Ephesians 6:1-4

[Shield]

Shield> Thank you for attending tonight's study:)
Shield> Lets pray
Shield> Our Father and our God
Shield> it is to you we owe our allegiance
Shield> for you are the God of the universe
Shield> you are our Creator
Shield> and we love you
Shield> to you we bow our hearts and our knees
Shield> Father touch each person here
Shield> minister to them at the point of their needs
Shield> and may our time together be profitable
Shield> so that we may better understand the biblical text and apply it to our lives
Shield> in Jesus name amen
Shield> Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Shield> if you recall the last chapter dealt with husband-wife relationships
Shield> husbands are exhorted to love their wives
Shield> and wives are exhorted to respect their husbands
Shield> this next section is the natural next step
Shield> it builds on the argument that the Apostle Paul has already begun
Shield> I will post it again
Shield> Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Shield> so here we are...
Shield> a command directly to children
Shield> this is interesting
Hattie> Yes
Shield> although there is biblical precedent for commands to children...
Shield> they typically take place in the Old Testament literature
Shield> but here we are in the letter to the Ephesians
Hattie> Yes, some in Proverbs
Shield> yes Hattie thats true
Shield> keep in mind the nature of this letter
Shield> it is a letter to a specific group of people in Ephesus
Shield> the way we do this is to take it phrase by phrase
Shield> and first establishing context
Shield> so that we are careful to treat it as it was originally intended to be read
Shield> now then
Shield> lets look more closely at the verse before us
Shield> Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Hattie> Specific group of people in Ephesus, Shield?
science> always?
Shield> Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:
Shield> it was written to the saints in Ephesus
Shield> the very first log of the Ephesians study you received deals with this
Shield> science => are you referring to the verse?
Shield> if so the answer is a qualified yes
Hattie> science..did you mean to put the question mark at the end of always?
Shield> by that I mean obviously there are times when certain parents will try to get their kids to do things that are not appropriate
Shield> however
Shield> this verse is meant to be taken on a fundamental level
science> yes hattie
Shield> put simply...Children...obey your parents in the Lord
Hattie> Okay, science..thank you.
Shield> in other words
Shield> insofar as the instruction and directives of parents do not contradict biblical principles...
Shield> yes children should obey parents at all times
Hattie> Amen, Shield
science> oh
Shield> the obvious contradiction would be if a parent asks or tells a child to commit a crime
Shield> which does happen:)
science> that's where I was getting
Shield> I understand
Shield> the text here is making an assumption
science> okay
mostlymiranda> or have an abortion
Shield> it is assuming the parents are in the Lord....and that they have the best interests of the children in mind
Hattie> Yes...Amen
mostlymiranda raises her hand with a question
Shield> yet even children of parents that are not believers should be obedient
Shield> yes moonlit
Shield> yes mostlymiranda
mostlymiranda> scripture acknowledges that there are matters of conscience
Shield> yes
mostlymiranda> not strict rules
Shield> that is what I was trying to get at previously
mostlymiranda> so if a child is opposed to something as a matter of conscience
mostlymiranda> should they disobey their parents
Shield> depends on what that entails...
mostlymiranda> dress
mostlymiranda> for instance
Shield> if it is a matter of conscience...in terms of a principle of Scripture...
Shield> could you elaborate?
mostlymiranda> scripture says dress modestly
Shield> yes
Shield> indeed it does
mostlymiranda> but obviously..the definition of modest has changed over the centuries
Shield> true
Shield> let me give you some practical counsel if i may
mostlymiranda> ok
Shield> based partly on my experience as a kids pastor
Shield> and partly on my experience as an uncle who loves to spoil his nieces and nephews:)
Shield> first
Shield> in a case like that...
Shield> I would have my initial response to my parents be obedience
Shield> second
Shield> if my parents are open to it...(some are some arent) I would ask to discuss boundaries for dress code
Shield> the key is this
Shield> parents desire and deserve respect
Shield> their concern for dress is most often motivated by love
Shield> rather that a need to control their kids
Shield> :)
Shield> does that help?
mostlymiranda> k
Shield> ok:)
Shield> mostlymiranda => can i ask ya.. are you a parent...?
mostlymiranda> so some kid shouldn't be hollaring liberty in christ because parents ban certain styles
mostlymiranda> yes...but mine are adults now
Shield> ok
Shield> I agree...
mostlymiranda> I teach sunday school now
Shield> kids should not be hollering at their parents at all:)
science> why?
science> oh, sorry
Shield> because its an issue of respect
Shield> to the parents
Shield> and...
Shield> Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Shield> it is right
science> oh
Hattie> Amen
Shield> but lets see what God says to parents
Shield> Ephesians 6:2 "Honor your father and mother"-- this is the first commandment with a promise:
Shield> well
Shield> in a moment we will 08,01H09,01ehehe
Shield> this is one of the ten commandments
Shield> it may be found in Exodus
science> what's the promise
Hattie> Longer life
Shield> Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
Shield> that is the promise
Shield> there is a principle folks
Shield> this is not a threat to take a childs life...
Shield> no
lele> so u will live longer literally?
Shield> its much more fundamental than that
Shield> lele => let me speak to that
Shield> if a child obeys their parents...
Shield> and assuming the parents are raising them up as follows....
Shield> Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Shield> in other words
Shield> train the children in the righteousness of God
Shield> assuming this happens
Shield> and the children obey
Shield> they will live life to the full measure that God has ordained for them
lele> ah o.k
Shield> because they will not be going out doing things that will shorten their lives
Shield> does that help?
lele> so get extra blessings?
Shield> well
Shield> experience the blessings God has already provided
Shield> for example
Shield> does God say its ok to abuse our bodies with bad food?
lele> no
Shield> ok
Shield> lets assume our parents model that and teach it
Shield> if the child obeys...
Shield> do you think he is more likely to live longer and healthier?
lele> of course not
Shield> really?
lele> yes
Shield> I would say he would be more likely to live longer and healthier if he obeys the instruction of the Lord
Shield> interesting thing is...
lele> umm so u don't think food has anything to do with it?
tiggy> your question was a little ambiguous shield
Shield> let me rephrase
Shield> what I asked is this
Shield> God gives us instructions as to eating healthy
Shield> assuming a parent follows God's design for eating healthy and teaches that to the child...
mostlymiranda> He does?
Shield> yes
Shield> but we digress
mostlymiranda> k
Shield> the point I am making is that if children obey God and obeys their parents who instruct them
Shield> then they will live healthier lives
lele> o.k i see now :)
Shield> I hope I made that a bit more clear
tiggy> much clearer shield
Shield> ok:)
Shield> lets move on then
Shield> Ephesians 6:3 "so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
Shield> Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Shield> verse three recaps what we just discussed
Shield> so lets deal with verse 4
Shield> this is a timely verse
Shield> I have stated I am a Children's Pastor
Shield> I deal with kids..and have dealt with kids...
Shield> who are crushed by their dads
Shield> and sometimes by their moms
Shield> emotionally
Shield> physically
Shield> and so on
Shield> anger breeds anger
Shield> angry fathers typically raise angry children
tiggy> so does neglect
Shield> yes true
Shield> here is the thing
Shield> Parents are given a trust
Shield> in this context specifically...
Shield> Fathers are given a trust
Shield> to bring their children uo
Shield> up
Shield> in discipline
Shield> and instruction
Shield> people of God there is a reason God had to address dads
Shield> because back then...
Shield> just like now
Shield> too often dads are not nurturing and instructing their kids
Shield> rather...
Shield> they are provoking them to wrath in many cases by neglect or maltreatment
Shield> don't misunderstand me please
tiggy> too true
Shield> their are many many fine fathers in the world
Shield> I respect dads and mom
Shield> all I am saying is that if the Apostle Paul was inspired to write this two thousand years ago to a specific group
Shield> surely we can make application of the principles in our present situations
Shield> lets pray
Shield> Lord God
Shield> again we come before you
Shield> we rejoice in the counsel of the Bible..your Holy Word
Shield> and we submit our lives to you knowing that as we apply the principles of Scripture to our lives...
Shield> we will experience the blessings you have in store for us
Shield> thank You Lord God
Shield> we praise your holy and mighty name
Shield> amen
Shield> thanks for coming everyone:)