Ground Zero: Children
Children, obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline]. 2 Honor [esteem, value as precious] your father and your mother [and be respectful to them]—this is the first commandment with a promise— 3 so that it may be well with you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.
Ephesians 6:1-3
In Ephesians, the first point of action is: obedience (compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority) *submission: a voluntary attitude of cooperation and responsibility
Obey your parents in the Lord.
Biological parents
Spiritual Father and Mother
We obey unless it’s sinful or harmful to us.
We obey with our actions.
Accept their guidance
Accept their discipline
They are God’s representatives on earth.
This is a position worthy of honor and respect.
This is good news!
As you obey you will be taught wisdom.
As you obey you will be taught self-discipline.
Taught that life is not about getting to do all the stuff you want to do. Life unto Christ is about learning to submit the flesh to the Spirit. Parents have the responsibility of training us up in the Lord. A life unto the Lord, is a life of discipline unto Him.
It is good for our parents to tell us no. It is good for our parents to set boundaries and limits. This matures us and teaches us how to live a life in submission to the Holy Spirit.
As we learn to obey our parents, it prepares us to learn to obey His Spirit.
Some of us struggle to obey the Spirit because we were not taught to obey our parents.
You can choose to obey today!
Submit the flesh to the Spirit and choose obedience.
In Ephesians, the second point of action is: honor (true obedience flows from a place of honor)
Honor your father and mother (feelings/heart posture)
HONOR | Through His Eyes Relationships are protected when we ascribe heaven’s value to the people around us. Like Jesus, we choose to interact with others, not as they deserve, but according to their God given value.
Esteem, value as precious, not treat them as common
Honor begins in the heart.
“From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Luke 6:45
Honor is displayed in deed, word and thought.
From the heart: the deed is done, the word is said, the thought is had…
How do I serve my parents?
How do I speak to my parents?
What do I think about my parents?
Honor always comes with a reward.
Heaven’s currency
This is the only commandment with a promise (with a clear reward):
It would go well with you.
Experience His peace, protection, provision, covering
You would live a long life on earth.
You will not die prematurely
You will accomplish what He has set out for you.
Dishonor
To treat as common;familiar
Honoring a father and mother can be so hard!
We become familiar with them.
We begin to treat them as common.
We see them at their worst and know them intimately!
The same can be said of our Spiritual parents!
Dishonor grows over time.
The more familiar you grow with someone, the greater the temptation is to dishonor them.
“Familiarity breeds contempt”
The feeling that a person is beneath you.
Jacob & Reuben (Genesis 35:22)
The oldest son of Israel[a] was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. 1 Chronicles 5:1
As Leah’s firstborn, imagine the imperfections he saw in Jacob?
Reuben lost his reward. He lost his inheritance & birthright.
We miss out on heaven’s reward when we dishonor in deed, word or thought.
Will you choose honor regardless of the imperfections you see?
Dishonor is seen in how we respond to our fathers and mothers:
Our words
Our tone
Our eye rolling
Disgusted looks
Dragging feet to carry out a request
Complaining
Loss of joy
Thinking their counsel is beneath you
You never have the right to dishonor your parents.
“Cursed is he who dishonors his father and mother. All the people shall say, Amen”. Deuteronomy 27:16 AMPC
God takes dishonor seriously.
We command a curse over our lives when we dishonor our parents
They are God’s representatives, holy, we should treat them with high regard.
Dishonor restrains the work of the Lord in your life.
Jesus was restrained in Nazareth.
Dishonor limited the work of God in the peoples’ life.
Dishonor will limit the work God wants to do in your life.
Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 5So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. Mark 6:5-6
The life of David
Jesse neglected to bring him forth when Samuel asked to see his sons.
Jesse refers to him as small aka worthless one.
David is anointed king before the eyes of his father.
He never dishonors him and continues to serve his father by tending to his sheep.
David is anointed king and goes right back to serving his father.
It would take nearly 15 years for David to step into his calling.
He never allows the anointing over his life to puff him up.
He never allows his anointing to keep him from serving.
You may be called, anointed to do a lot of things, but never allow that to puff you up!
Remain a servant to all.
That is how you keep your anointing and call.
In fact, even when he is called to serve Saul and play the harp, David travels back and forth from his father’s home to continue to tend his father’s sheep.
When Saul begins to attempt to kill David, he seeks out his father and mother and places them in a city where they will be protected from harm.
“Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, ‘Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.’” 1 Samuel 22:3
David’s honor extended to his father in-law.
Saul dishonored David, was jealous of him, plagued him, wanted his life
David still choose honor.
Would not speak ill of him
Called him the Lord’s anointed one (1 Sam 26:9)
Would not harm him
The cave of Adullam (1 Sam 22) & many other times
Sought out reconciliation with him (1 Sam 22)
I could have harmed you, but have not. I am not against you.
Called him father (1Sam 24:10)
Those close to David encouraged him to kill Saul (1 Sam 22)
People may encourage you to dishonor, don’t fall for the temptation.
Don’t lose your reward.
The reward over David’s life is clear (1 Sam & 2 Sam; many Psalms)
He is declared a man after God’s own heart.
He entered into deep intimacy with the Father.
He is given revelation of the coming Messiah.
He establishes a house of 24/7 prayer and worship (as in heaven) all in pursuit of creating a resting place for God.
The Son of God would come from his lineage, born in Bethlehem and be known as Son of David. (Gospel accounts)
Time of Ministry: Forgive the debt
They have messed up. They will mess up again.
Can you cancel their debt?
Your debt will be forgiven as you forgive your debtors.
Will you choose to honor regardless of their actions?
Honor originates in your heart.
“Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me” Isaiah 29:13
There is an opportunity to heal from past relationships with spiritual fathers and mothers.
Healing and Reconciliation is on their way; He is coming for a prepared people.
“and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” Luke 1:17
