 Okay kids wake up Wake up pay attention all you teenagers are like yes. He's talking to the kids teenagers wake up Talking to you to young people wake up. So we're gonna finish up the household series. So I kids I yelled at your parents for the last two weeks and this morning or this evening I don't know why I'm so messed up on that AM and PM is really throwing me for a loop in the last couple weeks But that we're gonna end with children and talking about Children look down at Ephesians chapter 6. Let me give you a couple disclaimers before we get started With the sermon for the kids this evening. We talked about your parents kids We talked about your dad's the first week we talked about your mom's The second week and this morning or this evening. We're gonna talk about you So first of all, let me just say that this sermon is for my kids too. And so my kids listen up It's not I don't ever want to feel like or I don't ever want you to think or feel that I'm standing up here as A perfect parent that has perfect kids. I mean have you met my kids? So I don't have perfect children this sermon is for them as well look down at Ephesians chapter 6 and verse Number one the Bible says children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Honor thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with thee and now may Live long on the earth and your father's provoked not your children to wrath But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord So if you're between four and twenty four this evening pay attention We're talking to you the Bible has a lot to say to children about Children and it's serious the things that the Bible talks about look at Deuteronomy chapter 21 because verse 23 or verse 3 of Ephesians chapter 6 So parents if you're sitting next to the little kids, you know show them these verses from the Bible Especially when I get to the verses in Proverbs Proverbs kids if you were an eight-year-old nine-year-old ten-year-old kid, you know your parents should be reading you Proverbs You should be listening to the Bible in particular the book of Proverbs is great for young children Teenagers young adults the whole thing look at Deuteronomy chapter 21 Ephesians 6 3 says that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth It says that if you obey your parents, you know, that has a direct reference to how long you'll live To how long your life will be on this earth, which is what we talked about this morning Many people are concerned with this look at Deuteronomy chapter 21 in verse 18 the Bible says it's given an example of a rebellious child a rebellious son whose parents have lost control of This child assuming I talked about it a couple weeks ago You know we're kind of assuming that this is a young adult at this point that their parents have lost control of and and the Old Testament law had some pretty serious punishment in this situation Look at verse 18 if a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father So Ephesians 6 verse 1 says obey Your parents kids and but in Deuteronomy chapter 21 in the Old Testament if a child did not obey and just Rebelled against their parents. This is what would take place Which would not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and that when they have chastened him Will not hearken unto them then shall his father and mother lay hold on him and bring him unto the elders of the city And unto the gate of his place and they shall say unto the elders of the city This is our son is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey our voice. He is a glutton and a drunkard He is someone who has zero self-control He has no self-control and all the men of the city shall stone him with stones that he died So shalt thou put evil away from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear So you're sitting there and you're thinking this you know this evening you're thinking, you know, I'm just a kid You know, I'm just a kid but turn to Proverbs chapter 20 and parents I want you to show you know your children if they can read this verse you say this is pretty serious You know, I'm supposed to obey my parents. Yeah, that's obvious I know I've been having people telling me that since you know, I was this tall You know what new do you have to say and you say I'm just a kid You're being pretty hard on me You know telling me this story in the Old Testament about how they stoned rebellious children in the Old Testament Well, here's the thing look at Proverbs chapter 20 and verse number 11. Here's the thing just a kid Here's the thing just a teenager. Here's the thing. I'm just a young person You know, I make all these mistakes and I do all these things and I don't really have to worry about what I'm doing Because I'm just a kid. I'm just young but look at what the Bible says in Proverbs 20 in verse 11 Well, let me remind you before I read this that everything that the Bible says is true Okay, if the Bible says it it's true whether you like it or not Whether you think it's true or not in verse 11. It says even a child is known by his doings Whether his work be pure and whether it be right So I'm going to give you three things this evening that if you do them kids Look, I can't go through the entire character that you should have in your life in one sermon But I'm going to give you three things Kids young people that if you do these three things that you will be known by them or If you you know do them the wrong way you