Instructions for the Family (Mothers Day) 05-12-24

The speaker encourages the audience to reflect on the relationship between Mary and Jesus. He highlights Mary's role as a mother and emphasizes the importance of teaching and talking to children about God. The speaker also emphasizes the need for discipline and endurance in raising children in a godly manner. I want to encourage you to open up your Bibles to Luke 2.51. I want to ask you a question about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Now, if you have been around church around Christmastime, you know who Mary is. You know her situation and what happened to her with the pronouncement of the birth of Jesus. She was a young lady that was engaged to a man named Joseph. She was pure. Had not given of herself to a man. And so, this angel came and said that she would have a baby. And that was very perplexing for her. And when it came to be, it was perplexing to her fiancé as well. And he struggled with what to do and asked of the Lord. And the Lord gave him some reassurance that this baby that she would birth was from God Himself conceived of the Holy Spirit. And so they walk through that relationship together and then comes the time for Jesus to be born as they're traveling for the census. They're there lying in the barn because there was no room for them in the inn. And the baby is born. Lays him in a manger. The shepherds come. All of this thing is happening to her. And we get this phrase in Luke 2.51 that is very powerful to me. So let's read that. Luke 2.51 It says, Then He went down with them, came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. This is actually after they go into... Jesus is around 12 years old at this time. They go into Jerusalem. He gets missing. You all know that story as well. They travel for a couple of days and all of a sudden they say, where is Jesus? They find Him back in the temple teaching the scholars. And that situation happens and then they leave and this is where verse 51, Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them. In other words, He obeyed His parents. But His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. And this same phrase that she kept all these things in her heart is also found at the nativity scene. Now, I find that phrase, that terminology very interesting. And here's why. Because oftentimes we don't stop and consider the extraordinarily ordinary relationship that Mary and Jesus would have had. She was His mother. Which means what? She would have nursed Him. She would have trained Him. She would have taught Him. She would have held His little hands as He learned how to walk. She would have rocked Him when He was crying. All the things that an earthly mother does to their baby even today, Mary would have done for Jesus. And so we see right here in this Scripture where it says, and He increased in wisdom. How did He increase in wisdom? Through His mother. You see, we know His mother was a very faithful woman who found favor with God. That was the reason that He chose her to bring into this world our Lord and Savior. Because of her character. Because of her morality. Because of her faithfulness to God. And so I think this morning it would be encouraging to us and interesting to us to look at this topic based on that idea. Instructions for the family. Now, husbands, I hope you didn't come in here thinking that it was Mother's Day so you were off the hook. No, we'll get to you. Young men who may one day be husbands, don't close your ears because I'm talking of the man that you should strive to be as a husband. But guess what? Children, we're going to get to you as well. But out of honor and respect, I do want to start with mothers. Instructions for the family beginning with instructions from others. Deuteronomy 4.9 says this, Only take heed to yourself and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget these things your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren. Grandparents, don't close off either. There is some instruction for you in here as well. So what do we learn from the instructions for mothers from Deuteronomy 4.9? We need to remember what the Lord has done. Beloved God has blessed you. The fact that you are a mother, whether by birth, whether by adoption, or simply rather by position, that you are a motherly figure in someone's life. All of those positions are a blessing. Amen? We look around this sanctuary this morning and we see the faces of these beautiful children. Not just the babies, but the young ones as well. And everybody outside of the parents looking at those, oh, man, they're so precious. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that about my kids. Oh, your kids are so good. They're so precious. We don't go into a restaurant where the server don't usually say that. Oh, man, they're so great. And I'm like, thank you, but at the same time, I'm like... Yes! And I think every parent feels that way about their own children, alright? But that same parent can look at somebody else's child and say, man, they're so good. They're awesome. They're a blessing. We need to remember what the Lord has done. The Lord has blessed us. He has given us the opportunity to be parents, especially a mother. Not only do we need to remember what the Lord has done, we need to teach what the Lord has done. Mothers, talk to your children about the Lord. Talk to your children about Jesus. Talk to your children about what God has done for you. Tell them your testimonial. I don't want them to know my testimonial because I was a mess before Jesus found me. Before He said, I did some things that I shouldn't have done. Beloved, God can use that in the life of your children. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat the past. Beloved, listen, culturally, we're starting to see that in our culture. We're making the same mistakes that we made in the past. Mistakes of division and hatred and anger. If we forget our past, we're doomed to repeat it. Let your children know what the Lord has done for you. And then in Deuteronomy 6, verses 6 and 7, it says, "...and these words which I command you today shall be in your hearts. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Now, I don't know about you, but from what I hear in that Scripture, that encompasses everything that you do. When you're sitting in your house, talk about the Word of God. When you're walking, talk about the Word of God. When you're lying down and resting, talk about the Word of God. And when you rise up and put your hands to work, talk about the Word of God. Three words appear in this Scripture. Teach, talk, and walk. We should teach godly character. Tell them about godly character. Tell them the right thing to do with your words, but not only talk to them, teach them the application of those words, but not only that, live it out in front of them. Just bringing them to church is not enough. You in your homes must teach and talk and walk godly character, because if not, all they will grow up thinking is this, that Christians are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. We have to make sure our Sunday morning character matches our Monday morning character. Thirdly, Proverbs 22 and 6 says, train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Now I want us to understand something very plainly about this section of Scripture. This is not a promise. Many a parent have done the best they can raising their child in the fear and admonition of the Lord, bringing them to church, living out that character like I talked about, only to have their child turn away from the things of God. That is not an indictment on you, mom or daddy. I want you to know that. But training up a child requires discipline. Training up a child requires discipline. And we know this in every way, don't we? We hear about the terrible twos. We didn't experience terrible twos. We experienced the terrible threes to the point of where we wouldn't even go out into a restaurant. So what happened when we got to that stage in life? Discipline. That's what happened. Discipline. Time outs. Spankings. Removal of benefits and the extras that we have in life. We discipline, and even to this day, and I've got one that's 13 and two of them that are 9, one's about to be 10, and guess what happens in our house to this day? Discipline. Why? Because we believe in training. When I played football, what would have happened if I just showed up on game nights? Let's just put it this way. What would happen if I were to try to go out and play football today? I would break something. I would probably pass out. I would probably have an asthma attack. I don't have asthma. I mean, it would not be good because I have not trained to do that. If we want our young ones to live godly lives as they grow, to grow in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man, if we want them to do that, if we want that to be their legacy, then, beloved, we are their trainers now. We must be training our children for godly lives. Training requires discipline. It requires endurance. It's not a one-time thing. Many of us think, oh man, I just need them to get saved, and then they can go out and live any old way that they want to because that's how we're thinking about our relationship with Christ. No, training requires endurance. You train today, guess what up? You get up tomorrow, and you train again. Guess what else? You get up on Tuesday, and you train again. And you train on Wednesday. And you train on Thursday. And you train on Friday. You say, man, that sounds exhausting. Yes, it might be exhausting at first, but what you'll find is just like that endurance runner who is trained for those races, when they find their stride, there is a freedom, and there is a second wind that comes across you that it feels good. And when you get to the end of that race and you've done your best, and that athlete finishes that race, they don't say, man, I wish I would have never done that. They say, man, that was a good race. That felt good. Man, I'm excited. And that's what we want to experience at the end of our race. The words of Scripture say, well done, my good and faithful servant. That is the end that we're training for. Beloved, we are to train our children. Luke 2.51, But His mother kept all these things in her heart. Mama, through all of this, remember who you are. Remember who you are. You are blessed. Because God saw fit to bless you with a child. God saw fit to put someone under your care and your love and your leadership and in your training ground. God looked at you in all of His infinite wisdom and said, you can handle it. Mama, when you feel like you're doing something wrong, remember who you are. When you feel like giving up, remember who you are. When you don't know what to do, remember who you are, but also remember who your children are. They're a heritage from the Lord. They're a blessing. In those tough times where they yell at you, maybe you