Receiving Children as a Gift from God
Parenthood

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Good morning, church! It is good to see all of you here this week. If you’re here for the first time and you don’t know what “KidzFest” is, we left it decorated from our weeklong Vacation Bible School that we call, “KidzFest.” It’s not over for us; our Rocky Mount campus KidzFest starts tomorrow night. So we’ll have another week of KidzFest in Rocky Mount, starting tomorrow night. If you missed out on the KidzFest at this campus, you can still catch the one in Rocky Mount.

We felt it appropriate, since we’ve been with your children all week long, that we might start a sermon series today about parenting. We’ve entitled the series, “Parenthood.” Over the next three Sundays, starting today, we’re going to deal with the three “R’s,” the three “R’s” of parenting.

Today we’ll begin with the first “R;” how to receive your child as a gift from the Lord. Before we get started, though, let’s go and see what Google says about parenting . They’re the experts on everything, right?

We went to Google and asked, “What are some funny quotes, some humorous quotes about parenting?” Here’s their top ten humorous quotes on parentIng:

#10 – “Silence is golden…unless you have kids, then silence is just suspicious.” – Anon.
# 9 – “The majority of my diet is made up of the foods that my kid didn’t finish.”– Carrie Underwood
# 8 – “Having one child makes you a parent. Having two kids makes you a referee.” – David Frost
# 7 – “The hardest part of parenting is being fake mad when they do something that is actually hilarious.” – Anon.
# 6 – “Don’t compare your dog problems to parenting. Your dog cannot say your name 3,427 times a day.” – Anon.
existent # 5 – “Parenting was much easier when I was raising my non-existent kid hypothetically.” – Anon.
# 4 – “You know your life has changed when going to the grocery store by yourself is a vacation.” – Anon.
# 3 – “There was just no transition. You just hit the ground diapering.” – Paul Reiser
# 2 – “Having a 2-year-old is like having a blender that you don’t have a top for.” –– Jerry Seinfeld

It’s kind of chaotic. Let’s admit it, parenting can be pretty intimidating. It can be scary, it can be overwhelming. I remember the birth of our first born. They brought the baby out to us at the curb and we had to prove that we had a car seat. I don’t know if they still do that, but the person had to check to make sure you had a car seat. We put our child in the car seat. I started the car and we pulled out. I looked over at my wife with joy, and then, we looked at our little bundle of joy in the back seat. He started crying; we were only ten minutes from home. By the time we got home, he was in DEFCON 4. We checked his diaper. Is he hungry? Is he sleepy? Nothing would stop him. Thank goodness, my mother came and spent the first week with us. There’s nothing like a grandmother at a time like this; can I get a witness? It’s pretty overwhelming having children. It’s something that can scare us, it’s so intense. We can respond in so many ways.

Over this past year, 2020, parenting has been as hard as ever, right? A lot of us had to become homeschoolers overnight. It probably revealed some things about your parenting this past year. Both the joy of being together so much and, also, some of the pain of being together so much. Parenting can be hard. We feel overwhelmed and under qualified. We feel frustrated. We feel tired and exhausted. Sometimes we want to run away. Parenting is hard work. I’ve heard parents say, I wish my kid had come with an owner’s manual. Well, the truth is, we do have an owner’s manual.

The bible gives us instructions about how to raise children the way God planned. I think that’s very helpful. You’re here this morning; you might be a single person, you might be married without kids or you might be empty nesters. You feel like you have already “been there and done that.” No matter where you’re at in life today, we all started out as kids and “the church is not the steeple, it’s the people.” The church is not the building; it’s the people of God or the family of God. We’ve been charged with raising the next generation . So we need “all hands on deck,” regardless of where you’re at in life, because it matters, it really does.

We’ve had some fun laughing at parenting. We’ve, also, admitted some of our problems. Now, let’s dig in and see what God’s word says. In Psalm 127, Solomon wrote about the necessity of recognizing the Lord as the One builds families and watches over them. As a result, he wrote that children are to be received as a gift from the Lord. We can receive our children as a gift from the Lord. How can we receive our children as a gift from the Lord? The text gives three steps for receiving our children as a gift from the Lord.

