Offspring and Occupation

BELIEVE AND LIVE

SERMON 12

OFFSPRING AND OCCUPATION

INTRODUCTION:

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THE WORST TROUBLE I CAN REMEMBER EVER GETTING IN HAPPENED IN THE FALL OF 1979…OCTOBER 31ST, 1979, TO BE EXACT.

I DON’T KNOW IF YOU DID THIS WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER, BUT WHEN I WAS A KID, WE HAD A SOUTHERN HALLOWEEN TRADITION THAT WAS KNOWN AS “CHUNKIN’ EGGS.”

DID YOU HAVE THAT SAME THING HERE?

WELL, LEADING UP TO HALLOWEEN, THERE WERE TWO ITEMS THAT WOULD FLY OFF THE STORE SHELVES…TOILET PAPER…AND EGGS…

WE WOULD GATHER OUR EGGS AND PREPARE OURSELVES FOR A NIGHT OF EGGSTAORDINARY WARFARE…

WE WOULD ESTABLISH TEAMS, BASED ON OUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS…AND THEN WE WOULD PRACTICE GUERILLA TACTICS IN AN EFFORT TO LAUNCH SURPRISE ATTACKS ON THE OTHER GROUPS.

WELL, WHAT I DIDN’T REALIZE IS THAT IT WAS SOMETIMES A BAD IDEA TO HAVE OVER-EXUBERANT FRIENDS ON YOUR “TEAM.”

I HAD ONE SUCH FRIEND ON MY TEAM…HIS NAME WAS DAVID MCDONALD…

AND DAVID MCDONALD THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO CHALLENGE A GROUP OF ABOUT 25 KIDS TO COME TO MY HOUSE, TO HAVE AN EGG WAR AGAINST OUR GROUP OF SIX…

TWO THINGS OF NOTE…

- FIRST, SIX VERSUS TWENTY FIVE IS NEVER A GOOD RATIO…

- SECOND, EGG WARS ARE BEST CARRIED OUT IN WOODED AREAS, NOT AT SOMEONE’S HOUSE…

NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE WERE HOPELESSLY OUTMATCHED, AND FORCED TO RETREAT…INTO MY HOUSE…OPENING THE SIDE DOOR OF THE HOUSE AT INTERVALS TO ALLOW EACH MEMBER OF OUR TEAM ACCESS TO THE SAFETY OF MY HOUSE, ALL THE WHILE OBLIVIOUS TO THE FACT THAT THE WAR RAGED ON, EVEN AS EACH OF US MADE OUR WAY INSIDE THE HOUSE…

THE ONLY REASON WE DIDN’T SUFFER A MORE SEVERE DEFEAT WAS THAT MY MOTHER – WHO HAPPENED TO BE AT THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR – HEARD THE NOISE AND CAME HOME TO INVESTIGATE…

THE RAVAGES OF THE EGG WAR WERE EXTENSIVE…THE ENEMY HELD NOTHING BACK, AND NOTHING WAS OFF LIMITS…

MY CAR WAS COVERED WITH EGGS…MY MOM’S CAR WAS COVERED WITH EGGS…WE WERE COVERED WITH EGGS…MY MOTHER’S DINING ROOM WAS COVERED WITH EGGS…

I WAS IN DEEP TROUBLE…BUT I WASN’T THE ONLY ONE…I GAINED A NEW LEVEL OF RESPECT THAT DAY FOR MY MOTHER, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THAT MY LIFE WAS PROBABLY OVER, I WATCHED AS MY MOTHER ROUNDED UP OVER 30 BOYS AND OVERSAW THE CLEANUP EFFORT…

I KNEW BEFOREHAND THAT EGG WARS WERE OFF LIMITS…MY PARENTS HAD ALREADY INFORMED ME OF THE CONSEQUENCES IF I DECIDED TO TAKE PART IN SUCH AN ACTIVITY…BUT DID I OBEY THEM? NOPE…

AND THERE WERE CONSEQUENCES…I WAS GROUNDED…ALL MY FRIENDS WERE GROUNDED…THE PAINT ON MY MOM’S CAR WAS NEVER THE SAME…THE PAINT ON MY CAR WASN’T REALLY MUCH DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY FADED…THE DINING ROOM HAD A STRANGE ROTTEN-EGG SMELL FOR A LONG TIME AFTER THAT…

