(Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-4)
SERMON OUTLINE
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” (Exodus 20:12)
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:1-4)
What is honoring?
- Greek meaning
- Hebrew meaning
Honoring your parents is not a suggestion, nor a choice we have (Ephesians 6:1-3)
How can children honor their parents?
- Children honor their parents by making God become their Father (John 1:12-13; John 8:34-36; Romans 8:16-17; Matthew 18:3)
- Children honor their parents by realizing that the family is a design from God (Malachi 4:4-6)
- Children honor their parents when the bless and submit to them
- Joseph (Genesis 45:9-11, 23)
- Jesus’ earthly parents (Luke 2:51)
- Jesus’ heavenly Father (Matthew 26:36-39)
- Children honor their parents by recognizing that God did not create parents to be our number one priority (Matthew 10:37; 19:29)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What does “honor your father and your mother” mean? If your parents are abusive, does this change anything?
- What is the promise that is associated with the command here (Ephesians 6:2-3)?
- What does obey mean? How should a child respond to their parents’ command if they don‘t feel like obeying their parents?
- What makes a child’s obedience so important. Is this right?
- How does honor differ from obey?
- At what age should a person obey and honor their parents? What principles apply here?
- How does obedience relate to having a good life and longevity?
- What are the three things fathers are told to do in Ephesians 6:4?
- What does it mean not to provoke your children to anger?
- How does it happen? Share an incident from your life where you may have provoked some one else or where you were provoked.
- Why might He address the fathers here in Ephesians 6:4 and not the mothers?
- According to the context of Ephesians 6:4, what does obedience mean? Why does the world reject this aspect of discipline when training?
- What kind of instruction is mentioned here? How can parents implement this? Again, share from your experiences.
- Describe the social problems that are a result of disobedience in the home.
- Parents are scared to have children in today’s society. What would Paul the apostle say about this from these verses?