In the sermon titled 'Honor Within the Family: The Duties of Parents, Pt. 2,' Pastor Mike Davenport explores the biblical responsibilities of parents, drawing from Ephesians 6 and Deuteronomy 6. He emphasizes the importance of parents raising their children in the training and admonition of the Lord. Davenport discusses the influence of external forces, such as societal and political trends, that challenge traditional family values. He highlights the goals of the Communist Party as laid out in Cleon Skousen's 'The Naked Communist' and their impact on current societal issues. The sermon underscores the necessity of parents understanding the times and equipping their children for spiritual battles. Additionally, Davenport stresses the need for God-centered parenting, cherishing and nourishing children, and maintaining diligence in teaching God's laws. The gospel of Jesus Christ is positioned as central to parenting, with an emphasis on teaching children about God's redemption and the importance of spiritual upbringing.

We have several texts. One is in Ephesians 6 where we will pick up where we left off last week and then I'll direct your attention also to Deuteronomy 6, 4 through 9. So first through nine. So first, Ephesians 6, 1 through 4. 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. And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. And then if you'll turn over to Deuteronomy chapter 6, Deuteronomy 6, a well-known passage made fact that it's well known not rob us of the teaching in it. Deuteronomy 6, 4 through 9. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Let's look to the Lord in prayer.

Gracious God, we ask that you would come this hour Lord that you would by your spirit once again Inscribe afresh these laws upon our hearts Lord as you have promised to do in the new covenant, Lord, that all your people would truly know you and know you well. And Lord, we pray that your Word would run and Have a freeness as it moves among us today. Come by your spirit and live in our hearts. Get glory to your name. Help us.

Grant us understanding. Oh Lord, help us to understand the times that we live in and what you would have us to do. We pray in Jesus' holy name, amen. You may be seated. Well, this morning we are continuing our study of the Fifth Commandment and doing so under the same title, same heading as last week, honor within the family the duties of parents.

Honor within the family the duties of parents. Dear ones, I trust that the words of those two texts as they were read that that you were struck afresh with an overwhelming sense of the mind of God concerning the growth and development of our children. But what has been understood throughout many generations, it can no longer be taken for granted here in this land, and I fear even in churches who claim the name of Jesus Christ. In order to deal with the truths set before us in these passages, I feel a huge pastoral responsibility. In 1st Chronicles 12, King David is amassing an army of men from all the various tribes.

Various descriptions are used to describe those who gathered with him as he is going to assume the throne in Jerusalem. Helpers in the war, armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. Mighty men of valor, men trained for battle who could handle shield and spear whose faces were like the faces of lions and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. Famous men, expert in war with all weapons of war, stout-hearted men who could keep ranks. And there in 1st Chronicles 12 32 right in the midst of all of these expressions of well equipped and battle trained and battle ready men, we read of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do.

Ought to do. And so as a pastor, I feel that my duty before God to equip you, to encourage you, and to help you understand the times we are living in, in order that we may know what we as parents, as families, and as a church ought to do God giving us help. And so I want us to get a sense of and gain an understanding of the times we are living in. Let me begin by reading to you from the website operated by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN, United Nations Human Rights, which is recognized as the leading UN entity on human rights. I am reading straight from the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, proclaimed by the General Assembly on November 20th, 1959.

Principle 7. Quote, the child is entitled to receive education which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him on a basis of equal opportunity to develop his abilities, his individual judgment, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society. Principle 10, the child shall be protected from practices which may foster racial, religious, and any other form of discrimination. He shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace, and universal brotherhood, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men." End quote.

That's from 1959. Allow me to read you just one article from the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This article with others was adopted and opened for signature ratification and accession by the General Assembly on November 20, 1989, so 30 years later. And it went into force September 2nd, 1990. Article 18, quote, state parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child.

Okay? Parents or as the case may be legal guardians have the primary responsibility, note they didn't say responsibility, they have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child. The best interests of the child will be their basic concern, But note this, for the purpose of guaranteeing and promoting the rights set forth in the present convention, state parties shall render appropriate assistance to parents and legal guardians in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities and shall ensure the development of institutions, facilities, and services for the care of children." Do you note how wide the door has been swung open, leaving themselves a free invitation to interfere. If they deem something harmful to the unity, tolerance, peace, universal brotherhood they envision, they will protect that child. They will provide appropriate assistance as, of course, they see fit and necessary.

Now, you may be thinking, what level of influence does the UN actually have over us sitting here in this little church in Wake Forest? Do we really need to worry? Well, in 1958, a book was published by W. Cleon Scousin entitled, The Naked Communist. Mr.

Scousin had quite a professional career. After receiving a law degree earned at George Washington University. He went on to serve as an FBI agent, as the chief of police of Salt Lake City, the national editor of a leading police magazine called Law and Order, and he actually retired from a position as a university professor. In his book, The Naked Communist, Mr. Scousin identified 45 goals of the Communist Party, goals that they saw as crucial to accomplish their agenda.

And though the USSR has collapsed, Many of these goals have been and are being achieved right here within our borders. So allow me to set before you a few of these 45 goals and as I do consider whether they've been able to accomplish any of these in some form or fashion. Goal number 11 having just read from the articles that the UN published. Goal number 11 promote the UN as the only hope for mankind. Promote the UN as the only hope for mankind.

Promote the UN as the only hope for mankind. They want to weaken the traditional values that we hold that were born out of a Christian heritage, found it on the Word of God, the very worldwide political body that wants to indoctrinate your kids and give them rights to an extent that they can even choose to un-parent you. That body is what the communists want to promote as our only hope. Goal number 15, capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

It's no secret that socialism is the agenda of many of the front-runners in the Democratic Party. The socialist agenda used to be cloaked. That's no longer the case, And the fact that their socialism can be discussed so openly shows how much progress they have made in accomplishing this goal. Goal number 17, get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current communist propaganda.

Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. But I homeschool, you might say Remember the goals of the UN the child shall be protected from practices which may foster things that they disapprove of and don't promote their agenda. State parties shall render appropriate assistance to parents. Goals 20 and 21.

Infiltrate the press and get control of the various forms of news and media. They want key positions in these areas so that they control the information that is disseminated. And so the media will declare the winner of the election. Facebook's fact checkers will alert you if your post is questionable or not accurate. They will provide helpful links so that you can see the real truth for yourself and correct your errors.

And If you don't comply, they will simply make your account inactive, maybe even close it down. YouTube will determine whether your video complies with their politically correct standards and remove it if they think it doesn't. The press and the media don't want you to know the truth. Goals 24 and 25. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them censorship and a violation of free speech and free press, break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in all forms of media.

How are they doing with those goals? Well the accountability software company Covenant Eyes reports that in 2006, 14 years ago, The estimated revenues for sex-related entertainment businesses were just under 13 billion dollars in the US. It reported also that at that time, I've got to think the numbers have increased, 28, 258 users are watching pornography every second. And attached to that figure, $3, 075.64 is spent on pornography every second on the internet. Goal number 26, present homosexuality, degeneracy, and promiscuity as normal, natural, and healthy.

Now, note the order of those goals. First, flood the market with pornography. Then second, legitimize homosexuality. There were books introduced to the public and to elementary elementary school students three decades ago with the titles like Heather Has Two Mommies and daddy's roommate. We have seen gay pride marches right down the center of our street in downtown Raleigh.

There are drag queens conducting read along stories in public libraries across the nation. Why is this a goal of theirs? Because it breaks down the very foundation and the fabric of the traditional home and what God intends it to be. You may be sitting there saying, Pastor, is all of this really necessary? What does this have to do with the church of Jesus Christ and with her worship?

What does this have to do with honor in the home? Why are you spending so much time on this stuff? But this is why my dear friend listen to goal number 27 infiltrate the churches. Infiltrate the churches listen what they want to do and replace revealed religion with social religion Replace revealed religion with social religion Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity that does not need a religious crutch. That's their goal.

In so-called churches of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture has been replaced with a social gospel. In so-called churches of Christ, pastors are saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace, or prosperity, prosperity, when the exhortation of the apostles was, we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God, Acts 14 22. And in so-called churches of Christ, the demands of Christ are being set aside for the demands of the state. The second table of the law in regard to love for our neighbor has been used to actually negate the first table of the law in regard to love for our God. Goal number 28, eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the grounds that it violates the principle of separation of church and state.

I don't think I need to belabor that point. Goals 29 and 30. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Do you see any of that going on in the news these days?

Goal 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the big picture. The textbooks continue to be rewritten. I've witnessed firsthand the changing of the narratives given in such places as Colonial Williamsburg. I've seen the change as I've been there several times.

Historical statues of our forefathers are coming down at an amazing pace and all under the accusations of intolerance and racism. Goal number 32, support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture, education, social agencies, welfare programs, health, etc. If you need evidence of this, simply look at the centralized control that has been on full display in determining which businesses are essential and which are not. When we can leave our house and for what reasons, what we will wear when we leave our houses, how will we be allowed to interact with others, even family, etc. And they will continue to target churches because the church has traditionally recognized the lordship of Christ over her.

He's in control. They want centralized control. Christ says no! The church is mine, and the government doesn't like that. Just ask John MacArthur.

Goal number 35, discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. It would seem that this too is happening right before our very eyes. Goal number 42, create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition, that students and special interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political, or social problems. Do you see any of that going on? And in the midst, in the midst of all these goals, we run across these, goals 40 and 41, discredit, Discredit.

Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents, attribute prejudices, mental blocks, and retarding of children to the suppressive influence of parents. Though I have your attention at all, are there spiritual sirens and alarms going off in your mind? Do you sense at all the presence of the enemy just outside the gates?

Are you registering any level of concern? Dear ones, I don't think it a coincidence that here in the book of Ephesians, after having instructed the church concerning how we are to honor Christ in our own personal life and in the sphere of the church, chapters 4-1 to 5-21, and how we are to honor Christ in the sphere of our homes, 5-22 to 6-4, and how we are to honor Christ in the sphere of our labor in the world, Ephesians 6, 5 through 9, it's no coincidence that after all of that instruction, Paul would then write to the church, finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Can I ask you a few questions?

Do you awaken each day with the realization that you are in a battle? Do you go throughout your day knowing that our enemy walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and that he is not content just to take you down. He wants your family. And supposing you are aware of these things and contemplate these things throughout the day, are you putting on the whole armor of God in response. Are you equipping your children for the battle that lies before them?

Dear ones, the skirmishes, the skirmishes that we are experiencing today will be full-blown attacks soon. If not against us, then against our children. And as you contemplate all of these areas of life that Paul has touched upon, personal life, corporate life in the church, marriage, family, and work, are you walking in the power of and under the influence of the Holy Spirit That's what Paul draws our attention to back in chapter 5 Dear brothers and sisters we are in a battle Whether you are aware of it or not, whether you admit it or not, the battle is against principalities and powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. The battles for our minds. It's for our souls.

It's for our families. And it's for our church. These days we are living in our evil days. We must take up the whole armor of God. We must not be ignorant of the wiles of the devil against us, against our church, against our own families.

He seeks to destroy all relationships in the church and in our homes. He seeks to alienate parents from their children. He seeks to draw our attention away from eternal things and to focus on temporal things. He seeks to make us content to polish the outside of the cup and not deal with the heart of the issues He seeks to replace the godly influences of our homes that God has established He seeks to remove one block at a time from the foundation that that so that we're not alarmed but in time the whole building will eventually crumble. Let us not be ignorant of Satan's devices." So with all of that background setting the stage for us, in the time that remains, I would like for us to identify these things in the text.

The who, the what, and the how in regard to the duties God calls parents to do. Who has the responsibility? What is that responsibility? And how are we to carry out that responsibility? I will only have time to touch upon these, but I hope it equips us to dig down deeper as we continue this study in the weeks that follow.

And having laid the groundwork at the start, I hope that we will come to these exhortations and this teaching with even a greater sense of urgency. So first, the who. Who is it that has been given this great responsibility? Well, the scriptures are clear. Children have been given to God-ordained parents, and those parents are responsible for the lives of these children.

It's not the state's role to interfere or to usurp that responsibility no matter what laws are in place. The much-loved and highly respected Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones was issuing warnings back in 1960 while preaching from the pulpit at Westminster Chapel in London. He was witnessing the decline of the family in the culture around him even at that time. Listen to what he preached as he came to this text in chapter six as it is now recorded in his commentary on Ephesians.

Quote, The whole idea of family has somehow been declining and this, alas, is partly true in Christian circles also. The family's central importance that is found in the Bible seems to have disappeared. It is no longer being given the attention and the prominence that it once received. That makes it all the more important for us to discover the principles that should govern us in this respect. First and foremost, the bringing up of children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord is something which is to be done in the home and by the parents.

This is the emphasis throughout the Bible. It is the duty of parents, their primary and most essential duty. It is their responsibility and they are not to hand over this responsibility to another. He goes on to write, there is more, There is no more important influence in the life of a child than the influence of the home. The home is the fundamental unit of society, and children are born into a home, into a family.

There you have the circle that is to be the chief influence in their lives. There is no question about it. It is the biblical teaching everywhere and it is always in so-called civilizations where ideas Concerning the home begin to deteriorate that society ultimately disintegrates where ideas concerning the home begin to deteriorate, that society ultimately disintegrates." End quote. So what does our God declare? Well, God speaks to children, he speaks to mothers, he speaks to fathers, God speaks to the family unit.

He not only places children in families, but all of his instruction in regard to those children is directed to fathers and to mothers. We can therefore reasonably deduct that the responsibility rests upon their shoulders and in a greater way upon us as fathers. And so dear parents, we have our work cut out for us. Since the responsibility lies with us, we have much to consider and much to plan for. And as we do so, we must consider and plan in the reality that there is a world that is seeking to press us and our children into its mold.

To encourage us to eat the King's delicacies, to imbibe the culture around us, to worship the idols of that culture, to live our lives under the demand of the law of the Medes and the Persians. Where do we start? Well, having considered who it is that is responsible for a child's development, let us consider, secondly, the what. The what. What is the task that we as parents have been given?

What has God, who placed those children under our authority, what does He require of us in regard to those very children? Paul says, you fathers, bring those children up and do it in the training and admonition of the Lord. Moses exhorts us, you fathers teach, teach the nature of God and the laws of God to your children. You see what God has given us as parents, we need to pass it on to our children. The transition from the book of Joshua to the book of Judges highlights the fact that we are only one generation away from apostasy and every man doing what's right in his own eyes.

And we're told that That happened there among the Israelites because a new generation arose That did not know God or what he had done for his people What is entailed in this training and in this admonition. Well, most Greek scholars highlight the concept of what you do with the word training and what you say with the word admonition. So, We are to be influencing our children, training our children, bringing up our children with the use of both our words and our actions. I think the word admonition is fairly clear in our minds. We probably all understand the framework that is to govern our words.

We are to bring the word of God to bear upon their hearts. His word is to be the standard within our families. Paul was able to say of Timothy that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The word training, which depicts our actions, refers mostly to corporal punishment. It suggests unto us the need for discipline.

The Bible is not silent about God's fatherly discipline. Job 5, 17, and 18 says, Behold, happy, happy is the man whom God corrects. Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty, for he bruises, but he binds up. He wounds, but his hand makes whole. Hebrews 12 7 & 8 if you endure chastening God deals with you as with sons For what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

But if you are without chastening of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." I hope to spend some more time talking about both of these, the training and admonition and all that they entail in subsequent messages. For now, I would like for us just to take note that this is what God exhorts us to as parents. This is the what. It's our duty and responsibility to discipline and to teach and when we do that we are just like our Father in heaven. Well having seen the who and the what, let us look third at the how.

The how. How are we to carry out this exhortation? What is to be the method? Well, the first means we must consider is that God must be at the center of our parenting. God must be at the center of our parenting.

It's not enough just to have it mixed in. He must be at the center. Dear moms and dads, just as children are required to honor their father and mother in the Lord, the Lord expects us to parent in the Lord. That is, our parenting must be molded, it must be shaped, it must be governed, and it must be directed by God Himself as He has revealed in His holy will in the Holy Scriptures. We will not, and I would argue we cannot do this apart from God being at the center of our own lives.

From a genuine love for God in our own hearts as parents, The text in Deuteronomy 6 highlights the fact that these words, these admonitions that we are to teach our children are first of all to be in our heart, not in our minds, in our heart. We have the duty to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength. The doctrine that teaches us the unity that exists among the three persons of the Trinity, the Lord is one, that doctrine must compel us to also bring a unity of our heart, our mind, and our strength in loving and worshiping that God. As He is undivided, so our humanity must be undivided in that love and in that worship of God. Dad and mom, if all of our training and admonition are engaged without a genuine and zealous without a genuine and zealous love for God in our own hearts, should we be surprised to find either on one hand rebellion or on the other hand, Phariseeism within our very home.

God must be at the center of our parenting. The second way that I would mention in regard as to how we are to carry out this exhortation, cherishing and nourishing must be at the center of our parenting. Cherishing and nourishing must be at the center of our parenting. Cherishing and nourishing must be at the center of our parenting. Where does that idea originate?

Well, in the Ephesians 6, 4 passage, fathers and mothers are exhorted to bring their children up, to bring them up. This is the same verb that Paul used back in chapter 529 when he says that we as mortal men nourish our own flesh. We bring our own flesh up. We nourish it. John Calvin paraphrases the text saying that we are to fondly cherish our children, to fondly cherish our children in the midst of this training and admonition.

In his commentary on Ephesians, Ian Hamilton states, Quote, Paul is further impressing on fathers that the attitude that marks their spiritual care of their children is all important. It is possible to do all the required things, Bible reading and prayer especially, but to do them mechanically, clinically, with little evident joy and enthusiasm. The spiritual atmosphere in which we raise our children is paramount. We are called to raise our children with Christ-like tenderness. Parents must exercise their God-given authority over their children, but in a manner that draws their children to them, not in a way that repels them." End quote.

Cherishing and nourishing must be at the center of our parenting. The third way that we are to be going about our parenting according to these texts Constancy and diligence Constancy and diligence must be at the heart of our parenting We must teach the law of God diligently to our children. We must do it diligently. We must talk of the truths of God's Word at all times, whether we're sitting, walking, or lying down. The law of God is to be prominent in your homes, and it's to be taken with you whenever you leave that home and go out to do business in the world.

Whether you are entering or leaving the home, the law of God as it were is on the doorpost and on the gate reminding us that we are to be guided by that law in our dealings with God and with all we come into contact with both in the home and outside of the home. We must never stop instructing our children. We cannot afford to take breaks. The fourth and final way that I will mention as a method of training our children is found in these texts is this the gospel the gospel of the lord Jesus Christ must be at the heart of our parenting. The gospel of the lord Jesus Christ must be at the heart of our parenting.

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ must be at the heart of our parenting. Listen to what follows our text in Deuteronomy 6. Look down at it if you won't. It begins in verse 20. When your son asks you in time to come saying, what is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord your God has commanded you.

Then you shall say to your son, We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with the mighty hand and the Lord showed signs and wonders before our eyes great and severe against Egypt Pharaoh and all his household then he brought us out from there that he might bring us in to give us the land of which he swore to our fathers and The Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good Always that he might preserve us alive as it is this day, then it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God as He has commanded us. The things that we teach our children are things given to us as those who have been called out of spiritual Egypt. We are to remind our children that we ourselves were once enslaved to our sins and God in mercy reached down and redeemed us to Himself. I love the words of verse 23. He brought us out in order that he might bring us in I love those words.

He brought us out in order that he might bring us in That, that dear children is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has exhorted us as parents to give to you. That's where the story starts. We ourselves were slaves. We ourselves were once slaves. And our prayer for you, our children, is that God would reach down and redeem you from the hard taskmaster of your sins and would bring you out that he might bring you in.

We pray that the admonitions of the Lord would, as Moses said here, be for your good, that God might preserve you, and that rather than these words one day be your condemnation, For if you try to do these things on your own, apart from God, apart from an attachment to Jesus Christ, they will be your condemnation one day. But rather than being that condemnation, We pray that as Moses said here, they will be as righteousness to you a measure of your sanctification Because of your attachment to Jesus Christ come to him today believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be brought out from bondage in Egypt that you might be brought in to the glorious body of Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Our gracious God, we thank you for your goodness and your mercy to us. We thank you for giving us your word.

Help us oh God as we seek to apply this word to our heart. Give us grace as parents to do our duty, to take our responsibility seriously. Lord, to put up guards around that which you have ordained to be and Lord to to be Not caught unaware and not be caught not watching and not praying as your disciples Lord, you know our our spirits are willing but often our flesh is weak So give us strength a fresh to be given to that watchfulness and be given to prayer because we need you We need your spirit. We cannot do these things you've commanded us as moms and dads apart From yourself. So come give us power and strength In Jesus' name, amen.