THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

Program Air Date - 11-25-07

LESSON TITLE: "THE CHRISTIAN HOME: GODLY PARENTS"

WELCOME

Good morning! Thank you for joining us today for God's Living Word. I hope everyone had a great week. And I hope you are ready to begin this new week with a day of service and offering to your God.

As always, it is our commitment through this program to proclaim the simple truth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - which is confirmed for us in the Bible. I hope you all have your Bible's handy and I hope you are ready to worship God together as we sing praises to His name and study from His wondrous word. Now let's begin by talking to our Father in prayer!

(Prayer)

At this time we want to begin our songs of praise. Won't you join in with the congregation as we together sing our first song of the morning, its name, "Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary?"

(SONG # 1)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

Have you met those people before who just don't seem to care much about God or religion? I have and it just amazes me that anyone could reject God or His will, especially knowing the rewards that are in store for those who obey Him. Many even go so far as to making fun of or laughing at religion - making comments like, "who believes in that stuff" or "I'm not going to waste my life on some church." Isn't it our duty as followers of God to let these types of people see God in us? Then hopefully, through our example, they will be able to see the light and want to know more about our Jesus.

Isn't it also amazing how patient our God is with this type of a person? He continually waits with open arms for anyone who will come to His fold. Paul told Titus about this aspect of God in Titus 2:11, there it says, "for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." God's grace is extended to all men, no matter who they are or what they have done. The Hebrew writer said, "but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone," chapter 2, verse 9. How wonderful it is to know that Jesus suffered death for everyone!

What greater example do we have of this than that of the apostle Paul? As you know, before Paul was Paul, he was called Saul and he actually worked against the cause of Christ. He talked bad about Christians, he persecuted them and he did everything he could to keep the church from growing. It was Paul himself that said, "this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief," 1 Tim. 1:15.

So, some might say, "but why does it really matter?" Well, let me tell you! We all will be judged by our words and deeds. In Mark 12:37, Jesus said, ""For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Also in Colossians 3:17, Paul said, and "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord!" Now you tell me why it matters? This morning we will continue our series of study, which is helping us to know more about "The Christian Home." Our specific topic of study today will focus on "Godly Parents." So, please continue with us this morning, and after our next song together I will lead us in this study from God's Word. The name of our next hymn, "Blest Be The Tie That Binds!"

(SONG # 2)

LESSON

By Ray Sullins

We're glad you've stayed with us today as we continue again in our study about the home, the home that God has designed and as He has intended it according to His Word. Already, we have begun to learn a lot of different ideas about what God designed from scripture. We've also begun to see that there are certain parts that are organized just as God wanted them to be organized. And this morning, we want to continue by focusing specifically on "Parents."

When you think about what God designed the home to be like, certainly we know that there are parents and there are children. Some might think or even suggest that a home is made up of walls or a house that we live in. In fact, some of us might be guilty at times of saying that this is our house or this is our home. Well, the reality is that really the home is what is inside, what we make it to be. And even really a man and a woman by themselves without children really have not fulfilled the fullness of God's design or plan for a true home.

Well, what makes up a home? Well you and I know that in the beginning God made man. He saw that man was lonely and He made a woman as a helpmeet. Then He encouraged us there in chapter 2 of Genesis to leave our parents and then to make a new home. Why and how? Well, why? Because He wanted us to repopulate the earth and to bring forth those that would also be obedient to God. But then secondly, as we will see, He wanted us to be individuals who would be able to fulfill His commands as given in the Word, the Bible. And so as we look at the home, that's what we begin to see. The home was designed by our God Himself in that a man and a woman would become one flesh, one man, one woman for life, one flesh and that that man and woman would then bring forth children. And so then mom, dad, and so to speak the kids make up a home.

Now a godly home then is one that would be designed and following its God. So when we go to some verses, we begin to see that even early on in the Bible. For example, in Genesis chapter 4 beginning in verse 1, it says that, "Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain and said, 'I have acquired a man from the Lord.'" Verse 2 goes on to say, "Then she bore again. This time his brother, Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of the sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." Here we find that Adam and Eve now married were missing something. Yes, they loved God. They knew God in many ways, and although they had been cast out of the garden, it seems that the scriptures show us that they must have turned back at some point for later they had faithful children that follow God. But here we find that Adam and Eve have the first child that ever existed on earth and therefore the first home as God intends, a mom, a dad, and then also a child. And then they have other children, which certainly makes it even better, two sons. Later they had a third son. Then the Bible goes on to tell us that later they had other sons and daughters.

