“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exo. 20:12 ESV) 

Complete disrespect

I happened on a modern sitcom while flipping through the dial (I don’t usually watch them) and I was taken aback by how the main character, a teenage youth, addressed his parents. He called them by their first names, never mom or dad, laughed at them and treated them with complete disrespect. Each time he referred to them in an unflattering manner, the laugh track responded loudly. What really bothered me was that the show was teaching young viewers that it is acceptable to disrespect their parents. According to the Bible this is very dangerous. The Bible commands children to honor their parents and gives the promise that when they do, “It may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Sadly, if children don’t honor their parents the opposite will be true! Things WILL NOT go well for them, and they WILL NOT live long in the land! 

For this is right (means it’s righteous)

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Eph. 6:1-3 ESV)

Those who resist will incur judgement

“Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Rom. 13:2 ESV)

A sign of the end times

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5 ESV)

Therefore

Continue to honor them always,  even when they become old.

“Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” (Prov. 23:22 NIV)

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Pet. 2:9 NIV)

When I was a child attending grade school I was the smallest kid in my class. I had been born early and weighed only a pound and a half. It took me many years to catch up to the others in my age group and I was usually a head shorter than everyone else. Being the smallest in the class put me at the bottom of the list to be chosen on any team sport. I remember well the humiliation of always being the last kid chosen in any lineup.

In the passage at top we learn some wonderful news about being chosen by God 

·      You are a chosen people. Chosen means to be selected, picked, appointed, elected, favored, hand-picked. 

·      You are a royal priesthood. A priest acts as an ambassador, a chosen vehicle through whom God has chosen to serve the people and represent Him, on His behalf.

·      You are a holy nation. Defined as a kingdom of people who are sacred, consecrated, sanctified, revered, and blessed. 

·      You are God’s special possession. Which is the state of ownership, care, custody, charge and guardianship.

And the reason God chose you 

·      So that you can declare the praises of God. “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!” (Psalms 150:1-6 ESV)

·      Because He called you out of darkness. “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” (Acts 26:18 ESV)

·      Because He brought you into His wonderful light. “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)

“Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” (Luke 2:52 NLT)

“And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with people.” (1 Sam. 2:26 NIV)

I had a lot to learn

I remember very early on, shortly after I had received Christ, I was leading a Bible study in a Christian coffee house. In the group was a woman who had been a Christian for many years. After the study she said to me, “Young man, you’ve got a lot to learn!” She was certainly correct! It’s been over 50 years since then, and I’m still learning and growing.

God will continue His work within you

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Phil. 1:6 NLT)

Press on towards the goal in Jesus Christ

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:12-14 ESV)

Grow up in your salvation

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Pet. 2:2-3 NIV)

Be rooted and built up in Him

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Col. 2:6-7 NIV)

Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Pet. 3:18 NIV)

Therefore

“Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” (1 Tim. 4:15 ESV)

“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NIV).

This passage says, “Believe that you have received it” (past tense). And “it will be yours” (future tense).

In other words, you must believe (expect) in order to receive. God wants to answer your prayers, therefore, in faith, you can expect him to answer you.

Fully expect and hope in boldness

 “For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past.” (Phil. 1:20a NLT) 

Faith is confidence and assurance about what we do not see (but do expect)

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” 

Therefore

When your heart trusts (expects) you are helped.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7 ESV)

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.” (2 Cor. 14:33 ESV) 

God is not the author of confusion 

The Bible says that God had created everything and that it was “good” (Gen. 1:31). But then the devil corrupted it with sin and caused the world to have confusion and disorder.  “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (John 3:8 ESV)

The devil subjected the world to corruption, but God brings freedom from its bondage 

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:19-21 ESV)

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil

“The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8 NASB) 

Jesus has overcome the world

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John. 16:33 ESV) 

Therefore

“But all things should be done decently and in order.” (1 Cor. 14:40 ESV)

“The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 115:12-15 ESV)

God is a wonderful and generous blesser!

He blesses all who trust in Him and He also blesses those who don’t trust in Him (Matt. 5:45). In the Old Testament there is a list of blessings and curses (Deut. 28). The blessings were for those who obeyed the law and the curses were for those who didn’t obey the law. In the New Testament we read that Jesus died to redeem us from the curse of the law. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us...” (Gal. 3:13 NIV). Therefore, we are totally set free from the curse of the law!

Because Jesus has redeemed you from “the curse of the law, you now have the blessings listed below

 “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.” (Deut. 28:1-14 ESV)

Therefore

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Num. 6:24-26 ESV)

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2 NIV)

There are a number of beggars within my community who regularly hold “Please help” cardboard signs along prominent road intersections. I never give to them because they are not really the “poor and needy” but they actually acquire lots of cash doing the begging business. I do believe, however, that we are commanded by God to help the truly poor and needy who are around us. Susan and I support local food banks, the rescue mission, the Salvation Army and our church humanitarian programs. We also personally and privately do whatever we can to help others as God directs us.

You show your love to God by helping His people

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Heb. 6:10 NIV)

“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 ESV)

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Heb. 13:16 ESV)

Look to the interest of others

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:4 ESV) 

Therefore

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16 ESV)

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:11 ESV)

We’re not crushed, forsaken or destroyed!

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:8-9 ESV)

Don’t lean on your own understanding

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6 ESV)

Don’t be anxious about anything

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7 ESV)

Therefore

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:28-31 ESV)

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11 NIV)

He’s coming to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him

“So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Heb. 9:28 ESV) 

Every eye will see Him

“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” (Rev. 1:7 ESV)

We will be caught up together and meet Him in the air

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (2 Thess. 4:16-17 ESV) 

May you be kept blameless at His coming

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 5:23 ESV) 

“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:39-44 ESV)

Therefore

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matt. 24:42-44 ESV)