Last night I preached on the second request of the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10). The fact we are to pray this indicates the kingdom is not here yet — at least the full expression of it.

Now clearly, Christ rules in our hearts. And Jesus is head of his church. These give us a glimpse into his kingdom, a kind of “preview of coming attractions,” But we still await the full manifestation of his kingdom glory.

Last night, we looked at some of the highlights of this coming kingdom, and why we should pray. You can watch the full service by visiting our church Facebook page, or read my sermon notes below. To find sermon outlines and notes to other messages I’ve preached, please visit my sermon home page.

“Your Kingdom Come”
(Matt. 6:10)
Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Introduction

• Let’s open up to Matthew 6 tonight
• Tonight I want to draw your attention back to the passage we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” In our last time together a couple months ago, we looked at the opening, verse 9. Matthew 6:9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. We learned that our approach to God in prayer should be one of both intimacy and worship. Intimacy, because you have been adopted into his family, and call him “Abba, Father.” He is near and is deeply interested in your life. Nevertheless, you pray with awe and reverence, because this Father is infinitely perfect, and his throne is in heaven.
• Well, there are six basic requests in the Lord’s prayer, and tonight we move on to the second one, “let your kingdom come.”
• The fact that we are to pray for this kingdom indicates that the kingdom is not here yet, at least the full expression of the kingdom. Christ rules in our hearts. Jesus is head of the church. These give us glimpses into his kingdom, a kind of “preview of coming attractions,” But we still await the full manifestation of his kingdom glory.
• The “Kingdom of heaven” or the divine rule of Messiah is a major theme in the Gospel of Matthew. The book begins with a family tree in Mt. 1:1-20 giving us the royal family line of the king, from Abraham, to David, all the way to Jesus of Nazareth. Ch. 2 describes wise men traveling from other nations to pay homage to this heavenly king. Ch. 3:1-2 John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Jesus preaches the same message in 4:17). 4:23 “he went throughout all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease.” Mt. 5:2-12 the citizens of the kingdom “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
• What will this kingdom be like? Matthew starts with the assumption that his readers already have a good amount of information about this kingdom. So to answer that question, we need to dig back into our Old Testaments. Please turn to Isaiah 11.

Features of the Kingdom

• Let’s look together at three key features of the kingdom.
• The Messiah will be present! This is by far the most important one. See Isaiah 11:1-9. God’s judgment on Israel will be severe, like chopping down a tree. But there will be a righteous remnant. The Messiah will spring up from the nation like a tender shoot.
• Suppose you take a drive down to Newport Beach. You walk out to the pier, and as far as the eye can see, all the way to the horizon, there is nothing but water. Look at the Pacific Ocean on a globe, and almost your entire view is blue water. The Pacific Ocean is 60 million square miles of water. This one ocean basin is larger than the landmass of all seven continents combined! Isaiah 11 says “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Right now, we see Jesus with the eyes of faith. 1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. But one day, we will see with our eyes, and touch with our hands, and be with him for all eternity!
• The world will be at peace. Isaiah 2:4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Weapons will be melted down and reshaped into farm tools. There will be peace and prosperity in the land. Oh how we need peace today! Jesus said the last days will be full of wars and rumors of wars (Mt. 24:6). Watching the news can be depressing. Nations plot against nations. Politicians play constant tug of war. But our hearts long for peace. I think one of the reasons we enjoy Christmas is because we get a sample of peace. We get this brief moment to catch our breath, see our family, gather round the fire, share gifts with one another, maybe sip a cup of hot cocoa, and enjoy a moment of … peace. Jer. 31:25 “I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish. Do you want peace? Jesus is the prince of peace, and his kingdom will be characterized by peace.
• Review: Messiah will be present, the world will be at peace, and a third detail is revealed in the Book of Revelation…
• Satan will be bound. Revelation 20:3 “Revelation 20:2–3 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. (v. 7 says he will be released for a short time, will stage one final revolt, and then will be cast into lake of fire forever.).
• Ever since he first fell out of heaven like lightning (cf. Lk. 10:18), Satan has been working overtime to oppose God and his people. But in the coming kingdom, he will be bound and gagged, hauled off to high security prison where he will spend 1,000 years in solitary confinement. Imagine! No devil! No thief! No accuser! The prince of the power of the air will be silenced. Only Jesus the prince of peace will reign.

Praying for the Kingdom

• Now, what does Jesus say to do here in Matthew 6 concerning this kingdom? He says to pray for it. “Your kingdom come.”
• Three requests in vv. 9-10, all in a kind of poetic parallel. It reads like this in the Greek: Our Father in heaven, Let it be holy, your name. Let it come, your kingdom. Let it be done, your will.
• Every believer should yearn for the return of Jesus, and pray for his kingdom to be established.
• We should pray for Isaiah 11 to become a reality.
• We should long for the return of the king, and to hear the words of Matthew 25:34, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
• Praying this prayer has several implications…
• When I pray, “Your kingdom come,” I am setting my mind on things above, not on the things of this earth (Col. 3:2)
• When I pray, “Your kingdom come,” I am acknowledging this present world is not my home. I am telling my heart to be content, but also letting it grow homesick for heaven.
• When I pray, “Your kingdom come,” I am recognizing that all kingdoms on this earth will severely disappoint, and that I was made for something more. When things get too comfortable, it’s easy to grow complacent and think this is the kingdom. But it’s not hard to pray when this world leaves so much to be desired.
• When I pray, “Your kingdom come,” I remember that I am not the point. Jesus is the point.
• When I pray, “Your kingdom come,” I’m much more likely to give up earthly possessions to lay up treasure in heaven.
• When I pray, “Your kingdom come,” I will feel burdened to tell others about Christ, so that they may experience his kingdom blessings also.
• When I pray, “Your kingdom come,” I challenge myself to live consistent with that kingdom, and to be ready for the king’s return at any moment.

Conclusion

• Once again, I want to leave you tonight with three Application Questions:
• Have you repented of my sin and trusted in Christ so you may one day inherit his eternal kingdom? Matthew 5 tells us. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
• Are your prayers self-centered, or are they pre-occupied with God, his glory, and his kingdom?
• Is there anything in your life right now you would be ashamed to be found doing at the moment Jesus returns?
• In Matthew 4 we have the story of the temptation of Christ. Vv. 8–10 The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
• Satan was offering Jesus a shortcut. A shortcut that would allow him to inherit and instantly rule all the kingdoms of the earth. It had only one “small string” attached. Bow down and worship Satan. “Confess me as lord, and the world can be yours,” Satan says. The irony is that all these kingdoms already belonged to Christ. He was only allowing Satan to rule them for a season. And Jesus was unwilling to take this shortcut because it would bypass the cross and it would elevate Satan to a position of God. That was something Jesus could not do. Instead, he was willing to suffer and die on our behalf, obeying the father, and fulfilling the mission that he was sent to accomplish. And now that he has ascended into heaven, he promises to return and establish his righteous kingdom.
• To our great Father, and to Jesus Christ, the king of kings and lord of lords, we pray tonight, “Thy kingdom come.” Amen.

At the start of a wedding, the family are usually seated and the bridal party make their way down the aisle. Then the music changes, the wedding march begins, and all rise. In that moment, everyone’s eyes turn to the bride. If you’re like me, you might steal a glance at the groom to catch that big smile on his face. But one thing’s for certain — no one’s looking at the best man. His presence is circumstantial. He may help with some setup before the wedding, and give a toast at the reception, but he’s not the focus of the wedding.

In John 3, John the Baptist likens himself to the friend of the bridegroom, or “best man.” He was never meant to be the center of attention, but rather the forerunner of the Messiah. And when his job was finished, he gladly stepped off the scene.

Last night, I preached this passage from John 3:25-30 at our Sunday night service. You can watch the full service or read my sermon notes below. I hope you’ll be encouraged as I was to keep Christ front and center of all you do:

Sunday Evening 8-8-21 from Immanuel Baptist on Vimeo.

Here are full sermon notes. To find manuscripts to other messages I’ve preached, please visit my sermon home page.

“He Must Increase, I Must Decrease”
(John 3:25-30)
Sunday, August 8, 2021

Introduction

• Before I begin tonight, I want to thank all of you who have helped our family make this transition to Highland. Pastor Chris was talking this morning about spiritual gifts this morning, and we have been recipients of that. You have worked hard to make my wife and my children feel welcome. Many of you have been praying for us. Some helped us find a home and have sharing names of doctors that you recommend. Others have had us over for a meal, or sent us a gas card to help with the commute. We are deeply thankful for all you’ve done to ease this major transition in our lives.
• John chapter 3 is best known for verse 16, probably the most famous verse in all the Bible – “for God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.” But there’s another verse that has guided my ministry over the years that I want to share with you tonight, and it’s further down in the chapter.
• Read 3:22-30 [After the Passover]
• What a godly, humble response! This passage contains several lessons, and as we follow the story, we can break it down into three scenes…The Jealous Followers, The Gentle Rebuke, and the Joyful Friend. Let’s look first at the jealous followers…

The Jealous Followers (25-26)

• John the Baptist is one of the more, shall we say, “colorful,” characters in the Bible. Matt. 3:4 says that he would wear a “garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt…and his food was locusts and wild honey.” He looked like an Old Testament prophet living in a time warp. Those who met him were unlikely to ever forget. His message was one of repentance, urging people to turn from their sins, for the kingdom of heaven was about to arrive. In John 1, he is described as the “man sent from God…[who] came as a witness, to bear witness about the light” (1:6-8). And that is precisely what John did. As the days passed, John’s ministry soared in popularity.
• The first In-n-Out recently opened in Colorado Springs. Was the talk of the town. People waited in line for hours to get their first double-double and Animal fries in the “Springs”. From what I heard, the line would wind through the drive through, down through the parking lot, down a local street, and onto a major road that was coned off. We were there back in May and drove by the restaurant. They said, “That’s a pretty good line.” I thought, “That’s a good line? I’d hate to see a bad one!” Similar crowds gathered in John’s day, except they were coming to listen to a preacher, John the Baptizer. And then many of them would respond by being baptized, like we witnessed Ridita do here tonight. John’s ministry was a booming success.
• But then, things began to change. Some of the crowd who listened to John have already left. Even some of his disciples or followers have left him, and John’s remaining disciples are in a panic. What starts as a dispute over Jewish purification laws quickly turns into an alarming conversation about declining attendance.
• V. 26, “look, [Jesus] is baptizing, and all are going to him!” There is a tone of panic and rebuke in their voices. Essentially, they say, “Um, Teacher, we don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your poll numbers have dropped. You’re losing ground. Jesus is up. John is down.”
• Imagine that you start a new ministry. Maybe it’s a food pantry, or a sports outreach. Then someone else right down the street starts the same kind of ministry. But their ministry outpaces yours, and many of your people end up going over there. That’s how it must have felt. Absolutely demoralizing!
• >>But John is about to show them they had it all wrong. Numerical growth is not the sole indicator of success. It may be an indicator, but it is not always the most reliable one. Otherwise, John’s ministry was a failure. And we know that’s not the case. And so John offers a Gentle Rebuke…

The Gentle Rebuke (27-28)

• Read vv. 27-28
• John says you shouldn’t be surprised that I’m being eclipsed by Jesus. That was the goal all along. Haven’t you been listening? I said this beforehand. I was never meant to be the center of attention. I was only the stage manager who was meant to shine the light on Jesus.
• John understood that everything he had, including his role as a prophet and forerunner to the Messiah, came from God himself. Even Jesus’ role as Messiah — that had been ordained by God too. Everything we have is a gift.
• “Not one thing” is ours unless it has been given from heaven. The Greek is strong with several negatives stacked on top of each other. We are not able to receive, not even one thing, unless, perhaps, we receive it as a gift.
• James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…
• The early Christians of Corinth had a pride problem. Paul says to them, For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7)
• Have you ever thought about that? Every single thing that you accomplish in life happens because God allows it. He determines it. Are you a straight-A student? God gave you that mind. Are you a strong athlete? God gave you that body. Are you a great communicator? God is the one who “made man’s mouth” (Ex. 4:11). Do you have a thriving ministry? Give God the glory, because it all came from him, and belongs to him.
• John gives a gentle, but timely rebuke. His words are full of humility, and provide a great lesson. To put it simply, “It’s all about Jesus.” The whole purpose for which you were created is to glorify God through his Son Jesus Christ.
• Several years back I was praying for our community, and for revival. Glorify your name, O Lord! Grow your church! Then the thought occurred to me. What if God chose to do this through another church, and not ours? What if revival broke out in the church down the street? Would I still rejoice? Was I more concerned with Jesus’ glory, or my own reputation? I needed that heart check to make sure my true motive was Jesus’ glory, and not mine.
• >>To illustrate his point, John provides an example. And this leads us to point #3, the “Joyful Friend.”

The Joyful Friend (29-30)

• Read vv. 29-30
• Usually, at the start of a wedding ceremony, the family are seated, then the bridal party make their way down the aisle. Then the music changes, the Wedding march begins, and all rise. Where is everyone looking? Everyone’s eyes turn to the bride. If you’re like me, you might steal a glance at the groom to catch that big smile on his face. But one thing’s for certain. No one is looking at the best man! His presence is completely circumstantial. Oh, the best man might help with some of the behind the scenes work, or give the toast at the reception, but he’s not the focus of the wedding.
• In our story here, John sees Jesus as the Bridegroom, and God’s people as the Bride. John, on the other hand, is simply the friend of the bridegroom, or the best man. In ancient Israel, the friend of the bride actually had a pretty important role. He would find and bring the bride to her husband. But his joy was in bringing joy to the bridegroom.
• Likewise, our joy is found in making much of Christ.
• Colossians 1:16–19 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
• Thomas Watson: “A humble man is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God’s glory may be increased.” Amen!
• We should love to sing about Jesus, tell the story of Jesus, and pray in Jesus name. Even our church name, “Immanuel Baptist Church” is a reminder that Immanuel, God with us, takes center stage. We want every person who sets foot in this place to hear the message of Christ and to sense the love of Christ.

Conclusion

• “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Leon Morris says, “It is one of the greatest utterances that ever fell from human lips.” May it be the prayer of every one of us tonight.
• One of the ways Christ has designed for the church to make much of Christ is through the Lord’s Supper, and so we are going to take it together at this time. It is a way that God’s people can regularly proclaim his death and prepare for his return.

What does it look like to be a godly parent? How do we help our children serve and follow Jesus? What can the church do to help families? These are some of the questions I tried to answer last Sunday night. I was asked to preach at our Bangladesh ministry here at Immanuel Baptist Church and had the great privilege of worshipping with them and then opening God’s Word to Deuteronomy 6, one of the key Biblical texts on parenting. Full notes are below. Or if you’d like to see other messages I’ve preached, please visit my sermon page.

Parenting in a Godly Way
Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Good evening, my name is Stephen Jones, and I am the Associate Pastor of Ministry Leadership here at Immanuel Baptist. It is a pleasure to be here tonight along with my wife Natalie and three children. Our worship together has been a little foretaste of heaven, where people of every tongue, tribe, and nation will gather around the throne of the Lamb. I have been asked to preach tonight on “Parenting in a Godly Way.” It is a good topic, especially with the child dedications we witnessed a few minutes ago.

Please open your Bible to Deuteronomy 6

What does it look like to be a godly parent? How do we help our children to serve and follow God? What can the church do to help families? What role does the father play as a spiritual leader in the home? There are just some of the questions that we will try to touch on tonight.

Earlier this week, I went over to the home of one of our church members for breakfast and fellowship with a couple of men. We were talking about our families and I shared that my children are 15, 13, and 10. One of the men said to me, “I was sitting where you were just yesterday. And now my children are all grown up and getting married.” It happens so fast, doesn’t it? I remember being their age, and don’t feel like I’m much older than them, and yet here I am with children who are teenagers and will soon be asking about dating, driving, college, and career decisions.

Some of you are just starting out as parents. Some of you are hoping to be parents someday. For others, your kids have already grown up, left home, and have children of their own now. No matter the stage you are in, it is important for you to know what the Bible says about parenting. The passage we are going to study tonight connects parenting to the passing of the faith from one generation to the next.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 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.

This is a very important passage of scripture in our Bibles. If you are comfortable writing in your Bible, I would even encourage you to underline or highlight these verses. It is so important that many devout Jews recite them two times every day. It is called the “Shema”. That’s because the first word of verse 4, “Hear” or “Listen” is “Shema” (שְׁמַ֖ע) in Hebrew. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” In the Book of Matthew, a Jewish leader came to Jesus trying to trick him. He asked, “Rabbi, Which is the great commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied, “You shall love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:36-37). He is quoting from Deut. 6:5. This passage right here sums up all the law and the prophets.

As it pertains to parenting, this passage teaches us three important lessons: Who We Teach, What We Teach, and How We Teach.

Who We Teach

• Verse 7 says that you are to teach them to your whom? To your children. God expected that children of Israel would learn about God not primarily through Moses in person, or through the priests, or the elders, but through their parents. Moses was the greatest prophet of the Old Testament, and yet he said it was parents who were to teach these things to their children.
• Deuteronomy was written to prepare Israel to enter into the promised land. Remember there had been forty years of wandering, until the entire first generation of Israelites had died out. Deuteronomy is written to the second generation, to remind them of who God was, and what he expected of his people. It is a renewal and recapitulation of the Mosaic covenant. As you read through Deuteronomy, it is interesting how much emphasis is put on children.
• Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—
• Deuteronomy 5:16 “ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
• Deuteronomy 11:19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
• There is an emphasis on children because that is where training and discipleship beings. You don’t wait until they are 18 years old to begin telling them about God. You start when they are still being cradled, when they are still riding in a strolling and being strapped into a car seat. Even before they are old enough to read, they should already have heard many things about God and begun to understand his purpose for them in this world.
• Children are a sponge. They will soak up much of what they hear from others. They listen when you don’t even realize it, and echo thing you didn’t even know they heard. You might not even know you said them. They will imitate body language. We have noticed there is a little girl at church up in the front row who sings loud, raises her acting just like mommy in worshipping Jesus. Make sure that they are being exposed to truth, so that they soak that up instead of lies.
• Over in the NT, we learn that this role starts first and foremost with the father. Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Our wives can be of great help. But ultimately, we are the ones who set the tone, and who will give an account.
• >>In this important passage, we are told to teach our children. But what are we to say to them?

What We Teach

• V. 7 says, “teach them diligently to your children.” Teach what diligently? The previous verse says, “And these words that I command you today.” In v. 1 they are called “commandments, statues, and rules.” God’s word is our curriculum. The content of our teaching can be summarized in two words: doctrine (who God is) and duty (how we must live).
• First of all, doctrine. We must teach our children who God is. The LORD is One (4). This word “one” (אֶחָד) echad, certainly teaches that there is only one God. We are not free to imagine God however we like, or invent a God of our own liking. We must bow before God as he has revealed himself to us in Scripture. There are not many gods. There is only one God. It his name is not Allah, or Buddha, or Vishnu, or Baal. His name is Jehovah. We want people to know the one true God, the God of the Bible. This word could also have the idea of “only” or “alone.” Jehovah alone is God. Psalm 86:8–10 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. This God has revealed himself to us through his Son, Jesus Christ. As parents, we have one of the greatest privileges in the world. We get to introduce our children to the one true God. We must teach there is only one God, who has three “persons” – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We must teach our children that this God is our creator. That he is loving. That he is holy. That he is powerful. That he is in control. That he deserves our trust. All of this and much more, God expects your children to know, and he expects them to know it because you have taught it to them.
• “Yes,” you say, “but my child is so young. They can’t possibly understand.” It is true that you need to start them on the milk of the word. But don’t wait until they understand it all. I started taking my son to Men’s Bible Study when he was only three years old. They may not understand it all. They may not always enjoy it. But they are picking up little lessons and seeing you and others live out your Christian faith.
• Secondly, we must teach our children duty. How we must live. You shall love (5). These words that I command you (6). Love is more than just a feeling. It is an action and response that involves every part of our being. Cf. Deuteronomy 6:1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it. I’m reminded also of Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Theology is not abstract. It must become practical. For example, if God is one, this means we must put him first and not allow other gods or any other thing to steal our affection. If God is in control, then we must learn to trust him. If God is just, then we must let him give judgment rather than us. If God is wise, then we should humble ourselves and look to his word for guidance. If God is everywhere present, then we can learn to pray to him at all times. Doctrine is practical, and God shows us how to live. The world tells children to believe in themselves. Don’t let anyone hold you back or tell you what to do. Be whoever you want, do whatever you want. But Scripture says you are made in God’s image, and have a responsibility to follow him. He has told you how to live, and he wants to be in fellowship with you. But this only happens through faith in Christ, and then walking in obedience.
• >>We’ve considered who we teach and what we teach. But one question remains. How do we teach them? Moses tells us here: “teach them diligently” (7).

How We Teach

• This word “diligently” speaks of repetition. To say it over and over again. Stir them up by way of reminder (Rom. 15:15). My high school Sunday School teacher used to say, “repetition is the mother of all learning.”
• Boys and girls, if it feels like you’ve heard your parents say this before, it’s because … you’ve heard them say it before! When they repeat themselves, they are actually obeying God. Don’t roll your eyes. Don’t tune them out. Be attentive. They are probably saying it again because you need to hear it again. God does the same thing. Just notice the commands made in these verses – love God, fear God, keep his commandments. God says these things over and over again in Scripture. It’s because we need to hear it regularly.
• Moses goes on to give several examples of the kind of place we might teach our children (read vv. 7-9). These are a Hebrew figure of speech called a merism, which means the beginning and the end, which includes everything in between. If I say I read a book from cover to cover, I’m saying I read all of it. If I say that cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom, I’m saying I cleaned all of it. In the same way, these pictures here describe a home where the word of God is woven into every conversation.
• Think about this – the home is the ideal environment for discipleship. Where else can you spend approximately 18 years with a person – teaching them, caring for them, worshipping together, discussing the Bible together, praying together, showing them how to make decisions, answering questions, offering gentle corrections, disciplining when they wander off, encouraging them, and guiding them. In the home, you have the opportunity to talk about every topic imaginable and to instill within your children a biblical worldview (seeing the world as God sees it). You get to teach your children not only about God but about how to live wisely. You teach them about money, about relationships, about resolving conflict, about work, about rest, about money, about sex, about suffering, and about integrity.
• THREE SUGGESTIONS:
• Seize the opportunities around you. Some places we have found helpful: at the dinner table, just before bed, at church, and riding in the car. These are places where conversations naturally happen, and where we can talk and pray together about what is going on in life, and how God wants us to respond.
• Watch godly parents: whose kids seem to be respectful and under control, how they do family worship, how they discipline. Years before Natalie and I had kids, we were already watching and learning from others.
• Helpful tools: A children’s Bible, homeschool curriculum, a program like AWANA or RAs and GAs. Christian music, Parenting with Scripture, Topical Bible for Kids, catechism, books like Shepherding a Child’s Heart.

Conclusion

• Several years ago in November one of my children asked if it would still be cold after Christmas. I said, “Yes, for a couple months,” and my child acted disappointed. I asked why, and they said, “I don’t know.” I thought nothing of it, but later that night, they came up to me and said, “Daddy, when you asked me why, I said I didn’t know. But I actually asked because I saw some gloves at the store this morning [and I wanted to get them]. I’m sorry for lying.” I quickly hugged and forgave them, and was encouraged they had a tender heart and were learning the value of telling the truth. That is one of the most important lessons we can instill within out children.
• The things God has spoken in his word, “Teach them diligently to your children.” And may God help them remember their creator in the days of their youth (Eccc. 12:1).