Do Children Have Rights?

Transcripts for Dr. Wiersbe's sermons are forthcoming. Below is an outline of his message.

Paul assumed that children would be hearing his letter.

Children do not create problems in the home; they reveal them.

When children are involved in the church they are hearing and interacting with the Word of God.

The Christian home faces intense pressure to conform to the world.

Paul is telling the people the rights of children.

Four rights of children:

-      Children have the right to be born.

• One of the purposes of marriage is to have children (this is a general pattern in Scripture, not a requirement).
• Children are a heritage from the Lord, not burdens or problems.
• Christians should stand against trends of abortionand selfish marriages.
• If Christians do not bring babies into the world and raise them up in the truth and obedience of God’s Word, how is the Gospel going to continue?

-      Children have the right to be children.

• Don’t force children to be adults.
• Let children mature how God wants them to mature.

-      Children have the right to a Christian home.

• Your marriage decides the spiritual temperament of your home.
• Don’t marry outside of God’s family.
• One of the reasons the Holy Spirit came is so that we might have godly homes.
• Don’t build a home that children cannot wait to get out of.
• People that cannot discipline their children, cannot discipline themselves.
• The home is the first impression of the Christian life for children.

-      Children have the right to a Christian upbringing.

• The goal of a Christian upbringing is maturity.
• The atmosphere in the home should be such that children can become themselves in the Lord.
• Balanced maturity is physical, mental, social, and spiritual.
• Fathers are commanded to have an attitude of encouragement and love toward their children.
• Parents provoke their children by making excessive demands, not keeping promises, and inconsistency in words and action.
• The method for raising children is nurture and admonition.
• Admonish means teaching and praise, and nurture means discipline.
• Discipline is an example love and creates security. 
• Discipline should be fair, loving, consistent, and spiritual.
• A home is made of attitudes, actions, and words.
• Children respond to the balance of instruction, encouragement, discipline, and praise. 

Every church is one generation short of distinction.

If we don’t win our own families to the Lord, we won’t do a very good job of winning the outsiders.

We have a responsibility to obeyGod in our homes.