Confessions of a Church: Be Wise My Son
The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.
Proverbs 27:11-20 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches me. A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty. Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger; And for an adulterous woman hold him in pledge. He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him. A constant dripping on a day of steady rain And a contentious woman are alike; He who would restrain her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit, And he who cares for his master will be honored. As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man. Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.
Stories of wayward children who rejected the God of their fathers, and the exploits of preacher's kids could fill volumes of books. Studies abound which highlight what seems to be a mass exodus from the Church by young people. Share the gospel with your neighbor, at work or in the streets doing ministry, and you are sure to encounter some who will make claims such as "I was a christian once, but when I grew up, realized it wasn't for me", or "you can't judge me for aborting my baby, my dad is a Pastor!"
Perhaps things like this have hit closer to home for you. Have you ever had a family member pray that your children would reject your cultish, insane religion, or, say "your kids are going to hate you when they grow up for the way you have indoctrinated them"? Believers and unbelievers alike realize that children abandoning the instruction of their father and mother in pursuit of their lusts and passions is a thing. Believers pray it never happens to their children, while Satan and his followers are filled with glee when it does. Disobedient covenant children who know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)
All that said, the Proverb exhorts you children to "Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, That I may reply to him who reproaches me. (Proverbs 27:11)
It has been said many times from this pulpit that children, you will not, cannot, ride mommy and daddy's coattails into heaven. Unless you are born again, confess Christ as Lord, and persevere to the end, all that awaits is a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:27)
Children, listen to me. Whatever notions you have regarding the things that will please your parents, getting a college education, learning a trade, getting married and having a dozen baptized covenant babies: all these things are vain window dressing if your relationship with God is one where you are worshipping with you mouth while your heart is far from Him.
Children listen: you can fool your parents for a season. You can talk, and walk, and sound like a Christian well enough to fool your Pastor. You can be the cleanest looking white washed tomb when compared to your peers in the world, yet be full of dead men's bones on the inside. Children, seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6) Don't wait until tomorrow, or after you sow your wild oats. You may not have a tomorrow! You may have to give an account this very day!
All your homeschool learning, your reading skills, your hobbies, how fast you can run, your Lego building skills, your creativity, all of it, is a waste, vain futile endeavors, apart from a saving faith in Jesus Christ and children, your parents would trade all of these things to know you are fearing the Lord, wise in the things of God.
3 John 4 (NASB95): I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
That's it. To know my children are right with God, makes my joy complete. If my children love the LORD yet can't quite grasp calculus, I can sleep easy. If my children are walking in the truth, though reading is a struggle, I have no greater joy. If my kids grow to take a different route in life than I had planned, yet trust in the LORD with all their heart, I am glad. Is this not true parents?
Be sure, in all the hustle and bustle of homeschool, that you assure your children of this truth:
Proverbs 23:15 (NASB95): My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad;
A Pastor once said, "If you teach your son to keep his eye on the ball, and not on Christ, you have failed as a parent". Let us love our children and train them up in the fear and instruction of the LORD, with faith in Christ. Brothers and sisters, parent and child:
Hebrews 10:36–39 (NASB95): For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul
Sovereign King Church, if you are able at this time, let us kneel and confess our sins to the One Who is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Heavenly Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost
Great three in one, triune God,
Creator, sustainer, deliverer.
We call upon Your Great Name this Lord's day seeking forgiveness for our sins.
Father, in the Name of Your Son, we ask that you forgive us children for having brought reproach upon You and our parents for our wayward hearts.
Father, please forgive us parents where we have elevated our standards above God's, where we have emphasized vain pursuits to the neglect of our children's souls.
Father, please show grace to the children that they may repent and believe the gospel, and in their believing, make their parents glad.
Father, please forgive us for all hidden and presumptuous faults, all sins of omission and commission, and lead us onto paths of righteousness for Your Namesake. In Jesus Name we pray, amen.
Please join me in standing and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church:
It was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things of earth or things of heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven. Colossians 1:19-23
To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!
(From the 01/10/2021 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)
