We had the letter of Paul to the Colossians, and today we come to this mighty statement about children and their parents. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children lest they become discouraged. I really have two sermons today, the first one's for the children, and then the second one's for the parents, so I hope you children will be wide awake and listening at the beginning. We've heard some wonderful things in this letter of Paul to the Colossians. We've also heard some rather terrible things. We heard about these false teachers that were coming in there to undo much of the work of the Apostle Paul. They wanted to bring a lot of Old Testament ceremonialism back into the church. And they wanted to get away from the text of the Bible into a kind of mystical theorizing and speculation about angels and the like. And they wanted to turn away from God's way of holiness to a kind of monastic way of living, where you go off by yourself and you live in a cell and you try there to find a way to be holy. Well, against all of those errors, the Apostle Paul is setting forth now in a very practical way the application of the great principles that he has been setting before us. And I believe it is of the utmost importance that he begins with the institution of the Christian family. First of all, with the relationship of wives and husbands, and now today the relationship of children and their parents. I also would have you notice that in both of these, he begins with those who are in a position of submission. Wives, submit to your own husbands comes first, and then it says husbands love your wives. Likewise, in verse 20 it says first, children obey your parents, and then after that it says, fathers, do not provoke your children. Now it could be argued that the Apostle Paul puts it in that order because he wants to emphasize subordination, wants to put the emphasis on the necessity of being in submission. But you know, it's just also quite possible that he puts it in that order for exactly the opposite reason, stating the thing first that was pretty well accepted even in the ancient Roman world, that wives should be in submission to their husbands. Even the pagans recognized that. That children should obey their parents. Even the Romans recognized that. so that he might then put the emphasis upon the second of each of these couplets, husbands and then fathers, because their responsibility is the greatest. If you go back and study some of the Old Testament prophets, you'll find that they often used this methodology. They would talk about God's wrath coming on the Moabites, and the Israelites would rejoice to hear it. They'd say, too right, that's what they deserve. And then the Amalekites would be put under the judgment of God, and the Israelites would say, Amen to that. And then after five or six of these, the prophet would say the same thing about Israel, only more so, and then it really stuck, and it really hurt, and they really felt it. And so I am inclined to think that the reason why wives are mentioned first and then husbands Children first and then parents is because the heavier responsibility is saved for last. Having said that then, we take a look at what he says first to children. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Now, to my mind, the first thing that is of tremendous importance here is the fact that the Apostle directly speaks to the children in the Colossian Church. Don't forget this letter was written to the faithful saints and brethren in Christ in Colossae. I don't think Paul would have spoke like this or written directly to the children if he had the Baptist theory of the Christian church, which is the children don't belong to the church until they become adults and of their own free will accept Christ and are then as adults baptized by total immersion and become part of the Christian church. I cannot see how Paul could directly address children that are not members of the Church in a letter written to the members of the Church of Colossae. But Paul does speak to children. If I went away and wrote a letter back to this congregation, I wouldn't just write to the wives and the husbands and the employers and employees. and leave out the children. I wouldn't do that because the children are members of the Church of Jesus Christ and they belong to the Lord and are baptized for that reason and therefore are subject to His direct instruction. So as members of the Church, children, what does God say to you? Well, He says it is your duty to obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord." It pleases the Lord when you obey your parents in all things. You know, every human being, except for Adam and Eve, they're the one exception. In the whole history of mankind, every human being has begun life in the position of subordination. There was a time when Abraham Lincoln was just a child under the authority of his father and mother. There was a time when the great Winston Churchill was just a little boy under the authority of his parents. And why was it that the parents of Abraham Lincoln had authority over him when he was a little boy? Well, the answer is because Almighty God Himself has made the human family that way. And God himself has appointed and clothed with authority these parents to have mastery over their children. And of that there can be no doubt whatsoever from two very important facts in the Bible. One