will be known by those things because the Bible here says, you know The Bible says a good name, you know Many adults reference this verse a good name is rather to be had than silver or gold But the Bible here says even about kids that the things that you do You will be known by and I'm this is true down to two years old I'm telling you that a two-year-old a three-year-old a four-year-old a five-year-old a six-year-old They're known by what they do. They're known by how they act and look it may be You know mainly put on the parents when they're very young, but very quickly in children's lives They become known by the things that they do they're doings They're doings So I'm going to give you turn to Proverbs chapter 6. I'm going to give you three things this evening This isn't that just this isn't all there is but I'm going to give you I'm going to hit three main areas look at Proverbs chapter 6 and Look at verse number 19 or let's just read at verse number 16 The Bible is talking here in Proverbs chapter 6 about seven things that the Lord hates now if there's things That the Lord hates kids you should pay attention to those things You should pay attention to those things and you don't want to be anywhere near those things Okay, look at Proverbs chapter 6 and verse 16 The Bible says these six things that the Lord hate yay seven are an abomination unto him a proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood and heart that devised wicked imaginations feet that be swift and running to mischief a false witness that speak of lies and Here's what I want to talk about first he that soweth discord among the brethren So the first thing that I want to talk about this evening for the kids is that kids children young people that so Discord will be known by this you will be known as someone that does this look Here's some examples of this kids like an overarching example, and I'll give you specific examples But it's just you know being mean to people Being a being a mean kid you ever met a mean kid Let me say another thing before I get started. Let me look at it I think we this is a preventative maintenance sermon because I actually think that we have a pretty good group of kids here Okay, no kids don't get a big head about that, but this is preventative maintenance I want you to pay attention to this look kids can be extremely mean Kids can be very mean so kids you need to be friendly to one another Don't get so used to all your friends around the church that you're not remembering to be friendly to one another kids Have this kids have this tendency to to fall Into this because it comes from an immature place. It comes from being immature You know some adults never grew out of it, and you'll meet those types of adults But the reason that it comes from immaturity and the reason it's so easy for Kids to be mean to each other is because look kids It's a really easy way to build yourself up and make yourself feel good by putting somebody else down It's a really easy way to get a quick Self-esteem boost for yourself by stepping on somebody else's head By by putting somebody else Down look especially kids in groups of other kids It's easy for kids to want to make fun or push somebody else down to maybe to get a laugh From somebody now look no look I stand up here, and I kids I stand up here And I give the announcements, and I try to be funny every now and then I try to be funny And you know what it makes it makes me feel really good when I say something that everybody laughs at and Kids you're gonna be in groups of other kids And it's it makes you feel good when people laugh at a joke that you say when people you know Think that you're funny that makes you feel good But look kids if you're getting laughs at other people's expense by making fun of somebody else That is not right. You are sowing discord Amongst your brothers and sisters siblings brothers and sisters literal brothers and sisters don't do this to each other Brothers and sisters look be kind to your siblings Be kind to your brother be kind to your sisters You need to grow up being kind and helping and standing up for one another in your family This will make because you know what kids this will make good Relationships with your brothers and sisters into adulthood Because let me tell you something kids you think that it's no big deal to be eight years old and make fun of your sister Or be nine years old and make fun of your brother But let me tell you something these are the kind of things that adults remember That can actually hurt your Relationships with your brothers and sisters. Yeah, I mean you say they're my brothers and sisters We'll always be close because we're related to each other wrong. That is not how it works Do not so discord amongst your brothers and sisters or your friends or brothers and sisters in Christ at church How you treat each other matters so appreciate all the friends that you have here kids Let's talk about this kids Here's another thing that you'll be known by it known for if you're really mean all the time and you're constantly putting everybody else down You know what you'll be known for you'll be known as a bully You'll be known as a bully. You'll be known as a mean kid. I Mean everybody I bet if you asked any adult in this room about you know a mean kid from when they were growing up They would remember his name or remember her name. I mean, that's how you know look I always hated bullies I couldn't figure