Biblical Children
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
As you all know we have been studying through the theme “Fundamentals” or the building blocks of doctrine that lead to the more mature doctrines and studies.
Or as the apostle Peter put it…
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Today we are going to turn our attention to a parents “off shuts” in the family tree so to speak.
We are going to be studying out “Biblical Children.”
One of the more important New Testament passages on the subject (Ephesians 6:1-3) is derived from an Old Testament passage Exodus 20:12.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
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.”
The key word here is “honor” and so what exactly does the word “honor” mean?
The word “honor” in Ephesians 6:2 means to fix a value on something, to consider it a prized possession.
The word “honor” in Exodus 20:12 literally means “to be heavy” with the implication that someone is to be considered important and impressive such as the “man of God” in 1 Samuel 9:6.
With this in mind let’s examine our lesson for today.
Parents Are To Be Honored
Parents Are To Be Honored
What Does It Mean To Honor Them?
What Does It Mean To Honor Them?
Honoring our parents means obeying them.
In Ephesians 6:2, wherein Paul re-legislates expectation of children honoring their mother and father first says this in the previous verse.
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
This obedience pleases God.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Honoring our parents means listening to their teaching and training in the Lord.
In the great book of Proverbs Solomon reminds his son of this very important truth, inspired by God.
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, 9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
Even children, when being disciplined, you should be learning the lesson being given.
5 A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
Honoring our parents means being grateful for what your parents have done for you.
It is so sad when we come across a child that simply does not honor their father and mother and is ungrateful for the hard work and training that went into the raising of that child.
Again, the proverb writer, Agur, unfortunately knew…
11 There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother.
Honoring our parents means that we don’t mock nor scorn them.
Children must “fear God” and honor their parents by revering them.
3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
Revering our parents is done by not mocking or treating them wrongly.
17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.
Revering our parents is done by not curing them.
20 If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
To be clear this isn’t just not “cussing at them” this using any langue that is not respectful and honorable.
Lastly, honor our parents means taking care of them in their later life.
4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Summary
Summary
There is a great expectation on children, for certain, but from this we find another apparent truth.
From these passages we have read we find therein an implication from God…
Parents Have Expectations
Parents Have Expectations
They Better Train Their Children Properly.
They Better Train Their Children Properly.
Parents are expected to train and instruct their children in the ways of God.
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
If a child is to respect his parents, that respect must be expected of him.
In other words, parents out to be training their children in this.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
A child cannot respect a parent that does not instill this respect by removing the foolishness of the child.
Thankfully though, when a child is taught to respect authority, especially their parents, children will find that it is the…
Beginning Of A Greater Perspective.
Beginning Of A Greater Perspective.
As we all know children are notorious for their self-centered view of the world.
After learning the words “mama” or “dada” one of the first words kids learn is “mine.”
When parents train and instruct their children, in the Lord, they will begin removing this foolishness and move their children into seeing others as worthy of their consideration.
What I mean by this, we are training them, and beginning the process of getting them to understand the command of Galatians 5:14.
14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Summary
Summary
A child will never understand how to honor his father or love his neighbor as him/herself without being taught such.
Thus, as parents we better be up to the challenge because we will be judged as stewards of the children placed in our care.
With that said…
What If You Have Bad Parents?
What If You Have Bad Parents?
What If Your Parents Are Not Righteous?
What If Your Parents Are Not Righteous?
The command to honor your father and/or mother is not qualified.
In other words, it doesn’t mean…
Honor only if the parent is personally perceived as deserving.
Honor only if the parent always reciprocates.
Honor only if it is pleasing to you to do so.
Honor only if you get compliments for doing so.
Honor only if it “feels right.”
Honor only if other people also do so.
In 1 Samuel 24 we are blessed to see the insight into David’s thoughts of a man that was not righteous towards him but still deserved honor because he was king and God’s anointed.
10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it.
Even though Saul was trying to kill him, he still treats him with honor and respect.
With that said, honoring our parents doesn’t mean following them into sin.
A parent’s authority is granted by God (Ephesians 6:1) but if a parent violates that authority a child must not follow it but the highest authority God.
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
This means respect for our parents should never exceed our respect for God.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Summary
Summary
I wish all parents were striving to train and instruct their children in the righteousness of God.
However, this simply isn’t the case and as such as children you must honor your parents but never follow them into sin.
Conclusion
Conclusion
By the way all of this applies to the child “in the home” and the child “outside the home” as the age of the parent isn’t relevant.
32 “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
To all the children here, with living parents or a parent, remember your duty to God and and honor your parents in the Lord.
As long as we do this there will never be a reason for shame on our part in the sight of God.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.