Christian sermons | Christian messages
BIBLICAL BASIS: “…Hear, heavens, and listen, earth, because the LORD speaks: I have raised children and made them grow, but they have rebelled against me…” Isaiah 1:2
INTRODUCTION:
We are a fallen race, a rebellious race by nature. We rebel against everything that is order, or that is ordered by God. We tend to do the opposite of what God asks of us. Our being opposes everything that is order. Satan rebelled against God. The human being is and has also been a rebel against the commandments and the will of the Heavenly Father.
In these times when we celebrate and honor both mothers and fathers, we usually remember their heroic and loving acts for their children. I think it is also important to highlight that there are many ungrateful children who cause unnecessary and undeserved suffering to their parents.
Because honoring parents is one of the most important in the Bible, we must instruct the flock to obey this command. It is not an option. It is a commandment to honor them.
There should be more Bible studies covering this important topic.
DEVELOPING:
THE CHILDREN DID NOT WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO TREAT THEM LIKE THEY TREAT THEIR PARENTS.
An anecdote tells that one day a son got tired of caring for his parents, so he packed up all his parents’ belongings and took them to a nursing home. When this man’s son asked him why he had done this with his grandparents, he replied, “They will be happier there.” When he got home, this man’s son began to put his father’s things in a briefcase. When the father asked him what he was doing, the son replied “I want to put away your things little by little so that when you are the age of my grandparents, I will not forget anything about you, because I want to take you to where you are happiest.”
CHILDREN FORGET THE SACRIFICES OF THEIR PARENTS
Many times the children soon forget the sacrifices that the parents have made for the children. They have had to abandon their dreams so that their children can achieve theirs. There are innumerable stories of parents who have left their country of origin to venture to unknown countries and unknown cultures so that their children have better opportunities and can have another quality of life, so that they do not go hungry or suffer hardship like them. Many have gone months without a decent meal, without a bed to sleep in, to achieve the best for their children. Some have even died trying.
Jochebed comes to mind, who abandoned her son on the river bank to save his life since Pharaoh had given the order to kill all males born to Hebrew mothers. She preferred to get rid of her son rather than watch him die. It was a huge sacrifice, but she was able to save her son’s life. Moses did not forget his mother’s instructions. One day he saw an Egyptian treating a Hebrew badly, and Moses defended him. He had grown up in Pharaoh’s palace, with riches and comforts, but he knew very well what his roots were, and he was not ashamed to defend the people against him.
We sadly see that many of our Latino countrymen who were born in other countries, but have grown up in this North American country,’ are ashamed of their Latino roots, and do their best to erase everything that makes them sound Latino. The saddest thing is that many are not only ashamed of their roots, but also of the humble origins of their parents. I want to tell you today that God is not ashamed of us. Even when our origin is of the vilest. Of the most sinful, Jesus still intercedes for us.
UNGRATEFUL CHILDREN ARE DISAPPOINTING:
There is nothing more disappointing than seeing an ungrateful child. A son who does not value the great love of his mother, and turns his back on him when he needs his mother (or father) the most. It is sad to walk through Nursing Homes on Mother’s Day, and see old women crying because their children are so busy that they don’t have time to come see them. And they still excuse them “It’s that my children have many occupations. They have to attend to their family, their work, etc.” But inside their broken and aching hearts they know perfectly well that their children have abandoned them. The eyes of these elderly women fill with tears seeing how other mothers did receive visits, and they see how little by little the day ends, without anyone entering their rooms.
On one occasion I was told about an elderly woman who was hospitalized. From her fourth floor window, she could see her son’s house. She knew when they got home, since she could see the lights on. She also watched when the car arrived or left. The days passed and he did not visit her. The old woman’s eyes filled with tears because she knew that she would never see her son again because although she was very seriously ill, her son “had many things to do”. The last time she saw him was when she came to pick up a copy of her will.
You may think that all this is an exaggeration, but it is not. These stories are real. And there are stories even more frightening than the ones I have just told you. You may be one of those ungrateful children.
ON MANY OCCASIONS, PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INGRATITUDE OF THEIR CHILDREN.
Why do I say this? Because parents are responsible for molding the character of our children, teaching them principles, morals and teaching them to respect.
When we do not guide their lives according to the word of God, we are raising ungrateful children.
Says the Word of God. “Train up a child in his career: Even when he is old he will not depart from her.” Proverbs 22:6. When you don’t teach them to respect others, you have to keep in mind that one day they won’t respect you either.
When you teach them that others don’t matter, one day they won’t care about you. When you don’t advise them to care about others, they won’t care about you either. When you tolerate hurting, trampling, and hurting others, one day they will hurt you.
Everything you allow them to do with others, they will one day do with you.
They tell of a man who bought a small snake. He raised her, took care of her, fed her, took care of her when he got sick, he had everything she needed to make her comfortable. He loved her so much that she even slept with him in her bed. One day I did not reach a commitment I had. It was never missing.
When they went to look for him at the house, they found him hanged by the snake, which was still wrapped around his neck. What can we learn from this true story? That many times we are breeding monsters that can turn against and destroy us. How many stories have we not heard of children who have murdered their parents. And while children are to blame for their own actions, it has a lot to do with the impact of the parents’ words, advice, and guidance, or lack thereof.
TEACHING CHILDREN NOT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTS IS NOT LOVING THEM
Dear parents, it is important that you reconsider what things you are tolerating in your children. Many times instead of helping them, you are harming them, because you are not giving them the tools to become good children, good caretakers, good workers and good Christians. When you support their rebellions to others, you are creating a monster that one day will rebel against you.
If instead of understanding what is happening at school to advise or correct your children; you run to defend them without caring if they are wrong or not, believe me you are doing them damage that could be irreversible. Their mind is getting the wrong messages, and one day they won’t understand why you get mad if they do wrong, because you backed them up on other occasions. When you didn’t teach them to respect, when you didn’t ask them why there are objects in your house that you didn’t buy them, because you were never alarmed that they had money without you knowing where it came from, or bought objects for which you didn’t give them to to buy.
One day you will suddenly see before you a different son than the one you thought you had. At that moment you must know that you formed that monster. You shaped their way of thinking, their way of acting, and their way of reacting. Now don’t complain.
The bible says: Honor your father and your mother. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it goes well with you, and you may have a long life on earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3) When you do not honor them, you are not a good son.
WHAT IS HONOR?
Honor is respect.
A child who does not respect his parents, speaks rudely to them, treats them with contempt, humiliates them or ridicules them for their way of speaking, dressing, thinking, etc. That son is an ingrate. That son will have to account to God for the treatment he gives his parents. There are parents who even tremble when they know that their children arrive. Because they know that a session of disrespect and abuse awaits them.
Honoring is extolling:
Enalter, is to give esteem to a person. Whether for his efforts, his achievements, his career. The children must estimate the sacrifices of the parents to get them ahead. Children who don’t care what their parents did for them are ungrateful children. Honoring our parents is putting them in a place of honor. It reminds me how Mordecai was honored. They put on him the clothes and the king’s crown, he was mounted on the king’s horse, and he was exhibited everywhere saying “This is how it will be done with whom the King wants to honor”
Honoring our parents is having them in a good place in our lives, before our friends, and society.
When a person is honored, it is not hidden from them because they are not as brilliant as we would like them to be. They are given a place of honor in our lives. If our families and friends see that we honor fathers, they will honor them too.
Honoring parents is obeying.
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20).
HONORING PARENTS IS NOT AN OPTION. GOD DEMANDS HONOR FROM PARENTS.
One of the Ten Commandments says: “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. “Exodus 20:12
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it goes well with you, and you may have a long life on earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)
Children who honor their parents will be blessed and favored.
We all want to do well in life. Here is the secret of one of the blessings promised in the Bible. Honor your Parents. “So that it goes well with you and you have a long life on earth.” (Ephesians 6:3).
OBEDIENCE TO PARENTS BRINGS BLESSING
And Jeremiah said to the family of the Rechabites, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his commandments, and did according to all that he commanded you; 19 therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before me every day. (Jeremiah 35:18-19).
Hey, my son, the instruction of your…