Our Family Series

Live Out Loud – Our CHILDREN

Ephesians 6:1-4

Intro: A group of expectant fathers were talking in the waiting room as their wives were delivering. The nurse entered and told the 1st man his wife had just delivered twins. “That’s a coincidence I play for the Minnesota Twins.” A few minutes later, the nurse re-enters and tells the 2nd man his wife just delivered triplets. The man says, “That’s amazing, I work for the 3M Company.” The 3rd man collapses in his chair doubled over and crying. The other guys ask if he was okay. “No, I work for 7-Up.”

Trans: As we look at this passage today, I want to assure you that after (4) kids and (9) years of parenting I’ve come to realize that I have yet to corner the market on parenting – and neither has anyone else I know. The only thing I know for sure about parenting is that I’ve much to learn about it.

Story: I feel like the pediatrician w/out children gave a lecture entitled, The 10 Commandments of Parenting. After he married and had a child, he altered the title – 10 Hints to Parenting. After his 2nd child, he changed the title – Some Suggestions for Parenting. After his 3rd child he stopped lecturing.

Trans: While I’m no expert, here is what I know w/ certainly – Children are a blessing and gift from the Lord. Ps. 127:3-5. Thus, in the good times and in the not so good times, we have to remember they are a gift from God.

Insert: Speaking of not so good times, a while back I received a humorous e-mail about things adults can learn from children. (See attachment)

Trans: Kids are something else. A few weeks ago we discovered that as Christians our highest calling in life is to imitate Christ. As it pertains our homes, Eph. 5, teaches us how to imitate Christ in marriage and Eph. 6, teaches how to imitate Christ as children and as parents. Read Eph. 6:1-4

I The RESPONSIBILTY of Children

Text: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, b/c this is right. Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment w/ a promise that it may go will w/ you and you may have a long life in the land. Eph. 6:1-3

Word: children (tekna) does not necessarily refer to young children, but to all children who are still under the authority and care of their parent’s roof.

Note: You might ask – why not longer? B/c when a child gets married, he or she is to leave mom and dad and cleave to their mate. They move out and become responsible for themselves. The safety net is removed.

Trans: Until then, children is to follow (2) simple commands – obey and honor. To OBEY has to do w/ action while to HONOR has to do w/ attitude.

A Children OBEY

Note: obey (hupokouo) literally – to hear under. Meaning to listen w/ attentiveness and to respond positively and appropriately to what is heard.

Note: It means that a child is to place themselves under the authority and care of their parent’s guidance and instruction. Kids are to do as told so long as what their parents ask does not break God’s Word or man’s laws.

Note: Just as submission doesn’t come naturally to a wife or sacrifice to a husband; neither does obedience come naturally to a child. Obedience is a learned behavior that requires supernatural intervention and sometimes a big stick.

Note: Children learn obedience under the guiding and loving hands of their parents. As parent’s model obedience to God and God’s word it influences their children to obey their parents. But even that is not enough and parents have to provide proper discipline to influence their children to learn obedience. The result is that children are to obey their parents as they would respond to God. In fact, as children obey their parents they are obeying the Lord.

B Children HONOR

Note: Obedience is a requirement of every child so long as they live under the care and provision of their parents, but to honor is a lifetime requirement.

Word: honor (timao) to value highly and to hold in the highest regard and respect.

Note: To honor your parents means to uphold their worth and authority by doing those things that will cause them to be respected in the eyes of others. It means that you love and care for them throughout their lives and that you never neglect them or act like you have never been their child.

II The ROLE of Parents

Text: And fathers, do not exasperate your children, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6:4

A Don’t EXASPERATE

Word: exasperate – provoke to anger.