Parent-Teenage Covenant: The Seven Stone Ring

There's a message that I like to repeat periodically installed in our student section fairly regularly, but I need to say it again from the pulpit. I guess because I had two granddaughters being presented in their parents being dedicated today are dedicated to the task of raising them for the glory of God. An interesting thing happened.

It happened all three of my daughters.

It happened to all three of them when they turn 13, and that was they went on their first date with me you'll think I'm foolish or stupid enough to send them on a date with somebody when the 13 do you if you're doing that your dummy you need. Stop it.

You need start being a father. We don't do that, stuff take you out beat you with a rod somewhere and have you understand some things less with the proverb says, due to food.

They went on their first date with me and I had created for the MI purity ring there often called purity rings, but as I looked at the purity rings being used. I thought they would make it make this more thoroughly biblical and they were good, but I want to create one that I thought was more completely biblical, so I created what I called a seven stone ring and so we had our dates together and I gave them a seven stone ring that we had sort of a parent. Our father daughter covenant and I want to preach on that this morning. Matter fact will start with the first stone in that ring. It was a pearl and the body of what I'm going to preach to you this morning as the body of what I would teach to them. And so if you're a younger married couple and dad you got children than this can be applied to boys or girls. You need to X in your mind how you might want to approach this so that when your daughter turns 13. You can have one of these parent child covenant dates and present them with their own ring. It's a ring of purity. First of all, the first stone in their the middle stone is a pearl and that stone speaks about our dear children's precious and great value to us.

A pearl is an item into GM that speaks of great value in Matthew 1346.

The Bible says upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. The Lord use the symbolism of the poor pearl to express something of immense value course the greatest value of all this, the gospel, whatever it takes to really embrace the gospel is worth whatever you do well. Also, I wanted that pearl, in this case to speak of the great great value of my daughters. I wanted him to know you are of great value. Your you're much too valuable to me then to misuse yourself and impurities before your wedding day. Your great great value. Also in the Bible. A pearl speaks of great purity. And of course that's the purpose of a purity ring. It's a covenant devotion a covenant commitment to listen to me this is just a covenant commitment that the child makes it's a covenant commitment that the family may that moms and dads make with their sons or daughters to work together for God's best in their life and particularly in their future spouse. In Revelation 2112. The Bible says and the 12 gates were 12 pearls, each one of the gates was a single pearl of the words that that's the pearl is there because of the great purity of heaven now pearl is made in the natural world. When a foreign object. Usually a tiny grain of sand gets inside an oyster shale that oyster produces what's called Necker and it's sort of a defense mechanism.

It keeps putting layer after layer after layer after layer after layer of that Necker around that foreign object are grain and and Laker is made up of millions of microscopic crystals and as one hardens and the next one hardens in the next one. Hard to get this beautiful white with the rainbow effect iridescent sheen.

That's just nothing else on earth has it and it speaks in a reflexive great purity and we we we tell our our our boys and our girls at that purity is what we want you to have God's called you to purity before your wedding day. I think about it that little oyster works really hard. It takes seven years to create that beautiful pure pearl so a commitment to purity is not easy. We are not in this thing together as Christians in this local church to find out how we can accommodate the culture by twisting Christianity and pressing it into the world's mold. This might be challenging it may be difficult.

You may spend some weekends alone at home, but we will not back up on God's truth because the world is going to hell. We can still strive to be what God's called us to be good to get an amen there none of us have arrived that we can all strive to honor the Lord in these things, so I would tell my daughter sweetheart. That's why you have a pearl there in the middle because you are of inestimable value to us and the Lord and we want you to make a covenant commitment with us that you will be pure before the Lord until your wedded day. Then there are six diamonds around the pearl.

The first time in speaks of who else but God himself. That's the most important stone in the whole ring actually because God is the most important of everything were talking about. Ellis talk about God for moment in a general way. First of all, he owns me think about that from. Don't let that just go over your head.

God owns you. You have a create tour listen to me liberal listen to me radicals you did not create yourself. You have a create tour and he has every right to dictate on to you what your value should be and what your principles of conduct should be.

Could you just let that by the power of the Holy Spirit settling to the marrow of your bones. EM created have a create tour, I wouldn't preach it to my daughters like this will date that you gotta be gentle. We gotta be kind. Amen. I want to press that home in this present world where everybody's become his own little God. Every man seeks to do what's right in his own eyes. I'm going to tell you that's never right because you have a create tour who owns you. Psalm 139 verse 13 says for thou disk for my inward parts, thou didst weave me and my mother's womb. You remember what our former president famously told men who'd given everything they had. And by the sweat of their brows built their own businesses and he said you didn't build that other folks did mistype you a bill that other folks did well I think is wrong on that point. But when you think about you yourself you didn't make you someone else your create tour.

