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Book: Ephesians
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Ephesians 6:4
I. "Father's provoke not your children to wrath."
A. In Colossians 3:21 Paul wrote, "Fathers provoke not your
children to anger, lest they be discouraged."
B. How do fathers provoke their children to wrath or anger?
1. When a child was very small, I have seen fathers
provoking their child to the point of frustration
by teasing them.
a. They thought that the temper tantrum that they
had provoked was somehow cute.
b. They had some kind of delight in seeing the
child thoroughly frustrated.
c. They would hold out a ball and when the child
would for it they would withdraw it.
2. I believe that you can provoke a child to anger by
unjust or unexplained punishment.
a. I had a great dad, not perfect, but great. I
was always made to believe that I was an
important part of the family. He did however
have some serious flaws.
1. He was given to fits of anger, and
often when he would lose his temper he
would do things in a fit of rage that
he would later regret and apologize
for.
2. I can remember having a little leather
purse with six cents in it. I was about
four years old, and when he came home
from work I was seeking to show it to
him. I might have been bugging him to
look at it, I cannot remember, all I
remember is his taking that little coin
purse and throwing it across the room
and it went through the front window
of the house.
3. The picture is still vivid in my mind
today.
b. I had a younger brother who was seven years my
junior. He was the favorite of the whole
family, for we were all old enough to enjoy
him.
1. My father had told my mother when she
was pregnant that if she would give him
a red haired freckled face boy, he
would buy her a Cadillac.
He had the red hair when he was born,
and later got the freckles. She never
got the Cadillac.
2. My father was over protective of him,
and he soon learned how to use that
for his own advantage.
3. Whenever he would get upset with my
brother or he would start just
screaming this blood curdling scream
and my dad would come out with his
belt and wack my brother and me, and
then would ask what's happening?
c. There was a book that was put out several years
ago that was called, "Children, Fun or Frenzy"
It advocated even waking your children up at
night to spank them if you found out that they
had done something wrong.
d. I do not believe in punishing your child when
you are emotionally upset, for you are apt to
overdue the punishment.
1. Sometimes when you have been frightened
when your child did something that
endangered their life and you were sure
they were going to be killed, like
running out in the street. You are
relieved that the car was able to stop
in time but are so emotionally
overwrought fearing that your little
one was going to be killed, you almost
with your punishment.
3. You can provoke your children to wrath by making
unreasonable demands upon them.
a. As you were growing up you had certain goals
that you did not fulfill, now you seek to
fulfill them through your child, and you push
them too hard.
b. Many of the things that you are overbearing
about were things that you were guilty of doing
and you want to make sure, your child is not
just like you.
II. "But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
A. How is this done?
DEU 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently,
lest thou
forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they
depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them
thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
1. Keeping your soul with all diligence. They are going
to learn more by your example more than any other way.
2. Don't forget all that the Lord has done for you.
3. Teach them to your sons and your sons' sons.
4. It is sad that the mighty works of God are difficult to
transmit to the next generation.
a. Usually that generation that sees and
experiences the work of God seek and serve God
with all of their heart. As a result God
blesses them. With all of the blessings, they
then try to spare their children the hardships
and tests of faith that they went through by
giving them the fruit of their blessings.
b. Thus the second generation have heard of what
God did as a result of total trust and reliance
in Him, but have not had to experience it for
themselves, for everything was handed to them.
c. By the next generation they do not even hear of
the work of God because their parents had no
first hand experience.
d. A classic example of this is the descendants of
the first missionaries in Hawaii. Their
forbearers went through great hardships and
sacrifices in going to Hawaii. God did a great
work and the Island's of Hawaii were
Christianized. The stories of the early
missionaries are epics. So many of the
descendants of the early missionary families
inherited large portions of the land, and today
run the foundations, but with little or no
regard for the Lord. They have become land
barons, and business tycoons.
e. The cure is to bring your children into a first
generation experience of the power and work of
God.
f. Then bring your grandchildren into that first
generation experience of the power and work of
God.
DEU 6:3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do [it]; that it may
be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the
LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that
floweth with milk and honey.
DEU 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:
DEU 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
DEU 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in
thine heart:
DEU 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and
shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when
thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when
thou risest up.
1. Note that you are to teach them diligently to thy
children.
a. You are to talk of them when you sit in your
house, at the dinner table.
b. When you walk by the way.
c. When you lie down.
1. My mother always read us Bible stories
when she put us down for naps, or at
night when we were put to bed.
2. She shared with us answered prayers.
Especially especially that of my sister
being raised from the dead when she was
two years old.
3. She prayed for every owie we saw the
miracles of God in answer to her
prayers.
4. We became first generation.
d. When you rise up.
2. The importance of keeping a spiritual environment in
your home.
a. Monitor the programs your children watch. We
were shocked at how many of the young people of
this church are allowed to watch MTV.
b. A parent should have their head examined who
bring videos into their home. Or take
their children to the movies.
c. One of the compromises of Satan offered to
Moses by the Pharaoh, was you and the people
can go into the wilderness to worship God but
leave your children here. Don't deprive them
the ease and luxury of Egypt which is spiritual
type of the .
U 6:20 [And] when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What
[mean] the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments,
which the LORD our God hath commanded you?
DEU 6:21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in
Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty
hand:
DEU 6:22 And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon
Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our
eyes:
DEU 6:23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in,
to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
DEU 6:24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear
the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve
us alive, as [it is] at this day.
1. When they ask you about the rules for life set forth in
the Bible you are to let them know that rules are the
reason why we enjoy the blessings and the freedom of
this land, and we must keep these rules if we are to
stay blessed.
B. The dying words of David to his son Solomon.
1CH 22:11 Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and
build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.
1CH 22:12 Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give
thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law
of the LORD thy God.
1CH 22:13 Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the
statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with
concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not,
nor be dismayed.
1CH 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and
serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for
the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the
imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be
found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off
for ever; for the sanctuary: be strong, and do [it].
1CH 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good
courage, and do [it]: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD
God, [even] my God, [will be] with thee; he will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work
for the service of the house of the LORD.
1CH 29:19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy
commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all
[these things], and to build the palace, [for] the which I
have made provision.
1. Later Solomon was to say,
PRO 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to
know understanding.
PRO 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
PRO 4:3 For I was my father's son, tender and only [beloved] in the
sight of my mother.
PRO 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my
words: keep my commandments, and live.
C. In Psalms 71 David prayed,
PSA 71:17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I
declared thy wondrous works.
PSA 71:18 Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not;
1:39 PM 3/10/97until I have shewed thy strength unto [this]
generation,
[and] thy power to every one [that] is to come.
1. Our chief concern should be to pass it on.
PSA 78:4 We will not hide [them] from their children, shewing to the
generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength,
and his wonderful works that he hath done.
PSA 78:5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law
in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should
make them known to their children:
PSA 78:6 That the generation to come might know [them, even] the
children [which] should be born; [who] should arise and
declare [them] to their children:
PSA 78:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the
works of God, but keep his commandments:
2TI 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according
to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2TI 1:2 To Timothy, [my] dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, [and]
peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
2TI 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve from [my] forefathers with pure
conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in
my prayers night and day;
2TI 1:4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that
I may be filled with joy;
2TI 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in
thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy
mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
2TI 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and
hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned
[them];
2TI 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.
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