have never experienced this, but I believe that most mamas do at some point where that child that you have poured into and given your all to, you've sacrificed for, and they look at you and say, Mama, I hate you. You're the worst mama in the world. That's the time where you have to remember, oh, you're such a little blessing. Oh, I thank God for you. Oh! You remember that at some point in your life, you probably shook your finger at God and said, this is what you have for me. I don't want it. If you're not going to answer this prayer the way I think you should, then you can just leave me alone. Remember who you are. Remember who your children are. Let's rush to the end with the children and the husbands. Instructions for the children. Ephesians 1, 6, 1-3 Children, obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with the promise that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. Children, everyone, every child in here, no matter your age from... How old is he? Four months old. Do we have any younger? He's a little bit older than four months. Five months. Four months, five months. Anyone younger? Alright, four months. Whether you're a child at four months or you're a child at 84 years, honor your father and mother. This is right. Obey your mother. Listen to her. Do what she tells you to do without giving her back talk, without fussing. Obey your mother. Honor your mother. What does this mean? Don't talk trash about her. Kids, you need to realize and recognize just how much your mama has given up for you. How much she has laid aside for you. How much she sacrifices for you. And if she's a godly mother, how much she prays for you. Obey your mother. Honor your mother. 3 John 1, verse 4 says, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. That's all your mother wants you to do is to walk in truth. Secondly, Proverbs 1.8, 9, My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not forsake the law of your mother, for they will be a graceful ornament on your head and chains about your neck. Instruction for your children, remember her rules. Mama has rules for a reason. That's an ongoing statement in our house. I tell you things for a reason. Not because I want to zap all the fun out of everything, but I want what's best for you, so I'm putting the rules out there. So remember those rules. They are helpful, not hurtful. We live in a culture that wants to say that any rule that you receive is to hold you back, to hinder you, and to hurt you. That is not the truth. The truth is God gives us rules and mama gives us rules because they love us and care for us and want what's best for us. They are helpful, not hurtful. Proverbs 6, 20-22, My son, keep your father's command and do not forsake the law of your mother. So he repeats that phrase. Tie them continually around your heart. Tie them around your neck. When you roam, listen, they will lead you. When you sleep, they will keep you. And when you awake, they will speak with you. What was going to do this? The rules and the commands that your parents give you. They will lead you. They will keep you. They will speak to you. This is what happened with the prodigal son. He woke up in a pig style. I wonder, man, my servants in my father's house live better than this. Let me go back there. The rules and the commands of his father, the house that his parents had built were better than he... He despised it, but then it spoke to him. It led him home. And it kept him encouraged in that time just the way they will you. Proverbs 23, 22-25, Listen to your father who begot you. And do not despise your mother when she is old by the truth and do not sell it. Also, wisdom and instruction and understanding. Children, know the truth. One of the most powerful questions in Scripture. What is truth? Know the truth, children. Not the latest and greatest idea that culture has to teach you. Know the truth that there is a God who created you, who knit you together in your mother's womb, who brought you into this world and gave you life and created you to be the person that you are and has a plan and a purpose for you and gave you to your mother and your mother to you on purpose and did it with intention and He wants nothing but glory out of it. Know the truth that your mother offers wisdom, instruction, and understanding. And husbands, before you think you got out of here unscathed, now we turn to you. I feel like I should go down here and sit on this pew and have somebody else preach this portion. Because I want to lay this out before you now. As I preach this and teach you to this morning, this is an oh me moment. I fail miserably at times to do what Scripture tells me to do at husbands. And yet, I stand here not on my own authority, but the authority of the Word of God. Husbands. Proverbs 31, 28 and 29. Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her. Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all. What does that tell us, husbands? It tells us we should bless her. We shouldn't be a burden to her. We shouldn't demean her or demand things from her or put her down. We should bless her. Do you hear that? Man, a lot of daughters have done a lot of things and you're better than them all. Encouraging words. Bless her. Compliment her. But also, Ephesians 5, 25-28, Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Now there's a lot in this Scripture. I could spend a whole morning just on that. But what does this section of Scripture tell us as husbands that we should do? We should sacrifice ourselves. When it comes to honoring our wife, blessing our wife, complimenting our wife, we should sacrifice ourselves. Our wants, our desires, our own agendas. We should sacrifice it all on the altar of our wife. For those of you who are thinking about getting married, if you can't do that to the woman you are engaged to or thinking about marrying, then you should never get married to that person. Because that's what marriage is. Sacrifice self. Sanctify her with your words. Set her apart with your words. Make her stand out in the company of others with your words. Cleanse her with your words. Encourage her. The hurt and the burden that she has on her all day long, whether she's a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, and she comes home, there's weight that she carries, and it's up to us husbands to cleanse our wives with our words, not, well, why didn't you do this? And you should have done this. And why don't I have dinner on the table? And where's my sandwich? Cleanse her with your words. Present her as holy. Present her as without blemish. Husbands, your group of guy friends, your co-workers should never hear you trash talk about your wife. They should think she is the perfect being in their presence. Because that's how you are to present her. As holy and without blemish. Now we know better. Nobody's holy and without blemish. It doesn't say make her holy and without blemish. It says present her that way. Present her that way. Instructions for the family. Now, I know we are long and I apologize for that. I wanted to give those instructions this morning. I encourage you to go and study what the Word of God says on your role as husbands, as fathers, as wives, as mothers. And through the power of the Spirit and the leading of the Spirit to walk in the light of His Word. And now we come to the portion of this morning where we get to count our blessings. So I'm going to invite all of those families that are here to dedicate their children this morning. I invite you and encourage you to come down and have a seat here on the two front pews in front of me. At Kingsgrove, we acknowledge the family as a divine institution ordained of God from the beginning of time. Children are a heritage of the Lord committed by Him to their parents for care, provision, protection, and spiritual training. It is good when parents recognize all of these obligations and responsibilities and make every effort to fully carry them out. That is what baby dedication is. Parents acknowledging that children are a gift from God to them and that they have a spiritual responsibility for their Christian nurture and training. At Kingsgrove, we acknowledge this dedication ritual does not in any way impart faith or forgiveness of sins for this child. At Kingsgrove, we acknowledge baby dedication rather than infant baptism is in keeping with the examples we see in Scripture. In 1 Samuel, Hannah dedicates Samuel to the Lord. In Luke 2, Mary and Joseph present Jesus to the Lord. In Matthew 19, the little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, let the little children come to Me. Do not forbid them, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. At Kingsgrove, we acknowledge baby dedication is really threefold. We dedicate the parents to the raised child. We dedicate the church to assist the parents. And we dedicate the child to God. So parents, as you sit before me this morning, Jacob and Tyler, Brandon and Sandy, Yvonne and Sonia, Levi and Jolie, you have brought Emerson and Elliot, Lucas, Asher, Cade, and Adalie before us today to publicly dedicate them to the Lord. I have a series of questions to ask you, so please affirm your desires by answering each of them, we will. Will you accept your God-given responsibility to raise Emerson and Elliot, Lucas, Asher, Cade, and Adalie to a Christ-centered home? Will you teach and discipline them in your homes so that you are not solely dependent on the church or the school system to impart biblical knowledge and spiritual values to them? Jacob, Brandon, Yvonne, and Levi, as their earthly fathers, will you give Emerson and Elliot, Lucas, Asher, Cade, and Adalie the time and attention and affection that show the true nature of their Father in Heaven? Jacob, Brandon, Yvonne, and Levi, will you live out the instruction found in Ephesians 6-4 which says, Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord? Tyler, Sandy, Sonia, and Jolie, as their earthly mothers, will you give Emerson and Elliot, Lucas, Asher, Cade, and Adalie the special attachment they crave from you and the special nurturing touch that you are uniquely gifted by God to give them? Tyler, Sandy, Sonia, and Jolie, will you also live out the instruction found in Proverbs 22-6 which says, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Parents, I ask if you will now stand and turn and face the congregation. Church, Jacob and Tyler, Brandon and Sandy, Yvonne and Sonia, and Levi and Jolie are here this morning to dedicate Emerson and Elliot, Lucas, Asher, Cade, and Adalie to the Lord. Kingsgrove, I have a couple of questions to ask you. Please affirm your desires by answering each of them. We will. Kingsgrove, will you, as the community of faith, support these parents and children by the Christian love and example you set by your lives? Will you also seek to assist these parents to train up the children in the way they should go so that when they are old, they will not depart from it