Proverbs 3:1-12
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Introduction
Introduction
It’s Father’s Day - happy Father’s Day, dads - and since we didn’t do anything to recognize Mother’s Day, I thought that it would be good to speak this morning to both moms and dads, and grandparents, and great-grandparents, and everyone who influences younger generations.
I thought that there was nothing as exciting as the birth of our children, but I’ve been just as delighted with each of our grandchildren.
But there is also a weight to bringing kids into the world. Children are not little bundles of pure joy and light; they are sinners who must come to faith in Jesus Christ, or suffer eternal consequences. Praise God, the Bible is full of wisdom on raising a godly generation.
This morning let’s look at , where we’ll find five principles to raising a godly generation.
Raise Your Children to Obey God
Raise Your Children to Obey God
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Raise
We must teach our children the commandments of God, and teach them to keep them.
gives us the pattern we are to follow:
deu 11
“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Raise Your Children to Obey God
We want to see our children, and our grand-children, live in holiness and peace with God; we want them to know His blessings. So, they must learn His commands, and learn to obey Him with a whole heart.
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, 2 for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Can they truly do this without being born again? No, they can’t.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
God’s part is to save them. Our part is to raise them to believe.
says,
rom 8
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Our responsibility is to raise our children to understand who God is and what He commands; God’s responsibility is to grant our children faith and eternal life. The Lord doesn’t call us to save our kids; He calls us to raise them according to His Word. It’s a challenge; we need to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord without provoking them to anger because of unreasonable expectations or impossible goals. Pray for wisdom, think, be patient, love them, and be consistent.
This is our responsibility, parents and grandparents. The Lord doesn’t call us to save our kids; He calls us to raise them according to His Word. It’s a challenge; we need to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord without provoking them to anger because of unreasonable expectations or impossible goals. Pray for wisdom, think, be patient, love them, and be consistent.
Raise Your Children to be Mature in Love and Devotion
Raise Your Children to be Mature in Love and Devotion
We know that salvation is by grace and through faith, but before anyone can seek the forgiveness of God, and eternal life through Jesus Christ, they must understand His holiness and the nature of their sin.
We must teach our children the commandments of God, and to keep those commandments. We know that salvation is by grace and through faith, but before anyone can seek the forgiveness of God, and eternal life through Jesus Christ, they must understand His holiness and the nature of their sin.
they are going to have to come face to face with His will and commands.
We want to see our children, and our grand-children, live in holiness and peace with God; they are going to have to come face to face with His will and commands.
But is less about the commands themselves, and more about what our kids are to do with them. While we start with simple obedience – don't steal – we must move our kids on to the principles at play – respect others those made in God's image, trust God to provide for your needs.
This is what we see take place in .
First, the command is given:
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
But there's more to consider. Solomon wanted his son to think about what was taking place, so he gives an example:
If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; 12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; 14 throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”
And then he explains what not consenting looks like:
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths
And he also explains WHY we should not consent to those who entice us to evil:
for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. 17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, 18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. 19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.
These sinners will one day receive the due punishment for their violence and wickedness. Their greed will take away their lives.
So we need to teach our children the basic lesson, "Don't let sinners entice you," and then explain what that means, so that they can think biblically, live wisely, and know the blessings of God.
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
We must teach our children to know and obey the commands of God, but we must do more.
We must teach our children to take God’s commands personally, and grow into steadfast love and faithfulness.
Where speak of teaching our children the lessons they need to learn, speak of cultivating godly character into our children.
Steadfast love is not emotional love; it’s not affection, or fondness, or passion. It is chesed, a Hebrew word that encompasses love, grace, mercy, kindness, and commitment. It’s mature love, not infatuation; sustaining love, not love-at-first-sight; it’s sacrificial devotion to another, not selfish dependance upon another.
Faithfulness is dependability, constancy, commitment, stability, going the right way. Much of the time it refers to truth and truthfulness. The person who is ’emet, faithful, is a person who can be relied upon to do the right thing and is utterly trustworthy.
These are not the first lessons of maturity, are they? They are really the apex of mature life, but we must begin teaching our children to take hold of steadfast love and faithfulness when they are young.
