Here are some leftovers from Sunday morning:
15 times a day, dozens more when I spend the day at home, I instruct my children to say, “Yes, Ma’am” to their mother and “Yes, Sir” to me. These are the only appropriate responses to admonitions, instructions, rebukes, follow up questions, exhortations, et. al. Am I on a power trip? No, I am sending my children on a journey of submission to authority outside and above my own.
Why should we train our children to acknowledge the spoken word of their parents? We are training them, investing in their muscle memory, so that when they hear the words of the Heavenly Father, they will say “Amen.” He speaks of His Son through His Spirit in the Scriptures. He provides, as a good Heavenly Father, doctrines, reproofs, corrections, instructions. I want my children to say “Yes, Sir” to the Heavenly Father. When they hear me say “Amen” to right preaching, teaching, praying and singing I want them to know I am saying “Yes, Sir!” to the Heavenly Father. “I too am a man under authority.”
Let them not see me swerve around authority. May they never learn from me the tactics of subverting the Scriptures, skirting the church, swerving around the bright sharp truth of God. May they see me head straight on into the truth, though it buckle my pride and leave me on my knees.
Here’s something I wanted to say on Sunday Morning, “Swerving around God’s authoritative word means avoiding the only Savior for the world.” He is the radiance of His Father’s glory, the supreme Revelation of the Revelator. All Scripture testifies to Him. These words are His words, and many of them are difficult. When tempted to stop listening to Christ, the King of kings, when stumbled and laid low, when many would withdraw and not walk with Christ anymore, Jesus asks us, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” With all my heart, to the core of my bones where the fire of conviction may one day touch the fire of the stake, I answer with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:67-69)
So, teach your children and grandchildren to say “yes, sir” and “yes, ma’am.” Model submission with your own “Amen.” Build a culture of submission and trust in God’s revealed authoritative word.
Grace and Peace,
-Bro. Michael
