06AM June 18 Proverbs 22 3_6

June 18, 2006—Morning Worship

Father’s Day

God’s Word to Fathers

Little Investments that Pay Huge Dividends

Proverbs 22:3-6

Intro:  What is a legacy? What is the legacy of a good father? What is the legacy of a mighty man of God? According to Jim Burton who wrote the book “Legacy Builders,” a legacy is, “the measure of one’s character, inner strength, conviction, & direction. It’s the part of you that lives on earth after your death.”

So what is the greatest legacy of a man? Investing our lives in our children is the most important investment we ever make, so I want to talk w/you about an important verse found in the Scriptures; then we'll see how to invest our time in other people, specifically our children & grandchildren.

Proverbs 22 3 A prudent man foresees evil & hides himself, But the simple pass on & are punished. 4 By humility & the fear of the Lord Are riches & honor & life. 5 Thorns & snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. 6 Train up a child in the way he should go, & when he is old he will not depart from it.

Biblical Study: The Hebrew word for "train up" in Proverbs 22:6 can also be translated "dedicate."

- The same word is used in 1 Kings 8:63 when Solomon dedicated the temple to the Lord.

- When you train up a child you dedicate that child to the Lord.

- I'm not just talking about a ceremony performed in church once when the child is an infant.

- I'm talking about getting up every morning & looking for opportunities to give that child to the Lord that day.

Deuteronomy 6 6 "& these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, & shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, & when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, & they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house & on your gates.

- But notice the context that precedes Proverbs 22:6.

- In v. 3 we are warned to foresee evil & hide from it.

- Verse 4 says that humility & godly fear bring prosperity to our lives.

- Verse 5 warns that thorns & snares entangle the perverse, but those who guard their souls are safe.

- Then comes v. 6, which tells us to train up our children.

- IOW we're to instill w/in them the ability to foresee evil, to exercise humility & godly fear, & how to avoid the thorns & snares in life.

- If we do, as our children grow older, they will not depart from it.

- If you train children early in the moral things they need to know, then what you've instilled in them will still be there after they are grown.

- That's God's promise.

- Now, this verse doesn't promise that our children will not wander from the Lord.

- What it does promise is that if we put the right things in, the right things will be there when our children need them.

We should train our children when they're young & make the little investment of…

1. A Trained Imagination. Children are so imaginative! (v. 6a) 6a Train up a child in the way he should go….

- Children are bundles of imagination.

- You know how much you love to watch your children or grandchildren play.

- They're in another world all the time.

- They’re either out fighting dragons or stopping bad guys or putting out fires; or they’re having a tea party or playing dress up all while pretending to be you!

- But that same imagination also brings the kind of mischief into which little kids so often find themselves.

- But it’s their imagination that also allows them to produce humility & godly fear.

- We’re told that 90% of a child's imagination decreases between ages of 5 & 7.

- I'd hate not to use that imagination to spark a God-consciousness.

- It's the perfect time to involve yourself in your children. It's a wonderful opportunity to help them to begin well.

- As Abraham trained up his children, & those born in his house, in the way of the Lord; as he trained them in the paths of justice & judgment; which are the ways in which they should go, & which will be to their advantage; it is the duty of parents in all ages, to bring up all who are under their care in the nurture & admonition of the Lord!

- Some—even many, may ask, “How do I do that?”

- It’s done by praying w/them & for them; by bringing them under the means of grace, the ministry of the word of God.

- It’s done by instructing them in the principles of a relationship w/God, teaching them their duty to God & to man, & setting a good example for them of a holy life & of a holy conversation.

- All that’s to be done according to their capacity—as they are able to understand & to receive the instructions given to them.

- & as it may literally be translated, "according to the mouth of his way."

- IOW as soon as he is able to speak or go, even from his infancy; or as children are fed by little bits, or a little at a time, as their mouths can receive it.

          [When baby birds are 1st hatched, the mother or the father bird goes out & finds food. They then eat the food & take it back to the nest. There they regurgitate the food in liquid form & literally pour it down the throats of their young. (I’m glad I’m not a bird!)

          As the birds grow, the parents are able just to bring back pieces of food & give that to their young. What they have done is to train them to eat—starting w/liquid food & then moving on to solid food.]

- Every child needs to be trained up in the way he should go b/c the child has no idea of the way.

- We should never leave a child to their imagination—we should train that imagination!

- It’s like that in the physical realm & it’s also like that in the spiritual realm!

          [Several years ago a lady called here wanting some information about our church. She said she had been raised a Catholic & her husband never went to church. She told me that their children were 7 & 10 years old & that they were old enough to make their own decisions as to where they would go to church!

          You would never let a 7 or a 10 year old make their own decisions as to which Dr. to go to—or even what to have for supper—so why would you let them make their own decisions about church & spiritual matters?!?!]

- Every child must be trained up in the way he should go spiritually b/c the child has no idea of the way!

- That’s one reason we put such a high priority on our children’s ministries!

- We want to teach them the unsearchable riches of God in a way they can grasp!

- IOW little bites at a time! We need to start w/milk & then move on to solid food!

- But every child needs to hear the truth about Jesus & the truth about salvation from an early age so that God the Spirit can work in their hearts & draw them to Christ b/c that’s the way they should go!

- We should make the little investment of a trained imagination in our children b/c it will pay huge dividends.

