Teaching Your Children To Fear God

Written By Rev. Law Hui Seng
28th June, 2009.
Parents Sunday
Posted By Teresa Han

Deutronomy 6:1-9
Main Idea: To teach your children to fear God.
Objectives: (1). Explain the purposes of fearing God. (2). To teach children how to fear God.

A. Introduction.- What gift you can give to children so that these children can stand the test and trials of all kinds when they are adults?
- Your answer must be something that can be counted for eternity.
- I strongly believe that the one gift that all parents/ adults must give to their children is this: Teaching your own children to fear God or teach children to fear God.
- Oswald Chambers says, “The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else.”
- Now, teaching children to fear God is something that is deep down in the heart of God. Today, God is still very much expecting us to do it.
- God expected the Israelites in Moses time to do it.

B. Background and Context- During Moses day, he was preparing a new generation of Israelites to enter the promised land, which was just over the Jordan River.
- Now, remember, it was something very difficult. The challenges were great because it was full of uncertainties, dangers from the attack of the enemies; mobilizing thousands of people to move along...
- How Moses prepared them? Normally, you would expect the writer of Deutronomy to at least mention about how Moses train the Israelites to fight. What a surprise? Fighting the enemies using warfare was not the emphasis in entering the promised land.

C. Explanation of text.- Instead, God used a very different approach. He wanted Moses to proclaim to the Israelites that He wanted them to observe all the commands, decrees and laws in the promised land.
- Take a look at the middle prat of verse 1, it says, “...God directed me to teach you to observe...” To observe what? The commands, laws, etc.
- And what was the ultimate purpose of obeying?
- The answer is clearly found in verse 2, “... so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God...”
- This was how Moses, and God prepared the Israelites to face the challenges ahead after crossing the river Jordan. Reminding the adult parents to teach their children and grandchildren to fear God.
- Now, in our context, the challenge is not to take on the physical promised land like the Israelites?
- Our challenge is how to help/ teach/ nurture/ train the next generation or the next next generation to face temptation of all kinds/ temptations that will bring them away from God; uncertainties of economic crisis that will come any time; challenge of illness; political uncertainties like a civil war or war between 2 countries....
- Our failure to prepare our children and grandchildren to face the world, a slight challenge that comes along, your children will give out their faiths; stop going to church, stop praying, stop practising christian values....

D. Applications/ Challenge of fearing God.- The best way to prepare our children and the next next generation is like the way Moses or the way of God. Now, in the first place, do you yourself fear God or not?
- (1). The first point of application is you yourself needs to set an example of fearing God when your children were still small; when they still depend on you. When you have done your best, if your children, or children who are under you still grow up to become gangsters, practise immoralities, not fearing God and not obeying God’s command, then, I believe God will understand you. But if you fail to give a good example, then, God will of course discipline you and hold you accountable.
- Do you yourself fear God? Do you desire to worship God? Do you desire to read bible and obey God’s word? When God says no, do you say yes? Do you consult God when it comes to decision making? All these show whether you fear God or not. Obedience to God’s commands show your fear of God.
- If you do not, then, you cannot nurture your children to fear God.
- Now, let me show you what are the differences of not fearing God and fearing God.
- People who do not fear God will say, “Where is God?” People who fear God will stick to the bible and believe in Psalms 14:1, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
- People who not fear God believe, “Death is the end of everything.” People who fear God will understand and believe Hebrews 9:27, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.”
- People who are not fearing God believe, “All good people can go to Heaven.” People who fear God believe what Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- People who do not fear God believe, “I follow my conscience. My conscience will guide me.” People who are God fearing, they stick to Proverbs 16:2, “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”
- People who do not fear God complain, “How come I have had such a streak of bad luck?” People who fear God believe with all convictions what is written in Romans 8:28, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
- People who are not fearing God, they easily say, “The devil made me do it!” People who fear God will depend on God and believe in James 4:7, “Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

- (2). The second point of application is that you must know the purpose of fearing God. In verse 2b, it says, “so that you may enjoy long life” (health). In verse 3a, it says, “so that it may go well with you.” (it means a smooth life in making a living) In verse 3c. it says, “that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey. (you will have acquisition of health and wealth, food production) Fearing God gives you all these benefits and rewards, do you want to fear Him now? I pray that you do.

- (3). The third point of application is that you need to know how to fear God. Verses 4-9, we see how the writer of Deutronomy teaches the Israelites how to remember the commands so that they could obey them and fear God.
- The 2 commands “The Lord our God, the Lord is one” in verse 4 and “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” In verse 5 are even quoted by Jesus.
- The 2 commands show God is very particular about how we use our heart, soul and strength. We need to use our everything to focus on Him. He desires to govern our heart, soul and strength. Do you allow God to do so in your life? This is what He required Israelites to do.
- What the Israelites were to do with the 2 commands? You find the answer in verse 7, impress (teach)... talk... walk...lie... get up from sleep... (the commands are meant to govern the Isrealites’ homes.
- Then, in verse 8, it says the Israelites must tie them as symbol on hands and bind them on foreheads, write them on door frames, house and gates. All these efforts show that God desire the Israelites to allow the 2 commands to govern their habits and conducts, personally, privately and publicly). These are ways and means to fear God.
- For us today, God expects us to do the same thing as Israelites as we are believing in the same God of Abraham. We may not do exactly the same things as Israelites, but we need to fear Him. How?
- You need to be consistent in your word and action. When you nurture your children, does your word match your action? Do as I say or do as I do?
- Some of your may drop your children for Sunday School and not come to church. This is do as I say? If your children come to church and you also come, then, you practise do as I do. You set an example for your children to fear God. If not, they see your inconsistency, after primary 6, they also say bye-bye to Sunday School. By then, they have an independent mind, they choose not to come anymore.
- When you are inconsistent, you will be a confusing model to your children.

E. Conclusion
- How do you teach your children to fear God?
- Consistency is the answer.
- Decide to fear God now, the highest value of your journey of faith and that must be the way forward, the only way forward, in raising up your children. In helping your children to fight against all kinds of temptations and secul