A Parent's Bill of Rights

One.

The girls between the age of 12 and 17 get pregnant every year, and over half by the we will abort the child. 10 million teenagers of venereal disease and every day 5000 teenagers are one child in five uses drugs twice a week go on and on. I've heard parents say all I don't want to pressure my children into adopting my set of values you don't like why because your child is being pressured to adopt a set of values already. The question is who has the upper hand has the most glad you joined us on this vintage wisdom series through the book of Exodus, the Bible has quite a bit to say about family life. There are admonitions for fathers and mothers as well as instruction for children today on wisdom for the heart.

Stephen Devi is discussing the parent child relationship were in a series on the 10 Commandments and today we come to this command. Honor your father and mother. How do we do that and what can parents do to help children obey that command. Let's find out. Stephen called this lesson a parents Bill of Rights turn the tables a little bit.

We hear a lot today about the rights of the child equal rights amendment for the child, the year of the child. Don't infringe on their particular events. All of that yet were going to go to the Scripture and discover. I believe what is a balance and that is the parents bill of rights. There is balance and that. Don't misunderstand, and I in fact, if you have a Bible's turn to Luke chapter 2 as we find in implicit teaching needs that all children have the first is found in chapter 2 also warns that in verse 52. Let's start with verse 51 a familiar story were Jesus of course doesn't follow his parents back is in the temple debating with all of the scribes and Pharisees and astounding them with his knowledge and he finally is adopted by his parents as they find him there and he follows them back home and it says in verse 52 and Jesus the boy, perhaps 12, 11, 12 years of age kept increasing in four ways in wisdom and stature in favor with God and in favor with men that gives us the implication the children have for deep needs that are the parents responsibility to nurture and develop as they are being reared in the home. The first is child lacks wisdom, even as we observe the humanity of Jesus Christ.

He lacked wisdom and wisdom of courses is that discerning ability to discern between that which is right and wrong between that which is safe and dangerous between that which is immoral and pure. So a child being reared in your home will discover by instruction and teaching what is wise what is the difference between right and wrong, safe, and dangerous, like my twin sons three and half years old. Think it would be perfectly okay for them to drive home church they can understand why they can't steer. All I know why they can't steer. I want to get home. They don't understand what's safe and what is dangerous your child even though he may or she may be 13 or 14 or 17 still may not have been able to distinguish between those friends that are healthy and those friendships that are destructive, we give them that kind of instruction so that they learn wisdom. There's a second need and that is stature you could write in the margin of your Bible maturity isn't just talking about how tall they get. That is a relation to how mature they are caught yourself saying my goodness children grow up so fast. Nowadays, she had anybody over 20 says that well believe it or not it's true. They are actually growing up faster today than ever before. I read some fascinating statistics in the 1600s puberty occurred when the ages of 18 and 20. In fact, the bottom boys choir. They sang until they were 18 and her voices started cracking. Imagine that.

Now they are saying because of the overexposure to sex immorality. Children are decreasing or the the level of puberty is decreasing. Four months every decade. They're saying now puberty occurs at 11 wait 20 years and only 10 1/2 and so on and so forth. Home is a place where a child can be a child where we turn off all of the influences that push them to grow up that push them into a sin sick mold where they think they got to be adults at 13 or 15 or 16 letting them take their time maturing deep need. What I believe the slow maturation and your children the place to tease them if they don't grow up fast enough. As fast as you think they should if they are short or tall. It is the haven.

In fact, I think we have taken out of our society and our homes that ingredient that protects children and it is this naivety.

Children are no longer naïve.

I can remember in fifth grade, I would invite if I held the girls hair. I get to lease member here maturity is now I know how wise my parents were see there are some that I have any there that that is no longer there.

That desperately needs to be there.

You children that Santa Claus exists all stay off your back on teaching my children, Trudy's exists so don't bother me. It is a place where children mature and I think we have godly homes, our children may mature slower but that is not assigned to be up in arms to protection, naivety, and gender. There's 1/3 and that is favor with God.

