Episode Transcript
[00:00:05] All right, tonight we are talking about how we're walking out Christian parenting. We're getting nearer to the end of Ephesians and Paul stresses the importance of these household codes or rules. You know, last week we heard from John talking about those rules with wives and husbands.
[00:00:26] And next week we're going to learn about servants and masters, which is interesting because usually that passage gets applied to like working at your job like a servant.
[00:00:37] But I'll leave that for who's preaching next week? I think it's Casey. All right, there you go. Anyways, however, this week we're going to focus on the relationship between children and parents. And this can be an interesting dynamic because at least with my family, relationships can get complicated, especially between parents and children.
[00:00:59] I by no means am an expert on parenting. You will not be seeing any self help parenting books authored by me anytime soon. What we can do though is look to God's word and find the truth that's in there and we can draw from that.
[00:01:14] Funny enough, just before the service, Daniel was, yes, I'm talking about you.
[00:01:22] He got his extra set of clothes out that Tammy has because she's always paranoid that he's going to have an accident. And this is, you know, gonna probably horribly scar him and he's gonna need trauma for it because I'm telling the story. But he got them out of her bag and took them over to Ms. Shipley where he is hanging out and was like, here's my extra set of clothes in place. I have an accident.
[00:01:42] And she asked him, she's like, are you planning on having an accident? He said, maybe so. Anyways, that's the kind of parenting that I've been doing.
[00:01:54] But let's see what the word has to say.
[00:01:58] Last week John introduced us to this Greco Roman concept. He talked about these household codes, right? These codes, they were laid out in their culture.
[00:02:08] They were written of by Aristotle and other philosophers. They laid these codes out as basically a foundation for society.
[00:02:18] Husbands rule their wives, parents rule their children. Masters rule their slaves.
[00:02:22] Now in the Lord's commands, there's also submission to others.
[00:02:27] As we're all reminded before Paul begins the section of this letter. So in verse five, in chapter five in verse 21, he says first to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, talking to all believers. And that's before he prefaces going into these then household codes.
[00:02:44] So Paul is kind of taking a shift on it, right? There's. It's quite different from what Aristotle's rules were in that Paul doesn't say that they were wrong, Right. But they were twisted is the better word, I think, for it. They were twisted much the way that sin has twisted our world.
[00:03:02] For example, in the Greco Roman culture, the authority of the father was absolute.
[00:03:10] And in the case of fathers, and this concept was.
[00:03:15] There was a word for it. Well, two words. It was patria potestas, which just means power of the father. And it gave them nearly unlimited power over their children. And when I mean that, I mean even the right to, like, sell their children into slavery multiple times, which was illegal to do if it wasn't your child.
[00:03:35] So you couldn't sell a servant into slavery multiple times unless you were the father.
[00:03:41] So it's just crazy. The culture that Paul is addressing here.
[00:03:47] At the end of Ephesians, he doesn't throw out this idea of authority, though.
[00:03:53] So instead he reframes this idea of lordship or of authority under the lordship of Christ.
[00:04:00] So Christian parenting is called to be a picture of Christ's authority over his church.
[00:04:08] So children and parents alike are called to live under authority, displaying the Gospel in our home.
[00:04:16] So let's go ahead and we'll dive into it. We're in Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 1 through 4.
[00:04:22] Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
[00:04:28] Honor your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.
[00:04:36] Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
[00:04:44] Casey quoted Fear and Admonition earlier, which is from another translation. I'll talk about that later. I like the ESV translation a little better.
[00:04:53] There's some negative connotation with admonition, but we'll get there. Okay, so Paul starts out this message with a pretty straightforward statement. Children, obey your parents, for this is right, straightforward. End of sermon. That's it.
[00:05:13] Thanks for coming.
[00:05:15] That's what the parents want to hear, right?
[00:05:17] Just obey right away. Do it.
[00:05:21] And so an interesting story about this verse was that this was actually one of the first Bible verses that was taught to Daniel at his preschool. He went to Sunshiners at Theresa Baptist, and they had the kids working to memorize scripture verses. And I remember the first one that they brought home was this specific passage. And I kind of chuckled about it, and I was like, well, that's a good one to learn right off the bat.
[00:05:46] But when I first quoted this to Daniel, I couldn't hear, but in the back of my head, right, what about when your parents are wrong.
