|
INTRODUCTION
Our text today and next Sunday is Deut. 6:4-9. It is the great Jewish Confession of Faith -
“Shema.” From Hebrew word “Hear.”
Faithful Jews would recite this morning and evening. Thus this paragraph was the foundation of the theology and teaching in Jewish
family, and gives us lessons on how to raise our children and grandchildren.
In fact, Jesus affirmed that the greatest commandment in the law was stated in this Shema (Matt 22:36-38 - Love God).
TITLE is from v. 7
1. The Truth of God vs. 4-6
- Who is God and how do we relate to Him?
- v. 4 “LORD” = Yahweh/Jehovah - covenant name of God
- “God” = Elohim, all powerful sovereign God
- God is = The One, eternal, all powerful, self-existing God. Ryrie says should be translated: “The LORD is our
God, the LORD alone.”
- There is no other God than the LORD God. Isaiah 43:10b-11,13; 44:6
- The world, our flesh, and devil offer us alternative gods, all false, who deceive and destroy 1 John 2:15-17 -
the abuse of money, sex, and power.
- v. 5 There is One God, Scripture shows He exists in three persons - He is a God of relationship, and we can
have a relationship with Him - How?
- We are to love fully, with our whole being. The One God is to be the most important person in our life, receives our
complete devotion.
- We so often look at our relationship with God as a DOING relationship, what we must do for God, service for God. That
is not the priority, the first desire God has for us is a desire for Him, a BEING relationship.
- The God who loves us seeks a love relationship with us. Love = a passion, commitment to Him, He is the center of our
life, the hub of the wheel of our live and everything revolves around Him.
- v. 6 Godliness, holiness is living our life according to His commands and in complete obedience to His
revealed Word. This Holy God we are to believe eternally and trust completely. “Heart, soul, might”
- spirit, soul and body. So real and penetrating, that these very words our in our heart.
- Do you love God? Is He on the Throne of your life?
2. The Teaching of Godliness vs.7-9
- Godly people love God and diligently love to teach the truth of God and godly living to their children they love. You
can’t teach this unless you love God first. If it is in your heart, it will flow out of our heart.
- v. 7a NIV “Impress them on your children” NLT “Repeat them again and again to your
children”
- “diligently” = to point, to pierce through, to sharpen, to whet, to enforce.
- Not a passive task, but an active responsibility, one which the teacher is committed to teach and talk, model and
mentor as a lifestyle.
- “son” this is one place where gender neutral can be applied, “ben” = son, boy, but
also child, descendant. Can be translated “children”
- vs. 7-9 gives examples of where to teach. In all circumstances - at home, walking around, going to bed,
getting up in the morning. Carry God's word around with you, post them in your house.
ILLUS: What is talked about around your house? What is hanging on your walls? Where is the Bible? Do you look for,
create, seize teachable moments?
- Share a few lessons I have learned the the hard way, by experience.
ILLUS: I have been in ministry 28 years, I remember preaching about family life when our daughter Holly was a baby,
now Holly and has a baby and another on the way. I was expert then, I now have 28 yrs of experience of being a
parent, but I am no longer an expert.
- First, I have learned raising kids is hard work, an active job. Not a passive job. Not a “whatever will be will
be” or “live and let live.” You have to be active in all parts of their training and discipline
“teach them diligently.” Takes a lot of prayer, patience, practice - then it is
over with.
- Secondly, Bible gives the primary responsibility for raising kids to the parents, not to the church or to the state.
Don’t have the assumption that “I will let the school teach them the academics, and I will let the church
take care of the spiritual stuff and I will do the rest.”
- NO WAY. You need to make sure your children are taught and taught right. You are accountable. You can receive help from
the church, we can provide examples, resources, instruction along side yours.
- NT says to parents: Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20-21 - with heavier duties to fathers. “teach them
diligently” with effort - parents accountable.
- The church has a role of assistance. We are searching for a Youth Pastor, but his role is to assist parents, not to
take their place.
- What about the state? As our culture becomes more post-Christian, or pagan, for us to “teach them
diligently” godliness we will be going against culture (the state). There will be times you will have to re-
teach what the school, media, community teaches. Children are being indoctrinated into false beliefs - evolution,
permissive immorality, bad examples. God has been kicked out of arenas, devil has filled the void. Education is not
morally neutral, somebody’s is taught.
ILLUS: If Iowa follows Massachusetts educational system in regard to gay rights and homosexual marriage, that way
of life will be taught and promoted in our public school system within months. What are you parents going to do?
Teachers, school boards members, etc.? That is one problem of many.
- Please re-examine the role of the state in your child’s education.
- Thirdly, it is not enough to teach children and youth to be good, but to be godly. We want them to have good grades, be
the good kids in school, be good at helping around the house, be good citizens in the community doing their 80 plus
hours community service for school. And be good kids swimming upstream of all the bad behavior around them, But being
good is not good enough, they need to be godly. Need to love God wholly. 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 1:5-7
CONCLUSION
Next week, Part 2, how to teach and what to teach? Parents are you teaching your children diligently to love God? How can you
improve?
|
