Extreme Home Makeover: Kids Edition Series

Extreme Home Makeover: Kids Edition

Please Note: This message was written and delivered in my absence by one of our elders,

Jeff Smith

Introduction:

As we continue our Extreme Makeover Home Edition sermon series, we are going to examine the topic of obedient children. Now, some of you may be wondering how this sermon will apply to you. Maybe your children are grown or maybe you don’t have children. Maybe you have teenagers and you are wondering what the father of a 4 year old and a 2 year old is going to be able to teach you about parenting. For those of you that your children are grown or you don’t have children, the lessons that we are talking about today are based on our relationship with our heavenly Father, God. So we all can learn today regardless of age or what stage of life we are in. As for my own parenting experience, I will not be speaking to you today based on my wisdom which is limited in this area but based on God’s wisdom that is shared with us through the Bible.

Anchor Verse: Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord Builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.

Any household that contains children knows that obedient children make life wonderful and disobedient children make life….well let’s say adventurous. Just think about God’s experience with his first children, Adam and Eve.

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God had to deal with His disobedient children: Adam and Eve.

And the first thing He said to them was:

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve . . . we got Forbidden Fruit!"

"No way!"

"Yes WAY!"

"Don't eat that fruit!" said God.

"Why?"

"Because I'm your Creator and I said so!" said God, wondering why He hadn't stopped after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw the kids having an apple break and was angry.

"Didn't I tell you not to eat that fruit?" God asked.

"Uh huh," Adam replied.

"Then why did you?"

"I dunno," Eve answered.

"She started it!" Adam said.

"Did Not!"

"DID so!"

"DID NOT!!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.

As we look at the topic of obedient offspring, we are going to start by examining parent’s role.

• THE REPRESENTATIVES:

Obedient children recognize that parents are God’s representatives. God is to the adult what parents are to the child – lawgiver, lover, provider, and controller.

When discussing obedience, you might think that the emphasis would be on the lawgiver and controller part of that description, but why is it that God gives us laws to follow that control how we are to live our lives? The reason is that He loves us and wants to provide for us eternally. Doesn’t that hold true in our relationships with our children? And children, doesn’t that hold true in your relationship with your parents? If your answer to that is no, because one or both of your parents didn’t live up to their end of the bargain, then know that you have a heavenly Father that will always live up to His end of the bargain. I have been fortunate to have two loving parents that have always been there for me, but I have seen the other side of the parenting spectrum.

My grandfather on my mom’s side abandoned his family when my mom was 11 and being a school teacher for twelve years, I have seen countless examples of hurting children because their parents didn’t follow God’s instructions for how to love and provide for their children. So again, if your earthly relationships have fallen short of the standard set by God, then take comfort in knowing that God loves you and wants to provide for you and yes, He has rules for you to follow that will make your life better.

Parents, we have an important role in helping our children understand that we are God’s representatives. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your foreheads as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. It is our responsibility to teach our children how to obey. Anyone who has raised children knows that it is rare for a child to be born wanting to obey all the time. Children are selfish and must be trained to be selfless. We should be constantly talking to our children about God and God’s rules for our lives. Children will only understand that parents are God’s representatives if parents tell them and when God’s rules are enforced, we should tell our children that these are God’s rules. Take time to explain to your children why God’s rules are beneficial. Children need to know that God’s rules aren’t there to keep us from having fun, but that following God’s rules actually makes life better.