INTRO

Presidential Debate – Bad Lip Reading (Funny Deepfake Video)

TENSION

Recap series: Fake Christians, gender, social media, politics

Tonight: Parents. What comes to mind when you think about the word “parents?” 

You’re in a transition between child and adulthood. You’re starting to make your own decisions.

  • Homework
  • Friends
  • Driving!
  • College

It’s easy to misunderstand your parents and view them as the enemy.

Tonight’s deep fake: “Parents are the enemy.”

Tonight’s deep truth: “The gospel changes the way you ‘family.’”

TRUTH

Proverbs – if the Bible were Twitter. (Ancient Memes)

Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

  • Cover topics such as relationships, work, money, love, emotions, and family.
  • Loosely structured – It’s often more useful to approach Proverbs topically instead of verse-by-verse. 

Tonight – We’ll scour the Proverbs for wisdom on what to do with your parents from the wisest man alive (Solomon).

The 3-Class Course of Wisdom

  • Speeches of Wisdom (1-9)
  • Proverbs of Solomon (10:1-22:16)
  • Words of the Wise (22:17-31)

The Progression

  • Learn to fear God.
  • Live wisely.
  • See beauty.

In Proverbs, we learn 5 things about you and your parents…

  1. Peace with your parents will add years to your life and life to your years.

Years to Your Life

Your days on earth: “Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.” (Proverbs 23:13-14).

Days in eternity: “If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness” (Proverbs 20:20).

  • Eph. 6:1-2

Life to Your Years

Disaster avoided: “A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke” (Proverbs 13:1).

  • Scoffer – to scorn, talk arrogantly, be inflated

Opportunities seized: “Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives” (Proverbs 19:18).

Peace with your family: “Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace” (Proverbs 19:26).

A good path in life: “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it” (Proverbs 22:6).

What if my parents don’t want peace? (Peace w/God; forgive them)

  1. You have more influence with your parents than you think.

Look at the emotions in these verses…

  • Proverbs 10:1 (NLT) – A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother.
  • Proverbs 15:20 (NLT) – Sensible children bring joy to their father; foolish children despise their mother.
  • Proverbs 17:21 (NLT) – It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.
  • Proverbs 23:15-16 (NLT) – My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice! Everything in me will celebrate when you speak what is right.
  • Proverbs 23:24-25 (NLT) – The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise. So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.

You have the power to make your parents joyful, sad, hurt (pain), happy, pleasant, celebratory.

Teens: the thermostat of the house…

  • [TORCH] You can make the house hot by pushing buttons.
  • [ICE] You can make the house cold by being hostile and freezing your parents out.
  • [HEATED BLANKET] You can make the house warm by being wise, sensible, and truthful with your words.
  1. If you have a parent who loves Jesus, you’re sitting on a gold mine.

Their advice will help you live an honorable life.

“My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck” (Proverbs 1:8-9).

  • All of the “My son…” passages in Proverbs.

They love even when it’s tough.

“Those who don’t correct their children hate them. But those who love them are careful to correct them” (Proverbs 13:24).

They partner with God to make your home a safe place.

“Those who fear the Lord are secure; He will be a place of refuge for their children” (Proverbs 14:26).

  1. Where parents fall short, your Heavenly Father is there.

There’s no such thing as a perfect parent. Every parent learns “on the job.” (My story)

  • We offer parents forgiveness and respect.

What if my parent(s) is not a Christian? What if I don’t live with one or both of my parents?

  • You’re in good company. Jesus lived with his stepfather. Some of the most consequential people in the Bible came from homes that were far from ideal (Joseph, Esther, even Solomon).
  • God has a special place in his heart for those whose parents are not in their lives, whether physically or spiritually (Deut. 24:20, protection for orphans).

“My father and mother may desert me, but the Lord will accept me” (Psalm 27:10 NIRV)

“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation (Psalm 68:5).”

God sent Jesus to die for your sins so that he could adopt you as his child (Galatians 4:4-6).

  1. The gospel changes the way you “family.”

The key to Proverbs: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

  • Proverbs are wise sayings that are generally true, but they’re not life hacks. If you try and apply this wisdom apart from a relationship with God, you’ll fail royally.
  • Fear = reverence, devotion
    • Eph. 5:21 – “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
  • We revere Jesus for who he is. We’re devoted to him for what he did.

The gospel changes every human relationship: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother” (Ephesians 6:1-2).

  • We look to Jesus. If he, being fully God, could submit to the Father’s will, we, being humans, can obey and honor parents.
  • Jesus honored. Jesus forgave. Jesus loved. Jesus was patient and kind.

For those who don’t have an earthly family, the gospel brings us together into a church family. You have a home here.

The gospel changes the way you “family.”

APPLICATION

Deep Fake Survival Guide: Parents

#1 – Task: Respect and honor the big task of being a parent.

  • Even if you don’t think they’re doing a good job, remember how big, difficult, and virtually impossible the job is. Have some empathy.
  • Remember that their position is God-given.

#2 – Take: Take your parents’ advice seriously.

  • Your transitioning between being forced to obey their advice, and choosing to take their advice. Choose wisely. If you have godly parents, their advice should be the deciding factor.

#3 – Thermostat: Embrace your role as the emotional thermostat in your house.

  • 7 day challenge: Keep a journal of how your words and emotions affect the rest of your family.

#4 – Trust: Trust God, even when people let you down.

  • Trust that God has you where you are for a reason, and it’s gotta be good (Rom. 8:28).

LANDING