As the spring semester has come to an end and we're entering into the summer, we have begun a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Colossians.
So let me invite you to turn there with me to Colossians chapter 1 while I explain to you why I'm not going to be preaching from Colossians this morning.
But I want to show you the why and the how of it.
Last week was a very busy week for me, primarily because the Dahlonega Care Center had its banquet on Friday.
And thank you to all of you who were part of that and made it possible.
It went very well, but occupied much of my extra brain capacity.
So I got started very early in the week, hammering after Colossians 1, 15 through 20, this great cosmic Christological hymn.
It's such a precious, precious text.
It's the center, although not in verse counting, but it's the center of Paul's letter to the Colossian church.
It is a phenomenal passage of text.
And so I got an early start on it and went after it hard and have enjoyed my study of it and am prepared to preach 15 through 20.
But I failed my little bit of extra brain bandwidth to realize that I got way ahead of myself in my preparation.
That for our schedule for the summer, I had intended to preach verses 15 through 17.
And then next week, verses 18 through 20.
Which made a mild conundrum.
Not a large conundrum, but a small one.
Just that if I preach Colossians 1, 15 through 20 this week, we'd be a week ahead.
And at some point would have to drop out or finish early and fill in something topical before college students come back in the fall.
Not a major deal, but began to make me go, huh, I wonder if maybe.
All this happening at 5 o'clock yesterday evening.
As I said to you previously, going throughout the week, I heard many, many, I won't be there this Sunday.
And so those two things combined caused me to say, well, let me step away from the text.
We'll pick up next week again, 15 through 20, in Colossians.
But let me step away from it for this week.
And then our main crew will be back next week and we can press on together in the book of Colossians.
So this morning, I'll preach a Mother's Day sermon of sort.
So if you will, join me in Proverbs, the book of Proverbs, chapter 1.
I'm thankful for a church that appreciates verse by verse exposition.
I hope this doesn't offend your sensibilities too much.
Too upset with me.
Proverbs, chapter 1, verses 7 through 9.
This is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and our good.
We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
And this morning, I want to observe, to pull out from these three verses,
six realities from Proverbs 1, 7 through 9.
A little less complex than last week.
You won't have three lists within a major list.
Just one list, six realities from Proverbs 1, 7 through 9.
Firstly, reality number one, the family is an institution of God's making.
Solomon here, writer of this beginning proverb, writing to his son,
takes for granted that his readers will have fathers and mothers to listen to.
That God's good design would be at play in the world.
God created the family.
The family is God's plan.
God's desire.
To put it one more way, the family is ordained by God in creation.
In the very first chapter of the Bible,
Genesis 1, 27 and 28 says,
And God created man in His own image.
In the image of God, He created them.
Male and female, He created them.
And God blessed them.
And God said to them,
Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
I brought you together.
One of the purposes of Adam and Eve being brought together
was that they would multiply,
that they would be a family.
How were they to do this fruitful earth filling
by indiscriminate mating pregnancies?
The second chapter of the Bible, Genesis 2, 24, gives the answer.
A man shall leave his father and his mother
and shall cleave to his wife
and they shall become one flesh.
This profound relationship between one man and one woman
whose covenant relationship shows the world
the way that God relates to His covenant people
in love and faithfulness
was meant to reproduce little ones
who also honor God as His image bears.
This was God's original intention.
His original design.
All of this by grace
God has sustained countless imperfect people
and countless imperfect situations
for the sake of His name.
But God intended for the family
to be in full function in the world.
Why do you think that Satan
is so going after the family
to destroy it,
to rip it apart?
As goes the family,
so goes the society.
Do you know the three institutions
that God's ordained?
There's three.
The family,
the church,
and the government.
All ordained by God
to serve a very particular role
and function.
And when those roles and functions
are traded,
when the parameters between them
get skewed,
bad things always happen.
The family was created by God
to help God's little ones
worship Him.
And Solomon assumes
the family is exercising its role
in this text.
So the family is an institution
of God's making, firstly.
Second reality,
the family is meant to be
a school.
The family is meant to be
a school.
Note verse 7,
the commendation of knowledge.
Fools despise wisdom
and instruction.
And then Solomon says to his son,
how is it that this wisdom
and instruction
is going to come to you?
It's going to come to you
by your mother
and your father
in the family.
The family is God's basic school
for instructing children
how to live in the world.
Unlike many animals,
children do very little
instinctually.
There's some amazing things
they do,
like when a baby's brand new,
first born,
if you knew this or not,
but you can get them
to grasp your fingers
and you can pick them up.
