EPH. 6:1-4 "SPIRITUALLY DESTROYING CHILDREN"
A) Imagine with me that 2000 years have passed in time and it is now the year 4000!
* A natural disaster had completely buried our society around 2000, thus preserving the
remains for future excavation.
B) When the archaeologists dug up the remains of our society, what do you think they’d find?
* They would find that we were fascinated with success, power and sex. * They would probably
find advertising which used sex to sell everything from ball point pens to fertilizer.
C) They might even find some of our TV programs saturated with sexual scenes.
* They might find some of our music which is almost pornographic in nature in many cases.
* They would discover signs that parents had little concern for their responsibility toward
their children. * It would probably be said that we were a modern day Corinth!
D) It isn’t difficult to see that our world is engulfed by a polluted cloud of moral filth!
* On every hand is found an encouragement to do wrong, and our nation is increasingly headed
toward the fulfillment of that encouragement!
* And where are the parents who are supposed to guide young people away from the evils of
our world? * Where did purity and our parents go?
E) Tonight, I want to look at 3 very serious and very controversial subjects that deal with young
people, but also for the parents, for this message is on "How To Kill Your Kids."
* Paul said in v.4 "... but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
* Nurture - education or training by disciplinary correction, chastening, chastisement.
* Admonition - calling attention to, mild rebuke or warning. * Note 3 Things:
(1) IF YOU WANT TO KILL YOUR KIDS, ALLOW THEM TO DRESS IMMODESTLY!
* Too many women & men who claim to be Christians show no concern for the way they dress!
* And it is time that we speak out against this tragedy, especially concerning our young people
and the parental responsibility along this line.
A) Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, men and women have needed to be
adequately and decently clothed!
* You remember how that Adam and Eve sinned, and when they sinned they became conscious
of their nakedness and were ashamed, a consciousness & sense of shame we need ... today!
B) They tried to clothe themselves with aprons of fig leaves, but God clothed them more
adequately and decently!
* One writer said, "I wish I could find some of the fruit that Adam & Eve ate so I could pass it
on to Christians by the bushel so that they would open their eyes & know they were naked!"
C) Since sin awakened man’s sense of shame, God has always demanded a certain code of dress,
* Even though no one else was even around at the time of sin entering the world except Adam
and Eve! * That ought to tell you something!
* In Exo.28:42-43 God insisted that the O.T. priests wear sufficient clothing when they came
in to the Tabernacle (the House of God).
D) Queen Vashti refused to allow herself to be placed on public display for the purpose of
people looking at her physical beauty (Esther 1).
* And of course, we remember David & Bathsheba, who because of public immodesty and
a lack of self control, fell into adultery!
E) It would be good if we had a proper understanding of immodesty!
* Immodesty is wearing clothing that reveals or emphasizes parts of the body that, when seen
by the opposite sex, draw attention to you & encourage or create evil desires!
* And by dressing to entice lust, a Christian not only sins themselves, but they cause others to sin!
F) You say, "Well, if a person has a lustful thought, that is their problem."
* You’re right to a certain extent! * But if I contribute to that thought, then I have participated
in their sin!
G) The most important thing for us to remember when it comes to immodesty is that we are to
be a people who are trying to please God!
* Our question should be, "Is my clothing pleasing in God’s eyes?"
H) If you wear fashions that could do just about as much good off as on, then you are guilty
of wearing immodest apparel.
* As Christians we should be concerned with the way we dress on the outside!
I) The Bible stresses that our clothing ought to avoid 2 things: sexual allurement & materialism.
* What we’re seeing today is that more & more Christians are dressing more & more in ways
that barely stops short of complete nudity!
* When I was in prison, there was a sign on the door that read: "Visitors must be appropriately
dressed. Underwear & bras must be worn, no halter tops, no short shorts, no revealing
clothing." * The reason is because inappropriate clothing causes problems!
* If the world can see what problems are created by immodest dress, why can’t Christians?
* If you want to kill your kids, allow them to dress immodestly! * If you want to kill your kids:
(2) ALLOW THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN MODERN DANCING!
* I don’t expect any of this message will be popular, but I would expect this part will really be
unpopular with some because it’s never popular to condemn sin,
* And it’s even less popular when it’s a sin that several people enjoy!
* Unfortunately this is an area where a real lack of teaching & preaching has occurred!
A) Many teenage & adult Christians participate in dancing simply because they have never been
taught it’s dangers!
* Some others have been taught the truth on the subject but have refused to accept the truth.
* I want to identify 3 very serious areas of problems concerning the modern dance!
B) 1st, We Need To Understand & Teach Our Kids That Dancing Is Worldly!
