Intro
We are Continuing our Study in 2 Cor – On Sundays we have camped out here in
Ch.9 – Subject of sowing & Reaping /
A)Seed time & Harvest –4
Key Principles: 1st Time to sow – time to reap
Reap in DUE SEASON - In between is the season
of waiting
B) Season where there isn’t much to see – no fruit to behold – but you know that God is working
C) 2nd
Reap what is sown – After it’s kind
– what seeds you are sowing is going to be determined by what you are reaping
D) 3rd The
Extent that you sow will determine the
extent that you reap
1)
Sparingly or bountifully
E) 4th
Where you sow is important – Hosea 8:7 sow
to the wind – you will reap the whirlwind –
1)
Needs to be aware of the soil we are sowing into –
Last
week we began discussing 3 soils that we as believers in JC should be Sowing in
– 3 soils that are guaranteed to reap a good harvest
A)1st – Soil of the Kingdom of God –
talked about Finances
2nd
– Soil of our kids – today – talk about Family
3rd
– Soil of Character – next week talk about Faith
B) If you don’t want to be guilty of sowing to the
whirlwind - & reaping nothing commit yourself to sowing in these 3 areas –
You will be blessed
C) Today talking about Sowing in the soil of your
kids – Your family
1)
Financial
experts – tells you that your greatest Physical asset is your home – That is
what we want to talk about today – The Home
D) Not the physical dwelling place – Change / Move –
The People inside it
1)
Building a godly Home - Matt.7 –
Foundation {Turn there
Matt 7:24-27 "Therefore
whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise
man who built his house on the rock: 25
and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that
house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 "But everyone who hears
these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who
built his house on the sand: 27 and
the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it fell. And great was its fall."
Now
in this Parable we have 2 houses / two builders / two results & one Storm –
A)The reason that I believe that the same storm hits both houses is because of the way Jesus Describes it – The same way for both v.25 & 27
B) See it doesn’t matter
who you are You are going to go thru storms – Rains on the Just & the
unjust alike –
1) Christians just like unbelievers get Cancer /
Christians …… get laid off
Christians
…..have spouses who are unfaithful – rains on just …..
C) So the same storm
comes in crashing against both houses/ But one falls and the other stands – what
is the Difference ?
1) Jesus said the wise
Builder – who built on the Rock – is the
one who hears God’s word & does it [That is the
Difference ]
material possessions/ sofa's & tables
!
B)Family life isn't about what you possess it is about
what you are not about having the right
things / but being the right
person! Repeat the verse
Look at these verbs : Built =Founded{Set up
1) established = to set in order – Building Project - foreman)
C)Filled = Overflowing
; speaks of Satisfaction { Being Enriched
Translated : " A home is
built by wisdom ; its structure is
established by understanding its rooms are enriched by Knowledge “
A)Wisdom =
Knowledge applied Applying God’s word to our lives
B)Understanding=
Having insight / In this context it would mean seeing things from the Lords perspective
! What would He DO?
C) Knowledge =
Learning w/ perception / It is being teachable
admitting that I don't have all the answers!
Willingness to hear!
Now
with that in mind I want us to look at some things that the Bible says about –
the Home – raising Kids – sowing in the Soil of Family
A)We could talk for weeks about this – [ we won’t –
consider 4 things
B) 1st Sowing seeds of proper Priorities /
2nd Sowing …. Of love / 3rd Seeds of Hope / 4th
Sowing seeds of Discipline
C) Start w/ sowing seeds of Proper Priorities Duet
6:4-9
4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is
one! 5 You shall love the LORD your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Here
we see God’s mandate to His people [ The
Curriculum of Life ] this is what is to be the Our First Priority w/ our
Kids – the #1 thing that we need to be teaching them
A) The LORD our God, the LORD is one! Only One God – Can’t serve Two masters - { Pull of the World / Sports / Work / Friends
B) We can have only One God
in our Lives & He wants all of us -
5 You shall love the LORD
your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
C) Now Parents that should be seen not just Heard / seen in the way that we live our lives – JESUS IS THE CENTER – not a part – all
1) Lives revolving around Him -
D) How is your house different from their friends who are not saved –
Church / Bible / Fine – needs to be More – Central Focus
So
first is the Priority of our Love for the Lord – 2nd is Priority of
Love for His Word
6 "And these words
which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall
bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your
eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
A) God wants His word to Permeate our lives & our
homes – How ?
B) Well obviously this would include things like
Family Devotions & coming to Church –
1) But often times we can have the tendency to compartmentalize our lives & our families – Church time / Devotion time / play time / work time
C) We separate the Spiritual times from the “ non
spiritual times” don’t bug me the football game
is on !!!
But
I think what the Lord is really saying here is to find way to include his word
into every aspect of your families life
You
shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when
you lie down, and when you rise up.
A)Where ever you go what ever you are doing – teach
the Principles of the word of God
B) Talk w/ your kids about your decisions – why we do
this / don’t that
C)
One of the biggest mistakes that parents make – We don’t do that because
we are Christians – Do’s & Don’t
1) Instead of giving - Spiritual instruction
D) Here is the reason that we don’t watch those shows / go to those places – this is what God’s word say about that
1) Sharing The heart of God on why He advises against that
Listen
carefully Our kids need to know that
sin is not bad because it is forbidden – But sin is forbidden because
it’s bad
A)A loving Father forbids sin - warns against sin
and is grieved by sin because He knows the effects it can have on us
B) So first we need to be sowing the seeds of Proper priorities – Love for the Lord & Love for His word
2nd
Sowing seeds of Love - Eph 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators
of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and
given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling
aroma.
In
the late 1800’s A sobbing little girl stood near a small church / she had been
turned away because she was told it was too crowded. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as
he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor
guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a
place for her in the Sunday School class.
The child was so touched that she went to bed that
night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.
Two years later, the Child died - and the parents the kindhearted pastor,
who had befriended their daughter, to handle the funeral arrangements.
The Little girl didn’t have much but she would carry
w/ her a small ragged & worn little Red purse almost everywhere she went –
After
her death they found in her little purse a total of 57 cents and a note
scribbled in her own handwriting, which read, “This
is to help build the little church bigger so MORE children can go to Sunday
school.”
For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When
the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do.
Carrying this note and the cracked, red purse
to the pulpit, he told the story of her
unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and
raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there!
A newspaper learned of the story and published it.
A Realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands read it. When
told that the church could not pay that
much, he offered it for a payment of 57 CENTS.
Church members made large contributions. Checks came from far and wide. Within
five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00 – a huge sum for
that time.
It
all started w/ a Seed of Love that was Planted by the Pastor – that grew in the
heart of that little girl – That act of
love had paid large dividends.
A)If you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist
Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and,
B) And a Sunday
School building which ministers to 100’s of kids every week
1) You will also find connected to that Church
Temple University & the Good
Samaritan Hospital
C) And In one of
the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet faced little
girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved,
1)made such
remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr.
Russell H. Conwell,
D) Proof that
Sowing a seed of Love can go a long way: Kids need to know that we love them
!!!! Wife / Told her when I married her – tell her
again
3) Sowing seeds of Hope - Jer
29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward
you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and
a hope.
A)Do your kids know that verse applies to them? – Amy – Thyroid
Burnt / Asthma{ Something special
Danny
is the host of a Christian talk show for a popular Christian radio station in
his community
A)Danny is also a paraplegic & has been since birth !!!
B)Once when Danny was asked how he got into radio this is what he said
1) “It’s because
someone handed me a light …” “The kind that lights a path towards God’s best.”
C)During junior high school, while Kids felt a
certain degree of insecurity, he was FULL of
self-doubts. While others
worried about acne or what to wear to the school dance, he struggled with just
getting in and out of classrooms that, in the 1960’s weren’t designed to
accommodate wheelchairs.
He felt lonely
and left out. Most of all, he felt like God could never use him to do anything
significant.
That is, until the day his parents switched
churches, and he entered Mr. Barton’s Sunday school class.
Mr. Barton had taught the junior high class at that
church for years – which was a good
thing. It seemed no one else wanted the challenge of facing a rowdy bunch of
preteens each Sunday.
But Mr. Barton
not only loved junior high kids, he was also a specialist at shedding light on
their paths.
One Sunday after the bell rang, as the kids began to
run out and meet their parents, Mr. Barton called Danny’s name and asked him to
stay behind.
“Danny, do you
know why I call on you every week in class? He asked.
“Because I’m a good reader?” Danny asked. He’d already noticed that Mr. Barton asked him to read the scripture passage each week.
“You are a good
reader … but it’s more than that.”
And then he switched on the
light for Danny that changed his life. “It’s
because you have such a great voice, Danny.” He said. “You know … I wouldn’t be surprised if
God ended up using your voice to serve Him someday. Ever thought about being a
pastor or speaker or Christian DJ?”
Fifteen words,
spoken in under seven seconds, changed the course of Danny’s life.
A)They became a shining path toward a special future
– and they’re the reason he’s a radio talk show host today.
B) In Jeremiah 29:11 God gives us a wonderful
promise we can pass down to our children.
“For I know the plans I have for you
declares the Lord - plans to give you a
future and a hope.”
C) Mom and Dad, look for ways to light up your child’s future.
1) Help them see by your words and genuine praise
that their unique gifts or talents are attributes God can use for His glory.
D) Our words go a Long way – Words are Powerful
Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore
choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
A)The word Bless literally means to add weight to or
to acknowledge the weightiness of something
B)The meaning comes from gold that is weighed out on scales. The more weight added, the more valuable.
1) So when we bless the our children, we’re adding “weight” to their words or person.
C) Do you know what the word curse means in the
scriptures?
1) It’s used to describe a stream that has dried up
to a muddy trickle because water has been “subtracted”
from it.
D)From the first “curse” that fell upon Adam and Eve
for their sin, you can see the idea of “subtraction” linked to it.
1) Their choice to disobey took away Eden and
subtracted life from them as well.
What
does this have to do with parenting? Everyday, we’ve got a choice set before
us.
A)Whether we’re a parent or pastor. Accountant or
welder. Husband or wife.
You
have a Choice to Bless or to Curse
1)
Took $5 for every unkind word / gave $10 for ever kind
word – end of a year Rich or Poor
A reporter once asked Andrew Carnegie the great
entrepreneur of the previous generation why he hired 43 millionaires to work
for him. Carnegie pointed out that those men were not millionaires when he
hired them.
The reporter then asked, “How did you develop
these men to become so valuable to you that you paid them so much money?”
Carnegie replied that people are developed the same way gold is mined. When
gold is mined, several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold; but
you don’t go into the mine looking for dirt – you go in looking for gold!(5)
C) Can I encourage you today to Start looking
for the gold in your child, in your spouse to be mined .
1) So the seed of Hope !!!
4) Sowing seeds of Discipline:
Prov 13:24 - He who spares
his rod hates his son, but he who loves
him disciplines him promptly
A)Should we
spank our Children: God says we need to Paddle our kids ?
4 He who spares his rod hates his son, Heavy – not I love them to much to Discipline them – You don’t love them at all if you don’t
But he who loves him
disciplines him promptly. Again note that: Not going to count to
3 / threaten / not going to give time out – PROMPTLY
B)Spare the rod we spoil the child ! Not a Command!!
1) Discipline is a necessary part of God's
tools in training children!
C) Heb. Whom the Lord loves He disciplines
In
our Culture today – many don’t know that it is right & normal for a parent
to discipline their Children
A)Many people have bought into a lie that was propagated by DR. Spock many yrs ago – that kids are basically good / not Bad
1) We just need to let the goodness Blossom
C) Kids aren’t Bad – they just do bad things &
they need to be educated not to do those Bad things – Goodness comes out
Problem is
the Bible declares in sin my mother conceived me
A)The Bible says that from conception – we are depraved / we are born w/ a sin nature
B) We are not basically good people who just
occasionally do Bad things but we are ROTTEN TO THE
CORE
C) Those of you who are parents Know this : My own Kids I didn’t need to give them a lesson on how to Lie – came naturally
1) I didn’t have to teach them how to be SELFISH or to throw TEMPER TANTRUMS – it was engrained in them
D) I did need to teach them / How to be good / the
difference between right & wrong
But
many parents in our society today have bought into this lie Kids are good –
just do bad things : Result :
A)We are currently raising the most Rebellious / anarchist / and Violent Generation in the History of the US.
Ch.22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of correction will drive it
far from him.
A)Foolishness is bound up – In bred in the Heart – of a Child – but the
Rod of Correction will drive it from Him
CH 19:18 Chasten your son
while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction. NIV don’t be a willing participant in their
destruction
B)Deal w/ them now – while there is hope – there comes a time older where you can’t discipline them anymore
1) Do it now while there is hope & don’t be a willing participant in their destruction
C) When you don’t Discipline your kids / you are participating in their destruction
– result of their Rebellion
Ch.23:13,14 Do not withhold correction from a child,
For
if you beat(CHASTEN) him with a rod, he will not die. (Great!!!)
14 You shall beat (CHASTEN) him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from hell.
A)The word hell here –dual meaning – can mean Literal Hell / Your commitment to follow thru – save your child from Hell
B) But it can also mean – Incarceration – Kids are in bondage to guilt in their Soul – Soul becomes like a prison –
1)
Did you know many are prison today because wanted to be
caught
C) The Guilt was so strong – that they wanted to be
caught to deal w/ it
D) Spanking Brings a releasing of the Guilt – Their sin has been dealt w/
Spanking
also RESTORES THE RELATIONSHIP – They Cry
A)We hug / embrace / there is a restoration that takes
place.
Now
some of you have been sitting here listening to me today thinking – My house is
already in Ruins – Storm hit – wrong Foundation
A)All I have done today is make you feel Condemned –
because all you see around you is the Broken boards of poor Decisions
B) Take Hope: For in Acts 27 – Paul is on a Ship sailing for Rome – Paul warned the captain [ Word from God ]that they needed to stop – Dangerous ahead
1) Paul’s
words were ignored – Sure enough the
boat hit rough waters and was ship wrecked –
C) Paul told that crew to stay in the boat – and they
would all make it to shore – They did on broken pieces of wood –
Listen
your house may have fallen apart – Here to tell you that God is going to see
you thru on Broken pieces of wood – One
piece at a time
A)Not glorious to come in on broken pieces of wood –
You make it
B) He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it – God is not thru w/ your house
1) You might come in on broken pieces but you are going to come in – if you will lay down that foundation TODAY !!!!
C) Scripture tells us that when we are Faithless / He remains Faithful