I haven't tried it,
but so I'm told
that this is true.
That if you blow in their face
or hold their breath
and you can dunk them
under water,
also wasn't allowed
to try that one.
They suckle by instinct.
They cry when they're hungry
or tired.
They blink.
Probably it.
Not much more than that.
As humans,
we must be taught
how to eat and walk,
how to talk and read,
how to show gratitude
and other manners.
Just about everything
that we do is learned.
The family is God's intended school
for this massive undertaking.
The family certainly
may employ the help of others
in this effort.
Relatives,
a nanny,
a school,
the church,
I would encourage
all of those things.
But ultimately,
the responsibility
for passing along
the necessary skills
for this life
and,
more importantly,
the next life
is laid squarely
on the shoulders
of the family.
Parents,
future parents,
that is your responsibility.
Proverbs 22.6
says,
Train up a child
in the way he should go.
Even when he is old,
he will not depart from it.
Deuteronomy 6.4-7
Speaking of God's moral law,
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God,
the Lord is one.
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your might.
And these words
that I command you today
shall be on your heart.
Then, verse 7,
You shall teach them
diligently to your children
and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house
and when you walk by the way
and when you lie down
and when you rise.
The family is an institution
of God's making
and the family is meant to be
a school.
Thirdly,
the third reality in our text,
the proper object
of family instruction,
the great end,
the goal of all of the instructing
that happens
is the fear of the Lord.
Verse 7 tells us,
the fear of the Lord
is the very beginning of knowledge.
It is that foundation
for anything else important in life
that must be learned.
What is the fear of the Lord?
It's not a carnal fear,
a fear that is faithless,
that doesn't depend
on the goodness
and the sovereignty of God,
but rather it's a divine fear.
It's a faith-filled fear,
which is the reverencing
and adoring
of God's holiness,
the recognition
that He is perfect,
that His being
is worthy of our awe.
And it's the setting
of ourselves
always under
His sacred inspection.
Recognizing that
in His holiness,
He looks down upon us
and expects the same.
And we place ourselves
under that
and this causes
a fear
because we fail
at this.
The infinite distance
between God and us
causes this fear.
And it's a good thing.
It's a healthy thing
because it drives us
to the cross.
Fear of the Lord
is the leading grace.
It's the beginning grace.
The thing that God works
in our hearts
to change us.
The thing that sends us
running to the cross
of Christ.
Recognizing that God is holy
and we are not
and we will be judged
and we need someone
to stand in that gap
for us.
To make propitiation
for our sin.
Ecclesiastes 12,
13, and 14.
In the book
of Ecclesiastes,
there's some speculation
about who wrote it
but likely Solomon
wrote it.
And it's amusing
on what is of value
in life
and it sums up
this way.
Ecclesiastes 12,
13, and 14.
The end of the matter.
All has been heard.
Fear God
and keep His commandments
for this is the whole duty
of man.
For God will bring
every deed into judgment
with every secret thing
whether good
or evil.
So if we love our children
properly,
we will seek
their greatest good.
This is the aim of love.
To seek the greatest good
of the object
of that love.
I see so many parents
these days
simply pacifying
their children.
Giving in to their
every whim
and want.
Meeting their children's
felt needs
rather than
their real needs.
Parents,
this must not be so
of us.
We need to give
our children
what is good
for their souls.
Behavior modification
should not be
the ultimate goal
of our parenting
although it is
part of it.
We expect our children
to act appropriately.
I say to my sons
all the time
in punishment
after the fact
when we're reconciling
I say to them
all the time
you're my son
and I love you
and that's why
I want you to obey.
Because of who you are
you will act like
my son.
And I'm hoping
that they'll get this
and that it'll translate
to who they're meant
to be in Christ.
Because you belong
to God
you will do
what God
wants you
to do.
Because ultimately
what we want to see
happening in our children
is heart change.
This is the aim
of teaching them
these things.
This is why
the fear of the Lord
is so important
because it's this
leading grace
in their lives.
Our children need
to fear the Lord
so that they will run
to the cross.
So that they will
embrace Christ
in all that He offers them.
All that He does
in their place.
We need to teach them
the fear of the Lord
so that they will find
God so awesome
that they will tremble
at His holiness.
A proper use
of the word awesome.
They will tremble
at His holiness
and they will also
find Him so beautiful
that they will never
want to leave
His presence.
Proverbs 14
verse 26 and 27
reads,
In the fear of the Lord
one has strong confidence
and his children
will have a refuge.
