What Are Your Children Inheriting ?

What Are Your Children Inheriting ?

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

Joke: After weeks of getting the cold shoulder from his wife, an unhappy husband finally confronted her. "Admit it, Linda," he said, "The only reason you married me is because my grandfather left me $10 million." "Don’t be ridiculous!" she shot back. "I don’t care who left it to you."

Solomon knew a lot about wealth. He was one of the most wealthiest men of all time. He also had a lot of wisdom. Read the book of Ecc written also by Solomon and you will see that he came to the conclusion that there are some things which are much more valuable than silver, gold, and things. He shares with us in Ecc 12:13 what they are........Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

This morning’s subject is "What Are Your Children Inheriting ?"

Have you seen the bumper sticker........"We’re out spending our children’s inheritance ?"

You might say.........well.........the children’s inheritance will depend upon how much we have left !

The inheriting that I’m speaking of this morning is not what you leave to them after you’re gone.....such as money, material possessions or real estate...........the inheriting that I speak of is what they are inheriting from you right now ! What they are inheriting from us right now is far more important than any amount of money, property or anything else that we could give them. Those things are temporal...........the inheriting than I’m speaking of is eternal.

Illust. Moving mother to nursing home

Everyday........bit by bit, piece by piece our children are inheriting things from us that we mold the way they believe, behave, and think. The things that we are passing along to them, passing down to them is molding them !

What are our children, grandchildren inheriting from us ?

I. Children Will Inherit Your Principles.

Illust. First graders were asked to draw a picture of God in their Sunday School class. Their finished products contained some interesting theology. One kid had God depicted in the form of a brightly colored rainbow. Another presented Him as an old man coming out of the clouds. An intense little boy drew God with a remarkable resemblance to Superman. The best snapshot came from a little girl. She said, "I didn’t know what God looked like, so I just drew a picture of my daddy."

When our children look at us, do they see any of God in us ?

Deut 6:6-9 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates !

a. We Need To Teach Our Children About Religion.

When I speak of religion here.......I’m speaking of the one true undefiled religion which is belief in the God of the Bible.

* Note-Before we can properly, and adequately teach our children about the Lord, and his word....the words must first of be in our own hearts !

Don’t expect your children to believe something that you don’t !

Don’t expect your children to be obedient if you’re not !

Illust. We are outraged that prayer, and bible reading is not allowed in the schools......

But, are we teaching our children, and praying with our children within the walls of our own homes !

Illust. We were angry, and shocked that The Ten Commandments were removed from the court of Judge Roy Moore in Ala, and relegated to the closet...........but do we have the word of God posted in our homes.......and more importantly is it written within our heart......and are we inscribing it upon the hearts of our children ?

Illust. One man, Max Jukes, did not believe in religion and married a girl of the same opinion. From this union came 1,026 descendants. Studies showed that 300 died prematurely; 100 were sent to the penitentiary; 190 sold themselves to vice; 100 were drunkards,; and the family cost the state of New York $1,100,00.00!

2. Another man, Jonathan Edwards, believed in God and in his Christian training and married a girl of like character. From that union 729 descendants were studied and they discovered that 300 were preachers, 65 were college professors, 13 were university presidents; 6 authors; 3 U.S. Congressmen and 1 was vice president of the United States.