THE STUFF THAT COUNTS
I Corinthians 3.12-13
S: Mother’s Day
C: Parents and Children
Th: Choose the Fire
Pr: D0 THE STUFF THAT COUNTS.
?: What is this stuff?
KW: Treasures
TS: We will find in our study of Scripture two treasures that are worth doing.
Type: Propositional
The ____ treasure is…
I. HONOR OUR PARENTS
II. TRAIN OUR CHILDREN
Version: ESV
RMBC 11 May 08 AM
OUR TEXT:
Since after Resurrection Sunday, our theme for our messages has been “Choose the Fire.”
But one has to admit, that “Choose the Fire” and Mother’s Day do not exactly seem like congruous themes.
After all, did Mom ever want you to choose the fire?
No way.
Instead, we were told, “Don’t play with matches.”
“Don’t get too close to the fire!”
“That’s hot, you’ll get burned.”
And if we were good and smart boys and girls, we listened to what our mom said, and we stayed away.
We did not choose the fire.
Interestingly, though…
1. There is a fire that is worth “choosing.” (I Corinthians 3:12-13).
Note how Paul describes it in I Corinthians 3…
Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
There is going to come a time for all of us as believers in the Lord Jesus when all that we have done on this earth is going to be tested.
It is going to be tested by fire.
Now the bad news about this testing is that some of what we have done on this earth is not going to be worth very much.
It is going to be like wood, hay and straw.
It is going to go up in flames.
But here is the good news.
Some of the things that we do are going to be valuable.
The fire is going to show their genuine worth.
When the fire comes, it is going to prove that we have done stuff that counts.
It is going to come up as gold, silver and precious stones.
So, ultimately, this is a fire we want to choose, because it tells the truth.
Now, we all want to…
2. D0 THE STUFF THAT COUNTS.
But what is that stuff?
Well, today, because it is Mother’s Day, we are going to ask that question in the context of the family.
The family is a very important building block for society.
The family is so important that the church is often described as one.
So in the church, we certainly want to encourage strong families, and encourage each person to do the stuff that counts to make their family strong.
For when that happens, it also, in turn, makes the church family strong.
It has been said that each family is like its own sovereign government.
God has designed the family to function in such a way that it is self-contained and self-sufficient.
Each home has its own executive officers, its own legislators, its own Supreme Court and police force.
And sometimes when small children are around, the family even has its own CIA.
They find out stuff that we would rather they not know.
Anyway…
3. We will find in our study of Scripture two treasures that are worth doing.
One treasure is for us as children.
One treasure if for us as parents.
CHALLENGE:
I. The first treasure is HONOR OUR PARENTS (Exodus 20.12).
One of the Ten Commandments – number five says…
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
The word honor, literally means “heavy.”
When you honor someone, you consider them important.
We value them highly.
We care for them and show deep respect for them.
It means they have clout.
They are significant.
They matter.
They are not to be taken lightly or ignored.
They deserve dignity and respect.
So, when we are young…
4. In the home, we obey our parents.
In fact, in Ephesians, it is a direct command for children to obey their parents.
So, if you are living with your parents, you live under the rules of the house.
When you are very young, it is obedience that is enforced.
But as you grow older, into your teenage years, and even your college years (that may sound strange because you are adults in the world), obedience is an important part of the relationship.
Obedience is doing the stuff that counts.
Obedience is gold, silver and precious stones.
ILL Parenting (H)
Two children were heard discussing their parents.
The first said, "I’m really worried. Dad slaves away at his job so that I have everything I need, so I’ll be able to go to college some day. Mom works hard washing and ironing, cleaning up after me, taking care of me when I am sick, driving me everywhere I want to go. They spend every day of their lives working for me. But I’m worried."
His friend asked, "What have you got to worry about?”
The first little guy replied, "I’m afraid they’re going to try to escape some day."
Well, in a roundabout way, this little boy was showing appreciation and respect toward his parents.
And…
5. We are to always show respect.
This is an ageless issue.
We are always to honor and respect our parents.
It can be done in a variety of ways…
…expressing appreciation
…making a phone call
…spending time with them
…giving them something they need
…sending flowers on Mother’s Day!
But there is more to respect, for…
6. We should listen and learn.
In fact, we should never stop listening and learning from our parents.
They have a wealth of experience that is waiting to be shared.
But we must slow down and stop.
We must learn to ask questions.
We must wait for answers.
We must be willing to be a student once again.
This is honoring our parents.
When we do this, it is the stuff that counts.
It is gold, silver and precious stones.
Many of us grew up watching perfect families on TV.
The dad was patiently wise in his advice.
The mom was busy making a home for her children.
So you will pardon me for a moment, as I lament the loss of TV shows like Leave it to Beaver, Ozzie and Harriett, and My Three Sons.
They showed us how it could be.
Many of us, though, did not have perfect families.
Not even close.
And here is something that is difficult…
7. Since no parent is perfect, we must learn to forgive them.
This is part of honoring our parents.
You might be saying to me right now, “Pastor Paul, you don’t know my parents. You don’t know what they did to me.”
I’m probably talking to some people whose parents…
…divorced, and left you hanging, thinking that you were the cause of it
…fought in front of you, and you were caught in the middle.
…abused you physically and/or sexually.
You are right.
I don’t know what they did to you.
But God does.
And God will take care of it.
And if they unrepentant, He will judge it.
