Let's Keep The Home Fires Burning #2
Deut. 6:1-9 THE WORLD'S GREATEST UNDERTAKING
Intro: As we continue to think about the home and the family, one area
of vital importance is that of raising our children. I want to address that area this
evening and bring am message entitled, "The World's Greatest Undertaking." Let's
face it, when we have successfully raised our children, we have accomplished something of
the highest magnitude. Ill. Former President George Bush was asked this question,
"What is you greatest accomplishment in life?" President Bush might have
mentioned his success during World War 2 as a Navy pilot. He light have called to mind his
8 years as Vice President under Ronald Reagan. He might have mentioned his own successful
presidency. He might have spoken of his time as the head of the CIA, or of his years as
U.S. Ambassador to China. He could have bragged about his success during Operation Desert
Storm. But, when answering this question, President Bush revealed his heart as well as his
priorities when he said, "My greatest accomplishment is that my children still come
to see me." Isn't that true? After all else is said and done, and when all the dust
settles in your life, you still have your family to think about. Apparently, Mr. Bush had
done right by his children. They responded to his investments in their lives and will
remain a legacy to that man even after he is dead and buried.
May I remind you this evening that children are a precious gift from the
Lord, Psa. 127:3-5, "3.) Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit
of the womb is his reward. 4.) As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are
children of the youth. 5.) Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:
they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."
Too often, children are seen as an inconvenience and as a nuisance. Instead of being seen
a blessing, parenting is often seen as a burden. We must remember that our children have
been given to us, their parents, for a few short years so that we might help them to
mature into the image of God. We are not to be guilty of forcing them into our mold, but
we are to do everything in our power to mold them into the image of God.
This passage gives us some much needed insights into this matter of
child raising. Let's take the time this evening to learn about better parenting from the
Lord and His Word, as we think together about The World's Greatest Undertaking.
I. V. 1-3 RIGHT LIVING
(Ill. Successful parenting always begins within the parent's own
relationship with God. Regardless of the example of lost parents you may know, no parent
can be truly successful in bringing a child up in the image of the Lord unless they know
the Lord. Then, the parents must be walking in a right relationship before the Lord or
they will never have the influence in their children's lives that is needed. In other
words, you will never be able to lead your children farther than you have been? These
first few verses speak to this issue and show us parents where we need to be if we are
going to be the effective parents God desires us to be.)
A. A Reverence - We are told in verse 2 that we
should fear the Lord. That is, we are to walk with an awareness of His glory , His
holiness and of His majesty. A parent's primary responsibility is to walk in the fear of
the Lord. We are to bring our lives under God's leadership. A godly parent places the
Lord's will above all other considerations, realizing that the fear of the Lord is the
first step in wisdom and in proper parenting.
B. A Reaction - When we fear the Lord as we
should, this will result in our obedience to the Word of God. There is no better witness
that a parent can have before his children that the sure knowledge that mom and dad take
the Bible seriously. That God's Word is the rule of the home. God's standards are to be
our standards! Your children will model what they see in your life! They will carry away
from your home many of your actions. Therefore, let's teach them that God's Word is to be
obeyed.
C. A Reward - God promised Israel that when they
followed His Word, that He would bless them and reward their lives. The same holds true
today! God has promised to bless those who walk in His will and follow His Word - Psa.
1:1-3. Children need to see that God will do what He has said He would do. Do your
children know that God will bless tithing? Mal. 3:8-10. Do your children
know that God will bless honesty? Phil. 4:8; 1 Thes. 4:11-12. Do your
children see that faithfulness is blessed by God? Matt. 25:21. Do your
children see serving God as optional or mandatory? They will learn exactly what
they observe in your life and mine. They need to know that God blesses His faithful
children. If they see us enjoying the great blessings of the Lord, they will want the same
things for their own lives.
(Ill. Let's show them that serving God is the only way to live. That
obedience to the Lord always pays off. Let's show them that God's way is the best way. For
it is far better to raise a religious fanatic than a heathen. After all, when your
parenting duties are over, your children will be a living memorial to your investment in
their lives.)
I. Right Living
II. V. 4-5 RIGHT LOVING
(Ill. Again, this may not seem to have a lot to do with parenting, but
it is in reality at the very heart of the matter. For, before we can ever be successful
Christian parents, we must have our own relationship with the Lord nailed down. And, just
as it is important that our children see us living right, they must also see us loving
right. That is, we must love the Lord God supremely.)
A. V. 4 He Is To Be Our Focus - There are to be
no other gods in our lives. Too often, children see parents putting everything in the
world ahead of God. It may be a job, a hobby, a friend, etc. Whatever comes ahead of God
in your life and mine is an idol and it sends a false message to our children. We are
telling them, by our actions, that this thing we love comes ahead of our love for God.
Children need to know that no one or no thing comes before our relationship with God. He
must be our focus. If we teach them that God is just for Sundays, we are going to raise a
generation of infidels.
(Ill. Why do you think many children have rejected the faith of their
parents? Sometimes, the reason lies in the fact that what mom and dad claimed to have
lacked any reality. By the way, if it weren't for the intervention of God in my life, I
would not be here tonight. Growing up, I saw not one reason to make God and His church a
priority in my life!)
B. V. 5 He Is To Be Our Fixation - This love for
God is to motivate us in every area of life. Our love for Him should consume us totally.
When it does, it will fill us and work in us and reveal itself through us - 1 Cor. 13:1-8.
Our children need to see this in the lives of mom and dad.
I. Right Living
II. Right Loving
III. V. 6-9 RIGHT LEARNING
(Ill. In these verses, Moses relates the Word of God as to successful
parenting. We are to take the Word of God and make it the primary motivator in the
parenting process. Notice three things that we to do with the Word.)
A. V. 6 We Are To Store Them Up - That is, the
Word is to be in me and is to change me. If I expect my life to impact that of my
children, then I must be transformed by the Word myself. Nothing can happen through me
until it first happens in me. Therefore, it is essential that parents have a personal time
of prayer and Bible study. You need to be growing so that you can help your children to
grow. The importance an influence of the Word of God should never be underestimated! If we
expect to raise Godly children, there must first be godly parents!
B. V. 7-9 We Are To Share Them - This verse says
that we are to diligently teach the Word to our children. The word "diligent"
means "to whet or to sharpen." It carries the idea of stabbing, or of one object
penetrating another. In other words, our training is to penetrate deeply into our
children. We are to help them, on the basis of God's word to be keen, sharp and discerning
when it comes to living life. We are not to teach them through dogmatic exclamations such
as "Because I said so!" We are to develop in them a set of conviction based in
the Word of God that will guide them through life. It isn't about a bunch of rules, of a
list of do's and don'ts. It is about teaching them by explanation and by example the
things God would have them learn.
(Ill. 1 Thes. 2:11 has some timely advise for parents. There are 3 ways
we are to influence our children:
1. Exhort - "To call to one's side." Speaks
of an effort to get your children on your team. To develop within them the same sort of
convictions that you yourself possess.
2. Comfort - To Encourage. As parents, we are to seek
to bring out the best in our children by encouraging them in the things they do correctly
and in the things they do well.
3. Charge - This word means to call a witness or to
protest. As parents, there are times when we cannot condone everything and we must witness
against the behavior of our children.)
(Ill. How are we to accomplish this? There are several Scriptures that
shed light on this topic:
1. Psa. 139:13 - Each Child Is Uniquely Formed By God
- While a child will certainly acquire certain traits from being in your home. That child
is still an individual before the Lord. He is not the product of evolution, but has been
formed by God for a particular function. This needs to be remember by many parents as they
try to plan their child's life. It may be that the Lord has plans that are vastly
different from your own.
2. Pro. 22:6 - Each Child Has An Individual Bent
- This verse says that we are to "train up" our
children. These words speak of a midwife who would dip her finger in crushed dates to
awaken in the newborn infant a desire for milk. What this means is that the training we
give our children should whet their appetites for the things of God. We should so lead
them that they develop a hunger for God and are internally motivated rather then
externally compelled. This phrase can also refer to "the placing of a
rope in a wild horses mouth." Certainly, there must be rules and
boundaries, but there must be an internal desire to know and follow the Lord. This is
awakened by parental example. Parents must learn the proper balance between example and
boundaries.
(Ill. This verse also mentions "In the way he should
go." This does not mean in the way you think he should go, but it refers to
the individual bent that is in every child. All children are like cement, that is, they
are impressionable. However, all children are different. (Ill. Cain and Able - raised in
the same environment, one a worshiper of God the other a murder.) All children are gifted
indifferent ways, the wise parent ses the differences and raises each child accordingly.
Every child has different interests and they should be trained according to those
interests. Some are leaders, some are followers. Some are creative and artistic, others
are more practical and logical. Some are gifted intellectually and others struggle to
learn. A wise parent trains up a child in the way HE should go. Not according to the
parent's will for the child, but according to God's will created as part of the child.)
3. Psa. 51:5 - Each Child Is Born With A Sinful Nature
- They seem so sweet when they get here. But, do not be fooled by that sweet little baby.
Inside everyone of them is a defiled, sinful nature and it begins expressing itself almost
immediately, Psa. 58:3. Therefore, parents are not only challenged to teach children to do
the right thing, we are challenged to punish them when they do the wrong thing. If a
parent does not punish their children, then the children will punish them! The Bible gives
at least 5 good reasons to discipline our children:
a. To Remove Foolishness - Pro. 22:15
b. To Rescue From Judgment - Pro. 23:13-14
c. To Receive Wisdom - Pro. 29:15
d. To Relive Your Anxiety - Pro. 29:17
e. To Reflect God's Character - Heb. 12:10-11
(Ill. Susannah Wesley, who raised 17 children, including John and
Charles Wesley, and who I would consider to be somewhat of an expert said this about
discipline, "The parent that studies to subdue self-will in his child works
together with God in renewing and saving a soul. The parent who indulges it does the
devil's work, makes salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his
child, soul and body forever.")
(Ill. God's Word is to be such a part of our lives that we are to set
the right example for our children every day. Ill. V. 8-9 - These verses were later
misused by the Pharisees and others who made themselves little boxes of leather worn on
leather straps which they tied around their heads or around their arms. Inside these
boxes, they placed certain verses from the Law and wore them wherever they went. God's
intention is far more practical! He wants the Word to be such a part of our lives that we
are literally saturated in it. So much so that it motivates us in every are of our lives
so that our children know that we are living out he Word. When they see us happy and
blessed in the Lord, it will create an appetite in them for the same things. They may
rebel for a while, but certainly, the Lord will work in their hearts and bring them home.)
Conc: May I remind you that it is far easier to build a child that to
repair and adult! May the Lord help us to do everything in our power to be the best
parents we can be to His praise and glory. Now, how would you feel if your child grew up
to be a Christian just like you? Would you be pleased with that? Or, are there areas that
need the Lord's attention? If we have made mistakes, and who hasn't, there is help,
forgiveness and renewal in the Lord. Some parents actually need to apologize to their
children for living contradictory lives before them. However, let it begin with the Lord.
Mom and Dad, is everything right in your relationship with the Lord? Is everything all
right in your relationship with your children? If there are needs, please bring them to
Jesus right now.