according to Proverbs 22-6? Will you do everything in your power to help them follow Christ? Will you regularly pray for Jacob and Tyler, Brandon and Sandy, Yvonne and Sonia, Levi and Jolie, as well as Emerson, Elliot, Lucas, Asher, Cade, and Adalie? Amen. Parents, you may be seated. We now move to the time of dedication for the children. And I would like to do this in the form of a spoken prayer. Would you pray with me? Lord, these tiny hands are so trusting. They're so innocent. And yet, they will grow in a world that has been tainted by hatred, greed, sin, and darkness. Lord, protect these children. We give them to You. Lord, the future seems so uncertain, and yet, we look at these children and mysteriously, we have hope. Guide their way, Lord. Make their paths straight and give them strength. We give these little ones to You. As parents, spiritual leaders, teachers, mentors, friends, and family, Lord, anoint us to give them an overwhelming sense of security that can only come from You. Anoint us as ministers, Lord. We want them to see You in every aspect of our lives. When they are hurting, may we minister to them through Your power. When they fail, may we offer them the same grace that You offer us. When they are lonely, may we reach out to them and commune with them and remind them that You will never leave us nor forsake us. That You are Jehovah Shammah, the God who is present. If their body and mind is attacked by illness and disease, may they look to You. You are Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. If they experience defeat, may they look to You. You are Jehovah Nissi. You are our victory. If they are needy and poor, may they reach to You. You are Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider. If they are lost, and if they feel they do not have a purpose, guide them. You are Jehovah Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd. We give these little lambs to You. Lord, this is our prayer for them. We pray that You will be their Shepherd, that they will not be left in need. Lord, make them to lie down in green pastures. May You lead them beside the still waters. May You restore their soul. May You lead them into paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. Yes, even though they will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, may they fear no evil for You are with them. May Your rod and Your staff comfort them. May You prepare a table before them in the presence of their enemies. May You anoint their head with oil. May their cup run over. May goodness and mercy follow them all the days of their life. And we pray that they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And all of God's people said, Amen, Amen. Kingsgrove, we have names to our blessing right here on these two pews. We have a quiver full of children according to Psalm 127. We have a great responsibility and privilege. I have concerns as a parent what my children will face in the years to come. I have concerns as a pastor what your children will face in the years to come. As I look around this morning, I am encouraged. If my child and your child has this many friends and family to help and support them through the years, then they will be able to stand strong and firm on the promises, provisions, and power of God. They will be able to speak with their enemies in the gate and say, not today, Satan. You will not prevail. You will not destroy. You will not tear down what God has brought together. Church, we have great privileges that come with great responsibilities. The same for you, parents. The same for me as your pastor. And I think I can speak on behalf of all of these faces out here. We're here. If you need us, we're here. We love you. We're praying for you. And as I close this morning, I have two great privileges and opportunities this morning. I'm going to ask Isabella, if you will come. Stand before me. Right down here, sweetie. Sorry, I told you up there. Then I moved. Isabella, a couple weeks ago, talked after service. And she gave her heart to the Lord. And she comes forward this morning for a candidate for Believer's Baptism. Amen, so just say hello to everybody who wants to celebrate with Isabella. Let it be known by saying amen. Amen. Amen. We will look to schedule that in the upcoming weeks. We're looking at the end of June, I believe it was, for that to happen. So if you are a candidate for baptism as well, I'd love to have a conversation with you about that and talk with you some more about that. That's one of the great privileges we have. And I have another great privilege with the Durham series to Levi and Jolie. If you'll come and stand on this side. Levi and Jolie come this morning as a candidate for membership to the Kingsgrove family. And so I'll present them to you this morning. Do I have a motion we accept their application for membership? You got a second? Second, amen. So y'all, amen. So let's all stand together as I close this in prayer. And y'all come and celebrate with these two and with these families that are here this morning. Lord God, thank You again for all Your blessings. Thank You for the great privileges we have. Lord, I pray that You will draw us close to You, because when we're close to You, that's where we find our power, our strength, our understanding, and our ability to live for You and to do everything that Your Word has called us to do. We praise You this morning for all Your blessings. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.