- But we should also make the little investment of…

2. A Teachable spirit. Children, for the most part, have teachable spirits. (v. 6b) 6b Train up a child in the way he should go….

- Children have just about everything in life to learn.

- The word “way” translates a word that means “the path or direction or manner of life.”

- It speaks of the “course of life, the habit of life & the moral character of life.”

- One of the things children need to learn is how to live before the Lord.

- They need to know about the thorns & snares, about humility & the fear of the Lord.

- Don't be afraid to instill the morality of God's Word into your kids.

- If you don't do that by the time they go off to school, somebody else will be waiting to take over the job.

- Some may say that’s a good reason to home school your children.

- If you’ve decided before the Lord to do that—do it w/all the ability that God supplies.

- A small minority of the messengers to the SBC were advocating that all SB should home school their children in protest of the conditions in the public school systems.

- But let me quickly remind you that putting your children in a private Christian school or even home schooling them will NOT keep them from wicked, evil influences.

- Many Christians down through the years have advocated that we burn certain books or boycott certain materials.

- I would submit to you that what we need to be doing is to take those materials & those books & educate our children in what’s wrong w/them from a Biblical world view & stop trying to keep them from those books & materials.

          [I don’t know about you, but I believe there’s something in every human that makes them rebel. Have you ever walked by a sign that said “Wet Paint” & touched the paint to see if it was wet? It’s almost like you are saying, “Don’t tell me not to touch the paint. I’ll do what I want to do!

          & that’s exactly what happens in the minds of our children when we tell them not to read a certain book or watch a certain movie w/o telling them why the content is wrong or sinful or harmful!]

- When we train a child in the way he should go, we train them toward a certain view rather than away from a certain view.

Psalm 119 10 W/my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

- When you teach your child that view, you are not so much training them away from sin as you are training them toward the Savior!

- You teach them that God is to be exalted & that He alone is worthy of praise!

- Don’t be afraid to make the little investment of a teachable spirit in your children b/c it will pay a huge dividend!

- Finally, this morning, we must make the little investment of…

3. A Triumphant life. (v. 6c) 6 Train up a child in the way he should go, & when he is old he will not depart from it.

- If we don't invest in our children when they're young, they will become cynical, skeptical, pessimistic, sarcastic, contemptuous & suspicious b/c the evil one will find ways to take over their little minds.

[An English preacher, William B. Riley, once told this story. He was taking a vacation on the property of a Scottish sheepherder. His host met him at the station, but the drive to the ranch was somewhat quiet. The old shepherd finally said, "I lost 65 of my best lambs last night. The wolves got in." Preacher Riley expressed his grief over the loss, & then asked how many total sheep the wolves killed. The shepherd looked surprised & said, "You don't know? A wolf never takes an old sheep when he can get a lamb."]

- The wolves are looking for the lambs, my friends.

- The evil one is looking for your innocent, unprotected, uneducated children!

- You can end your life well by helping them begin theirs well.

- Don't miss this opportunity. "Train up a child in the way he should go, & when he is old he will not depart from it."

- I’ve already said that this verse does not promise that your children will never be wayward.

- It doesn’t promise that all your children will always walk w/Jesus!

- But it is a promise that God can & will use whatever you put in your children to bring them to faith or to lead them through life.

          [I’m sure you’ve seen the TV commercials w/the Las Vegas motto, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Well, what this verse promises is that what goes into your children stays in your children!]

- As you are faithful to put into your child the truths of God’s word & the delights of following His ways, God eagerly awaits the day He plans to use that to guide your child to the faith & to lead them in a triumphant life everyday!

- You see the old hymn is true --- there is victory in Jesus!

Conclusion:  If your children are older, I can tell you it's not too late to do the right thing. Your influence may not be as strong as it would have been years ago, but as long as you have breath, you have influence. Don't curse the past you consider wasted; seize the day. Take every opportunity to make things right, to start over again. No matter what stage of life we're in or how old your children may be, we can have a significant influence in the spiritual life of others for the glory of God!

          Remember, your legacy is the part of you that lives on earth after you are dead. The only way that can happen is that your life is an influence on others. Your life can influence your children, your neighbors, your co-workers & your friends. Your legacy is never completed until you take your final breath.

          So keep on making the little investments that will pay huge dividends in the lives of those around you. Invest in them a trained imagination, a teachable spirit & a triumphant life will be the result!

Invitation:  Are you leaving behind a legacy as a godly man or woman? Is your legacy one of spiritual significance? Will others follow God through Jesus b/c they saw that close fellowship w/Him in your life?

          God may be calling you to renew your commitment to holiness & godliness today. Will you come? God may be calling you to demonstrate purity before your children. Will you do it? God may be calling you to express His love through your actions. Will you obey?

          Or perhaps God is calling you to salvation today b/c He has shown you the desperately wicked heart in you, which you didn’t even know existed. Perhaps God has revealed to you His holiness & His mercy & His grace. & perhaps today, you are willing to repent of your sin & come by faith to Jesus. Will you come today & be saved?

          & as always, God may have spoken to you about any other matter. It could be church membership, confession of a particular sin, baptism, or some other matter. However & whatever the Lord is saying to you today, I’m asking you to come. I’m pleading w/you to obey. I’m imploring you to be reconciled to God in Jesus Christ His Son. Will you do it today?

Hymn 320 Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus