Sister Brenda Sunday School 6/19/11

Sister Brenda Sunday School 6/19/11

History of Father’s day:  the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane Washington.  Senora’s mother had died when she was young and her father had laid aside his time and life to be a good dad to her and raise her.  The first father’s day was June 19, 1910.  It was born as a token of love and gratitude to a father.  Roses are the flower for fathers red for those with living fathers and white for those with fathers that have died.

Eph 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Eph 6:2  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

Eph 6:3  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Eph 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The second part of the fourth verse tells the fathers to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  We need good fathers, men of prayer that are a good example to their children, men that take on the responsibility to provide for the family and provide the leadership in the family.

Albert Barnes - In the nurture - ἐν παιδεία  en paideia. The word used here means “training of a child;” hence education, instruction, discipline. Here it means that they are to train up their children in such a manner as the Lord approves; that is, they are to educate them for virtue and religion.

The weight is not just on the mothers to train the children but also on the fathers. 

Admonition – a word in warning.  How wonderful it is for a father to talk to their children and warn them. 

And admonition - The word used here - νουθεσία  nouthesia means literally, “a putting in mind,” then warning, admonition, instruction. The sense here is, that they were to put them in mind of the Lord - of his existence, perfections, law, and claims on their hearts and lives.

It is so important to invest everything that we have into our children when they are little.  Eighteen years go by so fast.  It is good to pay off the house, but it is not good to sacrifice the time with them when they are little.  Wait until you have raised them to worry about paying off the house.  You only have one chance to invest in your children’s lives.  Give it your best.  Give it everything that you have.  If you can look back and not have the regret for not spending time with them, then that is a blessing.

There are people that want their children to choose whether to serve God or not.  If parents are not praying and coming to church, then you are teaching them to not pray and not come to church.  People may think that we force religion on our children.  Parents teach their children other things, how to farm or whatever.  We teach by example, by incidental remarks, or by neglect.

Albert Barnes - It has been often objected that children should be left on religious subjects to form their own opinions when they are able to judge for themselves. Infidels and irreligious people always oppose or neglect the duty here enjoined; and the plea commonly is, that to teach religion to children is to make them prejudiced; to destroy their independence of mind; and to prevent their judging as impartially on so important a subject as they ought to. In reply to this, and in defense of the requirements of the Bible on the subject, we may remark:

(1) That to suffer a child to grow up without any instruction in religion, is about the same as to suffer a garden to lie without any culture. Such a garden would soon be overrun with weeds, and briars, and thorns - but not sooner, or more certainly, than the mind of a child would.

(2) people do instruct their children in a great many things, and why should they not in religion? They teach them how to behave in company; the art of farming; the way to make or use tools; how to make money; how to avoid the arts of the cunning seducer. But why should it not be said that all this tends to destroy their independence, and to make them prejudiced? Why not leave their minds open and free, and suffer them to form their own judgments about farming and the mechanic arts when their minds are matured?

(3) people do inculcate their own sentiments in religion. An infidel is not usually “very” anxious to conceal his views from his children. People teach by example; by incidental remarks; by the “neglect” of that which they regard as of no value. A man who does not pray, is teaching his children not to pray; he who neglects the public worship of God, is teaching his children to neglect it; he who does not read the Bible, is teaching his children not to read it. Such is the constitution of things, that it is impossible for a parent not to inculcate his own religious views on his children. Since this is so, all that the Bible requires is, that his instructions should be right.

(4) to inculcate the truths of religion is not to make the mind narrow, prejudiced, and indisposed to perceive the truth. Religion makes the mind candid, conscientious, open to conviction, ready to follow the truth. Superstition, bigotry, infidelity, and “all” error and falsehood, make the mind narrow and prejudiced.

(5) if a man does not teach his children truth, others will teach them “error.” The young sceptic that the child meets in the street; the artful infidel; the hater of God; the unprincipled stranger; “will” teach the child. But is it not better for a parent to teach his child the “truth” than for a stranger to teach him error?

(6) Religion is the most important of all subjects, and “therefore” it is of most importance that children on that subject should he taught truth. Of whom can God so properly require this as of a parent? If it be asked “in what way” a parent is to bring up his children ‘in the nurture and admonition of the Lord’, I answer:

1.    By directly inculcating the doctrines and duties of religion - just as he does anything else that he regards as of value.

