A Walk that is Worthy Part 14
“Teach your children well”
Text: Eph 6:1-4
Intro:
This morning we are going to continue on with our series in Ephesians entitled a “A Walk That Is Worthy.”
This morning I would like to bring you a message entitled “Teach Your Children
Well!”
Illus: A family in the East was planning a month’s vacation to the West Coast. At the last minute the father’s work responsibilities prevented him from going, but Mom insisted that she was capable of driving and that she and the kids would go ahead. Dad got out the maps and planned the route and where the family should stop each night. A couple of weeks later, the father completed his extra work responsibilities. He decided to surprise the family, so he flew to a West Coast city without calling them. Then he took a taxi out into the country on a highway that, according to his travel plan, the family should be driving on later that day. The taxi driver dropped him off on the side of the road. Dad waited there until he saw the family car coming, then stuck out his thumb as a hitchhiker. As Mom and the kids drove past, they did a double take. One of the kids said, "Hey wasn’t that Dad?" Mom screeched to a stop, backed up to the hitchhiker and the family had a joyful reunion.
Later, when a newspaper reporter asked the man why he would do such a crazy thing, he responded, "After I die, I want my kids to be able to say, ’Dad sure was fun, wasn’t he?’"
If you are around children than you have eyes upon you at all times.
This is not just for small children, but kids of all ages, including some of us who are constantly watching older more experienced people. We are not an island to ourselves, people are always watching how we respond,
what we do. Our text brings this out in a strong way.
Eph 6:1 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
We are to model before our children the way in which they are to live their lives. This can be a challenge in that we are human and we will make mistakes, but
even in our mistakes we must be willing to show our children how we are to handle those areas in our life with humility and a willingness to pick ourselves back up and admit that we are wrong.
I would like to look real quickly at a three different passages of scripture and then close with an illustration concerning raising children.
1) Eph 6:1-4
a) Children Honor your father and your mother
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—3“that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Illus:A minister was speaking to the Sunday school about the things money can’t buy. “It can’t buy laughter and it can’t buy love” he told them. Driving his point home he said, “What would you do if I offered you $1,000 not to love your mother and father?” Stunned silence ensued. Finally a small voice queried, “How much would you give me not to love my big sister?”
b) Fathers, do not exasperate your children;
I did not understand this passage until I had children.
Do not ride your children…overwhelming them with mixed signals.
2) Deuteronomy 6:4-7
a) Love the Lord Yourself
i. Heart
ii. Soul
iii. Strength
b) Impress them on your children
i. When you sit at home…Ingrain it into your family
ii. When you walk along the road, … Reflect it in your job
iii. When you lie down … Rely upon it when you are discouraged
iv. When you get up … Credit God when you are blessed
Illus: In 1978, Thomas Hansen of Boulder Colorado, sued his parents for $350,000 on grounds of “malpractice of parenting.” Mom and Dad had botched his upbringing so badly, he charged in his suit, that he would need years of costly psychiatric treatment.
3) Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Illus The Air Craft Carrier
When a plain takes off from an aircraft carrier several things happen.
1) Point Aircraft Carrier into the Wind
2) Catapult the Plane down the deck
3) Planes are designed to respond to the laws
4) Pilot has ultimate control
The laws are designed to take affect if all the pieces are in place. When a child is raised in a Christian home several things happen
1)You must point the child in the direction he must go.
Teaching him.
2)You must give him thrust by living an example before him.
3)He is designed to respond to the laws of the Spirit
4)Ultimately they can crash by pilot error, but it must be a catastrophic choice.
Conclusion
We have eyes that are constantly on us.
It does not matter how old we are, or how old the one is observing, we have an incredible responsibility in this family of God. We have obligations to children, even if we have never changed a diaper…because they are watching. I remember so well the ones I watched as a young man that had incredible influence on me.
Men who flew off if fits of rage, Men who humbly raised their arms in surrender and worship to the Lord, Women who were divisive and gossipers, and Women who with a pure heart nurtured those around them.
We have an incredible opportunity today, whether we have children living in our home or not.
