Spiritually Destroying Children

EPH. 6:1-4 "SPIRITUALLY DESTROYING CHILDREN"

A) Imagine with me that 2000 years have passed in time and it is now the year 4000!

* A natural disaster had completely buried our society around 2000, thus preserving the

remains for future excavation.

B) When the archaeologists dug up the remains of our society, what do you think they’d find?

* They would find that we were fascinated with success, power and sex. * They would probably

find advertising which used sex to sell everything from ball point pens to fertilizer.

C) They might even find some of our TV programs saturated with sexual scenes.

* They might find some of our music which is almost pornographic in nature in many cases.

* They would discover signs that parents had little concern for their responsibility toward

their children. * It would probably be said that we were a modern day Corinth!

D) It isn’t difficult to see that our world is engulfed by a polluted cloud of moral filth!

* On every hand is found an encouragement to do wrong, and our nation is increasingly headed

toward the fulfillment of that encouragement!

* And where are the parents who are supposed to guide young people away from the evils of

our world? * Where did purity and our parents go?

E) Tonight, I want to look at 3 very serious and very controversial subjects that deal with young

people, but also for the parents, for this message is on "How To Kill Your Kids."

* Paul said in v.4 "... but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

* Nurture - education or training by disciplinary correction, chastening, chastisement.

* Admonition - calling attention to, mild rebuke or warning. * Note 3 Things:

(1) IF YOU WANT TO KILL YOUR KIDS, ALLOW THEM TO DRESS IMMODESTLY!

* Too many women & men who claim to be Christians show no concern for the way they dress!

* And it is time that we speak out against this tragedy, especially concerning our young people

and the parental responsibility along this line.

A) Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, men and women have needed to be

adequately and decently clothed!

* You remember how that Adam and Eve sinned, and when they sinned they became conscious

of their nakedness and were ashamed, a consciousness & sense of shame we need ... today!

B) They tried to clothe themselves with aprons of fig leaves, but God clothed them more

adequately and decently!

* One writer said, "I wish I could find some of the fruit that Adam & Eve ate so I could pass it

on to Christians by the bushel so that they would open their eyes & know they were naked!"

C) Since sin awakened man’s sense of shame, God has always demanded a certain code of dress,

* Even though no one else was even around at the time of sin entering the world except Adam

and Eve! * That ought to tell you something!

* In Exo.28:42-43 God insisted that the O.T. priests wear sufficient clothing when they came

in to the Tabernacle (the House of God).

D) Queen Vashti refused to allow herself to be placed on public display for the purpose of

people looking at her physical beauty (Esther 1).

* And of course, we remember David & Bathsheba, who because of public immodesty and

a lack of self control, fell into adultery!

E) It would be good if we had a proper understanding of immodesty!

* Immodesty is wearing clothing that reveals or emphasizes parts of the body that, when seen

by the opposite sex, draw attention to you & encourage or create evil desires!

* And by dressing to entice lust, a Christian not only sins themselves, but they cause others to sin!

F) You say, "Well, if a person has a lustful thought, that is their problem."

* You’re right to a certain extent! * But if I contribute to that thought, then I have participated

in their sin!

G) The most important thing for us to remember when it comes to immodesty is that we are to

be a people who are trying to please God!

* Our question should be, "Is my clothing pleasing in God’s eyes?"

H) If you wear fashions that could do just about as much good off as on, then you are guilty

of wearing immodest apparel.

* As Christians we should be concerned with the way we dress on the outside!

I) The Bible stresses that our clothing ought to avoid 2 things: sexual allurement & materialism.

* What we’re seeing today is that more & more Christians are dressing more & more in ways

that barely stops short of complete nudity!