Don’t Provoke Them

Relationships

I’’m in a Relationship

One of the most critical relationship

One of our first relationship

The blueprint the bedrock for all of our relationships

It all begins with the parent child relationship

No doubt you have heard

Children obey your parents

But have you considered

Don’t provoke them

Parents

Paul simply says don’t provoke them to wrath

Provoke- irritate, vex, unreasonable blame, to discourage

We as parents have a duty

Yes to provide

Yes to protect

But don’t provoke

Let’s be clear

Here’s what Paul does say

Bring them up

It has an agricultural cogitation

It means to nourish them until they are mature

It is difficult to bring someone up when you still down

We are showing them how a relationship works

Nurture

Nurture

Discipline

This does not simply mean a beating

But chastening

Discipline is Difficult

Admonition

Train by words

Teach them

Patience

Of the Lord

But here it is, here’s what Paul tells the children

Children

Obey

This is not a negotiation

Too many homes with negotiations

We send them into a world of absolutes

With a negotiation mentality

There are no negotiations

School

Work

Police

Relationships

In the Lord -

In the Lord -

The glue that hold this together is Christ

Both parent and child

Maybe that's what’s missing is the Lord

They don’t listen

I can’t do nothing with them

But you at church and they at home

I’m not suggesting that this is an excuse

Children need to obey even if the parent does not know Jesus

But the context for this command is “in the Lord”

Paul says that there is something natural about this

This is Right

It makes sense

Beyond the spiritual

In a very natural sense

Paul does not stop there. He says

Honor -

Assigned Value to

Too often we do not understand the value until it is too late

That’s why grandparents are so happy

To Revere

Beyond obedience

Respect

What does that look like?

It looks like fixed face

It looks like a clean room

It looks like grass cut

It looks like you acting like you got some sense

Promise

Listen we don’t do it for the promise

But there is a promise

Paul pulls a point from the decalogue

In essence he lets them know that this is in book

The first commandment with promise

Do it God’s Way

It may be well

To be well off

To fare well

To prosper

Here’s what I can't figure out

Is it that God blesses me because of my obedience

Or is that because I’m obedient it puts me a place of blessings

Do it God’s way

Thou mayest live long on the earth

When you obey and honor

God promise longevity

It is coupled with being well

The ability to enjoy it

So many things offer a temporary fix