If you'll look also in that same text, we'll see the next son, Seth. Verse 25 says, "Adam knew his wife again. This child was called Seth." Why? "For God has appointed another seed instead of Abel." Remember Abel is the one that Cain had killed from jealousy. Now we know that God, God again having a child through Adam and Eve, Seth, who was a faithful child who also had faithful offspring, that we eventually bring ourselves all the way up to the man, Noah, the great preacher of righteousness. Well we see there took and there had to be the required need of parents along the way, those that would have children, those that would bring them up exactly as God designed. And so how did the parents know God? They learned it from their parents. And how did the children begin to learn about God? They learned it from their parents. So no matter how we look at it, frontward or backwards, we see that God designed the home that all might know Him and thus obey His Will.

Now we want to look at some of these same examples, but we want to see what type of parents that they were. We know of Adam and Eve being the first man and woman certainly would not have had the experience of being children themselves since they were made as adults by God. Now that doesn't mean that God in all of His might and power in creating them and giving them knowledge and eventually giving them the knowledge of good and evil after eating of the tree. That doesn't mean that God couldn't have created them as certainly we would suggest and know that He did with that knowledge that they needed as if they had lived or as if they had been taught in some ways. So they knew that it was their place as all of God's creation to have offspring, to bear according to their seed. That's exactly what we find them doing in those children that we have already mentioned, in again Cain, and then Abel and Seth. Then not only there but we go on to see that the other sons and daughters that are mentioned there in chapter 5. We see there that they began to set that precedent and then it was their son, Seth, who continued on that important precedent. But not only Seth because we go back and we see that Cain also has many descendents that are mentioned after he married and after he had his own children. So we see not only a family of Cain but also a family or genealogies of Seth. Now what is the main difference? Seth followed the ways of God. Seth followed the things that he had learned from his parents and from the family, those things that God had instilled in him. Cain did not. Cain was a wicked man and therefore he was a parent, but not a godly parent. On the other hand, Seth being a parent was a godly parent. Because of that, we know that not only did he have children but then his children such as Enoch had also children such as Canaan. Then he goes on to Canaan having Mahalaliel and then he has also a son which is mentioned there, Enoch. Then Enoch has Methuselah, and then Methuselah brings us on down to Lamech and then Lamech, as we know, is certainly the father of Noah.

Then Noah, Noah what a parent! When we consider Noah, Noah was a man who had three sons who lived hundreds of years, in fact around 600 when the floods began, but he had sons. He had sons, and what did all of his sons do? Well, it says that they helped him evidently it seems to do what God's Will was, to get on the ark, to be there on the ark because of Noah's faithfulness and no doubt there following Noah but the wives of the sons also seemed to show that same faithfulness. So how many souls were saved? Eight. And guess how many families then that would have made. Well, we have Noah and then we have each of his sons that also would have had homes as God intended. And then we see after they get off of the ark that they are commanded by God as well to be fruitful and multiply, to brogan forth those things that God had intended as any of the rest of creation to bear according to the seed, the plan of God, the plan for a home as God designed.

What about Abraham? Abraham is another beautiful picture of a father and mother coming together to make a home. Their home as we know was not complete for a long time. We know that because Sarah was many days and many times probably in tears because she had not had a son, not had a child. She begged Abraham to pray to his God. She even herself no doubt had prayed begged God for a child, a son, the son of promise that God eventually gave them. Remember how old they were? In their 90's before they had this child. Very old when they had the child. So really their home did not seem or feel complete until they had that child. Then that son of promise came and he grows up and then we see that Abraham and Sarah must have evidently taught him something for when we get around Genesis 22 we know that Abraham goes to sacrifice his son and guess what he is aware of. He is aware of God. He is aware of worship and what it is that they are going to worship. He's aware of what is needed to worship, wood and a sacrifice. He knows how to worship. He knows how to praise his God. How did he learn it? It wasn't a miracle. It was because he had been brought up by godly parents.

Are you beginning to see the pattern? Godly parents. Parents that are focused on God who live the proper life, who speak as God intends begin to influence their children to be what? godly children. And then guess what godly children make? Well, godly children grow up and they become husbands and wives and they become godly parents in their own homes just as God has designed.

You see, God clearly has given us the plan. He has shown us what He wants and now you and I have the great privilege. We have the great opportunity to be involved in all these things and then to do as they have done in the examples that we have looked at and many others that we could look at. They chose to put God first. Now does that mean they were perfect? Certainly not. We could go to every story and every illustration that we have already mentioned and see sin, see problems. We can see trials and temptations, some that they fell to and then repented of, some that they should not have been guilty of, but yet they did give in to those sins and temptations, but yet they were still good godly people and parents because what were they willing to do? To repent and to get it right, to change those things that were wrong not by force, not be coercion of some sort, but again because of their love for God, because of the example that they had and because of the teaching that they had received according to their Creator.

