Payback Time

Conversation with Kids

God gives homework. What assignment has he given you as kids? Honor and obey parents. Why? Because he has put them in your life for your good. They will help you grow up the way God want you to.

Grow like weeds? Grow like Jesus.

Luke 2:52 NIV

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Grow big and strong. Learn. Be a good friend. Grow close to God.

In the sermon today, we are going to talk about other assignments God gives to grown-up kids.

Intro to Series Finish

Speaking of grown-up kids: As of June 4, Loran Harper has served as a minister at CTCC for 40 years.

1 Tim

1 Timothy 5:17 ESV

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

Today’s Message / series finish: Payback Time. There is an old saying quoted by Martin Luther, who himself called it a wise and old saying nearly 500 years ago:

“To God, to parents, and to teachers we can never render sufficient gratitude and compensation.”

We kid sometimes about becoming parents and then being on the receiving end of what we gave our parents, often in the form of temper tantrums and attitude. But that’s not the kind of “payback” we’re discussing today.

“To God, to parents, and to teachers we can never render sufficient gratitude and compensation.”

“To God, to parents, and to teachers we can never render sufficient gratitude and compensation.”

Let’s consider for a few minutes the role a grown-up kid has in doing all we can to give something like “payback” to our parents and grandparents.

Faith and the Family

Providing

Read , in context: Paul is counseling Timothy in regard to a well-ordered church—which involves honor / financial support of widows who are in need.

Context: Paul is counseling Timothy in regard to a well-ordered church—which involves honor / financial support of widows who are in need.

The church should financially help widows who are in need. There is no shame in receiving help from the church family; it is called honor.

There is something shameful: the self-sufficient and pleasure-seeking widow is worse off than a poor one. “lives for pleasure”… “dead even while she lives” / “gain the whole world and lose your soul.”

Providing for your relatives, specifically making some return to parents and grandparents, is an important matter of living the Christian faith and it is pleasing in the sight of God.

Falling Upward

The saying goes: Getting old ain’t for wimps.

Childhood injuries: Fell off my bike, Fell out of a tree, Twisted my ankle

Adult injuries: Slept wrong, Sat down too long, Sneezed too hard

A former student of mind posted the other day about being excited about “aging gracefully.” There is a lot of gracefulness in it. And there is a lot about it that isn’t graceful. You know you’re getting old when actions creak louder than words. You know you are getting old when half the stuff in your grocery cart says “For fast relief...” My great uncle used to say: You know you’re getting old when you bend down to tie your shoes and think, “What else can I do while I’m down here?”

Getting old has been described as falling upward. There is an upward trajectory to wisdom and character. The inward renewal and transformation of God is real progress. But, then there is the outward decline and degeneration that comes with aging. We are moving upward on the inside, falling apart on the outside.

Switching Spaces

There is a gradual exchange of roles between parent and child. As parents decline, children gradually assume roles that were once the roles of parents. It is a God-given assignment / calling for which a son or daughter is specially equipped.

gratitude (having personally benefitted from the sacrifice)

respect (knowing better than any other the dignity and worth of this person)

love (unconditional, forgiving, and loyal)

To those who are walking with your aging parents or grandparents in this late season of life, I want to simply encourage you with the reminder it is sacred and God-pleasing. It is part of living your faith.

I remember my grandparents coming out to the farm to visit when I was a kid. As a kid, appreciating that didn’t come naturally. It had to be taught. My dad would have us turn off the television, even if Walker Texas Ranger was on! He was modeling honor for us. Now my grandparents are in that season of life where they need the support of family, and he is still modeling honor. I called him the other day and he had just returned from serving communion to my Granny. He mentioned that my cousin Kami was there visiting. Honoring our grandmother.

That is holy work (the holy-ordinary): A son bringing communion to his mom. A granddaughter meeting heart-needs of a woman in that way that only her granddaughter could.

John 19:25–27 ESV

but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

John 19:25

To those who are in those late seasons of life, depending on your family in ways that are new to you. You may being saying, “I52don’t want to be a burden.” You have practiced wanting the best for your children for so long that even when you truly need their help, by nature you put them first. That is beautiful.

Jesus’ mother stood by the cross while he died. As did one of his disciples, probably John. Before he took his last breath, he pointed them to each other: “Woman, behold, your son!” And to John, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

John 19:24–27 ESV

so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

It’s the supreme example of being more devoted to God than to family, yet taking one’s family responsibilities seriously—as God-assigned responsibilities.

To those who are in the late season of your life, finding that you must depend on your family in ways that are new to you. You may being saying, “I don’t want to be a burden.” You have practiced wanting the best for your children for so long that even when you truly need their help, by nature you put them first. That is beautiful.

But, the upward call means there is yet more to learn—through dependence.

Dependence is not a dirty word, and a child is in the right position to remind the elderly parent that dependence is not humiliating in the hands of our faithful God. Dependence on God is intrinsic to the life of faith; and God ministers to all of us through the vocations of others, including our children.” (Gene Veith & Mary Moerbe)

It’s payback time. But, really, it’s something far greater than this. In the love and service of your children is the love and care of your faithful heavenly Father.

John took Mary into his home to care for her as a son should, but in it we see not just the love of John but the love and faithfulness of Christ and of God.

Conclusion

God wants children to payback their parents, not just to “even the scales” and see that they are properly compensated for changing diapers and shuttling you to soccer games, but as a reassurance in the last season of life of God’s faithfulness and love toward those who must utterly depend on him. It is not our ability, our achievement, our beauty, our strength that we can count on; we can on Christ even when we have nothing.

We are born into the world utterly dependent. We pass into the next the same way—only knowing the One who can be depended upon.