How many of you would like to have a long life that is truly enjoyable??
God actually promises a long enjoyable life for people!
Jesus Christ, who is God, came to our world and said in John 10:10, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. And in our passage today we will read an affirmation of one of God’s Commandments. Ephesians 6:2-3 states, Honor your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise - "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." ,
Why aren’t most people enjoying an abundant life?
There is one major reason of course why most people are not enjoying life and many are short-lived: People do not truly believe in God and His Word, the Bible!
As I was praying for this message early in the week, a bigger thought came to mind about where we live. Wouldn’t you agree with me that America’s problem is not political, economical, or anything else, BUT spiritual? What would America look like if the majority truly believed and followed what God says in the Bible?
Now, if we desire a Biblical America, we need to have Biblical families don’t we? And if we desire Biblical families, we ourselves need to be Biblical.
And so, the beginning of an abundant life starts with the belief in Jesus Christ as Savior and God. Do you desire an abundant life? Believe in Jesus Christ! And what have we learned so far from the Letter to the Ephesians?
A Believer of Christ needs to know and understand who they are in the sight of God; Christians are adopted children of God who are loved, cared for, and are called and destined to be like Jesus Christ! And Believers of Christ need to live a life worthy of the calling of God!
I hope and pray that you and I continue to grow in the Lord with what we have learned so far from Ephesians. I encourage you to remember the 6 basic things we all need to do to grow spiritually and enjoy life as God has planned for you! You know those 6 things we need to do are not that hard to remember for us. The core values of our church are about those 6 things! We are to be Worshipful, Biblical, Relational, Prayerful, and Evangelical, thanking God always!
Last week, we noted the specific instructions for husbands and wives, so that there will be harmony and order in the home. We will learn today specific instructions from God for children and parents. We will learn about workplace relationships in the future. Open your Bibles to Ephesians Chapter 6. Read along with me Ephesians 6:1-4……….
Can it be any simpler than this? God tells us that if we desire our lives to go well and enjoy a long life, we simply have to honor our parents! But let’s look a little deeper into this passage. Who are the children that the passage applies to?
Of course the passage would apply to children who are still living at home with their parents because the instruction is for that relationship. But what about children who are no longer living with their parents? Well, the instruction is about the relationship between children and parents, isn’t it?
And so, as long as a child has a relationship with his or her parents, this instruction by God to children should apply whether they are at home or not.
And for those children who are already grown, if they have honored their parents while they were growing up, don’t you think that they ought to continue honoring their parents?
And those grown children who did not honor their parents while they were growing up, shouldn’t they honor them now?
And so, anyone who still has a relationship with their parents must follow God’s instructions in Ephesians 6:1-2 if they desire to have a long enjoyable life.
And what are God’s instructions for all children to their parents? First of all, children are to obey parents in the Lord.
What does this mean?
Again, let us never pull passages out of context. Remember what the beginning of this letter to the Ephesians stated? Ephesians Chapters 1-3 described who Christians are to God. Now look at Ephesians 4:1…….
And in Ephesians 5:1, Christians are to imitate God.
And in Ephesians 5:21, Christians are to submit to one another as they submit to God. And so, the obedience of children to their parents is about obeying God. Therefore,
1. All children are to obey their parents unless it is a sin to God.
Secondly, children are instructed by God to honor their parents. What does honoring parents indicate? The definition of honor in the dictionary states to highly respect and to give dignity to the position. This goes along with our earlier discussion of submission doesn’t it? Submission in these passages is about harmony and order. Also, if we look at the original Greek word for honor in this passage, it has the meaning of treating one with value.
And so, honoring means,
2. All children are to respect, value, and care for their parents.
For those of us children who can now understand this, how are we doing with our parents? As we obey and honor our parents as God desires, God promises to give us long enjoyable lives.
Now, for children who are still growing, from baby to adolescence, they have to be taught to obey and honor their parents don’t they? And since children are to obey their parents unless it is a sin, parents are to teach children to obey God.
This is why God gives us the instruction for fathers in verse 4 of Ephesians 6.
Now, isn’t it interesting that God focuses on fathers? Why is this? Again, in context, God is giving instructions for harmony and order. And let us note that during the Apostle Paul’s time, fathers ultimately were responsible for their children.
Now, fathers are responsible for the family but this doesn’t mean that all disciplining, training, and instructing children is the father’s only. In the Old Testament, God always calls both mother and father to raise their children, And again Ephesians 6:1-3, parents are cited to teach their children.
And so, for us today, for all practical purposes, Ephesians 6:4 applies to both parents, but fathers are to take personal responsibility in this area.
We are to teach our children to obey God!
But parents, do not exasperate your children. What does exasperate mean? It helps to look at other Bible translations. Other English translations of Ephesians 6:4 is “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger.”
And again, parents are to teach children how to obey God. The second part of Ephesians 6:4 affirms this: Parents, bring up children in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Now, many of us parents already have grown children and some of you are still raising toddlers. Parents, whenever you told your children to do something, they always just obeyed right??
What’s usually the first word that kids learn to say besides dada and mama??
We should not be surprised that kids learn to say no very quickly. Why? Every person is stained with sin. All children will disobey! And so parents, especially us fathers, we can easily be frustrated as our kids disobey! And so God warns us to be careful in raising our children. Another way of saying Ephesians 6:4 is this: Parents do not get so frustrated in raising your children that you lead them to anger. How does this happen? We lead our kids to anger when we take our anger towards them.
I didn’t think this message would get this long, so let me close with some applications.
1. If you still have parents, how are you honoring them?
We are to respect, value, and care for our parents!
Parents, God has blessed you with children. But God didn’t just say “multiply!” God said, “Be fruitful and multiply!”
The reason God created parents and blessed them with children and called them to multiply is so that many can be part of God’s eternal Kingdom! But all of us, including parents and children, will sin and disobey God.
And so, parents, the best thing you can do for each other as husband and wife, and the best thing you can do for your children is to commit to following Jesus Christ!
2. Good parents must be Christian parents growing in the Lord.
3. Parents are to teach and discipline their children to obey God with love. What does this look like?
- be an example to your children; they will imitate you.
- teach the Bible as God’s word!
- let them know when they disobey God (children need disciplining)
- always show love (especially after disciplining)
A final note: Disciplining can take many forms because every child is different. Parents, learn which type of disciplining works for your child and note that your method must also change as the child grows up. And remember, abusing a child is a sin to God! And again, always show love; immediately hug them after disciplining, then tell them why they where disciplined.
Okay, one final word: Parents, as you tuck in your children to bed every night, look them in the eyes and say, “I love you!”
