Bethlehem Baptist Church
Prayer Meeting 12/17/25
- The First Noel
- O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
- Go Tell It On The Mountain
- Silent Night
- Introduction:Tell the story of being chased by grandfather and being disciplinedDiscipline is from love but it’s also because we are sinful humans. But we can also discipline out of sin as well.Tonight we are going to tackle godly authority with parents and children
Ephesians 6:1–9 ESV 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.Pray1. Dad’s and Kids (vv.1-4)Children Obey Your parentsEphesians 6:1 ESV 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.Honor Father and Mother Eph. 6:2Ephesians 6:2 ESV 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),Realize the PromiseEphesians 6:2–3 ESV 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”Most of us consider the promise to be a material blessingObey and you will have wealthObey and you will have land and propertyThese things are not entirely wrong, but God is speaking of spiritual blessingsConsider how Solomon constantly exhorted his sons in the book of ProverbsThe gain of wisdom and godly living was better than silver or goldHebrews encourages the type of godly discipline we are aiming for in Hebrews 12:3-13Hebrews 12:3–13 ESV 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.We are not going to try to break down this passage, but consider the main ideas:that a father than loves his child will disciplinethat discipline is not necessarily or even primarily physical (though it may include that)that we must endureFather’s Watch How You DisciplineEphesians 6:4 ESV 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.When we looked at wives submitting to husbands, we spoke about how much easier it is for wives to submit to their husbands when they are loving them and obeying Christ.In the same way, what aspects of your parenting (whether you are a current parent or were a parent) do you feel like might exasperate your children to anger?Notice he says to train them up in the discipline and instruction of the LordOngoing process and not a one time eventNot based on child psychologyNot based on current trendsNot based on the child’s personality or whimsWe are to train them up in the Lord by the Word - Family Devotions are criticalApplicationAre there relationships with your children, no matter the age, that have become strained and exasperated over time that you need to seek healing in?Truth is that there is no one who is a perfect parent. Perhaps you found that you did not lead your child well or that you were creating frustration in your child, especially towards the Lord.If that is the case, speak with them and ask them to forgive you for not leading well. The bond between parent and child is never really broken. We can still make a difference.ConclusionIsn’t it a good thing that our heavenly Father knows how to discipline us as His children?Maybe tonight you have experienced the hand of God in gently guiding you back onto the path of life that He wants for you - the path that is best for you.Maybe you have had to have the belt strap laid to you because you didn’t yield to his gentler instruction.Thankfully Jesus bore the wrath of God for us on the cross so that we would only have to bear God’s loving discipline. God will never pour His wrath out on His children because Jesus has already taken it at the cross.The Bible says there is no greater love than this. As Hebrews has encouraged us alongside of this passage, let us not give up, but strive more and more to please our Father in heaven. Ephesians 6:1–9ESV
Ephesians 6:1ESV
Ephesians 6:2ESV
Ephesians 6:2–3ESV
Hebrews 12:3–13ESV
Ephesians 6:4ESV
