What I Want My Children to See

Introduction

All right. Good evening. I just want to say, and I know you already know this, but the singing among this family in Christ is amazing. Amazing. I am a firm believer that our singing is one of our greatest evangelistic tools. Because when somebody comes and joins us and they’ve never experienced a cappella singing, they’re either going to think one of two things. One, this place could really use a piano. Or they’re going to be moved like you sing and move hearts tonight with the power of the Spirit and think I wouldn’t put a piano in here for nothing because this really stirs the heart. So thank you very much for the enthusiasm and the zeal that you express when just praising God. Before I jump into my lesson, if you’ll allow me for a moment, I want to just share some words of appreciation.

First of all, to the Moody’s, God bless you. That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard from a preacher trying not to come and be a part of a meeting to throw the masters on there, but we will take that.

But he called and said, Hey, I know this is gonna sound weird, but Xander and I may not make it. We’ve got a ticket to the Masters. I sure hope I went. Do you how many tickets you’ve got? Come on. I get it, I get it. And I realize there are extenuating circumstances that are sometimes just worth rejoicing. But God bless y’all the work that you do here for your family and all the love and support that you share with all the brethren here. God bless you. It’s just always a joy. I love gospel preachers, whoever they are, but those that I really like, I really like. and so God bless you and thank you so very much. to the Walker family, man.

We’ve been friends, and we have close friends that are acquaintances of ours together, but this is the first time I’ve had the privilege to just hang out with the walkers at length. And man, it’s just hospitality to another level. I’m going to greatly miss my lattes in the afternoon. I’m going to greatly miss hanging out with Daisy and the girls. But God bless y’all. And I know that y’all appreciate them. And you appreciate not only who they are, but what they do and how they serve and their powerful example. So thank y’all very much. But more than anything, I want to say a special thanks to this crowd right here, through here, and over here. We don’t do boys over here, right? But it’s all through here.

There are just a few of us that can sneak in there. But I want you to know, and I know this is kind of hard to grasp sometimes. But the power of your example is so moving and so powerful, it’s really hard to put it into words. And I know when I say that to you may be thinking, yeah, but what? What have I done? There is a lot that you have done. With your enthusiasm and desire to not only sing out to God, your desire to turn in God’s word, to take notes, to be attentive, but more importantly, to be so passionate about the Lord. Never, ever underestimate the power of your words, your example, your deeds, and your faith.

I know that we live in a world that is crazy, but it’s also a world filled with a lot of young hearts who have a powerful love for God. And I do not believe fake news, especially when somebody says it’s hard to teach the Bible today, it’s hard for kids to be faithful. That is blatantly false.

And so God bless you and thank you. And so, with that in mind, tonight’s sermon is not necessarily for you. You’re going to be taking notes because this one’s for your parents and your grandparents and everybody else. I want to speak to you tonight about something that is very special to me, and that is the idea of what I want my children to see. And I know that I’m at a time in my life in which my children are a little bit older. Is there a clicker there’s the clicker? I want to just be able to see the clicker. All right. But I know I’m at a time in my life in which my children are a little bit older, but I’m beginning to experience what many of you have already experienced.

You never ever leave the parenting frame of mind. And you’re always wanting your children to see what is good and to walk with the Lord. And so tonight, I want to share with you some principles I believe that are certainly grounded in Scripture, that are imperatives with respect to what we want our children to see. And these things would begin when they’re very young. And these are things that I want them to see, even when they’re very old. I hope you have the library with you. I want you to take the heavenly library and go to the book of Deuteronomy and let’s read from Deuteronomy chapter 6. Deuteronomy chapter 6. And I want to begin reading in verse 4 in what is often referred to as the Shema prayers, the hearer, O Israel prayers, as they’re sometimes referred to.