BUT I LEARNED FROM THAT EXPERIENCE…I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING TO THIS THING CALLED OBEDIENCE…

NOW, AS A PASTOR, ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES I HAVE IS TO TEACH THE CHURCH I SERVE THE IMPORTANCE OF OBEDIENCE…AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS…IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH OBEDIENCE AS YOUR PARENTS OFFSPRING OR IN YOUR OCCUPATION, YOU WILL STRUGGLE WITH OBEDIENCE TO GOD…

SO LET’S LOOK AT WHAT PAUL HAS TO SAY ABOUT OBEDIENCE IN THESE TWO AREAS…

1. CHILDREN ARE COMMANDED TO OBEY THEIR PARENTS.

a. (ESV) – 1 CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD, FOR THIS IS RIGHT. 2 “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER” (THIS IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH A PROMISE), 3 “THAT IT MAY GO WELL WITH YOU AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG IN THE LAND.”

i. TWO COMMANDS TO CHILDREN.

1. OBEY YOUR PARENTS.

2. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.

3. BOTH OF THESE COMMANDS HAVE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHRISTIAN CHILDREN.

b. “OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN THE LORD” DOES NOT MEAN THAT CHILDREN ONLY NEED TO OBEY CHRISTIAN PARENTS.

i. IT MEANS THAT CHILDREN ARE OBEYING THE LORD WHEN THEY OBEY THEIR PARENTS.

ii. THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS COMMAND WOULD BE WHEN CHILDREN ARE ASKED TO DO SOMETHING UNETHICAL, ILLEGAL, OR IMMORAL, OR WHEN THEY ARE HARMED OR IN DANGER OF BEING HARMED…

iii. THEN, AND ONLY THEN, THE COMMAND TO OBEY WOULD BE SUPERSEDED BY HIGHER BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES OF “OBEYING GOD RATHER THAN MAN.”

c. “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,” LIKE “OBEY YOUR PARENTS,” IS A COMMAND TO EXERCISE PROPER CONDUCT BECAUSE OF ONE’S CLAIM TO BE “IN CHRIST.”

i. THE WORD “HONOR” IS A WORD THAT MEANS TO AFFIX VALUE TO SOMETHING, OR TO MAKE SOMETHING MORE VALUABLE.

ii. THEREFORE, WHEN CHILDREN LIVE IN A CHRIST-LIKE MANNER, OBEYING THEIR PARENTS, THEY GIVE VALUE TO THEIR PARENTS IN THE SIGHT OF OTHERS.

iii. IT IS AN INDICATION THAT THE PARENTS ARE TRULY PARENTING THEIR CHILDREN IN A WAY THAT IS PLEASING TO CHRIST.

iv. THE PHRASE “THAT IT MAY GO WELL WITH YOU AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG IN THE LAND” IS A REFERENCE TO THE OUTFLOW OF OBEDIENCE.

v. GOD ORDAINED AN ORDER TO EVERYTHING, SO THAT EVERYTHING COULD REMAIN IN ORDER.

vi. SO GOD REQUIRES CHILDREN TO BE OBEDIENT TO THEIR PARENTS TO HELP FACILITATE THIS ORDER.

d. ILLUSTRATION

i. IN AN ARTICLE ON OBEDIENCE, JOHN PIPER TELLS THE STORY OF THE SHOOTING OF 13 YEAR-OLD ANDY LOPEZ.

ii. HE WRITES…

1. ANDY LOPEZ WAS SHOT IN 2013 IN SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA, BY POLICE WHO THOUGHT HE WAS ABOUT TO SHOOT THEM WITH AN ASSAULT RIFLE.

2. IT WAS A TOY GUN.

3. WHAT MAKES THIS RELEVANT WAS THAT THE POLICE [AS WELL AS WITNESSES TO THE SHOOTING] SAID THEY TOLD THE BOY TWO TIMES TO DROP THE GUN.

