PARENTING: ANCIENT AND MODERN

Raising Children In The Fear of God For Positive Impact on Society

Deut.6:4-7; Prov.22:6; 1Kings 3:6-9; Psalm 44:12

The Bible is full of wonderful teachings on how to instruct our children, showing them love, giving them the necessary nourishment, instructing them in the fear of God, correcting them when they make mistakes and teaching them to know right and wrong. As we progress you will notice that this Bible method of child upbringing is vastly different from what is used by many societies and government bodies. The Bible method of parenting is the most excellent way. Children brought up in true Christian homes are equipped to positively impact the society. A true Christian home with godly fathers and mothers is the best environment for raising children in the fear of God and leading them to salvation in Christ Jesus.

CHILD TRAINING IN ANCIENT ISRAEL

Deut.6:4-9, 20-25

1.   Israelites were commanded to teach their children the Law and commandments of the Lord their God (Deut. 6:5-7). The process of this teaching was regular repetition and object lessons. In Israel this passage of Deuteronomy is known as the “Shema Israel” (שמע ישראל). It was recited morning and evening and every Sabbath by practicing Jews even till this day. This would enable them to know and apply the Law correctly in every situation.

From birth the Israelite child is brought in contact with the God of Israel. He is trained in the Law, the Commandments and Covenant of God. All male children are circumcised on the eighth day. At the age of five they enter the Torah school. At age 13 they undertake the Bar-Mitsvah – making them sons of the covenant between God and Abraham.

2.   Jewish parents were commanded to explain the meaning and the reason for the commandments to their children. It should remind them that God delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh and of Egyptian bondage. This deliverance was in accord with God’s promise to Abraham. They should teach the children to fear the Lord their God and to remain holy unto Him.

The book of Proverbs is full of practical instructions to children – sons:

Prov.1:8 - “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:”

Prov. 2:1 “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And hide my commandments with thee;”

Prov. 3:1 - “My son, forget not my law; But let thine heart keep my commandments:”

Prov.4:1 “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding.”

Prov. 5:1 - “My son, attend unto my wisdom, And bow thine ear to my understanding:”

Prov.23:26 - “My son, give me thine heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways.”

 

Education of children in ancient Israel centred in the family and for the child to become God fearing. By contrast Greek education was centred in the gymnasium and for the good of the city.

Bible education of children was directed at moral and spiritual virtue, but education in Egypt focused on preparing a young man to become a scribe for the government.

Bible education of children does not focus on social class, but in Egypt educational literature was largely for the elite.

Bible education of children begins with the fear of God as the source and goal of all wisdom. This has no parallel in ancient literature (see NIV Essential Study Bible p781).

GOVERNMENT POLICY ON CHILD UPBRINGING

There is a huge amount of material on parenting produced by the Scottish government: - Government Policy on Parenting, Scotland; Growing Up in Scotland. The Scottish government boldly declares,

 

 “We want to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up”.

The policy has this to say about parents: Parents – and by parents we are referring not just to mums and dads but anyone who is involved in raising children of any age – are the single biggest influence on a child’s life: caregiver, role model, teacher and guide all rolled into one.

 

There is a huge interest in child upbringing in the government and a strong pledge to support parents in this task. £18 million was committed to “universal parent and family support”; £20 million to support “prevention and early intervention”

 

The Government recognises the vital role of parents on loving and nurturing their children which will promote health, mental health and wellbeing.

 

It says that loving children does not mean always letting them have their own way, but involves, (i) providing a positive role model, (ii) setting appropriate boundaries and applying them consistently. This will lead to children developing acceptable behaviour, how to get along with other people, how to resolve differences in the appropriate way. In doing this, basic activities such as talking, listening, eating together, doing chores and playing together in the family are vital.

 

The UNCRC declares that positive parenting is the right of every child. “…the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.”

 

 

CHRISTIAN PARENTING TODAY

Deut.4:9-11; 6:4-9, 20-25; 2Tim.1:5; Eph.6:1-4; Prov.22:6; 23:13-28

There is abundant help for parents in the bible on how best to bring up your children. You can use what other legitimate means and resources available from government sources as additional support when necessary.

It is unwise as well as illegal to keep your children from proper public education for whatever reason.

What are the goals of Christian parenting (seek feedback from congregation)?

·        Overall health and positive development of the child

·        Providing a biblical role model for the child

·        Recognising the high position of children in God’s sight (Luke 18:16-17; Mat.18:3-4)

·        Teaching children the fear of the Lord

·        Teaching them to learn to respect and appreciate other people

·        Teaching, admonishing and nourish children with the Word of God

·        Leading children to place their trust in Jesus for their salvation

·        Providing them with biblical guiding principles for positive living in adult life.

·        Leading children to seek God’s wisdom for living (1Kg.3:6-9)

·        Protecting them from bad influence (excessive TV, internet, phone) which have the potential of jeopardizing their faith.

·        Providing a buffer against godless and dangerous worldviews.

·        When seeking help/advice to bring up children, seek from godly people, sound in the word of God. Not everything you see on television is right. Not every practice by other parents is good

·        Helping them to grow up with a godly and positive outlook as they face the world.

To do this requires that the parent should learn to be a positive role model. It is what you learn from God that you should teach your child. Many people leave the education of their children to be done by the government and the public institutions. But the government is not God and the public institutions are not the parents!

Follow the instruction in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 20-25. Do not teach your children any form of worldliness. They already see too much of it on TV, in school and from friends. There will be many times you will have to counter negative thought flows coming from external influence. There will be other times when you will have counter wrong teaching with the Word of God.

 

Proper Christian upbringing will prepare the child for the risky, even dangerous situations that life will surely present them. Following Bible pattern will equip the children to desire wisdom in every situation – wisdom above pleasure, wisdom above friendship, wisdom above wealth (1Kings 3:6-9). Parents must teach children differentiate between right and wrong. They should be taught how to stand for what they believe. If a child does not develop the ability to stand for their own conviction, they will fall to peer pressure.

 

To be successful in raising godly children you will need the help of God. To get God’s help you will first need to be saved (John 3:1-3). How do you get saved?

(i)                  Recognise your present situation (Rom.3:10) – that you are not good!

(ii)                 Recognize your sinful state (Rom.3:23) – you have sinned!

(iii)                Recognize the consequences of sin (Rom.6:23) – the wages of sin is death!

(iv)               Recognise that God does not want you to die in sin (Rom.5:8) – Jesus Christ died for you (John 3:16)

(v)                Repent and turn to Christ for salvation (Rom.10:9-13)

If you follow these simple steps you will become a born again Christian and you will be on your way to becoming a godly mode of a Christian parent. Children are the future of the Church and we must invest in them now.

 

 

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

v  May 26 (Monday), 2014: CHURCH/FAMILY OUTING DAY

Venue: Blaire Drummond Park

Participants: ALL MEMBERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS

v  May 30 – June 1, 2014: PRAYER AND FASTING/REVIVAL WEEKEND

Venue: To be Announced.

v  June 28, 2014: SCOTLAND DCLM REGIONAL WORKERS TRAINING SUMMIT

Venue: Westwood QHotels, Cumbernauld

Cost: £35 per participant.

CARNALITY AND IMATURITY IN THE CHURCH

1Cor. 1:10-17; 3:1-15

Brethren, I thank God for every opportunity to stand before you in this Church. God has been faithful who has been with us since this Church started and has brought us to this level of growth. It is my desire to continue to guide you according to the ethos of our Church and according to the unchanging word of God.

This morning my message is going to dwell on the first couple of chapters of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. There we shall see the apostle Paul working hard to keep the Church in Corinth on the right track.

 Why do divisions occur in the Church? The Church in Corinth had internal divisions.

ü Those divisions were coursed by worldly wisdom.

ü The congregation misunderstood the essential truths of the Gospel.

ü Their concept of the wisdom of God was wrong.

ü They had an improper attitude regarding church leaders.

ü They were selecting who to listen to and who is their preferred leader.

ü They demonstrated that they were mere infants in Christ (1Cor.3:1–4).

ü The Corinthian Church was influenced by worldly thinking and behaviour.

They did not recognize the fact that mere intellectual persuasion cannot save anyone. Salvation is far more profound, far more serious, far more important than can be handled by mere intellect.  Saving faith is produced by the Spirit's work in the heart of the believing person.

1. Christ, The Church's One Foundation
(1Cor.3:1-4; Mat.16:18-19; 1Pet.2:5-7).
Christ is the firm foundation of the Church. No one can lay any other foundation. Any other foundation will not be the Church of Christ. The Church is a spiritual edifice built around Jesus Christ. Christians are the living stones (1Pet.2:5). This building is held together by Christ the Corner Stone (1Pet.2:6-7).

 What is the Church?

It is not building for religious worship. It is not any body of religious worshippers. The Church is called by many names. It is the Body of Christ (Col.1:18); Temple (Eph.2:20-21); Bride (Rev.19:7; 21:2, 9); Royal Priesthood (1Pet.2:9); Holy Nation (1Pet.2:9); Flock (Acts 20:28; 1Pet.5:2-4).

Why is the Church here?

ü To spread the good news of the Kingdom (Mat.28:18-20).

ü To show forth the glory of God (1Peter 2:9-10)

ü It is here for a specific purpose, it is here on a privileged assignment – to work with the Holy Spirit to act as God’s ministers of reconciliation (2Cor.517-19).

This is done when the Church preaches the Gospel (1Cor.15:1-3). We are here to tell men that Christ died and rose again that their sins may be blotted out when they believe in Him!

It is the job of the members of the church to preach the good news because we are partakers of it, and we understand it.

The Church is also described as the Temple of God (1Cor.3:16-17). This places the Church in an enviable position. But it also leaves us in a position of great responsibility.

If the Church is the Temple of God, how should we act in it? How should we work in it? How should we relate in it (John 13:34-35)?

2. The Church’s Leaders, Builders And Carnality

(1Cor.3:1-15; Acts 18:24-28)
Corinth was a Roman colony, operating under Roman law and custom. It was also a city where many god’s were worshipped, and integrated into civic festivals and trade guilds, social clubs and everyday life. By virtue of its position Corinth was a confluence of many religions. The cult of Aphrodite – the goddess of love, beauty and procreation, was based in Corinth and honoured with numerous temples. Today it is still a place of holidaying.

You can compare the City of Glasgow with Corinth. Glasgow is a cultural city. A few years ago it became the European city of culture. This year it is hosting the Common Wealth Games. People from many nations will come into Glasgow. Glasgow has become a city of great cultural diversity. In a city like this, the Church will face challenges, even opposition. The Church must thrive under hostile atmosphere. 

No doubt the Corinthians would have reacted against the Church like the Athenians against Paul, calling them “setters forth of strange gods” (Acts 17:18).

It was not surprising that the Church in Corinth should be faced with the kind of problems we read in Paul’s letter to them. The surprising thing was that as a Church, they allowed themselves the overwhelmed by these problems, by the views and practices current in that pagan society.

Many Christians of our age are doing exactly the same thing! They are copying the current practices of the present godless society. Even big church leaders would come out and proclaim without shame, that Britain is a post-Christian nation! Many Christian leaders support and promote same sex relationship and marriage. It would not be surprising if in the future sins like adultery, fornication, stealing, even paedophilia would be approved in many societies as normal. May the Lord deliver us from all these.

The Corinthian Church had great leaders. Paul was their founder. The great Apollos was their teacher. He was known to be mighty in scriptures (Acts 18:24-28). He came from Alexandria in Egypt which was a well-known city of learning. At one time Alexandria had the most famous library in the world. It is a port city, a place many people still go for holiday.  Apollos, an eloquent, charismatic leader grew up in Alexandria.

So this Church had solid foundations in the Scriptures and in the power of the Holy Spirit. They boasted numerous spiritual gifts. This probably contributed to the divisive spirit among the members of this Church. It is also important to note that the Corinthians Church was established on a house Church model (Col.4:15; Philemon 1-2). It would not be inappropriate to suggest that this could have influenced their sin of party spirit!

So the apostle Paul wrote them letters designed to correct the errors prevalent in the Church. We need to be watchful also so that we do not allow errors to creep into our Churches because we are in similar situations as the Corinthian Church.

 3. The Countering of the Church’s Problems of Carnality.

(1Cor.1:10-16; 3:1-9)

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews called the Hebrew Christians babies in Christ, able only to digest the “sincere milk” of the word (Hebrews 5:6-14).

Everyone who uses only the milk of the word is unskillful in the word of righteousness.

In the next chapter we are charged to leave the first principles of the doctrine of Christ and move on to maturity. The first principles are the foundation to our faith. That is where we begin, but we must make progress, go beyond the milk of the word. Carnality is a product of immaturity. Grow up! How long are you going to remain a baby Christian? Go beyond the basic levels of righteousness (Mat.5:20).

 It is fundamental for Christians to love the brethren, for Christian husbands to love their wives, for Christian wives to love their husbands and for children to obey their parents.

But there is such a thing as loving your enemies, blessing those who curse you, doing good to those who hate you, praying for those who despitefully use you and persecute you (Mat.5:43-44). Now that is something! The Lord expects us to do more. Do more!

 The party spirit in Corinth was caused by carnality.  One party claimed Paul as their party leader. Another claimed Apollos as their leader. Yet another claimed Peter as their champion. And finally one group claimed Christ as their head!

The Church was riddled with interpersonal conflicts – quarrels, divisions, strife, jealousy, party spirit, gross immorality, and abuse of the Lord’s Supper, abuse of spiritual gifts, comingling with idol worshippers in their feasts, and taking one another to civil courts. This is nothing but worldliness (2Cor.2:20).

Leaders of the Church should take warning not to inadvertently cause party spirit, divisions, strife, conflicts or quarrels within the Church. Christ has not called us to make disciples unto ourselves. Apollos was a charismatic, eloquent leader, and that attracted worldly minded believers to make him their preferred speaker.
Thank God there is evidence that Apollos did not approve of this (1Cor.16:12).

 

We who are leaders and workers in this Church should learn from Apollos.

Deeper Life Bible Church in Scotland is one Church with branches in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow, with some work developing in Inverness. The challenges of our Church are comparable to those of the Corinthian Church. But by the grace of God and the individual care of our ministers, we will not fall prey to the problems of Corinth.

I do however charge you in this Church to honour your leaders according to scriptures (Rom.13:1-, 7; 1Thes.5:12-13). Our leaders know that they are making disciples unto Jesus Christ, preparing you for heaven.

They will do what is right.

The Lord wants us to come to maturity. That is why he gave spiritual gifts.

I close by reading (Eph.4:11-16).

Are you doing more than the basic things of our faith? Are you still using milk or have you began to digest strong meat? Have you started yet to advance to maturity? Is your love becoming perfect? Do you manifest party spirit? Let’s pray that God will lead us unto higher ground!