* Everything associated with dancing is worldly, the songs, the places, the clothing, the
refreshments, and don’t think I’m too old I can’t remember, I’ve been there, I remember well!
* John wrote in 1 John 2:15-17 "Love not the world, neither the things ......."
C) So many sinful things are associated with dancing today: drinking, drugs, going parking,
* Petting, immodesty, and fornication!
* The Bible says in 1 Thess. 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil."
D) James 1:27 says, " ... to keep yourself unspotted from the world."
* You can’t keep yourself unspotted from the world & still participate in the act of dancing!
E) 2nd,We Also Need To Understand & Teach Our Kids ... Dancing Is The Work Of The Flesh!
* Gal. 5:19-21 - It is lasciviousness! * The appeal of dancing is, at least partially, sexual in nature!
* And this is something a Christian is not to be involved in!
F) The definition of lasciviousness is - absence of restraint, indecency, indecent bodily
movements,
* And unchaste handling of males & females (petting which is in some dancing)
* Argue all you want, but you can’t change the fact that dancing is sexual in nature!
* How many dances occur in which the entire time is spent with dancing only done with someone
of the same sex, not guys with girls? * How many?
G) 3rd, We Need To Understand & Teach That Dancing Leads To Further Sin!
* Prov.6:27 "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?"
* School statistics, police statistics, & medical statistics all confirm that school dances,
* Including the Prom, all raise the rates of teen sex, drunkenness, VD & other problems!
H) In one Bible passage, dancing resulted in murder - Matt.14:1-12
* If you want to kill your kids, allow them to participate in the sinful modern dance!
* If you want to kill your kids:
(3) DON’T TEACH THEM ABOUT THE SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP AND MARRIAGE!
* Let me begin this section of dealing with sex outside of marriage by pointing out how God
feels about a sexually immoral society! * Turn to Deut. 22:20-24
* Matt.15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies:"
* 1 Cor. 6:9-10 says that, "fornicators and adulteries shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
A) What’s the reason to keep the sexual relationship in marriage, is sex too enjoyable out of
marriage? * Is God out to make sure we don’t have a good time?
* Keep in mind that Jesus came so we "might have life and might have it more abundantly."
* So somehow, saving the sexual relationship solely for the marriage relationship is for our own
good and here are a few good reasons:
B) Pregnancy - 1 out of 3 teens who has sex out of marriage gets pregnant!
* 1 out of 5 of these teens who gets pregnant does so in the 1st month of sexual activity!
* Sexual Diseases - Aids, etc.
* Relationship with each other: As God designed it, the sexual relationship between a husband
and wife is the deepest, most intimate form of communication and giving!
* When properly expressed, it draws them closer and forms the lifelong bond of becoming one!
C) Relationship with God * Sin always eats at our relationship with God!
* We can pray until there’s blisters on our knees, but it wont do any good until we repent!
D) Why keep the sexual relationship only in marriage? * Because God said so!
* If you buy a computer & you ask the people you bought it from, "Why can’t I wash the insides
with soap & water?" * Because the manufacturer says not to & he knows how it works!
* Likewise, God made sex & He set the boundaries so we wont abuse it!
* He knows us & He knows what will happen if we abuse our sexuality!
E) Sex was intended for a complete commitment - "Till death do us part!"
* I might throw something about parenting responsibilities here, and I want you to understand
that I’m not telling you at what age to allow your kids to date.
* I’m only gonna give you some facts that I found sobering:
F) Survey of 2,400 teens found that the younger a person begins dating, the more likely they
are to have sex before graduating high school.
* 12 years old - 91%, 13 years - 56%, 14 years - 53%, 15 years - 40%, 16 years - 20%
G) Two Principles About Sex: 1st - God created sex!
* The media would like you to think sex was their invention!
* God could have made us all one gender and have another way to continue the race, but He
made us male & female!
* No one has to apologize for having a sexual desire, but all should look to the Creator of that
desire for instructions about it’s use!
H) 2nd - Sex was created for married people! * Sex can be wonderful but man can corrupt it!
* A knife in a surgeon’s hand saves lives, but someone else could use the same knife to take a life!
* Sexuality is the same way! * Within it’s God given boundaries, it is beautiful, but if we abuse
it, it will be harmful!
CLOSE
A) Obviously I’ve been speaking of killing your kids spiritually, and I realize this has not been
an easy sermon!
B) However, our responsibilities as Christians and parents are very serious!
* God will hold us accountable for what we do as parents!
C) As parents, we need to avoid sin in our own lives and we need to teach our children about
the dangers of sin & use our parental authority to ensure they don’t participate!
* Understand first though that ungodly parents rarely produce godly children, even though
occasionally children will overcome their parent’s influence!
D) What kind of influence do you have as a parent?
* And young people, how are you living?
