The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Parenting Series

TEXT: Genesis 25 & 27

TITLE: The Good, the Bad, the ugly of parenting!

SERIES: Home Health Care

TOPIC: Parenting

OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, July 20, 2008

PROP.: Parenting isn’t easy, there are good techniques and bad techniques lead to some ugly results!

INTRODUCTION: One of the greatest joys Lindsay and I have experienced has been growing up with your children. Before stepping into the role of Preaching minister, I was the youth minister for 7 years. So think about that just for a second. I was here when your teenager who is now 17, celebrated their 10th birthday! I’ve grown up with your kids. I have greatly enjoyed every aspect of it! And I’ve just witnessed their growth from a distance.

Can I tell you a secret? My favorite show on TV is Jon & Kate plus 8. It’s REAL TV.

What I love about it, is I love watching them parent! They really are good parents! How brave they are! One of the scariest things about parenting is whenever you go into public, your parenting skills are on display. One thing I’ve learned from parenting by watching and through observing is that parenting is messy and tiring! But parenting is also very rewarding!

Our text for the day brings us to Genesis 25. We are continuing in a series called: Home health Care. And this morning’s title is: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of parenting! What I want you to know today, that in Genesis chapter 25, we have the first reality parenting show. Isaac and Rebekah are whose lives are exposed and laid bare for everyone to see the faults and the successes of parenting. I want to share these with you today!

First, let’s examine

I. The Good (vs. 19-34)

Let’s read: Genesis 25:19-21

19 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram [c] and sister of Laban the Aramean.

21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

To be quite honest with you, as you look over the parenting techniques of Isaac and Rebekah, there just aren’t a lot of good qualities to rave about!

But the first one I notice in scripture is found in Genesis 25:21

“. . .21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.”

1. Isaac and Rebekah were joined together in prayer! (verse 21)

A. Praying together as husband and wife is cool!

Praying together as a couple unites you unlike anything else can!

Illustration: Prayer Journals!

Are you and your spouse praying together? For your kids? For your marriage? For your family?

B. They were diligent at praying! (verse 20 & 26)

How long did Isaac and Rebekah pray? I’m so glad the text reveals it! If you’re not careful, you’ll miss it. I did! How old was Isaac when he married Rebekah? (for a hint, see verse 20.) He was 40 years old when he prayed for Rebekah! How old was Isaac when his twin boys were born? Verse 26. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth! That means…ISAAC AND REBEKAH PRAYED FOR 20 YEARS!

Be diligent in praying! I know we have parents who pray for your kids faithfully. You pray for their future spouse.

While you are praying and waiting, God is making YOU spiritually fit to receive what he’s gonna do! God’s working on you! And every time you kneel down in faith, God is working on YOU! He’s working on your faith! Prayer just isn’t changing things and situations…prayer changes us! What was God doing for the 20 years while Isaac prayed? God was working on Isaac!

2. They went to God with their problems (verse 22 & 23)

Notice in verse 22: “The babies Jostled each other within her, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord.” 23 The LORD said to her,

"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

She felt something was not right with this pregnancy! Those who have been pregnant and lost a baby, you can understand the worry, the anxiety that Rebekah was feeling!

--She had been barren her whole life. And finally she was pregnant and she didn’t want to lose these babies! She didn’t have a doctor she could visit. She didn’t have ultra-sounds. She did have God! So she went to God and God told her exactly what’s going on. And it’s just ‘great’ news! God tells her that the kids she is carrying are not going to get along when they are born…and they are all ready going at it before they were born!