Let’s look at Psalm 27; it’s in that group of fifteen Psalms called the “Song of Ascents ” These psalms were organized so that, as people approached the temple for worship, they would get “their worship on.” Before they got there andas they climbed Mount Zion, as they ascended, they would get “their worship on.” These Psalms were organized so you could sing them all, but especially these fifteen were organized to get you in the right state of mind.

I’m praying, today, that we’ll get in the right state of mind when it comes to parenting. Let’s look at Psalm 27. Psalm 127:1-5 (ESV) 1 “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. 3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” This is God’s word . Amen.

How to receive your child as a gift from God: 1. Rely on God’s help.

There’s nothing like having children to make you want to start praying and start asking for help,Amen? Here’s what the scripture says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” It’s a wasted effort. It’s an effort that will not produce the result you hope for if you do it according to your own strength. It says, in all caps, LORD, which means in the original Hebrew, it was the Hebrew word for the covenantal name of God, which is Yahweh or Jehovah. This was the name that God revealed to Moses. It’s His personal name that He gave to the Jewish people. “Unless the Lord (Yahweh)builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.”

May I say something even more extreme than that? Unless you do it according to God and with His help, you might ruin your house. Not only will it be an empty endeavor, but it will be ruinous. You’ll be laboring in vain.

Proverbs 14:1 (NLT) “A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.” If you do it your own way and maybe this is how your parents raised you or this is the latest book in the culture today, be careful because you’re raising God’s children. You’re raising children; God wants you to do it His way. We need for Him to build, but we also need for Him to watch. “Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” I’m not surprised that Solomon starts mentioning something about lack of sleep. That’s one of the first things that, whenever you make your first Sunday back after you’ve had a newborn,that I will ask, How’s it going at night? Are you sleeping through the night? You reply, No, I’m not sleeping through the night. I usually don’t have to ask them because of the bags under their eyes. I’m not surprised that Solomon talks about sleep.

Have you ever thought about what it’s like to go to sleep at night? No matter who you are, you just kinda have faith that the world will still be there when you get up the next morning. Do you ever say, Lord, I’m getting ready to go to sleep. I’m leaving everything in Your charge. I apologize for those times when I was awake and I didn’t leave everything in Your charge. You’re always in charge , God. God addresses this. He says, in verse 2, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” How are you going to sleep as a parent? How are you going to do that, because even if you get them past the bottle period, the feeding period, the diaper period, then there is the next phase and then the next phase and the next… I probably shouldn’t tell you this because you’re still in the midst of it. Maybe, you have become grandparents and you are thinking about those grandkids now, you’re thinking about them and praying for them. How do you sleep well? You ask God for help. He’s a better builder than you and He never sleeps. He’s a better watchman than you. He can watch over your children and you don’t have to continue eating the bread of anxious toil and worry. You worry and say, I don’t know if I’m doing this right. I praise God for that He’s merciful. He was merciful to my parenting and my wife’s parenting. Somehow we didn’t ruin our kids because even on our best day, none of us are perfect. There’s only one perfect parent and that’s God,the Father. A lot of His kids will build anyway. You see, kids have free will. That’s a terrifying thing about being a parent. You can’t really determine how they’re going to turn out. You have to do your very best and pray like crazy and ask God for help in the way you raise them and help you with the worry.

God is the owner. We are the stewards. It’s like our kids are “on loan” for a season to us until we can give them back to Him. It says in Psalm 24:1 (NLT) The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” God’s the owner. He created everything. He’s the builder; He’s the architect. Why wouldn’t we turn to Him?

Here’s the other truth about being a steward first. 1 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV) “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” It doesn’t say that we have to be perfect; it says that we are to be faithful. Can we faithfully do our best with God’s help to discharge the responsibility of being moms and dads, recognizing that we come under the Lord’s authority? In doing so, He has chosen us to be the parents of these children.

It says in Genesis 18:19 (ESV) “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just…” You’ve been chosen. I don’t remember God choosing me. Did you have a baby? You are chosen. Do you have a child? You are chosen. God has a purpose for you that you would direct your children in the way that He has revealed to us.

Here’s a humbling thought; we’re raising up children that have eternal value. As a result, it’s important that we accept the role of being a mom and a dad. I see, especially in the modern generation, a desire to be your child’s friend. May I warn you about something. If you don’t first make the decision to be their daddy and their mommy, when they’re grown, you’ll have trouble being their friend. A lot of us get that upside down. We try to be their friend, and then, when they turn into a teenager, we try to be their mom and dad. That’s out of order. Be their mom and dad first. You’ll have a better chance of growing a friendship as they become adults. Be aware of that. I just want to be their friend. I just want to be their buddy. You’ve been chosen and called to be a dad and a mom.

Here’s what it says in Dr. Tedd Tripp’s book, entitled, “Shepherding a Child’s Heart.” He says, “Parents must be willing to be in charge. Recognizing that that God has called you as His agent defines your task as a parent. You shepherd your child on God’s behalf.” This book deserves to be in every parent’s library on parenting. Here’s an even more terrifying thing: Only God can touch your child’s heart. Pray for them.

I still remember praying this outrageous prayer before each of our three children were born. It came to me when we were just thinking about the birth of our first born. My wife was in the ninth month of pregnancy. I would put my hands on her belly and feel a little kick. I said, God, what matters most to me is that they know You. I never want to see him or her if they’re not going to follow You. I don’t know if I can take it, if they don’t follow You. You see what really matters most is that we shepherd our children’s heart to follow Jesus because they are loved by Him. We can spend so much time and effort on their education, feeding,clothing, housing, making sure that they play musical instruments and become professional sports stars. These are all good things, but if we don’t make following Jesus the priority, we’ve done a disservice to our children.

You’ve got a job to do and you can’t do it. What? Why are you telling us this? It’s because you can only do it with God’s help because it’s beyond you. But, with God’s help, you can be faithful and God will do the work on your behalf. He’ll be the builder. He’ll be the One who watches over what you do. Will you decide to rely on God’s help as a mom and as a dad? That’s the first step.

2. Embrace them as God’s blessing.

I know there’s some repentance that needs to take place, Go ahead and get it out of the way. On the way to church this morning, they were not a blessing. Before you even got out of the house, somebody punched somebody or somebody messed up their clothes. They got out in the yard and got grass stains on their pants. Somebody did something. On the way to church, you were not the perfect little Christian family, were you? Somebody here probably needs to go to the chiropractor and get something worked out because you dislocated your shoulder trying to get hold of somebody in the back seat. Can I get a witness? I’ve been there. My shoulders have never been right since we had kids. You reach back there and try to get them; they get smart and they pull their feet up. You get a hold of the wrong kid. They yell at you, It wasn’t me, dad!

We’re not perfect parents. In our culture today, children are seen more as an inconvenience than a blessing. They are seen as something that you put off as long as you can and try to get over as soon as you can. But the bible says that they are to be seen as a blessing.

Look at verse three; circle the words, “heritage” and “rewards.” Circle those two words. “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.” In the CEV. translation, it actually says, “Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord.” Now, who needs to repent, You don’t have to raise your hand. Ask for help from the Lord on the doing and the calling of being a parent.

You, also, need help with your attitude. We need help because our kids challenge us. They’re like “little mirrors” showing us who we are. I was talking to someone after the first service. He said, I just can’t get over the fact that my six year old can determine my emotional level.” We need an attitude that children are a blessing because God’s word says that they are a blessing. “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.” It’s about getting our attitude in the right place.

Having and raising children is a blessing. It seems hard, but it’s a blessing now and it’s a blessing in the future if you raise them unto the Lord. Look what it says in Psalm 128:3-4 (ESV) “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.” What are olive shoots? Olive shoots are baby olive trees. As a parent, you must till the soil and fertilize around them. When they grow up into mature olive trees, they provide fruit in your old age.

Do you know what the retirement plan was prior to the 1930’s? Children took care of their parents. That used to be the retirement plan before Social Security and retirement centers and so forth. I’m not saying anything pro or con about any of those things, but that was God’s plan. Children are a blessing and they’re a blessing in the future.

One of God’s “top 10” is, “Honor your father and mother,” which includes the idea of caring for them. If you care for your children when they’re young, they’re supposed to care for you when you’re old. They are a blessing now and they are supposed to be a blessing in the future.

Would you like to know what Jesus thinks about your children? We don’t have to guess at it. He tells us; He sees them as very valuable. Matthew 18:10 (ESV) says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” This is where some get the idea of guardian angels being assigned to each child. I’m not ready to go down the road of that theological conundrum, but we see an implication here that angels are watching over our kids and they are face to face with the Father. So, be careful how you treat those children because they have eternal value and because they are eternal beings.

What a sobering thought that we would be charged with raising up eternal beings, beings that will have a soul that has eternity in its future and therefore they have infinite potential. Oh, what a sobering task parenting is. Jesus said to make sure the way you treat them that you don’t hate them or despise them. Remember that they represent the Kingdom of God. Jesus goes on in Luke 18:16 (ESV) “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”

There’s something about children that teaches us something about God. Be careful the way you teach children and what your attitude is towards them. Besides, they’re better at memorizing scripture than you are! Their little memories are just ready to soak up anything you put in there. As we get older, it gets harder to memorize stuff and to learn stuff. Children are so ready to soak up everything, which is so scary, because they’re like “little tape recordings” that come on when you have company over, right?

The most revealing time in Children’s Church, which is down the hall from us, is when they ask your children for prayer requests. The teachers find out everything about what’s going on at your houses. We’ve sworn the teachers to secrecy. It’s all part of the covenant. We know stuff about your house.

Here’s what Charles Spurgeon, that great British preacher wrote, “He gives children, not as a penalty nor as a burden, but as a favor. They are a token for good if men know how to receive them, and educate them. They are ‘doubtful blessings’ only because we are doubtful persons. Where society is rightly ordered, children are regarded, not as an incumbrance, but as an inheritance; and they are received, not with regret, but as a reward.”

Katie Frantz writes in her book, Parenting as a Sacred Task, “You are not managing an inconvenience; you are raising a human being.” It’s a sobering calling, isn’t it? Is your attitude in the right place? Do you see your children as a blessing?

Do you remember the story of Moses’ birth? He was born to his parents during a time when it was illegal to raise a boy if you were a Jew, The pharaoh of Egypt had told the midwives who helped the Hebrew women that if they gave birth to a boy to kill him. The pharoah thought that the Hebrews were over-populating Egypt; they were having too many kids. No more boys were to live. Moses was born into this situation. Here’s what the scripture says about his parents; Moses’ parents considered him an extraordinary gift from God. In Hebrews 11:23 it says, “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

You see, the culture is often against what’s best for our kids; sometimes the government is against what’s best for our kids. Moses’ parents decided it was better to do what God said than what the government said as it regarded him And they saw something different in Moses. They looked at him and said, He’s not ordinary; he’s extraordinary. Maybe, all of us are supposed to look at our kids like they’re extraordinary instead of calling them names like we sometimes do. We call them names; disparaging names. Hurtful names, We teach them and we give him the wrong identity.

The Bible says, in the book of Genesis, that God gave Adam the authority over things. God gave Adam the authority to name. Adam named his wife, Eve, because she was the mother of all the living . Parents have the power to name a child or to curse a child, based on their attitude. Is the child a blessing or an inconvenience, an encumbrance or a curse? Do you love them like they’re a gift from God? Your child matters. Every child is like Moses; there are no ordinary children. Do you view your children as an interruption, inconvenience or encumbrance or do you see them as God’s blessing? Get your attitude right towards your children.

