In our Bible study today, we're going to be speaking on the question, Will your children and your grandchildren be in heaven? And not just ask the question, but to follow that up
with five biblical steps every parent must do. Will your children be in heaven? Five things every parent must do. And in our study today, we're going to start in the Bible, stay in the Bible, finish in the Bible, providing five biblical steps that every parent must concentrate and focus upon to blaze a very clear path for your children, for your grandchildren, for your family members that will help them find a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And ultimately that they might have eternal life.
If you have your Bible, let's go to Third John chapter 2 and get right into this again.
Will your children be in heaven? Five things every parent must do.
I'm reading out of 3R John verse 2 through verse 4. Reading out of the New Living Translation Bible says, "Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.
And how I love verse four. It's actually one of my life verses. I want to share it with you now. Verse four says, "I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth."
And that is my prayer for you today is that all of your family, all of your children, all of your grandchildren will be eternally together in heaven.
And to provide through the Bible clear steps to help you blaze that trail.
Let's pray 👐🙏🙌.
Heavenly Father, we humble our hearts in Your Holy Presence and we recognize that the Bible is more than literature and history and poetry. It is the living Word of God and it carries power to assist us as we navigate through life. I pray specifically for every person reading and listening. Uh that not only they would be ready to meet the Lord, but I pray that all of their family members would come to know You as Lord and Saviour. Just as my father was the first shuttlesworth to find Christ as Lord and Savior and how that blessing has affected all of our family and their children and our children and our grandchildren. May it go on unto the coming of Christ. I pray the same for those that are reading here that they might receive what the Bible described in the book of Acts , as household salvation. As we walk through these biblical precepts, show us how to under guard and make way for household salvation. And we pray and ask these things in Lord Jesus Christ's name. All God's people said, "Amen."
Some of you may know of, some of you perhaps hearing for the first time, a man by the name of Dr. Adrien Rogers, who led a ministry called Love Worth Finding, uh had uh great radio reach, television reach. He was the pastor of a notable church and served as a
three time president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Very notable man. I used to enjoy hearing him preach. He's gone home to be with the Lord. But one of the things that he has said through the years that I actually wrote down in the front of my Bible, he said, "Life is too short, eternity is too long, souls are too precious, and the gospel is too wonderful for us to sleep through it all."
Can I say that again because it's powerful and wise words, wise admonition.
Life is too short, eternity is too long, souls are too precious, the gospel is too wonderful for us to sleep through it all. And sadly there are many people and many families through the buzz of life that are asleep at the wheel and are not giving consideration to what really weighs most. There is no greater cause. As you've heard me say a thousand times, there is no greater cause than winning the lost. And I want to be sensitive in my presentation today because I have dear friends and dear partners of this ministry and fellow ministers that I've had relationships with for years and decades that their children are not serving the Lord.
I have dear friends and partners in the ministry. They themselves did not get saved until later in life and their children were already raised. Some raised and gone before they had ever come to faith. And so, I pray that the Lord helps me to wrap this in grace.
I am in no way condemning anyone, but I am here to say, that it's not too late. And I want to offer even those of you who your children are raised and gone, you still have influence and impact upon their lives, their families, their children. And that is what I want to do today. So please understand that I recognize the audience that I speak to and I'm endeavouring in this study uh to be gracious. But I am going to say right up front that the work of God can never be passive.
It must always be intentional.
Every spiritually responsible parent carries a sobering question in their heart. Will my children be in heaven?
Judy and I have a son, he's in his 40s, married, has a daughter and her name is Camila. And that's their only child. That's our only grandchild through son and daughter-in-law. I have a daughter Jessica, her husband, Steve.
Two grandchildren through their union Stella and Simeon. Judy and I pray not just for our children. We pray for their spouses. We pray for their families, our grandchildren. We want to be intentional in what we do. And too many parents because our world is
so rapid fire and social media paced are distracted and disengaged in the cares of this life and they've left the souls of their children and their grandchildren to chance and to culture.
God has given parents a sacred stewardship to shape the souls of their children. And what must be careful that we don't become so busy that we are neglecting that process of shaping not just the schedules. Some parents do a very diligent job of guarding the
schedules of their children but more important than shaping the schedules of your children is shaping their souls.
And I'm wanting to provide some biblical help today with that.
So, five essential things every parent must do. Let's get started with number one. And I hope you have a way of taking notes. I always ask people bring a Bible to our
time together, a way of taking notes and a highlighter to go through some of the key scriptures in our teachings.
And so if you're taking notes, number one, model a genuine Christ centered faith.
Model a genuine Christ centered faith.
What you teach your children in life must be reinforced by the real life example that they see in your life. If they hear you teach one thing, but they witness you doing something else, then you're creating confusion in your children that most often their maturity level cannot process that type of confusion and hypocrisy. If you teach the importance of building your life upon the foundations of the Bible, but they never see you reading the Bible and on your knees in the scriptures and searching the content of God's wisdom and counsel, you're setting your children up for failure. If you teach your children to acknowledge the Lord in all their ways and you stress to them the power of prayer and how important it is to talk to God about everything in life, but they never see you pray. They never see your spouse pray. They've never come home and found you on your knees before the Lord. You're setting your children up for failure. If you teach your children the importance of honoring the church, but you only go to church when it doesn't interfere with other plans you may have for the weekend, or worse yet, your kids are involved in sports and activities and practices and you prioritize your children's social life and sports life over the house of God, then you are creating a confusion and you're setting your children up for failure. If your house is filled at times with anger and outbursts between
husband and wife or wife and husband or parents with children and there's yelling and there's the screaming of profanities at one another, you're setting your children up for catastrophic failure.
I remember years ago as a young evangelist being in a Christian home. I was holding meetings in Long Island, New York, and I had been invited over to one of the deacons houses for a meal and they were Italian and I mean the food , I mean I used to visit this home through the years , just to have a meal with the family. We became friends over the table so to speak and I love that family. I would never mention their name or demean them. But I remember one of the sons coming home and he was angry and I watched the the deacon and his wife go from this godly persona with me and it got heated with the son and before I knew it , bombs were were flying and they were screaming. It was almost like somebody flipped a switch. And I just remember thinking, you're setting your children up for catastrophic spiritual failure. And sure enough, I've lived long enough that I don't know that any child in that home, the mother and the father have gone home
to be with the Lord. Their children are grown. They're adults. They've actually communicated with me online on an occasion, but I don't think any child in that home is serving the Lord. And there's been really problematic history that I'll not cover.
So listen very carefully and I'm saying this firmly, but I'm saying it biblically and in
love. If you as a father or a mother or a Christian claim to be a follower of Christ, you have to commit yourself and commit your spouse to living out an example of consistent Christian consecration and spiritual disciplines.
And with that consecration, you must know that you are going to have to lay worldly sacrifices on the altar of that consecration where things in the world, secular things, sporting events, and on down the line, you have to draw a line in the sand and make sure your children know that in your house, Jesus Christ is Lord and the Bible is the book above all books. that guides and shapes our futures.
Your Christian testimony must match your tongue.
Your Christian testimony with your children must match your tongue or you risk sowing seeds of hypocrisy in your children's spirit. And let's be honest, children have less tolerance for injustice and hypocrisy and confusion than many mature adults. The Bible says in Second Timothy, let's go there if you don't have that highlighted in your Bible as a parent. It should be there to help you.
Second Timothy chapter 1 verse 5, the Bible said, "I remember your genuine faith for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. And I know that same faith continues in you."
The Christian character and example of the grandmother shaped the mother, in turn, shaped the children, and continued strong in faith. Genuine strong faith is built upon the foundations. Don't miss this.
Genuine strong faith is better built upon the foundations of impartation more than instruction.
What you're imparting to your children and to your grandchildren will often carry more weight than your words of instruction. Parents and grandparents, your life is the greatest
theology lesson your family members will ever learn.
Number two, saturate your home with the Word and prayer. Let's go to Psalm 78 verse four. Psalm 78: verses 4-8. The Bible said, "We will not hide these truths from our children. We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob. He gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children so the next generation might know them, even the children not yet born. and they in turn will teach
their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not
forgetting His glorious miracles and obeying His commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors, stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.
Family life is meant to be the primary classroom of faith. Let me say that again. It carries weight. The family life is meant to be the primary classroom of faith where the scripture is read, where the scripture is explained, where the scripture is applied, and where children learn to pray and see answered prayers and testimonies that affect your own household. That is how it should be modeled.
Every Christian home should have daily time where you shut off all your media, your TV, all your electronics, and the family should be gathered together to read the Bible together, to talk together, and to pray together. I would highly suggest in this overly busy world, if at all possible, not always possible, but if at all possible, make sure that you at least share supper together. And it's a good time after supper to get the Bible out and to read, to pray, to talk. Families need this interaction. And sadly, that was common when I grew up in the household of faith. I am finding in my conversations with many including many pastors and leaders that they've lost that time of stopping the world to gather the family together to open the scriptures to communicate. And sometimes you need to talk about difficult things but that family time together that should be in a perfect world. Not all of our worlds are by any means perfect, but that should be led by a spiritual father. But sadly, many homes, the father is not a Christian or he's not a spiritual man. For all of you single mothers where there's no father in the home, my heart goes out to you.
But I can promise you if you're a single mother that if you'll take that time and make God the Father of your home that he will reinforce everything that you do.
And even if you're going it alone or you've been through a divorce or a death or something that has brought a broken home into process, your God is bigger than any hurdle the enemy would try to throw at your home and place demonic attack upon your sons and your daughters. You can do it.
Number three, provide fair and firm discipline. Too many parents, it seems like, are trying to make their children their friends and their colleagues. What a terrible mistake. The scripture admonishes godly parents to raise their children in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord. And with that, the scripture teaches us that we've got to avoid harshness that can discourage a child or provoke them to anger.
Let's go into Ephesians chapter 6 in the New Testament. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 4. The Bible said, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord." The home is where children must learn the divine chain of command. And if no one has ever in your spiritual life identified the biblical chain of command, here it is.
It begins with God. It proceeds to the father.
The father and the mother are not co-equal. God holds the man of the house at a higher level of responsibility.
Now that should not be lorded over the wife. the wife should be supportive in return of the husband. But when you read the Old Testament and God was giving direction, he went to the father. He didn't speak for example to Sarah and give her details. He didn't pull Abraham and Sarah together and have some type of collaboration. God went to the patriarch. He went to the head of the home, Abraham, and he gave instruction and counsel to Abraham and held Abraham responsible for carrying it out with Sarah and the family. And so the biblical chain of command is God who is our ultimate heavenly Father, perfect in example, wisdom, and counsel. The father is underneath God as the patriarch of his home. The mother is under the father as the matriarch of the home. Both father and mother bring unique and different gifts to the family and the children are not colleagues and co-equals. They are submissive to the father and the mother. I hope you'll
understand that the Bible says that the discipline is not to be so severe or brutal or abusive that it discourages and breaks the child in an unhealthy manner. But the discipline must be severe and consistent enough that it breaks the spirit of rebellion
and foolishness that the scripture says is in the heart of every child.
I had a mother one time come to me and say, "Would you pray, you know, for my son here at the altar? you know, I have two other children and and they're just like angels, but for some reason I'm having just a hard time with little Tommy or whatever. Let me tell you something. You don't have two angels and one little devil. You've if you've got three children, you've got three little devils. The Bible said rebellion and foolishness is in the heart of every child. Now, the other children may hide it better. They might be smarter than little Tommy and they know where they can push and where they can't.
Well, let me just take you to the Bible if you've never seen it. Proverbs chapter 22.
Proverbs chapter 22, verse 15. A New Living Translation says, "A youngster's heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away.
Every child, their heart, because of the sin nature, they were born with a sin nature just like we were. But as children, the primary failure is rebellion against authority. And your
discipline has to be severe and consistent and just enough to break that
spirit of rebellion without breaking the character of the child. You you have to
deal fairly with your children. You can't, you may have a child that you have to discipline more, but I've been in homes where the behavior was as bad with one of the children, but there was an obvious favoritism in the home where they were carrying out harshness on a son and being light with a daughter or being harsh with a daughter and light with a son. Your discipline must be godly. It must be consistent. It must be just and it must be equal in the eyes of the children because if your children begin to see that you're inconsistent or you're showing favoritism or you're severe with them and light with the
other, you're setting that child up for spiritual failure.
The consequences of not doing that. I think many parents I I actually weighed as to whether I would teach on this, but I felt led to do. So, pay careful attention to what I'm about to say because this is weighty and not easy to hear. But if you don't teach that child authority in the home, that's how God intended for a child to come into submission to his parents to submission to higher authority. They can't come into submission and higher authority with God if you fail to teach them how to come into submission to mom and to dad. And you know , I hear parents sometimes saying, you know, well I made such and such for supper. I don't like that. Oh I'm sorry. What can I make for you? I want this. Oh well that's got too I want Okay. Well you know and I see parents. I grew up in a home my mother we had four boys in our family. My mother made the same menu, two meals my entire life and they were take it or leave it. There was never any discussion. Now, there were times when she would say, "Hey, boys, are you hungry for something?" or "I'm thinking about making spaghetti this weekend." And you know, it wasn't that my mother was harsh, but I don't ever remember a time when we were consulted about the menu. My mother did the best that she could and we never had a thought of sitting at a table and saying I'm only going to eat rolls or I'm only going to have you know popsicles. You know those things I'm in homes many times and I watch parents having dialogue with their children and the child has more control and more authority than the parents. You've got to make sure that is never tolerated. And the reason but why is because if you don't teach your children respect and obedience and quick obedience to your authority, you put the risk of them ever submitting to the authority of God at high risk.
And we see this, let's just be honest, we see this every day in the news. We watch these lawless young mobs running the streets of homes and our cities and raiding our communities and burning down buildings and overturning police cars. violent protests, obstructing justice, throwing out harm and to injure law enforcement, they were brutal or they were harsh and shouting this isn't fair and so on , so on.
Every parent, pay attention to what I'm about to say, and you may not like this, but I love you enough to tell you the truth. Every parent has approximately 18 years to correct the rebellion and the foolishness and the stupidity and the hatred that your child may have for authority in the privacy of the home. But if you didn't do that in 18 years, how dare you point a finger at law enforcement and ICE agents and judges and prison officials and local sheriffs and so on. The legal system didn't fail your child. You failed your child.
I'll take that one step further. Many of you know that I serve as president of North Point Bible College and Seminary. And there was something going on in Boston some time ago and I'm not naming any names but it came to my attention that one of our professors was making a sign and had asked some of the students " would you like to go with me, and let's just stand in the protest and it's important as a Christian college that we show love and support to these people even if we don't agree." And it came to my attention. I didn't pray. I didn't get on my knees and say, "God, what should I do?" I picked up my phone. I called the professor. I first of all confirmed, "Professor so and so, is it true uh that you've made posters?" And in your own authority, you've recruited students to go with you to participate in a protest."
And he said, you know, he stuttered. Yeah. Is there a problem?
I said, "Oh yeah, there's a problem. Do you not want me to do that?" I said, "No, this is America. We believe in free speech. You can do anything that you want to do. But before you go, prepare your letter of resignation and lay it on my desk because you'll be unemployed in the immediate future. And don't you dare take our students." And then, of course, I have to come as president, address these matters. This is the prevailing problem in our society today. Nobody wants to submit to godly authority, let alone secular authority or legal authority. And our prisons are filled with children that were failed because
nobody opened up this book 📖 , the Bible and sought the counsel of God. Let me know in the comments if I'm too harsh on that.
I just feel like if you love people, you ought to love them enough to open the Bible, look them in the eyes, and tell them the truth. And that is the truth.
Because I can promise you that the consequences that those lawless children face with the courts and with the judges and with the prisons will be far worse than the consequences you feel that I'm going to lose my daughter as my friend. I'm going to lose my son as your friend. They're not supposed to be your friends. They can be. I love my son. He's one of my dearest friends in life. I love my daughter. She's one of my dearest friends in life. But Judy and I did our best to do what I'm showing you to do from the scriptures. And that's the reason why that text, our greatest joy, is knowing that our children are serving the Lord.
Number four, set aside time to pray and fast for your children.
Yes, set aside time to pray and to fast for your children. I say that. But perhaps the most important outcome of prayer and at times fasting with your prayer for your children is that God will change you as a living parent to help bring change to your children. Did you hear that? Might be good to write that in your notes.
Prayer fortified by fasting. Often times God changes us and makes us better parents or shows us a different way of handling problems or gives us divine counsel in dealing with delicate matters that arise in our homes or in our children or our sons or our daughters. Many times the power of prayer changes us first so that God can better affect change in our children. The scripture provides multiple examples of parents interceding for their children, asking God for protection, seeking God for blessing, spiritual formation and so
forth. The Bible is replete with examples of parents looking to God for help and for counsel. And when parents brought their children to Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament, we read that he welcomed them. Jesus Christ laid his hands on the children. He blessed them. He taught them. He demonstrated that he genuinely cares for the sons and the daughters of our families.
Create prayer points.
Here's something very practical. When you're praying for your children, you'll know the details of what you should be praying about. I can't give something
that fits everybody because children are different. Sons are different than daughters. Daughter are different than sons and sons are not the same across
the board. Daughters are not the same across the board. But as a parent, discern and create prayer points for your children. Back those prayer points by Bible verses. And when you pray for your children specifically, pray backing the power of prayer with the integrity and the authority of God's holy word. And let me give you an example. Hundreds of times, if not thousands of times in almost 50 years of ministry, people have come to me at altars and ask me to pray for an unsaved son or unsaved daughters etc. and you know is it possible that you know it's not sin or God's plan? Is it possible my my child has, you know, crossed the line or that God's anger with them?
Listen, when you're praying for an unsaved child, here's a clear example. Write their name down and a prayer point.
Write down second Peter 3:9 and pray second Peter 3:9 over that child.
And specifically, Father, I thank you that it is your will. The Bible said
you're willing that none should perish, but all should come to repentance.
Father, I thank you that I don't ever have to have one doubt that you want my son to be saved or you want my daughter to be saved or you want my grandchildren to be saved. And so, Father, because that's in the Bible, I know it to be your will. I come against every work of the enemy that tries to violate this promise of God. "
And you pray the Bible. The Bible calls it the sword of the spirit. It's the only aggressive weapon in the armor of God that's been given to us to fight spiritual battles. In the spirit realm. The Bible is the sword of the spirit. Learn to wield it properly. Acts 16:31. They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved along with everyone in your household." That's a great scripture to say, "Father, I'm believing you for household salvation." Father, you said in Acts 16:31, you mentioned household salvation. And what you do for one, you'll do for all. I pray that the power of household salvation would come upon all of my
children.
And then set aside times as you feel led for fasting for your family, for your children. Fasting strengthens prayer. Fasting reinforces your prayer. Fasting breaks demonic strongholds.
Lord Jesus said in Matthew's gospel, one translation reads, "There are certain things in your life that will never happen without fasting and prayer."
Fast and pray for your children.
Lastly, be sure that your children understand what salvation is. Have you ever sat them down maybe privately at some age?
And you have to use discretion as to when they're able to discern that even with adult children that are away from the Lord. But at some point as a parent,
you need to have a meal together or a private time together. And you need to be sure that they clearly understand what salvation is. Your children and your grandchildren must personally repent to receive Christ. They're not saved by your faith. They're not saved by your prayers, but saved only through their response to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you need to explain that to them.
Parents should explain the gospel simply, biblically, and then be willing to field questions and ask them,
"What do you understand? What don't you understand? What questions may you have?"
And when I say explain to them simply and biblically what salvation is, that would include, let me just give as an example.
"Dear son, I just want to be clear. Should the Lord carry me home to glory and one day I'm gone, I don't ever want you to have to stand in the presence of a holy God and feel like I never properly instructed you on how to have peace with God. And so let me just take the time to make it as simple as I can.
Number one, God is holy.
Number two, we are sinful. And because by nature we are sinful, we are separated from God. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ. And on the cross when Jesus' hands and feet were nailed to the cross, it was almost as if he took one hand and held my hand
and took one hand and held the hand of the Father God and he became the bridge between the holiness of God and me and you. And the Bible says that there is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ. To be in right relationship with God, how many times have you heard me say something like this?
Receiving Christ is as simple as ABC. A, you have to admit your sin.
B, you have to believe in Jesus Christ.
And C, you have to commit your heart to HIM by faith. "
And then, you know, discerning conviction or tenderness of heart, be bold enough to say, would it be all right if we prayed that prayer together? and ask them. Don't be afraid to invite your family, your children, your grandchildren, regarrdless of age. Don't hesitate to ask them to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ when they show genuine conviction and some air of of readiness, take advantage of
that. I can think of no greater joy than a parent being able to lead their son or their daughter to Jesus Christ.
Well, there I've given you five biblical steps every Christian parent must take to reinforce household salvation. But as we pray in closing, as we always do, maybe as someone has been watching, uh maybe you're an unsafe parent. Maybe you're an unsafe son or daughter. Maybe you're a grown fully adult living away from God's son or daughter.
And if the Lord were to come today, you don't have peace with God that you'd be ready to go. Maybe you'd be honest enough to tell God you've wandered far away from HIM. But in your heart today as you've been listening, you know it's time to come home. And imagine your parents in heaven. And in eternity's morning, you're not present.
You know, there's a verse in the Bible that says that in heaven, in eternity, God will wipe every tear from our eye.
I've often wondered in the infancy of heaven if parents have a brief window of understanding, "My son never made it. My daughter never made it."
Come home to Christ. The smartest thing you can do, regardless of what's going in your going on in your life, regardless of the battles you're facing, regardless if you're going through hell sideways, the smartest thing you can do ,here and now, is to humble your heart. Turn your back on sin by faith and turn your heart to Christ today.
And I'd like to pray with you. Can I pray that prayer with you?
Maybe after this , get on the phone and call your mother, call your father, and say, "Hey, I just wanted you to know today I gave my heart to Jesus Christ, and I'm praying our whole family will be present, and I'm praying for household salvation."
And when you pray with me, will you just let me know in the comments? You can say something as simple as, "Brother, I prayed that prayer with you when I was sincere."
Thing you need to understand to begin your walk with Christ Jesus. Always remember, I'm not here to judge you or to condemn you. We exists to help men and women, and boys and girls find their way to right relationship with Father God. Some of you need to do that right now. Let's pray together.
Just say, 🗣️ :"Heavenly Father, today as I was listening to the Bible, I heard your divine counsel
and deep in my heart, I want to be a real Christian.
I want all of my family to have the joy of eternal household salvation. I confess my own sin and I ask you with the blood of Jesus Christ, wash me and make me clean. Cleanse my mind, body and spirit. Come into my heart today and be my Lord and my Saviour. You said in the Bible in the book of Romans, all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Today I've called upon your name in sincere faith. And so according to the promises of God, I am no longer the property of sin. I belong to you and you belong to me. May this day be a day of new beginnings. In Jesus Christ name I pray.
Amen. And amen.
