John 14:1-12  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father’?  Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (NIV)

It is extremely important that Christian parents instill Christian values in their children. You cannot rely on others to do it. What is taught in your home will have the most lasting influence on your children. And this is so important for you to do in your homes because most of the influences your children will get outside the home are anti-Christian. That may sound pretty harsh, but it is true. The most influential persons in our society are those who reject Christ and promote values and lifestyles that contradict God’s Word. They reject any moral standards as obsolete and deny accountability for their actions.

These anti-Christian groups don’t simply want to be allowed to sin. They want the church to condone their sin. Even though they reject the teachings of the church, many of them demand that the church accept them and their sinful behavior. They say we cannot force our standards on them, and then turn right around and shove their standards down our throats. They even try to tell us that we should preach their ideology and reject the one who tells us that HE is the Way, Truth and Life.

This is being seen especially today among the PRO-CHOICE advocates. The overturn of Roe v. Wade has them up in arms, demanding that those who believe differently than they do must not be allowed to say so. “Don’t give us your standards, but you must accept ours.”

Schools today are being told to teach critical race theory and gender identification, but Christian teachers are told they cannot speak their faith.

Jesus told us it would be like this.

John 15:18, 20  “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first… If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.

This persecution and hatred is a proof that Jesus is who He claimed to be: THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. Why would they persecute a lie? Is anyone persecuting Buddha? People will blame Christians for the problems in the world, saying that the woes of mankind are the result of Christians trying to impose their standards on others. But think about this: was it the followers of Jesus Christ who gave us a 50% divorce rate? Are Christians responsible for a million and a half abortions a year? Are the Christians the ones who produce the movies glorifying evil and demons, adultery and promiscuity? Was it Christianity that brought AIDS to mankind? Did Bible believers bring us drug abuse? Of course not. These are all the direct result of those who say they need no standards. Who is forcing whose morality on whom?

These are real problems. They should scare you. They should make you realize the importance of instructing your children in the fear and knowledge of the Lord. Jesus has shown us the way to the Father: faith in Him as our Savior. You need to share with your kids that God loves everyone, and He proved that by sending Christ into this world to die for the sins of men. God was not willing that man should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of Him through His Son. The death of Christ as payment for sin gives you life. His message is truth. You should now walk in His way.

The best way for any of you to instill these values in others is to live them yourself. Respond to God’s goodness by living for Him in everything you say and do. Counteract the negative influences of the world by giving a positive witness in your life to Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.