[00:05:57] I for one, can think of a bunch of times that my parents were wrong.
[00:06:01] It's much easier for me to think of that than it is to think of all the times that I have been wrong as a parent to my son.
[00:06:08] But for example, I love my mom dearly and she gave me some of the worst financial advice I ever got in my life.
[00:06:18] She told me when I was going to college to take as many student loans as possible.
[00:06:24] Not just what I needed to pay for tuition, but like take them all, whatever they're offering, take the loan.
[00:06:30] So I did that and Well, I turned 40 this year and I finally paid those off this year.
[00:06:42] So praise the Lord for that.
[00:06:44] But let's put that in some context. I didn't even go for four years. I just went for two years and I'm still paying all those loans all the way up until I was 40. Thanks, Mom.
[00:06:57] So I had loans for two and a half years of schooling, not even a full years, you know, and I was really trapped by that decision for most of my adult life.
[00:07:05] So needless to say, right, I don't always take financial advice from my mom anymore, but I still value her advice in many other areas of my life. She's one of the most kind and giving people that I know to a fault. That's why she's so bad with money, is that she will give you whatever or go and buy you something and like she doesn't have the money for it.
[00:07:29] It's really sweet and endearing if I wasn't worried about her retirement so much.
[00:07:35] But it's interesting because while she does have a failing in that one area, she has strengths in others.
[00:07:42] So I want to keep this as we talk tonight in context.
[00:07:48] And so as parents, as we're talking through a lot of this, because this passage talks not just to children but to parents as well. I want to preface everything tonight with the first thought, which is that we are not perfect, but failure doesn't make us bad parents.
[00:08:04] It shows that we need grace, will never be perfect Parents and we call to set a We're called to set a Christ centered example for our children to obey us.
[00:08:20] And we'll talk a little bit about setting this example when we discuss the part of the passage when we aren't to provoke our children to anger, but this verse specifically says that we are to obey our parents in the Lord.
[00:08:33] There are other verses that talk about leaving your father and mother to obey the Lord. So lordship remains with God and should flow down through the parents.
[00:08:44] So the Question then is, are we as parents living in submission to that Lordship?
[00:08:50] Our children are always watching, as others around us are. For non parents here, even in the church, you have influence over the children that you see. They see how you act, they see how you listen, they see how you don't listen.
[00:09:05] It's a. It's a. It's a heavy message that applies to parents, children, but also the church as a whole.
[00:09:14] Our lives are a testimony and they should look different than someone who does not confess Christ as our Lord. So we must acknowledge that, Lordship.
[00:09:22] But let's jump back to the passage. So we've prefaced it right? Nobody's perfect, right? We're good. Thank goodness, because I'm not.
[00:09:30] Maybe it's just me, but.
[00:09:32] Okay, so our second point tonight, we're going to dive in. We're going to talk about children. Obey and honor your parents in the Lord.
[00:09:41] Why? Because it is right, it pleases Christ and it reflects the gospel.
[00:09:49] Even if you're not a child under a parent's roof anymore, this command to honor continues. It's not something that stops. So we're not just talking to small children here. We're not just talking to the teenagers, you know, we're talking to. To the adults as well, who have, you know, adult parents as well. Like my parents are still living, which is a blessing most of the time.
[00:10:15] That is a bad joke. I'm sorry. I do. I know it's a very good thing. I love my parents.
[00:10:20] I just don't take it. Advice from my mom on money matters. But we're called to honor and obey our parents. Okay, so those.
[00:10:29] How do you show honor? You can show honor to your aging parents.
[00:10:34] Those without living parents, how do you speak of them to others?
[00:10:39] Do you model respect for authority in general?
[00:10:42] All of these are extensions of the same principle, right? We're called to honor and obey our parents because it is right.
[00:10:53] Children, obey your parents in everything. For this pleases the Lord is what Colossians tells us. And it echoes this sentiment. It's not about what the latest parental fad or convenience or teaching method is. This isn't just putting on a face either for your children. Pay attention here. This isn't just about obeying your parents, but it's about heart posture. This talks about how we think about our parents. In Matthew Henry's commentary, he notes that obedience includes inward reference as well as outward acts.
[00:11:29] So this is really, again, a heart posture. Not necessarily about taking.
[00:11:34] Not just always about taking out the trash or cleaning the dishes or doing Your laundry, you know, or whatever your chore of the day or week is.
[00:11:45] This is about how we think of our parents.
[00:11:48] And we just. We're called by the Bible to think of them with honor and respect.
[00:11:54] Paul quotes this from two possible places in the Old Testament, both of which refer to the. It's the fifth commandment. You know, of the ten commandments.
[00:12:04] Exodus 20:12 tells us to honor your father and your mother, that your days may be belong in this land, and the Lord that the Lord your God is giving you. And then Deuteronomy tells us in chapter five to honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
[00:12:27] You might notice in these passages that the phrase obey doesn't actually occur here like it does in Paul's writing.
[00:12:34] It's simply the phrase honor. And this is because honoring does imply obedience when in line with the Lord. In a word study, right, it was said that honor is a way that it expresses the frame of mind from which obedience proceeds.
[00:12:52] That was a word study in the New Testament from a guy named Mr. Vincent.
[00:12:59] And I thought it was really succinct in how he summarized it.
[00:13:02] It's also important to note that these commandments aren't qualified with anything like until you get older, obey your parents or honor your parents. This command is to never end, like we talked about earlier.
[00:13:15] So for us adults here too, it is called to continue honoring your parents.
[00:13:23] There's man. Paul continues on by saying that this commandment was the first with a promise. So what's he talking about there? And honestly, there's like a whole sub sermon on that with this literary meaning of like, does that mean the other 10 Commandments don't have promises associated with them? What are they talking about? You know, in. In fact, he's talking about the first horizontal commandment with a promise of state, of. To Israel, of being in the land.
[00:13:50] But there's a lot there. It's simplest to say that this promise was originally given to Israel though, and it led to societal flourishing is the context.
[00:14:00] He says those who follow this command will live long in the land. Specifically the, you know, the land of Canaan that the Lord had given them. But now we have to ask a hard question, right? What about children who honor their parents, but they're still suffering and death in our world, right?
[00:14:20] Much like, doesn't that mean, you know, that God is breaking his promise here where he says that if you do these things, you'll live long in the land?
[00:14:32] Well, the Short answer is no. By no means.
[00:14:37] Much like the Book of Proverbs, this tenant isn't a blanket truth, but rather it's a truism, something that is true for society as a whole.
[00:14:45] What I mean by that is that it's general advice that is true in most instances. If you obey and honor your parents, you will live long and have a better quality of life.
[00:14:55] Now, that doesn't mean that there aren't exceptions to that rule. That doesn't mean that there are children that don't die in our world, unfortunately, because we live under the curse of sin and man. That's hard to wrestle with in aggregate. It's often better for families that honor their parents than those that don't.
[00:15:17] So it isn't meant to be given on an individual basis, but a societal level as a whole. But that does, of course, leave room open for exceptions to occur.
[00:15:26] And so, as with any discussion on suffering, we must also keep our time on earth in perspective as well. I was listening to a sermon that John Piper was teaching about this passage, and he was talking about, you know, it's not always bad when we pass from this world. As long as we know the Lord, we have to look at God's eternal timeline, right? So when we deal with suffering and we deal with death, we have to look at the eternal timeline, not just this short breath that we're here on the earth.
[00:16:00] So, and Paul even reminds us of this earlier in Ephesians, in this chapter, verses two. I'm sorry, chapter two, verses four through seven here on the screen. But God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ by grace, you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.
[00:16:40] So Paul even addresses that here in Ephesians as he progresses through the letter.
[00:16:46] Okay, so children, adult children, everyone, really, because everyone here was a child at some point. Of parents, I've been told we need to obey, for it is right.
[00:17:03] We're almost done with you.
[00:17:05] And then we'll talk about Parents are supposed to do so. It's not just. I'm not just beating up all the children here in the sanctuary today verbally, but children.
[00:17:24] One caveat here is that this doesn't mean that children are called to sin. Basically, what I also. What Point number three is that children are not called to obey when that would demand sin.
[00:17:39] Your obedience must be to the Lord first, and then to your parents.
[00:17:45] Matthew 19:13 tells us not to hinder those children who would come to Jesus.
[00:17:50] And then later after that, in the same chapter, Starting at verse 27, he tells us Peter said in reply, see, we have left everything and followed you.