out what was wrong with these people But I hated it, you know, I mean look chiding people picking on others look It's you know first of all, it's just not going to be allowed here Okay, it's not going to be allowed here, you know, I've told the adults the same thing As far as you know, we want to be friendly. So look and let me talk about another thing for the kids visiting kids Visiting church people people that come here that aren't normal, you know, aren't normal church members here I mean that is going to happen. It has happened. Look, here's the thing kids There's gonna be kids that come to this church that visit this church and they're not gonna look like you They're not gonna have, you know, the the right haircut. Maybe they're not gonna, you know Look like the clothes that everybody else wears here. Maybe they're gonna, you know, you know Whatever they're gonna be different in general But here's the thing kids and I've told the same thing to your parents again and again. You need to be friendly You need to be kind you need to be merciful because maybe these kids didn't grow up in church Maybe these kids have no idea what the Bible says, but here they're putting one foot in the door They're putting one foot in the door and they have a chance to start learning what the Bible says need to be friendly You need to be friendly. If look one thing that would just trigger me is if somebody was mean to a visiting kid in this church I mean that would be look that would be a terrible thing to happen Because guess what kids? You know what? You know what the parents of that visiting kid the first thing that they do when they get in the car to leave This church they ask those kids How was how was the church and and God forbid that a visiting child Would say well somebody was mean to me or somebody was making fun of me. I mean You know what they need to say and I hope that they have always said and I'm sure that they have said But they need to continue to say when they get in the car and they talk to their parents You know what they need to say they need to say man those kids were super nice Man those kids were just super friendly everything was super appropriate and you know It needs to look different than what they're dealing with out in the world It needs to look different than the public school. It needs to look different than the kids on their block You know you need to act different You need to I don't know how like have a loving attitude and a friendly attitude towards people turn to Proverbs chapter 18 Proverbs chapter 18 look at verse 24. You say well, you know, nobody likes me You say you're a kid and you're like, you know, I'm always worried that people, you know Don't like me and I don't feel like I have enough friends and you know, nobody likes me Well, the Bible has the answer for that too Look at Proverbs 18 24 the Bible says a man or you could even substitute a child right here A man that have friends must show himself friendly Look the Bible says if you're friendly People will like you if you're friendly Everybody's gonna want to be around you Everybody's gonna want I mean look if you've ever complained that nobody likes you. This is probably why it's because you're not I mean if you're mean nobody wants to be your friend if you're mean So you must be friendly. That's the first thing I want to point out. You must be friendly You must be kind to one another. It's the culture of our church here It's the culture of our church who want people coming here visiting We want people the kids the adults whoever want them and look I mean, it's a genuine thing here Look, this isn't something that you know, you you have to fake or that needs to be faked It just needs to be you need to think about other people. It's it's really that simple think about other people be kind To one another now go back to Proverbs chapter 20 and let me give you a second thing kids That will define what people think of you. You will be known as this you will be known as this if you do it Proverbs chapter 20 look at verse 17 this one comes up in the list of seven things this one comes up twice Look at verse 17. It says a proud look a lying tongue in verse 19 a false witness that speaketh lies a false Witness is somebody that's going around saying something about other people. That's not true And then a lying tongue is in verse 17. So look kids Here's another big one that if you do this you will be known by it And you know what this is one of those things where you don't have to do it very much You just have to do it once or twice and you're known as this and that's a liar You don't want to be known as a liar kids So look lying is a super serious sin We use it all the time and we're out so winning as a sin that everybody does is a sin that everybody has done It but kids struggle with this why because kids do a lot of stuff wrong Kids mess up a lot of things kids do things that they know that they weren't supposed to do because they're learning They're growing their kids and then when they get caught doing something wrong Their first reaction is to lie about it Did you do that? No, no, I didn't do that to try to get themselves out of trouble kids Look, it's better to own up to things if you did it and it wasn't the right thing to do just own up to it I Mean own up to it take your punishment and move on It's it's it's that simple kids But here's another here's another form of lying that you'll see kids really fall into