Dakota Community Church
August 3, 2014
Honouring Our Parents
Summer Series at Dakota: The 10 Commandments
Exodus 20:12
Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Introduction:
I realize that for some of you this will be a difficult sermon.
Until now we have been focused on the first table of the law which deals with our duty to God directly, now we move to the second table of the law which deals with our duty to God indirectly, through our responsibility to neighbour.
Remember that the commandments come to us in order of importance which helps us to understand how to order our lives so first after God then comes the family.
Jesus deals with the Pharisees for placing ministry above family responsibility.
Mark 7:8-13
You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.
9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honour your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
Once again the death penalty is in play.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, 20 and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
I know right, where do I find them?
I love that I no longer have to try to soften the word or defend God’s honour. The law has a function, it shows us the seriousness of our situation and our need of a salvation from outside of our own performance.
The wages of sin is death.
Death is what you rightly have coming to you if you have sinned against God who is perfect in holiness.
1. What is required in the fifth commandment?
We are to show honour, love and faithfulness to both father and mother by treating them with respect and by submitting in obedience when rightly called for.
A.) Children Obey
Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honour your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Listen to your pastor kids, God has charged your parents with your care and safety because you cannot handle that responsibility yet.
B.) Adolescents Submit
Luke 2:41-50
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.
Imagine having to submit to sinful parents if you were sinless.
C.) Adults Respect
1 Kings 12:13-14
And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, 14 he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”
It is honouring to me when the boys run big decisions by me.
Am I respecting my parents if I leave their care to the government or mock their wisdom?
2. How is this commandment undermined?
A.) Glorification of youth
Somewhere along the line we adopted the opinion as a society that the elderly don’t have to much to offer.
Even the elderly act as though this were the case often joining in the quest for eternal youth.
B.) Carpe diem worldview
The past is gone and tomorrow is just a dream so live for the moment because today is all you really have.
Did you know that is not a view that Christians are encouraged to take?
In Luke 12 Jesus says that it is the fool who says, “Eat drink and be merry” taking no thought for his eternal soul.
In Christianity the past figures prominently in our daily lives as we look to the cross and are aware of the company of saints upon whose shoulders we stand.
In Christianity the future is far more important than the present.
Matthew 6:19-21
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[e] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
C.) The new virtue of selfishness
“I wasn’t happy”
“I need to take care of my own needs for a change.”
Latin definition of sin: Incurvatus in se
(Turned/curved inward on oneself) is a theological phrase describing a life lived "inward" for self rather than "outward" for God and others.
3. What hope is there for the devastated victim?
Matthew 26:39
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
John 19:24-27
“They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
Jesus perfectly honoured His Father and His mother, obedience to this command is secured for you in the impartation of Christ’s righteousness.
Repent and believe the good news!
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
Follow Dan on twitter: @DanCormie
