What Do The Kids Do When Their Parents Are Away?

I Timothy 3:14-16

Periodically we see reports of Albuquerque’s Party Patrol breaking up underage parties where the parents have gone out of town and the children have taken advantage of their absence to host a party. Illegal drugs, booze and promiscuous sex are prominent features of these parties. Often what started as a friendly impromptu party is taken over by drug dealers, or older organizers, necessitating the police involvement to get things back under control.

Kids who have well established principles of behavior are far less likely to sponsor such an unsupervised party than those who have less clear guidelines. In addition, kids with more established guidelines usually have parents who are more involved with their children, who have clearly established expectations of their children, and who are more likely to check to see if everything is like it should be. They progressively build the child’s level of responsibility, teaching him to handle it, not suddenly dumping it on him.

Paul has taught Timothy, and the church their basic responsibilities, but now he is writing to remind of the responsibility. He would prefer to give the instruction in person, but is unsure when he can come, In the meantime, they are responsible for the church, and it’s testimony to those around. He is writing these things so they will know what is expected of Christians and members of the church.

“These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. “ (I Timothy 3:14-15)

Just as the home is owned by the parents, who have the right to determine what goes on in the home by right of ownership. The children are not owners, but they have a part in the home because they are the parent’s children. They are subject to the parent’s wishes, not the parents to their’s I Corinthians 6:19-29 describes the Christian’s relationship to God. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

The behavior of the children reflects on the character and lifestyle of the parents. The children have a responsibility to maintain the standing of the parents in their community by their example, in return for the parents provision and care for them. The Christian has an even greater responsibility to God. The Church belongs to him, not to the people, not to the pastor, and not to an organization. We have a part in it by reason of being his children, but we are not the owners.

I remember listening to a relative get angry all over again as she described her father telling her that as long as she put her feet under his table, she would obey his rules. At the time I was offended by her attitude, and as I listened, I was more convinced that he was right. He was not only supporting her, but what he was demanding protected her reputation, although she refused to recognize it. All too often we find the same selfish attitude in the church, that it isn’t fair that God set such demands, ignoring what he has done for us, and what such behavior does to our reputation and to his.

The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth, the very foundation and main support of truth. It’s actions determine what people know of God, and their attitude toward him. Kids who sponsor unauthorized and unsupervised parties can cause damage to the house itself, conflicts with the neighbors, and loss of respect and financial burdens in the form of fines and clean up charges for the parents. The present attitude of the world toward God and the church is largely an outgrowth of Christians behaving improperly in the church.

Christian behavior becomes especially important as we realize what a mystery God is to most people. Their concept of him is based almost entirely on what those who claim to know him exhibit. As has been said repeatedly, a Christian’s life is the only Bible many will ever read. What do they see?

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (I Timothy 3:16)

Christian behavior is based on our belief in what God has done. The first two chapters of Timothy are specifically about demonstrating Christian faith. Christian faith is based on Jesus being God, as John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:14 states that he became human, although he was still God. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

By the power of the Spirit, he lived a sinless life in order to serve as our high priest, though as Hebrews 4:15 points out, he was tempted just as we are. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” He was identified by angels as the Messiah, and preached to those who were not Jews as well as to the Jews, making it clear that his message was not for Jews only. He had a following of people who believed his teachings, and had spent the time to learn what he taught, and finally was seen ascending into heaven in Acts 1.

Why should anyone believe a person who is unfaithful to their mate or abuses them really loves them? Actions speak louder than words, and the actions say it is not true. Why should anyone believe a person loves God who refuses to honor him by either word or action?