Godly Children Series

Chico Alliance Church

Godly Children

God Love’s Kids

Over and over again, God talks about His love for children.

He has stern warning to those who lead children astray.

Jesus and Children

One time some children wanted to see Jesus and the adults tried to shoo them away.

Jesus rebuked them and said,

“Permit the children to come to me.”

And He took them on his lap and blessed them.

The Bible also has many stories about kids with good and bad behavior.

Ungodly Kids

David’s Kid (Absolom) nearly destroyed the kingdom.

Eli’s Kids stole and cheated people and treated the things of God with disrespect.

Samuel’s Kids caused the people to want a different plan than God.

Adam’s kid (Cain) didn’t give his best and got angry when God wasn’t impressed.

His anger then turned to hate and murder.

Manoah’s Kid (Samson) could only think about himself.

Noah’s Kid (Ham) mistreated his father and his whole family suffered.

Godly Kids

Hannah’s kid (Samuel) served God from a child devoted his life to the work of the church

Jacob’s kid (Joseph) refused to hold a grudge when mistreated and saved a nation.

Adam’s kid (Abel) Gave his best to God and is honored to this day.

Eunice and Lois’ kid (Timothy) learned the Bible as a young man and became an effective pastor and servant of God.

Zacharias and Elizabeth’s kid (John the Baptist) earned praise from Jesus that there was no greater man born of a woman.

Mary and Joseph’s kid demonstrated perfect obedience (Jesus)

What does God say kids are to do?

The Bible is clear about the best way for kids to survive and even thrive in this world.

There are only two basic instructions to children.

One is found in both here in Colossians and the other is an addition to the passage in Eph.

When God had Paul write this letter to the Church which met in Colossae, he expected that children would be in the church listening to the letter being read.

It is good that you are all here today to hear what God says about your responsibility to your parents.

What am I to do?

Obey your parents

This word “obey” comes from a basic word to hear.

Children, stop and listen to your parents.

Hear and do what you are told by your parents.

“in the Lord”

“in everything”

God instructs children to respond to their parents the same way you might respond to hunger or a selfish impulse.

Responding to your parents should be as natural as fighting with your brother and sisters or wanting your own way about things.

Obeying has as much to do with doing as hearing.

You can hear your parents and not do anything about what you hear.

That is not Biblical obedience.

Slide

Why obey my parents?

1. It is the right thing to do

God says we are to obey our parents because it is “the right thing to do.”

It is the way God designed things to be.

God always has a reason for the way things are to be.

It is always harmful to treat things differently than designed.

ILLUS: Radio in the bath tub.

Obeying parents, listening to their teaching and instructions and wisdom and warnings is the right things to do.

2. It pleases God

You are responsible to obey.

Do you want to please God and put a smile on His face?

Obey your parents.

When children learn to obey their parents, they not only please God but learn to obey Him.

Listen to your parents. Don’t wait to be told twice. Delayed obedience is disobedience.

As long as you are under the roof and authority of your parents and they are not telling you to do things contrary to the Law of God, you are to listen and do as instructed by our parents.

The verses over in Ephesians add a second responsibility to children in the family.

2. Honor your parents

This responsibility of children carries no expiration date.

Children are to honor their parents.

To honor means to set a value on something.

ILLUS: you probably have some toys that you honor, you value.

To honor your parents is to value them, treat them with respect.

Even when they don’t always do what is right or what we like, we are to honor them, value them as important.

To speak well of them.

To treat them with respect.

Watch our mouth in how you speak to them.

Be careful how you talk about your parents to others people.

Ask for their wisdom and opinion and help.

To dishonor them is to devalue them.

Don’t’ talk about them in a disrespectful manner.

Don’t take them for granted.

Don’t be ungrateful for their care.

Don’t refuse to take their warnings to heart.