He decides what's right for us.

He decides what's wrong for us. Are you listening this morning he decides what's evil and he decides what's good not this culture, not society and not progressive liberals.

He is our God, he decides what's right and what's wrong with pastor everybody's doing it it matter if everybody was doing it in Sodom to God destroyed all of right is always right, even if no one's doing it wrong is always wrong even if everyone is doing.

He owns you by creation and secondly when you're saved he owns you by re-creation he created you one time in your mother's wealth ability saves you by the work of the spirit he re-creates you again.

The Bible says in Ephesians 210 concerning this new birth. This new creation, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. In many ways the Bible speaks of God's re-ownership of us when we become Christians. The Bible speaks of as being ball with the price. The Bible speaks of others being born again burst into his family.

The Bible speaks of us being adopted as his children, and the Bible speaks of us being sealed by his Holy Spirit as his authentic property. You are not your own God Almighty God made you in the womb, God re-creates you, through Jesus Christ, and the new birth you have authority you have a God and he dictates under us what we are who we are and how are to live our lives sweetheart.

I want to. You are owned by God and he is ordained these things.

Well, my life in my body. The Bible says her for his glory.

Romans chapter 6 verses 12 and 13. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey its lust.

I do not go on presenting the member to your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Do not go on presenting your bodies to be instruments of unrighteousness were journey going in a different direction that you belong to God. Sure there's failures ensure there's there sweet moment to ensure there's tied to repentance. But you get back up, because the taxes do not go on doing that we can be striving for purity why my life and my body your life in your body belongs to the Lord. The Bible says that your body is the temple of God literally is the temple of the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 619 R do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own, and hear something we want to say to our sons and daughters early on about the way we talk to brother Madden nasal talk for the Nathan Mangrum use helping us with our children department and were going to begin having an annual meeting with parents when their children get maybe 678 or so because you guys to listen to my listing. Thank you.

Gotta start your wrong teaching these things in your home.

I don't mean sit down in a formal way, just as you live your life teaching and reminding them of God's principles concerning moral purity. You cannot start when their 16.

Matter fact, if you not started the new gotta be careful and and and and gracious about the way you approach this thing because you're very late in the game, but that's not to say older kids can't yield to the Lord and can't honor the Lord of the laughs either because they can.

God designed us all to be a one woman man or a one man woman. We want our children to be thinking of that principle, sweetheart, there's 1 million for you out there there's one man, God has ordained for you and we want you to be striving to meet this ideal. God has given our if you got a boy, son. There's one woman.

God ordained you need to live your life with that truth in mind bounces very clearly in Exodus 2014 you shall not commit adultery is one of the great great failures of the church many decades ago, Southern Baptist throughout the concept of accountability and discipline and we kind of winked and I've adultery. Then we winked and fornication. I said it was coming decades ago now are beginning to see Southern Baptist churches embrace homosexuality. What's next you think these things just stop you turn loose to depraved fallen lust of men to do whatever they want in the Napa stopping point. The church of all places have standards God standards so this first time and is your Lord he created you and then he re-created you he owns you your life in your body are for his glory your body literally is the temple of the Holy Spirit of God dwells in and God has designed you for one man or 41 diamond number two I would say the best diamond represents your parents and what I'll remind you of his God has given you your mom and dad as your authority you.

We are your God-given authority. We will answer to God for how we lead you how we parent you. Romans 13 one into says let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities then brought her from that, for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. God established this in all of us live under God ordained systems or lines of authority and for a child or young person there under God's authority need to explain that to you children early on in their lives and how this ties into your purpose to protect them during their teenage years. Their courtship here. Proverbs 18 reminds us here, my son, your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching stay under their authority.

But not only are they given as your authority or something you'd understand if you're young person God gives your parents as your protection. They are to protect you and the writing of the Proverbs, the writer writes to his son about growing up as a young man. He said all any tells him, in effect, I want you to honor the words of God and honor my teachings to protect you from the strain woman. The Bible speaks of that immoral seductress are seducer, whether it be a man or woman and speaks of them as strings that are outside the realm of of the one you should be with and its apparent responsibility before God, to guard their children guard their sons and guard their daughter, daughters, and following the great great great failures of men today is they don't guard their daughters and protect their daughters into the marriage you asked my son-in-law's how I was uneasy all the time firstly had to do that go the farm and work. I got some good ditches dug some good waterlines put in maybe wish I had a few more dollars.

I got summer projects. I like to get done. But until that day when I gave them over to that young man he understood. She is not mine. She's under her dad's authority and that's the way I want them to raise our grandchildren and I'm confident these are good men.

That's what they will do. God has ordained that parents shape and children is like the father is a hammer and the mother is a chisel and the child is that diamond in the rough that God shaping into responsible person with character and dignity and good principles.

