The Relationship inside the family
The Relationship inside the family: (Parents and Children)
Ephesians 5:21-6:1-4
Introduction:
Our Family is those that live under our roof. Our family is also made up of those that don’t live with us and those that we take in has family.
Today we will focus on one part of our family the children and their relationships with their parents and their siblings.
We need to review the heart of having right relationships with God. We are to follow Him continually by allowing his Spirit to fill us daily. Last week we walked through (Ephesians 5). The command from God to us is to continually be filled with His Spirit. This is our starting place. We must be under his control, in everything that we do.
The relationship between the child and parent is to be a picture of Gods relationship towards us. The home is the training ground for our children.
In this book, we see Paul using the home to paint a picture of the church and her relationship with God.
Therefore, the children of God are to be in right relationships with those in the church family. We see Paul using the household model to help those in that day see the right way to relate to one another and the right way the church needs to relate together.
Looking at the kids of the day one can see that there must be some kind of trouble at the training ground the home.
To know how to give orders depends largely on how the soldier learned to obey. This basic training is found in the home with the parent-child relationship, and then with the master-servant relationship. The victories of the Christian life are won in the home and in the place of business.
A look at the life of Jesus
You will remember that it is said of the Lord Jesus that as a boy, He went down to Nazareth, and He was subject to Joseph and Mary.
There are two essential factors, which must be taken into account in this verse and in this section:
1. It is assumed that Paul is talking about a Christian home, a home such as he had been discussing in chapter 5 regarding the marriage relationship. Obedience of children to parents is confined to the circumference of “in the Lord.” Christian parents have the privilege of claiming their children for the Lord. I think we all should do that. Even where only one parent is a believer, he may claim his children for God. “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy” (1 Cor. 7:14). This, of course, does not mean that the child is a believer just because he has a Christian parent. It does mean that the parent has a right to claim that child.
Notice that it says, “Obey your parents in the Lord.” I have great sympathy for a child who accepts the Lord and has an unsaved father or mother. There may be times when such a child must obey God rather than men.
2. The word for “obey” here is different from the word found in verse 22 of chapter 5. The wife is to submit. The wife occupies a place of equality with the husband, and submission is merely a question of headship. Here the child is to obey as the servant is to obey—the same word is used in verse 5.
[1]
(Ex 20.12; Deut 5.16)
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord,afor this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—this is the first commandment with a promise: 3 “so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
4And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of t
[2]
I. Parents are the picture for kids to see God
a. the home is the training ground
b. Parents are to be in a close fellowship with God.
Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 5:18-31,
- The home is the training ground of the children
The first lesson that a soldier must learn is obedience to those in authority. He must follow orders. This basic training is learned in the home. After the soldier has learned to obey, then he is in a position to be promoted to the rank of an officer where he gives commands to others. To know how to give orders depends largely on how the soldier learned to obey. This basic training is found in the home with the parent-child relationship, and then with the master-servant relationship. The victories of the Christian life are won in the home and in the place of business.[3]
- Paul: “the household is the fundamental building blocks of Society.”
Proverbs 22:6
Deuteronomy 6:4
Today there are more children that taking over the home and we find many parents are having a hard time maintaining any kind of peace at the home level.
Example:
Samson and Absalom are two examples in Scripture of boys who did not follow this commandment, and their lives were short. Samson, a judge, died when he was a young man. Absalom rebelled against his father David, and he was killed when he was a young man.[4]
Disobedience to parents is the last and lowest form of lawlessness to occur on this earth. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Tim. 3:1–2). Disobedience to parents is one of the characteristics of the last days. Today we hear of many cases of children rejecting parental authority and even killing their parents! This is indicative of the times in which we live.[5]
3. Every child is different
We must handle each differently
a. the things that every person has alike
we all have a biological family
we all have a common heritage
b. however we all are different in how we hold the experiences.
c. each child is to obey their God given parents.
The word (Gr hypakouō) means to hear as under another with listening and attentive ears, to give obedient heed. This duty has been recognized among all people, in all lands, and in all ages. The neglect of this duty is lamented. Disobedience to parents is a sin (Rom 1:30; II Tim[6]
In the 5th chapter of Ephesians we find that husband wife’s are to be submissive toward one another. This word here is (obey) your parents not just supportive of their parent but obey their parent.
Example: the Great Wall of China
Although they had this great wall, they where still invaded three times. Why did they where invaded? The parents didn’t teach the importance of the wall to their children, and the reason for the wall being there.
Today we have a group of kids that have know idea why we do some of the things we do and some of the things we do is for a reason. If the kids don’t want to learn and the parents don’t want to teach we have a problem.
II. The children have two ways to go
Proverb 22:6
1. The way he\she would go
The way of no concern for others or even them selves
Disobedience to parents is the last and lowest form of lawlessness to occur on this earth. “This knows also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Tim. 3:1–2). Disobedience to parents is one of the characteristics of the last days. Today we hear of many cases of children rejecting parental authority and even killing their parents! This is indicative of the times in which we live.[7]
2. The way he\she should go
Some will not get to this place very fast.
III. Parents needs to keep believing in the children
Example the farmer plants and by faith trust for the harvest
Optimism
3. Parents keep loving
The home a place of love.
a. remember we all make mistakes
4. the over arching meaning by these scripture
The love of the husband compared to the love of god for his church, the out pouring of love that was shown to the church by Christ giving his life for the church. The husband is to give his life for his wife.
concl:
The home is to be the place of the most forgiveness
And if we are going to a witness to the world of the love of god we must build the bridge of forgiveness there.
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[1]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
a Other ancient authorities lack in the Lord
[2]The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. 1996, c1989 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[3]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[4]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[5]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[6]KJV Bible commentary. 1997, c1994. Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[7]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) . Thomas Nelson: Nashvillef