it's this it's Manipulating people to get your way Kids will do this here's a perfect example of this is a kid will go to mom and ask for something, you know a cookie or whatever and then mom says no, so what do they do they go ask dad I Mean that's a common way of children. I mean it's the oldest one in the book, right? I mean some kids are laughing and it makes me wonder if that's what you do all the time But look it's a way of it's a form of manipulation and it shouldn't be done kids look Manipulating people or trying to manipulate people you will be known by this You'll be known by this and look here's the thing it will follow you into adulthood This kind of behavior. This is the this is the person that we know as adults that lies to get out of trouble at work All right, have you ever met this person? This is the person that lies to their their spouse That lies to their husband or wife, you know causing marriage issues This is what this can lead to and frankly, you know, it's it's someone who's just not an honest person To the point of being a liar turn back to Proverbs chapter 11 Proverbs chapter 11. So what have we covered we covered being friendly we covered lying But you know what else you could be known as you could be known as a really friendly person That tells the truth all the time you ever met a kid that's constantly I can think of this kid in my mind from Verity Baptist in Sacramento. The kid was always in trouble He was in trouble all the time, but you know what? I mean the kid. I mean I would work security I'm not gonna mention his name poor little guy But I would work security and I would sit in the in the hallway and like man This kid was getting dragged out every single service and his mom was spanking him You just hear in the bathroom. You just whack whack whack like man But you know what this kid he'd go out and he would do something wrong He'd be like did you do that? Yeah You know he was super honest and you know what everybody just loved the kid I mean the kid was he was a very likable kid He was very he was very friendly and he was honest. He was messing up all the time But he wouldn't lie about it. He would just own up to it and just get in trouble and just you know And look that that kid's gonna turn out fine The because of that but look at Proverbs 11 in verse 13. Here's another you know cousin to lying right here Look at Proverbs 11 13 a tail bearer reveal a secrets But he that has a faithful spirit can seal it the matter. So look kids Let me talk to you about for a few minutes here. Let me talk to you about secrets Let me talk to you about secrets. First of all kids kids kids love secrets. Don't they kids you love secrets Don't you don't doesn't a kid like to know that's something some you know, other people don't know I know a secret. Here's the thing kids secrets are always bad Secrets are bad and look if someone is coming up to you and saying hey This is a secret Don't tell anyone Here's the thing kids usually it's either extremely sinful or Completely untrue One of those two things or both or both. So just remember kids that secrets are always bad The same thing I talked to the adults about gossip if it doesn't affect the church It doesn't affect you don't go around telling other kids about it Even if you know it even if you overheard something just don't go around telling other kids about it And if you aren't sure if you aren't sure kids listen very carefully if you aren't sure go tell your parents If you aren't sure about what to do go talk to your parents about it and look don't ever keep secrets from your parents kids Because look bad people now. Here's a safety moment for the kids bad people never want kids to tell their parents anything So kids listen up if somebody ever comes up to you as a kid and Says hey, don't tell your parents this if Anybody comes up to you if you're two years old three years old four years old all the way up to 18 years old And somebody ever comes up to you and I don't care if they're a kid or an adult and they say hey Don't tell your parents this you know what the first thing that you do kids you go tell your parents That's what you do Nobody should ever come up to you and say don't tell your parents this Because look you know it's interesting is I heard this story several times when public school got canceled last year And they all went to like online zoom meetings But I heard this several times and there was actually some public schools that were having parents sign waivers That say you know what we won't watch the zoom classes Parents head to sign waivers to say we will not watch the classes I mean we will not I mean it's not like we won't interject or we won't interrupt. No is like we won't participate and watch What in the world? What are you teaching the kids? I was gonna say what are you teaching my kids, but they're not teaching my kids anything ever I mean, you know But if you are foolish enough to have your kids in public school and you know uneducated enough Let's put it that way from a biblical perspective and and you're gonna go I mean they don't want look they what they're teaching your kids there They don't want the parents involved. They don't want the parents to see what this is this has been this way for a long time It just popped out when it came to the zoom meetings and all these online Remote things but look the bottom line is they're not teaching good things and they're not teaching things that parents would ever want their Children taught parents that don't even have to be saved They just have the law written in their heart that have a conscience and they know that those things are wrong So kids listen if anybody ever comes up to you and says don't tell your parents the first thing that you look You're I don't even care what they say will happen to you if you do tell your parents Just remember your dad is stronger than anybody Out there that you go tell your parents about those Situations turn the first Samuel chapter 8. I'm not gonna keep you too long tonight I know we've got the potluck going, but I just want you kids to know that you will be known You will be known by how you act now So you're not just a kid You're not just a kid Everyone will know turn to first Samuel chapter 8 and look at verse 1 Even some great men of the Bible had some children. I'm just gonna give you one example here But had children that everybody knew Everybody knew that they were bad look at first Samuel chapter 8 and verse number 1 the Bible says Samuel the last judge Samuel and it came to pass when Samuel was old and he made his son's judges over Israel The name of his firstborn was Joel in the name of his second Abaya They were judges and bear Sheba and his sons walked not in his ways But turned aside after Luke her and took bribes and prefer to judgment then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves Together and came to Samuel unto Ramah and said unto him be old thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. Look everyone knew that these kids were bad Everyone knew all the issues that these kids had and they're like, you know, this is where the first king Came from this wonderful man named King Saul But look, here's another thing. I want to end with it tonight turn to Jeremiah chapter 2 kids if you don't listen to your parents if You don't listen to your parents and this is especially for the older kids Maybe the teenagers maybe the young people listen very carefully if you are saved If you are saved and you're like, you know what I'm just not gonna listen to godly advice If you don't obey your parents in the Lord kids Look at Jeremiah chapter 2 and verse 29 The Bible says this it says wherefore will you plead with me? You all have transgressed against against me say at the Lord in Vein have I smitten your children? They received no correction your own sword at the vow of your prophets like a destroying lion I'm just using this example here to prove the fact that in this case, you know Look if you don't obey your parents God is going to take over chasing you If you are saved and you're not going to obey your parents in the Lord Then the Bible says that God's going to chastening chasing you At that point and in this case once it got to God correcting them in the children of Israel's case here It was too late God said but did it say he didn't do it Now he did it anyway. He's still chasing them. It was just too late to correct them It was already too late So kids look How you behave? How you behave now will define your entire life You say I'm just a kid I mess up and I'm just going to continue messing up But just please listen to me turn to Proverbs chapter 19 Kids you have good parents you have a good church You need to heed Instruction because the decisions that you make and the things that you do as a child will define your entire life Look at Proverbs 19 and verse number 20 the Bible says hear counsel and receive Instruction that thou may mayest be wise in thy latter end Look it says it says hear counsel and receive instruction so you can be a wise adult Kids so when you get older you'll be wise You know what happens if you don't hear counsel and you don't receive instruction Look you could sit here and you could listen to the preaching And if you're just like whatever and you're gonna sleep through it all It's gonna go in one ear and out the other and you don't have ears to hear as Jesus would say You're not gonna be wise in the latter end You're gonna be a stupid adult just like you were a stupid kid And I see stupid adults every single day of my life. I see foolish adults. They're going out. They're making terrible decisions They're ruining their lives. They're ruining their marriages. They're ruining their children They're ruining their whole lives because they didn't receive instruction So you kids have no excuse because you have all this instruction. I mean you should be thanking God That you have parents that are sitting here You should be thanking God that you have a church that's gonna teach you the Bible even the even the stuff That's not politically correct or whatever that means It's we're gonna teach you the whole Bible here We're gonna teach you the dangers of the world that's out there and what you'll be wise in the latter end The Bible says you'll be a wise adult and then you know what you have a chance at raising wise children At raising godly children Yourself, so I mean the point I'm trying to make is that how you act right now eight-year-old Will define your entire life How you act right now 17 year old 20 year old it look raise your hand kids raise your hand raise your hand Let's take a poll Raise your hand if you want to marry a loser raise your hand You're like I want to marry a loser young ladies anybody any takers I want to be strapped to a loser for my entire life But look the decisions that you make now could could end up making that happen If you don't