All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn with me to the book of Proverbs, chapter 28. Proverbs 28. I'd like to read
one verse of scripture. Verse 24. And I've entitled this
message, The Blessing, of faithful children, the blessing of faithful
children. This is what Proverbs 28, 24
says. Whoso robbeth his father or his
mother, and saith, it is no transgression, the same is the companion of
a destroyer. The scripture declares that in
the beginning God created man in his own image. This is Genesis
127. God created man in his own image.
In the image of God created he them. Male and female created
he them. After man was created, man, male
and female. The Lord instructed Adam and
Eve concerning their marriage. God united them together. And
God said that a man shall leave his father and mother and shall
cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh. Now, turn with me to Ephesians
5. Marriage was instituted of God
to be a picture of the union between the Lord Jesus Christ
and his eternally loved bride. That's why we have marriage. And this is what the scripture
says, Ephesians 5, 31 to 33, for this cause, shall a man leave
his father and mother and should be joined unto his wife, and
they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let
every one of you in particular So love his wife even as himself,
and the wife see that she reverence her husband. The Lord ordained
through the sanctity of marriage that children would be brought
forth in honor. And this bringing forth of the
children is a fit type and picture of the spiritual birth. Now the
marriage is a picture of the union between the Lord Jesus
Christ and his bride. Then we see children being brought
forth, and they're brought forth as a picture and type of the
spiritual union of the Lord Jesus Christ and his beloved bride.
This is all a type, this is a picture. We have children that come forth
out of a marriage. the wisdom of the Lord to bring
a man and a woman together in marriage and knowing that sets
forth the spiritual union of the Lord Jesus Christ and his
bride, then we realize that every father and mother, and that's
irrespective of whether or not God is pleased to call out a
father or a mother out of the darkness of unbelief and sin,
Whether he calls a father and a mother out, he does call out
fathers and mothers according to his eternal purpose and will,
electing grace. But irrespective of if he does
call one out of darkness, every father and every mother in this
world is an open declaration concerning the union of the Lord
Jesus Christ and his bride. bride that he eternally loved,
has affection for, that bride that was given him in electing
grace before the foundation of the world. So the scripture,
I mean, the handiwork of God is displayed in the heavens.
Creation. Every marriage, every marriage
in this world is a picture, is a type that the Lord Jesus Christ
has a bride. You see, men and women are without
excuse. Psalm 19, the heavens declare
the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Romans
1 26 says, the invisible things of Him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even His eternal power in Godhead. So they are without
excuse. Men are gonna stand before God,
men and women, that don't know the Lord, and they're gonna say,
I never knew, I never heard. They are without excuse. God
has instituted marriage as a picture of his marriage. So all creation,
and especially, concerning the union between a man and his wife,
declares the glory and the honor and the holiness of God to show
mercy and compassion to undeserving sinners. So I want us to consider
this scripture that we just read a moment ago, this admonition
given to us today concerning the respect that is to be given
unto parents, and the dire warning unto those who shun this responsibility. Now, knowing what we've just
considered, Proverbs 28, 24, whoso robbeth his father or his
mother, and saith it is no transgression, the same is the companion of
a destroyer, whoso robs father or mother and says, there's no
rebellion here. No, no rebellion that, you know,
now, you know, our first thoughts, who is so Rob, your first thing
you're gonna think about is, is taking some money from, you
know, taking something to material, you know, material value, and
then excusing it as being something that is not worthy of punishment. Now, That'd be horrible. I mean, it's just, to steal,
to take something from the ones who had provided all for that
child. And that child think that, well,
I was gonna get it anyway. I mean, well, I'm part of the
family. Really, it was owed unto me.
I'd get it as an inheritance. That'd be bad enough. If they
just took some material, stole some money, went out of Dad's
wallet and took a 20 out or something, that's bad enough. You're a thief,
you're a thief. But scripture bears out that
children are warned against more than just the material theft,
the material things. As children, We owe, I want you
to turn back to Ephesians 6. First of all, children set forth
that we owe our parents. And that, by the grace of God,
parents has been taught of God to be obedient to the leadership
of God Almighty and teaching. The scripture bears out that
children are admonished to obey. Now listen to this. Ephesians
6, 1-3. Children, obey your parents in
the Lord. What does that mean? You obey
your parents according to the dictates of these scriptures
right here. Obey them in the Lord. Now, if
a parent tells a child, I want you to go to 7-11 over here and
get on the back over there and I'll distract the guy up here
at the front. You steal some stuff. That's not being obedient. in the Lord. Children, obey your
parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and
mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be
well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Children, And I don't really care how old
you are. If you're, you know, still living
at home, you're a child at home, that's fine. But if there's any
of you here and your parents are still alive, you're still
a child. You're still a child. I mean, you grow up and you say,
well, I'm over 21. I can do what I can, but I'm
going to tell you something. We owe our parents obedience. Now, where does this all come
from? Wait a minute. What do we say all this was? It's a picture
and type of the union between the Lord Jesus Christ and his
bride and the children that are brought forth, spiritual children.
