MESSAGE FROM SUNDAY!!
Hi everyone, I've attached the manuscript from the message spoken at am and pm services about fostering strong Godly relationships within our families. Needless to say the importance of being founded on the Word of God is absolutely pivotal! Let me know what you think (it's very long I know!). God bless, Dan
------After a massive week, as I was preparing for this morning, I couldn’t help but get excited about this current season that we find our New Generations ministry here at New Peninsula.
- As you’ve already heard Urban Summer was a huge success…the joy on the faces of the 50 young people as they served outside themselves will stick with me forever. On the last day a team of 13 people went and served at a widow’s house in Diamond Valley, which was ravaged by bushfires 2 years ago. Helga had lost her husband 22 years ago and somehow managed to escape the fires. She said she went to more than 30 funerals of people she knew personally who lost their lives from this close knit rural community. She lived in an average house and she was just so thankful of what we were doing. I saw 13 kids work and work and Helga just couldn’t stop feeding us!
- I’ll never forget this last week as I witnessed the opposite of the stereotype that teenagers are lazy and inward…that may often be true, but given the opportunity to step up with exceptional Godly attitudes, they impacted people’s lives. I believe that this is a taste of what’s to come! Teenagers will always be teenagers but what we want to see emerge in our youth ministry is a community of disciples who love Jesus and love each other! Wouldn’t that be great!
- Within the youth ministry we’re on the verge of something new and fresh as we continually move towards a new season of intentional focused discipleship, watching over the next few years teenagers not enslaved to a dysfunctional culture but so secure in Jesus that they are walking into this world and making a difference for Jesus and His Kingdom! Wouldn't that be great to see all our families walking this journey together, to see our kids growing into champions in their faith?
When we look into the Bible we discover that kids are blessings from God-Genesis 33:5-Jacob told Esau that his children were a gift that God had graciously given him!
Genesis 48:9-Joseph told his dad that his sons were a gift from God!
Psalm 127:3-Children are a heritage from the Lord and a reward from Him!
- When walking out into foyer for coffee after our 9am service, you nearly get bowled over by all the children racing around! One of our superstar Kingdom Kids leaders mentioned that 30+ kids are graduating from Kinder Kids to Kingdom Kids! Clearly God has blessed us, and I believe we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to build into our kids strong, Godly foundations. This must come through relationships.
- I’m a big fan of Kingdom Kids, and also I’m a big fan of Trish Creely and her team of leaders, however they have 1-1.5 hours per week with your kids to build these foundations! Parents have access to kids that leaders in kids ministries and youth ministries don’t have! We must be clear – it is the parents responsibly and privilege to set the foundations for their kids.
- This morning we’re looking at 3 Biblical foundations to lay in our kids lives that we as parents, and also as ministry leaders, desire to see take root.
The relation of parents to their children…
Foundation 1: Parents must train children.
“Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6)- Every child has natural bents both good and bad, these are the basic tendencies unique to this child. Left to themselves children will grow up and reflect dysfunction unless we as parents intentionally train up our kids in God!
- You might be surprise to learn that the root word of “train up” in the Hebrew is a word used to describe the palate or the roof of the mouth. It was used to describe the actions of a Hebrew mid-wife who after helping to deliver a baby would dip her finger in a paste made of dates and rub it on the gums of the new baby to create thirst and start the baby’s feeding instinct. (Charles Swindoll. You and Your Child (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1977)
- The parent is in like manner to create a thirst in their child for the right things. What is your favourite food, my guess would be that it is what you grew up enjoying. The Christian parents job is to create such a thirst in our children for the things of God.
- As part of the young families ministry we see that we must be intentional about training our kids up right! To use every opportunity to communicate God’s truth! Driving kids to school (don’t just rely on the family devotion time!)à Last year’s survey that 13% of families do regular devotions…the only way that figure can be a good thing is when our families are doing devotions with their kids at every possible opportunity that they can get!à As parents we need to be intentional about this…and we as a church want to equip and support as much as possible and so this year we’re running parenting courses to help see this emerge, with the intention behind it to learn how can we be intentional in training up our kids.
Foundation 2: Children need loving discipline.
“And fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).- One of the barriers to disciplining our kids well is anger. It sounds strange but when our kids look at discipline, do they associate it with dad losing his cool or mum raising her voice?! I heard something once about disciplining my kids, that it must be measured, consistent and clear…
Discipline is a sign that parents love their children because they want them to escape death and find life (Proverbs 13:24, 19:18). The command to discipline is given to fathers in Ephesians 6:4 [‘training' is more literally translated ‘discipline'].
- God disciplines those He loves!
- Because discipline is hard, and often not done well, kids go through this life not experiencing the joy of repentance!
Foundation 3: Children need a worthy example.
“…clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5).
“Uzziah… did what was right in the Lord’s sight as his father Amaziah had done” (2 Chronicles 26:3-4).à For me the objective of raising my kids is that after 18+ years living in a loving home with Anita and I and seeing our love for God and for each other, would set them onto that same journey. My kids have dreams about politicians, mechanics…occasionally I slip my unfulfilled desires to play cricket for Australia in there, but to be honest I don’t mind where God calls them vocationally…I just want to see them know Him and walk after Him every day.
- The best way that happens is when I do. Kids who observe their parents give lip service to being a disciple of Jesus, who may attend Sunday worship but then live completely different lives during the week, will most likely follow in the same footsteps. But a child who sees mum and dad walk after Jesus faithfully, despite being up and down, will more likely discover who Jesus is and follow Him themselves.
Our kids are precious, they are blessing from God and these foundations are important to their development and growth.
But I also have some Biblical foundations for children towards their parents (that will be unpacked more when I speak this message tonight…pray for me)
The relation of children to their parents… (taken primarily from Ephesians 6:1-3)
Foundation 1: Children are to honor their parents.
“Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).
There is blessing when children honour their parentsHow do we do this practically? One way is that we should be polite and courteous in the way we address them. (e.g. Not calling them on their first name; not speaking in a rude manner)
a) Even though Joseph was the equivalent of a modern-day Prime Minister of Egypt, he bowed down with his face to the ground as he showed humility and respect towards his elderly father:Ge 48:12 ’Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground.’b) King Solomon showed great courtesy towards his mother, Bathsheba. Even though he was the newly crowned king, he bowed down to her.1Ki 2:19 ’When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king¡¦s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.’
Illustration
In Nigeria much respect is given to parents and elders. I have personally witnessed adults going down on the ground to bow to an elderly retired pastor. Also, the ladies always do a curtsy to show respect to an elder.
Foundation 2: Children are to obey their parents.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right” (Ephesians 6:1).
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord” (Colossians 3:20).
- Practicing submission to those in authority in Australia is not something that comes to us naturally, even at home. Kids think they know everything, but don’t, parents see what’s ahead and desire to steer their kids towards life.à In the original (Greek) text the word which is translated ’obey’ comes from two words, ’hear’ and ’under’. A rigidly literal translation could be to ’hear under’ i.e. ’to listen attentively’. What is in view here is a conscious and deliberate listening, listening so as to really hear. (See Strong’s Greek Dictionary no. 5219).
à If your dealing with a teenager, or defiant young child, building a value within the household of mutual submission is vital. Kids will model what they see being lived out…if mum and dad have modelled mutual submission, sometimes laying down the iron fist of control, then kids may move into it as well.
Foundation 3: Children are to learn from their parents.
“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching” (Proverbs 1:8).
The Bible is a fantastic source of teaching about raising our kids…and so my prayer this morning is that out of this message, and for the rest of 2011, that we turn to the Word
X Do your parents view their relationship with you with joy and gladness?
X Do you make them proud of you?
X Have you said thank you to your mom and dad?
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