to get that promotion so that they might have a bigger inheritance when you die…

Their greatest need is not a perfect spouse.

Their greatest need is not even that they be perfectly healthy and kept physically safe.

Their greatest need is what this Psalm suggests…,

Their greatest need is you…,

your attention,

your focus,

your time,

And your ministry to intentionality tell them the good news of God,

to explain to them the word of God which leads to eternal life…,

and to model for them what it looks like to be faithful to God In this life…,

SO THAT they

Set their hope in God

keep his commandments

avoid the mistakes you made

and have a steadfast heart that is faithful to God…

I could have preached from Revelation 16 this morning with somewhat similar emphasis..,

though it would have looked a lot different.

Revelation 16 speaks of the last day of God’s judgment and the two kinds of people in the world on that day…,

Those with hard hearts who refuse to repent and trust Jesus for their salvation…,

and those who trust that God’s judgments are true and just…,

the command of Revelation 16:15 is to “stay awake” because Jesus could return at any moment like a thief in the night…,

and the most important thing on that day will not be

our kids future careers…,

Or whether we provided enough financial comfort and physical protection for them…,

it will be whether they trusted Jesus their savior…,

and the means by which God designed for them to hear and believe that message of salvation…,

is through the words and the witness of their parents..

so many parents naturally sacrifice so much FOR their kids…,

but often times we are sacrificing the wrong things...

We sacrifice time with our kids for money that we think our kids need…,

money we didn’t have,

didn’t need,

and don’t presently need.

so to the parents who are church members this morning…,

Please do not let the world allure you with false priorities…,

and don’t let the world lie to you about the way this is supposed to work.

Do not assume that it is the once a week program,

or the Sunday school class,

or the children’s ministry event that will disciple your children..,

Those things are supplemental at best.

And they cannot replace your teaching

and your modeling for your children

what it looks like to set your hope in this God...

NOW…, that being said…, that doesn’t mean that the church family does not play a role in this…,

There is absolutely a corporate element to all of this…,

Let’s not forget that this Psalm was sung By the corporate gathering of God’s people...

The corporate worship life of the people of God has always functioned like a discipleship tool for the whole family…,

Consider back to the institution of the passover meal after the salvation our of Egypt.

God gives the people instruction on how and why to take the passover meal each year and listen to one of the explanations for the purpose of the religious meal…,

Exodus 13:7–8 ESV

7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 8 You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

Exodus 13:14 ESV

14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

This act of worship through the passover meal became a religious act of corporate worship which helped shape the next generation…,

The Lord’s Supper functions like this for us even today…,

Baptism functions look this for us today..,

Everytime our children see us as a church family observe a baptism

Or take the Lord’s Supper

they may ask…, why do we do that?

Why can’t I have the bread and the cup?

Why can’t I jump in the big pool at the church?

Its a teaching opportunity.…

The fact that they cannot participate is an opportunity to teach them…,

that they are not Christians just because you are a Christian…,

They are sinners too…,

and they need to believe in Jesus and trust him who died on the cross for their sins.

They need to be born again by the grace of God before they can partake in these things.

They need to understand what these things mean.., that the body of Jesus was broken for us…, and the blood of Jesus was poured out for us…,

he took the penalty we deserved for all or sin..,.

And then defeated death on our behalf…,

Our children are constantly learning…and the elements of corporate worship are teaching tools,

This is why we have intentionally decided not to provide child care for Sunday mornings starting at 5 years old…,

I know parents that this can make it hard for a short season…,

but these children are picking up on things in a deeper more life changing way by watching you worship…,

and by watching you sit under the word…,

and by watching you participate…,

and not just you…,

but by watching this whole group of adults sing their hearts out to a living God…,

they are hearing the lyrics of the songs..,

they are hearing bits and pieces of the scriptures being read

and the sermon being preached…,

they are absorbing it all and learning about what life’s purpose really is…,

And all this leads me to our second truth for this morning.

Truth #2 Teaching the Next Generation is the God-Given Responsibility of Every Church Member

maybe you don’t have kids this morning…,

and your wondering why you even came to church this morning because none of this is relevant to you…,

as the great college game day broadcaster , Lee Corso, famously used to say.., “NOT SO FAST”

If you are a member of St. Rose Community Church…,

you have joined a church FAMILY…

you have committed yourself to a group of born again believers who are your spiritual brothers and sisters, a mothers, and fathers….

And You are commanded to build up the body of Christ…,

You are commanded to make disciples..,

You are commanded to bear the burdens of the church

and share in the joys of your fellow church members…,

and surely that must include…,

caring for,

praying for,

teaching,

and modeling the Christian faith for the children of your fellow church members.

Perhaps you will never have biological children…, but to be a part of a church family…, is to have some responsibility and the blessing of caring for children..

children who need spiritual grandparents, and spiritual uncles, and spiritual aunts, and crazy cousins…,

They need to see that it is not just their parents who are sold out with this Jesus thing…,

but that God’s saving work is real in the lives of people all around them.

When they come to this place…, they are not only watching their parents..,

they are watching you…,

AND

their parents are tired…,

they are warn down…,

they are doing the best they can with what they have…,

They are wrestling the littles every Sunday and feeling like its a waste of energy and time..,

these parents need you…,

they need your encouragement to persevere.

They need your shoulder to cry on,

they need your feedback

your counsel…,

they need to talk it through with someone…,

raising teenagers is no joke…,

raising toddlers is no joke…,

and

so often what Christian parents need most are Christian friends who will talk out real life situations with them to gain perspective…,

they are often too close to the situation…,

they either see their kids with rose colored glasses…,

or perhaps sometimes as little spawns of Satan…,

but they need fellow believers outside of themselves to help them through And to adjust their self perspective.

I am convinced that the counseling industry is booming more than ever right now…,

in part because many people just don’t have a Christian friend who they can talk to…,

In some cases …, the counselor is simply just listening to people well,

and hopefully giving some godly responses on matters of normal life..,

And they are getting paid to do so in part because those individuals do not

open themselves up to another spirit-filled person in their life who they are regularly talking to about any of those things.

Christian, we need the ministry of one another…

We need the ministry of the one another commands of Scripture..,

especially in some of the hardest seasons of our lives…,

and some of the hardest seasons are when we have small kids…,

it is a short, difficult, precious season…,

Child raising is a whole church endeavor.., and it is a precious gift from God…,

that we are to steward for the good of our children…,

and for the glory of our God.

Now there is one more aspect to this Psalm that I want to point out…,

and its just the long term vision that the Psalmist has for the mission of God’s people.

One of the damaging effects of living in a microwavable society…,

is that we can lose any sense of patience and long term thinking about the legacy of our lives..,

we are trained to care supremely about what is right in front of us…,

we are trained to value the immediate results…,

we don’t live in a society of cathedrals any more…,

but some of the most beautiful wonders of the world were built over the course of multiple generations…,

The Calogne Cathedral in Germany holds the record for longest building process. It took 632 years to complete.

which means the original architect and many builders after him never saw the finished product nor did they expect to…

they were happy to play a part in something that would out last them..,

something they would never enjoy the fruits of…,

this concept is foreign to us…,

but it is Biblical.

This is the vision that even the psalmist had for the people of God…,

look at verse 6.

Psalm 78:6 ESV

6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,

Our final truth for this morning is this…

Truth #3 Teaching the Next Generation Requires a God-Sized Vision of Our Mission Together

We have got to be the kind of people who live our lives not just for the immediate results that make us look good or feel good…,

and

we have to start being the kinds of people who live our lives so that the children yet unborn in this community and beyond will grow up in a place saturated with the gospel of Jesus Christ…,

There is a way to steward our lives…,

and our finances

so that we are legacy builders…,

I don’t personally know who sacrificed and gave of their time and money for the original purchase of this property in St. Rose, Louisiana in the 1950’s…,

I don’t know who orchestrated the setting of that trailer for our pastoral interns to live…,

or who originally framed the building over where our offices are..,

but I am thankful for them…,

I don’t know all the nursery workers,

and child care workers,

and youth volunteers who played a hand in raising me..,

but I praise God for them…,

Someone held me in a nursery over 30 years ago at Westside Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia…,

While I was crying and making a fuss.., They had no clue…,

that they were making a tiny investment in a human being who would go on to pastor a church that would plant churches in South Louisiana.

I pray we will live our lives in such a way that the great commission goes beyond us not only to every nation…,

but unto every generation…,

and that God would give us a spirit of joy as we see ourselves

as the greatest kind of cathedral workers…,

We may not see the fruit of our labor in this life…,

But one day there will be a grand revealing of the temple of our God that we have been laboring to build…,

and we will see all the fruit of our labors…,

and we will give God all the glory…,

And we will realize that in all our attempts to be good parents…,

we were only ever reflecting the image of our good Father…,

Psalm 78 goes on to tell the story of how God was a good Father to the Israelites.

He led them out of their slavery.

He provided for their needs in the wilderness.

He both disciplined them and showed grace to them despite their constant sin and rebellion..,

He fought for them when they couldn’t fight for themselves.

And he provided for them a king who would rule them with righteousness..,

The retelling of the story of salvation through the Exodus for the children was important..,

not just so that they would know what God had done in the past…,

but it was important so that they might understand the promises they were clinging to for the future.…,

they needed to understand

the sinfulness of mankind

the faithfulness of God the Father…,

and specifically their great need for a savior…

Understanding the story from of old,

prepared them for what was coming..,

A savior coming into the world that we all desperately need…

Conclusion:

Maybe you are here this morning and your kids are grown…,

and you feel as though you failed to fulfill this role described in Psalm 78…,

maybe you are here and you feel the weight of your singleness…,

or your barrenness…,

maybe you are here…, and you are still grieving the miscarriage..,

or the divorce

and the brokenness of your family..,

The story that Psalm 78 retells is the story you need…,

It is a story of redemption…,

It is a story of a broken people being restored to God..,

the world is broken,

God’s design has been corrupted,

human suffering and sin is real and it is intense,

But God is a good Father…,

And like he made a way for the Israelites to fellowship with God…,

He has made a way for you to fellowship with God despite all the sin and brokenness in your life…,

he sent Jesus to pay the penalty for your sin,

he sent Jesus to reconcile you to God,

to pay the price for your adoption into his family,

And God cares for you in a way that is greater and more perfect than any earthly father can care for you…,

Turn and trust Jesus and accept the invitation of adoption…,

and everything you have lost in this life,

all that has been corrupted in this life,

it will all be replaced to the tenth degree…,

because to trust Jesus as savior is to become a child of the heavenly father…,

Romans 8:14–18 ESV

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Lets pray.

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.