Parental Responsibilites (Pt 1 Of 2)

Sermon: “Parental Responsibilities” (part 1 of two parts)

Passage: Deut 6:6-9

- We have been talking about FAMILY and how it MATTERS

- Family is important

- Home brings security

- Choose you this day… (Josh 24:15)

- Today…parenting…at times I have failed miserably…but I also have done some things right

- Toughest job on earth…parent

- Maybe you weren’t raised in a healthy home…abusive…not caring…not loving

- But in Christ…new ball game (2 Cor 5:17, …new creation)

- So regardless how you were raised, challenge you to raise your children IAW God’s Standard…BIBLE

- We will look at our responsibilities to our children according to the STANDARD

- Look at Deut 6:6-9 / Pray

TRANS: First, I want us to see parents that our…

CHILDREN BELONG TO GOD

- Psa 127:3, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.”

- Ezek 18:4, “All souls are mine, soul of the Father…soul of the son.”

- Children are entrusted to us as parents to raise…they do not belong to us

- They are a gift given to us by God

- Gen 33 Jacob and Esau reconciled, Esau asked who the children were

- Jacob replied in vs 5, “they are the children God has graciously given your servant”

- They belong to God but parents are held accountable (Turn to 1 Sam 3:13, 14)

- Remember the parable of the talents…(Expound) God expects us to be good stewards of ALL He gives us…even our children

TRANS: Knowing this parents, there are six key areas bible talks about in raising them up

1. Educate/Teach Them

- Turn to Galatians 4:1,2

- Parents, really Dads, are responsible for who teaches them

- In day care, public schools, etc…

- What to teach?

- Deut 6:6,7 says we are to teach God’s commandments

- Teach them to live life IAW God’s principles found in His word

- 2 Tim 2:15 “Study and show yourself approved…correctly handling God’s word”

- Teach them from a very young age to fear, to respect God and His Word

- And it doesn’t stop when they are grown

- Deut 31:31, “we are to teach our children to fear the Lord as long as we live”

- Tell them what God has taught you…shown you…what He is doing now

- Turn to Psalms 78:1-7

- Educate them about why you do things for God

- Exodus 13:8 Moses telling Israelites to educate children “On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.”

- Some of the best times…acting out bible stories

TRANS: Not only are we to educate and teach them but we are also called to…

2. Train Them

- Prov 22:6 is a promise given from God

- But did you know that with every promise God gives…there is a stipulation with it

- Just as in this passage TRAIN THEM IN THE WAY THEY SHOULD GO

- WEBSTER: “To coach in or accustom to a mode of behavior or performance” also “To cause to take a desired course or shape, as by manipulating” again “to focus or direct”

- In context to our verse “Coach in or accustom them in the way they should go”

- “Cause them to take the way they should go, as by manipulating”

- “Focus or direct them in the way they should go”

- If you are going to train your children, it is going to take time and effort

- What to train them up in?

2a. The Character of Christ (humble, meek, servant, wisdom, forgiveness, unselfish love, giving, etc…)

2b. To Be Obedient (quickly, happily, thoroughly)

- Eph 6:1, “Children obey your parents…for it’s right”

- Col 3:20 says when you do this, it pleases the Lord

- God desires obedience more than sacrifice

- If they can’t learn, they can’t be trained, can’t be coached or focused to obey parents, how can they obey God?

2c. To Be Respectful (yes/no sir/maam)

- Respect you as their parents (expound)

- Respect God and His word

- Respect others, those in authority over them, etc..

2d. Train in Their Gift (music, business, sports, nursing)

- Provide opportunities to operate, function in gift

TRANS: A major part of training your child in the Lord is not being afraid to…

3. Discipline Them (Restrain and Control them)

- Story of Mother in Commissary in Germany

- Remember in 1 Sam 3 Eli did not restrain his sons

- Also in 1 Kings 1:5-6, “Adonijah exalted himself saying he would be king…and his father never interfered with him asking him, “why do you behave this way?”

- Children must be retrained, controlled, and then when out of control, disciplined

- Proverbs is full of passages that talk of disciplining your children