[00:18:02] What then will we have? And Jesus said to them, truly I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 Thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters, or father or mother or, or children or lands for my name's sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last and the last first.
[00:18:31] Now we have to talk about this in context, contextually. This verse comes right after they're talking about giving up possessions and how difficult it is for someone with riches to come to the Father. But Peter follows this lesson by asking them about what was their inheritance if they leave everything behind.
[00:18:49] So children, we aren't called to obedience in sin, we're called to obey the Lord. But when children are younger and they don't know any better, then err on the side of obedience.
[00:19:02] Here, remember, there's tension as we started the sermon. Remember talking about us parents, parents in the room? We're all not perfect, right?
[00:19:13] Pretty sure. Okay, we're not perfect. So there's tension here in what we have to do our best to lead our children.
[00:19:22] You know, I have. This is really personal for me as well because of my relationship with my parents as well. I've had some very good discussions about faith in Jesus with my mother, but she still does not regularly attend a church.
[00:19:37] My dad, if you don't know, I was raised Catholic originally, way back when. And he still considers himself a Catholic, but doesn't attend church either. And I'm unsure honestly where he sits in his beliefs.
[00:19:54] And I wrestle with that because I want to honor them, but I also want to honor the Lord.
[00:20:01] So we have to remember that tension.
[00:20:09] Okay, children, you can sit back for a second. Let's talk about parents and fathers particularly.
[00:20:18] What then are parents called to do if children are to obey them? Right. Paul continues on by saying that fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
[00:20:31] Remember, in Paul's world, the Father had this absolute authority.
[00:20:37] So it's very countercultural here for him to place any type of restraint on that idea.
[00:20:43] So why does he call out fathers here and not mothers as well? Is it because mothers cannot provoke their children to anger?
[00:20:52] I think all you mothers out there would probably agree with me that that's ridiculous.
[00:20:56] Your children have been upset with you. I have seen Daniel be upset with Tammy and very much so with me as well.
[00:21:05] But Paul singles out fathers here to speak against the twisting of God's design. Basically, that patria potestas, right? That literally means the power of the father that was so absolute that the father could even kill their children in circum circumstances. And that wasn't even just a Greco Roman idea. That was a Hebrew idea as well.
[00:21:28] So he is calling for change.
[00:21:32] No, it's not wrong to be under a father's authority, but the father has a responsibility to his children as well.
[00:21:40] Paul started this whole section again by talking about mutual submission out of reverence for Christ. So there is a hierarchy or a structure, but that's no license for abuse.
[00:21:53] We as parents must be diligent and to avoid being overly harsh or critical to our children, we're called to encourage them. And sometimes that may seem harsh in how we have to encourage them, but it should not be unreasonable.
[00:22:09] So our next point number four. Harshness, neglect or unreasonable demands can drive children to resentment.
[00:22:21] Being a parent is no small task.
[00:22:24] I've only done it for five years. There's tons of people in here who have done it significantly longer than me, you know, and even people that aren't parents. In here you have influence. You may be a mentor or an aunt or an uncle, a teacher, a coach, a youth volunteer, just a member of fellow member of the church where we have are blessed to have a good number of children with us.
[00:22:50] You may simply be an older believer whom younger Christians are watching.
[00:22:54] The principle applies here as well.
[00:22:57] Don't provoke or discourage those we influence. Instead, what we should be doing is pointing them towards Christ with gentleness and truth.
[00:23:07] Right? So many complaints I hear about Christianity today revolve around hypocrisy in its members.
[00:23:15] Now that's a misunderstanding of the gospel, because being a Christian doesn't mean that we are perfect again, Amen.
[00:23:21] However, we should strive to do our best to show an example of Christ through our actions.
[00:23:28] Our actions speak loudly.
[00:23:32] They can even drive others towards resentment.
[00:23:35] So even people in the church who've never had children of their own still speak to children in the body with their actions.
[00:23:43] Why are we to do this, though?
[00:23:46] It rolls back up to the point that I keep reiterating in that Christ is the ultimate authority.
[00:23:52] And he says that it is right for us to do this.
[00:23:55] I think it was put very succinctly and very well in a quote from a systematic theology book. It said, the discharge of all social duties. So the discharge of all social duties is enforced by the consideration of authority to Christ.