3. Accept your role as God’s warrior.

Now, we are on verses four and five. Notice what it says in verse four, “like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Your children are the arrows and you are the warrior. We’re to aim our children like arrows at God’s purpose and plan for their lives.

Back in the day, an archer would make their own arrows. They had to fashion the feathers and get them just right, making sure it’s straight. You want it to be straight and true. Then, they would put them in the “quiver” and be ready to go to war. Like arrows, our children are to be aimed at God’s target, His purpose and His plan for their lives.

The book of Proverbs has a promise in it. It says, “if you raise up a child in the way he should go, when he is old, he will not depart from it.” There’s an interesting phrase here; “If you raise him up in the way he should go.” “In the way” might just mean this; “in the righteous way.” It might, also, mean that each child is different and has a way to them and a shape to them.

This is a sobering task. Our children all have little unique personalities. Any of us, who have had more than one child, know this. They don’t come off “of the assembly line” identical; they are all different. If they have a personality just like yours, here’s how you know. You bump heads with them. If they have an opposite personality , you have trouble understanding them. They’re all different and all l unique. Part of the job as a parent is to know them. You can’t do this with quality time; you have to have quantity time. You have to be together; you have to have quantity and quality time so that you get to know them. You will begin to affirm those personalities. Instead of saying that there’s something wrong with their personality, blaming it on their hormones or blaming it on something else, know that God made them this way. If you have a strong willed child, this is how you will know; before they say “mommy or daddy,” they say “no” back to you. They say “no,” probably, because they’ve heard it so much. They’ve heard “no” a lot. If you have a willful child, that child is hard to raise, especially when they turn two or three years of age. Know this, though, they will be a strong leader someday if you don’t break their will, but you, instead, shape it. A strong willed child is going to be a great warrior someday. If you shape their will and aim them at God’s target for His planned passion and purpose for that child’s life.

They are your children and you are their warrior. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Are you aware that the culture of this world, and I speak of the lost world, hates your family? Do you realize that the assault on the family, in my lifetime, has been increased to a fervor pitch to where you don’t have to just be a parent to worry about your kids? If you’re a grandparent, you’re just as worried. Worry is a sin because it’s a lack of faith and so, I have to turn my worries constantly into prayers of faith. I look around me today and every aspect of the human family is under attack. Marriage, the definition of parenting a family and what makes a family is all under attack, but God is an architect and a builder. He has a plan for your family. Why not follow His plan? Why not follow His definition? If you do it yourself, your own way, you labor in vain. Not only that, you have all of this anxious toil and you have all of this lost sleep.

Solomon says to aim your children and you be the warrior. In other words, fight for your family. It’s a spiritual battle that we fight. It’s not so much a physical battle; it is a spiritual battle. The way you fight a spiritual battle is on your knees. I “bumped heads” with my sons more than I did my daughter, up to a point. Especially my firstborn; he was a strong-willed little “booger.” He turned into a teenager; he turned into a strong-willed teenager. He is a great pastor and leader today, but we had a couple of rough years in his 11th and 12th grade years of school. I still remember each child and how they came along.

I remember my daughter; she was a “secret rebel.” Does anybody remember your childhood and your parents thought you were the “good child” but you weren’t? That was her. She was a “secret rebel.” The bible says, “be sure your sins will find you out.” That verse should also include this – “and your parents will find out too.”

We couldn’t seem to reach our daughter. She would go to her room (this is when she was 13 or 14 years old) and she didn’t want to eat dinner at the dinner table with the rest of the family. She would go to her room and lock the door. I would ask, “Why do you lock your door?” She wouldn’t answer. I didn’t know what happened. The “invasion of the body snatchers” took my sweet little girl. She didn’t call me daddy anymore; I was “dad.” At bedtime, we always had this thing where we would repeat back to each other, “I love you the most. I love you the mostest. I love you infinity.” Now, she would just go to bed. What has happened?

