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Proverbs 1:7-9 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  Please take out your copy of God's Word, which I hope you have with you, that it's well read and treasured in your heart this morning and turn with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 1.
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  This morning we're taking a break from our verse by verse exposition of the sermon on the mount from Matthew chapter 5 through 7.
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  We've been working up to Matthew 5, 17 through 20. We've began to talk about the law and the gospel.
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  And I kind of charged into that whole thing, not really stopping to consider that today was Mother's Day.
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  And so this week I went, you know, let's not talk about the law and gospel from Matthew 5, 17 through 20 and Exodus 20 this morning.
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  But let's take a little time to consider all that it means to be a mother.
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  It is my intention today to be an encouragement to the mothers of our congregation by reminding you of your high calling in Jesus Christ.
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  You may find some challenge in God's Word to us this morning.
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  But I want you to know that I believe that the mothers of our church work very hard to excel in their disciple making.
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  And this does not go unnoticed.
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  I am proud of each and every one of you.
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  I know that your job as mothers can often seem mundane and unending and that it is always exhausting.
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  And so I want to encourage you to persist by grace to train up your children as God will use you to yield fruit in their lives.
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  So with that in mind, let's take a look at Proverbs 1, verses 7 through 9.
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  Before I read, beloved, let me remind you that this is God's Word to us.
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  It was written for His glory and our good.
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  And we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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  Proverbs 1, verse 7.
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  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
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  Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
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  Hear, my son, your father's instruction and forsake not your mother's teaching.
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  For they are a graceful garland to your head and pendants for your neck.
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  This morning I want to draw your attention to five observations from Proverbs 1, 7 through 9 in brief.
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  At least that's my plan.
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  I know sometimes I plan that and it doesn't go according to plan.
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  But that is my plan both because I know most, at least many of us, have lots of afternoon things to take care of.
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  But also, and I'll ask for prayer on your behalf, I just don't feel well this morning.
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  I've had a morning where I thought I could go back to bed at any time here.
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  So we'll see how this goes.
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  You know how I get when I get into the points sometimes.
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  So, in attempt, five observations from Proverbs 1, 7 through 9.
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  Number one, God is the originator of the family.
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  God created the family.
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  Solomon is the book of Proverbs author.
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  The wisdom that he speaks of throughout the book is a wisdom founded in the fear of the Lord.
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  So, he leads his teaching out in chapter 1 with these words from verse 7.
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  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
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  Which fools despise this knowledge, the wisdom and the instruction that will follow in the books.
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  And he begins his instruction with a most important note concerning the source of wisdom.
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  The family.
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  He instructs his son to hear his father's instruction and to not abandon his mother's teaching.
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  So, God in his loving kindness towards mankind created the family.
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  We read in Genesis chapter 1 verses 27 and 28.
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  So, God created man in his own image.
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  In the image of God, he created him male and female.
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  He created them.
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  And God blessed them.
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  And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply.
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  Have children.
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  And fill the earth.
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  And subdue it.
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  And have dominion over fish of the sea and birds of the air.
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  And over the heavens.
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  Every living thing that moves on the earth.
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  God gives to them this multiplying mandate.
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  And we come to further understand, as is noted for us in Genesis 2.24,
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  that there's a unit that's created here.
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  Right?
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  Moses writes in Genesis 2.24,
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  Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife,
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  and they shall become one flesh.
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  And so, God created this institution of family,
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  and we create, as we multiply and marry, families.
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  Right?
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  We continue to portion ourselves off and create families.
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  The family was and is meant to be an institution itself with God-mandated responsibilities.
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  So, second observation.
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  So, first observation, God is the originator of the family.
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  Secondly, the family was designed by God to be a school.
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  The family was designed by God to be a school.
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  Again, in verse 8.
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  Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not, don't abandon, your mother's teaching.
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  Beyond today's text,
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  let's note together some other places in the Scripture
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  where God instructs parents to instruct their children,
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  like Deuteronomy 6, verses 4-7.
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  Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
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  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
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  and with all your soul, and with all your might.
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  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
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  You shall teach them diligently to your children,
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  and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
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  and when you walk by the way,
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  and when you lie down,
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  and when you rise.
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  Right?
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  There's a fervency about the teaching,
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  and there's an ongoing teaching about the ways of God to our children.
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  Also, in Ephesians 6, verse 4,
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  fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,
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  but bring them up in the discipline,
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  the training, and instruction of the Lord.
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  Right here in Ephesians 6,
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  Paul places the emphasis of raising children on fathers as the head of the household,
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  but this does not exclude mothers as they are helpers of the fathers in this task.
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  And the Bible instructs children to be students.
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  So then it follows that the family, the home, is a school.
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  Not only in today's text,
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  but also in places like Proverbs 23, verse 22.
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  Listen to your father who gave you life,
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  and do not despise your mother when she is old.
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  And Ephesians 6, verse 1.
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  Children, obey your parents in the Lord,
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  for this is right.
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  Get your children to memorize that and repeat it back to you often.
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  So, the family was designed by God to be a school,
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  to be a place of instruction in the ways of God for our children.
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  This is why many of us,
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  I venture to say all of us,
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  but I don't want to err in that way,
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  but many of us in this church believe in the benefits of homeschooling, right?
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  Because it creates such good opportunity for this very thing.
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  But however our children receive their educations,
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  the responsibility of teaching them
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  to have a proper fear of the Lord
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  falls to parents,
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  and it is not a responsibility that can be given to anyone else.
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  Third,
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  the fear of the Lord is meant to be the theme of the family's curriculum.
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  The fear of the Lord is meant to be the theme of the family's curriculum.
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  And it's the reality that ties all things we teach our children together.
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  Again, in verse 7,
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  the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
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  It's the prerequisite course of knowledge, right?
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  It should infiltrate everything our children learn
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  so that they have a right and proper worldview.
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  All education has,
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  at its foundation,
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  a worldview.
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  We are teaching our children something about the world
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  even by not talking about God.
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  Our education these days,
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  our public school education,
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  I'm okay if you're a fan of public school education,
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  I love our public school teachers
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  that are part of our church
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  and for the work that you're doing,
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  but has at its foundation
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  secular humanism, right?
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  By not talking about God at all
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  and by suggesting that education
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  is the answer to all of your problems,
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  you build a worldview for your children, right?
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  All education has to sit on a base of something.
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  The Christian family is to be sure
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  that the fear of the Lord
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  is set as the base
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  for all other education.
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  Now, this phrase, fear of the Lord,
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  does not mean that we are working
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  to send our children towering from God.
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  It carries rather the idea
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  of reverence and humility.
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  A child that fears the Lord
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  will recognize
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  that they are a created being
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  and they live in a created world
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  and will, as such is true,
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  desire to live in accord
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  with the creator and sustainer
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  of that created world.
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  Right?
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  They will see that it's all built upon
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  the fact, the reality,
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  that God created this world
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  and intends to rule over it
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  as its good king.
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  They will see the world's goodness
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  under God's rule
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  and they will also see
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  the world's brokenness
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  in rejection of God
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  as king.
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  Let me show you the importance
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  of such a theme
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  from a couple of psalms.
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  So, Psalm 31 and verse 19.
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  The psalmist says,
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  Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
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  which you have stored up
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  for those who fear you
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  and work for those
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  who take refuge in you.
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  Psalm 112 and verse 1.
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  The psalmist writes,
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Blessed is the man
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  who fears the Lord.
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  Blessed, doing well
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  as the man who fears the Lord,
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  who greatly delights
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  in the Lord's commandments.
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  And Psalm 115 and verse 13.
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  The Lord will bless those
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  who fear the Lord,
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  both the small and the great.
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  So, there is a promise
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  of goodness and blessing
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  from God to those who fear Him
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  and want to follow in His ways.
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  We want our children
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  to be declared by God
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  blessed.
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  And building all that we do
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  in instructing our children
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  on this fear of the Lord,
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  letting it be the foundation,
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  ultimately,
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  has its final good
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  in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  If our children are humbled
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  because of their sin and parents,
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  we have so many opportunities
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  to teach them about their sin.
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  And they are amazed
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  at the magnificent holiness of God.
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  They will want to know
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  the good news of Jesus Christ.
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  We create for them the problem.
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  We don't create a problem.
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  We create for them the problem.
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  It is a problem that exists.
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  They are born in sin.
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  As Voddie Bauckham likes to say,
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  do you know why babies are so small?
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  It is because if they were any larger,
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  they would kill you.
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  We have seen the rage
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  in our young ones.
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  They are sinful from birth.
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  Reject the good rule of God as king.
