Getting Along With Your Parents Series

INTRODUCTION

You know, God pretty well has this old world figured out. The Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” If we were to continue to read through the remainder of Genesis chapter 1 we would find that God created the planets, the stars, the dry ground, the plants and animals and everything else that goes into making the world as we know it.

Now, when God made all of this stuff, He didn’t just let it go and do whatever it wanted to. He didn’t just create the world and then let it be. No, God established some rules, some guidelines, some laws of nature to make things work. For instance, it’s God who invented this whole gravity thing. Can you imagine what the world would be like without gravity?

Can you imagine what it would be like trying to drink without gravity? You go to take a drink and your milk goes up your nose. You’re eating grits and you sneeze, now I don’t know how many of you have experienced that event, but let me tell you from experience, it’s not a pleasant experience. Anyway, you sneeze with a mouth full of grits, and you end up hitting someone’s glasses a hundred miles away. Poor guy’s sitting there on a park bench when all of a sudden these grits come flying out of no where and nail him.

And imagine what would have happened if God hadn’t made it where water expanded when it froze. Did you know that water is the only liquid, it is the only substance that expands when it freezes. You know, cold things usually sink and warm things rise, but since water expands when it freezes, it stays on the top of lakes, ponds, rivers and such when it freezes. That’s kind of neat. I mean, can you imagine trying to ice skate when the ice is on the bottom of the lake? It’s make hockey kind of difficult wouldn’t it?

Think of all the laws God placed in the world to make this whole place work. The only reason the earth doesn’t float off into space away from the sun is because of gravity, and yet if it wasn’t for centrifugal force and inertia keeping us out here, gravity would pull us into the sun and we’d all burn up.

And tell me, what would we do without evaporation and condensation? Man, you think the drought we’ve been experiencing is tough, it’s nothing compared to what the place would be like if God hadn’t figured out all of that watering the earth stuff.

No, God knew how the place was supposed to work so He made laws to make the place operate like He wants it to.

Well, the world is not the only thing God invented. He also invented marriage, the family and the home. He is the One who created Adam and Eve. He’s the One who told them about how they were supposed to be one. He is the One who invented the home.

Now, just as God created the world and then put laws into place to make it all operate correctly, He also put in place certain laws for how people in a family are to function.

Over the past couple of weeks we have examined some of the laws and responsibilities God has put into place to make the home, the family, operate. We have looked at the foundation God requires in the home, if it is going to survive; that is that the home be built with God. Remember, the Bible says, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it."” A successful home must have the right foundation. We have examined the roles and responsibilities God has given to husbands and wives to one another; we have examined the roles and rules for being good parents. This morning, we would like to look at the role children are to play in the family. We would like to look at God’s plan for them.

Open your Bibles this morning and turn with me please to Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 1. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 1, as this morning we see together, “How to deal with your parents, regardless of your age.” Ephesians chapter 6 and beginning in verse 1.

- Read Ephesians 6:1-3

In these 3 verses, we find the basic responsibilities of children to their parents. We find the place of children within the family. Now, we could look at many different things that go into being a good child, but it all boils down to the two commands given in these verses; the two commands that will allow you to deal with your parents regardless of your age. Number one, God says that children are to obey their parents.