As we look about then the pattern that God has set, there are a few beautiful verses that I would like to make mention of primarily first of all in the book of Proverbs and then some others in the book of Proverbs a bit later that show us again what it was that God had planned. Do you remember what God says about a good parent, a parent who trains up a child in the way that he should go and then when that child gets older guess what? They won't depart from it. (Proverbs 22 and verse 6) Why they have been taught the things of God. They have been given those messages that God had intended.

Now if you're not so sure about that, I'd like to go over to the New Testament because there we also find the same concept given to us probably one of the best places in Ephesians chapters 5 and chapter 6. If you look at the context, it is interesting because here God deals with the church in Christ. He also deals with the concept of husbands and wives and how they are to treaty each other and to have their foundation of love, but then He goes on in chapter 6 to deal with children. That would encompass and really complete the concept of the home. After that, about bondservants or slaves and really the working situation. So it really encompasses all of the different aspects of life whether we are parents, whether we're children, whether we're going out to work, whether we're going to school, whether we're going to play. We all have one thing we should have in common, God is first.

And that's exactly what we begin to learn here because in this text we see that husbands and wives are not only to love each other, but parents have a responsibility as well. We're going to talk about these all in much more detail later, but notice what it says in verse 4 specifically at this time. "And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath." But what should you do, fathers? What should you do, parents? "Bring them up in the training and the admonition of the Lord." You see here, the idea of being able to bring them up and to train them as God has designed. What does that mean? To train them, to teach them, to bring them up in a way that they know God and they want to do what? Obey God.

There's a beautiful passage that is found back in Deuteronomy. We know there where Moses had given the law. But in Deuteronomy chapter 4, we find an encouragement given there. Moses first tells them that, "I have taught you about God. I have taught you about His laws." Again chapter 4 verses 5-6. He then turns around and he says, "So fear God and obey Him." But then I want you to notice what he goes on to say in verses 8-9. He says, "What a great nation we have here before God." Then verse 9 he says, "So only take heed yourselves and be diligent to keep yourselves unless you forget that your eyes have seen unless you allow these things to depart all the days of your life." And notice this, "And teach them to your children and grandchildren." And then notice the verse 10 after he reiterates the same idea. He says, "In all of your days as you lived on the earth that you may teach these things to (who?) your children." You see, parents who love God, who follow God, who put Him first teach their children to know God and to obey His Will. And not only do they do it because they have been taught and learned or heard it, but they see it every day.

And then we have this idea of admonition which is really correction. Do you remember that back in Ephesians chapter 6 again verse 4? He says to, "Bring them up or to train them in the nurturing or admonition of the Lord." This idea again of correction. Again correction can be positive or it can be negative. But there in the Bible notice some of the ideas that we find about correction. Proverbs 23 verses 13 and 14 say, "If we spare the rod, we can spoil the child." Why? The child needs that direction. There Proverbs 3, verses 11-12, "God disciplines us just as a father chastens or disciplines the son." You see again the pattern. As we would see God discipline us, we would discipline our children because we love them enough to show them direction, to show them the way to go.

Then that makes me think of King David. If you will recall there in 1 Kings chapter 1 verses 5-6, we already know about the history in Samuel of Absalom who tried to bring down his father. Adonijah is mentioned here in 1 Kings chapter 1 who now is trying to take the throne from Solomon even before Solomon is king. But there if you'll notice with me in verse 6. What does it state? It states that David had not rebuked or chastened his son. He had not corrected him when he had spoken things he should not. Well you see, what do we learn there? We learn that we have got to be parents that are less concerned sometimes about being friends with our children and more encouraged about being godly parents and those who lead and train and correct.

But will we be those who accept the challenge to bring up our children in the training, the admonition of the Lord, the encouragement of the Lord, to know His Will and to obey it? Will we find that our children are like Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15 who was taught from a child that he might know and have knowledge unto wisdom which equals salvation that he might be saved? And who did he learn from? 2 Timothy chapter 1 tells us "from his grandmother and his mother who were pillars of the faith." You see, we can be parents who can make a great difference in not only our life and our salvation, but our child's life. Will you make sure today that you live in such a way to save yourself, but not only yourself, but also the entire home as God intends?

(SONG # 3 - "Count Your Blessing!")

CLOSING COMMENTS

What a wondrous time we have had together in participating in the things of God. I hope we all have been encouraged through our time spent together. Please remember, you are invited to join us every Sunday morning at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to this service of God.

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As we all strive to be the parents that God desires, let's look to His Word and do things according to His will. For only then can we be found pleasing in His sight and receive the crown of life.

(Program closing)