PARENTS ARE PEOPLE TOO

I. Introduction / Discussion: (using the answer sheet) Balance Viewpoint. Purpose: To let them realize that they have their own imperfections as well. II. Body / Bible Passage: Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." How important is honoring our parents? In the 10 Commandments, the 1st 4 Commandments focused on our relationship with God. Starting in the 5th Commandment, God focused on interpersonal relationship and give first the importance of honoring our parents. 1. Obey it has to do with action. It means to listen with attentiveness and to respond positively to what is heard. 2. Honor it has to do with attitude. It means it has to be highly valued. It is an inward respect and outward expression. A. How to honor our parents: (Attitudes) 1. Understand the heart of our parents The very reason that we could not fully love our parents is because of misunderstanding ( ) or misconception. We think that our parents expect so much from us, that they dont understand us; they dont give us much freedom that we want. One way that we can honor our parents desire if we truly understand their heart. Illustration: As teens, even as adult, we like to have a social life. When it becomes so often, our parents will start to question us: Where are you going? What time will you be at home? With whom are you going out? Give me your friends contact number before I will allow you to go Wow, we are really treated like kids! Hey, we are already an adult and we know what we are doing! Why cant you trust us? We may think like that! Sometimes, it is not just a matter of trust. Our parents may trust us, but they will still worry about what might happen to us. Maybe we cant fully understand how our parents feel, until we become parents. Application: Thats why we need to take time to communicate with them so that we will not easily blame or criticize them. What can we do to establish our trust with them? How can we relate our concern to them? We should make an effort to find ways of opening up a communication at home. Remember, the objective of our conversation is to change ourselves and not our parents. We should know their role as a Parent: Ephesians 1:4 Fathers, do not exasperate (frustrate) your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. God wants us to know that our parents represent Him to teach and love us and that includes discipline. Maybe some of our parents are not Christians, but that doesnt change their role. Generally, our parents know that they are responsible to teach and discipline us. So, whether our parents are Christians or non-Christians, we should cooperate with them. If we are rebellious, our parents will find it difficult to teach us. So, when we have any misunderstanding or grievances because of the discipline that they have brought to us, let us understand that it is because they need to train and teach us. Let us learn to forgo and forgive whatever grievances we have toward our parents. Aside from understanding our parents, we need to respect our parents as one way of honoring them. 2. Respect your parents It is clearly written in the Bible, that we should honor our parents. It didnt mention what kind of parents, or when we should honor them. Maybe we dont understand why they act that way, but we should accept them as who they are. Illustration: Every parent is unique just like every individual is unique. Sometimes it is funny that we keep on comparing our parents with others. When I was young, Im still young I admire others parent. When Im studying, I wanted to join a lot of activities, but my parents kept discouraging me to join because I usually came home late. Why Annes parent allows her to overnight at friends house but I am not allowed? Why other parents bought car for their kids and I need to commute and wrestle with the traffic jam every day? Why they can discuss things with their parents

but whenever I would start to say something my parents will butt in and start nagging? Why their parents are very supporting and I have to follow my parents decision? I admired those parents who are willing to support their kids. How I wish that my parents could have also supported me that way. When I grew up, Im still growing I learned to appreciate my parents. Though they are not as supportive as others, they helped and molded me to become who I am right now. Application: We cannot honor our parents if we keep on complaining about their flaws. Dont expect for perfect parents before we will respect them, for they are not perfect just like us. But one thing for sure, our parents is Gods gift for us. We may fail to appreciate them but God knows what kind of parents is suitable to nurture & teach us. As their sons and daughters, may we learn to appreciate and respect them as who are they. Though they are not as supportive or as ideal as others, yet they are the one who helped and molded us to become who we are right now. Another way that we could honor them is to let them feel importance by doing something for them 3. Get rid of our selfishness and take up our responsibility As we are brought up by our parents, we are being fed, being loved and being cared for. Unknowingly, we become self-centered. We focus on our own wants and needs but neglect our parents. It becomes our mentality that all responsibility falls on our parents. But now, we are no longer kids, or teens, we are already adult! We should realize how our parents sacrificed for us. That will serve as our motivation to love them back! Illustration: Question: Who provides our need, our food and allowance? We tend to neglect all these things because we are so used to it that they have prepared everything for us. I would like to challenge all of you to do the things that your parents are doing for you. Before, I just get used to it that my mom will prepare our food, but when my mom went out of town and I have to do all the cooking stuff, I learned to appreciate my mom better Just imagine, if you do it once and get tired, how much more of your parents? They do it for more than 10 or 20 years for you Application: I would like to challenge all of you to do the things that your parents are doing for you. Though I know a lot of us were busy in our work, or some of us have our own family, but let us take our time to do things for them. Before, I just get used to it that my mom will prepare our food, but when my mom went out of town and I have to do all the cooking stuff, I learned to appreciate my mom better Just imagine, if you do it once and get tired, how much more of your parents? They do it for more than 10 or 20 years for you Think about it, who bought your clothes or necessity stuff when you were kids? Today, we have a lot of excuses when our parent asks us to buy something for them, or we will keep on complaining that we are busy and why they cannot buy for their own since they are not doing anything at home. Have you ever think that when we were still students, our parents will rush to the bookstore and buy the things we need for our assignment no matter how busy they are? One way of showing our love to our parents is to take the initiative in helping them, may it be helping through household chores or whatever they ask from you. Dont wait for your parents to call you before you do it. A lot of times, we want to be treated as matured teens. One way of showing to your parents that you are matured already is to take the initiative. A matured person is willing to serve than to be served, so if you want to be treated as a matured person, take the initiative and you will see the difference. B. How to Obey our Parents: (Actions) Obey means to listen with attentiveness and to respond positively to what is heard. 1. Obey your Parents in the Lord. In the Lord refers to the area of pleasing the Lord. If we obey our parents, it is one way of being obedient to the Lord. The only exception to that obedience is in the matter of doing what is wrong. Illustration: Teacher: Pedro, smiley face lang ang mark mo today, pag pinaganda mo pa yung sulat mo bukas, may star ka
(Pag uwi ni Pedro)

