Ready to Launch

JD Greer important task we have and I guess I don't use the phrase most important likely exactly what I'm saying. The most important task we have is the teacher gives the gospel when Moses was talking to the nation, not just apparent the nation of Israel after giving them all. He says this, Deuteronomy 6 you shall teach these things diligently to your children and free. Note that the old saying is true. Parenting is the hardest job you will ever live.

Can I get an amen from the we all want to be good parents do we want to do right by our kids that they don't exactly come with the manual today so we know what to do and what to prioritize our subject today on Summit life as pastor detects on a brand-new series called God and the rest of the week we are learning how to honor God. The little aspects of our everyday life and pastor Katie titled today's message ready to launch. I ready to jump in are beginning a new series God in the rest of the week. The big idea behind this series is that we tend to get. Oh God, into a couple of hours on the weekend but God you see doesn't want to rule a couple of hours on the weekend while we sit in church.

God wants to be the ruler of every single dimension of our lives. What possible would say like this in even when we eat and drink.

We should do that, to the glory of God. Abraham Kuyper who was the Dutch prime minister in the 1920s famously say that there is not one square inch of the entire cosmos over which Jesus does not emphatically declare my so so we want to ask the question of what is it me for Jesus to be Lord of the rest of our week, but you surely is not coincidental that most of Jesus parables that he told the workplace context that you needn't tell us stories about people in church. He told stories about people bit throughout the lie because that's where the Lordship of Jesus, is most clearly seen. Take a look at a glance of three subjects that consume us outside of church family is one of those work is a second one and then time management because we want to better understand how Jesus can be Lord of the rest of our week. Our first message is on leading a gospel centered family now let me deal with an objection that just popped into about 50% of your minds, I'm in high school. I don't have kids yet my kids are out of the house already. I'm single. I know I'm I just look like I'm going to have kids anytime soon, so I'll just assume there's nothing in this for me. Well, three things look like us to consider want you might have a family in the future and it's really never too early to get started in thinking I'm preparing to be able to to leave in this area.

That's one reason. Secondly, all of you came out of a family right so today you might better understand why you're so screwed up right then so maybe that'll help explain. I will bet but most importantly, thirdly, raising up the next generation is not just an assignment God gave the parents what I want to show you today is a God given to the entire Christian community I'm gone over this before, but if you are a follower of Jesus, you are part of two families one is a biological family. These are people with whom you share a last name, and usually you have a common DNA strand. So that's your biological family. Then your is your eternal family and these are people with whom you share a common salvation, you share the blood of Jesus and the indwelling spirit of God this is your eternal family. The eternal family in Scripture is much more important in the biological family are not taken away from the biological family. I'm just saying that in many ways biological families were there to teach us about the eternal family and so the church is to have spiritual children and spiritual children of the responsibility the entire Christian community, not just biological parents talked about us having godly offspring is not talking about a husband and wife talk about the church that is raising up the next generation. Psalm 2127. If you have a Bible Psalm 127. She will postscript at the top of Psalm 127 is issuing a Bible. I do have is your Bible, you should go out and get a new and get a real Bible Psalm 127.

It should say a Psalm of Solomon. A song of assistance will be a step backward and come back to executive important someone. 27. Here's how the Psalm reads unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest eating the bread of anxious toil, for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord. By the way the word children in Hebrew is very similar to the word for builder in verse one.

So what you're seeing is a direct correlation between the builders of the city and the children that God is giving to the nation.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb of reward like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. Look first at the first phrase of verse one unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain in order for a house to endure any house to endure.

God has to be the one who builds it so that leads me to our first principle here we go. 1 love is not enough love is not enough. Many parents have what I would call the Beatles philosophy of parenting. All you need is love that song all you need is love. The general idea is if you love people. If you love your kids hate everything's going to turn out just fine. That's definitely the accepted wisdom today.

But the problem is I know parents who love their kids off the charts, but they are terrible parents and their kids end up reflecting that now I'm not downplaying love. Of course I'm just telling you there's more to it than that. Yes, you need the heart of God for your kids also need the mind of God unless the Lord builds the house as you build it labor in vain.

I got just one question for you based on this insight, you honestly taking this seriously. Had you set about to learn God's ways and rearing, but not a child of the next generation admin if you give me just a minute. I want to talk to you specifically about this. Did you know that most if not all, most of the passages in the Bible to talk explicitly about parenting, although I would say everything a woman there might be one forgot all addressed to men. General rule is Ephesians 6 is a great example is talking to men. On the whole book of Proverbs which is the most extensive treatment apparently is written from a father to a son under all written to men of the top 10 books on parenting on Amazon.com right now. Eight of them are written by women.

However, in of the top five books on parenting on Amazon.com. Every single one of them begins in the first sentence or two with a reference to mom.

If the data is even mentioned. He's always second. Now I am not taken away from the women who think and write about this awesome. I'm guessing you realize how different it is in our culture and was in the Bible and the Bible you got gotta dressing the man said this is you, this is your responsibility, study, have you as a man done about bleeding of your children man our family is our first responsibility.

It is our weightiest job. It is the first thing that we will give an account to God for it is our most important mission field number two. Our primary responsibility is to teach the next generation. The gospel, our primary responsibility to teach the next generation. The gospel children. Solomon says are a heritage some your translations might say inheritance heritage or an inheritance from the Lord. Inheritance is a big word in Hebrew is one of their favorite words because it pointed to the eternal kingdom that God was giving to them the nation, the people of God. The children of this church lesson are the first ones that we are going to win that will make up the eternal inheritance that God is giving to us because that's what the inheritance is right. Inheritance is God's eternal kingdom of eternal kingdom consist of people to children of the first ones are God's given us a reason. Think about it, and inheritance is what you leave behind for future generations parents the most important task you have is to teach your kids the gospel church. The most important task we have and I guess I don't use that phrase most important likely I know exactly what I'm saying. The most important task we have is a teacher kids the gospel when we went when Moses was talking to the nation, not just apparent, the nation of Israel after giving them all.

He says this, Deuteronomy 6 you shall teach these things diligently to your children you not go to the parents talking everybody teach me your children you shall talk of them when you sit in your house when you walk by the way, when you lie down when you rise up.

You will bind them as a sign on your hand, they shall be as frontlets before your eyes. In other words, wear them like glasses. You will write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates, the gospel, you see what's to saturate your home to see Deuteronomy 6.

When you live down when you walk on the way and the way on your doorpost. In other words, just as you do. Life, I will tell you is apparent very little. The teaching of the gospel for my children happens on schedule. Sometimes I talk like it does make sure you understand when I talk about my kids having devotions do not get this image of us all sitting around your little circle my kids with notebooks out using Jesus father all that's a great point.

When you write that down right now happens to me that's like 97, one word answers back Jesus you know not what I Jesus is always the answer. You know, in the light bill us money inevitably passes gas during the verses it everything, like, really. You know I'm not well which it happen that way but it couldn't. Most of the teaching happens along the way of overthrowing football together while cleaning out the garage water ride in the car right because it is in the home of the gospel is best taught which means that you got to prioritize the relationships in the home. Gotta be very present there because that's the only place that you're really going to be able to come to speak the gospel in the places.

In fact, these are the best advice I got as a parent was from another pastor older pastor who said this and never forgotten, as he said he said easily tell you something you should never forget that your kids JD told me the pastor they needed daddies is because a pastor's job is to kinda teach family devotions told him what's wrong with their lives. Nonfiction is a Benedetti sisters of their games and the super excited about vendor that is her biggest fan. Their daddy just go through life with them. I haven't forgotten that because I know that pastor is what I am to you but daddies. What I am to them and that means I've got to prioritize developing that relationship. It means father is that of begin this year. Mark all the significant moments in your kids life for the coming year and make sure that you will rearrange your work schedule around those things because you're you didn't. But a lot of people replace your work, your tickets, one daddy night AE it is for me that means already in my daughter's age is I'm trying to date my daughters year which he got taken out.

I just try to show them what it means to be loved what it means to be treated. I want to show them those things by the white men.

You cannot start that were there 15 years old male dressed golf and electronic appointment. Weird that he started but I want them at 15 years old got all my data and I've always done this, is developing that relationship. It will I ever heard this before that one of things that as Americans we we we tend to think like as we want our kids to be experience rich meaning that we want them to experience everything I mean this extracurricular in this supporting actually go to Disney World much of a good visit will discuss up and but even if it means the relationship or experience. Rich relationship or that's our version of how to get them to success.

The Bible would switch that said, you can make them experience poor.

That's not what you make that bet significantly different but they need to be relationship rich because who they are is more important than what they do and who they are is determined by the relationship with you that it is by the things that they experience you got to prioritize that relationship because that is the conduit for the gospel. The home is the best place were we in the best ways to apply the gospel. Perhaps more importantly, the homes were kids see the gospel lived out and learned to believe in its power. Listen to this. CJ made effective teaching involves explaining to our children what they are already observing in our lives by example is let that sink in for a minute that is deeply convicting for me because that means my kids will learn to believe the gospel last by how well I are well. I articulated and more about how they see me tree Veronica today see in my treatment of my wife. Unconditional love. They see the graciousness the faithfulness, the forgiveness and the gentleness I tell them that God has for them in the gospel you say will my spouse is left you got a prime opportunity to teach your kids the gospel because you got a chance to say this is what God's love is like this is what forgiveness is like. By the way before you despair that is enough to make someone despair part of this for me teaching in the gospel is learning to apologize often you see the point is not be convincing them that I'm perfect because I'm not perfect and they're not perfect and if they think I'm perfect and trying to emulate me as a crutch them because there never to be able about the standard that they sent by me. That will exist anyway so I determined that more important than them. Learning to admire my righteousness is learning them wanting to adore my Savior so I will apologize often trying to tell them that he is a broken center and daddy yes I'm glad you look up the daddy but you need not to look up the daddy is a hero need to see that daddy has a Savior and the Savior loved him and the Savior loves you. The Savior fixed.

Daddy is fixing daddy in the Savior can rescue you to so I apologize often. I want them to see weakness. I want them to see that I am broken and that means sitting them down frequently and say I was a jerk your mom last night and you sought and I don't follow that up with you three ways and she deserved that her will believe everything she did to me, that provoke I don't do that right because I need them to see that I have a Savior nest most important thing about me.

By the way, if your family is a mess and I know that for many of you that's the case we give one word of encouragement to you almost 201 almost 201 the great families in the Bible were way screwed up done a study on the families in the Bible your family screwed up. Let that be your Bible study for the month of January and you will be super encouraged and maybe a little disillusioned.

Listen this favoritism, incest, betrayal, adultery, severe problems with the in-laws.

Frequent visitation. The prostitutes daughters getting a daddy drunk and sleeping with them and were not out of the first half of the book of Genesis, yet they are the father of our faith Abraham one time in order to curry favor with a government official tells the government official that his wife is his sister. So the end that he can sleep with her so that he can win favor with this government official bats varsity right me like that's like. That's not like that's a middle mistake. That's like you know Jerry Springer level kind of stuff when you're going into yet God in the midst I why did God choose those kind of families to write his story. I don't know exactly here's one theory I'm pretty confident of this one is that God is trying to show you they didn't ring the gospel out of perfect families. He brings it out of dysfunction and he writes a more beautiful story through the dysfunction. That's how he brings Jesus is God is writing the dysfunction in their story. She's writing them and yours to a lot of families have what I've heard called the stock photo family syndrome.

The image you see the target of the family and on the little photo not tell us what a family looks like dad you get on his shoulders: football the moms. You know beautiful in the back is yellow pigment that you feel like I was a little argument a look like that that's just another kind of family got usually choose a door through God take broken families, dysfunctional families, any rights or more beautiful story. So the biggest question you got asked to assist parents.

Are you teaching your kids the gospel are your kids, you know the gospel, by the end of this year. They know it now. Here's a question. What you care most about them knowing you care more right now about where your kids go to college, whether to spend eternity. And I know you would say all clearly where they spend eternity yet that's what your mouth says what your priorities say right now is about the dog all day long about what's important but it's your priorities and show what's important and if you prioritize where they getting the college over the development of their relationship with God.

What your mouth sets because what they learn to value is demonstrated by how you set your calendar not by what your mouth says when you come the church. What's your profit, your kids if they gave all they getting the medical school. They go on a baseball scholarship to college may lose her so you teaching your kids the gospel number three children are to be raised in the larger community of faith, children are to be raised in larger community faith. To whom is Psalm 127 written obviously the parents die Jewish practice was to read this after the birth of any child labor that will ceremonially disarm. But did you see in the beginning Rob pointed out a Psalm of Solomon. A song of a sentence that means it means that the song was sung by pilgrims as they approached Jerusalem was on top of a hill and so is pilgrims would come purely for their pilgrimage, they would get to the bottom of the hills pretty long one, they would begin to sing together the Psalms of Ascent is like five or six of them as they were going up the hill, they would sing through these and it was listening to the entire community to sing the song.

It would just like you know that at that point they'll something in the Psalms, like okay everybody drop out just the parents a cappella on this verse you go to someone.

27.

They also want talk to someone.

127 why because the next generation was the responsibility of all of them. The parenting passages in the Bible are written to communities, not just the parents.

Deuteronomy 6. At no point did Moses say okay you know got the laws now will break out seminar for the parents. Parents listen out notes it's for the whole community is a God has two gardens in which he grows a child. Two gardens that are essential. Both of the home and the church. It takes more than just the unconditional love of a family picture tribe to give identity number four. We must therefore prioritize relationships in the church. We must therefore prioritize relationships in the George Proverbs 1320 listen that he that walks with wise men will be wise, but a companion of fools will be destroyed average going to solicit show me your friends and I'll show you your future you want to know what you live in the future. Look at your friends based on Proverbs 1320 mimic this really chronicled as an eight-year-old Niger heads of that your parents listen your kids listen will be a visitor somewhere in the finder community somewhere if your kids find their community after school or on their athletic team and they are invisible here then you can look at their school and their athletic team and get a pretty good picture of what their look like in five years, but I bring them here. You pre-storm every week and we think they have already asserted say he who listens to wise man will be wise is he who walks with wise men will be wise, but a companion of fools will be destroyed. Listen, I know you might hear self-interest in this weather is not a drop of it, I would prioritize the community of the people of God and that is a matter of calendar does not a matter of intention. It is a matter of calendar, you gotta choose what you really value in their lives. You've got to decide what success is his success as a parent getting them in the college going on a basketball scholarship a football scholarship or is it becoming men and women who love Jesus and serve the mission. Not that those things are at odds but at your place value on one of them ended in a place priority on that thing and if I can say this is a your pastor who loves you intentionally, I can tell by many of your choices that you put much more value on your kids getting ahead with the world and you do them going deep with God and believe me if I can see that from a distance your kids here that loud and clear. See when they quit following God in college that doesn't happen when the refreshment happens when they're in sixth grade by the priorities you set for them. The community you choose, so don't complain when our freshmen in the walk away from God. If you prioritize everything but the kingdom of God through the middle school is relationship in the church for your family a great reminder for the foundation of your cheating rear light to listen again or to share this message with different go to Jeannie Greer.com message was the first in our new series called God and the rest of the week. He talked a lot about honoring God with all the details of our lives, especially in parenting we do our best and we trust him with the rest. That's how we operate every day at Summit life get any revenue from advertising and as a young ministry. We don't have any endowments to keep the lights on.

We depend completely on God's provision to the generosity of listeners like you when you support this ministry financially. Your joining our mission and helping your fellow listeners take deeper into the gospel, we want to help you invest in a life around you as well. When you give $25. This will save you two copies of Pastor JD's new book titled searching for Christmas. That's when to keep anyone to get away but forget to $50.05 copies or 10 copies for hundred dollars everything were looking for in this life can be found by understanding Christmas first Christmas when it really means for us today. The searching for Christmas is another tool to help you make the gospel the center, and every day and give that gift to others the same time ask for searching for Christmas by Pastor JD when you make a one-time donation of monthly support or call the gospel partner palace right now at 866-335-5220 866-335-5220. Here you can sign up and get online Jeannie Greer.com you can also just send your donation in the mail addresses Jeannie Greer ministry, PO Box 12293, Durham, NC 2779 Molly minutes again tomorrow.the rest of the Jeannie is helping Rainer for most important.

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