Rev. Rob Henderson
Shelby Wesleyan Church
https://www.angelfire.com/mi2/robhenderson/
robnaomi@oceana.net
Matthew 19:13-15, Psalm 127
August 13, 2000am
Psalm 127 gives us a clear indication as to the principle of building anything in this world: “Unless the Lord build’s the house, its builders labor in vain.”
And as we look at our beautiful children today I cannot help but wonder what we are doing? We strive to do our best as parents. There isn’t a parent here who doesn’t believe that they are doing their best.
When I was in college I struggled with my relationship with my mom and dad. I didn’t grow up in perfect home and many things occurred that shouldn’t have happened. But they did. I came to the realization that parents weren’t perfect nor were they capable of being perfect. And so I prayed and asked God to help me not only forgive but to put the past behind me. I wrote a letter home apologizing for my own behavior as a troubled teenager. I never once confronted or accused. I simply asked forgiveness for my own actions (because my actions were wrong).
As parents we try our best. We provide a home, we work hard, and we nurture the best we can. And yet deep inside we feel as though we are not wuite getting it right.
You see, we have a responsibility as parents to do more than put food in their mouths, clothes on their back, and money in their pocket. We are responsible for their spiritual well-being.
And in a world full of hatred and strife, Lord knows we need parents who are concerned about their child’s spiritual faith. That is why your kid was at Vacation Bible School.
We need strong homes. We need homes that promote a spiritual faith that points children to think on things of heaven. If our children become heavenly minded then they can better understand the world they live in and have a security knowing that God is in control.
Josh McDowell tells the tragic story of two teenagers who I will call Tom and Lisa. On a hot summer night in their Texas town they had been together watching a movie. Tom suddenly had an idea: we will go swimming. The neighbors are on vacation so we can hop the fence and they will never know. Laughing and giggling they ran to the neighbors back yard. Tom hurried to the diving board and attemped to show off as he dove into the pool. But the pool was empty. It had been drained for repairs.
And for the rest of his life he will live the tragedy everyday from a wheelchair.
Folks, we have young people- our precious children- who are diving into the ways of the world and it is as though they are diving into empty pools of worldly promises. The world promises peace but we hear of wars everywhere. The world promises love but at the expense of losing their sexual integrity. The world promises them fortune but they end up selling their souls.
What are we to do as parents? We do our very best to protect our kids from the evils of the world. We try to keep them from making the same mistakes that we made. We try but is it enough?
I am here to tell you, “No, it is not enough.”
Psalm 127:1- “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.”
To save our children we must give our homes to God. Let God build our house. Let God teach us so that we can teach our children.
There are three points that I want to briefly make here this morning.
1. Children are a heritage from the Lord.
There are no mistakes. There is not one child here today who is a mistake. God did not make or create any mistakes. Every child on earth, born or unborn, is not a mistake.
Children are a heritage. They will pass on the blessings of life that you give to them to their children. Personality traits will get passed on. Traditions will be passed on. heirlooms will be passed on.
A man might earn a lot of money and have several nice cars and house with a pool on the beach, but is he really rich? No way. A man who has children is the one who is rich. A man who has grandchildren is the man who is doubly rich.
Children are a heritage that God gives to us. Your children might do some wrongs things and even dumb things but they are not a mistake. God made them and we must do our best to treat them as though they are our most valued possession.
2. Children are a challenge.
Do we have any children here that are perfect? Any adults here that were perfect children? I was not perfect as a child. I must have lived in the twilight zone.
One day I went with my buddy Teddy to an apartment to get paid for babysitting. I was a third grader (I know- who hired a third-grader?) and needed my money. There was candy to buy and pop to drink. She was not home. But, she left the door unlocked.
Hello! We went in a got a bottle of pop. We’ll come back.
We came back a while later. She still wasn’t home. Teddy and I snooped around a little bit more. Sure enough we found more pop. To make a long story short, Teddy, Pedro, and I started something that could not be stopped. Neighborhood kids were going through this lady’s apartment after I had went home at six o’clock.
The police came to my apartment. He asked me questions. I looked that policeman straight in the eyes and lied through my teeth! What did and I know and when did I know it? I knew nothing! I saw nothing. I didn’t know anybody.
The policeman left and boy did I feel better. He believed me. I wasn’t going to jail. Whew! I crawled back into bed and pulled the covers over myself. And then I heard a voice that boomed from the living room: “Bobby!”
I knew it was lights out. I might have lied to the police but my dad wasn’t buying an ounce of what I was giving away.
At this point, I will abruptly leave my childhood to say this: children are a challenge.
Let’s face it, we need God’s help. I, the great minister of God, need God’s help to raise my children. My wife and I aren’t smart enough (just ask my kids) nor are we patient enough (just ask me). We cannot raise our kids by ourselves. We need the help of the Lord.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.”
3. Children are to be blessed.
Every year in Baldwin there is this great big motorcycle convention. Do you know what it is called? “Bless the Bikes.” The idea was started by a Cathoic priest who wanted to be able to ask for God’s protection on the cyclist during the riding season. Thousands flock to Baldwin on their “hogs” every year. And whenever I see motorcycles on the road I will sometimes pray “bless the bikes.” I want them to enjoy their motorcycle and be safe.
Jesus had this thing called “Bless the Kids.” And people would bring their children to Jesus so that he could place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples thought this to be frivilous. They dissed those who were bringing these unimportant members of society.
Jesus got ticked off at his homeboys. He said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
We are to bless our kids. Maybe we need to have a “Bless the Kids” service asking for God’s protection for the coming school year. If we can take the time to bless motorcyles why not our most precious to us?
How do I let God build my home?
It begins when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We must recognize that Jesus died for our sins, and that without Him we will never see heaven. Then we need to confess our sins to God and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then as Jesus as your personal Savior, you can begin to let God build your home.
James Dobson said it best when he said “Children must be valued as our most priceless possession.”
Yes, they must be valued even more so today.