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  If they did not,
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  they would listen to the loving kind,
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  help and instruction of their parents.
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  If they do not,
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  they transgress the fifth commandment
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  from day one.
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  We want to show them
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  their great need
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  of a Savior,
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  Jesus Christ.
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  They need to put on
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  His righteousness
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  before God.
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  John Piper,
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  in a sermon on this very text,
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  said,
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  the family isn't just a place
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  where children learn
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  to hold spoons
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  and walk on two feet
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  and say please
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  and tie shoes
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  and read
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  and look both ways
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  and cut grass
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  and put on makeup
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  and drive a car.
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  The family is where
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  all of this and more
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  begins in God,
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  is guided by God's Word
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  and is shown to be
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  for the glory of God.
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  The fear of God,
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  the reverencing of God,
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  the standing in awe of God,
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  the trusting of God
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  is what families are for.
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  So that was the third point.
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  The fear of the Lord
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  is meant to be the theme
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  of the family's curriculum.
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  Fourthly,
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  both father and mother
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  are responsible for teaching.
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  Verse 8,
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  the son is instructed
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  to hear his father's instruction
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  and to not abandon
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  his mother's teaching.
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  Solomon tells his son
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  to heed the teaching
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  of both his father
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  and his mother.
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  in the normative family,
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  both exist.
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  And both work
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  to the great end
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  of teaching children
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  to fear the Lord.
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  But in a world of death
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  and severed relationship,
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  not all families
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  are normative.
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  Some children are raised
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  by single mothers
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  and there is grace
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  for this.
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  Some children are raised
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  by single fathers
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  and there is grace.
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  Probably extra measures
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  of grace for this.
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  Some children do not have
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  God-fearing parents
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  or one who is
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  and one who is not.
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  And there is grace
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  for this.
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  And most regularly,
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  the means of said grace
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  is the church
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  called together
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  as a faith family.
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  God employs
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  the efforts
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  of the church
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  to aid us
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  in raising
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  children.
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  And I want to show you
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  this manifold grace
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  from the life
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  of Timothy.
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  Timothy's father
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  was a Greek
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  and not a follower
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  of Jesus Christ
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  by all that we can tell.
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  Most likely.
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  Maybe he converted
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  at a later age.
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  But the way Paul writes
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  concerning Timothy's father
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  doesn't appear
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  that he was.
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  But Paul tells us
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  in 2 Timothy 1
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  and verse 5
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  as he's writing
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  to Timothy,
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  he says,
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  I am reminded
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  of your sincere faith.
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  The faith
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  that dwelt first
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  in your grandmother Lois
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  and your mother Eunice.
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  And now,
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  I am sure,
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  dwells in you as well.
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  And then further instructs
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  Timothy in 2 Timothy 3
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  verses 14 and 15.
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  But as for you,
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  continue in what you have learned
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  and have firmly believed,
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  knowing from whom
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  you learned it.
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  And how from childhood
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  you have been acquainted
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  with the sacred writings
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  which are able
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  to make you wise
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  for salvation
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  through faith
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  in Jesus Christ.
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  Timothy finding himself
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  as a prominent Christian leader
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  in the Ephesian church
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  owes so much
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  to God's grace
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  to him
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  through his grandmother
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  and his mother.
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  So God having great grace
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  to Timothy
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  and giving great grace
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  to Lois and Eunice,
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  God also gave great grace
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  in giving Timothy
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  a spiritual father.
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  It would seem
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  that his biological father
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  was not this for him.
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  But in 1 Timothy 1,
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  the beginning of verse 2,
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  Paul addresses his first letter
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  to Timothy
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  with these words.
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  To Timothy,
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  my true child
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  in the faith.
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  It would seem
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  that there was
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  some kind of
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  spiritual adoption
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  on Paul's mind here.
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  He was willing
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  to father Timothy
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  in the faith.
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  And Paul tells us
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  that he instructed Timothy
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  in the way of the Lord
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  in 2 Timothy 3,
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  verse 10,
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  and the first part
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  of verse 11,
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  where he writes,
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  You, however,
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  have followed
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  my teaching,
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  my conduct,
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  my aim in life,
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  my faith,
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  my patience,
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  my love,
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  my steadfastness,
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  my persecutions,
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  and sufferings.
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  Doesn't that sound
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  like Deuteronomy 6?
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  This teaching,
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  passing on diligently
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  to your children
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  these commands.
