| Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Psalms 127:1-5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Malachi 4:5,6 |
1. Introduction:
A. Hannah -how a child was considered the blessing of the Lord.
B. "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Psalms 127:3
C. Thanksgiving & Christmas holidays illustrate the great joy that children & grandchildren provide.
D. In a study of proverbs, there are over 50 references to children & parents
E. "Sex education" in our schools is mainly aimed at teaching how to avoid having children while engaging in the act that God designed to produce children.
F. Abortion on demand is legal for the express purpose keeping someone from having a child.
G. Free birth control devices and medication is given out in our public schools and clinics.
H. Your "female doctor" was very likely educated out of the standard text which expresses the goal of female reproductive healthcare as: "Controlling human fertility . . . by birth control, abortion and sterilization . . . people must come to want fewer children."
I. We are taught on public television, in pamphlets, by our schools that the earth is on the verge of overpopulation to the extent that we will destroy the globe if it is not stopped.
1. today, the planned parenthood clinics are full of people learning to avoid having children.
2. In the United states of America, the average number of children per family is now 1.7.
3. If it were not for immigration, our population would actually be declining.
2. How Satan Has Built Strongholds That Harm Our Families
A. In the garden of Eden, Satan's stronghold was a lie that he told, which, when believed by Eve, drove her to blatant disregard for the commands of God and misery and suffering beyond her comprehension.
1. Genesis 3:1-6
2. 1 Timothy 2:14
B. Today, Satan works just as he did back then. He deceives. And any lie that he can convince God's people of will be a stronghold for his rebellion against God.
C. It is my contention that God teaches us something very different about our families and having children in particular, than what is commonly taught and believed in our nation today.
3. What Does God's Word Teach About Having Children?
A. Genesis 1:28 The Adamic covenant
1. Have dominion over the earth. (Is this still for us?)
2. Be fruitful and multiply! (Then what about this?)
3. Who will determine when the earth has been replenished?
4. This command was repeated in Genesis 9:1
B. Psalms 127:3-5 Children are the reward of God
C. 1 Timothy 4:15 God's will is for the younger women to marry and bear children.
4. What Are The Strongholds Of Satan Regarding Children?
In other words, "What lies has Satan convinced God fearing, Bible believing people of that would discourage them from responding to God's desires about having children?"
A. The earth is over populated as it is, if we don't limit the size of our family, the problem will get totally out of hand.
B. God said, as part of the Adamic covenant to "Be fruitful and multiply" Until when? "Replenish the earth"
1. Replenish (Hebrew #4390) "To wholly fill"
2. Taking an estimate of 6 billion people (which is too high)
3. Everyone on the face of the entire earth could stand inside the Dallas city limits with room to spare.
4. Everyone could live in ONE huge city the size of the bottom half of the state of Texas with the population density of the city of Tokyo.
5. The earth is no where near over population.
C. "Let's wait to have Kids" Comes in several forms.
1. Wait until we can afford them. (i.e. give them the possessions that most of their peers will have.)
2. God commands us to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)
a. Part of that includes teaching them to be content with merely food and clothes. 1 Timothy 6:8
b. The "Hard times" usually will be fondly remembered as the "Good times".
c. Life does not consist of what we possess. (Luke 12:15)
3. "We're too young"
4. Psalms 127:3 "Youth" (Hebrews #5271) Youth, juvenility, childhood, adolescence. Proverbs 5:18
5. "We want to enjoy life with just each other"
6. Psalms 127:3 Kids are a blessing, and if raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, only increase your enjoyment of life and each other.
D. "Women can't be fulfilled without a career."
E. God designed a specific career for them. 1 Timothy 4:15 "Guide the house"
1. Titus 2:4,5 "Worker at home"
2. The virtuous woman did buy a field and work it, she did make and sell fabric Proverbs 31:10-31
F. A woman should have the right to do what she wants with her own body.
1. It's a fetus, merely tissue, not a child
G. This is not what God says.
1. God has given commands that restrict her use of her lips (Lies), her brain (hatred), her digestive system (Drunkenness, gluttony), etc. It is not unreasonable that God would guide her use of her reproductive organs as well.
2. He has commanded that the younger women marry, and bear children. (1 Timothy 4:15)
3. It is a baby, not an "Unviable tissue mass" in the woman's body (Job.10:18,19; Exodus 21:22,23)
H. You must plan exactly how many kids you will have and when (Planned parenthood).
1. "Our goal must be to make every child a planned and wanted child" Joycelyn Elders, Surgeon General of the United States, 1993.
2. This is disguised language to mean that abortion, and birth control should be available to everyone, at any age, at any time, at no cost.
a. Birth control pills, many, if not all birth control pills cause spontaneous abortion of a fertilized egg (a child), on average one every three years. Homework on Birth control.
I. God is perfectly able to plan that part of your life.
1. If only planned and wanted children were born, I would not be here (My family would only have 2 kids).
2. Many of you, or your children would not be alive.
3. If Mary could have chosen I am sure, prior to the fact, that she would have not chosen to be expectant out of wedlock.
J. One last thought, many say "Well, It's too late for me to have a(nother) child, I'm already in my 30's."
K. 1 Timothy 4:15 "Younger women" = "Under 60" (VS.9)
5. Branches That Have Their Root In Not Loving Children
A. Abortion
B. Having baby-sitter s raise your kids
C. Homosexuality
D. Mutilation of the Sex organs (Sterilization)
E. Divorce
F. Child abuse
G. Fornication
H. Sexual Perversion of all kinds
I. Pornography
J. harmful/ sinful birth-control methods
K. Radical Feminism
6. Conclusion:
A. Jesus Loved children and taught his followers to become like them in purity and humility.
B. God desires to raise up many Godly Children to Love and serve Him.
1. One way God defeats his enemies is through the raising up of Godly children. (Psalms 8:2)
2. We have strength in our own godly children (Psalms 127:3-5) Quiver full of them.
C. Satan has always desired to destroy the righteous, and one way of doing that is to convince them not to rear godly children.
D. Don't believe any of Satan's lies, but rather, ask God "What does the Word teach that your will is in our having a family?" And follow whatever you find in that word.