[00:24:10] So everything we do is influenced, should be influenced, and we should consider the authority of Christ in that.
[00:24:21] Now, Colossians also, it's not just in fancy systematic theology books. Colossians also reiterates this idea here in chapter three, where Paul says, let the word of Christ dwell in you, richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through him. Wives, submit to your husbands as is fitting the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents and everything, for this pleases the Lord.
[00:25:01] Fathers, do not provoke your children lest they become discouraged.
[00:25:04] So Paul doesn't just talk about this in Ephesians. He says almost the exact same thing in Colossians. He expands further, though. And it's not just submission out of reverence for Christ, but that it's in all things that we do must be done in the name of Jesus.
[00:25:20] So we are to show restraint when we're parenting, which I know is hard.
[00:25:29] I haven't experienced the joys of having a teenager yet, but I've heard stories.
[00:25:35] I have just experienced the.
[00:25:38] We'll say the hardship of bedtime and the struggle that. That is because everyone's tired, myself included.
[00:25:48] Tempers flare, you know. But I'm called to be Christlike in those circumstances. In those situations, I'm not called to spur Daniel on to further anger. You know, I'm. I'm the adult after all, right? I should be the responsible one being showing him Christ, not. Not the one that's like, stop and just go to bed, please.
[00:26:11] Although that's what I'm saying. Inwardly, most of the time in my head, I'm like, I just want to go to sleep, man.
[00:26:21] So we have to display that Christ likeness. However, our children will see our failures, but they also see how we handle those failures. So as a word here, if I'm being overly critical to my child, then it's okay for me to acknowledge that I've made a mistake and apologize and apologize this error. This helps us show our children how to respond in those situations, because they're not going to be perfect either.
[00:26:51] None of us are. But this verse doesn't just talk about provoking children to anger. Let's talk about what it continues on. There's a comma there, right? It continues on and tells us, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Or in other translations, the fear and admonition of the Lord.
[00:27:09] This part of the command is very straightforward, but notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't say here that it's the school's responsibility to instruct our children in the Lord.
[00:27:22] We as parents are called towards the sacred duty.
[00:27:25] So I see the time. I'm going to try and skip some here, but our next point. Number five, Discipleship begins at home.
[00:27:33] Paul makes it clear that we as parents are called to be the primary instructors with our children and the worldview they form.
[00:27:41] There are two words he uses to describe here, specifically discipline and instruction.
[00:27:47] These two things are intertwined intrinsically. Discipline must have an intent for instruction. Hebrews 12:5 11 tells us that and you have not forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons, my son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines those the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.
[00:28:15] It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom His Father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them.
[00:28:34] Shall we not be much more subject to the Father of Spirits and live for they disciplined us for a short time, as it seemed best to them.
[00:28:42] But he disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness.
[00:28:47] For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Discipline isn't needless.
[00:29:00] It's not needless abuse. Discipline should have a point, and it should be for correction.
[00:29:06] Its purpose here should be guiding to train.
[00:29:10] The word used here is paedia, which means training, correction, or formation. You know, Plato uses the same word in his writing to say direct the paedia. He tells them to direct the youth towards rightful reason.
[00:29:24] So remember, our discipline, in whatever form that takes for your family, must not be an outpouring of wrath or anger, but rather given with the intent towards instruction.
[00:29:35] The second work, or I'm sorry, the second word used, is instruction, correction or Admonition.
[00:29:43] So we're all going to learn a word tonight.
[00:29:46] Admonition is used in some texts, but there's really. It's interesting because the word admonition sometimes carries negative connotation. And what I mean by that is that it means negative correction.
[00:29:58] So it only talks about negative correction, not positive correction. And what I mean by that is positive enforcement when something good is being done.
[00:30:07] So, funny enough, admonition is based off of the word monition, which makes sense, right? Monition, admonition. Monition is a more formal word than admonition, and it applies a neutral correction. And this leaves room for positive encouragement and instruction and not simply negative correction. I think this is probably the reason why they don't use the word admonition here in the ESV translation, but rather they use instruction.
[00:30:36] I think that being able to encourage an instruction and not simply focus only on negative correction, I think that's a more true and effective pedagogy, which. Sorry, more words, complicated words. I couldn't think of a better word for it. Pedagogy is like teaching.
