The Role Of The Parents Series

A The U.S. Census Burea revealed that America just saw the single largest increase in poverty recorded in our nations history. (2009, 3.7 million more joined the ranks of the poor)

1 Recession, right? (Not entirely) The long term, root-cause of poverty: unwed childbearing.

a Buried in the census report are statistics that show that the collapse of marriage is creating a crisis of poverty.

aa Single-mother families are 5x’s more likely to be poor than married couples w/ kids.

bb Overall, about 70% of poor families w/ children are headed by single parents.

b Teen pregnancy is the big problem, right? Less than 8% of new single moms are minors.

aa The vast majority are ladies in their early 20’s (uneducated, can’t get good jobs, babies go hungry)

bb In the next two years, America will spend $1 trillion a year on programs for the poor.

cc However, if these women married their baby daddies 2/3 OF THEM WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE LIFTED OUT OF POVERTY.

dd Contrary to conventional wisdom, nearly all unwed fathers are employed & makes enough money to feed their families.

2 We do not need another welfare program, relaunch the war on poverty. . . we need the mamma’s to get married to the pappa’s

a Reduce the marriage penalty in welfare programs (Yes)

b Government, society, church need to start yelling from the roof tops that if you get married, your family has a much better opportunity to stay out of the poor house!

c The reason why prosperity comes is because that is exactly how God set the family up!

B For the last two weeks we have studied about a family that God prospered for about the last 2,800 years. Jonadab

1 Promised someone from Jonadab’s family would always serve, be before God.

a He told his kids to refrain from wine, live in tents, tend sheep (over vineyards).

aa He loved the Word

bb He longed for God’s Holiness

cc He Laid the Law down (brushed against last week)

b We know he was asked by Jehu to go to the Smackdown in Samaria (Turn must be hard/sharp)

I A Man’s Place (Set Parameters)

A Jonadab’s promise (Jer. 35.18-19) cam as a result of his parameters that he set for his children.

1 Jer. 35.5-9.

a Jeremiah wasn’t trying to trap them, he was showing the nation what happens when you keep the faith of your father.

b Jonadab receives his promise for two reasons:

aa He set the rules (drinking, tents, shepherds)

bb His descendants kept the rules.

2 Jonadab’s rules weren’t given just “because” but because he wanted them to survive, thrive under the blessing of God.

a Yes these rules . . .

aa Set them apart, different.

bb Hard to follow sometimes, no vines? no homes?

b Meant to create obedience, family traditions, faithfulness, continuity.

3 IL. Growing up I always wondered why my friend got paid to take out the trash? Allowance?

a I allow you to eat you to my food. Sleep in your bed, wear your cloths, use my heat, drink my water, etc.

b I don’t give my boys an allowance to take out the trash.

aa I’ll pay them to memorize scripture, read books.

bb Study & show themselves approved.

c Diligent Christian fathers sets house rules based on Scriptures, like Jonadab did to prepare his family for the destructive culture!

B If children cannot come to see the sweet reasonableness of the rules in their family, they may not follow them into adulthood because they have no foundation in reason. (Why?)

1 Gal. 5.19-21: Why don’t we . . .

a Watch “R” movies? Philippians 4.8

b Drink? Eph. 5.18; Titus 2.11,12

c Use certain words? James 3.9-11; Titus 2.7,8

d Ride with those kids? 1 Cor. 15.33

e Opposed to abortion? Ex. 20.13; Jer. 1.5

f Waiting for the right girl? 1 Cor. 6.18,20

g Kill me if I came home with a tattoo or ear ring or

grow my hair long? Cor. 11.14-15

h Harry Potter? Deut 18.14

2 Cultures change, governments/kingdoms rise & fall, society fluxuates, waves of social transitions but the Word of the Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1.25)

C In Odin, every class shared the same playground so the rules were clearly understood so everybody got it. (No spitting, cussing, hitting, 8+ monkey bars, 10+ to play on the asphalt, no more than one standing on the slide ladder, no tandum swinging. RULES.

1 Mrs. McCullem, Mrs. Crosby would be mingeling through the playground & if she blew her whistle @ you once WARNING, twice YOUR OUT FOR 10 MINUTES, three times you can go room you won’t see the monkey bars for some time.

a What would happen if Mrs. Crosby was taken out of the equation?