receive instruction if you don't heed wise advice raise your hand if you don't ever want to be able to support a family You don't ever want to be able to support a family raise your hand raise your hand and look I don't know there's a lot of people out in the world right now that must be raised must raise their hand with this one But raise your hand if you want to have no friends Because like a large percentage of the population has no friends And the people that do think that they have friends like all their co-workers and things those they have no friends Not not the kind of friends that you have Okay, but I mean but look here's the thing you think this sermon is pretty simple But if you're an adult and you're mean and you're a liar and you're constantly Trashing people behind their back and telling secrets about people behind their back look you're gonna have no friends as an adult I Mean this works for the adults too raise your hand if you want your brothers and sisters and Your brother I mean your brothers insist your actual brothers and sisters to dislike you when you get to be an adult I mean who would want that? Look you're gonna be on your own one day kids and How you're acting now and look the older I get the more that I see That these these how you're acting now kids. It's defining your character as you become an adult It's defining your very future develop good character now And it will carry you far The one thing I've learned is that character flaws for the first of all character flaws You see an older adults they formed when they were young they formed when the adults were children and It's like it's like impossible. It's not impossible, but it's very difficult For people to get rid of or change, you know these flaws in their character So develop good character now by listening to your parents by listening to the Bible by receiving Instruction and then you know what you'll be known by your doings. You'll be known as a nice person You'll be known as the kid. I was telling you about was like five or six. I Mean he's known as a nice kid Look you'll be known people and guess what if you're a nice person if you're a nice look kids if you're seven and You're super nice to everybody. Guess what? There's always gonna be other kids around you. It's just gonna happen It's just gonna happen if you're seven years old and you're like I'm only seven just be seven and be super nice to everybody around you And just be be always conscious about especially if there's a visiting child make sure he's never by himself He always has something somebody to play with he's always included if you ever see a kid off by himself Make sure he's included make sure that you're a super friendly kid and people are just gonna want to be around you You will never be alone Kids will just flock to you And look that's what the kid that's making fun of people all the time the kids that that's beating people down The kid that is trying to make jokes at other people's expense. That's what he's after He's trying to get kids to be around him and laugh at him, but he's doing it in the wrong way He's doing it other kids expense, but just because look become Someone who is nice and the Bible says that you'll have friends if you're I mean is that rocket surgery? If you're friendly you will have friends Brilliant, but that's what it takes people will want to be your friends And that's what you want, but you must take these proper actions. You must Own your decisions kids when you get in trouble just own up to it. Did you do it? Yep? I did it When your mom says no, that's just the answer You know don't look kids. You're not going to manipulate adults Everyone's going to know what you're doing and then you're just going to be known as a liar You're going to be known as someone who does that even go around telling secrets and all this kind of stuff tail-bearing You're going to be known as that You're going to be known as that. I mean if anybody comes up to you with a secret just go tell your parents Don't tell anybody this just go tell your dad He'll take it from there So kids look how you act you say I'm just a kid. I'm just a kid. You're defining your entire future You see a kid and you know it honestly when I see and from raising from raising the kids that we have and You know watching kids go from that that one-year-old because look my kids You know a lot of you have young children. Guess what my kids used to be young. I Had I've had two-year-olds before and I've had one-year-olds and three-year-olds before and now I see how that Translated I see how maybe something we let go or I see how you know They they turned into their character turned from it went from three years old and to how it was when they were ten and you know look You got to fix these problems kids Before you get to you know adulthood or you're going to be struggling with things So just listen to this instruction. It's very simple be a nice person be friendly when people come to this church You should be the friendliest one You should be you know whether it it's girls or boys or whatever age it is Be known as a friendly person be known as an honest person and be known as someone who would never You know talk bad about somebody because that will translate into horrible things all these things will translate into horrible things as adults So that's just a few things for the kids to think about this evening. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer