Do you know who or what the biggest influences over your children's lives are? It is you!
Show notes below:
1. The purpose of the family unit is to reflect the nature of God and his relationship with us in the earth.
A. The Parent/Child relationship is meant to be the prophetic declaration of God the Father and the Holy Spirit relationship with the Church.
B. The spousal relationship is meant to be the prophetic declaration of God the Father and Jesus’ relationship with the Church.
C. By prophetic declaration I mean living natural example that gives us insight into the knowledge of God.
D. This being said, parents have by nature the greatest influence
over a child’s life than anyone else on the planet.
2. Parental influences
A. As parents we have the deepest and most impactful influence on our children
B. More than sports stars, music stars, entertainers, teachers,
coaches, etc.
C. Whether we want that responsibility or not, as parents we have it automatically.
D. This is a tremendously weighty role in the life of another human being. Because of this weighty role there are some who, out of fear, decide to not have children. Not only reason, but one. They don’t understand that though yes it is a tremendously weighty role to carry that type of influence over another human being, but that responsibility carries a glory and joy that cannot be found elsewhere.
E. Though it is a weighty issue we as parents cannot abdicate our role as influencers to others.
F. Many in our culture give up and abdicate our god given influence to others who either have a lesser degree of concern for our children or outright agenda to use their influence for their own gain at the expense of our children.
G.The entertainers and music artist who promote perverted and harmful content directed at young people and then say they are not responsible for what people do with it, are literally taking your child down a path of destruction for their own personal gain.
H. Jesus does not mince words on what he feels about taking advantage of young people to lead them down a road of destruction. Luke 17:2
3. As the Parents Go, So Go the Children
A. Phrases like, “You are your mothers daughter”, Like Father, like son. Like mother, like daughter. Speak of this reality that as the parents go, so go the children, whether that’s good or bad!
B. The saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Is equivalent to saying listen to a hypocrite.
C. If we as parents live lukewarm lives in front of our children, they will most likely end up living with a love that is cold or non-existent.
But if we live abandoned lives under the grace of God, then most likely our children will live more on fire and surrendered to the Lord than we are.
D. We see this in scripture. Paul commends Timothy’s sincerity of faith and points to his grandmother Lois, and mother Eunice as the foundation of Timothy’s faith. 2 Timothy 1:5
E. Throughout the reign of Israel’s kings we find that the vast majority of their introductions are a summarization of how their parents influenced them. If the king and queen before them followed the Lord wholeheartedly the next son to be king did likewise. If the parents turned from God and compromised their trust and faith in God, so the son would.
