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good evening to everyone welcome to the house of the Lord let's begin our worship this evening by turning in our Bibles to Psalm 127 Psalm 127 this is the word of God a song of a sense of Solomon unless the Lord builds the house they labor in vain who build it unless the Lord guards the city The Watchman stays awake in vain it is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of Sorrows for so he gives his beloved uh his beloved sleep behold children are a Heritage from the Lord the fruit of the womb is a reward like arrows in the hand of a warrior so are the children of one's youth happy is the man who has his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but shall speak with their enemies in the gate amen let's stand and sing together our first hymn is going to be 164 let's stand and sing 164 as a church God is in his temp all [Music] in our God and savior graes forever us the heart see the the Holy Holy Holy Angels to the CHR our pesch now bl by my spirit trting the holy angels to beh my glory May our sisters all great and S to you most de what the love let's go to our great God In Prayer let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for this time to worship our great God and truly we worship Father Son and Holy Spirit and we would pray Lord God Almighty that you would help us tonight to worship you a right we long to be those worshippers who do worship you in spirit and in truth and unto that end Lord God we would pray for your holy spirit that uh he would be in our midst that he would strengthen preacher that he would lift up each and every one of the hearts of those Believers in this place Lord God that by spirit and word you would strengthen your saints that you would save Sinners and Lord God that this would be occasion where the Triune God is worshiped well we do pray that you'd help us to have our minds focused you help us to attend unto all of these parts of worship and to be well focused in that Central act of worship the preaching of your word help us to hear well from on high the things of your holy word and Lord God that we might be strengthened in our faith our walk our faith in and our walk with Christ and that we might leave this place encouraged and strengthened and well equipped to live in a manner worthy of the gospel and our calling by Grace we do pray Lord God that you'd be with those unable to join us who are uh unwell who are traveling those with us Lord God who are suffering physically we pray that you would strengthen each and every one in body that you would knit together that physical man and cause them to know gains in strength and in healing we do pray Lord God for all of us in the spirit that you would daily cheer Us by the knowledge of you our God that you would daily cheer Us by the knowledge of Jesus Christ Our precious savior that you would help us to be those Saints of yours that do not forget the good things of God but that dwell uh daily and often upon the benefits of being found in Christ Jesus not having our own righteousness which is from the law but having that righteousness which is from you through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ truly we rejoice in the Gospel of Jesus Christ Our Savior we thank you that in the fullness of the times you did send forth your son born of a woman and born under the law to redeem his people we do thank you that by his life his perfect life his perfect death upon calvary's cross and that Victorious Resurrection ction we have the Forgiveness of sins and a righteousness that avails with you and truly we rejoice in amazing and Victorious Grace and we pray that these things would would among other things lead us to worship this evening that you might be worshiped a right we do pray Lord God for those who rule over us those who rule over the Nations Lord God we pray that you would cause those in positions of power not to abuse that power not to be found in constant corruption but that they would do right uh uh for uh the people of the Nations and Lord God that they would do right according to proper equity and Justice and we would ask Lord God that you would help us to be prayerful that you would help us to be faithful in uh in our walk with Christ and in our church life uh help us to rejoice in the fact that though we may have Earthly rulers ultimately and finally Lord God we're answerable to the high King Of Heaven that we have King Jesus as our King and Lord of the church and we do pray that we would rejoice in that precious truth we do pray Lord God that you would be with those who are persecuted throughout uh the nations with uh the enduring of that type of persecution that we know nothing of yet here we pray for our brothers and sisters in so many nations that we often pray for abroad that are suffering for the cause of God and truth that are suffering under the the uh the active and the the terrible tyranny of governments that are the recipients of uh of such violence and opposition even by their own countrymen we pray Lord God that you would strengthen our brothers and sisters those in Chains and those suffering constant persecution that you would lift them up that you would cause them not to be discouraged in the faith but that you would cause them in the midst of opposition to uh to know that it was beforehand determined that they would go through these things that just as it has been granted by God for them to believe so it has been graciously gifted for them to endure persecution to the praise of the glory of their God and uh Lord God we just pray that you would help us to be as we're called in the scriptures and by the scriptures by you to be prayerful for our brothers and sisters and we do pray for an end to persecution that those who oppose your people that many would be saved by spirit and word and Lord God that many would be cast down with temporal judgments from on high that they might no longer bring violence upon your Saints we do pray then Lord God that you'd be with the pastor Butler as he comes up here to preach preach the word in a number of moments do help him in the Pulpit to know your presence to know the aid of the spirit to preach well the things of Holy Scripture and once again we pray for those of us in the pews Lord God that we would have ears to hear that we would have open ears that we would uh attend unto the preaching of the word and that we would gain good things Saints being lifted up and strengthened sinners being saved and that the entire exercise of worship this evening would be to the praise of Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray in the name of Jesus Christ Our savior amen well let's stand again and sing uh we're going to sing this to a familiar tune it's 145c that's 145 Charlie to a familiar tune you oh my God and praise to oh my every and ever your Praises I will sing great is the Lord our Mighty God and great to be PR his great is UN all glory PR toly and to your PR your W declare all your glorious mesty and H I will dwell and all your bre and glorious words and all your greatness for Mighty and awesome we shall your great goodness we shall sing and most gracious and compassion this God RS ever to is turn in your Bibles with me to Deuteronomy chapter 20 our uh Old Testament scripture reading this evening is from Deuteronomy 20 and we'll read the entire chapter Deuteronomy 20 beginning in verse one this is the word of God when you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you do not be afraid of them for the Lord your God is with you who brought you up from the land of Egypt so it shall be when you are on the verge of battle that the priest shall approach and speak to the people and he shall say to them here o Israel today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies do not let your heart faint do not be afraid and do not tremble or be terrified because of them for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you then the officers shall speak to the people saying what man man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it let him go and return to his house lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it also what man is there who has planted a Vineyard and has not eaten of it let him go and return to his house lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it and what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her let him go and return to his house lest he die in the battle and another man and marry her the others shall speak uh the other uh the officers excuse me shall speak further to the people and say what man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted let him go and return to his house lest the heart of his Brethren faint like his heart and so it shall be when the officers have finished speaking to the people that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people when you go near a city to fight against it then Proclaim an offer of peace to it and it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace and open to you then all of the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you and serve you now if the city will not make peace with you but war against you then you shall besiege it and when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword but the woman the little ones the livestock and all that is in the city all it spoil you shall plunder for yourself and you shall eat the enemies plunder with the Lord uh which the Lord your God gives you thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you which are not of the cities of these nations but of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive but you shall utterly destroy them the hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the perizzite and the hivite and the jebusite just as the Lord your God has commanded you lest they teach you to do according to all their Abominations which they have done for their gods and you sin against the Lord your God when you besiege a city for a long time while making war against it to take it you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them if you can eat of them do not cut them down to use in the siege for the tree of the field is man's food only the trees which you know are not trees for food uh excuse me yeah only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down to build Siege works against the city that makes war with you until it is subdued amen well just very briefly what a what a wonderful God that we have on our side we read of this and you know you can Envision the the people of Israel mounted against an opposing Army on the battlefield they're looking out and they're seeing a an army perhaps more numerous than themselves flying their banners and uh you know waving their their weapons of war Warfare and perhaps chanting their chance of warfare but we have the promise of God do not be afraid of them for the Lord your God is with you and at the end of that particular uh paragraph though it wasn't paragraphed in the original for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you what what a blessed gift it would have been to these people to find great courage in their God and not just to have not just just to have these promises set forth to them as great and glorious as they are but to have set forth before them something of historical retrospect to look back upon this is the god who brought you out from out of the land of Egypt so as this God makes this promise as the true and living God makes this promise that he is with them he calls upon them to look back and dwell upon the fact that this is the god who brought them from out of that hard place of bondage and is leading them now to the promised land what a a great God for these people who is the same God of these people this evening our God is with us and we have good record of his historical exploits to show that he is a God to be honored and worshiped well let us pray Heavenly Father we thank you for your word we rejoice in it we sing the Praises of our god father Son and Holy Spirit and thank we thank you that you are with us that you are with your people and that we have so much of a good record of History to look back Upon a historical retrospect to see our God in the mighty works of Salvation and Redemption through Jesus Christ Our Savior we thank you Lord God that you uh have called us from out of Darkness to light that you've called us into this place that we can now so gather and hear your word preached that we can pray that we can sing hymns that we can read from the holy scriptures and we pray that we would all always counted a high and heavy honor to gather together for the worship of our Triune God we pray in Christ's name amen our final hymn then before the preaching if you'll stand with me is 284 let's stand and sing 284 together and Sh his Wonder theorious of Jesus his kingom is glorious and rules over ring Mighty to and still he is his presence we the great ofation his Tri shall singing Sal to Jesus our King Sal to God s on the thr oh Alles of Jesus the Angels down on their faces and worship and his all glory and God and blessing Angels ofing GL his [Music] you can turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians as we return to our study in Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus we find ourselves in chapter 6 specifically verses 1 to 3 tonight but I want to pick up the reading in chapter 5 at verse 15 and read the chapter 6:9 just to remind us of the context in which we're dealing so beginning in Ephesians 5 at verse uh 15 see then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is and do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation but be filled with the spirit speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submitting to one another in the fear of God wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord for the husband is head of the wife as also Christ is head of the church and he is the savior of the body therefore just as the church is subject to Christ so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church church and gave himself for her that he might sanctify her or sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of Water by the word that he might present her to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she should be holy and without blemish so husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies he who loves his wife loves himself for no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh this is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church nevertheless Let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with Pro promise that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth and you fathers do not provoke your children to wrath but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord bonder servants be obedient to those who are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in sincerity of heart as to Christ not with eye Service as men Pleasers but as Bond Servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with Good Will doing Service as to the Lord and not to men knowing that whatever good anyone does he will receive the same from the Lord whether he is a slave or free and you Masters do the same things to them giving up threatening knowing that your own Master also is in heaven and there is no partiality with him amen well let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we thank you for the written word we thank you that it's given by inspiration of God that it's profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in in righteousness so guide us now by the Holy Spirit forgive us and cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness and help us to see the glory of your truth to see the the fact that it extends not just to adults but to Children it extends to Jew and to Gentile it extends universally because it is the word of the living and true God bless us now we pray through our Lord Jesus Christ amen well it's been some time since we've been in Ephesians so just by way of reminder if you look back at chapter 4 verse 1 we see that we're in the Practical section of Paul's letter so in chapters 1 and 2 he engages in Doctrine he sets forth our Salvation how we came by God's grace to a place of forgiveness and a place of uh righteous standing in our Lord Jesus Christ chapter 3 is a bit of a transition he indicates his place and rooll in Redemptive history and then in chapters 4 to six he gets practical so notice in chapter 4 at verse one I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called so we are to walk differently than when we were unsaved if you go back to chapter 2 specifically in verse one you he made alive who were dead and trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world so in Christ Jesus now we're supposed to walk in a manner that is consistent with our high calling in Christ Jesus he carries this theme along no notice in verse 17 of chapter 4 this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind so Paul's emphasis here is up upon our conduct we've received God's grace we have by God's grace believed the gospel we have been Justified we have been forgiven we have received that righteousness now we're to live in light of that truth and then in chapter five he gets specific again he tells us in chapter 5 5 specifically in verses 1 to 7 to walk in love then specifically in verse 8 and following he tells us to walk in light and then in verses 15 to 21 he tells us we're to walk in wisdom and so notice specifically in that section in chapter 5: 15- 21 he tells us in verse 17 do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation but be filled with the spirit and then he goes on to flesh out or indicate or demonstrate what filling with the spirit looks like and he does so in verses 19 to 21 notice speaking to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and then finally submitting to one another in the fear of God so that's a general ref reference there submitting to one another in the fear of God but now Paul does something that was common to writing and literature in that present gener or in that particular generation he does what's called a household code he brings to Bear truth upon the ethics in our day-to-day life so the general statement of verse 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God is now brought to concrete reality in the husband wife relationship in the parent child relationship and in the Master servant relationship so from 522 to 69 he deals with those categories we've already covered the husband and wife this evening we're going to look at children and parents specifically the children aspect and God willing next time will'll take up the parental role in verse 4 so notice in chapter 6 veres 1 to3 children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth I think there's two things at work here first the rightness of obedience the rightness of obedience in verse one and then secondly the requirement of God's law in verses 2 and three so he appeals to the fifth commandment which shows us that the Commandments of God the decalogue the The Ten Commandments are not confined to Old Covenant Israel they are trans covenantal whether you're in the old Covenant or you're in the New Covenant they are applicable they're applicable to Jews in the old they applicable to Jews and Gentiles in the new they're applicable today and so the Apostle appeals to that fifth word to bring to bear upon the children in the congregation of their Duty with reference to their parents but let's look first at the rightness of obedience in verse one notice the addresses children children in this context was different than other contexts again there were household codes where philosophers and ethical teachers or teachers of Ethics would tell people how they were supposed