LIVING TO LEAD THE FAMILY TO HEAVEN

INTRODUCTION

LIVING TO LEAD THE FAMILY TO HEAVEN

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The family and everything about it are God’s idea. When talking about the union between man and woman, He said, What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. But what do we have men and women doing in our time? Putting marriage asunder. Putting the family asunder. Putting children asunder. People want sex but they don’t want the children that result from it. They want no responsibility. They want no burden upon themselves. Millions of babies are aborted. They don’t want children, but they don’t remember that they themselves were born as children. They want to be gay; they want to be lesbian; they want to be transgender; they want to be queer; and they want all our children to learn about all the disgusting things they do. They want our children to be like them, behave like them, believe like them. If we refuse, they protest and brand us homophobic! The LGBT acronym has been increased to 15 letters in Canada: LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP! And what is this (Lesbian, Gay, Genderqueer, Bisexual, Demi-sexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Two-spirit, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, Asexual, Allies, Pansexual Polyamorous)? The image in which God created us is that we are male and female. Every other so-called gender is human fabrication.

God created us only male and female. That is the only combination which will cause humans to increase and multiply. All these other human combinations can never produce children and can never increase and multiply or replenish the earth! I thank God that in this Church we believe in God’s plan and God’s purpose. The father and the mother unite in holy matrimony and their union produce children. That is the family in God’s plan. That is what you and I believe in. That is what we are called to defend. That is the family we are talking about today; the family that will go to heaven together!

The bible has examples of great, godly families, and we will be exploring why God chose them to be our examples. Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rebecca, Joshua, Lois and Eunice, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary. These are great examples to learn from, and not men and women who work that which is unseemly. God has given us, men and women the mandate to increase and multiply and replenish the earth. Our mandate is to have children and bring them up to the knowledge of god. Our mandate is to save people, not to save the planet. Liberal, socialist globalists don’t want children; they don’t want aeroplanes or even cars that use fossil fuel. Some of them don’t even want animals like cows because all these will pollute the air by breaking wind and by their droppings. How far away from God’s mandate have these people gone! No child of God should be on the side of these liberals because they are not on the Lord’s side! God’s family plan is the best. It leads to peace, purity, prosperity and progress.

1. DIVINE MANDATE FOR PARENTS’ POSITION AND AUTHORITY IN THE HOME

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(i) A Father Has a Position of Authority

A Father’s position in the family is a position of authority. Abraham was an exemplary father. God recognised that. He said of him, “I know him”. What is the purpose of this position? To train and lead family in the way of righteousness; To lead them to obey the Lord.

God has ordained that the father should rule his family in the fear of the Lord. In the OT if anyone on the family makes a vow to God and the father hears it and disallows it, God will automatically nullify the vow. If a husband nullifies a vow made by his wife, that vow will become null and void. This the Kind of authority a godly man is expected to wield at home – godly authority.

In the presence of God, the godly man is highly priced. God reveals his secret counsels to him. Before this can happen, the man must be cleared. When God said of Abraham, “for I know him”, that was his clearance. Even before he eventually offered up Isaac his covenant child, God knew he would do it! God will not reveal His secrets to an unserious man, an uncommitted man, an untrustworthy man. God will not reveal His secrets to them. Abraham was a man of God, a chosen man. You, husband and father, must be cleared by God to effectively carry out the work of leading your family through God’s guidance. Even if your life is not like that of Abraham today, you can change. God accepts change in our lives. Your job is to command your household with you to keep the ways of God, to live justly, righteously and holily (). You will not be a Pharisee (). To lead your family to heaven in this way, you must lead by examples, godly examples. They must see how you commit everything to God; they see your generosity in giving to the cause of Christ; they see how you keep back nothing in your service to God; they see how you give yourself wholly to God’s service. They me even tell you, daddy, you are doing too much! They can feel the impact of your commitment to God! Then you know you are doing the right thing.

(ii) A Position of Leadership

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The father is a shepherd. His family are the sheep. So, He must be a good shepherd (, ). He leads by example – not worldly example, but godly examples. What you want the children to learn about God, practice it in their presence.

We are to lead with love (; ; ; ,)

We are to lead with gentleness (; )

We are not to drive them. Commanding them means leading convincingly, not ordering them about (). Leadership does not and should not include provocation of members of our family. The purpose here is to lead on the way to heaven.

(iii) Parents have a Position of Teaching

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Abraham commanded (taught and led by example). Nazi Germany had a very powerful youth movement. They were indoctrinated with Nazi ideology, including racism. They proved very powerful indeed. By the end of 1933, their membership increased to 2,300 000! Many other communist nations adopted this principle of indoctrinating youth. Their commitment was frightening, and that to an evil cause. But God has given parents the authority to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ().

What are parents supposed to teach their children? You know the world in which our children are born is increasingly secular and our children will be exposed to secular and liberal teachings that question everything the Bible teaches!

We must deepen their knowledge of Christianity:

What evidence is there for the existence of God? Why would a good God allow evil and suffering? How can a loving God send people to hell? Is faith in God the opposite of reason? What are the historical facts of the resurrection that nearly every scholar agrees on? How can Christians believe miracles are even possible? How do we know the Bible we have today says what the authors originally wrote? Does the Bible support slavery, rape and human sacrifice (as sceptics allege)?

Our goal is to bring our children to heaven with us. Why do many children go away from the teaching of their parents? Or why do they leave the magnificent teaching of our Christian faith and go after secularism? Many times, it is because they don’t seem to have answers to many of these searching questions.

The parents of Timothy thought him the scriptures and he held unto them till he grew up and used it in serving the Lord ().

So, we can see the great responsibility we have as parents to lead our children to Christ and to heaven. Heaven is the ultimate goal of every Christian endeavour and activity.

We therefore must lead

(i) With trust in God ()

(ii) With Humility ()

(iii) Selflessly ()

(iv) Without pride ()

(v) With frequent forgiveness ()

(vi) Guard your words ()

(vii) With love, gentleness, dignity and confidence

(viii) We must protect our family physically ()

(ix) We must protect our family emotionally (; )

(x) We must protect our family theologically ()

2. DIVINE INJUNCTION FOR CHILDREN TO COOPERATE WITH PARENTAL AUTHORITY IN THE HOME

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There is a verse of proverbs that is terrible to think about (). This is not an empty threat. Proverbs speaks wisdom from the ages, things that will happen if we take certain actions). The very fabric of human creation requires that children obey, honour, respect, listen to and follow the godly instruction of parents. The rod of reproof or correction will give wisdom to a child (). The danger is if young people carelessly refuse to recognise the danger in refusing to obey and honour their parents.

The command for children to honour parents is well attested to in the Bible. Let us just read the references.

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Exodus 20:12 KJV 1900

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Deuteronomy 5:16 KJV 1900

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Matthew 15:6 KJV 1900

6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Matthew 19:19 KJV 1900

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mark 7:10 KJV 1900

10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

Mark 10:19 KJV 1900

19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

Luke 18:19 KJV 1900

19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Malachi 1:6 KJV 1900

6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: If then I be a father, where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

Ephesians 6:1–4 KJV 1900

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Proverbs 23:26 KJV 1900

26 My son, give me thine heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways.

There are promises to all children who do the will of God by obeying their parents, honouring and taking care of them when they are old and unable to take care of themselves. Western civilisation is good and has done a lot to lift the living standards of humanity; but it has done a lot of evil to the wellbeing of the family. Western civilisation, inadvertently encourages children to dishonour their parents and to depend on the government. We all are witnesses to the devastation this has caused in many families. Children are deceived into disobeying their parents, thereby breaking the commandment of God and receiving the due judgement declared in the word of God!

3. DIVINE BLESSINGS FOR ALL WHO OBEY GOD’S FAMILY PLAN

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· Things will be well with you.

“Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee” ().

· You will have a long life.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother . . . that . . . thou mayest live long on the earth” ().

· You will bring delight to the Lord.

“Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord” ().

· You will avoid fear of condemnation.

“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same, for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” ().

· You will maintain a good conscience.

“Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake” ().

· You will bring joy to your authorities.

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” ().

· You will receive God’s reward.

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” ().

· You will be given clear direction.

“My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee” ().

· You will be protected from evil people. “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman” ().

“For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman” ().

· You will gain discernment.

“A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent” ().

· You will receive praise from your authorities.

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well” ().

· You will receive the grace God gives to the humble.

“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” ().

“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” ().