Scripture Reading: Judges 13:1-8
Text: Judges 13:8
Judges 13:8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
Introduction: The message this morning is called, "How To Bring Up Children For God." As my title implies, I do believe that it CAN be DONE. If my children depart from the faith, it doesn't cast a bad reflection upon this message, but rather upon this preacher and his ability to raise children. At present both of my daughters are grown and are serving the Lord. One is the church pianist, and the other is the church organist. Both ladies teach Sunday School classes. Both ladies work on a bus. Both ladies love God and serve Him. Now listen: That did NOT happen by ACCIDENT; it happened on PURPOSE.
Oh, how Americans need this message! Mrs. O'Neal and I were discussing this with another pastor and his wife this week. I made the comment, "Parents today don't have a CLUE about raising children. They don't know HOW."
America is in trouble. It is in MUCH worse moral shape than it was 50 years ago. I know that mankind has been wicked since the fall in the garden of Eden, but children in our country are more wicked today than they were in the 1950s. They are more violent. They are more rebellious. They are more promiscuous and morally corrupt.
This is also true of the children of Christians! Beloved, let's don't let our kids go to the devil! Listen to me! I'm here today to tell you that GOD has a way for you to bring your children up for HIM if you will just take the time, responsibility, and diligence to DO it! Manoah prayed, " O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born."
This message is to parents, but it will benefit us all to remind ourselves of what God says about bringing up children.
First, if you want to bring up your children for God:
Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
It is not the job of the state to raise your children, no matter what they may say.
It doesn't take a neighborhood to raise your children, in spite of what a wicked politician may say.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Genesis 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.
Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
That Little Fellow's DadI may never be as clever as my neighbor down the street, There are certain dreams I cherish, that I'd like to see come true, O, I may never come to glory and I may never gather gold, It's the one job that I dream of, it's the task I think of most, Author Unknown |
1 Samuel 3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot;
My soul please take!
Amen
Job 1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Children don't have to ruin your life. They don't have to cause misery. They don't have to end up in jail and make you re-mortgage your house to get them out. You can have children that will bring you joy.
A census taker walked up to a woman who was sitting on a porch. After introducing himself, he said, "How many children do you have?"
The woman answered, "Four."
The census taker asked, "May I have their names, please?"
The woman replied, "Eenie, Meenie, Minie, and George."
Confused, the census taker said, "May I ask why you named your fourth child 'George'?"
"Surely, because we didn't want any Moe."
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