Ephesians 6:1-4
Surrender to God’s Plan vv.1-3
A very similar passage we find in Colossians 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” The word used for children in both Ephesians 6 and Colossians 3 is “Tekna” does not only mean young people, it refers to those that have been raised under your care. They could be in their 60s, but they’ve been in your care. So you’re thinking, they weren’t obedient then, they’re not going to be obedient now! There is always hope in Christ!
This is the Children’s Responsibility, but they’re to be raised in such a way that fosters this action. I’m not a stone thrower! I’m five years into this practice of parenting, and I realize it’s amazingly tough. Satan and this world doesn’t want you to successfully raise your children in Christ. So although we’re relatively new and inexperienced, we have the guide to instruct us (God’s Word) and the Holy Spirit to lead us.
Here’s what the Bible says to you children, this is your responsibility! If you’ve ever been born!
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
Exodus 21:15-17 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. 16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. 17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.”
I shared this before in the Colossians message, “What happened to Johnny?” He wasn’t at football practice. Rumor is they took him over near the Pearl River and stoned him to death for back talking his mother!
leader, you must be a great follower
- Children will give their submission to their parents
- By doing so, children will honor their parents and Christ.
- Children will receive peace through obedience.
The motive for being obedient to our parents is that it is to please Christ!
Sacrifice for God’s Provision v.4
Colossians 3:21 “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”
Parent’s Responsibility:
To be the Father God Requires, you must become the man through the strength of Christ.
What does this mean?
- Be born again (you cannot begin to experience the love, guidance, and mercy of God until you surrender your life to Jesus Christ.)
- Be the spiritual leader. Be a man of courage, conviction, commitment, compassion, and character ready to karate chop Satan if he messes with your family. Take the initiative in cultivating a spiritual environment for the family. Become a capable and competent student of God’s Word. Live it out in your daily life. Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness!
The number one way a child will mature into Christian manhood or womanhood is to see it modeled at home. I know this is true!
The overarching guide for every father should be to live in such a way that his children can see what God the Father is like. God the Father displays strength and tenderness, in his wrath and mercy. The cross is the perfect expression of strength and tenderness! It shows the death of sin and the forgiveness of sin at the same time!
Parents we’ve got an amazing privilege to show the glory of God, but somehow we’ve bought into the lie of the glory of gratification.
Listen to what John Piper says about this passage. “Paul’s teaching makes it clear that when he says we should be fathers who give hope instead of discouragement, he means hope in GOD, not hope in money or hope in popularity or hope in education or hope in a spouse or hope in professional success. If you had asked Paul, or Jesus, “What kind of freedom from discouragement do you want our children to have?” he would not have said, “I want your children to be freed from discouragement by being filled with hope that they will become wealthy . . . or well-known, or intellectual, or married, or successful.” We know that is not what he means. He means, be the kind of fathers who do not discourage your children but rather fill them with hope of Christ!”
Support God’s Providence. v.4
Look with me again at the last part of verse four. “but bring them up in the disciple and instruction of the Lord.”
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Here’s what this looks like.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
raise our children in church, we have to be overtly intentional to raise them in Christ
Why? Because we do not want there to be a disconnect between church and home. Everyone here puts on a happy face, but at home you are real! Parents go to war for your family! Do battle on your knees and refer to the field manual for the glory of God. Why? Because Hell is real, Heaven is real, Christ is real, Satan is real! Do not forget that! I’m not ok with future generations going to Hell because of the current generations’ disobedience! I know that sounded bad! I wanted it to, because today is the day to make it right in Christ! We’ll call upon Him for help!
Need wisdom in parenting? I do! Listen to this passage!
James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
A Christian is a great doer, not a great dont’er. Parent’s model Christ!
Seven Parenting Dangers Satan Wants You to Follow
Danger #1- When God’s plan for the family has become reversed or abused. (When the child is not disciplined, or the parent is not the spiritual leader.)
Danger #2- When the whole family is not being nourished by regular and genuine communication.
Danger #3- When children are given the option to not attend worship. (Hell is real folks. If they live under your rules, they shouldn’t be given the option. I hated church as a kid, but because my parents knew it was important, they made me go. Look where it got them and me.)
Danger #4- When worldly instruction for parenting is being obtained outside of Christ. (Parents must model the enjoyment of Christ through the word and prayer, and not the enjoyment of the things of this world! Hell is real!)
Danger #5- When giving up on parenting begins to be considered as a possible solution to an unhappy situation. (There is always hope in Christ, regardless of their age.)
Danger #6- When the family fails to understand, appreciate, and enjoy their differences.
Danger #7- When Christ is no longer the center and refuge of your family.
May Ephesians 3:20 be true in your family, as you strive to center it on Jesus Christ! “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us”