This has all been a picture and type of obedience to God, God's
will, God's purpose, God's honor. Children, obey your parents in
the Lord. Now, This obedience that's due
unto parents. Again, look at the picture. Remember who we're talking about.
The Lord and our obedience to Him. Obey your children. Obey
your parents and the Lord. But these children of faithful
parents, they owe obedience, who, still in Ephesians 6, according
to these scriptures, you fathers, verse 4, 6-4, Ephesians 6-4,
and you fathers, Provoke not your children to wrath, but bring
them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Provoke not your
children to wrath. What does that mean? By harsh,
cruel, or undisciplined actions. Rather, bring them up in the
nurture and admonition, the training and education of the Lord. You that have parents right here.
Your children are right here. That's the right thing. You have
your children under the sound of the gospel. This is the power
of God unto salvation. You have your children, you keep
them under the sound of the gospel. I understand, I get it, I get
it. We got kids and we got this,
that, and the other, and we got all this kind of, you make the
gospel, the worship of God the priority. You raise them up,
you bring them up under the nurture and admonition, the teaching,
the education of the Lord. Obedience to faithful parents
that are bringing up their children under the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. Those parents are owed obedience. They're owed obedience. Which
is a picture type of the obedience that we owe under the Lord. Disobedience was the very issue
of mankind's demise in this world. What did God tell Adam? You give
all the fruit, but what did he do? He ate. What happened? He died spiritually. Adam disobeyed
God and death was the result. to rob father or mother of obedience
to their bringing you and putting you under the sound of the gospel.
Disobedience to them. And to think, I had no transgression
here. I didn't do anything wrong. To
say that there's no transgression in that disobedience is to be
left with that thought that everything is okay, I don't have to, I don't
have to. And it carries no penalty, they
think. But that disobedience is worthy
of death and will result in death, spiritual, physical, spiritual,
and eternal, but for the grace of God. Scripture says, again
back in 28, 24, whoso robbeth his father or mother of obedience,
not just taking a 20 from him, but of obedience, to have him
be embraced under the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and
to say, no transgression, the same as the companion of a destroyer,
to corrupt, to mar, to ruin, to spoil, John Gill says murder. You're the same as a murderer.
And you know the ones going to be murdered? Children, whether you're here
under your parents or we're adults, we're all children. We've been
instructed from the heart and mouth of faithful parents or
grandparents. It's just talking about authority.
those who especially have heard and taught and raised unto the
sound of the gospel and you refuse to obey and say there's no transgression
here. We're found to be disobedient
ultimately unto the Lord and we shall suffer the justice of
that disobedience. We're gonna all stand before
God and it is important, it is important for the good of your
eternal soul By the grace of God, be obedient to your parents.
Parents, raise your children. Keep them under the sound of
the gospel. Don't let anything, don't let anything come before
that. Nothing. Turn with me to Deuteronomy 21.
Deuteronomy 21. This shows you, I know in this
day and age when we live under, you know, so much leniency. But when it came to the law of
God, Thanks be unto God that the Lord has fulfilled the penalty
that was due this and for God's people. But I want you to listen
to the severity of God's law. Deuteronomy 21, verse 18 to 21. If a man have a stubborn and
rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father
or the voice of his mother, and that when they have chastened
him, will not hearken unto them. Then shall his father and his
mother lay hold on him, bring him out unto the elders of the
city, and unto the gate of his place they shall say unto the
elders of the city, this our son stubborn, rebellious, he
will not obey our voice, he's a glutton and a drunkard, and
all the men of this city shall stone him with stones that he
die. So shalt thou put evil away from
among you, and all Israel shall say, shall hear and fear. The scripture declares the necessity
of obedience. And again, don't let us forget
only that obedience is due here on this earth. I'm talking about
ultimately before God. Those who were not here. Our
son's a rebel, he's stubborn, and he's gonna die. He's the
same as a destroyer back in Proverbs 28. concerning the law of God
and the penalty for disobedience to parents are truthfully to
the true and living God. That's who we're disobedient.
Thanks be unto God that we've got a friend, a friend, a redeemer,
an advocate, a substitute who bore the guilt because brethren,
we're all disobedient. We're all born disobedient. We're
all born stubborn, stubborn unto him Creator. Parents for the glory of God
and the good of our children. Teach them the necessity of obedience. Demand it. Demand it. I've told
you before. I have four children. I told them, I said, there's
one thing I'll whip you for. I will whip you. Disobedience. and I will decide, I'll decide. You know, using that excuse,
it was a mistake, I'll decide whether or not it was a mistake.
If I decide that it's disobedience, you're going to be punished.
And they were, they were. Children, obey. Parents, keep them under the
sound of the gospel. So we rob our parents, not of
a a few bucks, but we rob our parents. If we rob our parents
of obedience, obedience to their teaching, it's the same as murdering
yourself. It's gonna come back, it's gonna
get you, it's gonna bite you. Secondly, father and mothers
are robbed of the esteem which is due, owed them. Back in Deuteronomy, again, hold
your place in Proverbs. Turn back to Deuteronomy 27.
