Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians chapter six this morning. Amen. Wally and Deborah, you ought to just go ahead and move down here. You're retired now, right?

Then we'd have some extra kids coming to visit more often as well. It's nice to have few more in children's church this morning And a few more in our service. We're going to start. I'm going to read Exodus chapter 20 and verse 12 and then we're going to flip over and read Ephesians six one through three. So, Exodus chapter 20 some of you would recognize as a chapter in which we find the 10 commandments.

The fifth commandment of the 10 commandments, we find in verse 12 of Exodus chapter 20 and it reads this way, honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. If you turn to the your New Testament, Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians chapter six. Do the commandments, the 10 commandments in particular apply in some fashion to our lives today? The answer to that is yes.

Matter of fact, in the epistles, all 10 but save one, the Sabbath, are commanded in the epistles that we keep today. Not as a means of salvation for we cannot earn heaven. Jesus earned heaven for us when Jesus came. He lived a perfect life. He died on the cross not for his sins but for ours.

He became sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and we're saved by grace not by works but we're saved by grace that we might do good works in the name of our father by his grace with the power of his spirit. So, the 10 commandments do apply and that they should be evident in the lives of God's children including this commandment, honor thy father and mother. We read in Ephesians chapter six one through three, children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for this day. We thank you Lord for this opportunity in particular to honor our fathers today. We thank you for the fathers that you gave us. We thank you for the opportunity admitted us to be fathers and grandfathers.

We thank you Lord for our father which is in heaven. Indeed, hallowed, holy is your name. You gave your son out of your great love for us that you might redeem us and we thank you for that wonderful privilege today. It is to be called the children of God and we thank you that you are our father and we pray that our service today, our actions when we leave this place would properly represent and bring glory to our father which is in heaven. Use your word we pray at this time.

May it not return void. In Jesus name, amen. Honor. Honor thy father and mother. What does that little word honor mean?

Has it lost its meaning? For many people today. I I believe it has. The word honor means to give much weight to, to respect, to reverence, to hold in high esteem, to hold in high esteem. To honor someone is to hold them in high esteem.

To highly value them. Give much weight to them. Respect them. Reverence them. Honor them.

We'll take just the next few minutes and kind of look at different aspects of those meanings of the word honor. The first this morning is the word reverence. The word reverence. We use that word sparingly in today's society. It is connected to the word fear, particularly in our Old Testament scriptures.

To reverence is to fear. To fear in an appropriate manner, to highly esteem those that are in a position of authority and power over us. For instance, Leviticus nineteen one. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them, you shall be holy. For I, the Lord, your God, am holy.

You shall fear every man his mother and his father and keep my Sabbaths, I am the Lord your God. Now, I suspect in some newer translations, the word fear there is replaced probably with the word reverence. You shall reverence your mother and your father but the word fear is appropriate. It is appropriate to have a healthy fear of those who are in authority over us. Starting with who?

Starting with our father in heaven and extending to those to whom our father in heaven has delegated authority in different realms of human civilization. Like government, like the home, like work. This fear is similar to the fear that we all owe God. Deuteronomy six and verse 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and shalt swear by his name.

You say, well, if I'm a Christian, I have no longer anything to fear. Well, there's some truth in that in that we do not have to fear death. We do not have to fear eternity for Jesus Christ took our place on Calvary and has taken care of our eternity. We do not have to fear that our God is going to abandon us because he has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee but as our father in heaven and as the God of the universe, he is still owing a healthy fear. Of his children.

He deserves our reverence. Sometimes, in contemporary Christian world today, I believe that isn't understood to the extent that it should be. It is a wonderful privilege to be call God Abba Father. A a an intimate term. To be able approach him, invited to do so in prayer.

But when I do, I still do that keeping in mind. I'm not talking to the buddy upstairs I'm talking to the God of the universe who had every right to have nothing to do with me. But yet chose by his grace and through his love to send his son to die in my place. And he is still God. And he is deserving of my reverence.

And fear. He even says in Hebrews, repeat quoting from the Old Testament. That he chastens those whom he what? Loves. And if you're his child and you're going the wrong way, God's not going to be content with that.

He is going to chasten and discipline you. He is deserving of our fear. Matter of fact, the book of Job chapter one and verse one, Job is described three times at the beginning of the book of Job in this manner. Notice how God prays Job. There was a man in the land of us whose name was Job and that man was perfect and upright, one that what?

One that feared God. And to shoot evil. His fear, proper, a healthy fear of God drew him close to God and caused him to want to avoid what? Evil in his life. The same should be true in our lives today.

Beginning with God. Fear is a reflection of the power and authority of someone or something over you. When I'm driving down the road, and I see blue lights going off behind me, there's a certain amount of fear, reverence that comes over me because the policeman represents authority. Fortunately, most of the time, he's after somebody else. But policemen do deserve a certain amount of fear.

Healthy fear, reverence because of the position and the responsibility they've been given. When I was in school, we had a headmaster or a principal. I had a certain amount of fear for my principal. I had some good ones. Some of them were friendly, but there was still this distance, this respect, reverence for the position that they held of authority in the school.

If you have a job, some of you have bosses. You have an employer. They have the power to fire you. Therefore, they are deserving of a certain amount of reverence and fear. Similar to God's depiction of government in Romans 13, we won't look there this morning but God tells us that we should have a proper fear of our government.

Parents are God's first and foremost appointed ministers to children on this Earth. They represent the authority and power of God in the home. They've been delegated that authority to oversee their home. Fathers in particular. The family is the first and form and most fundamental building block of our society.

As the home goes, so goes what? So goes the society or the civilization and that is true because the first institution God ordained was the home. All the way back in Genesis chapter two. Again, my joy to participate yesterday in the joining of a couple together, my son being one as they begin their new part of their life. As a family in their home.

Sad today, we've seen the disintegration of the home. We've seen the disintegration of authority, of parents, as some would try to take away their authority, while others would simply downplay it and teach children to not respect. There should be great respect for mothers and for fathers. The God who created the family and the home, he said so. He set it up that way.

Because with great responsibility comes also authority. And that's why children are told to obey their parents. Deuteronomy five sixteen says this, honor thy father and thy mother as the Lord, thy God hath commanded thee that thy days may be prolonged and that it may go well with thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Honor thy father and mother and it comes with a what? Promise.

If you'll learn to honor your father and mother, if you will do them right, it bodes well for you. For the rest of your life. That is advice and promise given by who? Almighty God. If you want to live longer, if you want to prosper more in your family, in your home, if you want your nation to prosper, this is a key.

Honor those who have gone before you. Reverence them. Give them the proper reverence, respect, and fear. That they are due. Again, the logical conclusion of this in the home for children is submission.

The logical conclusion of authority, fear, reverence, and submission, obedience, just children obey your parents. In Hebrews thirteen seventeen, it also says, obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls that they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for it is unprofitable for you. God says, reverence those who have positions of authority and responsibility over you. For they are accountable to who? For they're accountable to God.

So, we should be submissive to God and therefore, respectful and reverence and submissive to those whom God has placed over us and that doesn't end just when you get to be an adult. Kids think, okay, when I get to be an adult, I won't have any more authorities. I can do whatever I want. Does it work that way? No, it doesn't work that way, does it?

One of the signs of the end times is children being disobedient to their parents. An indicator that they have no respect for the authority of who? Of God in heaven. Second Timothy three one and two, this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthinkful, unholy.

And again, something we see far too much of this day and in this world. May it not be true. In this place. May it not be true in our families. Honor your father and mother.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is what? For this is right. So, honor means to reverence. Honor also means to highly esteem and value love and trust them. Honor thy father and mother carries the idea of not only fearing their authority but it also indicates love and trust.

Honor them by learning to love and trust those that God has placed in your life particularly mothers and fathers. Highly value their advice. Parents aren't like disposable contacts to be tossed aside as soon as you reach the age of what's the age today? 18? Our kids completely grown up at 18?

I don't know about that but you know something? It doesn't matter if you're 18, 28, 38, 48, 58. Parents are not disposable Parents still have a place in your life if they are still here. Remember their counsel throughout life. Be wise.

Don't be foolish. Honor them. Honor their words. Honor their teachings. My son, hear the instruction of thy father.

Forsake not the law of thy mother. For they shall be an ornament of grace under thy head and chains about thy neck. Proverbs three one and two, my son, forget not my law but let thine heart keep my commandments for length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee. Don't stop asking for their advice. I still sometimes ask for my parents' advice and I'm grateful that they're still here for me to ask it from time to time.

No, you don't need their advice all the time and you have to set up your own home. Now, that was easy for my wife and I because we we decided to move across the country practically. David Emily might have to work at that a little more because they're going to be living here still and they're going have to put up with us. So, but you do have to set up your own home. That's the way God made it but it doesn't mean that you ignore.

The advice and the wisdom that your parents have given. Don't forget that they are there. Don't forget the many years of wisdom. They imparted to you. Highly value their advice.

Highly value their love. Don't forget what they have done and sacrificed in your behalf. Let your gratitude be real and let it be known. Not just on what? Father's Day and not just on Mother's Day.

But let your love and gratitude be real and let it be known to those who sacrificed out of love for you. Don't get distant or cold. Return the love you were shown and appreciate the relationship that you share. They still want to be part of your life. Don't push them away.

Be their best friend especially when you need them, when they need you. Parents and children don't stop showing each other affection and don't allow differences to destroy your relationship either. You are a family and you are a family still. You may have your own family but you're part of a larger family. Don't forget.

To love those who love you. Again, I'm afraid that is somewhat wanting in our world today. A world that has turned their back largely on God is a world that also turns their back often times on those who sacrificed to raise them. I just want to read the words of Ruth. Now, Ruth is speaking to her mother-in-law here.

