Children: Honor Your Parents Series

What America Has Forgotten

About Honoring Your Parents

June 2003

Calvary Baptist Church

Proverbs 30:11

Sermon 5 of 6 in the Calvary Family Series 2003. Am I the only one amazed at the way that children talk to their parents and about them? No big deal, everybody is doing it, it's a different day, right? Wrong. Dead wrong. What does God say?

Tommy, one of my neighbor's grandsons, walked into the convenience store and asked the clerk for a box of Tide so that he could wash his dog, Petey. The clerk was appalled and told the boy, "Son, you can't use Tide on a dog. It might hurt him. Are you sure you want Tide?" "Oh, yes," Tommy insisted. So the clerk sold the boy a box of Tide. The next day, Tommy skulked into the store with a very sad look on his face. "What's the matter, Tommy," the clerk asks. "My dog died," the boy blurted out, tears rolling down his cheeks. "That's terrible," said the clerk. "But remember, I told you that Tide might hurt your dog." The boy responded, "I don't think it

was the Tide. I think it was the spin cycle." Streiker, L. D. (2000)

We had a quicksand box in our backyard. I was an only child, eventually.

—Steven Wright, Streiker, L. D. (2000). Nelson's big book of laughter

TEXT: Proverbs 30:11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

Portions based on a message brought on 5/17/94 by John Vangeldern.

Portions of today's message are from John Vangeldern.

I. There is a Commandment to Retain

To RETAIN is to keep something in effect. A RETAINER keeps your teeth in the right position.

This is from God Himself!

Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Ephes. 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

• In the matter of relationships, this comes at a primary place in the list.

• Children are to obey their parents like a servant to a master.

Malachi 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is

mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests,

that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

• Rolling your eyes, grunting, mouthing back, whining is dishonoring your parents.

• And note that the promise of Exodus 20:12 is to those who HONOR their parents.

• It is not given to those who obey, but do not honor!

II. There is a Comfort to Receive (From the Lord)

Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Ephes. 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. [2] Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) [3] That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

There are natural and divine causes of sickness and death.

III. There is a Consequence to Realize

• In the O.T., there were three offenses children could commit toward their parents that resulted in a public stoning of that child.

• You may think, how harsh.

• Well, in the Bible, we see punishments meted out based on the worth of the one offended.

• You see this throughout the law.

• God holds parents in high regard.

A. For Striking Your Parents

Exodus 21:15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

B. For Scorning Your Parents (Belittling them)

Exodus 21:17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

This is not just using profanity against them, thought that is included!

QUOTE: If your parents are really as bad as you say they are, how then did they produce such a wonderful example of a person as you?

C. For Stubbornness Against Your Parents (Rebellion)

Deut. 21:18-21 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: [19] Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; [20] And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. [21] And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.