is the fact that when God Almighty himself came down on Mount Sinai To reveal his will to Moses, he wrote ten commandments on stone. And those commandments deal with the most important things in life. God put down in that commandment that we're not supposed to ever worship any other god but him. And he said we're not supposed to try to imagine any likeness of that true and living God, because it can't be done. And he told us we're not supposed to ever speak his name without reverence, we're not to take his name in vain. And we are to remember his day and keep it holy and right next to that he says, we are to honor our father and our mother that our days may be long upon the land that the Lord our God gives us. And so the authority of our parents is clearly stated in the one revelation that God himself made literally by writing on stone with his own finger. So parents have authority from God by his appointment. And therefore, if you children do not obey your parents, Don't ever think that that's just a sin against your parents. It's not just a sin against your parents, it's also a sin against God. Because if you disobey your parents at the same time you are disobeying God. The only exception to that would be if your parents wanted you to do something wrong against God. But apart from that, if you don't obey your parents, just remember this, you're disobeying God, too, because he's the one who said that. And the second thing that thoroughly confirms this is the fact that Jesus Christ himself, the divine Son of God, who came down from heaven and took upon himself our nature, and was born as a little baby and grew up in a household and in a family, He himself, even though he was the only human being after the fall of Adam, whoever lived on this earth without sin, who never had a wrong thought, who never had a sinful desire, that Jesus submitted himself to the authority of Mary and Joseph. The Bible says he went down to Nazareth and was subject to them. Now, why was Jesus subject to two imperfect, sinful human beings? Well, the answer is because he didn't want to disobey God. And God said, Jesus, honor your father and mother that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you. Jesus had the same fifth commandment that you and I have. And the reason why he submitted himself to Mary and Joseph was not because he felt like it necessarily, certainly not because he thought he had perfect parents, but because his Heavenly Father commanded him to do it. Quite a few years ago now, back in the 60s, we were in New Zealand. And the phenomenon of rebellion that was present in North America was also present there. And there are these young people who called themselves Jesus freaks. At that time I had a radio broadcast in New Zealand, and I remember that I decided to tackle that subject, and I did it by preaching about the real Jesus freaks. And I said the real Jesus freaks are those who are like Jesus himself. And in this modern context, that means they are completely out of line with the consensus of the young people of New Zealand. And instead of rebelling against their parents, they are subject to them. Instead of doing their own thing, they are doing what father and mother tell them to do. And I proceeded in that message to prove from the Bible that Jesus was subject, until he was thirty years old, he was subject to the authority of Mary and Joseph. Nothing I ever did on the radio ever got the kind of response that did. It caused quite a bit of interest and excitement. Well, that's why the Bible, God's holy word, doesn't say very much directly to children. Do you want to go through the Bible sometime, you children, and find out how many times God speaks directly to you as a child? You won't find very many. And I believe that almost without exception, the only thing he'll keep saying to you in the Fifth Commandment, in Ephesians, here in Colossians, he'll just keep saying to you children, obey your parents. Now why does God put such a tremendous emphasis on you children obeying your parents? Because you are today in the most important school of life. Now the foundation is being laid for your life. And that is what is wrong with our nation today. That foundation has not been laid over the past couple of generations. You see, children, if you do not learn from the word go, as we say, If you do not learn how to obey your father and mother at home because God has commanded it, then how in the world will you ever learn to obey the elders of the church when they come to exhort you? Or the civil authorities that God has put over you in the county, in the state, and in the nation. I can see very clearly that some of you older people here were not brought up right, because you do not respect God-given authority. It makes no difference to me what you think of me personally. I am a minister of Jesus Christ. And when I come to you with the Bible, and exhort you, and you pay no attention, you show by that very thing that you were not brought up right. Would you do the same thing to a police officer? I suppose you would. If you never learn to obey the lawful commands of your parents, then you're not going to do it very well either with the authorities of the state. and of the church. I say it again, I can see that some of the older people were not brought up right, because you do not show respect for God-given authority in the office of elder. Shall I read it for you again? Obey those who rule over you and be submissive. because they watch out for your souls as those who must give account. That's just as much Bible as the fifth commandment is. In fact, it is just an extension, an application of the fifth commandment. Why should I obey my father and mother? Because God says so. Why should I obey the civil authority? Because God says so. Shall I read it for you again? Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Why do I have to obey the police officer? Because God says so. Why do I have to obey the elders of the church? Because God says so in their lawful commandments. The only good reason why I or you or anybody else should obey any other person is because they are clothed with divinely given authority. They have received an appointment by God and are clothed with an authority from God. That's true of fathers and mothers in the home. Where did they get authority over their children? From God. The elders in the church, where did they get authority over me? And by the way, I'm under authority as much as anybody else in this church is. From God? Where did the civil magistrate get authority over me? How did George Sinner get authority over me? God gave it to him. They all get their authority from God, and that is why we must obey them. So you children, while you are still under your parents at home, learn to obey them in all things. If they say, then you must do. If they say no, then you must not. That doesn't mean they're always right. Doesn't mean that everything they say has God's total and complete approval. But it means that by submitting ourselves to them, In all their lawful commands, even the ones that seem to be a little bit hard, we are in fact submitting ourselves to God who put them in authority over us. And the wonderful thing about that submission is this. If you're doing it for God, And you know that your pleasing God is not nearly so difficult. If I didn't have the assurance in my heart that in obeying lawful authority I was really obeying God, it would be a lot harder for me. But when I know that I am obeying God primarily, and these various human authorities appointed by him secondarily, then it's really not difficult. In fact, it's a joy. Because for every real Christian, it is a joy to obey the Lord. Okay, parents, you've heard what I've had to say to the children. Now let me say a few things to the parents. Because there is a corresponding duty from the side of parents, and here's what it says. Fathers, don't provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Now to start with, parents, I think you can see that Paul already makes a very important assumption. What is that assumption? The assumption is that these Christian fathers in the Church of Colossae, they are going to insist that their children obey them. And you're not a good Christian parent if you don't. The number one lesson that you can teach your children is that your spoken word has authority that must be respected and obeyed. If you're not teaching your children that, you are a washout. Zero is your score, okay? Because it certainly wouldn't be a father who lets his children do whatever they like and never corrects them and doesn't make them obey his spoken word who would provoke them. How would he provoke them? He didn't discipline. They might be messed up and they might be ruined, but they wouldn't be provoked. And they wouldn't be discouraged. I never saw a kid that was discouraged who always got his own way. That doesn't discourage kids. So the assumption is that this Christian father in Colossae, he is insisting on obedience to parental commandments. Why then do they become provoked or discouraged? Well, it seems to me that there are two primary reasons. And the first is what I would call the inconsistency of the parents in dealing with their children. And I've seen that so many times as a pastor. I don't want to say I've seen it here so many times, but I've been a pastor 40 years and I've seen it many times. You go and visit a family and mother says, Johnny, pick up your toys, put them away. Johnny doesn't pay any attention whatsoever. Five minutes later, Johnny, I told you to pick up your toys. If you don't do it, I'm going to spank you. No response at all. Half an hour later, Johnny, didn't I tell you to pick up those toys? Nothing has happened. And nothing does happen. Until you're about to leave and Johnny happens, by accident, to tip over a vase worth a hundred bucks and it's smashed. And boy, does he get clobbered then. You see? Well, that's a wrong scale of values. A hundred dollars isn't much when it comes to the importance of a child, but breaking God's commandment and getting away with it time after time after time, paying no attention to the spoken word of the parent, that's a million-dollar offense, folks. But there's an inconsistency there. Something that's hardly a fault, more of an accident than a fault, gets severe discipline. And something that is, in our society is accepted as nothing but in the eyes of God, is something big, namely ignoring parental commands, is not dealt with at all. Inconsistency. And then sometimes parents almost automatically put the blame on the child that is older. I don't know if that happens in this congregation, but I've certainly seen it many times. The child that is older gets automatic blame when there's trouble, when there's controversy. And I can tell