Pedro: Mommy, sabi ni teacher kailangan maganda daw yun sulat ko para may star ako bukas Mommy: Cge anak, ako nalang ang magsusulat para may star ka.
(The next day after the class)

Pedro: Mommy, bakit crying face ang nakuha ko today? Mas pangit pala sulat mo? Mommy: Naku, hindi ako papayag niyan makausap nga yun teacher mo!
(The next day when mommy meet the teacher)

Mommy: Teacher, bakit binigyan mo ng crying face ang assignment ng anak ko eh mas maganda yun sulat niya sa nakaraan? Teacher: Maam, kasi alam ko po na ikaw yung nagsulat Application:

It is really funny but it is a true to life story Do we know the reason why the teacher gives a crying face to the assignment of Pedro? Because she knows that the assignment should be done by the student and not the students mother. Sometimes, our parents may give us a wrong advice, maybe because for our own convenience, but if we know that it is contradicting to what the Bible says (that cheating our teachers is bad), then we should explain it to our parents, but still we should do it with respect. Another way to obey our parents is if we 2. Listen and keep our parents commands in our hearts Proverbs 23:22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Proverbs 6:20-22 My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. Most of the times, we thought that what we are thinking is always right. We are very much confident with ourselves. Lets see what will happen when we are so much confident on ourselves but failed to listen Illustration: Salesman to Eat Dust A salesman selling vacuum cleaners knocked on the door of a remote farmhouse. When the lady of the house opened the door, he walked in and dumped a bag of dirt on the floor. Now boasted the salesman, I want to make a bargain with you. If this super duper, new vacuum cleaner doesnt pick up every bit of this dirt, Ill eat whats left. Heres a spoon. Said the farmers wife, We dont have any electricity. Application: So, what is the moral lesson? We should not think that we are sure or we know everything! A lot of times, we maybe like this salesman, who have full of confidence on himself but fail to listen to what the farmers wife might respond. Remember, it is important to be humble and listen from others. We could always learn a lot of things from listening, like their experience, values, character, etc. No matter how old our parents are, or we think that they are old fashion, or belong to the older conservative generation, but they have more valued experience that we didnt experience, they seen more people than us and sometimes foresee what will be the result of our wrong decision. We should learn to stop argue with them, listen and think first what they are trying to say. Sad to say, but a lot of times, instead of listening, we tend to argue with them, even worst sometimes we cannot control our tongue 3. Control your tongue Leviticus 20:9 if anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head. We should not say bad words about/towards our parents. Illustration: We may say, we dont curse our parents, but sometimes Sagot-sagot attitude or the bad things that we said about our parent is also the same. Application: If your foot slips, you can recover your balance, but if your tongue slips you can never recover your words. It is true, we may forget the hard words that we have spoken, but the person whom we have spoken to will keep it in his/her heart. Remember, we have sensitive aged parents, the more they get old, the more they are sensitive about what people say and think about them. We may say sorry to our parents after we spoke a strong word, our parents may also forgive us but the hurt we made is already there. How can we obey our parents or respond positively if we cannot control our tongue or we curse our parents? Let us control our tongue whenever we have arguments with our parents, better not to speak at all rather than to hurt them with strong and harsh words (Review all points) Challenge: Tries to do it at home and apply what we have learned. Start it from understanding your parents Though in reality, we may still face difficulties, our parents may not be willing to listen to us or it will be hard for us to break the gap that we have build before, but remember, we should still do it because C. The Reasons we should obey: 1. It is right! The rightness is not based on psychological case studies or any theory, but on Gods standard of what is right. Gods declaration makes it right. 2. A promise Enjoy long life on the earth relates to the quantity of life promised. Well with you relates to the quality of life.

III. Conclusion: Parents want the best for their children. They have invested a lot in our lives. Our parents may not be perfect, but they are the only ones we have. As a matured Christian, we should take the initiative to help our parents, take time to communicate with them so we could understand them more. Try to see their point of view and not only our own. Most of all, no matter how old we are, learn to listen to them. Remember, our parents are our gift from God and we need to be thankful for them! If we find it hard to obey, remember Christ also have earthly parents. Though He is God and divine, He also submitted to His earthly parents, He also care and respect them. There are two passages that we can set as an example about Christ relationship with Mary. 1. In John 2:1-4 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." Though Christ knows what His mother desire, but He pursued Gods desire. 2. On the other hand, When Jesus was crucified on the cross, in John 19:26-27, He saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. He entrusted His mother to John and asked him to take care of His mother. Jesus cares His earthly parents. Christ not only gave us the command of obeying and honoring our parents, but also set as an example. So, whenever we find it hard to honor and obey our parents, remember to look on the cross, and what Christ did! May the Lord help us!