4. INSTEAD HE TURNED IT ON THEM.

5. THEY FIRED.

6. ANDY LOST HIS LIFE.

iii. ONE HAS TO WONDER WHERE THIS PROPENSITY TO IGNORE AUTHORITY CAME FROM.

iv. COULD IT BE THAT ANDY WAS DISOBEDIENT AT HOME, AND THERE WERE NO CONSEQUENCES FOR HIS DISOBEDIENCE?

v. WE MAY NEVER KNOW, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE AUTOPSY SHOWED THAT ANDY HAD HIGH LEVELS OF THC IN HIS SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE DRUG IN MARIJUANA.

vi. SO, AT THE VERY LEAST, HE WAS WILLING TO DISOBEY THE LAW OF THE LAND, WHICH AGAIN MAKES ONE WONDER IF THERE WAS A DISCIPLINE PROBLEM AT HOME.

e. APPLICATION

i. SO CHILDREN – AND THE WAY THIS IS WRITTEN, THIS WOULD BE PRIMARILY WRITTEN TO CHILDREN STILL LIVING IN THE HOME OF THEIR PARENTS – HERE’S WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO YOU…

ii. YOU CANNOT DISOBEY YOUR PARENTS AND BE PLEASING TO GOD AT THE SAME TIME.

iii. THE SCRIPTURES COMMAND CHILDREN TO BE OBEDIENT TO THEIR PARENTS.

iv. BUT CHILDREN ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES TO WHOM PAUL WRITES RELATIONSHIP COMMANDS.

2. PARENTS ARE ALSO COMMANDED TO BE REASONABLE IN THEIR EXPECTATIONS.

a. (ESV) – 4 FATHERS, DO NOT PROVOKE YOUR CHILDREN TO ANGER, BUT BRING THEM UP IN THE DISCIPLINE AND INSTRUCTION OF THE LORD.

b. MANY PEOPLE CAN SHARE STORIES OF FATHERS WHO DID NOT LIVE BY THIS COMMAND.

i. THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT FATHER’S ARE SOMEHOW SCRIPTURALLY ALLOWED TO MISTREAT THEIR CHILDREN, BECAUSE OF THE AUTHORITY GIVEN TO THEM BY THE LORD, IS A BLATANT MISREPRESENTATION OF SCRIPTURE, AND IS OFFENSIVE TO THE LORD.

ii. FATHER’S ARE CALLED TO BE THE LEADERS OF THE HOME, BUT NOWHERE DOES SCRIPTURE GRANT AUTHORITY FOR FATHER’S TO HOLD THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN IN RELENTLESS SUBJUGATION.

c. ILLUSTRATION

i. I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT PAUL WAS NOT INSPIRED BY GOD TO WRITE THIS COMMAND TO “FATHER’S AND MOTHER’S.”

ii. WHY IS THIS THE CASE?

1. I BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE FATHER’S ARE GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD THEIR FAMILIES AND ARE RESPONSIBLE TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN THE WAY TO LIVE LIVES THAT HONOR GOD.

2. AND MANY FATHER’S HAVE REJECTED THIS RESPONSIBILITY…BUT KNOW THIS, EVEN THOUGH FATHER’S MAY SHIRK THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP…

3. GOD DOES NOT CHANGE HIS EXPECTATIONS…

4. AND GOD WILL HOLD EVERY PERSON ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY EXPECTATION HE HAS OF THEM…

5. SO FATHER’S ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR THE SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR CHILDREN.

d. APPLICATION

i. BUT THE IMPLICATION OF VERSE 4 IS THAT FATHER’S SHOULD DO MUCH MORE THAN JUST TELL THEIR CHILDREN WHAT TO DO.

ii. THE PHRASE “BRING THEM UP IN THE DISCIPLINE AND INSTRUCTION OF THE LORD” IMPLIES THAT DISCIPLINE AND INSTRUCTION IS NOT JUST SHARED, BUT MODELED BY FATHER’S.

iii. MEN, WE HAVE A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO EXEMPLIFY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE CHRIST-FOLLOWERS AND TO LEAD OUR FAMILIES TO BE CHRIST-FOLLOWERS.

iv. AND WE FIND HERE THAT WE ARE TO MODEL THE DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH….

1. THAT’S THE “DO” PART OF CHRISTIANITY.

v. AND THE WE ARE TO SHARE THE INSTRUCTION OF THE LORD.