to live you've perhaps heard of Aristotle he had a famous book on ethics there were others like him they didn't typically address children they just assumed that children would tow the line but they didn't go out of their way to address children whereas the Apostle Paul does and notice as well that the Apostle Paul doesn't say Sons he says children in other words he gives dignity to the individual whether a boy or whether a girl they are children they are in the context of the local church that is a assumed by Paul notice children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right notice what he doesn't do he doesn't say okay pastor I want you to stop the sermon or the reading of the epistle I want all those children that are that are slept off into another room in children's church I want you to bring them up now because I want to address them now the Assumption was is that children along with parents were under the preaching and the reading of God's holy word this reflects what you find an old Covenant Israel specifically Deuteronomy 31: 9-13 it was all the assembly including the little ones in the book of Nehemiah in chapter 8 when the the Levites give the reading in the sense of the law it's those uh mothers and fathers and all who could understand they were under the word of God so the Apostle Paul assumes that children are going to be present in the context of Christian worship so there's not this segregation there's not this removal from there's not a separate sort of activity for the children during the preaching of God's word or the reading of God's word no they're to be under that word they're to learn they're to understand they're to know whether they get every jot and tit out of it you as parents need to enforce the responsibility or rather enforce the duty that they listen that they pay attention that this is something that is under God and this is something that is ultimately good and beneficial for their soul so the the Apostle assumes their presence and then he gives the particular exhortation or command when he says obey your parents in the Lord now I don't think he means obey your parents parents that are in the Lord other words obey only Christian parents I don't think that's the argument I think it's obedience that is in the Lord in other words children in the church at Ephesus that were converted had a religious obligation in in in obedience to their parents and notice there's no qualification I'm going to make a qualification in a moment because I think it's necessary but there's no qualification obey your parents in the Lord on four out of 10 things on eight out of 10 things no obey your parents in the Lord what's your responsibility as children it's not to to to mouth off it's not to reject parental Authority it's not to rebel against that it's not to be a lawyer and say well you know that's just not going to work for me and I've got 10 reasons why sure some of you are raising future lawyers that we we at least were convinced one of ours was heading heading down that pathway as as well as he could argue we thought oh he's a shoin for for that particular activity but with reference to this just like in the command to the wife in chapter 5: 22 wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord there's no qualifier there's no only in those things that you really feel like doing same thing with reference to children it's not only in those things you feel like doing but it's a general overarching exhortation children obey your parents in the Lord John Gil says children should be subject and obedient in all things lawful just and good in everything that is not sinful and unlawful by the word of God and in things indifferent as much as in them lies and even in things which are difficult to perform and this obedience should be hearty and sincere and not merely verbal and in show an appearance uh appearance nor mercenary and should be joined with gratitude and thankfulness for past favors that's not unreasonable it's perfectly legit your parents provide everything you have and so it is legit that you obey them in the Lord now Gilt makes that sort of provision or qualification as I do as well we did it when we looked at Ephesians 5:22 wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord unless your husband commands you to sin children obey your parents in the Lord unless they command you to sin then you must obey God rather than men you invoke that principle of Acts 5:29 when the apostles are Ched and rebuked and threatened and told not to preach the gospel there in Jerusalem because it was such an offense to the to the unbelieving Jews well what did they do they say well okay we're going to just submit to Caesar we're going to submit to these unbelieving Jew Jews no they said we must obey God rather than men so when it comes to any controversy between parental command and Authority and God most high you always side with God but in terms of not being commanded to sin as Gil says in things indifferent you are to get this obey I'd like to Dazzle you with Greek tonight and say well obey me it it it means obey it means do what they say I know that's revolutionary because today you know children are given the rule of the roost and we don't ever want to you know affect Little John or or or suie and and hurt their delicate psyche well that's not the world the Apostle Paul trucked in and that's not the world that that that that Moses the lawgiver under God most high trucked in when he when he gave the fifth commandment children o obey your parents in the Lord that that's just it there's no well you know you don't really know my parents you don't you don't really know how I made up you don't you don't know that there's certain challenges and just obey just do do what you're supposed to do listen to Solomon in the Proverbs when he bid you to to reflect upon the reality that the way of the transgressor is hard or the person that curses his father and mother what happens the birds of the air the Ravens will peck out his eyes other words parental Authority is given by God most high for specific ends for specific purposes it is the wisdom of the infinite Mind Of God most high to station parents in your life as an authority and so the Apostle Paul very simply very clearly and very much earnestly says children obey your parents and then notice the rationale he says for this is right it's right you don't even have to be a Christian to see the rightness of this you don't have to be religious to see the rightness of this I think what the Apostle is doing here is he's making an appeal to what we call the created order or in theology we call it the light of nature there are certain things that are hardwired in to Creation General Revelation speaks to us I think that's Paul's appeal in 529 he certainly argues from Redemptive categories for the wife's submission to the husband and the husband's love for his wife but he argues as well in light of nature categories notice in 529 for no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church in other words it's just right it's built in we're image bearers of the living and true God we don't come from the hand of God without any sort of hardwiring we don't come from the hand of God without some sort of an operating system we come from the hand of God bearing His Image there are certain structures in place and then when we look around at the created order it resonates with us that that yeah it's right that the children that we gave birth to it's right that the children we feed and clothe it's right that the children that we provide shelter to it's right that they obey so Paul's appeal is to the light of nature here Paul's appeal is to the rightness of the activity listen to Gil he says for this is right children obey your parents in the Lord it appears to be right by the light of nature by which the very heathens have taught it I mean even the Heathen gets it right even the Heathen stumbles on this fact that 2-year-old Johnny doesn't have the wisdom to give the marching orders for the family I mean who does that parent you're a 35y old you know man or woman okay we're going to check in with you today junior I know you've got Infinite Wisdom at age two so we're spend thinking about spending money we got it fitted into the budget what what do you think none of us do that why cuz it's not right it's just not right there's a pecking order in God's world there is a an authority structure built in by God so back to Gil for this is right it appears to be right by the light of nature by which the very heathens have taught it and it is Equitable from reason that so it should be and it is just by the law of God that's the category next the requirement of the law so we see the rightness of it light of nature General Revelation and then we see the requirement of the law so what are we to conclude there's no war between General and special Revelation wow they actually Jive they actually go hand in hand they work together so he says and it is just by the law of God which commands nothing but what is Holy just and good Matthew P same sort of a vein he says for this is right or just every way so by the law of nature of Nations and of God belgic confession Article 2 asks the very good question by what means god is made known to us well there's two books according to the belgic confession there's the book of creation and then there's the Book of Revelation it says we know him by two means first by the creation preservation and government of the universe which is before our eyes as a most elegant book wherein all creatures great and small are has so many characters leading us to contemplate the invisible things of God namely his eternal power and Divinity as the Apostle Paul saith Romans 1:20 Apostle Paul says that we can know the Creator we can know him by the creature we can argue from the effect to the cause that's precisely what Paul does in Romans 1 so there's a light of nature or general Revelation that is just right it's right that Junior submits it's right that Junior obeys it's right that Junior doesn't challenge that he doesn't have 15 reasons why he's not going to clean up his room today no sorry Junior sorry pal but the light of nature itself tells us here's 15 reasons why you're going to clean up your room it goes on to say all which things are sufficient to convince men and leave them without excuse secondly He makes himself more clearly and fully known to us by his holy and divine word that is to say as far as is necessary for us to know in this life to his glory and our Salvation so there's no at odds between God's revelation of himself and creation and what he reveals to us in the scripture in fact there's glorious Harmony and the Apostle has no problem appealing to light of nature arguments there in Romans 1 to argue for the existence of God and here to argue for the rightness of obedience on the part of Junior to his parental Authority now then Paul invokes the requirement of the law that brings us to verses 2 and three this is Exodus 20:2 and Deuteronomy 5:1 16 three things I want to observe here first the appeal to the law secondly the explanation of the command and then finally the promise attached to the command but notice the appeal it's intriguing isn't it this is a a Christian Church and yet Paul is using the Ten Commandments yes absolutely he's using the Ten Commandments what does that demonstrate I've already alluded to it the trans covenantal utility of the Ten Commandments in other words it's not just for the Jews in the Old Testament the same law that was thundered on sin for the nation of Israel is the same law thundered to the children the Gentile children in the city of Ephesus in the first Century thus it is still applicable to us now we need to use the law rightly if you look at 1 Timothy chapter 1 for a moment the Apostle gives us caution here look at 1 Timothy chapter 1 specifically verse 8 he says we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully unfortunately I don't think we do know that anymore and I mean broadly in terms of the church generally speaking there's a lot of antipathy against the law there's a lot of you know ity against the law there's a lot of bad reasoning against the law well the law is no longer for us well Paul says we know that the law is good but the qualifier there is very important if one uses it lawfully so what does that infer or imply it means there is an unlawful use of the law if we preach law as a means of justification that's an unlawful use of the law if I said to you tonight you need to get saved carry out the Commandments of God you know go home work it out do your best and you know the final analysis God will look at that and and accept you that's not good that's the killing aspect of God's law why is that because in Adam all die because we are are are at enmity with God most high our minds are not subject to the law of God nor can they be so to preach it that way is to preach it unlawfully but in the reformed world we have three uses of the law the first is what we call the Civil use and that simply means the preaching of the law as a means of restraint for creatures in other words the the speed limit for instance I'm not saying everybody abides