Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- The call to the husband is to love (as Christ loved the Church)
- The wife is to submit to their husband
- The natural progression is to look at the parent-child relationship
- Over the next 2 weeks to look a little but wide that the parent-child relationship
- To look at wider themes - e.g. strife and conflict (next week)
- There are a lot of pressures on Christians living in a post-Christian society
- The influence of technology
- What is good and bad in modern life?
- The issue of being a man and woman in modern society
- Tonight: to think of the parent-child relationship
- It relates to us all: a broader issue of how we relate generally
- Putting on Christ and christian virtues
- Example of the song: 'happy the home'
Allegiance to Jesus Christ must trump everything
- Matt 10:37-39
- Family is central - but it must not be an idol
- Not to neglect family members, but Christ comes first
- Warning and promise - live not to please man but God (Example of Abraham)
Family Life
- Not to think first and foremost of difficulties - family does not equal strife
- Scripture says for those who honour God - there is great blessing
- For those who "fear the Lord" - not an automatic blessing
- Example of David and Eli who knew great pain - but in general terms, marriage, families and children are a blessing from God
The Parent-Child Relationship
- Authority and submission
- In the Church
- In headship
- As a citizen
- In the parent-child relationship
Children are called to obey their parents - Col 3:20
- Rom 1:30, 2 Tim 3:2 - disobedience to parents is a major issue
- Obedience does not come naturally - they need to be taught and disciplined
- In the Ten Commandments - children are called to obey their parents
- Ex 20:12
- Eph 6:1-4 - a commandment with promise
- Do we give enough emphasis to this within the Church?
- Society has almost turned things upside down?
- "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child" - Prov 22:15
- Children need to learn right from wrong
- Parents pass on their experience and knowledge
- Does the command still apply to those who have older parents?
- Jesus applies it in Mark 7 - explanation
- This will be applied in different ways - the main thing is to honour our parents
- Prov 29:15 - neglecting children is shameful
- Titus - women who are home makers can look after children
- Children need boundaries
The Parents Responsibility
- Prov 22:6 - God would not give this promise unless it was true (example)
- To bring up our children in the training and instruction of the Lord
- A parent needs to know the Lord
- Children watch parents
- They are affected by how we live
- They see their character
- They see what is important to them
- We train children as much by the way we live
- Children thrive with encouragement and love
- There must be discipline
- Example of David - he did not rebuke his son
- Each child is different - we need to be discriminating
- Example of John MacArthur
- We want good character in our children
- Eph 6:4
- Do not be too harsh, do not belittle or put them down, do not show favouritism
- An emphasis on fathers
- Be consistent
- We might face dilemmas - examples
- We need to show grace when our children have failed
- We need to explain our failure and our sin
- We need to explain our need of forgiveness
The Gospel and the Family
- Things are not straightforward Example of David, Jacob, Eli
- There is always grace and forgiveness at the cross
- Example of Jesus
- He honoured His parents
- His brothers did not initially believe in Him - but many came to believe after His ascension to heaven
- We must pray for our children
- Salvation is not in our hands
- It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that must reign in our families