WARNING TO ALL GENERATIONS

Deut 6:4-9

We live in a society or a generation that has in some ways become like the show “Twilight Zone” or as I like to refer to the “Bizarre O World.“

What do I mean by that? 

Terrorism And Christian Persecution is ramped throughout the world.

Murder is on a steady climb….July 4^th weekend in Chicago alone there was a 100 people wounded by gunfire.

Abortion is happening more now than ever (According to Planned Parenthood they perform about 305 310 abortions in a year) not including other clinics around the United States/Canada that perform this sad and wicked act of murder.

Divorce is as common as the common cold....even among Christians.

Illegal drugs and guns are still on our streets.

Prostitution and sexual perversion is legal in some countries.

Child pornography is considered art in some countries.

Our jails are getting fuller by the minute across North America.

Alcohol and drug addiction is climbing more than ever.

Anti-Depressants are being sold like their aspirins.

Adultery is acceptable by Mainstream TV programming & Hollywood.

Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage is considered a normal lifestyle around the globe.

Parents are now starting to apply a Non-Binary Sex Designation on their children’s Canadian Birth Certificate.

The list is endless

CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING!  Why do you think our society is the way it is? Why is it! That the next generation and those that follow have no regard for anyone else other than themselves? The obvious answer would be our sin nature. But let’s look deeper to why our POST MODERN World is so obsessed with SELF?

Who has been removed from our society?

Governments

Our Schools

The work place

The local church (EVEN)

And many homes across the globe.

   

We as a society have removed the only name in which we were created for! The One who... “...  made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion”.  Jer 10:12. The One who John spoke highly about ".... worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." Rev 4:11. Sadly Jesus said this was going to happen…….But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matt 24:37-39. Jesus said the days would be like the time of Noah (found in Genesis 6). In all the preaching Noah proclaimed to the masses, people will not listen! Generation after generation will get worse before it would ever get better.

People will continue to do what is right in their own eyes.

People will continue to do evil the rest of their days.

People will continue to deny that Jesus is Lord.

People will continue to worship self. We are living in a post-modern world system that has done its very best to remove the name of the true living God.

What do I mean by that?

We have removed the Lord and replaced Him with “what is truth any way” 

We have removed the Lord and replaced Him with “gods made in our image” 

We have removed the Lord and replaced Him with “who needs rules or morals” 

We have removed the Lord and replaced Him with “whatever feels right for me” 

We have removed the Lord and replaced Him with “Satan and his crafty methods, false hopes, and deceptions” 

Where has this betrayal lead us as a country or a society people created in the image of God? Here a few of many examples. The Lord’s Prayer…. Was removed from all Ontario schools in September of 1988, all because of one man’s complaint (and a couple other people groups) were offended as a young children opting to stand outside the classroom while the prayer was being recited. Shell Lake massacre…..In 1967, 21-year-old Victor Hoffman shot and killed nine members of the Peterson family on their farm. Known as Canada's worst random mass murder, the victims were James and Evelyn Peterson and seven of their children, who ranged in age from 2 to 17. Phyllis Peterson, age 4, was the only survivor. Mayerthorpe RCMP killings….In 2005, James Roszko shot and killed four RCMP officers who part of a seizure of stolen property on his farm near Mayerthorpe, Alta. After a shootout with other officers, Roszko turned the gun on himself and was pronounced dead at the scene. It was the worst multiple-officer killing in Canadian history. La Loche shooting….On Jan. 22, 2016, a 17-year-old boy shot and killed two teenage brothers at a house in northern Saskatchewan. The teen then went to the local school, where he shot and killed two teachers and wounded seven others.

In the next 30 minutes across North America in teenagers alone: 

32 teenagers will attempt suicide

24 teenagers will have an abortion

207 young people will experience a drinking problem

15,159 teenagers will use illegal drugs

The Province of Quebec will have 2 teens commit suicide before I finish this message. WHY? I believe a big contributor to this issue is that we’ve removed the only name to which we were created to worship:

Yahweh

Elohim

Jehovah God

The LORD Almighty

The substitute replacement or solution has brought in…

Psychologist

Philosophers

Charles Darwin

Humanistic Reasoning

The Self Help Gurus

Marxism

Social Justice warriors

It’s very interesting there is an Atheistic Organization in England that put advertisements on their Double Decker buses? They say! “There’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life. How do we stop this trend of immoral behaviour in our generation or communities? How do we protect and prepare our children from the evil that lurks outside our homes our churches our schools? ANSWER: By obeying the commands of the true Living God and not the world. Please turn in your bibles to Deuteronomy 6:4-9 This is a major command that God gave to Moses to convey to the nation of Israel. A message to share with every generation to come and this applies to us as well. We learn 4 fundamental truths about what we are to do as parents.

  

WE MUST TEACH THEM WHO GOD IS (V4)

Look what Moses says in verse 4 “the LORD (Jehovah emphasizes Oneness) our God (Elohim emphasizes His 3 persons), the LORD is one!” The One True God in 3 persons (Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). We are to tell our children this wonderful truth. We are to bear the testimony to the truth, that God is the ONLY TRUE GOD to a society that has turned their backs on God. The God who Moses spoke about in his writings "Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?  Exo 15:11. 'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. Deut 32:39. This statement shows EXCLUSIVITY there is no other god besides Him. He is the “I AM” sovereign LORD, He is the “I AM” who….

Created more than 350,000,000,000 galaxies.

Gave the caterpillar 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head.

Gave the average elm tree approximately 6 million leaves.

Put 3000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle.

Who said let Us create man in Our image.

Who breathed into man and man became a living being.

Who knows how many hairs are on your head.

Who knows your heart and were, or who it belongs too.

Who came to bare our sins upon a tree so that we could have life eternal.

  

Moses was reminding the nation of Israel that they serve the sovereign protector of the Universe. This is the same reminder for you and me as it was for them to trust and enter in to the Land that God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same God who was with them in Egypt. The same God who was with them in the desert for 40 years. The same God who is here in this room with you and me...“Sola Deo Gloria” He and He alone, is Jehovah (Yahweh) the absolute, uncaused God. Who has no beginning or end. All things exist because HE WILLS IT TO. Who spoke everything without effort into existence We need to teach our children that He isn’t some god made in our image but a God who created us to worship Him for His glory. He is the one deserves our praise and adoration which is our reasonable service.

WE MUST TEACH THEM HOW TO LOVE GOD (v5-v6)

We are to love God with our HEART, SOUL, and STRENGTH. How? UNCONDITIONALLY! Moses is reminding the Israelites of what God requires from them! The application is the same for us. 

HEART the center of all our emotions

SOUL our inner personality

STRENGTH our utmost dependence 

The Lord God wants all of us! Not just part of us.

He wants our full undivided attention Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.  Prov 3:5-6

WE NEED TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN THAT THE LORD MUST COME FIRST 

In how we chose our friends.

In how we chose the appropriate clothing to wear.

In how to make the right choices in our day to day lives at home and school.

In how to choose the right kind of music, television, and movies to watch.

In how to choose your future husband or wife.

In how to choose the career that He has gifted you with. 

He created you and me for His glory! 

He knows what’s best for you, me and our families, our children, because He loves us.

It’s the kind of love and trust David spoke of “My heart is steadfast (means unwavering, committed, dedicated, and firm), O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise”.  Psalms 57:7. What David is saying is “nothing can move me from your everlasting love”. Even in the presence of his enemies, David could seek the Lord with praise and adoration in his heart Not even Saul or any trail can separate the love I have for you in my heart  Are we instilling these truths to your children lives into your own lives?  Are we teaching your children to praise Him in the good times and the bad?  Are we teaching your children to be completely devoted to Him and only Him? Paul said “... be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Eph 6:10. Isaiah said “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'  Isa 41:10

WE MUST TEACH THEM WHEN TO LOVE GOD (v7)

“With all diligence” 

“Diligently” (means) with steady application and care; with hardworking; not careless. Something that  requires great care and attention in doing something. As Paul said “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Phil 3:14

  

WHEN YOU SIT DOWN:  “when you’re in doors” this could be at the breakfast or dinner table, when you are sitting in the living room, or at a friend’s house, at work.