2.   By placing them in the Sunday school, where he may have a guarantee that they will be taught the truth.

3.   By “conducting” them - not merely “sending” them - to the sanctuary, that they may be taught in the house of God.

4.   By example - all teaching being valueless without that.

5.   By prayer for the divine aid in his efforts, and for the salvation of their souls. These duties are plain, simple, easy to be performed, and are such as a man “knows” he ought to perform. If neglected, and the soul of the child be lost, a parent has a most fearful account to render to God.

If we do not teach children the truth, then others will teach them error. 

A father teaches children many things.  Fathers, be men of prayer.  Bro Gary tells a story of hearing his dad praying in the woods when he shut off his power saw.  The children should know their father is a man of prayer.  Let them hear you praying about things in your life, decisions, and situations in life.  If we pray about things in life teaches them that we should pray about everything in our life.  Prayer needs to be taught for everything in our life.

Let them see you allow God to open and close doors in your life.  Pray for healing, when God heals, it is an awesome thing.  It will give them building blocks of faith to remember.  Let them see how your life is blessed by seeking God and taking counsel.

About Abraham:

Gen 18:19  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Don’t you want God to say that about you, fathers?  We don’t want to be wishy-washy with God wondering about us.  We want to be strong men of God; God knowing that we will do what is right.

Abraham was a good example to us. 

Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

Gen 12:4  So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

75 is pretty old to be uprooting.  Abram didn’t question God; he just got busy doing it.  Abram obeyed.  We want to be obedient.

Gen 12:7  And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Abram built an altar and worshipped God.  He had a big household that were around him that he was a good example to.

Gen 13:8  And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

Abram was a man that avoided strife and took the humble route.  It didn’t look like Abram was getting the good deal here.  When your children see you take the humble route and avoid strife that is a good example.

Gen 13:14  And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

Gen 13:15  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

God blessed him for doing what was right.  God is our defense; He will bless us for doing what is right.

Gen 13:18  Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

He set an example of worshipping God.

Gen 15:1  After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

This is the way it will be for us too.  If we obey and serve God, He will bless us.

Gen 15:6  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

He had faith, He believed what God said.  We need more fathers that will be like this.

Mar 9:14  And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

Mar 9:15  And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

Mar 9:16  And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

Mar 9:17  And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

Mar 9:18  And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

Mar 9:19  He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

Mar 9:20  And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

Mar 9:21  And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

Mar 9:22  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Mar 9:25  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

Mar 9:26  And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

Mar 9:27  But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

Mar 9:28  And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

Mar 9:29  And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

This father cared enough to bring his son who was probably an embarrassment to him to the disciples to try to get help.  Jesus said, “Bring him unto me.”  Whatever the need and problem, we can bring our children to Jesus.  He cares and loves them. 

We want to be willing to fast and pray.  We need to be concerned enough for our children and for the needs to fast and pray.

The prodigal son, he’d treated his dad bad.  He’d brought a reproach to his father.  When the son decided to go back, while he was a great way off, his father saw him coming.  His father had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  We want to have the same care and compassion for the prodigals.

Advice to the fathers:

We want children to be obedient the first time. 

Pray for and with your children.  Pray with them about their problems, their problems are big to them. 

Teach them to be quiet.  Even at a young age teach them that “this is quiet time.”  Teach them at home, usually in devotions that they don’t just get up and run to the bathroom.  It is a good training time for when they are in church. 

Train them so you don’t need to be embarrassed when you go out in public.  Teach them to be dressed and well groomed.  Teach them to have good table manners and to be respectful of others houses and things.  How you let them act at home is how they will act at other’s houses. 

Teach them to have devotions and how to take their concerns and needs to God. 

Show them how to have a good time.  Teach them that they can be faithful to God and have a good time.  Laugh and have fun. 

Teach them to have a good relationship with their pastor. 

Teach them to be thankful to not grumble and complain. 

Teach them to have confidence in the saints. 

Teach them to be on time to church. 

Teach them to tithe and give offerings. 

Teach them to be reverent during altar call and not do distracting things in church. 

Teach them to be modest and follow the bible standards. 

Teach them to get along. 

Be whole hearted toward your children, love them, if you don’t someone else will. 

God has given us someone worth more than a million dollars and we need to invest well in the children. 

Know where your children are at all times.  Don’t just let your children go and play here or there.  Know what influences they are going to be around.  Be careful, we love in corrupt times.  Protect your children. 

Everything that you gave up 10 years earlier to invest in your children you will not regret when they are teenagers and as they become adults.