Home > Church Family > Sermon Summaries > 24 May 2003, Pr George Porter - Ingredients Make a Difference

Ingredients Make a Difference

24 May 2003, Pr George Porter

(George is Thornleigh's Church Pastor)

Title : INGREDIENTS MAKE A DIFFERNCE

Theme: Christian Parenting / Child Obedience

Scripture Reading: Psalm 78:1-8

INTRODUCTION

The following recipes that make a difference were presented as an object lesson for parents and children.

1. Weetbix , banana and milk are excellent ingredients for a nourishing breakfast. Served in a bowl and transferred to mouth by spoon. Builds healthy bodies.

2. Lettuce, tomato, beetroot, cucumber, carrot and boiled eggs make for a great nourishing salad. Served on a plate with knife and fork to transfer to mouths. Likewise builds healthy bodies.

3. Plain flour, sugar, pinch of salt, milk and butter placed in scone tray and cooked in a hot oven makes flat hard lumps of dried scone and a culinary disaster.

So we must admit good ingredients need good recipes to be successful and acceptable as edible food. Ingredients do make a difference.

INGREDIENTS THAT MAKE A GODLY SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIAN

Deuteronomy 28:1-6 Makes it clear that when we give attention to God's voice as recorded in His word, and observe God's instructions, we should practice them obediently . This recipe for life will lift you above results of worlds recipes which in the long run will be a flop spiritually. In verses 2-8 we see listed the blessings that follow from using the correct ingredients for happy Christians. The results are God's blessings for us and they cover every avenue of life, even trouble like enemies! The ingredients God supplies if ingested DO Make a difference which is seen by all people. They produce a "holy people, see verses 9-10."

PARENTS SHARE GOD'S INGREDIENTS

Psalm 78:1-8 God's recipe for parents to make little Christians is outlined in a simple way. Take the Word of God, His Law and Commandment and "make them know to their children." Parents are to, "set their (children's) hope in God. They are also to explain God and His works so that children have a working knowledge of God and his way with mankind.

ONCE-UPON-A-TIME long ago, about 845BC, there lived two Godly parents. They followed God's recipe to make little Godlike children. They,

Taught their child about Creator God;
Taught their child to Worship God and keep His Sabbath Holy;
Taught their child to respect and obey God's word and Holy Commandments;
Taught their child to believe God's prophet of the time;
Taught their child to obey the word of God taught by the Pastor;
Taught their child to love and respect God with all the heart and mind and soul;
Taught their child of the coming Messiah/ Redeemer/King with salvation for all who believe Him;
Taught their child that God loves all people of every race tribe nation and culture and that we should love them as we love ourselves;
Taught their child to respect those in authority;
Taught their child, to wherever possible share their knowledge of God and His salvation with anybody from anywhere who did not know or worship Creator God Jehovah.

These parents fed their child's mind with heaven's ingredients to make a healthy Godly responsible person for society. It paid off especially when things went worse for their country.

It was a time of constant war. The king of a neighbouring country had plundered their own country and killed their king. Their new king was weak and so the Five Star General of the neighbouring country, who was Commander-in-Chief of the foreign king's army, used to periodically plunder the villages in the parent's land. They would loot property and steal young boys and girls and take them away to be slaves.

On one occasion the foreign General stole the godly young child of the Christian family.

PROOF OF THE RECIPE USED BY GODLY PARENTS

The story is found in 2 Kings Chapter 5. (read in the Living Bible version as well as KJV NIV.)

The foreign country was Syria. The king was Benhadad.

The Five Star General was Naaman. He was a leper. The parents were Israelites. Jewish folk who loved Jehovah the true God. Probably living in Samaria.

Their child was the "Little maiden" taken captive to slavery probably to Damascus.

Her parents had done a great work making her a Godly Missionary. In Damascus she remembered all her parents taught her. She was faithful to Naaman's wife as servant girl. She loved God Supreme. She loved her neighbours in this case her captors- Naaman and his wife. She remembered her prophet pastor Elisha and the miracles he performed for God. He had miraculously manufactured gallons of oil for a widow to pay her debts and have future finance. He had asked God to give a childless Shunammite lady a child.

Her and her husband were so happy. Later the child died and Elisha resurrected him with the power of God. She possibly heard of the miracle Elisha performed at the college when he miraculously retrieved the borrowed axe head was lost in the river. God performed all these miracles with Elisha because He wanted the people to believe in Him and not heathen gods.

The little maid just knew Elisha could heal her master Naaman.

The little maid shared her knowledge of Elisha and their God of power and miracles. Naaman eventually followed the instructions of the little maiden, his king , Elisha and his own servants. Naaman was healed by God after he obeyed. He chose the little maids God to be his God forever.

Parenting is important. It is crucial that parents choose the correct ingredients to teach about God, life and being neighbour.

Sharing salvation and the knowledge of God is part of the salvation deal from God. It can be accomplished at all age levels if we choose the correct ingredients and do the "Cooking". God bless all parents as they practice true parenting. God will bless all children who obey their parents.

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