Family Friendly Church in Kansas City | X5: YOLO

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Family was God’s design and as a Family Friendly Church in Kansas City we LOVE families! From our children’s ministry to, Life Groups and everything in between we want to incorporate the family as a unit.

 

The fifth commandment was said to be the first one listed on the second tablet. The first table dealt with our right relationship with God and the second one dealt with our right relationship with men and women. A person cannot be right with others unless he first gets right with God. A person also cannot be right with God if he does not treat other people right. They are interdependent on one another.

Many historians believe that a significant shift in American attitudes toward authority took place during the 1960s. It was the decade of the anti-establishment. Young people were anti-business, anti-government, anti-military, and anti-school. But of all the institutions that came under attack, perhaps the most significant was the family.

Annie Gottlieb is one of many participants who identify “the Sixties” as “the generation that destroyed the American family.” She writes, “We might not have been able to tear down the state, but the family was closer. We could get our hands on it. And… we believed that the family was the foundation of the state, as well as the collective state of mind…. We truly believed that the family had to be torn apart to free love, which alone could heal the damage done when the atom was split to release energy. And the first step was to tear ourselves free from our parents.”

What makes Gottlieb’s analysis so chilling is the connection she draws between the family and the state. She’s right: The way to destroy a nation is to destroy the family, and the way children can destroy the family is by disobeying their parents.

Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 (NLT)

 

This commandment is attached to the promise of a long life.  There is no age limit to this commandment.  You can be 80 and your parents 100 years old and you would still need to honor them.

 

There are no perfect parents.  The only perfect parent is God the Father.  Parents can often feel unworthy of honor because they have made mistakes.  Are we to ignore abuse or neglect?  Of course not but we do need to honor the position of parenthood regardless of the personality behind it.  This is a critical lesson we must all learn.  It determines how well we do in school, work, or other areas of life.  Respect for authority begins at home.

 

Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.  Proverbs 15:5 NLT

 

While children should heed the counsel of their parents it is scriptures like these that should convict us as parents to live a life according to God’s Word.

 

Strange behavior in many areas is connected with our relationship with our parents.  Surveys have shown that people who get along with their parents generally have more peace in their lives.

 

Just how then are we to honor our parents?

 

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. Eph 6:1 NLT.

 

But how should we obey?  We should obey quickly, willingly, and pleasingly.  

 

Dwight Moody  said this, “I wouldn’t give a snap of my finger for a religion that doesn’t begin at home and doesn’t regulate conduct toward parents.”   

 

As long as you’re under your parent’s roof you’re to obey  them.  When you’re out on your own that’s a different issue.  But as long as they are providing for you and you’re dependent upon them, the Bible says, you are to obey them.

 

Anyone who steals from his father and mother and says, “What’s wrong with that?” is no better than a murderer.   Proverbs 28:24 (NLT)

 

Proverbs 19:26 (MSG) Kids who lash out against their parents are an embarrassment and disgrace.

 

Proverbs 19:26 (NASB) He who assaults his father and drives his mother away Is a shameful and disgraceful son.

 

Young people you can show honor to your parents by accepting them and appreciating them.  When you were young your parents were your  hero.. Now that you are older you can see their hang ups, faults, and gaps in their armor.  But you can still show honor.

 

You can accept them by remembering God used them to bring you into the world.  Remember life is  a gift.

 

You can listen to what they are telling you.  When you are out on your own you may not be bound to obey but you should still listen.

 

You can forgive. When we live together as a family we can hurt each other intentionally or unintentionally.  We don’t honor the sin.  But when we forgive we show honor to the other person.

 

You can remember the good.  Stop dwelling on everything they did wrong and think on what they did right.

 

How do we appreciate our parents?

 

We can start by appreciating the effort.  Parenting is difficult, time consuming, and energy draining,  Can you stop and just appreciate the sacrifice?  

 

You can affirm them. Don’t abandon them. Consider this little story…

 

On her 60th birthday, a woman from Brooklyn decided to prepare her last will and testament. She went to her rabbi to make two final requests: First, she insisted on cremation. “What is your second request?” the rabbi asked. “I want my ashes scattered over the mall.” “The mall. Why over the mall?” the rabbi said. “Then I’ll be sure that my daughters visit me twice a week.”

 

Visit your parents, text them, call them.  And do these things often.  Acknowledge their contribution.

 

Do not hold back anything good from those who are entitled to it when you have the power to do so.  Proverbs 3:27 (GW)

 

Affirm your parents now.  Do the right thing while you’ve got time to do it.  All the flowers in the world at their funeral won’t do them one bit of good.   Send it to them while they’re alive, not when they’re dead.  

 

There is a shameful tragedy in our society today where busy families are abandoning the elderly and the aged die all alone.  It is not the government’s job to care for your elderly parents it’s yours.   There was a time when you were bathed, fed, and provided for by your parents.  Now you may need to do this for them.

 

But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.  1 Timothy 5:8 (NLT)

 

It is interesting to me that when Jesus Christ died on the cross, dying for the sin of the world, one of the things that He did not forget was to care for His ageing mother after He was gone.

 

Hanging on the cross, dying in pain, one of the seven last things He said looking down at John the disciple, “Take care of My mother.”  

 

Back to us parents for a moment…Be HONORABLE.

 

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 (NLT)

 

Dad, don’t be a provoker!!!

 

Fathers, don’t make your children bitter about life. Instead, bring them up in Christian discipline and instruction.  Ephesians 6:4 (GW)

 

Don’t give commands with out meaning, demands without teaching, or discipline without love.

 

This can be a painful message.  It’s easy to honor your parents when they were a blessing, but some of you were wounded deeply.  God’s not asking you to deny the pain.  He wants you to face it head on.

 

What some of you need to do is to prayerfully have a talk with your parents.  

Set down and say, “I want to get it behind us and get on with life and I want to forge a new relationship with you.”  

 

For those of you who were abandoned by one, or maybe both of your parents, God says this,

He is a father to the fatherless; he gives justice to the widows, for he is holy.  Psalm 68:5 (TLB)

You get special attention from God.  In the Scriptures, God says He assumes responsibility for abandoned children.

 

“My father and mother may abandon me, but the Lord will take care of me.” Psalm 27:10  (GN)  

 

He is the perfect Father who will never leave nor forsake you.

 

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.  “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise:   If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 (NLT)

 

Many people look nearly 100 percent to nutrition and exercise for good health. But the Scripture relates health and length of life to intangibles like honoring our fathers and mothers.

The Scripture also says, A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.  Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)

I think we should emphasize honoring our parents and having the joy of the Lord.  Remember YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE.

 

PRAY THIS

 

Father I thank you for my parents who gave me life.  I choose to honor them.  I understand by doing so I also honor You.   I choose also to walk in mercy and forgiveness.  Amen.

 

MEDITATE ON THIS

 

But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.  1 Timothy 5:8 (NLT)