Ephesians Chapter 6 Series

Ephesians Chapter 6

Broken Families (Chuck Missler) *As of 1993

-National policies contribute to family instability and breakup.

-Divorce is the public acknowledgement of failure.

-Problem since the 1960s: after the Supreme Court outlawed mentioning God in schools.

-Divorce rate: 2.2/1000; then suddenly growth of (1979) 5.3/1000.

-Since 1974: exceeds death as leading cause of family breakup.

Divorce rate .3/1000 in 1867

Every 13 seconds, there is one divorce in America. That equals 277 / hour; 6646 / Day; 46,523 / week; 2,419,196 / year

The average length of a marriage in the U. S. is 8.2 years.

1990: ¼ women had a child unmarried. Half of all marriages now end in divorce. Remarried couples are more likely to break up than couples in first marriage (56%)

¼ children in the 1990s will eventually enter a stepfamily.

Hollywood celebrates divorce and unwed motherhood.

Federal policies celebrates social and sexual variance.

Postwar generation: 80% grew up in a family with two biological parents who were married to each other.

1980: less than 50% expect to spend their entire childhood in an intact family.

An increasing number of children will experience family breakup two or even three times during childhood.

Scientific evidence demonstrates that children in disrupted families do worse than those in intact families.

--6X more likely to be poor;

--22% of one-parent families will experience poverty during childhood for 7 or more years.

--vs. 2% of children in two-parent families.

Children of single parent families:

--3X likely to have emotional of behavioral problems.

-- More likely to drop out of high school, get pregnant as teenagers, abuse drugs, be in trouble

with law

--Higher risk for physical and sexual abuse.

--Less likely to be successful as adults: esp. in love, and in work

--Harder time achieving intimacy in a relationship, forming a stable marriage, or holding jobs.

--Teen suicide rate tripled; Juvenile crime increased and more violent; school performance drops

Each divorce is a death of a small civilization. It inflicts wounds that will never heal. Adults are less inclined than they were a generation ago to value sexual fidelity, lifelong marriage, and parenthood as worthwhile personal goals.

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

6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline].

(Albert Barnes)

A. “Children” --tekna This word usually signifies those who are young; but it is used here, evidently, to denote those who were under the care and government of their parents, or those who were not of age.

B. “Obey your parents” - This is the first great duty which God has enjoined on children. It is, to do what their parents command them to do. The God of nature indicates that this is duty; for he has impressed it on the minds of all in every age; and the Author of revelation confirms it. It is particularly important:

a. (1) Because the good order of a family, and hence of the community, depends on it; no community or family being prosperous where there is not due subordination in the household.

b. (2) because the welfare of the child depends on it; it being of the highest importance that a child should be early taught obedience to "law," as no one can be prosperous or happy who is not thus obedient.

c. (3) because the child is not competent as yet; to "reason" on what is right, or qualified to direct himself; and, while that is the case, he must be subject to the will of some other person.

C. “In the Lord” - That is, as far as their commandments agree with those of God, and no further. No parent can have a right to require a child to steal, or lie, or cheat, or assist him in committing murder, or in doing any other wrong thing. No parent has a right to forbid a child to pray, to read the Bible, to worship God, or to make a profession of religion. The duties and rights of children in such cases are similar to those of wives; and in all cases, God is to be obeyed rather than man. When a parent, however, is opposed to a child; when he expresses an unwillingness that a child should attend a particular church, or make a profession of religion, such opposition should in all cases be a sufficient reason for the child to pause and re-examine the subject. he should pray much, and think much, and inquire much, before, in any case, he acts contrary to the will of a father or mother; and, when he does do it, he should state to them, with great gentleness and kindness, that he believes he ought to love and serve God.