Deuteronomy 27, 16. All these laws that were set
forth in the Old Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ obeyed them.
He came to fulfill this law. These laws, you say, well, that's
just the law. The law of God never changes. I can tell you
this, the law of God never changes. It's that Christ has fulfilled
it for those that he everlastingly loved. For those that he has
not fulfilled it for, They're under the penalty of it. Don't
think, oh, that's just Old Testament stuff. My friend, this is the
Word of God, and it never changes. Deuteronomy chapter 27, verse
16 says this. Cursed be he that setteth light
by his father or his mother, And all the people shall say,
Amen. What do you mean, setteth light?
Cursed is he that treats with contempt, dishonors, or disgraces. Cursed be he that setteth light
by his father or mother. And all the people say, so be
it. That doesn't esteem them, that
doesn't honor them, that disgraces them. And you know, children
may openly obey. You've heard the little, an area
of a little boy sitting, standing up in backseat. Daddy said, sit
down. Little boy said, I don't want
to sit down. He said, I said, sit down. He pushes him down.
The little boy says, I'm sitting down, but I'm still standing
up in my mind, you know? We can obey outwardly, but to
secretly despise and fail to hold parents with respect in
their heart, you're the same as a murderer. And my friend,
ultimately, this shows the attitude by nature of a man except for
the grace of God. Now we still have that old man
in us that thinks like this, that disgraces. Again, we can
go back and read Romans chapter seven. The Apostle Paul says,
the will is present with me, but how to accomplish that which
you would? I find out there's two men in here, old wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death.
Turn to Mark 7, Mark chapter 7, Mark 7 verses 5 to 8. Mark 7, 5 to 8, then the Pharisees
and scribes ask him, not thy disciples according to the tradition
of the elders, but eat bread with unwashing hands. And he
answered and said unto them, well saith Isaiah, prophesied
of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honoreth me with
their lips, but their heart is far from me. How be it in vain
do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments
of men, but laying aside the commandment of God, you hold
the tradition of men as the washing pots and cups, and many other
things like things, such like things ye do. Oh, the need of
teaching our children to highly esteem the Lord and respect and
honor their parents, again, it's a picture and type of the honor
due unto the Lord himself. So we rob, he that robbed, back
in Proverbs, Whoso robbeth the father and mother of obedience,
of esteem. Kids, let me tell you something.
You owe, we owe, as our children, as us, toward our parents, we
owe them, we owe them esteem to esteem them. Picture the type
of the esteem that we owe God. And to fail to do that, spiritually
speaking, Same as murderers. Lastly, children robbed their
father and mother. And this was especially tender
to me. I pray it is. Children rob their
father and mother of the tenderness and the care that they're due
when the parents begin to get older. Children that are failing,
to be sensitive to their parents. It's an open declaration of the
lack of thankfulness, thankfulness. And that thankfulness ultimately
unto the Lord. I know we, as parents, I went
through this, a lot of you have, and your parents were older,
and now, you know what? Those of us here that's getting
a little aged, we're older. And the sensitivity to be sensitive,
sensitivity to be sensitive to our parents when they're getting
older. Now, there was no greater manifestation
of this truth. Turn with me to John 19, John
19, 25. No greater open manifestation
of this truth than when the Lord Jesus Christ Now listen to this,
from the cross, instructed John, take care of Mary, the mother
of the Lord, that vehicle, that means of God's choosing, that
by the grace of God, the power of God, gave birth to the eternal
son of God. Look at John 19, verse 25, 27. Now there stood by the cross
of Jesus, Now listen to this, his mother and his mother's sister,
Mary, the wife of Cleopas, Mary Magdalene. And when Jesus therefore
saw his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he
saith unto his mother, woman, behold thy son. Then saith he
to the disciple, behold thy mother. And from that hour, that disciple
took her unto his own home. Brethren, we are taught and reminded
of the responsibility. Number one of us being parents,
you raise your children under the nurture and admonition of
the Lord. This world's a mess. Parents,
you raise your children under the nurture and admonition of
the Lord. You obey your parents in the
Lord. This is right. You obey them,
you esteem them, and you be thankful for them. Pray that God give
you a heart to be thankful for parents that have taught you,
that care enough for your eternal soul to make the gospel. First, seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness. All these things will be added
unto you. Oh, we need to be reminded of the necessity. You bring your children up. Children,
honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment
with promise that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live
long on the earth. Obedience to parents, obedience
to parents is the very, humanly speaking, the very foundation
of stability in society. Disobedience to parents is disobedience
to all authority, and ultimately disobedience before God, and
it carries a severe penalty, death. I pray that the God of
all hope and peace may give us light, give us heart for these
things, for God's glory and our good. Amen. All right, let's
take a quick break.