by that but it functions in such a way as to restrain the recklessness of man I mentioned last week in preaching on abortion someone once well said the law does not change the heart uh the uh uh doesn't change the heart but it does restrain the heart less and the first use of the law does that the Civil or political use of the law it's a it's a a restraint the Second Use is what we call pedagogue and that simply means child tutor the law shows us our sin and misery the law shows us our need for the Lord Jesus Christ the law brings to Bear upon us the reality of a guilty conscience a guilty heart transgression of that law and what does it do it causes us to see the glory of the Cross there's hope there's blessing there's forgiveness there's a righteousness that avails with God in imputed by him received through faith in his son so the law in that regard is absolutely crucial as well and I'm going to end there tonight for you little ones young people you're not all little ones but young people this law shows you your need for Jesus when you hear that obey your parents when you hear that honor your father and your mother search your little hearts is that always you is that constantly you is that perpetually you is that exactly you is that entirely you you I'll go ahead and answer for you no it's not so where do you go for righteousness you don't go back to Moses you go to Jesus now having said that the third use of the LA law is called normative so after the child tutor function of the law shows us our sin and depravity after we see and appreciate the the Blessed crosswork of our Lord Jesus once we're saved by grace Justified freely by grace how does the Lord Jesus deal with us he gives us the Holy Spirit and he points us guess guess what back to the law why does he do that because it's a pattern for our sanctification we know what pleases God when we look at those Ten Commandments we know it doesn't please God to have Idols we know it doesn't please God to be blasphemers we know it doesn't please God to break his holy day we know it doesn't please God to disobey our parents we know it doesn't please God to to to murder or commit adultery or theft or liee or covet so the law of God gives us a revelation of the nature of God and it functions in a normative way how do I know what to be holy is well I'm not left to guess I'm not left to try and figure it out the law of God's there for me the spirit empowers and enables the justified by faith believer such that he walks according to it not again in order to be saved but as a consequence of his having been saved and so the Apostle appeals to the fifth Comm commandment brings it to the city of Ephesus to the church specifically and tells children Gentile children you need to honor your father and your mother so that indicates again that it's trans covenantal as well it is universal it's not just for the Jews but it's for Jews and Gentiles it's not just for boys but it's for boys and girls it's not just for men but it's for men and women other words it's extensive it is the Revelation at least to some degree of the nature and the being of God it is the the answer to what is it that pleases god well it pleases God as I said when you don't engage in transgression of that Holy law and then secondly the explanation of the command notice what he says in verse two honor your father and your mother now the word honor cam alluded to this in his prayer I don't know that he saw this coming but it it it means to be heavy it means to to be weighty burdensome honored and I think the connection between honor and heavy is clear we're not supposed to treat our parents lightly we're supposed to treat them with honor we're not supposed to treat God lightly we're supposed to treat him with honor with reverence so if children obey describes the actions involved from child to parent honor describes the inner heart disposition you're to honor your parents you're not to mock them you're not to scorn them you're not to abuse them you're not to reject them you're not to resist them you're to honor them that's the particular requirement involved at Sinai and now brought here specifically to Ephesus so the connection between heaviness and honor is clear we're not to treat our parents lightly but esteem them and realize their worth in our lives and it means the connotation specifically is to make honorable to honor and to glorify and notice honor your father and mother look back for just a moment at 522 wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord that doesn't mean she's you know horrible doesn't mean she's wicked it doesn't mean she's evil and vile and second class it means that she has a particular role related to her husband she has a particular role alongside of her husband with reference to her children children so children you're to honor your father and your mother again this would be a bit revolutionary in terms of Phil philosophy and ethics in this time frame women didn't get the sort of treatment that Paul is giving them here now you might as a woman say well I'm not sure that that's the kind of treatment I want well you should repent because that's the kind of treatment that God sanctions God commands and God has given ultimately for your good but with reference to the command it reflects what we in the Old Testament honor your father and your mother and again the ancient near Eastern codes in Old Testament times do you think they gave a lot of you know dignity to women do you think they gave a lot of equal Authority in terms of husband wife uh uh parental Authority toward their children no this is this is beautiful stuff so with reference to this admonition there's a few other passages to look at in the Old Testament so go back to Leviticus I'm sorry Exodus 21 so remember the the the function of Exodus 21-23 it concretely applies the principles of Exodus 20 so we've got the giving of the decalogue or the 10 words or Ten Commandments in Exodus chapter 20 and then the question comes well how do we apply these things in Civil Society well 211 tells us now these are the judgments which you shall set before them and then it gives concrete application notice in 2115 he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death and then again excuse me in verse 17 and he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death turn over to Leviticus 19 Leviticus chapter 19 and note the close connection here Leviticus chapter 19 verse3 every one of you shall rever his mother and his father and keep my sabbaths I am the Lord your God now we typically categorize the fifth commandment in what we call the second table of the law so the first four Commandments are our duty to God so no idolatry no blasphemy no Sabbath breaking and then the latter six are our duty toward man honor your father and mother do not murder do not commit adultery do not steal do not uh lie do not covet but that fifth kind of occupies a foot in both grounds right I mean I'm not suggesting it's a first table thing but it's a great transition between the two tables because the parental Authority represents God and if you're going to struggle in the home as a child with parental Authority you're probably going to struggle outside of the home with any kind of authority it just the way it is I mean again there's exceptions you know some people struggle as kids they get converted and they become you know really wonderful human beings but in terms of the light of nature if you resist parental Authority which comes to you in the context of love you're likely to have problems in a workplace where the boss doesn't love you you're likely to have problems in society as a whole where people don't care about you so there is a close connection between submission as a child to parental Authority and you know a happy life down the path and and that's what is enjoined upon us specifically in terms of the rationale now again I'm not suggesting that every child that always renders obedience is only going to ever have a great life no axiomatically however in terms of God's General Providence again there's exceptions to every rule but in God's General Providence when when you do what you're supposed to life seems to go a little better I think it was Ronald Reagan that said thee harder I work the luckier I've been you get that right it's not luck things don't just happen you've got to put in a bit of effort so fathers and mothers occupy a place of god-given God sanctioned Authority in the home so every one of you shall Revere his mother and his father and then again Leviticus 20 and verse 9 this is not isolated uh Leviticus 20 and: 9 for everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death he has cursed his father or his mother his blood shall be upon him and then turn to the Book of Proverbs Proverbs is most helpful parents for instructing children in the wisdom of Christ most high it is a wonderful book it speaks often to the parent child relationship and notice specifically in chapter 15 just cover a few of these texts 15:20 a wise son makes a father glad but a foolish man despises his mother Proverbs 17:25 a foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her Who Bore him Proverbs 19 and verse 13 a foolish son is the ruin of his father and the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping 19:26 he who mistreats his father and chases away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach and then I've already alluded to 37 proverbs 30 specifically at verse 17 notice what this wise man says the eye that mocks his father and scorns obedience to his mother the Ravens of the valley will pick it out and the Young Eagles will eat it and then one other passage you can turn to the Book of Romans Romans chapter 1 so we're considering what's called a household code in Ephesians 522 to 69 that's pretty common place again in philosophy and ethics at the time there would be these instructions given to various people groups on how they were to live their lives well there's also what Paul invokes and they're called Vice lists other words if these are the virtues you're supposed to carry out in this household situation here's the vices that you're supposed to resist you're supposed to reject and in Romans 1 basically what he's illustrating is man's Rebellion against the living and true God he knows that God exists God has made it manifest to him but he has has rejected it he has resisted it the fool says in his heart there is no God so notice what God does is he gives them over and as he gives them over they engage in all manner of wickedness I've always thought that when you see conduct like we read here in Romans chapter 1 the qu in in society the question isn't I wonder if God's going to judge us the question is probably or not the question and the answer is probably he's judging us right now when we see the types of lawlessness that is promoted when we see the kinds of rebellion and transgression of the law of God when you take that seventh commandment and see how it's being twisted and abused and and distorted when you see the the the lack of concern for human life and abortion and and youth in Asia I don't think it's a question of well I wonder if God's going to judge Western Civilization kind of looks like that's precisely what we're looking at because verse 24 God gave them up verse 26 God gave them up verse 28 God gave them over and then notice in verse 29 being filled with all unrighteousness sexual immorality wickedness covetousness maliciousness full of Envy murder Strife deceit evil-- mindedness they are Whisperers backbiters haters of God violent proud boasters inventors of evil things and then notice disobedient to parents undeserving untrustworthy unloving unforgiving unmerciful this Disobedience to parents is a it is a a a vile transgression I just don't think we get that you see some kid losing his mind in Walmart and yelling at his parent that's not funny Brethren that's pathetic that's sad again that kid probably I mean they may not need to put aside money for University uh they might need to put aside money to visit him in jail I that's not good again if a child is not restrained the father said if you haven't broken their will by two years old You've Lost That I think that's severe I think that that's a a statement that I wouldn't you know endorse but I get the sentiment I get the reality train up a child in the way he should go there and and we're going to deal with this when we get to 64 fathers don't Pro provoke your children to wrath but but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord that light of nature teaches them lots of things but special Revelation is absolutely crucial for bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord so all that to say with reference to Ephesians 6 we have trans covenantal utility universally applied to Gentile children in Ephesus with the specific admonition that they obey because the light of nature shows this and that they honor because the fifth commandment demands this and then notice in terms of this the promise attached to the command look at how he responds here look how he continues honor your father and your mother and mother which is the first commandment with promise the first commandment suggests what other Commandments right it's the first in a series of Commandments namely nine others there is a consistency and a wholeness to the law now there's a promise attached to the second commandment but it's a negative sanction it is the threat of punishment and it probably extends to the entirety of the 10 words this is the first positive promise with reference to the commandment and then notice what he does specifically here he says that it may be well with you and you may live long long on what on the earth now in the Old Testament setting at SI and on the planes of Moab in the giving of the law in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 what was the promise appended or attached that you may live long in what in the land that the Lord your God is giving you wasn't that Central in the whole Redemptive plan in the Old Testament you're in Egypt you're in bondage God made this promise to Abraham Isaac and Jacob that he's going to give you this land of Canaan he's going to give you this land of inheritance well what does Paul do he universalizes that again it's not just the Ten Commandments for Jew as Jew in the land of Canaan it is The Ten Commandments for human as human wherever he or she finds himself again the promise isn't formulaic you turn in you know 18 years of solid obedience and you're going to get the best jobs you're going to have the best life that's not it you can't treat it formulaic I think people do this with the Proverbs and they get a bit exasperated well you know Solomon says to live this way and I live that way and and it just didn't happen no you got to allow for the reality that this is a sin cursed world that there are a lot of things that can go wrong Asaf speaks to that in Psalm Psalm 73 he said I saw the righteous suffer and I saw the unrighteous Prosper it was just a vexing thing for me so the the the the Proverbs of Solomon and these particular statements they're not formulaic you can't say to God well you know I I did render 18 years of good solid obedience to my parents and I can't get Beyond a minimum wage job what what what's Happening Here Again you cannot treat those promises that way but in the general Providence of God for those who do what God calls them to do it may be well with you and may you you may live long on the earth as hodj says it's the usual course of his Providence the usual course again bad things happen sometimes people get hit by cards sometimes you know horrific things happen Ed says it is a principle of the Divine Administration and the usual course of Providence but I think interesting to note is this expansion Upon This Land promise see if we didn't have the apostolic use of the Old Testament then we wouldn't know how to deal with those promises made to Israel in the Old Testament but how does Paul and Peter and James and John apply Old Testament promises to Old Covenant Israel they take those Old Testament promises and they apply them to New Covenant Israel which is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ so there's not this radical separation between Jews and Gentiles as separate peoples of God but Jesus is the true Israel of God and those who by Grace believe on him are in Union with him so promises received by him are given to his church given to his people so the Ten Commandments are operative The Ten Commandments are functioning The Ten Commandments are for us provided we use them lawfully not as a means of justification but certainly with reference to a civil use a pedagogical use and a normative use so all that to say children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right and then honor your father and your mother so both things are addressed so you might engage in the outward Act of compliance but your heart may be at odds so God doesn't leave anything sort of untouched or undal with it's not just the picking up of the socks and transporting them to the laundry B basket it's the heart disposition it's not just the cleaning the garage because Dad said so but it's the heart disposition you see you've got that children obey your parents in the Lord for for this is right there's a rightness to it but there's an honoring there's an esteem there's a respect there's a reverence and I love the way Gil makes that observation with a thankfulness and a gratitude for favors received in the past it it it again it's just right it's the way things ought to be John Calvin is in his Institute said those who abusive abusively or stubbornly violate parental Authority are monsters not men that's pretty hardcore uh but again imagine that kid in Walmart who doesn't get a Snickers bar and he starts hitting his mother you're not supposed to hit your mother that that that's just Unthinkable in in God's world in God's creation that that is monstrous Behavior animals don't hit their mother animals they they just don't it it's Unthinkable it it's right for a baby cat to esteem its mother cat and yet humans come along and because of our depravity and our inom we reject and resist parental Authority well kids if that describes you to some degree tonight then go to Jesus believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved the killing aspect of the fifth commandment shows that when it comes time to obey when it comes time to honor you might likely come up short so with that knowledge in your mind flee to the Savior King flee to the Lord Jesus Christ look to him in faith and you will receive forgiveness and you will receive receive a righteousness that avails with God and then once that happens obey your parents in the Lord for this is right and honor your father and your mother when you sin because you probably will confess it forsake it and you will find Mercy well let us close in a word of prayer Our Father in heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for the consistency that we find between General and special Revelation and the consistent we uh consistent we uh consistency we find between old and new covenants we thank you for your law help us to use it lawfully and I pray very much for the children and the young people in our congregation we thank you we know that children are a gift given by you and God we pray that you'd help us as parents and grandparents to bring them up in the way that we're supposed to and just give them Hearts to to hear the truth as it is in Jesus to believe on him in their early days and may they indeed know the joy of the Lord as their strength bless our homes bless our families bless us as a the local church and be glorified in our midst and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation