Authority - Part 4

Children are to obey their parents in the Lord, the Bible says, “…for this is right.” So the man has authority over his wife, and the husband and wife both have authority over their children. Parents sometimes delegate authority of their children to others when they can’t be with them. Some parents choose to send their children to day care or to public school, and when they do this, they are giving over authority to those caring for their children at the time. Delegating authority works alright, within reason, if the people that you delegate authority to can be trusted. Sometimes, you know your child’s teacher.(Great) They may even be wonderful Christian people. (Even better) Thank God for Christian teachers who have a godly impact on our children, but many times, we don’t know them and certainly don’t know if we can trust them.

“From kindergarten through the 12^th grade, children spend 14,000 seat hours in school. Yes, I said, Fourteen Thousand! The average evangelical, Christian family spends about 30 minutes a WEEK discussing spiritual matters.” Vodie Baucham  “A STUDENT IS NOT ABOVE HIS TEACHER,BUT EVERYONE WHO IS FULLY TRAINED WILL BE LIKE HIS TEACHER.” Luke 6:40

Is it really any wonder that, as evangelicals, we are losing around 80% of our children by their freshman year of college? I’m saying they walk away from God and the church. How can this be happening? Let me tell you how. No one takes their role of authority seriously.

-       The government wants to be our God, but can’t even take care of themselves. They’ve taken our country and sold us into slavery to the highest bidder.

-       Pastors and churches have given up their authority because people won’t support the truth. The people want a 15 minute feel good sermon that doesn’t interfere with their lives. Most pastors have become hirelings who hand over authority to deacons and their wives.

-       Many husbands and fathers have traded in their authority because they don’t want to be the “bad guy”. Let mom decide. Ask your mother. I don’t know, honey, whatever you think. This is really just a form of selfishness by the way. God says if you love your children you will discipline them. Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

-       Parents have given control of their children’s physical and mental well being to the state run school system, even to the point of them being taught that they evolved from monkeys and that God is for fools and old people. Oh yeah, you don’t even have enough sense to pack your kid’s lunch. I mean, a ham and cheese sandwich? Come on! Worse that this, we give our spiritual authority away and expect our children to get what they need spiritually from their Sunday School teacher and their youth leader. We don’t really have time, and besides they are trained professionals? Really?

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” Deuteronomy 11: 18-22

Lord, help us, I realize we can’t know the good or do it without you.