Solomon used two figures of speech to describe the value of these character traits.
Bind them around your neck = adorn yourself with these traits.
Jesus says in ,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Adorn yourself in such a way that you give others every reason to glorify God.
Write them on the tablet of your heart = get them into your heart and take them personally.
Get them into your soul. Memorize them, yes, but more: believe them, rest in them, trust in them, cling to them.
I think this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote the Philippians,
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Train your children, and train yourself, to repeat the
How do we get these traits deeply into our lives? We keep them in our minds, think about them, ponder them, repeat them to ourselves, look for them in our lives, confess when we fail to think this way, pray for the help of the Spirit of God to remember and act on what we have learned.
think about them, ponder them, repeat them to ourselves, look for them in our lives, confess when we fail to think this way, pray for the help of the Spirit of God to remember and act on what we have learned.
Raise Your Children to Fully Trust God
Raise Your Children to Fully Trust God
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
We must teach our children to obey the commands of God, and to cultivate godly character.
We must teach our children that God is holy and trustworthy, and they ought to trust Him completely.
Hebrew poetry and wisdom literature is built upon repetition, and we can see significant repetition of ideas in these verses.
Hebrew poetry and wisdom literature is built upon repetition, and we can see significant repetition of ideas in these verses.
These verses actually
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and in all your ways acknowledge Him and fear the Lord build upon each other. We could even say that the way we trust Him with all our heart is by acknowledging Him in all our ways, and that if we rightly fear Him, we will trust Him and acknowledge Him.
We could even say that the way we trust Him with all our heart is by acknowledging Him in all our ways, and that if we rightly fear Him, we will trust Him and acknowledge Him.
Do not lean on your own understanding and be not wise in your own eyes and turn away from evil also build upon each other.
If we truly know the limits of our own understanding, it will be easier to turn away from the sin of thinking that we are wise.
If we will trust the Lord, not ourselves; and acknowledge Him in all our ways, rather than being our own source of wisdom; and fear the Lord so much that we turn away from evil; then the Lord makes a promise to us: He will make our paths straight, and bring healing to our flesh and refreshment to our bones.
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
says,
Life is hard; we need to trust the Creator
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (First Peter 4:19).
Listen, life is hard, no matter who you are or how you live. Without question, some people make their lives far harder than they have to be. But you know, life is still a struggle for every single person on earth.
Everyone knows who Kim Jong-un is, the dictator of North Korea. His reign is brutal; he stands right up their with Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin, and Adolf Hitler. You might think that, hateful as he is, he at least has life under control. But he is also a human being, created in the image of God, and he is utterly separated from his creator by sin. What’s more, his sin nature is completely unrestrained by normal society. He was raised to believe that his grandfather and father were divine figures, and that he is their spiritual heir. He doesn’t trust anyone, and certainly no one trusts him. So no one will tell him the truth. No one truly loves him. Can you imagine how isolated and lonely and afraid he must be, all the time? Don’t let his smile fool you; his soul is tiny, emaciated, aching with pain. For all his power, life is unimaginably hard for him.
But he is also a human being, created in the image of God, and he is utterly separated from his creator by sin. What’s more, his sin nature is completely unrestrained by normal society. He was raised to believe that his grandfather and father were divine figures, and that he is their spiritual heir. He doesn’t trust anyone, and certainly no one trusts him. So no one will tell him the truth. No one truly loves him. Can you imagine how isolated and lonely and afraid he must be, all the time? Don’t let his smile fool you; his soul is tiny, emaciated, aching with pain. For all his power, life is unimaginably hard for him.
You know who Kim Jong-un is, I’m sure; he’s the dictator of North Korea. He rules over a brutal regime, perhaps the worst on earth at this moment in history. But do you understand that Jong-un – Kim is his family name – is a human being, made in the image of God, and is living completely apart from his creator? He surrounds himself with yes men and sycophants, and has them executed at the slightest hint of disloyalty. Can you imagine being that afraid and paranoid of others? No one trusts him, and he can trust no one.
Life is hard, so we must teach our children to trust in God with their whole being, to seek His wisdom in His Word, to obey Him, to yield to Him, to lean upon Him.
We must teach our children to trust in God with their whole being, to seek His wisdom in His Word, to obey Him, to yield to Him, to lean upon Him.
He has every advantage, but life is hard for him.
When your children leave your home, do you want them to leave your God? Of course not! Then you must urge them to put THEIR faith in Jesus Christ, and to call Him THEIR Lord, and to trust Him as THEIR Savior. God has no grandchildren. Your kids will not enter heaven because you do.
have their own faith? Apostates. Agnostics. Atheists. When your children leave your home, do you want them to leave your God? Of course not! Then you must urge them to put THEIR faith in Jesus Christ, and to call Him THEIR Lord, and to trust Him as THEIR Savior. God has no grandchildren. Your kids will not enter heaven because you do.
One day my children will lean over my bed, as I leaned over my father’s bed, and tell me goodbye. When that day comes, I want them to have their faith deeply imbedded in the Lord God, so that I, and they, know that we shall see each other again.
Raise Your Children to be Givers
Raise Your Children to be Givers
One day my children will lean over my bed, as I leaned over my father’s bed, and tell me goodbye. When that day comes, I want them to have their faith deeply imbedded in the Lord God.
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
We must teach our children to obey the commandments of God, to personally embrace His Word and truth, and to have their own faith and trust firmly settled in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
We must teach our children that what they do and who they are belong to God.
We must teach our children to obey the commandments of God, to personally embrace His Word and truth, to have their own faith and trust firmly settled in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We must teach our children that what they do – their work, their play, their livelihoods, their hobbies, their relationships – belong to God.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
This is why election and judgment both make perfect sense. Everything belongs to Him, and He has the right to do with it what He pleases, according to His own will. The clay never says to the potter, “Why did you make me like this?” God did not create peers or equals, but creatures who exist for His glory and pleasure.
Honoring the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of your produce might begin with dropping a quarter in the offering box, or writing a tithe check. But as with what we've already seen, honoring the Lord is not mere checking off an item on a to-do list. It means cultivating an attitude of heart.
Honoring the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of your produce might begin with dropping a quarter in the offering box, or writing a tithe check. But as with what we've already seen, honoring the Lord is not mere checking off an item on a to-do list. It means cultivating an attitude of heart.
So the idea "Here's my paycheck, and THIS part belongs to God for HIS use" is incorrect.
The dirt beneath our feet. The very air that we breathe. We are God's possessions, and we live immersed in God's possessions.
The biblical truth is that it ALL belongs to God, and He has given it to YOU for your use.
This is why election and judgment both make perfect sense. Everything belongs to Him, and He has the right to do with it what He pleases, according to His own will. The clay never says to the potter, “Why did you make me like this?”
Honoring God with the firstfruits means acknowledging that however your possessions came to you, they came FROM the Lord.
So the idea "Here's my paycheck, and THIS part belongs to God for HIS use" is incorrect. The biblical truth is that it ALL belongs to God, and He has given it to YOU for your use. Honoring God with the firstfruits means acknowledging that however your possessions came to you, they came FROM the Lord.
Giving is not simply giving, or gaining a tax deduction, but the humble act of saying, "Lord, everything I possess is a gift from You, and I worship You for Your kindness and graciousness."
We usually think of money when we think of giving, but we can also give our time – how much time do you give the Lord?
We can give our skills – how do you serve the Lord? We can give our hands and our feet – we can simply help as we are personally able.
We should teach our children a strong work ethic; we should teach them a strong giving ethic as well.
I hope that you are teaching your children a strong work ethic; don’t forget to teach them a giving ethic as well.
Raise Your Children to Welcome God’s Correction
Raise Your Children to Welcome God’s Correction
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.
We must teach our children to obey the commandments of God, to personally embrace His Word and truth, to have their own faith and trust firmly settled in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to worship and acknowledge Him as the source of all things.
Raise Your Children to Welcome Correction from God
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, 12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
We must teach our children to obey the commandments of God, to personally embrace His Word and truth, to have their own faith and trust firmly settled in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and to worship and acknowledge Him as the source of all things.
Once we've done that, we're still not done. What remains is, perhaps, the most difficult lesson of all, even more difficult than generosity.
We must teach our children to expect God's discipline.
Perhaps you've never noticed, but down at the bottom of a traffic ticket is a place where the date and time for a court appearance can be filled in. Right beneath the signature line are the words, "Your signature is not an admission of guilt, but a promise to appear. Failure to comply with the terms of this citation is punishable by jail or fine or both and may result in the suspension of your operator's license." Below that section is where the fine appears, and if you pay the fine, you don't have to go to court. But, you must do one or the other.
I know of a young man in our area who, several years ago, was arrested after a traffic stop. He wasn't drunk, and he wasn't involved with drugs. He had committed a traffic offense, some minor issue. When the officer called in his name, the dispatcher responded that there was a warrant out for his arrest. He was removed from the car, cuffed, taken to the Norfolk City Jail, and then to Madison, where he was brought before a judge. Why was he arrested? He had been ticketed for speeding in McCook, in south-west Nebraska, and since it was McCook, and so far away, he ignored the ticket. He didn't pay the fine. He didn't go to court. I know exactly what he was thinking: "What can they do to me?" They can issue a bench warrant, is what they can do, and what they did. They didn't come looking for him; they waited for him to come to them, by means of another traffic offense.
Here's the thing: when all of this took place, his mother posted a rant on Facebook, accusing the police of overreacting, and in essence defending her son's foolishness. You know what his parents failed to do, don't you? They failed to raise this boy to expect and welcome correction. Instead, they raised him to be shocked that anyone would even try to correct him, and raised him to view correction as a personal insult. May God have mercy on him, because if he didn't learn THAT time, the lessons will only get harder.
If your child has come to know Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior, then she is God's true child, and He is going to discipline her so that she becomes more and more like Jesus.
The Lord says in the book of Hebrews,
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.
God does not discipline strangers. He disciplines His children.
Discipline is not a sign of God’s displeasure, but of His love.
If He loves you, then He will teach you, show you your sin, correct you, and train you in righteousness. He will not fail to transform you into the image of God.
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
If you raise your children to believe that nothing difficult or painful comes from God, that He will only approve of them and pat them on the head, that He will never correct them or train them for righteousness' sake, then you are not only lying to them, you are setting them up for incredible pain and disadvantage. They may very well fall prey to the liars who say that only pleasant things come from God, and hard things come from the devil, and need to be rebuked in Jesus' name.
This is not an easy process for us; there is no such thing as pleasant training. But we can make it easier by expecting and welcoming it. The Father is going to make me more like His Son this week; I can cooperate with Him by confessing sin and pursuing righteousness, or I can resist Him, but – this is no surprise – He loves me too much to let me prevent Him from doing His work in me.
If you raise your children to believe that nothing difficult or painful comes from God, that He will only approve of them and pat them on the head, that He will never correct them or train them for righteousness' sake, then you are not only lying to them, you are setting them up for incredible pain and disadvantage. They may very well fall prey to the liars who say that only pleasant things come from God, and hard things come from the devil, and need to be rebuked in Jesus' name.
God disciplines His children. We can expect it; we can expect difficulty, and trials, and trouble, and hardship, because it is through those challenges that our sinful flesh is restrained, that we are taught to deny ourselves and pursue Him, and learn that His love and grace intends to make us holy.
Raise Your Children to Obey God, be Mature in Love and Devotion, fully Trust God, be Givers, and Expect and Welcome God’s Correction.
Raise Your Children to Obey God, be Mature in Love and Devotion, fully Trust God, be Givers, and Expect and Welcome God’s Correction.
Parents and grandparents, this is our calling from God. It’s what each of us is to do. The best gift we can give our kids is to raise them to be faithful lovers and servants of God. This is honorable work. This is difficult, often heart-breaking work. This is counter-cultural. It runs against the tide of our times. But when we see the fruit of our labor, we will know that every moment was worth it. Our children – if they learned the lessons we taught – will bless us. And we will receive the affirmation of God.