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Good Parents - Bad Children
Ezek. 18
Intro.
A. You can be a good parent and sometimes have bad children, or a bad parent and sometimes have good children.
B. A prevalent view then, and now - blame difficulties on parents (parent bashing).
1. Ezek. 18:1-3 - Ezekiel taken into Babylon 597 B.C.
2. Jer. 31:29,30 - Remained in Jerusalem and taught the same to people there.
C. We do inherit some things:
1. Physical traits - looks, allergies, etc.
2. Social benefits/burdens - “he/she is from a good family” - what does it prove?
3. Consequences of wrongs of parents - drunkard, drug addict (some contract lung cancer from smoking parents), abusers (some spend many years overcoming childhood abuse).
4. We do NOT inherit the guilt of their sins - nor their choices; we are not robots, predestined to follow a bad example. A good parent can have a bad child and a bad parent can have a good child! How does that relate to Prov. 22:6? (Discuss at end of lesson.)
D. God hold parents accountable for what they CAN DO - teach and exemplify; He hold children accountable for their decisions.
Body:
A. Individual accountability shown in:
1. The origin of the soul - from God (Ezek. 18:4,20; Acts 17:29; Heb. 12:9).
2. God gave no terms of salvation for babies - they do not need a plan (Mt. 18:3).
B. A good man may have an evil son (18:5-13).
1. David (2 Sam. 15:1-6; 18:33). (Absalom did not learn rebellion for his father.)
2. Hezekiah (2 Kgs. 18:1-8; 20:20,21; 21:2-11)
a. Removed idolatry from Judah
b. Manasseh rebuilt them and made his own son pass through the fire. (Molock - metal
idol in form a man with bull’s head; belly heated, child put in arms and slid into belly; cries covered by flutes and kettle-drums; mothers could offer without crying)
3. Prodigal son’s father (Lk. 15:11-32).
a. The shepherd and the woman - searched for the lost sheep and coin.
b. The prodigal’s father did not go in search. Boy knew where he was and the way home; it would have done no good. (He would come home when he pleased.)
c. Who does the prodigal’s father represent? (Is. 1:2 “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken; I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me.”
4. Jeffrey Dahmer’s parents (Milwaukee, Feb., 1992 - judge said 15 victims were not the only victims; Jeffrey’s parents didn’t get what they deserved; his lawyer said they are good folks. Rest of story - May, ‘94 he was baptized in prison; murdered in Nov. ‘94. His dad said that he had “returned fully to God in 1981...profoundly affected by a seminar presented by a scientist from Montgomery, Al., Dr. Bert Thompson...I shared tapes and articles with Jeff up to the time of his arrest in July 1991...Jeff, especially, understood that what we believe about our origins determines what we believe about our destiny” (from “A Father’s Story,” Lionel Dahmer, Jeff’s father, Avon books, ‘95)
4. Parents can teach and exemplify - cannot learn nor live for children. Many examples could be given of good parents whose children did not follow their teaching and example.
C. A bad father may have a good son (18:14-19).
1. He sees the bad example and chooses not to follow it (v. 14).
2. Amon’s son - Josiah (2 Kgs. 21:19-22:2).
3. A person can change from his own bad or good ways (18:21-28).
D. Why will you die? (18:31)
1. Not because God is unwilling to save (18:23,32).
2. Not because you were born depraved or that you are too wicked to be saved (18:21,30).
3. Only because of own choice (though others may have an influence).
Concl.
A. What about Prov. 22:6?
1. It is a proverb - general statement of truth.
2. Prov. 10:27; 19:4; 18:22
3. Once saved - always saved is no more true of children than anyone else!
B. When your children rebel - don’t hang your head too low. It was their choice - not yours.
(You cannot learn nor live for them - and God does not hold us accountable for that.)
C. When your children choose to do right - don’t crow too loudly. Others have done just as good a job as you and their’s did not turn out that way.
D. We would all do some things differently - if we had that option, but the only perfect father you will ever have is - the heavenly Father, if you choose to obey Him and become His child.
E. If you are lost - can’t blame anyone else - and would not change anything with the great Judge!
Ezek. 18
Intro.
A. You can be a good parent and sometimes have bad children, or a bad parent and sometimes have good children.
B. A prevalent view then, and now - blame difficulties on parents (parent bashing).
1. Ezek. 18:1-3 - Ezekiel taken into Babylon 597 B.C.
2. Jer. 31:29,30 - Remained in Jerusalem and taught the same to people there.
C. We do inherit some things:
1. Physical traits - looks, allergies, etc.
2. Social benefits/burdens - “he/she is from a good family” - what does it prove?
3. Consequences of wrongs of parents - drunkard, drug addict (some contract lung cancer from smoking parents), abusers (some spend many years overcoming childhood abuse).
4. We do NOT inherit the guilt of their sins - nor their choices; we are not robots, predestined to follow a bad example. A good parent can have a bad child and a bad parent can have a good child! How does that relate to Prov. 22:6? (Discuss at end of lesson.)
D. God hold parents accountable for what they CAN DO - teach and exemplify; He hold children accountable for their decisions.
Body:
A. Individual accountability shown in:
1. The origin of the soul - from God (Ezek. 18:4,20; Acts 17:29; Heb. 12:9).
2. God gave no terms of salvation for babies - they do not need a plan (Mt. 18:3).
B. A good man may have an evil son (18:5-13).
1. David (2 Sam. 15:1-6; 18:33). (Absalom did not learn rebellion for his father.)
2. Hezekiah (2 Kgs. 18:1-8; 20:20,21; 21:2-11)
a. Removed idolatry from Judah
b. Manasseh rebuilt them and made his own son pass through the fire. (Molock - metal
idol in form a man with bull’s head; belly heated, child put in arms and slid into belly; cries covered by flutes and kettle-drums; mothers could offer without crying)
3. Prodigal son’s father (Lk. 15:11-32).
a. The shepherd and the woman - searched for the lost sheep and coin.
b. The prodigal’s father did not go in search. Boy knew where he was and the way home; it would have done no good. (He would come home when he pleased.)
c. Who does the prodigal’s father represent? (Is. 1:2 “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken; I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me.”
4. Jeffrey Dahmer’s parents (Milwaukee, Feb., 1992 - judge said 15 victims were not the only victims; Jeffrey’s parents didn’t get what they deserved; his lawyer said they are good folks. Rest of story - May, ‘94 he was baptized in prison; murdered in Nov. ‘94. His dad said that he had “returned fully to God in 1981...profoundly affected by a seminar presented by a scientist from Montgomery, Al., Dr. Bert Thompson...I shared tapes and articles with Jeff up to the time of his arrest in July 1991...Jeff, especially, understood that what we believe about our origins determines what we believe about our destiny” (from “A Father’s Story,” Lionel Dahmer, Jeff’s father, Avon books, ‘95)
4. Parents can teach and exemplify - cannot learn nor live for children. Many examples could be given of good parents whose children did not follow their teaching and example.
C. A bad father may have a good son (18:14-19).
1. He sees the bad example and chooses not to follow it (v. 14).
2. Amon’s son - Josiah (2 Kgs. 21:19-22:2).
3. A person can change from his own bad or good ways (18:21-28).
D. Why will you die? (18:31)
1. Not because God is unwilling to save (18:23,32).
2. Not because you were born depraved or that you are too wicked to be saved (18:21,30).
3. Only because of own choice (though others may have an influence).
Concl.
A. What about Prov. 22:6?
1. It is a proverb - general statement of truth.
2. Prov. 10:27; 19:4; 18:22
3. Once saved - always saved is no more true of children than anyone else!
B. When your children rebel - don’t hang your head too low. It was their choice - not yours.
(You cannot learn nor live for them - and God does not hold us accountable for that.)
C. When your children choose to do right - don’t crow too loudly. Others have done just as good a job as you and their’s did not turn out that way.
D. We would all do some things differently - if we had that option, but the only perfect father you will ever have is - the heavenly Father, if you choose to obey Him and become His child.
E. If you are lost - can’t blame anyone else - and would not change anything with the great Judge!