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  Dwelling on these things
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  and the rising
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  and the sitting in the house
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  and the walking along
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  the way
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  Paul had instructed
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  Timothy
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  as a spiritual father.
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  So today,
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  I want to exhort
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  childless women
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  to have
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  spiritual children.
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  children.
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  And I want to exhort
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  women with children
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  to have
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  spiritual children.
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  Train those
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  younger than you
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  in the faith
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  and impart
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  a fear of the Lord
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  to someone
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  else.
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  We are meant
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  to be disciple makers
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  both within the house
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  and without
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  of the house.
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  Mothers,
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  you provide
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  many necessary
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  things
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  for your children.
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  You keep them
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  clothed
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  and fed,
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  some better than others,
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  but they are surviving.
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  But your children
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  do not need
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  a perfectly clean house
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  or the most exciting meals.
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  They do need you
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  and they need
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  your careful instruction
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  in Scripture.
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  Make that the priority
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  of your efforts.
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  On your bulletin
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  this morning
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  is a Charles Spurgeon
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  quote,
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  as I like to do.
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  I keep awaiting
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  the jokes
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  made about my
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  Spurgeon quotes.
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  You'll be a clever one
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  if you can come up
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  with good jokes
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  concerning that.
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  He wrote this,
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  Fathers and mothers
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  are the most natural
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  agents for God
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  to use
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  in the salvation
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  of their children.
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  I am sure
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  that in my early years
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  no teaching
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  ever made
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  such an impression
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  upon my mind
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  as the instruction
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  of my mother.
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  And today
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  you get a bonus
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  Spurgeon quote.
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  Those who think
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  that a woman
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  detained
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  at home
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  by her little family,
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  so let me just repeat that.
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  Those who think
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  that a woman
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  detained
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  at home,
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  busy,
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  so busy,
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  at home
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  by her little family
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  is doing nothing.
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  Think the reverse
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  of what
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  is true.
• 21:45
  There is so
• 21:47
  much
• 21:48
  value,
• 21:49
  ladies,
• 21:49
  in the hard work
• 21:50
  you do
• 21:51
  the day in
• 21:51
  and the day out
• 21:53
  with your little ones.
• 21:55
  Fifth,
• 21:57
  children who obey
• 21:58
  their parents,
• 22:00
  heed their parents'
• 22:02
  instruction,
• 22:03
  are promised
• 22:04
  a reward.
• 22:09
  Verse 9,
• 22:11
  for they,
• 22:12
  and what
• 22:13
  Solomon is referring to,
• 22:15
  for they,
• 22:16
  your father's instruction
• 22:17
  and your mother's teaching,
• 22:18
  right,
• 22:19
  are a graceful
• 22:20
  garland for your head
• 22:21
  and pendants
• 22:23
  for your neck.
• 22:26
  To the Israelites'
• 22:27
  mind,
• 22:28
  no signs
• 22:30
  or badges
• 22:31
  of joy
• 22:32
  or glory
• 22:32
  were higher
• 22:33
  in worth
• 22:34
  than the garland
• 22:36
  around the head
• 22:38
  or the gold chain
• 22:39
  around the neck.
• 22:41
  They were worn
• 22:42
  by kings
• 22:43
  and they were worn
• 22:44
  by the favorites
• 22:45
  of kings.
• 22:47
  They were doled out
• 22:48
  by kings
• 22:49
  to honor
• 22:50
  people.
• 22:52
  This is the promise
• 22:53
  of a parent's
• 22:54
  instruction
• 22:55
  themed by the fear
• 22:57
  of the Lord.
• 22:58
  We must make
• 22:58
  that caveat,
• 22:59
  right?
• 23:00
  Parental instruction
• 23:01
  themed,
• 23:01
  held together
• 23:02
  by the fear
• 23:04
  of the Lord.
• 23:05
  The promise
• 23:05
  is
• 23:06
  the favor
• 23:07
  of the Lord.
• 23:10
  The fifth commandment
• 23:11
  found in Exodus 20
• 23:12
  and verse 12
• 23:13
  says,
• 23:14
  Honor your father
• 23:14
  and mother
• 23:15
  that your days
• 23:16
  may be long
• 23:17
  in the land
• 23:18
  that the Lord
• 23:18
  your God
• 23:19
  is giving you.