In other words a child doesn't automatically know how to relate to God. One of the first questions will be you know who is a how big is he, where does he live, why pray how I talked to him does he see me at all of those questions relate to her with God in the home is the place where we instruct them in how to relate to God, they may never adopt that our prayer is that they will, but we teach them the relationship with God is primary in and of course fourthly favor with men. Children are primarily selfish children are born for the media in the mind and they will never learn to relate to people until that is constructed out of them or they learn to control that. So here we find the children have a lack of favor with men, and what we do is we teach them how to respond to men unselfishly in a giving way with responsibility member breaking a window and is located is a beautiful hit man. One of the best the meat of the bad thing when sailing 2 yards over. It crashed through a ladies window. You know what I did. You know I did.

You do the same thing.

I hightail it out of there. Finally got caught in course my parents took me by the hand and led me back over there to apologize and to pay over they teaching me. They were teaching me how to favor with men because left to myself I would do anything that I wanted to know and try to get away with it.

Yet the home is a place where were instructed to relate to people. Those are four important needs. The children have and if you've ever wondered why the godly home is under attack. That's exactly why because that is the place where children are learning those kinds of things turn to Ephesians chapter 6 and want to give you two more reasons like a godly home will be under attack before reasons I just given you because the child learns wisdom, how to relate to God how to relate the men how to mature but also gives us some insight here is that the command expanded if you would in Ephesians chapter 6 verse one and finally our young people. This is the only command in Scripture specifically given to a child or do you doubt the word children could be translated technologist techno which can be translated anyone under the authority of mom and dad.

So in other words, as long as I am under their authority. As long as I am in the home, whether it's 18 or 19 or whatever that may be.

That is when this command applies to me. That's why believe it's a temporary expansion or in addition to going to look at a moment in Exodus is a permanent attitude, but this is temporary.

It says this children obey your parents in the Lord will obey a super cool which means to hear and to be under is a compound word you put that together and making much sense out of and what he is saying is he wants to children to get under the authority of mom and dad and to listen to here under that he's probably expecting a debate so he heads the next few words for this is right, what, where are the reports on that where the statistics it doesn't matter all you saying is children obey the authority of your parents because this is right and you know how irritating it is for nonentity to do something awesome just like that here children, obey your parents why because it's right. I think here's the principal in a home a child learns to respect authority that only the above, for reasons of your following your notes, but secondly because it's the home where a child learns to respect authority. This of course is so important because this provides the foundation for child knowing how to respond to the authority of God, you allow your child to disobey you. You are destroying the potential for them to have a healthy understanding of what it means to respond in the authority of God. So we begin there and they learn to respect and respond only to read you some statistics that I got that show you what our society is doing in terms of this one popular speaker that travels around his written several selling books. He says he looks for a day where there will be no schools, no families, no parent-child relationships. He says we must settle for nothing less, than the total elimination of the family is a very big problem with authority.

You know, if you go to Romans chapter 1 if I go over there. Romans chapter 1 backup Romans chapter 1, I want you to see something I'm not saying that disobedience ditch to parents is something new. It is in fact became a more integrated expositor said this, he said, never in in any day. Has there been such a blight of children disobeying parents and today it's a sign of Christ and return. He wrote that in 1901.

This isn't new. This is going back to Cain and Abel. But there is something that I believe this is alarmingly new and is found in Romans chapter 1. Look at the list of sins that he says will indicate the degradation of a society when brought in effect gives up first 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents not know but now I find alarming is the last verse look and I know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same note, this but they also give hearty approval to those who practice so what's happening in our society today.

Disobedience is finding hearty approval. We redo this officials are recommending quote that laws dealing with the rights of parents to be re-examined when they infringe on the rights of children. There is hearty approval for children being disobedient on your having redo this the best thing about this is this is 12 years old, a senator rights his constituents different.

Do you believe the children should have the right to sue their parents for being forced to attend church, should children be eligible for minimum wage.

If they're asked to do household chores do you believe the children should have the right to choose their own family. If radical antifamily forces have their way. This UN-sponsored program will become an all out assault on our traditional family structure that's at the very bottom of it. It is the degradation of a society that not only allows children to disobey, but it approves no longer are you under the authority of mom and dad so when we say that combat that we can't, we will in our lives.

However, take at face value what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 6 children obey get under the authority and listen to your parents because it's right. The home produces respect for authority to give you another one. The home recognizes or provides a recognition of values in the first value or absolute is obedience. I know your probably is moved as I when you hear statistics and I believe their homes or to a very large degree failing in providing values and absolute, but I also believe that families are having to battle a great deal of influences to keep their children protected and pure were living in a day where children are bombarded with information they are exposed to things that we would never speak about. I read a statistic this says that 88%.

Nearly 90% of all sexual situations depicted on TV outside of marriage. 90% is it any wonder the statistic is the 1 million girls between the age of 12 and 17 get pregnant every year. And neither, and over half. By the way, will abort the child.

10 million teenagers have an aerial disease and every day 5000 teenagers are infected one child in five uses drugs twice a week and if you go on and on and on. I've heard parents say all I don't want to pressure my children into adopting my set of values on which you don't wake up you know why because your child is being pressured to adopt a set of values already. There are three forces their peers, they will choose their ungodly society and jurors. The question is who has the upper hand.

Who has the most impact God has designed it to be mom and dad that you let us go, gives us a balance here gives us dad's really become overbearing verse four dollars provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and the instruction of the Lord.

So balance this with a loving instruction nurturing that's a word is not, bang bang bang.

It is let me show you how and why and why.

The question that this tax raises 2 million especially in this society is best where are the dad's mother is instruct your children. He is taking the ball and laying in the lap of the father and at home, and there may be single moms are who are using the incredible difficulty of raising that child and I believe God's grace will be evident to you all, but if there's a mom and a dad and home.

It isn't. The mom gets the data out of the sack on Sunday morning the mom to make sure the kids are in Sunday school. It is the dad fact, it's interesting when the new member when the group of people brought their children to Jesus for Jesus to touch them for Jesus to clear them on his lap.

You remember that story and the disciples review them for bringing their children in the original. That is a masculine pronoun he reviewed them for bringing their children to see Jesus Christ. It was the father's will evaluate your own home, but just think of what's happening today. Dad's or go through absent or preoccupied.

The father has become the simple provider make sure the kids have clothes on their back and food on the table in a roof over our heads and I've done my job. And God says you haven't, you are the spiritual nurture. You thought I was going to talk to children today turned the Exodus. Now let's take a look list talk to children Exodus chapter 20. Let's see the command itself.

Paul amplified and build upon that basic principle and gain temporary addition while you are under their authority will beta because it's right.

But now, if you'll turn to Exodus chapter 20 verse 12.

You'll notice that something is missing in this hit me like a ton of bricks this past week I have always read this and and and thought that there was something in here that I just assume was there but if you look at that command. You'll notice somebody's missing is missing. The children knows what he simply says honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged. He isn't talking about little children. In fact, this is a general principle, are you the son or daughter of someone close you are then you not protect non-not the little child or the teenager that's under the authority you and you yeah maybe we will permanently honor our mothers and our rights. Verse 12 honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. Let me give you two thoughts under honoring the word of faith in Hebrew has two implications. First is responsibility responsibility turn to Mark second gospel of the New Testament and I want you to show how I want to show you how this is illustrated by Jesus. So Mark chapter 7, he says you nicely neatly set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your traditions for Moses said. Honor your father and mother, and he who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death. What you say. If a man says to his father or his mother anything of mine. You might have been helped by this court by that is this is dedicated to God as backup for just a second. Take note with These people were greedy.

These religionists know that Moses had said. Honor your mother and father, and they immediately assume that was financial help. Once they cannot care for themselves so they had to do in order to continue their own materialistic pursuits. They had to find a way around this is law this commandment. And so they came up with a brilliant idea and said there was take our money that's left over and will give it a and pronouncement a dedication to God: for God so mom and dad got you wouldn't want this money. We dedicated this to God and as a result, according to this text. The parents were being neglected.

Who needed financial help. I talked to a number of you.

I talked with my wife about this situation in regards to her own mother and I realize that some of you right now or in the middle of caring for her mother and father can take care of themselves.

Some of you are facing the prospects be very soon taking care of the mother or father as difficult as it may be for you or for your particular situation. In some it may be wonderful.

It may be a tremendous experience of others. It may be very difficult, but in all of these different experiences will evaluate how we treat mom and dad on the basis of how we feel we treat them on the basis of what God says and implied in this command is a responsibility financial. I can tell you how that something that you must decide before the Lord. The question is are we taking care of them when they can no longer take care of self responsibility for second forgiving cycle. I got you this I saw a bumper sticker look like a middle-aged couple in the bumper sticker said the I hope I live long enough to make my kids regret that's the attitude you know today, and yet there should be regret. It should be an open house and open arm and in the privilege and responsibility of giving our children. This cycle of an unending unselfish love where our parents raised us.

They get to the point were we in a sense, take care of them in our children observe that and they do the same to us.

This is a cycle that God has designed.

I've read that today if you have a child 1 to 3 years of age, you will spend raising them, putting them through college. At least $350,000 per child you're thinking to get that money from the work right now I'll tell you what, $350,000 when a financial responsibility that is and what we do is we turn right back around and we invested back we take care of them when they can no longer take care of himself, just as they did for us. Somebody said if you want to be wealthy never have children. There are a few fortunate people who have money left over and have children but for most of us it is having children, and that is the financial commitment of our life and for us. Our parents had that same commitment and we turn it back and we give it right back to them as a way of honoring mother and father. Now there's a second less reverence, responsibility and reverence the Lord honor literally means lady as its first usage and it came down to develop word that meant important. That is, a person important if you honor them. You consider their advice when he that is you never get to the point of your parents are alive that you sloughed off their opinions. We still in a sense, respect what mom and dad have to say we are no longer under the temporary addition to a bank with mom and dad say. But you'd be an unwise person to take their advice having observed him go down the path of life and turn my back is a wound care what you say I'm not listening.

I consider myself young but compared to some of my peers. I would be considered too old to do what I do and that is talk and receive counsel from my parents.

Some of you have godly moms and dads.

Some of you may not have parents who love the Lord but yet you reference them that as you hold them as ladies you respect the gray hair you respect the age path and God says check them all always have an open ear what they had to say a couple of ways of honoring parents. One is listen to show appreciation you could develop this list yourself, respect their opinion expressed her love as a freshman in college and received note, my brother and I'm older brother and I were attending the same school university and received note that my mother had contracted some disease. They have been able but they had been able to pinpoint it and in fact had told my father she would die and to prepare for that.

Now you have to know my parents to know how in the world ever got to that point without ever letting us know they didn't want to disturb our studies. We finally got the note and my brother when enough money for him to fly so he flew he was going to meet and be there with my father I would be left for college and just have to wait and see what in the world would happen and there is an 18-year-old for the first time it hit me as I thought that I could possibly lose my mother, I couldn't remember the last time that I told her I loved her so I did something that made me feel really really awkward, but I sat down at a table as my brother was packing his bags and I wrote what you could call a love letter to my mother and I expressed to her my feelings.

I brother took the note put it in his bag, went to the hospital and there was my father sitting beside her and he gave my dad the note, among other things, she was in a coma and was read to her while she was in a, we haven't talked a lot about that note, but that they changed me because now I never talk to her on the phone. I never see her without saying mom I love you Nelly took that and I'm one of the fortunate people that had an opportunity to see her again. Tell her face-to-face wheel Bosco glia very popular professor at UCLA traditional, perhaps even a Christian as a class where he teaches values and his classes are packed out every semester and he begins every semester by asking his students to go back to their dorm and to write a paper in their papers to be on the subject.

What they would do if they had five days to live. They write the paper and they come back a couple of days later the paper is returned without a great but written across the top letters are the words, what are you waiting for you. Honor your parents. You reference your parents doing every time we encounter a command from God that should be our response shouldn't do it now, this fifth commandment.

Honor your father and mother has very practical implications and we hope it helped you today. You're listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi Stevens entitled today's lesson from this vintage wisdom series through the book of Exodus appearance Bill of Rights. If you'd like to listen to this lesson again or if there's people that you'd like to share it with. We've made it possible for you to do that. We posted it to our website that address is wisdom.

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