Now the hammer and the chisel do not symbolize the relationship of mom and dad okay, but then hammered on hurled on a somewhat I'm setting it just shows that under the father's leadership and through the mom to the children are safe and for the glory of God. Ephesians 6133 reminds us children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise knows that it may be well with you, that you may live long on the earth. Here's the point. Young people God gave your moms and dads to be spiritually godly and active in your life. It's as authorities and they will protect you and if you will follow that in God's give you a promise. You'll live long on the earth. You have the protection you need. But if you get out from under that authority. If you rebel against mom and dad. I know some of you say will my mom and dad are British good Christians and they don't do a very good job yes, but God can do a good job through the you honor them and you pray to the Lord, Lord, I'm trusting you to protect me through my mom and dad flawless and all and watch and see how faithful God is in all of these things. So the first time and was God himself.

The second diamond is your parents and outside of the third diamond represents your church family and you want to maintain your purity before the Lord, so that you will always be a good example to your church family. You are to be an example to them. When you teach our children that you don't just go to church because they have a fun youth program. Man, would you grow up and quit being a sissy spiritually teach her children while we go to church. While we belong to certain churches is not for the next amusement.

It's for the biblical principles we love and believe in that outline how Hedda had a person who's in my youth and youth ministry good not almost 40 years ago. They reminded me just in the last couple weeks is a member used to always say were not here to have fun as the church, but we do have some fun while were here.

Are you with the church were not here just to have fun, but we do have some fun while we're so we want our sons and daughters to grasp. Early on, you have a responsibility to the church you would be a good example to them. Paul had this concept in his mind what he said in first grade is not 27 but I buffet my body and make it my slave less, possibly after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified posted. I know I have a responsibility to maintain the kind of reputation that's an encouragement to God's people in our children should be taught that in one way they do this is by maintaining moral purity. First Thessalonians 522 says, abstain from every form of evil, so that third diamond represents the church family. Let me say this first before go on. You must teach your sons and daughters and I would teach my daughter to not just at this meeting at 13, but all through their childhood that you are accountable to your church elders into your church family and we don't resent that. We welcome that I would not belong to a church that didn't believe in accountability in this. There's no reason to.

This is a social club with a few religious overtures and on a fairly decent teaching on morality is this.

That's what a church is where the body of Christ, and we need each other iron sharpening iron in one man sharpening another if you're not willing to correct my daughters and you're not willing to correct my grandchildren, then your failing in your job as a church member, you don't usurp my place as the father but you have responsibility to help me to raise my children now my grandchildren for the glory of God.

I've said it many times, but Hillary Clinton says it takes a village to raise a child. She's wrong. It takes a church to raise a child. I don't trust of those folks out in the village but I bedded you and I know what you're supposed to believe. Amen. I do trust you to come alongside me and I swat I don't know how to say this any other way. I love you and I'm not trying to be chip this morning but look some of you let your children go AWOL on a lot of the ministries we have around here.

You must stop it because you need your church family to help you in this journey quit forsaking the help.

God's given you, and you're looking at a church staff that has decades of credibility.

We know what were trying to get accomplished for the glory of God to your children, you stand with us and work with us. Look at us as your co-laborers in this process of raising children for the glory of God saw until my daughters remember your accountable this church family for your conduct.

Right now the fourth diamond in the ring you Jim over all, but the fourth diamond is your siblings, your siblings is what the Bible says in John one versus 41 and 42. He which is Andrew found first his own brother Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah was translated meets Christ and he brought him to Jesus. Do not we have a special responsibility to those in our immediate family. As Timothy RR. Paul will teach Timothy about widows and the church telling that widows are to be first cared for by the immediate family and those who do not have an immediate family than the church gets involved make sure their care. I have literally called businessmen in our church whom I've talked to a widow lady she's going down there to buy something from him and I've called them and I see the look of sister so-and-so is coming down there to buy something to look the Bible tells us that God looks after widows and I am to make sure you give her a good deal. Make sure you don't take advantage are now new the brother wouldn't do that but I wanted him to know that's the way many of you would like.

The church comes in and takes care of what we talk about here were responsible for each other and in the immediate family were responsible for each other and you want to be a good example your brothers or sisters and maintain purity in your relations to your wedding day. The filth diamond represents your future spouse, your future spouse God indeed had to sign one man and one woman for one lifetime. By failing to go to Genesis and just read this right quick Genesis chapter 2 verses 20 through 24. The man gave names to all the cattle into the birds of the sky that every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man and he slipped and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place in the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which he had taken from the man and brought her to the man. The man said. Now this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, and she should be called woman, because she was taken out of man.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. That's God's intent from the beginning, one Adam one Eve, one man one woman that's God's original and the sometimes sin messes things up and I assure you, brothers and sisters. Our position is a biblical position and that is that God forgives and there's a new start for those who know Jesus Christ, but we want what we don't teach our sons and daughters that even if mom and daddy failed a pleasure to maybe grandmother and granddaddy failed it a pleasure to hear, but we don't teach our sons and daughter so it's okay for you to know we want to teach them the original intent of God that is best and wisest one man one woman, one lifetime. It glorifies God.

When we commit ourselves to live pure in view of giving ourselves one day on our wedding night to our spouse.

The Bible says in Hebrews 13 verse four. Let marriage be held in honor among all and let the marriage bed be undefiled for fornicators and adulterers God will judge the three classifications here, there's the fornicators sex outside of marriage commitment. God did not give the wonderful pleasure of sexual intimacy to be squandered and wasted and defiled in fornication is too precious a gift is to hopefully it's too special it's for the marriage relationship.

The fornicators and adulterers, those that violate the covenant of marriage and have relations with someone is married to someone else and adulterers and then he said there's those who have the undefiled experience of the marriage bed. God has ordained that he has someone for you in the future, future spouse, and you must keep yourself for that person there something to think about God's got one woman for you, young man, don't you hope she's keeping herself for you young lady. Don't you hope that that man out there he's keeping himself for you. Think in terms of God is designing all the things in God is behind all these the sixth jewel in the seventh Stone overall is maintain your commitment to purity for your future children your future children fees and 64 reminds us fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. This begins now as we begin to train our sons and daughters to commit to God's best in God's design for their lives. So I would tell my daughters prepare yourself now so that you are the best parent.

When God gives you children later.

Now, if you instruct your sons and daughters in God's wisdom from a pure heart. I believe they'll almost always respond appropriately.

Dad's. We cannot be authoritarian Pharisees in the home they need to see that we love Christ they need to say that our devotion to see God pleased and glorified in our lives. Now, warts and all, I don't know about you but I'm a dad who blew it a lot on the bed had to ask forgiveness from time to time of my children but I found that proves to them that I am a sinner like they are and I need a Savior like they need a Savior but doesn't negotiate away if you will my authority and their responsibility to honor me ask their fathers.

I don't know how long I've had this book, Taylor Beth, my middle girl wrote this essay about me when she was eight years old and it was some kind essay contest because I just happened to notice on here that you to turn this in to this company and if yours is the best you receive a free trip to the Smoky Mountains and I never got a free trip, but I don't know how you can do better than this. It's intolerant. I love my daddy because I love my day because he loves me. I love my daddy because he loves God, I love my daddy because he tells me the truth. I love my daddy because he takes before wailing all of my data because he takes me fishing. I love my daddy because he's nice to me.

I love my daddy because he finds time to play with me. I love my data because he's nice to people and our animals. I love my daddy because he checks on people to see if they're all right. I love my daddy because he takes care of me. I love my data because he and I have fun. We played basketball together.

I love my daddy because he teaches me how to cut grass think she lost that are little later on, but she cut some grass love my data because he teaches me how to cook some things she did know I could cook that you love my data because he helped build our house the very best thing I love about my daddy is. He is mine up on is you children see in you something that they respect something that they are drawn to something that looks authentic dance, the great great key element for children is gospel humility, not an authoritative authoritative rule enforcer got have some rules regarding force them but beyond that I need to say this is a man who's a man's man.

If I'm not careful I'll burst into his study or his room one day and found him. He'll be on his knees crying out to God he's humble before God that you can make lots of mistakes. Lord, in lots of ways. I signed up for that fraternity. By the way, if your sons and daughters know your humble before God. It gives you a powerful credibility to guide them in the things of the Lord at the end of our meeting together.

We have a little covenant we signed together and we had been to put this on their wall. One side it says father and under father says is father speaking to his child, I will protect you from the strange man or woman. Which of the one applies, of course, I will be diligent to guard you from temptations common to young men or women.

I will teach you. God's principles concerning life and marriage.

I will pray for you seek it with you and communicate with you concerning God's choice of a life partner to the side is the son and daughter side. I will accept your protection and keep myself pure for my wife or husband.

I acknowledge that I'm capable of being deceived and I will make myself regularly accountable to you. I will listen and learn until I'm ready for marriage before I seek a mate. I will seek first the kingdom of God.

Look forward to entering a biblical relationship and wait for your blessing before entering marriage.

That's a father and son or daughter covenant we get you some of these if you want these all of these notes are available if you'd like to have them, but I charge especially if you got three teenage children be intentional.

This is just one way to help because this is gotta be more than one meeting meeting with a son or daughter. This needs to be a lifestyle. Seven.

Stone, Ray Knight, parent, child, covenant