you, because I once was a child too, that can discourage you. It really can. And it can even provoke you to terrible thoughts of anger. So we have to be careful that we are not too severe, that we are just, that we don't jump to conclusions. We all want our children to grow up to be what God intended. But I can tell you, too, some sad stories that I've come across in the ministry of people who were really damaged severely by their parents because they grew up with a sense, an overwhelming sense, that in the eyes of their parents they were just failures because they never measured up to the expectation of their parents. I knew a minister who really made shipwreck of his career because of the latent effects of that in his life. Now that's why it's so terribly important, you parents, that you also give your children a Christian education, so that what they hear Sunday in the church from the pulpit, they also hear in the home and see in the home, and then also learn in the classroom. How can any child have an education but is of any value if it is not qualified by the revelation of God. We're now talking in the public area about trying to bring some kind of ethics back into the school systems of America. You can't bring ethics in without God, folks, because there's no foundation for ethics. Why is one thing right and another thing wrong? If you don't have God, there's no answer to that question. You'll never answer that question. So it's very important for you parents to give your children a Christian education. And it's the fathers who have the ultimate responsibility to see that this is done. Well, now you can see, parents, that the Christian life, the way Paul is setting it forth, is far more demanding, full-orbed in its demands than the monastic order. Just compare that monk in his cell, thinking about nothing but his little self, and this godly father and mother with children that they're bringing up in the Lord in the midst of that ungodly Roman Empire. No comparison. No comparison at all. But I'm here to tell you that if our nation is ever to recover again, anything like the moral integrity and strength it once had, it will have to come from families that are willing to do this. Husbands and wives who are willing to be in submission to the Word of God and who are willing to bring their children up in the way God says they are to be brought up. That is the number one need in America today. Families that are really Christian and are structuring their entire life on the basis of these biblical principles. If that doesn't happen, it will get worse and worse. There will be more and more anti-authority, defiance among the young people, and destruction throughout the social order. So one of the highest priorities, in my opinion, for the Christian Church today, if it wants to be a faithful witness for Jesus Christ, is right here. Giving out tracts on the street corner doesn't even begin to compare with the witness value of some Christian families that are ordered to write according to the Word of God. Because the Church of Christ, right from the start, right there in Colossae, was built on covenant families conformed to the will of God. Imagine that, in the Roman Empire, in the city of Colossae, Here was something really different. Families that belonged to God and were covenantally minded and ordered, and a congregation of God's people made up of such people. Well, you can see what that would do for the whole social order. And I believe that if we, however small and insignificant we may seem to be, if we will do this again, and others with us throughout the land, the seed will be planted and a glorious day will come again for the Christian Church. If you ever think the Christian Church can be mighty again without covenant families ordered according to the Word of God, forget it, folks. That's just more of the same rubbish we've had in this country, a rampant individualism. has almost destroyed the church. We need covenant families again, ordered according to the word of God. Now one final thing. I exhort you, fathers and mothers, realize the magnitude of the privilege that is yours for a short time, and the responsibility that goes with it. Do your utmost while this opportunity is yours. because it will not be yours very long. If there's one thing I could wish that I could do all over again, it would be to do a better job in this sphere. I even have to confess the sin of putting too much work into the church activities and not enough in covenant family nurture. But I know one thing. This is God's way, and if we will only do it, His blessings will abound. Psalm 107 puts it like this, When this the upright ones observe, they greatly shall rejoice, and all unrighteousness ashamed shall cease to raise its voice. Is any wise? He'll heed these things which verses here record, and will consider well the love and kindness of the Lord. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers and mothers, don't provoke your children lest they become discouraged. Amen. Our Father in Heaven, we thank you this day for the apostolic revelation of your divine will for us as parents and for our children. Lord God, grant that in this congregation of Jesus Christ the Word of God may be taken seriously, and grant that we may manifest this as we strive with all our heart to be faithful covenant-keeping families. In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen.