Children, Obey Your Parents — Zac Poonen

How many of you understand English? Wow, that's really good. Thank you. Okay, tell me what do you find to be the most difficult thing for you to do? In your life, what is the most difficult thing to do?

Obedience as the Most Difficult Task for Children

There are some things that are very easy to do. For everybody. Some things are very difficult. What is the most difficult thing for children to do? Okay, you're not going to tell me, I'll tell you. It is to obey your parents.

Is that easy or difficult? It's easy. Do you all obey your parents? Oh no, you're telling lies. Shall I ask your parents? Very difficult for all children to obey their parents. Many things you may obey.

There are many things you will obey. But there are some things your parents tell you, you'll find it difficult to obey. But there are some things your parents tell you, you'll find it difficult to obey.

Supposing your parents tell you, eat that ice cream. Or eat that chocolate. Is that easy? Or if your mother says, now stop playing outside and come and help me in the kitchen. Easy or difficult? Difficult.

Jesus as an Example of Childhood Obedience

So, there's a verse in the Bible which says, If children obey their parents, God will bless them. Let me ask you another thing. When Jesus came to this earth, did he come as a full grown man or did he come as a little child?

When Jesus came to this earth, did he come as a full grown man or did he come as a little child? Why did he come as a baby and not as a man? When Jesus came to this earth, did he come as a full grown man or did he come as a little child?

Answer me. To be an example for all of you. To be an example for all of you. Jesus came as a baby. See, nobody on this earth is perfect. Jesus also had two earthly parents when he came. Jesus also had two earthly parents when he came.

Do you know Jesus' mother's name? Do you know Jesus' mother's name? He did not have an earthly father. Because God was his father. But Mary was married to a man. What was his name? But Mary was married to a man.

What was his name? Because Mary married Joseph, Joseph was like a father to Jesus. Because Mary was married to Joseph, Joseph was like a father to Jesus. So, Jesus, imagine he was just a small child like one of these little boys.

So, Jesus, imagine he was just a small child like one of these little boys. See all these little boys here. See all these little boys here. Jesus was like that, small boy. He did not know how to read or write.

As they grew up, he went to school and learned how to read and write. As they grew up, he went to school and learned how to read and write. So, when he was at home, As he grew up, he had to obey his parents.

As he grew up, he had to obey his parents. So that he can be an example to all of us. So that he can be an example to all of us. That is why he came as a little baby and grew up just like us. So, let us imagine when he was about 12 years old.

So, let us imagine when he was about 12 years old. Who is 12 years old here? Raise your hand if you are 12 years old. He was like some of you. He was like some of you. Do you like to play games? Girls play different games, boys play different games.

Girls play different games, boys play different games. So, boys sometimes like to play cricket. So, boys sometimes like to play cricket. Do you like to play cricket? In Jesus' day, they did not call it cricket, but they had some bat and ball with which they were playing.

In Jesus' day, they did not call it cricket, but they had some bat and ball with which they were playing. So, all the children nearby are playing a game. Jesus is also playing with them, throwing the ball and all that.

Jesus is also playing with them, throwing the ball and all that. So, in cricket, there is bowling, then there is batting, and then there is fielding. You understood that? Batting, bowling, fielding. Which do you like?

Which do you like? We all like batting. But first you have to bowl and field, then you come to bat. Jesus is playing there with the others. Now, think about it. Jesus is playing a game like cricket. He is 12 years old and he is playing a game like cricket.

He spent half an hour fielding. Now, the other team is out. Now, it is our turn to bat. Now, it is our turn to bat. So, the time has come for Jesus to take the bat and go to bat. His mother says, Jesus come here.

Choosing Obedience Over Personal Desires

I want you to go to the well and draw some water and bring it. I have to do some cooking. I have to do some cooking. I have to draw some water and bring it. To say that, Mary, the mother of Jesus, calls Jesus.

And Jesus is waiting to bat. Why is Jesus waiting? Because he is ready to bat. So, it is very difficult for him now to decide. Do you think Jesus likes to bat? Answer my question. Do you think Jesus likes to bat?

Yes, he would have liked to bat. Because he was just like you and me. Because he was just like you and me. I also played cricket and I liked to bat. I also played cricket and I liked to bat. Jesus was like us.

He also liked to bat. Jesus also wanted to bat when he was holding the bat. There is a conflict in his mind. On one side, I want to bat. On the other side, mummy is calling me to get some water from the well.

On the other side, mummy is calling me to get some water from the well. By the time I go to the well and gather the water and drink back, In half an hour, my batting tournament by team will be over. By the time I go to the well and gather the water and drink back, In half an hour, my batting tournament by team will be over.

Today, I cannot even hold the bat. Then I will have to field again. Then I will have to field again. All this is going on in Jesus' mind. All this is going on in Jesus' mind. What shall I do? What will you do?

I know what you will do. You will say, Mummy, wait. You will say, Mummy, wait. Just 5 minutes. But it will not be 5 minutes, it will be 35 minutes. But it will not be 5 minutes, it will be 35 minutes.

So, very often we say like that. So, very often we say like that. Isn't that what you will say? What will you say to your mother? What will you say to your mother? You will say, Mummy, I will be back soon.

You will say, Mummy, I will be back soon. But do you know what Jesus did? But do you know what Jesus did? He dropped his bat. He gave it to somebody else. He went and helped his mother. He went to the well, brought the water back home to help his mother.

He went to the well, brought the water back home to help his mother. So, the Bible says, if you honour God, God will honour you. So, the Bible says, if you honour God, God will honour you. So, by the time Jesus came back, He thought his team will all be out.

He thought his team will all be out. But it did not happen like that. But it did not happen like that. Some of those people scored many runs and they were still batting. He thought his team will all be out.

He thought his team will all be out. Do you know what happened? A guy from his team, Velassi, was playing 6 and 4. By the time Jesus came back, By the time Jesus came back, He came back correctly. He came back correctly.

So, he went to bat. So, he went to bat. God helped him in his batting also. God helped him in his batting also. So, he did not lose anything by obeying his mother. So, he did not lose anything by obeying his mother.

He had gone to bat. He had gone to bat. I think he would have got out in the first ball itself. I think he would have got out in the first ball itself. If you honor God, If you honor God, God will honor you.

Honoring Parents for Our Good

If you obey your parents, There is a verse in the Bible, There is a verse in the Bible, If you honor your parents, it will go well with you. If you honor your parents, it will go well with you. Not only that, What your parents tell you is good for you.

What your parents tell you is good for you. Like they tell you, Don't mix with all these worldly boys and girls. Like they tell you, Don't mix with all these worldly boys and girls. Don't mix with all these worldly boys and girls.

Because the devil is trying to catch you, Get you into some bad habits. Because the devil is trying to catch you, Get you into some bad habits. I will tell you a story. I will tell you a story. It's a story about a family of mice.

The Rat Trap and the Danger of Disobedience

It's a story about a family of mice. They were staying near a tree on the ground. They were staying near a tree on the ground. There was a big house there nearby. There was a big house there nearby. And the mother rat told the little baby rat, And the mother rat told the little baby rat, Don't go to that house, they will catch you.

Don't go to that house, they will catch you. Because in that house they have got these rat traps. Because in that house they have got these rat traps. Have you seen a rat trap? They will put some food inside, And the rat will come.

Look around, nobody is here. Nice food there. And it goes in to eat that, and as soon as it eats it, the trap closes. The door is closed. And it is trapped inside this, and cannot escape. Then the man will come to the house, he will hear the sound of the rat, pick up this trap and put it in a bucket of water.

And the rat will die. So the mother rat knew that. So he told his little child rat, don't go there. But you know just like you, sometimes children disobey. So one day this child rat went there. And he saw this man.

And the man looked at the rat and smiled at the rat. And so the rat came back. And said mummy, that man is a good man. He smiled at me. And the mummy said be careful, he is smiling at you only to catch you.

Don't go there. So the next day, this child rat again decided to disobey the mother. And this time when he went, the man was not there. He saw a little box with food inside. He did not know this was a trap.

Nice box, some nice food inside. And this child rat thought, oh what a nice man this is. He has made a nice house for me. And he has even put food inside for me. So I am going to go inside this house.

And I am going to eat this food. And went inside. And as soon as he ate the food, what happened? The door closed. And still the child rat thought nothing is wrong. Oh, he has closed the door so I can sit quietly and eat this food.

He does not want me to be disturbed while I am eating my food. And a little later, the man came. And he picked up this. And he smiled at the rat. And the little child thought, what a nice man, he is smiling at me again.

He is taking me to show me the house now. And the man took the rat outside. He took him to this bucket of water. And put it inside. The rat struggled. Water, water, water. Then in its last moments, just before it died, mummy was right.

This man was smiling at me only to trap me. So what do you learn from that lesson? Your mummy knows better than you. More than you. And sometimes when your mother says, don't do something, it is for your good.

You don't know. A lot of people in the world, they look so nice and they smile at you. You know, now in school and all, they even have the bad habit of giving some sweets which have got poisonous drugs inside it.

So you got to be careful. You must not take all these sweets that other people give you. You don't know what is inside it. So nowadays the world has become very bad. So that is why God has given you a father and a mother to protect you.

So a warning is to protect you from being killed. Ok, let me ask you another question. Have you seen these traffic lights in some roads? How many lights are there? Three. What are the colors? Red, yellow and green.

Traffic Lights as a Picture of Moral Warnings

Red means stop. Green means go. Orange means wait. Yellow means wait. Suppose you see red. Stop. And you don't stop. You go straight. What will happen? Another car will come from that side and kill you.

So is it good to listen to these traffic light signals? When it says stop, stop. When it says green, then only you must go. It is dangerous to go even when it is yellow. Because the other side may still not have finished.

So green, then you go. So in the same way, your parents may sometimes tell you, don't do this. You may think, no, no, no, it's ok, let me do it. But it's a red light. Like that little rat. The mother put a red light, don't go to that house.

The mother put a red light, don't go to that house. But that little rat didn't listen to her. And it got killed. So please remember that next time when your daddy and mommy tell you something. Ok, how many of you remember the story of this rat now?

Remembering and Sharing the Lessons

Can you tell the story yourself? Can you tell it yourself now to somebody? Ok, then when you go home, you tell that story to your daddy and mommy. You must tell it exactly like I said it. Ok, one more story.

Do you remember the story of Jesus playing cricket? Do you remember that? How he went and got the water for his mother. And he came back still the batting team was not over, so he could bat also. So do you remember that story?

Can you tell your mommy that story? You must tell these two stories when you go to your daddy and mommy. And at the end of the two stories, what will you tell them? Daddy, mommy, from these two stories, I have learnt that I must obey you.

Ok? Ok, can you say it? Can you say it together? Lord Jesus, thank you for all these little children. We want every one of these children to grow up to be disciples of you. Help them to obey their parents and to obey you.

Prayer for Children to Grow as Disciples

Help them to remember what they heard today and to tell it to their parents. And help all these young brothers who are working so hard to help these children. Please reward them for their service. And they will see much fruit from their labor here in eternity.

That many of these children will grow up to live for you. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Ok, you know that God listens to the prayers of little children. So will you pray for me? Whenever you remember my name, pray a small prayer.

Just pray, Lord Jesus, please bless brother Zach wherever he is preaching your word. Please protect him as he travels. Can you do that? Yes. Thank you. God bless you.