My wife was so broken about our daughter; she had to wait for her to go to sleep and she would get down on her knees, at the foot of the bed, and she’d lay her hands on our daughter’s feet and pray, “God touch my daughter’s heart. We don’t know what happened to her. We love her. She doesn’t seem to love us back right now. The Lord answered her prayers. It wasn’t easy. It was actually terrifying, but God answered her prayers.

What kind of warrior do you need to be? You need to be a spiritual warrior. Spiritual warriors fight with God’s word and they fight with God’s spirit. They fight on their knees. They’re real with their kids. They express how they feel about things in real ways. It’s hard in a season like that; it’s easy to become a teenager with them. We need to be spiritual warriors.

Solomon says, in verse 5,”Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” It’s a blessing to have kids. Some of you may ask, What’s a quiver? A quiver is a container, usually hung on the back, for arrows. Many suggest that the Hebrew archer carried five arrows in his quiver. I suppose the idea is “the more the merrier” when it comes to children. Today, you can get a compound bow and you can snap on a quiver. I did some research about this; you can buy a three arrow, five arrow or a seven arrow clip on your modern compound bow. But , in ancient times, the bows were stored on the back in a quiver.

What is God saying? How many kids am I supposed to have? If we were supposed to be told it would have told us right here. So, it leaves it open, right? Some of you are saying, I had one kid. My quiver was full. Some kids take up more space in the quiver.

Do you know what the first command in the Bible is?” The first command in the Bible is found in Genesis 1, where it says to multiply and fill the earth. I have heard someone say, If you have one child, that’s subtraction. If you have two children, you’re breaking even. If you have three children, that’s addition. You gotta have four children to multiply. I don’t know the Hebrew word for “quiver.” It was said to carry five arrows. Here’s what I do know; it is between you and God. We can say this, The more the merrier. Having kids is a good thing. Don’t look down your nose at somebody who has had more than one kid. I think it’s good for Christians to have kids. Who better to raise them than us if we raise them God’s way. It’s a blessing to have kids.

In the final part of verse five, it says, “he shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” Now, the gate, in those ancient times, was the city gate. It was the center of commercial, legal and intellectual life. It would be like going down to the marketplace. The elders would sit around the gate. If you were going to buy some property, the transaction would take place in front of the elders at the city gate. If you aim your children like arrows and you fight for them, when they’re grown, you won’t be ashamed in public. You won’t be ashamed when you’re in the marketplace, because you will have raised them up to follow the Lord. You’ll be pleased with them and proud of them. There will be a blessing for you. Raise them up like arrows that you’ve aimed true at the Lord’s target for their lives.

It says in Ephesians 6:4 (NIV) “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” You might be surprised that it says “fathers.” Today, we’ve decided in our generation that fathers aren’t really needed. We’ve pretty much tried to demolish the identity of fatherhood, but this is not the Biblical way. From the old testament to the new testament, it always says to the fathers first. We need both fathers and mothers, but it tends to be fathers who, especially today, forget their obligation. The prisons today are filled with fatherless sons.

Now, if you’re a single mom here today, trying to raise your kids without a daddy, there’s hope for you. I was one of those kids. I had a father for eight years; He died when I was eight years old. He was a good daddy and raised me well for eight years. But then I was raised in a fatherless home after that. But my mom would always talk good about my dad. That’s one thing a single mom can do is talk good about the father. That’s your child’s father. Even if the dude is not a very good person, be careful that you don’t demolish their identity. Talk good about the spouse because it’s that child’s mommy. It’s that child’s daddy. You talk good about him.

My mom used to talk about my dad and say to me, You look like your dad. I think you’re going to grow up to be a great man, like your dad. She was always affirming manhood, so I wanted to be a man. I wanted to be a good father. She, also, was always pointing me to my grandfathers and my uncles. They all became like fathers to me.

Church, listen, we have single moms in the church. Dad’s, be ready to rotate your fatherhood towards those children. One of the things I love is that we have Dad’s working in our children’s ministry. We’ve got plenty of women. If it weren’t for the women, we couldn’t have a church because they do everything. But, I’m thankful for men who will say, I have room on my plate to be a father in the children’s ministry. We have children that their grandparents bring; they love the women, but they fall in love with the men who work in the children’s ministry.

Fathers, raise them up in the training and instruction. You’re raising up warriors.

Here’s another thing to think about; you’re giving him back to God. Remember in the book of 1 Samuel, there was a woman named Hannah. She was barren, unable to have kids. She prayed this prayer to the Lord; 1 Samuel 1:11 (ESV) “O Lord of hosts, if you will … give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.” She said, Lord, if you’ll trust me with a son, I’ll give him back to you. I think that’s a good prayer. I think all of us should say, Lord, my desire is to raise up champions for You. Champions for the Lord.

I have a picture in my mind. Some of you have been going here for a while and you know this picture. We are to receive our Children like a gift from God and then, as He gives them to us, we are to take God’s hand for help and take that little child’s hand and raise them up to follow the Lord. One day, our goal is to release them to the Lord, so now, they take His hand. See that’s our job. We’re the go- between for a season. They’re on loan to us and we give them back to the Lord.

What a holy task. What a holy calling. What an overwhelming calling. We can’t do it without God’s help. There is a war for our Children. Get in the fight. Be a warrior for the family. As we conclude today, I would add one thing: Everything I’ve told you, you can’t do. You are thinking, Well, why did you tell us all of this?

Here’s how you can do it. Let Jesus do it in your family. Turn it over to Him. It starts with where you are today. Where are you spiritually? You can’t raise up children, mom and dad, to follow the Lord if you don’t follow Him. How are you going to help them if you haven’t made a decision for you yet?

We say, I’ve not been a perfect dad. In fact, I’ve been a mess. I’ve not been a perfect mom. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Whether you’re a mom or a dad, no matter who you are, come to Him and say, Lord, I’ve sinned, I’ve fallen short. This is what the Gospel promises if we come to Him. He doesn’t come to us and say, I’ve been waiting for you to say this. Now, I’m going to make your life miserable. No, He says, Now, you’re ready to hear. I have forgiven you through Jesus. If you’ll receive Jesus, I’ll turn your sin. I’ll put it on Him on the cross and you can receive His righteousness. If you’ll receive Jesus, I’ll take your separation and I’ll put it on Him. Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” So that you can be a child of God. If you give your life to Jesus, He’ll die your death so you could live His eternal life. You see, none of us are perfect and we’re gonna mess up, not just our kids, but everything around us, including our marriages in our own lives, unless we ask for God’s help. That’s how you can do it. You can do it with God’s help. You can do it by turning your life over to Jesus, relying on God’s help and getting His attitude that kids are a blessing. Get your spiritual armor on and be a warrior for the family. Let’s pray.

God, thank You for Your word. Thank You that kids are a blessing; they’re a gift from the Lord. Lord, we agree with You on that. Lord, thank You for that correction today for some of us, probably for all of us. Lord, I pray for that person, first of all , that has decided today to give their life to Jesus. Is it you? You can do it right in your seat. It’s a matter of having a conversation with the Lord. It’s called prayer. You can talk to Him right now . Join me right now. Pray with me right now. Dear Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner. I’ve been living my life according to my own way, but today, I give my life to You. I believe You died on the cross for me, You were raised from the grave and that You live today. Come and live in me, forgive me of my sin and make me the person You want me to be. I want to be a child of God. If you’re praying that prayer, believing, He’ll save you and He’ll turn your life around for Him. That’s the first step for being the mom and dad that God has called us to be. Maybe you’ve done that, you’ve given your life to Jesus, but hearing this message today has caused you to think about some areas. You don’t have to leave here beaten up , Remember the gospel and repent. Say, Lord, forgive me for my attitude today. Forgive me for the way I have responded to my children lately, as an inconvenience, as an encumbrance, as a curse. Forgive me for the way I’ve said bad things to them and I’ve told them wrong things about their identity. Lord, I pray you protect them and be merciful towards my parenting. I repent. Lord, I ask today that You help me start anew as a dad and as a mom. Lord, we lift all of this up to You now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.