Talk of Him always, express your love for His goodness towards you

WHEN YOU ARE OUT AND ABOUT: “when you’re outside” In the car, at the store, when you go out for a walk, when you’re at community events or functions.

Display that He is extremely valuable to others by your testimony or behaviour

WHEN YOU GO TO BED: “when you go to bed” Before your head hits the pillow the last thing or person you should be thinking about is how amazing God is to us.

Give Him the glory for your life before you go to bed each and every night finish the day with Him as your greatest treasure.

  

WHEN YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING:  “when you rise up” Before you go to work, school, start the day off right with opening the scriptures and going to the Lord in prayer.

This is the most important time of the day because it will usually determine the rest of your day at work, school in your home.

  

Sadly though! We can be the biggest excuse makers on the planet and say.. “I don’t have enough time to do all those things”. “I’m too busy.......there just aren’t enough hours in the day” My suggestion if this you! Get your priorities straight, because this is the most important thing every Christian must do in our singleness, marriage and investing into the future….OUR Children. 

WE MUST TEACH THEM NEVER TO REMOVE GOD (v8-v9)

Moses commanded the Israelite to teach their children to bind the LORD’s commands around their hands, arms, heads, and on their doorposts. The Israelites called this “Phylacteries” which means: a small strip of parchment, with portions of the Law written on it; it was fastened by a leather strap either to the forehead or to the left arm over against the heart, to remind the wearer of the duty of keeping the commandments of God in the head and in the heart; (v4-v9) were known as the “SHEMA” (Hebrew word for “hear, or listen” and they were recited daily as a creed by devout Jews along with a few other selected passages e.g.: Deut 11:13-21; Num 15:37-41. The Israelites did this because they knew God’s commands were to be taken seriously. The nation of Israel depended on listening to the Lord’s instructions for their families, how to govern and so on,

Are we going to obey God’s commands today for our family? Are we going to put the Word of God at the center of our teaching for our children? Are we going to keep His Word on our doorposts, forehead, arms, and hands? “your words were found, and I ate them, And Your words was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;” Jer 15:16 The apostle Paul wrote “for whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” Rom 15:4. Jesus said “sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth”      John 17:17. We must not abandon this mandate by our holy God.

We MUST teach our children the importance of mediating and memorizing the scriptures as Moses told the Israelites. Because it’s all about God and His glory. IT BEGINS WITH US FIRST ….moms and dad, grandparents, Christians.

Think about! 

If we don’t care about the importance of scripture in our life. 

Guess what? Your children will view the scriptures the same way.

If you disagree with me look ahead to the Book of Judges “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes”. Judges 21:25

Doesn’t that sound like the times of Noah?

Doesn’t it sound like our present world system?

  

We are commanded to teach our children…

Who God is....................... Jehovah God (v4)

What God wants ..............Our heart, soul, strength (v5-6)

When God wants it.........Constantly (v6-7)

Why God demands it.........Because it’s the only way to find rest Him (v8-9)

  

THE SUNDAY QUESTION IS SIMPLE! Are you doing this in your homes?

Because according to the scripture!

It’s not the Government’s job

It’s not the Board of Education’s job.

It’s not the Employer’s job

It’s not the Media’s job

It’s not even the local churches job.

Moses said it is our responsibility!

Why? The next generation depends on it. Solomon said we are “train our children up in a way that they should go” Solomon finishes of that verse by saying that if we obey that command “he will not depart from it” Prov 22:6........Your children will remember what you told them for the rest of their days on this earth if you do this! My greatest joy is that He loves me with a perfecting love.....He has saved me from myself! I want my children to experience that for themselves...So that they say “Jesus is my Lord”. Nothing compares to knowing Jesus and His unfailing love towards sinners like us. Remember what I said at the beginning of my message? 2 teens in Quebec just committed suicide! SO I’M PLEADING! With every parent in this room and every young child present. Do not remove the Lord from your home or your life! Because if you do? You’ll be treading on dangerous ground that has eternal implications. Which in the end only leads to the headlines, statistics, or worse eternal death? Forever lost and removed from ONE TRUE GOD who built a bridge over that rebellious ground, and made it possible for us to enter through the Cross.