John K. Jenkins Sr - Signs of a Troubled Generation

This particular chapter of Proverbs is written by a person about whom we know very little, other than who his father was . We basically know nothing about this individual. What we can conclude about him based on his writing is that he was an insightful person. Throughout this entire 30th chapter of Proverbs, he shares some nuggets of truth and reveals insightful principles, four of which are listed in verses 11 through 14. He lays out the characteristics of a troubled generation , and I don't know if you know it or not , but I'm a little concerned because our generation and our culture are troubled. The problem is we are going about life as though nothing is wrong, even though our world is crumbling around us. Here is the fact: Jesus had prophesied and declared the signs of his coming , and those signs are being unveiled before us every day. That 's why I have a passion and burden in my heart now to try to get as many people saved as possible, trying to tell others that they need to get saved, get right with God , and accept Jesus. Believe that he died on the cross, was buried, and rose again from the dead so that you can be in a posture and a place of right standing with God and living for him , because we are living in the last days. Amen. Let me thank all 17 of you for that rousing amen. It's troubling because if you're not right with God, you can't say amen to that. There 's some stuff in your life that's not right; you're not walking with God in the right way. If you've never accepted the Lord, you can't say amen to that. But that's why our job is to help get people right with God . In these verses , 11 through 14 , he gives us insight into the signs of a troubled generation, and we are in the midst of one. Here are four things he lays out . I'm going to share these with you, and then I'll let you go . Here 's the first sign from verse 11 : there is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. I call that a generation that has disgust for parents . I knew there would be some amens and some quietness on that point, because the reality is it's extremely troubling to see people who have no care, concern, or respect for their parents. I recognize your parents may not have been the best people in the world; they may not have treated you right , you might not have known who your father was, and your mother might not have been the best mother in the world. But here's the fact: they occupy a position that brought you into this world , and for no other reason, you should be grateful and thankful. As a matter of fact, the scripture is crystal clear in a multitude of places; the Bible teaches us that there ought to be a certain level of respect and honor extended to parents . But that's not the way it is. We live in a culture that disrespects parents, showing no concern, care, love, or anything for them. Our job is to point out that when you reach a place of disgust for your parents -when you don't like them, don't care about them, and aren 't concerned about what's happening in their lives-well, while I'm talking about this troubled generation , I'm not just talking about children; I'm talking about a generation of adults. Come on, somebody, talk to me. I'm referring to adults who don't care about their parents; this crosses the line regardless of age . The Bible is clear that God gives us a mandate, instructions , and directions regarding the importance of honoring and respecting parents. In fact , in Exodus chapter 20-I don't have time to turn to it, but you can jot it down if you're taking notes - God reveals his heart about how children ought to be concerned about their parents , how they ought to love and respect them. In Exodus chapter 20 , verse 12, it says children ought to obey their parents. And here's what I like about that twelfth verse : it comes with a promise. It says that if you obey your parents, you will have a long life, attaching a promise to it . It is one of the commandments that comes with a promise: honor them, obey them. Paul picks it up in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 1, and if you get a chance to jot those verses down, read them. He follows up and reaffirm what Exodus says. In Ephesians chapter 6 , verse 1, he says, "O children, obey your parents." In verse 2, he says, "Honor your mother and father." What 's the difference between obeying and honoring? Let me talk about that for just a moment. When you are a child, you obey your parents; when you grow up and are an adult, you honor your parents. That 's the distinction. When you are a child, you do what your parents say. We live in a generation where kids are arguing back, talking back, questioning them, and telling them they aren 't going to do it. I wish I had had the courage to talk back to my father; I didn't have that in my day . Here 's how it was: if your parents said it, you did it .