PARENTING
ISN’T FOR COWARDS
Steve W. Reeves
INTRODUCTION:
A.
Being a parent is a wonderful experience. It is a wonderful blessing to hold a
child in
your arms and in your heart as they grow
up. Make no mistake, however, being a
parent is challenging. It challenges your
strength, stamina and, at times, your sanity!
1. There has never been a time when
parenting has been more challenging than it is
today. I realize that many parents have
faced significant challenges through the
years and I certainly do not want to
minimize those challenges.
2. I do not know of a time when the moral
fiber of families has been challenged any
more than today.
B.
Satan has launched an all-out assault on families.
1. There are two aspects of the Garden of
Eden that have remained intact since the
beginning of time. They are gender and
marriage. Both of these are under attack in
today’s world.
2. Our homes are being flooded by moral
sewage. If raw sewage were running down
our streets and filling our homes there
would be a huge outcry because of the
health hazards and filth associated with
it.
a. In 1973 pornography in the United
States was a $10 million dollar per year
business. By 1999 it had increased
to $10 billion per year. In 2015 according to
NBC news global pornography generated
$97 billion per year.
b. Lou Butterfield, in his seminar on
battling pornography, says that up to 50% of
families in the church are affected
by this issue in some way.
c. When you consider so many other
issues being confronted by families today you
can see why I say there has never been a more challenging time to be a
parent.
C.
What can parents do to guide children in the right way? Let’s turn to Hebrews
11:23-
26. “By faith Moses, when he was born, was
hidden for three months by his parents,
because they saw he was a beautiful child; and
they were not afraid of the king’s
edict. 24 By faith Moses,
when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing
rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God
than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
26 considering the reproach of Christ
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt;
for he was looking to the reward.”
1. Moses was born at a dangerous time for
Hebrew children.
2. Because of the increasing number of
Hebrews the Egyptian Pharaoh had forced
them into slavery and imposed heavy
burdens on them. When this failed to diminish
their number Pharaoh instructed the
midwives to kill the baby boys but allow the
baby girls to live. The midwives did not
comply and ultimately, in Exodus 1:22
Pharaoh ordered that all of the Hebrew
baby boys were to be cast into the Nile
River.
3. At this point we are introduced to a
couple named Amram and Jochebed. This
Hebrew (Levite, Ex. 2:1) couple already had
two children, Miriam and Aaron when
another baby boy was born.
4 I want you to see some of the choices
these parents made when facing a
challenging situation.
I. A DETERMINED CHOICE
A. Moses’ parents, Amram and Jochebed ,
were determined to protect their son.
1. Exodus 2:1-4 tells us how they hid
the baby for three months.
2. When it was no longer possible to
hide him Jochebed made a wicker (papyrus)
basket and sealed it with tar. She
placed Moses in the basket and put him in the
shallow water of the Nile near the
place where Pharaoh’s daughter bathed. This
Pharaoh, Ramses, reportedly had 59
daughters. What a remarkable, redemptive
theme – the deliverer was delivered.
The baby was named “Moses” because he
was drawn from the water.
3. They didn’t abandon their baby. His
sister, Miriam, hid nearby to keep a watchful
eye on the child. Miriam is listed
in Micah 6:4 – “I redeemed you from the house
of bondage and sent before you
Moses, Aaron and Miriam.” In Greek the
name
Mary is “Mariam.” When the baby was
found by Pharaoh’s daughter Miriam
volunteered to find a Hebrew nurse
for the boy. Thus, the baby was nursed by
his own mother.
4. Moses was blessed to be raised as a
royal son with all of the resources of Egypt
available to him. He had a wonderful
education with the finest teachers. There
was no lack of food or any of the
fine things of life. The greatest asset in his
young life was the instruction that came
from his mother who taught him about
his people and his God.
B. Moses’ parents did not leave the future
of their son to chance. We do not know
how many years Jochebed served as Moses’
nurse but she used every opportunity
to
tell Him about God.
1. Worst thing a parent can do is to
say, “I’m not going to say anything to my child
about God. I’m going to let them
decide for themselves.” Would you take such an
attitude regarding their secular education
or their health?
2. Where does faith come from? Romans
10:17 – “faith comes by hearing and
hearing by the word of God.” Faith always involves reception of the word.
a. Suppose you have a television or
radio but there is no broadcast. There are no
signals to be received. All you
will get is static and it will be of no good to you.
b. Every child has a mind that is
like a giant antennae ready to receive. Suppose
there is no signal of faith?
Suppose there is no signal of morality and
Godly value? I will guarantee
you the Devil will broadcast his signal.
II. A COURAGEOUS CHOICE
A. Notice the end of verse 23. “They were
not afraid of the King’s edict.”
1. What do you suppose would have
happened to Amram and Jochebed if they had
been discovered violating Pharaoh’s
order?
2. There are times when we must obey God
rather than man like Peter and John
did in Acts 5:29.
B. Parenting is not for cowards. You must
be willing to take a stand for what is right.
1. The world tells us that there is no
standard of right or wrong.
2. In Judges 21:25 the Bible says, “In those days there was no king in Israel;
everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Is this not true of
our world today?
3. It takes courage to cut against the
grain, to swim upstream, to challenge the
status quo.
C.
Moses became the greatest leader in the history of Israel. Where did those
leadership qualities come from? They
did not happen immediately. When God
called Moses from the burning bush
Moses was reluctant. Over time with the
help of God Moses developed the
qualities required to lead the Israelites. I
believe those early years of his
life when he was saved and nurtured by
courageous parents played a huge
role in his later development.
III. A CONSEQUENTIAL CHOICE
A. We know that the effort put forth by Amram
and Jochebed was beneficial. As an
adult Moses did three things that
determined the course of his life and,
consequently, the destiny of a nation
and redemption of the world.
1. He refused – vs.24.
a. What a choice Moses made in
refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s
daughter. Can you imagine
turning down all of the possessions, privileges and
power you could possibly
imagine? Moses had everything at his disposal
as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter
and he refused it.
b. Why did he make such a choice?
Because of the instruction he had received
from his parents.
2. He chose – vs. 25.
a. He chose to identify with the
Hebrews and endure harsh treatment rather than
to enjoy the pleasure of sin for
a season. He chose endurance over
enjoyment.
b. Sin is pleasurable – for a little
while.
1.) David had a good time with
Bathsheba – for a little while.
2.) Solomon had a good time with
wine, women and song – for a little while.
3.) The rich farmer in Luke 12
had a good time with his possessions for a little
while.
4.) The prodigal son in Luke 15 had
a good time for a little while.
c. Moses chose endurance over
enjoyment. He chose reproach over riches. He
chose the eternal things rather than the
temporary things.
3. He considered – vs. 26.
a. He evaluated and made a clear choice.
b. Where did Moses learn to
distinguish between good and evil? It was the
instruction that came from his mother.
B. Look at the connection between verses
24 through 26.
1. He considered – verse 26.
2. Because he considered he chose to
identify with the people of God – vs. 25.
3. Because of his choice he refused to
be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter
– verse 24.
C. It all began with the faith and courage
of Godly parents Amram and Jochebed.
CONCLUSION:
A.
Paul Harvey told the story of a man named Roy Blankenship of Andover, Ohio. One
day, following a torrential rain, Roy
looked out his window at a drainage ditch near his
house. The ditch was overflowing because of
the rain. The water rushed down the
ditch for a block before emptying into a
concrete culvert that ran underneath a
road and eventually into a larger canal.
Suddenly Blankenship saw a little girl in the
water carried along by the current. He
jumped up and ran with all of his might to get
ahead of her. Finally he jumped into the
water and with his outstretched hand barely
grabbed the girl. Doing everything possible
to keep himself and the little gift afloat
they were less than ten feet from the
concrete culvert when his free hand caught a
rock. He thought, “If I can just hold on
until help arrives.” With every ounce of strength
he pulled the little girl to safety before
the fire department arrived. In April of 1989
Roy Blakenship was awarded the Coast
Guard’s Silver Lifesaving Medal for his
courage. The award was especially
meaningful because Roy Blankenship did not
know how to swim.
B. Your children, my children, your
grandchildren, my grandchildren – need men and
women in their lives who will be like Amram
and Jocabed. People who will make a
courageous choice, a determined stand and a
wonderful difference.
C.
I believe it begins with your commitment to God and the Lordship of Jesus in
your
life.
Don’t you want to take your stand for Him today? If you believe on Him do
you not want to put Him on in baptism (Gal.
3:26-27)? If your faith has grown weak do
you not want to experience revival and
renewal in your spiritual life?May we serve you?