But He will do it in His time, and not yours.
You see, their sin is not an excuse for your sin.
You do not have the freedom of dishonor!
In fact, I believe that you will not be emotionally healthy until you learn to honor them, in spite of what they have done.
ILL Forgiveness (S)
Dr. Laura Schlessinger said this:
“It is possible to maintain cordial contact, assist a bad parent with such basic needs as food or housing and medicine, and not spend a lot of time marinating in negativity in front of them or behind their back. It may not be ideal, and it may not salve your feeling, but that small something you do ennobles your soul anyway.”
Here is where the gold, silver and precious stones happen.
Ask God to help you be a channel of love.
You won’t be able to do this on your own.
But with God’s help, you can.
Besides, remember this, you really want your kids to forgive you too.
You will not do everything perfectly.
Set the example of forgiveness in front of them, for that is the stuff that counts.
II. The second treasure is TRAIN OUR CHILDREN (Proverbs 22.6).
This is specifically for moms – for parents…
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Being a parent is hard work, isn’t it?
And moms, you know, it takes more than birthing a baby to truly be a mom.
We see these young girls on talk shows that have sex with any guy just to get pregnant and have a baby, but they have no clue as to what real motherhood is.
ILL Mother (S)
Sydney Harris stated, “The commonest fallacy among women is that simply having children makes one a mother — which is as absurd as believing that having a piano makes one a musician.”
DRAPER’S book of QUOTATIONS FOR THE CHRISTIAN WORLD
But, if we want gold, silver and precious stones…
8. We need to direct our children spiritually.
We call this discipleship!
We are called to make disciples, and it starts in the home.
ILL Mother (S)
It has been said…
“An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.”
You see, when we teach the Word of God at home, it is gold.
When we pray at home with our children, it is silver.
When we live our faith at home, it is precious stones.
So, don’t worry about whether it is being done in the schools or not.
Do it where it counts.
Do it at home.
For, they will inherit our practices.
They will inherit our faith.
We also have to teach something else…
9. We are to teach authority.
Dr. James Dobson has taught us for years about the necessity of discipline.
ILL Discipline (H)
But as a father of four teens at one point in time, I can tell you this:
“There’s nothing wrong with teenagers that reasoning with them won’t aggravate.”
But here is the truth…
No one can be emotionally healthy or mature until they relate properly to authority.
This is the job of discipline.
When we get authority right, it means that for society as a whole, for families and for cultures, life goes better, it functions smoother, it has more durability and resilience, and it flourishes more vigorously.
ILL Discipline (S)
During her senior year at Pequot Lakes High School in Minnesota, a new English teacher was hired. Early in the first week of classes, a group of students gathered to discuss their teachers. "Do you have Mrs. Hauser for Eng¬lish?" one boy asked this particular girl. When she said she did not, the other students went on to describe how strict she was, how she would not tolerate misbehavior and how tough her academic standards were. As they reached the end of their complaints, this girl nodded and said, "I know."
"But you told us you didn’t have her class," they responded with puzzled looks.
"I don’t," she said. "She’s my mom."
Contributed by Carolyn Corbett
Getting authority right, that’s the stuff that counts.
But there is more we can do…
10. We are to identify their strengths and encourage them.
We are to be students of our children.
We are to understand their personalities – whether they are extroverted or introverted – whether they are task-oriented or people-oriented.
We are to know what drives them – what they are passionate about.
We are to know what kind of goals are good for them to chase after – goals are realistic and reachable.
This is the way we train children in the way they should go.
[Pause]
And this is the stuff that counts:
Honoring your parents.
Training our children.
This is gold, silver, and precious stones.
And the fire will prove it.
Let me offer one last story for your encouragement…
ILL Discipline (H)
First Lady Laura Bush recalls one overnight visit with her husband in the home of his parents, the former President and Mrs. Bush.
"George woke up at 6 A.M. as usual and went downstairs to get a cup of coffee," Laura says. "And he sat down on the sofa with his parents and put his feet up. And all of a sudden, Barbara Bush yelled, ’Put your feet down!’
"George’s dad replied, ’For goodness’ sake, Barbara, he’s the President of the United States.’
"And Barbara said, ’I don’t care. I don’t want his feet on my table.’"
The president promptly did as he was told, for as Mrs. Laura Bush observes, "Even Presidents have to listen to their mothers."
John McCaslin, The Washington Times "Inside the Beltway" (11-12-03)
Note: See Il119
Happy Mother’s Day – to all you Supermoms out there!
For Further Study: Deuteronomy 6.7; II Chronicles 22.3; Psalm 71.17-18; 127.3-4; Proverbs 4.10-13; 13.1, 22; 15.5; 23.22; Ephesians 6.1-3; I Timothy 5.4, 8
Announcements:
VBS
Prince Caspian
Q & A – Forum: update on church business; deacon meetings – discussions on values & worship; theological stumpers
BENEDICTION:
Available to you for any prayer needs…
Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
Personal
Decker, Paul Home Improvement
SermonCentral
Barnett, Robert Your Child – A Trust from God
Blankenship, Terry Growing Godly Children in Today’s World
Jackson, Dan A Priority for Family Living
Marquardt, Dennis Honoring and Being Honorable
Stacy, Rick Treating Parents Right
Stetler II, Darrell How to Respect Your Parents
Tabor, Greg Making a Righteous Impression
Turner, Mike What Are Your Children Inheriting?