[00:30:55] It's the art or method of teaching. So how do we teach? We teach with positive reinforcement as well as negative correction. There's two parts to that. But circling above, back to the above point. Parents should strive to be children's examples. Discipleship begins at the home.
[00:31:13] Conversations about sin, repentance, salvation, prayer, fellowship should all be normal conversation.
[00:31:20] Even our failures can be a moment to disciple our children. You know, like I said, I apologize to my son. It shows humility and grace. Hopefully that's what I'm trying to show, which I've done many times. I've had to apologize. So take a moment and reflect. What are your reactions? Teaching your children.
[00:31:40] And again, that's not just a message for the parents here in the. In the room, but it's for the whole church. What are you teaching others around you with how you react?
[00:31:52] Okay, so a few other things to note in this passage that I think are important is that it also is that it expressly talks to children. Right?
[00:32:03] Which is really cool because it tells us that in the early church, children were present. So Paul wrote this letter directly with lines direct to children for them to listen and obey. And that means that children should be a part of our service, which I think we do a good job of here at East Rock.
[00:32:20] It was also, again, countercultural to the Roman beliefs. You know, they, as we mentioned earlier, they were not very friendly towards children.
[00:32:29] They were often devalued or seen as a hindrance however, Paul and the early church elevated them as parts of God's family.
[00:32:38] So I want us to focus on the fact that this passage does speak to the role of the church as well here, not just to parents and children. That leads me to our final point this evening that the church is called the Treasure. Children model Christ to them and disciple the next generation.
[00:32:58] Remember the household codes. Again, they were severe. They expressly limited the rights of those that were listed as the submissive members. Here Paul again is challenging that idea, not just for parents as a word, but as the entire church.
[00:33:13] Women, children and servants all have value. They all are image bearers of God. And our homes become examples of the Gospel. And not just our homes, but our churches too. They must reflect the value of children. Children aren't just the church of tomorrow. They are the church of right now. They are believers and coheirs in Christ with us. The whole of the church is called to model faith for their children.
[00:33:39] Again, I believe that the home is the primary teacher here.
[00:33:44] But that doesn't mean the church cannot supplement that teaching.
[00:33:48] If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't. It would be awfully silly for me to be teaching our young people at Rock Solid here at the church. I want them to grow as disciples of Christ.
[00:33:56] So you know, come alongside. The church is meant to come alongside the parents of our church, of our of our parents and help them engage their children, help grow them and disciple them as well as this has now become a shameless plug for if you want to help with Rock Solid, please let me know. I always use more help and or teachers there in teaching our young students. Okay man, time really got away from me. I apologize. So we'll wrap up.
[00:34:25] Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.
[00:34:30] Right. It reflects our own submission to Christ as our Lord.
[00:34:36] Parents, nurture your children with gospel centered discipline and instruction.
[00:34:42] Don't provoke them to anger.
[00:34:44] So children, obey, parents nurture. But the rest of us, we all have a role in this calling. Single people, widows, grandparents, couples without kids, your spiritual mothers and fathers in this community here at East Rock, the little ones in the church are watching you.
[00:35:03] They see how you worship, how you serve and how you treat others.
[00:35:07] Your faith helps shape them as well. Whether you know it or not, in the kingdom of God there are no sidelines. We are all called into the holy work of raising this next generation to know and love Jesus.
[00:35:23] We must all witness to each other and the world the importance of children and of the right instruction of their worldview in the Lord.
[00:35:35] All right, let's pray.
[00:35:38] Lord thank you for your word. God thank you just for the encouragement as well as the heavy responsibility of being a parent.
[00:35:50] Knowing that I'm not perfect but knowing that you will show me grace, Lord is the encouragement.
[00:35:57] Help me not to take this responsibility lightly.
[00:36:01] Children are a blessing Lord. Help me to continue to think of my family with honor and obey in the Lord.
[00:36:14] Lord just help us know how to raise up this next generation, raise them in instruction and know how to discipline as well. This can be so hard trying to walk that line that you have definitively shown us between grace and between justice and mercy. Lord help us be able to walk that as parents as well to be able to show justice as a good thing but also to show grace and mercy to our children as well and have them grow up to ultimately know who you are and what Jesus has done for you.
[00:36:47] Amen.
