The Fifth Commandment

Introduction

Hey everyone! My name is Isaac and I go to Grace college here in Winona Lake, I run on the track and Cross country team here, Go Lancers. I’ve been here at Grace for about three years, and since I’ve been at college for this period of time, I’ve seen my parents far less, and because of that, I want to talk about a passage in the Bible that I think I needed a reminder on, and I want to share some of that with you.

So today we are going to read and talk about the fifth commandment in the ten commandments, I am going to share three reasons why should obey this command and how we can do that.

Exodus 20:12 reads, ““Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

Transition: The first reason why we should honor our father and mother is because...

God commands us to do so

I bet each and every single one of you know how it goes. Mom or dad tells us to do something we don’t want to do, so we ask why, and they say because I told you so.

Though those five words are last thing on earth we want to hear, and though that might not seem like good enough answer, I am here to tell you that you should listen to them either way.

The reality is, most of the time our parents know something that we don’t know or understand, and we are aware of this, and that’s the tension we feel and the reason we squirm when we here these words, “because I told you so.”

But guys, the commandment to obey and honor parents doesn’t come from our parents, it comes from God, and God knows better than anybody on the earth, and so we should listen up when he tells us to do something. So when we obey our parents, we obey God by doing what he says. But when we don’t obey our parents, we also don’t obey what God tells us to do.

But guess what? This not only applies to you all, but this applies to me as well! Every single one of us is a child of someone! Now some have parents who are here today, but some of us are here and may only have one of those parents around, or you may not even know your original parents at all and are cared for by another who has stepped in. Whatever case we all may be in, principally, this commandment still stands. God tells us from his Word that we are to honor whoever that person it is. And that extends not only to your parents, and my parents, but also to our teachers, our neighbors, and our guardians.

So let’s honor and obey our parents because God tells us to do so.

Transition: Another reason why we should honor our father and mother is because...

2. God designed us to be taken care of by our parents.

Everybody! Who was there when you first entered into the world? who were the ones who first fed you and continue to feed you to this day? Who was there when you first walked, cried, and were in need of comfort? Who is the one who clothes you? Who provides you a roof to sleep under every night? Who are the one whom gifts you with things, who are patient with you and puts up with all of our shenanigans all the time? Our parents!

And that’s the way it is supposed to be! Sometime in school, at one point or already you are going to hear someone ask for evidence for the existence of God. If I stood before someone who asked this question, you know what my answer would be? I’ll give you a hint, it starts with a p, and it’s the answer to every question I just asked you earlier. Yes! Who knows it? Yes! Our parents are evidence for the existence of God!

As I said earlier, every single on of us is a child of someone. Our parents have parents. And those parents have parents, and those have parents, and so on and so forth. So where did it all begin? Who were the first to be “parented” or taken care of?

The Bible answers the question! Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were the first people on earth, and it was God who made them, fed them, and clothed them. God intended from there that all people from every generation, in every part of the world would follow in the footsteps of being taken care of by their parents. That is how God designed our world to be. That’s how it was then, and that’s how it is now.

And since that is the case, since God designed us to cared for by our parents, let’s not resist that, but rejoice in it, and with Gratitude for God, let us obey our parents.

Transition: The final reason why should honor our Father and Mother is because...

3. God promises blessing for those who obey their parents.

How do we know this? Well, Paul speaks about the fifth commandment in the New Testament. He says, Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right (this is the first commandment that comes with a promise). Ephesians 6:1-2

Now, though this is a promise by God, we must not believe that this promise will come in the way that we want or expect it to come. In other words, honoring your parents doesn’t always end in getting a new basketball, or having a later curfew to watch another television show, or getting something we’ve wanted to for a long time. Often times promise of blessing comes in another way.

But sometimes that blessing does come in an expected way, and that is because generally speaking, good things come to those children whom honor their parents.

Though there might examples that we can all think of where that is case, there perhaps is no better example of good things coming to the obedient than Jesus Christ himself.

Jesus Christ obeyed God the Father and came down to earth. He lived a perfect and he gave up his life, in order that God might be honored, and that we may be forgiven for all the wrong we have done. Because Jesus obeyed the Father and did as he said, all of our sins can be forgiven and we can be in relationship with God.

Just think of all of these great blessings that are offered to us right now!

Forgiveness for every wrongdoing we have done or ever will do.

The promise of relationship and friendship with God.

The promise eternal life one day.

All of these good things have come to us, and they have all because Jesus obeyed his Father in heaven.

So guys, let us honor our parents,

God has commanded us to do so

God intended that our parents would take care of us

And lastly, good things come to those who love and obey their parents.

What are some ways that we can do that? I am going to share two ways. Number one..

Carefully listening to their instructions and doing as they say.

It’s simple, but it’s hard, because doing as they say doesn’t always fit our agenda. And this means not just doing as they say, but doing in it in a honorable way. This means not rolling our eyes, or mumbling under our breathe, or sighing and stomping off when we are told to do something. This means listening to what they say and doing as they say, respectfully. And I said earlier, this extends beyond our caretakers, but everyone who is in authority over us. This means that we shouldn’t talk bad about our teachers with our friends. That we should respect our neighbors, our coaches, and those who are older than us in our church congregation as well.

Secondly, we can honor our father and mother by...

2. Have an attitude of gratitude.

Thank God for your parents! When you go pray, thank God that he has gifted you with parents and caretakers that love you. Thanking God for the people he has given us truly does put a smile on his face.

And after you do that,

thank those who take care of you! When they feed you, when they clothe you, when they drop everything they are doing and drive you places, thank them! Children these things often happen so regularly that we forget to give thanks when they happen, so lets not forget and praise and thank our parents. I know I did when I was younger! In know I still sometimes forget to say thanks today, so let’s remember their efforts and thank them for their sacrifices.

Simply start this evening by thanking them for taking you here. And let it become a nonstop habit.

Right now in our life, this is one of the great ways you and I can imitate the life that Christ lived for us. Can I get an amen my friends? Amen. Let’s pray.