1. THAT’S THE “KNOW” PART OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.

vi. SO FATHER’S ARE RESPONSIBLE BEFORE THE LORD TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN WHAT THEY SHOULD KNOW AND WHAT THEY SHOULD DO AS BELIEVERS.

e. SO GOD PRESENTS US WITH A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN CHILDREN AND PARENTS, AND SOME SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR FATHER’S…

f. BUT THIS IDEA OF CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT RESERVED JUST FOR FAMILY INTERACTIONS, IT ALSO FLOWS OUTWARD INTO OUR OCCUPATIONAL LIFE.

g. PAUL MAKES A COUPLE OF POINTS RELATED TO OCCUPATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS…FIRST…

3. EMPLOYEES ARE COMMANDED TO CARRY OUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

a. (ESV) – 5 BONDSERVANTS, OBEY YOUR EARTHLY MASTERS WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING, WITH A SINCERE HEART, AS YOU WOULD CHRIST, 6 NOT BY THE WAY OF EYE-SERVICE, AS PEOPLE-PLEASERS, BUT AS BONDSERVANTS OF CHRIST, DOING THE WILL OF GOD FROM THE HEART, 7 RENDERING SERVICE WITH A GOOD WILL AS TO THE LORD AND NOT TO MAN, 8 KNOWING THAT WHATEVER GOOD ANYONE DOES, THIS HE WILL RECEIVE BACK FROM THE LORD, WHETHER HE IS A BONDSERVANT OR IS FREE.

b. THE INSTRUCTION HERE IS THAT BONDSERVANTS, OR FOR OUR PURPOSES TODAY, EMPLOYEES, SHOULD OBEY THEIR EMPLOYERS, SHOWING THEM RESPECT AND HONOR, THE SAME WAY THEY WOULD IF CHRIST HIMSELF WERE GIVING THE INSTRUCTIONS.

c. AND THERE SHOULD BE NO ULTERIOR MOTIVE.

i. IT IS NOT FOR THE PRAISE OF MEN THAT WE SHOULD CARRY OUT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AT A HIGH LEVEL.

ii. IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO PART OF OUR LIVES WHICH IS NOT SUBJECT TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.

iii. SO, WE ARE TO DO EVERYTHING AS BONDSERVANTS OF CHRIST.

d. ILLUSTRATION

e. APPLICATION

i. IF THERE IS TO BE ANY MOTIVATING FACTOR TO PERFORM OUR OCCUPATIONS AT A HIGH LEVEL, LET IT BE THE ASSURANCE THAT THE LORD WILL REWARD US FOR THE WAY WE CONDUCT OURSELVES.

f. SO CHRISTIAN EMPLOYEES ARE CALLED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE, BECAUSE THEY BELONG TO CHRIST, AND EVERYTHING WE DO IS A REFLECTION ON HIM.

g. BUT EMPLOYERS ARE NOT EXEMPT EITHER…

4. EMPLOYERS ARE COMMANDED TO REMEMBER THAT THEY ALSO HAVE A MASTER.

a. (ESV) – 9 MASTERS, DO THE SAME TO THEM, AND STOP YOUR THREATENING, KNOWING THAT HE WHO IS BOTH THEIR MASTER AND YOURS IS IN HEAVEN, AND THAT THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH HIM.

b. NO HUMAN BEING IS AT THE TOP OF THE HEAP, EVEN IF HE OR SHE THINKS SO.

c. EVERYONE HAS SOMEONE TO WHOM THEY ANSWER.

d. FOR THESE MASTERS – OR EMPLOYERS TODAY – PAUL WAS MAKING THE POINT THAT THE MISTREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES IS UNACCEPTABLE IN THE EYES OF GOD.

e. BECAUSE THE MISTREATMENT OF ANYONE IS UNACCEPTABLE IN THE EYES OF GOD.

f. ILLUSTRATION

h. APPLICATION

i. NO HUMAN BEING – EVER – HAS BEEN TRULY SELF-SUFFICIENT.

h. APPLICATION

i. SO EMPLOYERS ARE COMMANDED TO STOP USING THREATENING LANGUAGE AND ACTIONS TO MOTIVATE THEIR EMPLOYEES.

j. AND INSTEAD, TREAT THEM WITH THE DIGNITY AND VALUE THAT GOD HAS ASSIGNED TO EVERY HUMAN BEING.

CONCLUSION: