In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of living a life that is different from the world by following Jesus Christ. He shares personal anecdotes about his family, highlighting the wildness and joy in their home. The preacher challenges the notion of trying to be relevant to the world and instead encourages believers to manifest Christ through love, humility, and service. He also emphasizes the significance of strong relationships within families and the need to prioritize obedience and love between parents and children. The preacher concludes by urging believers to live out their faith authentically, both in public and in private.

Let's open up our Bibles to Ephesians chapter six. 我们翻圣经到以佛所书的第六章。 We will read verses one through four. 从一到四节。 Children, obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 你们做儿女的,要在主里听从父母。 这是理所当然的。 要孝敬父母,使你得福,在世长寿。 这是第一条,再次应许的诫命。 你们做父亲的,不要惹儿女的气。 只要照着主的教训和警戒养育他们。 Here we have a passage about the relationship between fathers and their children. 这里我们有一段经文讲到父母跟儿女的关系。 This is very important for the New Testament church. 这对新约的教会而言是非常重要的教导。 One of the reasons I say that is practical. 因为我说这个原因是,其中一个原因是这切合实际。 We know that it is impossible to have a healthy biblical church if you don't have healthy biblical family. 如果没有合乎圣经家庭,就没有合乎圣经健康的教会。 But there is also a theological reason. 还有一个神学的原因。 One of the things that is promised in the Old Testament 在旧约里头所应许的有一个应许, is that when the Messiah comes, 当弥赛亚基督来的时候, He will turn the heart of the children back to the fathers. 他会使儿女的心转向父母。 And the heart of the fathers back to the children. 父母的心也转向儿女。 That he would restore the institutions that God had established. 他会再一次恢复神所设立的家庭的制度。 Don't think this is a small thing. 不要以为这是小事一桩而已。 Remember what I've said throughout these meetings. 记得吗?我这一些信息我都讲了。 It is so easy to appear spiritual when you're standing in a pulpit. 当你站在讲台上的时候,你可以表现得很属灵。 It's easy to appear spiritual when you're walking among the brothers and sisters in Christ. 当你在基督的弟兄姊妹当中,基督徒当中行走, 你可以表现得很敬虔。 But the true monitor of your conformity to Christ 但是你真正的是否效法基督的温度计, 乃是在跟你最亲近的关系人当中的表现。 跟你的妻子如何? 你的丈夫? 你的儿女? 不是我们公开的敬虔的表现证明什么? 乃是我们单独私下暗中, 别人看不到的时候。 在西方的基督教看起来更像马戏团, 而不像真正的基督徒。 好多的噪音杂音, 好多都是伟大的。 但是多少是真实的? 我们要跟世界挂钩啊, 为了跟世界挂钩就效法这个世界, 世人就嘲笑我们,瞧不起我们。 我们不是靠着效法世界来改变世界, 我们唯有与世界分别为甚,才能在世界上造成影响。 我们不需要看着世界,看着世界,然后要跟世界不一样。 我们只需要效法耶稣基督, 我们就会跟世界不一样。 其中一个方法,途径, 是在我们最亲近的关系当中。 我们真正的彰显基督, 的方法是在爱中行, 在谦卑中行, 在服事中行走。 别人看不到,只有父在暗中察看, 跟我们最亲近的人看到。 我们看看这段经文, 你们做儿女的,要在主里听从父母。 如果你看看旧约的律法, 你会发现神看父母和儿女的关系是很严肃的。 这是一个非常反叛的孩子,儿子, 要受惩罚, 大家一起罚他, 要被杀掉。 当然我们今天要不杀孩子, 神也不命令我们今天要那么做, 但是让我们看到一些事实, 神已经奠定了一个次序, 他制定了社会家庭应当有先后有序, 有主次关系, 这是个很严肃的问题。 你知道大多数的今天电视节目啊, 特别是有关青年人的, 在这个电视节目里头没有父母亲。 这些孩子上学, 他们讲电话机, 他们开自己的车。 他们怎么拿钱来付这些,我不知道拿来的钱。 因为他们在高中啊, 你看不到他们的父母亲。 今天就是这样, 父母亲跟他们儿女的生活都不相干的。 当父母亲在电视节目里头出现的时候, 他们看起来像傻瓜一样, 他们脱离现实啦, 儿女要教爸爸妈妈怎么样子好好的生活。 亲爱的,这不是偶然发生的。 这些电视节目是故意的在攻击神的旨意和思绪。 不管那些节目制作人是故意的还是有心还无心, 他们被利用。 他们要把神所建立的根基的基础除掉, 要毁掉我们所知道的社会秩序。 我们在世界上看到这类事情不奇怪, 但是在教会里不应当如此。 我们不该这样效仿世界。 如果我可以形容现在的基督教的文化的话, 我可以用两段经文来形容。 因着无知,我的百姓就灭亡了。 个人偏行己路,行自己要做的事,任意妄为。 今天的讲道比从前多得多, 比从前的基督教的活动多得多, 但是比从前的能力少得多得多。 我们必须回归圣经。 年轻人看看圣经怎么说的。 做儿女的,要听从父母。 没错,成人要顺服父母。 有一天我的儿女会跟我分开。 他们会结婚。 我不是家里的老祖宗。 他们不需要回到老太爷面前问我的决策, 或者从我得到我的章。 他们是成人,他们有自主的。 他们可能问我的意见如何。 他们也必须要尊重我,没错。 只有如此,仅此而已。 但是当他们是小孩童的时候, 他们要顺服我。 好,你是个孩子吗? 年轻人,你是个孩子吗? 可能你认为自己不是孩子了。 我不如这么问呢。 你住在谁的家? 谁买你的衣服? 谁给你钱上餐馆去? 谁付你车保险? 谁付你的电话机费? 你靠谁,完全靠谁生活? 如果你说是爸爸妈妈, 那么你就是一个孩子。 管你二十五岁还是多大。 我给你解释一些事啊。 这是青年人的一个谎言。 在人类历史当中,直到如今, 男人分成两大类。 男子汉跟小男孩。 你是大男人还是小男孩? 你是个大男人吗? 还是个小男孩? 我两个都不是。 那你是啥玩意儿? 我是个青少年。 我要你看到。 让我说对啊,说的正确。 青少年。 青少年呢,应该是这样一个年龄段。 这个男的呢,也不是男孩了。 也不是个大男人。 他是中间阶段,不上不下。 圣经里头没有这些。 你要不就是小男孩, 要不就是个大男人。 这个中间阶段,青少年非常危险。 为什么呢?我告诉你。 这个年轻人说,我是青少年。 意思就是, 我有权利参与成年人的一切的活动。 尽管我不能够尽到一个成年人的所有的责任。 看到吗? 这是错误的。 你有个十五岁的男孩。 他是一个青少年。 他要出去拍拖。 为什么? 为什么? 为什么他要出去谈恋爱? 那十五岁的男孩他说,我要出去跟女孩出去谈恋爱。 我就告诉他,我以你为傲啊。 你只有十五岁。 哇,你就可以准备结婚了。 不,我不是这个意思。 我不是这个意思。 那你啥意思? 我要跟那个女孩出去。 为什么? 让我告诉你为什么。 你要参与成年人的特权。 但是你也不愿意,也没有能力负起成年人的责任。 你要娱乐。 我的女儿,还有任何人的女儿都不是为你的娱乐而造的。 你愿意跟一个女人在一块。 你要跟女人说话。 你要进入一个情感的恋爱关系。 你甚至要跟她有性上的、肉体的关系。 但是你不能担起一个女人的责任。 你也不愿意尽上一个男人的本分。 你不能谈恋爱。 因为小男孩不能谈恋爱。 所以你明白为什么我只跟青少年讲一次到以后就没有机会了。 你看这多么愚昧啊。 可怜啊。 所以我们有一大堆小男孩。 他们可以参与成年人的活动。 他们永远不需要长大。 他们也永远不长大。 难怪教会不能够产生大丈夫。 只要你住在你爸家。 你就有责任要顺服你的父亲。 这不是你爸爸的命令。 这乃是天父上帝的命令。 不仅你的爸爸。 你的妈妈。 你都要顺服。 我两个儿子很清楚知道一个真理。 他们从他爸爸得到最大的管教就是。 就是他们想要不尊重妈妈的话。 他爸爸就要给他颜色看看。 因为他们不仅仅要顺服我。 也要顺服他们妈妈。 他们不顺服妈妈就是不顺服爸爸。 得罪他们妈妈比得罪他们爸爸更难过。 因为他们妈妈是世上对我来说最重要的人。 对他们爸爸是最重要的。 你可以做很多事情。 但是你不要对妈妈不尊重。 不仅是顺服。 而且还要尊重。 为什么要尊重呢? 你们做儿女要在主里听从父母。 为什么要这么做呢? 保罗告诉我们。 这是理所当然的。 应该的。 句号。 主不给你任何解释。 他不需要给你解释。 他也不需要给你解释。 他给你个命令。 他没必要解释自己。 大多数情况他会解释。 但他没有必要解释。 你就顺服就对了。 因为这是主的吩咐。 做儿女的要在主里顺服父母,因为这是理所当然的。 要孝敬父母。 You know, it's really, really funny. I was out in California several months ago. And I was with a bunch of students. And I was out there where Dr. MacArthur preaches. Out there at the school. And I'd have these 19-year-old students come up to me. 这些19岁的学生来找我。 And they'd say, Hey, Paul, have you seen John yet? 你有没有看过John?约翰,约翰。 I knew they were talking to me, because I know my name. 因为我知道我的名字叫保罗。 But I said, excuse me? 我说对不起。 Have you talked to John yet? 你们跟约翰讲话没有? Who's John? 我说谁是约翰? 你知道约翰吗? John MacArthur! 麦约翰我们的校长吗? I said, young man, 我是年轻人。 I am 50 years old. 我50岁了,大把年纪了。 I do not call him John. 我都不叫你们的校长约翰。 I call him Dr. MacArthur. 我叫他麦约翰博士。 Or Pastor MacArthur. 或者麦约翰牧师。 At best, Brother MacArthur. 麦约翰弟兄。 We are a nation that has lost respect for everything. 我们这个国家对任何事情都失去了尊重。 It just shows what kind of people we have become. 这表明了我们堕落到什么样的地步。 The more you move away from scripture, 你离圣经离得越远, and fall back into the darkness of paganism, 你就回到那外邦的那拜异教的黑暗中。 the more you begin to see everything disintegrate. 你就看到一切事情都瓦解了, As the scriptures say, even the very foundations of culture, 正如圣经所说的, 甚至文化的根基都分崩离析了。 you are called upon not only to obey your mother and your father, 神吩咐你不仅仅要听从你的父母, 你更要孝敬父母。 你应该觉得很喜乐孝敬他们。 这是理所当然的, 因为这是主的吩咐,主的命令。 你说如果我爸妈不信怎么办? 你仍然要敬重他们,尊重他们,孝敬他们。 这没有说如果他们相信你就孝敬他们,不。 你要更敬重他们。 年轻人你需要听我说, 这不是我给你的建议而已啊。 这是神的吩咐。 我可以凭着神的成品要你做。 我可以告诉你,如果你不听这个吩咐,你是在叛逆神。 我不需要跟你道歉,告诉你这些事。 这是神的道。 而且年轻人我要你知道, 你如何实行这一项命令,会影响你的一辈子,整个人生。 他说要孝敬父母。 这是第一条带着应许的诫命。 在这些诫命,就是神的十诫当中。 这是第一条带着应许的诫命。 这个应许是什么呢? 应许就是使你的福在世长寿。 给我长一点。 简简单单就是神的祝福会在你的生命中领导。 神的祝福,神的同在,在你生命中。 当我教导这个,就像我昨晚说的, 我总是有些年轻人来找我。 如果神要我制造核子武器,把全世界都炸掉怎么办? 我还顺服他吗? 我就问他们这个问题。 上次你爸爸叫你制造核子武器,炸掉世界什么时候啊? 从来没有,不过是个问题而已。 不,不,不。 你在找一条出路,好像你不遵循神的吩咐。 在这个堕落的世界里, 因为神对北美的审判已经领导, 是有一些很邪恶的爸爸妈妈, 他们也会在他们儿女身上行很多邪恶的事。 做儿女的没有必要顺服这样邪恶的事情, 或者是肉体的虐待, 或者犯罪的行为, 做儿女的没有必要在这样的权柄之下。 他们应该找到最可靠的权柄, 然后报告,去打报告。 但是你的问题不都是这样, 大多数不是这样的情况。 你就是不愿意顺服父母而已。 他叫你把垃圾倒掉, 把你房间整干净, 他也因着智慧叫你不要交一些狐朋狗友。 他身为父亲他叫你不要穿那个样子, 那个德行。 你不愿意顺服, 这就是你的问题。 我只要看你在父母的权柄下, 你怎么样子回应, 我就知道你在神面前的属灵光景如何。 我告诉你, 就算你在父母的权柄下, 我刚刚已经讲了, 不是那些乱七八糟邪恶的父母。 就算你的父母亲有一点过分, 稍微凶一点,压力大一点, 如果你愿意忍耐, 你还是要孝敬父母, 因着基督的缘故孝敬他们。 那么神就会从天垂看, 他也会叫你得尊荣, 因为你顺服了,尊荣了天父。 因为你把你生命交托给他了。 你要孝敬父母, 你的父亲母亲。 这是第一条带着应许的诫命。 好,我们反过来看, 再看看做父母的。 好,第四节, 你们做父亲的不要惹儿女的气, 只要照着主的教训和警戒养育他们。 虽然这个对父亲母亲两者都适用, 这里特别提到爸爸父亲, 为什么? 记得吗?在以佛所书, 你是一家之主。 记得我们还学了些什么有关这个? 身为一家之主,不是说你做一切事情都自我中心, 大家都来服侍你,围着你团团转。 身为一家之主,你成为一家的核心。 你在家你要负起责任,担起重担。 你是家里的根基,基础。 你不会忽略别人。 你不会把你的儿女交给妈妈来管。 你不会把你的儿女交给这些不尽钱的学校的教育制度,公立学校来管理儿女。 爸爸必须看自己是这一家的核心。 父亲必须看自己在家里头有最大的影响力。 因此,做爸爸的需要效法基督,向基督。 Let's look for just a moment in Ephesians chapter 5. Verse 1. Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us in offering a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 当做心香的贡物和祭物献与神。 身为爸爸或者丈夫。 我们的第一个责任是要效法基督,效法神。 我们在效法神的最大的表现证明是什么? 我们行在爱中。 我们生命的总纲就是爱。 我们愿意舍命。 把自己献给神。 为了我们儿女或者妻子的益处。 四章十六节,对不起。 临前四章十六节。 我们从第十四节开始。 我写这些话不是叫你们羞愧,那是警戒你们,好像我所亲爱的儿女一样。 我们不用羞愧,叫他无地自容,好叫他长大。 然后保罗说,你们学基督的,师父虽有一万,为父的却不多,因为我在基督耶稣里用福音生了你们。 一个小孩也许有很多的师父老师,但他只有一位爸爸。 这个爸爸应该是他生命中最大的影响。 如果有其他老师来教这个孩子,他们必须在保罗使徒的权柄下来教导。 在父亲的情况下,在爸爸的权柄下来教训儿女。 让我跟你分享一些事情。 如今并非这样。 在北美,爸爸不再是儿女生命中最大的影响力了。 他甚至第二个都排不到。 第三都轮不到,或者第四个都轮不上。 他基本上不存在了。 记得我说的吗? 一个孩子生出来了,就到幼儿班,学前班,把他交给学前班。 你不知道他们教的什么玩意儿。 然后到幼儿园,然后小学。 那里发生什么事? 他们就教他们世俗的这些东西。 这跟你所信的完全背道而驰,他们所教的。 不仅仅不能成为你儿女生命中最重要的影响。 你把你的儿女交给那些师父。 他跟你的信仰系统完全背道而驰。 你的孩子会在学校里头待十二年。 他们会告诉这些孩子,你爸爸的信仰是错的。 你爸爸信神是错的。 他的道德是非观是错的。 他的世界观是错的。 不仅仅错了,而且很危险。 你做什么呢? 你把你的孩子带到主日学一个礼拜一次。 就画挪亚方舟的图画,画颜色。 我们再看一段时间。 真言。 十三章。 二十节。 与智慧人同行的必得智慧,和愚昧人作伴的必受亏损。 Now I am not against doing things with children in the church. I am not against doing things with youth in the church. But I want you to listen to me. We have children's church, right? Then there is youth church. Teenage church. I want you to look at some things. Why do we do that? Why? When I ask that question, here is the answer I get. Well, children need to be with children. Young people need to be with young people. Who told you that? Where did you learn that? Can you show me in the scriptures where you got that? Can you prove that youth and youth, children and children are together? I will tell you where you got it. You got it from the world. Started around the 60s. Generation gap. Old people can't understand young people. Young people are smarter than old people. And then began the cult of youth. To say that young people need to be with young people is a direct contradiction of scripture. Look what the scripture says. He who walks with wise men will be wise. Who should little boys be with? They should be with wise men. Why? Because foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. You put a bunch of foolish children together. What do you have? You have a companionship of fools. Each of them learning off of the other. Can't you see this? I mean it's everywhere. Thirty year old men playing video games. Acting like fools. Because they're not men. Because they've never had a man in their life. That is what is happening. Where are the men? Where are the great men? A companion of fools. And they go on to destruction. An illustration I used last night but I'll use again because there's some people here who weren't here last night. In the movie Master and Commander representing the war between the French pirates and the English Navy. When the English pull up beside the French pirates the boats are brought together and the English are going to charge. You can imagine how dangerous this is. Jumping from one ship to another. To attack the army and the other ship. The movie is fairly accurate historically. It's interesting. A teenage boy leads the charge. In command of the men. Because he was a man. Gentlemen listen to me. One of our great responsibilities as fathers is to raise up our sons to be men. In order to do that they must have a man as an example. And they must be around other men who are serious about doing the things men do. Like serving the Lord. Rescuing the weak. Helping the poor. Taking the gospel to the world. Living for a purpose greater than themselves. It is no one else's responsibility to raise your son or your daughter. It is yours. And God has not given you the right to turn that over to someone else. Especially someone who believes completely the opposite of what you do. You turn your child over to Sunday school. You turn your son over to Sunday school. And most of those classes are taught by women. You take him to school. And most of those classes are taught by women. Now some of you don't like what I'm saying. But what I'm saying is true. Where is the godly influence in their life? A masculine influence. Unless you just squash the spirit of a boy. He doesn't want to sit in front of a television. He wants to build forts. Three houses. He wants to run through the woods. He wants to fight something. But the world tells you to domesticate him. To tame him. To make him look no different than his sister and his sister no different from him. So in the end all you have is a society of young boys with fancy haircuts funny looking jeans funny looking pants bracelets on their arms and around their neck spending most of their time in a mall. This is not right. See we can talk all kinds of things about theology and doctrine. But the fact is the world has just come into the church and is so influenced that many of you are hearing the things I'm saying and it almost scares you. Boys need a dad. It's going to raise them to be a man. But guess what? Girls need a dad. Maybe even more than the sons. They need the kindness of a dad. The affection of a dad. The tenderness of a dad. A dad treating his little girl like she's made of glass. Except when she's had enough and is wrestling with her brothers. A dad who so respects her and her mother that she learns how a man ought to treat her. No one touches her. No one treats her like a boy. She's not one of the gang. She's not running with a pack of boys. No, she's completely set apart. She is precious. And she knows it. And she's not going to allow some young man who doesn't have any sense in his head get near her. Because she has seen the example of her father. And she's not going to settle for anything less than that. You say, Brother Paul, if I get this involved in my family, I won't have time to sleep. You'll have plenty of time to sleep when you're dead. This is why fathers go to bed tired. Because we're pouring our lives into our wives like I said last night. And into our children. Because of the shortness of time, I want to explain two different things that is so important to give your children. The first is the gospel. The gospel. Listen, Christianity is not about it's not about giving your children a whole bunch of even biblical principles. That's part of it. But it's only a small part of it. Christianity is about giving your children the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's being able to say that although all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, although all are under the sentence of death, God gave His Son. His Son bore our guilt. His Son suffered the wrath that was due us. His Son died in our place and rose again from the dead. He's seated at the right hand of God and can give us life abundantly. And life eternal. And it's not just about principles. It's not just about rules. It's about life. Real life. The kind you can feed on. The kind that flows like a current. The kind that manifests itself in love. Do you know what the goal of my home is? This is my purposed goal in my house. That when you walk in, there is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. With two boys and a little girl and a wild man for a father, self-control is a little difficult. If you came into my home, I don't want you to see just everybody sitting pretty. I want you to see the wildness of life. When I put the key in the door, that my three little kids are on the other side of the door already opening it. They jump on me. And we wrestle all the way to the living room. And then when I throw all of them on the couch, I grab their mother in the kitchen and dance across the living room. Dance. That's very hard for a Baptist. And all the kids jumping on top of us. It isn't until mom's had enough. What I'm trying to share with you is people hear me on the internet and they think he's got to be the meanest, most frightening man in the world. And I always ask this question. How come no one ever puts my sermons about love on the internet? I guess no one wants to listen to them. Christ came to give us life to restore relationships and even when we all mess up to bring forgiveness because it sets us free from guilt it cleanses our conscience and allows us to start again. I know a man who has raised a lot of godly children and he studied a lot of homes that have produced godly children. And he says they're all sort of different. But the one thing that he says they all seem to have in common is joy in the Holy Spirit. This world is so full of darkness and grief. There ought to be one place where those children can see the light of joy. And it ought to be in the face of their father and their mother. Now listen to me, men. I heard some things last night about many of the men the Chinese men who live in Toronto. And if it's true I'm very proud of you that many of you left your own country where you were professionals very intelligent men and women. But to find a better life for your children you were able to leave it all. And some of you work here for people who aren't half as smart as you are. And sometimes it's a very difficult struggle. Other people prosper. You work hard. I applaud you. But I want you to know there's something more wonderful that you can give your children more wonderful than even having a better chance at prosperity. You can give your children a Christ-like father. I remember my father and his generation. He grew up very poor and he became successful by working very hard. And I remember hearing him say I just want to give my children the things I never had. But I didn't want him to give me the things he never had. I wanted a dad. God never called my dad to give me the things he never had. He called my dad to give his son a father. I know men who have been offered jobs two times the salary that what they're receiving. And they turned it down because they said I would not be able to love my wife and my children as I ought. I would be out of my house 14 hours a day. I might give my children fancy new basketball shoes. But God's called me to give my son and daughter a dad. And wives, you need to understand that this is true. We have a saying you can't have your cake and also eat it at the same time. You want your husband to be a good husband? You want him to be a good father? He may not be able to prosper like the other man. Because he cares more about you and he cares more about his family and his children than he does the Canadian or the American dollar. And more importantly, he cares about the kingdom of heaven. A few years ago, I was teaching on the family in Dallas. On the second day of teaching, I realized everything I was teaching was useless. And I just stopped. And I said, you know, we just need to cancel this gathering. Because none of you men have the time to do what the Bible commands you to do. You're working 14 hours a day. Your wives have jobs. And it's not to put food on the table. It's so that you can live in a certain neighborhood and drive certain kinds of expensive cars. You'll never be able to serve God. Because you're serving manna, money. We all have to make choices. God has called us to be fathers. And to raise up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Now we're going to take a break for a few minutes. And then I'll come back and talk to you about raising up your child in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you would use this time to help your people. And help us in the next session. In Jesus' name.