The fear of the Lord
is a fountain of life
that one may turn away
from the snares of death.
And Proverbs 19.23 reads,
The fear of the Lord
leads to life
and whoever has it
rests satisfied.
He will not be visited
by harm.
So,
the family is an institution
of God's making.
It is meant to be
a school
and the proper object
of family instruction
is the fear of the Lord.
The fourth reality
from the text,
the instruction
in the fear of the Lord
is the responsibility
of fathers
and
mothers.
It is the responsibility
of fathers
and
mothers.
I hope this is fairly
obvious to you in the text,
but it bears
saying.
Now,
as the Father
is meant to give
leadership in the home,
is primarily charged
with leadership
in the home,
this includes also
the instructions
in the way of God.
All things spiritual.
He is ultimately
responsible for this.
But He is not alone
in the task
praise God.
We've been given
a partner,
a helper,
that's suitable for us
to help us
in this task.
Still giving leadership
to it,
but having our dear
wives and mothers
come alongside us
and help us
in it.
Verse 8,
we see both
at play here.
Hear my son,
your father's instruction
and forsake not
your mother's
teaching.
Now,
since today
is Mother's Day,
I'm going to take
a moment to encourage
our mothers.
At this point,
certainly we could
speak at length
about the responsibility
to fathers.
Maybe some other
Father's Day
will do that.
But to mothers
today,
we praise God
as we rightly should
for the mothers
of our church.
Mothers do
so much
and are so
very often
underappreciated.
And the reality
of it is
that many mothers
also undervalue
their work.
Many moms
here today
are very guilty
of being
swayed
by Pinterest.
You know
that the wonderful
moms on Pinterest
took a long time
to clean that
corner of the room
up so it looked
so perfect
and put together
and as soon
as they took
the photo,
it was destroyed
by their children.
So many moms
feel day in
and day out
like such
failures.
But let me say
to you
that from the outside
as an observer,
the mothers
of our church
are doing
a wonderful,
wonderful job.
I admire
each
and every one
of you.
None of you
are perfect
and have it
wonderfully,
perfectly figured out,
but you are doing
so well
and so much better
than many others.
A lot of moms
war against
feminism.
This idea
that women
must have careers,
that simply being
a mom is not
enough,
that that in and of
itself is not
a job,
that you must do
more and make
more,
that you're not
created different
to have a different
task.
Creeping into
the church
is the idea
of egalitarianism,
that men and women
are alike
in all ways.
This is simply
not true.
This is a way
that the enemy
is attacking
the very fabric
of the family.
We are
complementarianism.
Excuse me.
We believe
that men and women
are equal.
Stand before God
equal,
but different.
Created to fulfill
different roles.
We have women
in this church
that are embracing
that role,
and I praise God
for that.
I think that's a
grace working in
your hearts to that
end.
But you war against
feminism.
People ask you
what you do for a
living,
and you say,
I'm a mom,
and I hear it in
your voice sometimes,
like it's less.
It's not as good
as.
Don't believe
those lies.
A lot of moms
wrestle with the
mundane,
trying to find
the value in the
day-to-day,
and the cleaning
up,
and the little
messes,
and all of that.
Let me just
encourage you
that you are
investing in the
future of your
children.
What a valuable,
valuable task.
I remind Sam
often,
she reminds me
at times,
that we're not
raising boys,
we're raising men.
There's going to be
an end product
that we're producing.
And as they're
arrows in my
quiver,
I want them to be
perfect and straight,
that they'll hit
their mark.
Where God
intends for them
to go.
There's a greater
thing at play
in the day in
and the day out
of the spit up
and the messes.
Learn to worship
God in the mundane.
Your task
is so
important.
God has
designed you
in His
image,
in His image
to be caretakers
of the home.
It's valuable,
it's a beautiful
task.
It's something
that should be
revered
amongst us.
Speaking of
the excellent
wife,
in Proverbs 31,
out of 22
verses,
9 refer
directly to
the excellent
wife's work
in the home.
A substantial
amount of them
refer to
this work.
It is a
precious one.
In a letter
to Ann
Landers,
I'm going to
date myself,
I had no idea
who Ann
Landers is.
I don't know
if any of you
know who
Ann Landers
was.
It was a
pen name
for a
Chicago Sun
Times
advice
columnist.
This is a
letter from
1988.
I found it
someplace else
in another
sermon.
But this
woman wrote
this to
Ann Landers.
I'm so
tired of
all those
ignorant
people who
come up to
my husband
and ask him
if his wife
has a full
time job
or if
she's
just a
housewife.
Here's my
job description.
I'm a
wife,
mother,
friend,
confidant,
personal
advisor,
lover,
referee,
peacemaker,
housekeeper,
laundress,
chauffeur,
interior
decorator,
gardener,
painter,
wallpaper,
remember I was
in 88,
dog groomer,
veterinarian,
manicurist,
barber,
seamstress,
appointment
manager,
financial
planner,
bookkeeper,
money manager,
personal
secretary,
teacher,
disciplinarian,
entertainer,
psychoanalyst,
nurse,
diagnostician,
public relations
expert,
dietician and
nutritionist,
baker,
chef,
fashion coordinator
and letter
writer for both
sides of the
family.
I'm also a
travel agent,
speech therapist,
plumber and
automobile maintenance
and repair
expert.
From the
studies done,
and there's
been a recent
Facebook post
going around,
some of you
may have seen
where the guy
writes,
I can't afford
my wife,
from the
studies done,
it would cost
more than
75,000 a
year to
replace me.
It took time
out of my
busy day to
write this
letter,
Anne,
because there
are still
ignorant
people who
believe a
housewife is
nothing more
than a
babysitter who
sits on her
behind,
also a
1988 word,
I think,
all day and
looks at
soap operas.
And all of
this was found
in a book by
Linda Weber
from Focus on
the Family
called Mom,
You're
incredible.
You ladies do
a massive
amount of
work.
Guys,
stay at home
for two
days with
no help
from your
wife and
you'll
appreciate her
to a very,
very high
degree.
So this
responsibility
of raising
up and
instructing in
the fear of
the Lord is
the responsibility
of fathers
and mothers.
Ladies,
thank you for
your hard
work in
this regard.
Fifthly,
children are
responsible for
submission to
this instruction.
And this
includes both
at home and
away from
home.
See the words
in verse 8,
Hear my son
your father's
instruction.
Present,
you're here.
Hear my
instruction.
Use my
instruction.
And do not
forsake your
mother's teaching.
When you leave
our presence,
when you go
out into the
world,
college students,
when you walk
away and you're
in a different
place living on
your own,
do not forsake
your mother's
teaching.
These people
have been placed
over you by
God to help
you in this
life.
One commentator
has said of
verses 7-9,
verses 7-9 may
be regarded as
a summary statement
of the principle
on which the
whole book of
Proverbs is
based,
and of the
duty which it
enjoins.
The principle
is that true
wisdom is based
on the fear
of God,
and the duty
is to listen
to parental
instruction.
That this
proper worship,
the true
wisdom,
is based on
the fear of
God.
And how
ought we to
gain that
wisdom?
Listen to
your parents.
God finds
this so
important that
it is part of
his moral
law.
Exodus 20-12,
honor your
father and
your mother.
Paul states
it again,
Ephesians 6-1.
Children, you
should be
familiar with
this one.
Children,
obey your
parents and
the Lord,
for this
is right.
That is,
it is what
is proper
for children
to do.
Thomas Watts,
a 17th century
English Puritan,
stated that
fear of the
Lord leads
to industry.
And I like
that.
would have
to come
from a
17th century
Puritan to
use that
type of
language.
But that
is that
it leads
to action.
That if
we're going
to properly
worship God,
our parents
should have
led us to
a fear of
God.
But even
if they
didn't,
a fear of
God ought
to lead
us to
being obedient
and listening
to our
parents'
instruction.
Now,
I recognize
that many
of us
don't have
perfect
parents.
And the
reality of
it is that
none of
us have
perfect
parents.
Because all
of our
parents are
dealing with
sin in
their own
lives.
Most,
if not all,
of our
parents have
really tried.
And they've
really done
their very
best.
I know a
lot of you
struggle with
very,
very difficult
parents.
Consider for
a moment who
Solomon's parents
were.
David,
who certainly
possessed
much wisdom,
and his
mother was
Bathsheba.
We don't
know a
whole lot
about
Bathsheba,
except that
she was
beautiful.
But these
two came
together under
a messy,
messy
circumstance.
There had
to have
been some
challenges in
their marriage.
A marriage
that began
with adultery
and murder
on David's
heart.
But yet,
Solomon says,
listen to
the instruction
of your
parents.
The same
applies.
Provided that
their instruction
does not
oppose the
command of
God.
Your parents
have wisdom
for you
even if
they're not
followers of
Jesus Christ.
Remember that
Proverbs is
aimed at
helping us
walk wisely
in this
world.
Ultimately
aimed at
toward
culminating with
the fear of
the Lord,
the glory of
God.
This is the
direction that
it's taking
us in,
but there are
still good
and wise
things that
we can learn
from our
parents.
Let me
encourage you
if you have
difficult
parents,
to find
those things
that they
are good
at,
that they
know to
be true.
Respect
your parents
and listen
to them.
Remember
that God
gave you
your
parents.
Recognize,
embrace
His
sovereignty.
He gave
them to
you.
I love
Romans 8.
28.
It should
be so
familiar
to you.
You
suffer
in this
world,
and we
know
that for
those who
love God,
all things,
including
parents,
difficult
parent
situations,
work
together
for good
for those
who are
called
according
to His
purpose.
God
knew
the parents
you
needed
to gain
the best
for you,
the greatest
for you.
He knew
the parents
that were
necessary
for that
to take
place.
God
is using
even the
sins
of our
parents
to bring
us
to Him.
I want
to read
to you
a poem
as an
encouragement
to that
end by
John
Piper
called
On
Grace.
It speaks
to this
very
thing.
He
writes,
Some
people
tell me
I was
free
when I
believed
in
Christ,
and by
my
power
got
victory
when
all
the
world
enticed.
I
think
they
did
not
know
my
heart
nor
theirs.
Let
it
be
said
that
I
for
one
had
sought
no
part
in
rising
from
the
dead.
They
wonder
at
the
sovereign
rights
that
I
allow
my
king
and
puzzle
at
the
worship
heights
to
which
his
rule
gives
wing.
But
I
will
rest
God's
grace
today
on
this
I
need
no
other.
He
did
not
give
any
say
but
chose
for
me
my
mother.
My
reading at
the beginning
of this
morning
in Psalm
139
had this
in mind
God's
personal
care
for you
includes
the grace
of your
parents
being given
to you.
So the
family is an
institution of
God's making
meant to be a
school
with the
object of
the instruction
of that family
aimed at the
fear of the
Lord.
The
responsibility of
fathers and
mothers and
of children to
listen to it
and obey
it.
And then
sixthly and
lastly,
last observation
from the
text.
There is a
promise given
in this
instruction
is submitted
to.
There is a
promise given
if this
instruction
is submitted
to.
Verse 9
For they are a
graceful
garland for
your head
and pendants
for your neck.
They are a
graceful garland
for your head
and pendants
for your neck.
These were
signs of
victory.
If a race
was won
or a battle
was conquered,
these were
signs of
victory of
the day.
The rest of
Ephesians 6
after verse 1
beginning in
verse 2
and 3,
this is Paul's
commentary on
Exodus 20
12.
He says,
Honor your
father and
mother.
This is the
first commandment
with a promise
that it may
go well with
you and
that you
may live
long in
the land.
There were
many promises
given along
with the
commandment,
but later on
in the text,
this is the
first one as
God gave to
Moses the
Ten Commandments,
the moral law
that contained in
the actual
commandment a
promise that it
may go well
with you and
that you may
live long in
the land.
Do you
remember the
Proverbs I
read previously?
Proverbs 14
26 and 27?
In the fear
of the Lord
one has strong
confidence and
his children will
have a refuge.
The fear of the
Lord is a
fountain of
life that one
may turn away
from the snares
of death.
In Proverbs 19
23,
the fear of the
Lord leads to
life and whoever
has it rests
satisfied.
He will not be
visited by
harm.
This is the
wreath on your
head.
And the
ornament on
your neck for
embracing the
fear of the
Lord that your
mother and
father taught
you.
A fountain of
life and
strong confidence
and deep
satisfaction.
And so the
family was
created by
God and
ultimately for
God.
He designed
that the
family should
be a school
of instruction
and godliness.
Fathers and
mothers instructing
their children in
the ways of the
Lord so that the
children will
have Godward
lives with a
sure eternal
confidence.
Whether or not
our families have
been a perfect
representation of
God's intent and
purpose, we ought
to always recognize
that He is good
and given our
particular families
to us for our
good.
fathers and
mothers, let us
strive together.
It's one of the
great graces of the
church that we can
work together and
encourage one another
and support one
another in this
endeavor.
Let us strive
together to fulfill
the high calling
that God has placed
on our lives to
instruct our
children and let us
praise God that He
provides for all
that He commands.
Let's pray together.
Let us pray together.