• 23:22
  In Proverbs
• 23:22
  chapter 14
• 23:23
  verse 26 and 27
• 23:24
  says,
• 23:26
  In the fear
• 23:26
  of the Lord
• 23:26
  one has strong
• 23:27
  confidence
• 23:28
  and his children
• 23:29
  will have
• 23:29
  a refuge.
• 23:32
  The fear
• 23:32
  of the Lord
• 23:32
  is a fountain
• 23:33
  of life
• 23:34
  that one
• 23:34
  may turn away
• 23:35
  from the snares
• 23:37
  of death.
• 23:39
  And Proverbs
• 23:40
  19 and verse 23,
• 23:43
  The fear
• 23:44
  of the Lord
• 23:44
  leads to life
• 23:46
  and whoever
• 23:47
  has it
• 23:47
  rests
• 23:48
  satisfied.
• 23:49
  He will
• 23:50
  not be visited
• 23:51
  by harm.
• 23:52
  And this is not
• 23:54
  wisdom
• 23:55
  for the
• 23:56
  day to day
• 23:58
  of harm
• 23:59
  and avoiding
• 24:00
  death.
• 24:00
  This is talking
• 24:01
  about eternal
• 24:02
  favor found
• 24:04
  in God
• 24:04
  by faith
• 24:05
  in Jesus Christ.
• 24:07
  And the teaching
• 24:08
  of the good news
• 24:09
  of Jesus Christ
• 24:10
  has its start
• 24:12
  at the very
• 24:13
  foundation
• 24:13
  in understanding
• 24:15
  who we are
• 24:17
  and who
• 24:18
  God
• 24:19
  is.
• 24:20
  We will see
• 24:21
  the great
• 24:22
  chasm
• 24:23
  fixed
• 24:23
  between us
• 24:24
  and be
• 24:25
  desirous
• 24:26
  to cross
• 24:26
  that chasm
• 24:27
  when we cross
• 24:28
  it by faith
• 24:28
  in Jesus Christ.
• 24:30
  And we want
• 24:30
  our children,
• 24:31
  we desperately
• 24:31
  want our children
• 24:32
  to cross
• 24:33
  that chasm
• 24:34
  with us.
• 24:36
  And so
• 24:37
  we see
• 24:38
  in brief
• 24:40
  from Proverbs
• 24:40
  chapter 1
• 24:41
  verse 7
• 24:41
  through 9
• 24:42
  God is the
• 24:43
  originator
• 24:44
  of the family.
• 24:45
  The family
• 24:46
  was designed
• 24:46
  by God
• 24:47
  to be a school.
• 24:49
  The fear
• 24:50
  of the Lord
• 24:50
  is meant
• 24:51
  to be
• 24:51
  the theme
• 24:52
  of the
• 24:52
  family's
• 24:53
  curriculum.
• 24:55
  Both
• 24:56
  father and
• 24:56
  mother
• 24:56
  are responsible
• 24:57
  for teaching
• 24:59
  and children
• 25:00
  who obey
• 25:00
  their parents
• 25:01
  are promised
• 25:02
  a reward.
• 25:04
  And so
• 25:05
  beloved,
• 25:05
  let's take
• 25:06
  up the task
• 25:07
  of this
• 25:08
  great charge
• 25:09
  that's been
• 25:09
  given to us
• 25:11
  as those
• 25:11
  with kids
• 25:12
  and as
• 25:13
  part of
• 25:13
  a church
• 25:14
  that has
• 25:15
  children
• 25:16
  to preach
• 25:18
  the gospel
• 25:19
  well.
• 25:20
  To
• 25:20
  found
• 25:21
  everything
• 25:22
  that we
• 25:23
  do
• 25:23
  as
• 25:24
  families
• 25:24
  and
• 25:25
  with
• 25:25
  our
• 25:25
  children
• 25:26
  in
• 25:27
  the
• 25:27
  fear
• 25:27
  of the
• 25:27
  Lord.
• 25:28
  This
• 25:28
  reverence
• 25:28
  for who
• 25:29
  He is
• 25:29
  and how
• 25:30
  He intends
• 25:30
  for us
• 25:31
  to walk
• 25:32
  in the
• 25:32
  world.
• 25:33
  And let's
• 25:33
  do this
• 25:34
  from the
• 25:36
  joy of
• 25:36
  obedience
• 25:37
  and by
• 25:38
  grace.
• 25:39
  Let's pray
• 25:40
  together.