But I find it interesting what Ruth has to say and how it might apply to us. Ruth said to Naomi, entreat me not to leave thee nor to return from falling after thee. Whether thou goest, I will go. Whether thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people and thy God, my God.

Where thou diest will I die and where there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee in me. When she saw, when Naomi saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. And did Ruth keep her promise? She did.

To the mother-in-law that she loved and respected. To the mother-in-law that loved and respected her. Did she get married? Did she start her own home? Yes, she did.

But did she take care of her mother-in-law? She did that also. She returned the love that she was given. Return the love that you have been given. Highly value their advice, their love, highly value their needs, be sensitive to their needs.

You were their responsibility when you're young. Now, they are yours when they reach a certain stage of their life. Don't run from it. Laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry. Don't leave them to a lonely existence.

When I was in college, I went with a group every Sunday to a nursing home in the Greenville Spartanburg area in Gaffney. Some of you might know where that is. If you're on the interstate, it's a place with a huge peach along the interstate. And in Gaffney, we went every Sunday to a nursing home, and I took my guitar, and that's where I really learned to play guitar. I knew about three or four songs to start with, we sang the same song to every room.

But you know how much those people appreciated somebody, somebody, anybody that took time to show them some love. Because some of them had no family. Others had family. But rarely ever saw them. And how sad that is?

Let that not be true. Of our family. Our church family. Or those we love. Be there for them.

Genesis 45. I want to read a passage from Genesis 45. And I want us to see the love of Joseph for his father Jacob and the promises that he made. Genesis forty five nine. Genesis 45 verse nine.

Now, Joseph is the second highest ruler in Egypt. His father, Jacob, is just coming, has just come to be with him in Egypt. His his father, Jacob, is well up in years and has a large family with him. Jacob says in Genesis 45 verse nine, he says, haste you and go up to my father and say unto him, thus saith thy son, Joseph. God hath made me Lord of all Egypt, come down unto me, tarry not.

Thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen and thou shalt be near unto me. Thou and thy children, thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. There will I nourish thee, for yet there are five years of famine, lest thou and thy household and all that thy hast come to poverty. What did Joseph say? He said, dad, come on.

It's going to be rough out here because of the famine for quite a long time yet but I'm going to what? But I'm going to take care of you. When I was little, I couldn't take care of myself at all. My parents took care of me. They worked hard to provide for me, to provide for my needs, to send me to school, and there may come a time with our parents that it is our time to help provide for them.

Embrace it. Embrace that opportunity. Honor your father and your mother. And then finally this morning, not only honor them but bring honor to them. Bring honor to them.

As as with God, what we do reflects on our family as well. What we do Matthew five sixteen, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is him. Therefore, what you do reflects on who? Your heavenly father. Therefore, we need to be careful and thoughtful and submitted to the Lord in what we do so that it reflects correctly and accurately the glory and holiness and love of our God.

But that is also true to a certain extent of our father and our mother. We are not only to honor them, their advice, love, and needs, and reverence, but we're also to bring honor to them. By what we do. It is responsive children to consider how their actions do affect others. Including their parents.

I want my heavenly father to be pleased and glorified in my actions and I want my parents to be pleased as well. I don't want my parents to be ashamed of their son. Proverbs 10 once and twenty three twenty four say this, a wise son maketh a what? A glad father but a foolish son is heaviness of his mother. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice.

He that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Do you bring honor to your parents? By the things you do. Children, do you honor and respect and obey your parents? The way that you should?

Do we bring honor to our father in heaven as his children? Like we should? Now, I know we all fall short. But we can do what? Better by the grace and power of God and as we think about Father's Day, we think about our mom and our dad and the honor that we owe them.

I hope we act on that. I hope we double our efforts to show them our love, to express it, to obey our parents when we're young, to give them the respect that they're due. And to bring honor to their name. But most of all, We need to bring honor to our father who is in heaven. How are you doing?

Is there some things maybe that need to change? Well, that's a conversation for you to have with your heavenly father today and I would encourage you strongly to have it. And one last question, is God your heavenly father? Is are you his what? Child this morning.

John 112, but as many as received him, that's Jesus. To them gave you power to become the sons of God even to them that what? Believe on his name. Have you chosen to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to become a child of the king of heaven? The father If you haven't, you can.

There would be no greater gift to your father in heaven but to receive his today. We'll give a hymn of invitation just a moment. The Lord has spoke to your heart. I plead with you today. Come.

I'll meet you down here. I'll pray with you. I'll I'll share with you how you can be saved if you want to make sure of that this day. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your love.

Thank you Lord for being our father. Thank you for the fathers and mothers you've given us. Lord, may we truly honor and reverence and love them. As we should. May we bring honor to them.

And may we bring honor to you. May we love you more each day. We do pray In Jesus name.