Train up a child the way he should go and when he is old, he will not fall from it.

-Proverbs 22:5

Proverb: A perceived truth based on common sense.

  

What do you do when your children walk away from Jesus?

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

-Revelation 2:12-17

  

Four gods that dominate the worship culture:

1. Dionysus

  

2. Asclepius, the snake god of healing.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

-Revelation 2:17

  

Jesus says: The physical and spiritual healing for which you are searching is found only in me.

  

3. Demeter, Goddess of Grain

  

4. The Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus

  

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

-Ephesians 5:11

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.

-Revelation 2:14

  

What is the teaching of Balaam?

  

Two Grave sins against God:

1 - He got full of himself and decided to use it for his own personal gain.

2 - I’ll have Moabite women seduce Israelite men and form a blasphemous union with fornication and blasphemous feasts.

  

What was happening in Pergamum?

To survive economically and be able to enter the Agora, some Christians were “going through the motions” on the outside, even though inwardly, they did not agree.

Others, however, were faithful.

I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

-Revelation 2:13

But others were not and Jesus is not happy!

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

-Revelation 2:14-15

  

“They abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats, leading a life of self-indulgence, perverting grace and replacing liberty with license.”

  

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, ‘Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.’

-Daniel 3:1; 4-6

I do not want you to participate with demons.

-1 Corinthians 10:20

  

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, sinners flocked to Jesus and He hung out with them. But His message was always one of repentance, forgiveness, and love.

  

Marriage: ‘A holy estate’ which Christ adorned and beautified with his presence, and the first miracle in Cana of Galilee.

-Book of Common Prayer

Why would a Christian participate or celebrate something that implicitly attacks the sacredness of marriage?

Why would we honor that which is dishonorable?

“We want to be bridge builders, not wall builders.”

This good desire is not by itself a sufficient framework for making ethical decisions.

  

The real issue: Culture has convinced many that it is not that big a deal or sinful….when in reality…we are told that those who live in sexual immorality without repentance will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

  

Gay weddings don’t offend many Christians in the same way because these ceremonies have already become normalized.

  

All Christians are instructed to avoid participating in any public event that celebrates immorality.

  

All people are welcome to our church.

  

We are ONE&ALL.

• One Savior died for all people.
• We are all sinners in need of mercy and grace.
• No sin is greater than another.
• No person is better than another.
• Together, we will keep pursuing Jesus.
• We will celebrate forgiveness.
• We will never celebrate sin.

  

What does a Pride Parade Celebrate?

“Pride is about equality and for the LGBTQ+ to be NORMALIZED.”

  

What is at stake? How does this relate to our sons and daughters who have walked away from their faith?

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

-Matthew 7:13-14

  

Our sons and daughters walk away from their faith in various ways:

  

Some walk away intellectually.

Some walk away culturally.

Some walk away because they simply do not want to conform to the image of Christ.

But many today walk away because following Jesus means rejecting so much of the current cultural trends.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

-Deuteronomy 6:5-9

  

What do we do when, for whatever reason, our children walk away from Jesus?

  

1. Keep the bridge of communication open.

Here are a few good statements to make to your children.

• You are my son or daughter and nothing you could ever do would make me stop loving you, wishing the best for you, praying for you.
• Whatever you do and wherever you go, you are still my son or daughter and I will love you till the day I die.
• This home will always be your home. You are always welcome here.
• Whether you are Christian, Atheist, Agnostic, Republican, Democrat, whatever, you are my son or daughter and you are always welcomed around my table.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

-Proverbs 15:1

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

-Matthew 5:9

  

2. Never compromise your faith!

A good reminder to yourself is:

• I will neither celebrate or accept sin of any kind in my own life or in the lives of those I love, or in my home.
• I will never tell you that unless you accept my Christian faith, you cannot be my son or daughter.
• But I ask that you respect me in the same way and do not make your love for me contingent upon agreeing with you in matters that contradict my faith.

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

-Psalm 119:9-16

  

3. Model the Christ-life like.

• Prayer.
• Devotions.
• Share Openly what Jesus is doing in your life.

There is no guarantee your children will always believe what you raised them to believe. What they choose to believe is beyond your control. What is in your control is your response. Your reaction. Your best response is to live your life in such a way that your kids never doubt you believe what you raised them to believe.

-Sandra Stanley

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ’Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’

-Matthew 5:10-12

  

4. Give your child over to God.

You must give them over to God to orchestrate and fashion events that will bring your child to ruin.

In No Strange Land

By Francis Thompson

“O world invisible, we view thee:

O world intangible, we touch thee:

O world unknowable, we know thee:

Inapprehensible, we clutch thee!

Does the fish soar to find the ocean,

The eagle plunge to find the air,

That we ask of the stars in motion

If they have rumour of thee there?

  

Not where the wheeling systems darken,

And our benumbed conceiving soars:

The drift of pinions, would we harken,

Beats at our own clay-shuttered doors.

  

The angels keep their ancient places –

Turn but a stone, and start a wing!

'Tis ye, 'tis your estrangèd faces

That miss the many-splendoured thing.

  

But (when so sad thou canst not sadder)

Cry; and upon thy so sore loss

Shall shine the traffic of Jacob's ladder

Pitched betwixt Heaven and Charing Cross.

  

Yea, in the night, my Soul, my daughter,

Cry, clinging heaven by the hems:

And lo, Christ walking on the water,

Not of Gennesareth, but Thames!”

  

What is Francis Thompson Saying?

God never leaves your son or daughter! Never!

  

An Excerpt from The Hound of Heaven

By Francis Thompson

“I fled Him down the nights.

I fled Him down the days.

I fled Him down the arches of the years.

I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways.”

  

Constantly pray for a Jesus Revelation!

You must pray that God never stops chasing your child.

• Reminder of all he/she was taught.
• Reminder of experiences with God.
• Reminder of the truth of Scripture.
• Reminder of the sufficiency of Christ.

  

  

  

  

What are your main takeaways from this sermon?

Make a Decision