These are prayers that would have been memorized by young Jewish boys and girls, prayers that would certainly be written upon their heart because they were the passionate plea of a great leader by the name of Moses, who leaves behind what we know as the book of Deuteronomy, which is simply his admonition and his plea to the next generation to remain faithful to the Lord. And in that plea, he leaves these prayers, these hear, O Israel prayers. And this is one that you’ve probably heard before, but it’s one that needs to truly be written upon the doorpost of every Christian home. Verse 4, Deuteronomy 6. Hear, O Israel. The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. You shall talk of them when you sit in your house. When you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand. They shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates. When my kids were very small, it was very common for Nana to call. And I remember one day my two-year-old son, he was two at the time, was talking to Nana, and he was pacing as he talked to Nana. And he was just talking and answering, and he was just walking around.

And I’m standing there in the living room, and I’m watching my son do laps. And I look over to his mom, and I’m going, what’s this all about? And she gave me one of those mother wives looks.

And I went, no, I don’t. Yes, you do. And I began to catch myself the next time I was on the phone. I literally, I guess I’ve had ADD error my whole life. I can’t stand, I just start walking. Every single time. If I’m sitting at my desk even today, and somebody calls, let’s go. And I start walking. But it hit me at that moment. I never told him to do that. I never taught him to do that. I never even talked about doing that. And it had never, even in my life, even in my remotest thoughts, ever been something that I thought I was teaching, much less doing. And it began to make me shudder.

The only reason he’s walking around like that is because he saw Dad doing it. When you listen to the words of Moses as he’s pleading with parents, he’s saying, Parents, you need to be careful with what your children are seeing. What they see will greatly affect them. And you’re in control of what they see. I want you to think of it and simply in just light of the world that we live in with respect to what our children are seeing today. Many years ago, when I was actually putting this on together, I talked about television. That’s out the window. Let’s talk about screens. Let’s talk about cell phones. Did you know that the average teenager, the average teenager, which means it could be much higher for some.

The average teenager is on a screen seven and a half hours a day. If you put that all together, and you go for just a 24-hour time period, that’s a full 11 days a year. 90% of that is on social media or entertainment. And here’s what we know, and here’s what we understand, and here’s what we’re seeing in the lives of young people today. This daily usage of what they’re seeing is changing them. It can lead to anxiety, mood swings, isolation. Isn’t it ironic that social media makes us less social? The inability to talk to others, lower attention spans, and then narcissism. We become consumed with ourselves. The things that I’m sharing to you now are not things that I just drummed up in some preacher periodical.

No, this comes to us simply by many sources, many medical sources. The American Academy of Pediatrics. Many who have researched and looked at this subject, and we know full well that it’s not just affecting our children when we think of these things, but what we see, what we see, and what I want you to see when you consider this is not necessarily just the danger that can come with a screen because they are a part of life, and we need them as a part of life, and they’re going to be a part of our lives. But I want us just to see and understand a very basic fact of life that what you see affects you. What you see changes you.

And it will affect how you live this wonderful life that God has given you. The children of Israel learned very quickly that what they saw would definitely affect them. Think back, just going all the way back even before they were a nation. Go back to Eve. And you remember in the garden, you remember exactly what Satan strove to get Eve to do? Was to look, to look. I want you just to look at it. And here’s what the text tells us in Genesis 3. She looked upon the fruit, and she saw that it was good for food.

Had she ever eaten it before? No. Here’s what I do know, and I don’t know where you are on this subject. But it wasn’t a tomato. So if a tomato was a fruit, trust me, that one, yuck. That would never be a temptation to me. But have you ever thought about how that played out? There’s a part of us when we just kind of read a story and we read it quickly, we kind of get the impression that Satan goes, hey, look at that. She goes, Oh, yes. No. It suggests the idea to gaze upon. I can see, I can see Satan just planting a thought. And so the next time she was in the neighborhood of the tree, she went, you know, that really doesn’t look too bad.

And the next day she came, maybe came by a little bit closer and goes, that really, you know what? Why would God say no? And the constant visual, the constant temptation, the gazing took her where she never really wanted to go, and that was out of the presence of God. We can read a little later in scripture. In fact, we can look at the children of Israel when they get to Mount Sinai and they are experiencing God firsthand. We see in Deuteronomy chapter 9 and in verses 17 to 19 that Moses reminds them of the trepidation that they felt when they saw the anger of God. For they saw that the mountain quaked, and they felt the thunder of his voice. And then they saw Moses take the two tablet of stones and break them before their eyes.

And then they saw Moses fall down on his face, broken. Because the people had transgressed the will of God. And then if we think back to the text where we began this lesson and you look at Deuteronomy chapter 6, you’ll notice that when Moses shares these thoughts, he said, These truths, God’s truths, God’s love, God’s will, God’s way, should be so much a part of your life. It’s as if you’ve written it upon your hand, and you can’t help but see it every day, and then you are to put it as frontlets between your eyes. The Pharisees would take this rather literal in the days of Jesus, and they would take scripture and they would put it in boxes and they would strap it to their bodies as if this was something that you were supposed to just physically do.

I don’t know if that’s exactly what God had in mind. Just out of curiosity. Anybody ever been studying for a test and you knew you weren’t studying hard enough? Did anybody ever think about just sleeping on your notes at night, thinking they would sink in? Okay, am I the only one? Alright, so maybe not everybody, you know. But just writing it on some parchment and strapping it to your head is not necessarily what he means, in my opinion. As much as it is such a part of your life, that even though you may come into contact with things that are negative or evil, they’re not going to be as appealing to you because of what you know and hear and in hear. Because there is that repetition, that repetition, that reminder, and that teaching.

When our children were born, we were given many gifts. One of the gifts was a hand stitch picture that we had hung on the wall, and here’s what it says. If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy. Children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty. But if children live with encouragement, they learn confidence. If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate. If children live with fairness, they learn justice. If children live with security, they learn to have faith. Children live with approval, they learn to like themselves. And if children live with acceptance, they learn to find love in the world. I don’t want you to look at this list necessarily with a critical eye.

I know that somebody could in some way take some of these things out of context. But what I want you to grasp and understand is something that was very important to us when we were rearing our children, and that was to be mindful of what our children saw in us, because what they see in us is going to greatly affect how they feel about themselves. And this hung on our wall every single day in our home. Not so much that Jill and Gray would see it, but that mom and dad would see it. And while there are many things in this world that I can’t control, what I could control while they were with us is exactly what Moses pleads with me to do as a parent.

1. The Value of God's Word

So here’s what I want to do for you tonight is I want to share with you a list that was very important to Cheryl and myself as we reared our children about what we want our children to see. The first thing that I want my children to see, because this is just so vital to faith, and I know that this is going to be a moment in which you go, well, of course, but I want you to see it in this vein. I want my children to see the value of God’s word. I want them to see and understand that yes, this story of David and Goliath may seem to not have any application to their life because when in the world are they going to run into a Goliath?

Well, wait a minute. This story has great application to us. Because just like we talked about last night, we have to fight against a message. We have to fight against a culture, we have to fight against tolerance, we have to fight against things that are always going to be pushing against us. And what we see and understand is this, and please don’t miss this.

Just so that we can answer some questions about, okay, in the lineup of the 12 sons, where did Benjamin fit in? 12th. Yes! Hey, you’re gonna go to heaven. No. No. I think there’s some people who think that. They’re hoping to get a test in heaven. I’m really not in for that. I had freshman Bible with Dr. Phil Roberts. If there’s a test, I’m a dead man. But you know what, parents? Quizzing and teaching can be very valuable. Bible class should never be an option. I know I talked about the Philippines earlier this week, and it still just floored me. That people actually took their kids out of school to go to church. Who does that? That’s just the opposite of America to a large degree.

But what we understand from Scripture is that in Hebrews 4, verse 12, this word is powerful. It is living, it is active. And it’s what God has given us to mold and chisel the heart of our children. You know, I used to have a dream coming up, and Brent will appreciate this. But one of the first things that I thought about that would be so much fun to do with my son as he was growing up is as we go play golf together. And this was kind of my big dream, Jim Nance is announcing at the Masters. And it’s Sunday afternoon, my friends, he says. And coming up the 18th fairway with a two-stroke lead is Gray Robertson. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, John Rom, they’re going to have to wait another year.

And would you look at that caddy walking with Gray? That’s his dad Phil. And here’s a little fun fact about Phil and Gray, ladies and gentlemen. Gray’s about to beat the best in the world, but he’s only beaten his dad one time. Yes. It’s kind of a father thing. You know. But if my son never wins the masters, in fact, if he never wins a tournament, in fact, if he never breaks par, but he learns God’s word. Haven’t I succeeded as a father in what God has called me to do? Learn the book. Make this library and essential in your parenting. Because what you’ll also find through these stories is these stories give you opportunities to teach. The same stories that were taught to Jesus by Joseph and Mary.

2. The Glory of God's Creation

Are many of the same stories that we can teach our children. I want my children to see the value of God’s word. The second thing that I want my children to see is I want them to see the glory of God’s creation. Oh, one of the most moving psalms to me is Psalms 8, and it certainly fits appropriately in this week with all that we’ve seen in the world today, looking to the heavens, is that when the psalmist says, I look at the heavens and I marvel, and I marvel at what you’ve made, dear Lord. And here to me is the most fascinating line in Psalms chapter 8. He says, What is man? What is man? I look at that all you’ve created, and I can’t help but think, What is man?

But he uses this analogy. I consider all that your fingers have made. You ever thought about that? The psalmist says, God, I’ve considered what your fingers have made. Have you ever thought about what if God did if he put his shoulder into something with it? What he can make. Many of us were staring up at the sun this past week. That sun is up every single day. And through God’s fingers, we know exactly what time and where it’s going to be tomorrow. By the way, if y’all would like to join me, my house will be open to you in 21 years when the next eclipse goes over Tampa. Don’t tell my wife, I just invited all of you. She’s got 21 years to get ready. How do we know that?

How do we know that? Because of the precision in which the fingers of God move.

And here’s what’s amazing that ball of fire is small as the fire of a firefly compared to some of the other stars in size that have been seen by scientists. I don’t know about you, but one of the things that I believe we really need to take time to do, and that is to slow down, turn off the screen, turn off the television, and go outside with our children and just look at what God has made. And don’t be afraid to point it out and talk about it. In Psalms 19, in Psalms 19, there are two things that the psalmist says, these are the apologetics, approve God. And the second half of the Psalm is about the Word of God. The first half of the Psalm is about God’s creation.

3. The Need for Correction

Isn’t it interesting that to prove God, the psalmist says, you look to the heavens and then you look to the heavenly library? I want my children to see the glory of God’s creation. The next thing that I want my children to see, and this will be a challenge sometimes, but I want my children to see the need for correction. All right. Alright. I know y’all don’t want me talking about this. That’s the last thing you want to hear is a preacher get up and talk about discipline and encouraging parents to be more disciplinarians. Alright? But let me just show you something that you’re gonna greatly enjoy. Alright? All the kids, all the kids. This is your moment to look around in church. Okay? Everybody here have a mom or a dad that gets mad at you if you’re looking around in church.

You know, my mom was like that. Now, here’s one thing with me. I grew up, my parents said I could sit anywhere in the building I wanted as long as it was in front of them. They set where the moody sat.

That ain’t right. So when I was growing up, all the young guys set up here, and it was Russ Bowman. He was the oldest, and then it worked its way all down to us. And you were not allowed to look around. If you looked around, you got a concussion, is the way it works. Okay. But I want y’all to look around because you’re gonna want to see this. You are going to want to see this. This doesn’t apply to you just yet. All the adults. I want all the adults who are here tonight who got a spanking growing up to raise your hand. Well, wait a minute, wait a minute. Let me define spanking. I’m not talking about a spanking. Not one of the things the grandparents do to, you know, your grandparents spanking, you know, you know, where you didn’t even know if something hit you or you had a mosquito.

All right, no. I’m talking about somebody laid the wood to you, and it was a near-death experience. That’s it. Raise your hand if you’ve got a spanking. Look at this. You’re in church. Do remember that. You’re in church. There we go. All right. Well, it gets better. How many of you deserved the spankings that you got? Yes. This is leverage. This is leverage. Who’s your buddy? It gets better. Watch this. Because they’re in church. I got them. How many of you should have probably got more? That’s good. That’s good. How many of you went back and said thank you? You know? Yeah. Immediately, right after you got the spanking, Dad, I just want to tell you how much that meant to me. I just can’t tell you.

That was so uplifting, and I know you love me. In fact, give me some more love, will you? Just put it on me. No, that way it’s that years later. That’s when you got your own kids, right? But I wanted you see that, because this is very important. Wise people, successful people. Understand the need for discipline. And discipline isn’t just corporal punishment or a spanking. Discipline is training. Discipline is teaching. Discipline is learning self-control. And think of it like this. Discipline. Anybody think of a word maybe in the gospels very similar to the word discipline? Disciple. Oh, that worked to me. Disciple. Disciples are those who are disciplined to follow and learn from the master teacher. Proverbs 29, 17, correct your son, and he will give you rest.

Yes, he will give you delight to your soul. Proverbs 15, 5. Proverbs 15 5. A fool despises his father’s instruction. But he who receives reproof is prudent. Spankings were really rare in our household growing up. In fact, there were only three reasons to get a spanking. An automatic spanking. Haughty eyes and rebellion. We just know. Lying, automatic, and not holding my hands in a parking lot. That was it. I was in the news too long, and you’re going to hold our hand in the parking lot. In fact, when we were getting them one out at a time, it was one parent deal. You know, we made them stand with one hand on the car. You know, but my kids are 26, 27. They go, hey, can we let our hand off now?

You know, give me a good. Yeah, you’re good. Come on, let’s go. But those are the three things that would be an automatic spanking. And the way it would work like this. When dad would show up in the room, he would ask the question, do you know why you’re in trouble? Yes, Daddy. I lied. Yeah. And what’s the punishment for lying? Spanking. That’s right. Every time. And I would administer the spanking. Again, it was very rare. I’d leave the room, let the eyes dry up. Because the spanking is just the attention device. It’s the talk after that’s the discipline. Do you understand why Daddy needed to do that? Yeah. Do you understand that you never, ever need to lie to me? Because I’m going to love you regardless.

Regardless. So just tell me the truth. Because I’m always on your side. Yes, Daddy. And can I tell you something? Daddy has to learn this as well. And then I generally will share a thought where I needed to be disciplined that week. Dad, did you get a speaking too? Well, not exactly. But I realized the weakness. And I was very thankful to your mom or to brother so-and-so or to sister so-and-so. Or simply God’s word that pointed it out to me. Because godly people always value discipline. And I’ll leave you with a passage that you can read later, but it’s Hebrews chapter 12, and it actually comes from the Proverbs. Whom the Lord loves. He disciplines. And the Hebrew writer shares those words of admonition immediately after revealing to us this great and wonderful list of men and women in what we know is Hebrews chapter 11 and that great hall of faith.

4. The Dedication of Older Christians

We need discipline to keep our eyes fixed upon the Lord. And isn’t it interesting in Hebrews chapter 12 and in verses 1 through 2? That’s exactly what the Hebrew writer implores all of us to do to keep our eyes on the Lord, the author and perfecter of our faith. We need discipline. There is always a need of discipline. What else do I want my children to see? I want my children to be surrounded, not only by those of their own age, and this is a beautiful sight to have so many children, their own age in their midst, but I want my children to see the dedication of older Christians. I want my children to see like Caleb, the man who came down from the mountain when they were divvying up the land.

Have you ever read that story? Caleb comes down, and the very first thing he does is he reminds everybody how old he is. You know, so we’re all like that. When we’re a little kid, we like to tell everybody how old we are, and then there’s many years of silence, and then when we get old, we bring it all back up again. Caleb comes down from the mountain, and he comes down almost like a Jacqueline Lane figure. All right, those of you that are old will get that. He’s pumping rocks. And he’s saying, I’m 85 years old, and I want my land. And I don’t want the pretty little brook and all that beautiful property down there where all the deer running around and all the flowers are.

Give me the mountains. Because there’s the giants up there, and I’m gonna run them out. Because I’m Caleb and I’m 85 years old. Go read it. It’s an awesome story. I want my children to see older Christians who understand that they still have great purpose and a great need in the body of Christ. In fact, Psalms 92, Psalms 92, 13 to 14 says this: those who are planted, those who are planted in the house of the Lord. All right. They will be those. They will be those who not only cling to the Lord and inspire God’s people, but they’re going to be those. And here’s how it says it, they’re going to bear fruit in old age. For they shall be fresh and flourishing. DC Bowman, LC Bowman, Glenn Gregg, Clay Turner, Mama Faye, Papa John, Glenn Maloney, Ira Hudson.

I know those names may not mean anything to you. But they were the older Christians that I remember at church growing up in Lubbock, Texas. Clay Turner. Immediately after church, every kid lined up in a line right behind him. It was kind of a really cool sight because he kept Wrigley Spearmint gum in his pocket. But you had to talk about your Bible lesson. Ira Hudson was so sweet and nice. I can remember him even when he was hunched over in his old age coming up to me and patting me on the head, and he would say, You are such a good boy. I said, I’m having a rough day with my dad. Can you go explain that to him right now? That would be very helpful.

But there are the people also who, like Wes and Dot Moss, who Cheryl and I experienced in our early married years, who when he retired, in his words, went to work. For they packed up and they moved overseas to help those who were preaching the gospel and hungry. And while Brother Moss may not have considered himself to be a preacher or a teacher, what he and Sister Moss could do is they could support the brethren over there and look after the kids of those who were preaching and teaching. And they could spend their time and energy doing the work that God’s called them to do with the gifts that he gave them.

5. True Heartfelt Worship

And I want the older Christians in any family of Christ to remember their value is great. And one of the greatest things you can do is take interest in those who are younger. To go to their games, to listen to their stories, to teach them skills, to show them faith never ends. I want my children also to see true heartfelt worship. And this is very important. If you look in Ezra chapter 6, and in verses 19 to 22, what it never happened in the land for many years is that the people gathered at the temple. And here’s what we’re told in Ezra. We’re told that not everybody decided to come back. Not everybody decided to come back from captivity. No, there were some who decided to stay, but those who came back came back with a desire to serve the Lord.

And what we find is when they came back, there was a revival in the land. And one of the things that they did is they stood in reverence to God’s word. That’s something that we always do back home. Whenever there is a scripture reading, we stand. For what Ezra had the people do on that day is they stood for the reading of God’s word, and they stood for all of it. And there were tears flowing down the faces of those who had heard and those who had knew what it used to be. For they came to worship.

And he would send one down one side of the wall, and the other sit down the other side of the wall. And the story is told from the book that the singing was heard afar off in the land. Because it was from the heart.

A church that was founded now on the principles of a risen Savior. And what you find when you looked at these people were not people who just came to a house to worship. We’re not people who were just checking off a box or going through the motions. No, they came with great devotion. And here’s what it says about them in Acts chapter 2 and in verse 42. They devoted themselves. These were the essentials. This is what their life was all about. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer. And awe came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and they had all things in common.

6. Loving Parents, Evangelism in the Home, Servitude

And then they went crazy. They started selling their possessions. Selling their belongings. And distributing them to those who had great need, as any had need. And day by day, attending in the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with gladness and generous hearts. For they were praising God and having favor with all the people. I want my children to see true heartfelt worship. They’re watching us, brethren. They’re watching us. And just like we, as parents can look into their eyes, and we probably know exactly what they’re thinking and what’s in their heart, they can look right back at us. Let’s show them what is true. Let’s show them what is heartfelt. I want my children to see loving parents. But even more so, loving parents who are in love.

Those of you who have little kids, do you ever get a free moment? You know, it’s it’s it’s amazing. Once they start walking, it’s over. It’s over. There’s no such thing as a shut door. There’s no such thing as isolation. The kids are always there. Cheryl and I, we would every now and then, you know, you’re your rearing kids. You’d finally get a free moment where it’s just the two of you, and you just needed a hug, you alright? I just needed a hug. I usually be at work all day, and I would come in, and I could tell when I came in the door, she had been around little kids all day. She needed an adult, all right? And I’m not the best adult to fit in that, but nonetheless, she needed something older.

And we would have a moment and we would nobody’s looking, and we would hug. Just hug. And invariably within seconds, you would hear a little voice go, girl! And then that was fantastic. But you know what Jill and Gray needed to see from their mom and dad? Is that mom and dad were greatly in love with one another? You want to give your kids security? You want to help ease their anxiety. You don’t need to give them things. Sorry. You give them security by being in love with one another. So that they know no matter what, even in times of great challenge, even in times of frustration, mom and dad are not going anywhere. Because they’re in love. That’s why Paul, when he talks about in Ephesians chapter 5, you submit to one another.

And husbands, you love your wives so fiercely. You care for your wives with such devotion that your love for her is equivalent to the same love that Jesus had for the church and gave himself for it. I want my children to see loving parents who are greatly in love. I want my children to see evangelism in their home. I want them to see and understand that any place that we live, it is just bricks and mortar. There is no such thing as the Robertson castle. No, there is the Robertson tool for the kingdom of the service of God. And our house, our possessions, our cars, our resources are simply tools for the master that he’s given us a privilege to use for him. Do y’all remember the old Motel 6 line?

Y’all remember what it said? We’ll leave the light on for you. Isn’t it great how those old things just stick in our mind? We’ll leave the light on for you. I want that light. I want the Christian light to burn as bright as it can. Not in the church building. But as bright as it can in the Christian home. And may my home, may my life, may my resources be tools for the master. I tell you, one of the neat things that you see is when you look and you consider how in Acts chapter 16, that immediately when Paul comes to the city and he finds these women who are seeking to serve the Lord, they immediately bring him to their house. And then there’s the jailer.

Oh, what a story that is. Oh, by the way, by the way, by the way, I did have somebody warn me sometime that as a preacher, I need to be real careful today. There’s certain subjects that if you preach on, you could possibly get in trouble. And what are you going to do, preacher? If you start preaching on this subject and they throw you in jail, what are you going to do? Have you ever thought about what are you going to have to do? Do you throw your thrown in jail? And I went, I guess I’ll sing. Isn’t that the biblical example? When you’re thrown in jail as a preacher, you sing. Paul and Silas start singing. And a Philippian jailer, their jailer, is touched by the gospel.

And where do they go immediately from the jail? To his home. I want to thank that every time you read about the Philippian brethren from there on.

That letter was read in the house of that jailer. Because that’s where the church met. Just a thought. But I want our children to see that we’re not just those who talk a good game. But we live Christianity. That in our home we use it to serve others and not just ourselves. For our Lord has blessed us. And may we use what he has given to us to his glory. I want my children to constantly see the need for humility and servitude. One of the neat things that you see when you look in Scripture is to understand what true and pure religion truly is. We read this passage earlier in the week. It’s in James chapter one and in verses 26 and 27. Pure and undefiled religion before the Father is this, the bridle of the tongue.

But then also pure religion is to visit orphans and widows in their time of trouble. Our Father, through His Son, has called us to service. He’s called us to a work. He’s called us to be involved. He’s called us to lead. And as I shared with you the other night, and this may not be scientific, but I believe it is true that when parents are servants, and their children grow up in a home full of godly servants who give of their time, give of their energy, give of their resources to the Lord, those are the children that more often than not are faithful to the Lord. Isn’t that exactly what Moses is teaching when he says when they lay down, when they rise up, when they come in, when they go out, may they constantly see the love of the Lord.

May they see that the good Samaritan is us. Is us.

And that even when we may get an extra dollar or two, or we are blessed with an extra opportunity, we don’t immediately think about us. We think about an opportunity to maybe use what was given to us. In James chapter 1 and in verses 23 to 25, James says, those who look into the perfect law of liberty, the idea to look there means to stoop, to intensely examine. He says that they may not be those who look at themselves in the mirror and forget immediately what they are, but that it may change them. More importantly, what he says is that they’ll not be hearers only, but doers of the work.

And to see that we work for the Lord.

That they understand exactly what he meant when he said, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

But to me, those words are even more powerful when you considered that they were shared by Jesus, knowing he would be the one who would be given.

And even as he looked to Jerusalem, the ones who would accuse him, betray him, and murder him. He cried for them. He cried. He was broken. And I believe his tears were not tears merely dealing with the challenge of being so physically abused. But I think they were the tears of just simply being unloved. And more importantly, they were the tears that came from someone who was pleading with a lost to come back home.

You know that the story of the prodigal son isn’t so much about the son as it is about the love of the father, right?

And isn’t it powerful to give thought to know that father was standing on the end of the road looking for his son to come home? And when he saw him afar off, he ran to him. But when you know the rest of the story, you know what the father gave up to run to the wasteful son. For God gave his only begotten son. Y’all ever studied the story of Abraham and Isaac and gone, I don’t get it, I don’t get it. How could God do that? Oh man. Genesis chapter 22 is just simply a big breadcrumb leading you on the path to Jesus. A father giving his only son on a mountain that was called Moriah, meaning God will provide the lamb, in which the only son carries the wood up the mountain, in which that only son would willingly give himself to a father, in which God would save his life because he provided a substitute, a ram caught in the thicket around his crown.

Conclusion

Anybody want to guess what that story was pointing to? I want my children to be moved, how God’s story is so powerful. And this story of redemption, this story that we call the heavenly library is all about Jesus. That’s your Bible story. And I want my children to know that story. And know why Jesus suffered. And know why he loves us so much. Because ultimately, what I want our children to see, all of our children to see, is heaven. In Revelation chapter 22. This library that begins in a garden ends in a garden. You see, the Bible timeline is not so much linear as it is circular. It goes right back to where it began. And it goes back to God. And these are the words, and these are the sights that I want our children to see.

And what you find is that in Revelation chapter 22, the angel shows John this river of water, and it is a river of life, and it is bright as crystal, and it is flowing from the throne of God, and it is flowing from the Lamb. And it is flowing right through the middle of the street, and in it on either side is the tree of life, and it’s 12 kinds of fruit, and each yielding its fruit. And notice in verse 3 no longer, no longer will there be anything accursed. It’s all pure, it’s all holy. But the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will be there and they will worship him. And notice verse 4. They will see his face.

That phrase to see the face of God is actually a repeated line throughout scripture because it shows those who are in not only the presence of God, but those who are in a good relationship with God. They have been sanctified, they have been purified, and even in the Beatitudes, those that show mercy shall receive mercy. Those that are pure in heart will see God.

There may be a lot of places, a lot of things, a lot of monuments. But if we’ve missed heaven, we’ve just missed all there is.

Of our Heavenly Father. Because ultimately, Jill and Gray, they’re not really mine. I’m just a steward of a soul. Their father is in heaven. And I want to lead them the best way I can all the way back to Him. Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see. For there’s a father up above looking down in tender love. Be careful, little eyes, what you see. If we can help you, if we can help your family, if we can help your children see what God wants them to see more than anything else.

And if we can help you in any way in your walk with the Lord, won’t you come while we stand and while we sing?