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DON’T FEED YOUR CHILDREN TO THE CROCODILES

Heb. 11:23-29
Introduction:  Here in the faith chapter of Hebrews, we see the mighty exploits of
    Moses.   The parents of Moses were not concerned about Moses wealthy,
    educated, and prestigious.  They wanted him to be “spiritual.”  
1.  Vs. 24 – We see him Spiritually mature, denying self and worldliness.
2.  Vs. 25 -  We see him Spiritually sacrificing self and suffering for Christ’s sake
    rather than to be a pleasure seeker.
3.  Vs. 26 – We see him with Spiritual insight to be able discern what was
    important and what was to be preeminent in his life.
4.  Vs. 27 – We see him as a Spiritual Giant with courage to leave Egypt and not
     fear Pharaoh because God had given him Spiritual Vision.
5.  Vs. 28 – We see him Spiritually Obedient to the Sprinkling of Blood on the
     doorposts and the keeping of the Passover.
6.  Vs. 29 – We see him Spiritually Delivering the people of God and getting a
     Spiritual Victory over the Egyptians.
7.  Moses died in Faith.  Why? Vs. 24 – “By faith Moses, when he was come to
    years…”
I.  THE CONCEPT – Heb 11:24 – “When he was come to years.”
    A.  The Definition – Greek “being great;” that is, when he was grown up to
        manhood.  He was at that time forty years of age; see the notes on Acts 7:23.
        He took this step, therefore, in the full maturity of his judgment, and when
        there was no danger of being influenced by the ardent passions of youth.
        Acts 7:23 – This is not recorded in the Old Testament; but it is a constant
        tradition of the Jews that Moses was 40 years of age when he undertook to
        deliver them.
        1.  Thus, it is said, “Moses lived in the palace of Pharaoh forty years; he was
            forty years in Midian; and he ministered to Israel forty years”
        2.  A Child is not mature – Until they have lived a 1/3 of their life (25).
        3.  TRUTH – If a child is taught PRINCIPLES, he will have the MATURITY
            to REFUSE ungodliness.
    B.  The Determination – Vs. 23 – “…and they were not afraid of the king’s
        commandment.” 
        1.  The Government was not going to Raise their Child – But God was going
            to raise their child.
        2.  Ex. 1:22 – “And Pharaoh charged all his people saying, Every son that is
            born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.”
            a.  The River was the God of Egypt.  It was filled with “crocodiles.” 
                Pharaoh, a type of the Devil not only wanted the “boys drowned,” he
                wanted them “devoured.”
            b.  In their Religion – The “boys” represented “rational or moral” thinking
                while the “girls” represented “animal or passion” thinking.  If you kill
                all the “boys” (the morality), you release the “girls” (the immorality).  If
                you destroy the “Principles” you release the “Passions.”
    C.  The Deliverance
        1.  The Midwives – Vs. 15 – Bible says their names were “Shiphrah”
            (sparrow or instruction) and “Puah” (ruddy or the Gospel of blood).  They
            represent the Old and New Testaments.
            a.  Vs. 16 – Pharaoh tried to corrupt the Midwives.  (Law and Grace).
            b.  Vs. 17 – “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of
                Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”  (Law
                excuses no one and Grace excludes no one).
            c.  Vs. 21 – “And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that
                 he made them houses.”  Law and Grace, the Old and the New have
                 taught the fear of God and God has built them “Church Houses” all
                 through the land.
        2.  The Mother – Ex. 2:2 – “And the woman conceived, and bare a son…”
            a.  She Contrained Him – Ex. 2:2 – “…she hid him three months”
            b.  She Committed Him – Ex. 2:3 – “And when she could not longer hide
                him…”  Point:  There is coming a day when you can no longer “shelter”
                your children.
            c.  She Consecrated Him – Ex. 2:3 – “…she took for him an ark of
                bulrushes” – She made it with her hands, a type of consecration.
II.  THE CROCODILES – Ex. 2:3 – “…and she laid it in the flags by the river’s
    bank.”
    A.  The Condemnation – Pharaoh is a type of Satan and the River is a type of
        “Death,” – In this case, “Spiritual Death caused by an Immoral Religion.”
    B.  The Crocodiles – Were the Instruments of Death.  History tells us that the
        River was infested with Crocodiles waiting to “devour” the children.
        1.  Crocodiles of Indulgence – Do anything, go anywhere, wear anything, any
            companion.  “Your are what your friends are or will soon be.  (Rock,
            drink, naked, fornicate, etc.)
        2.  Crocodiles of Independence – 18 – “going to move out” – I can see
            beyond that.  I would pitch a fit.  In fact, my kids would not even consider
            moving out because they know what I believe.
        3.  Crocodiles of No Example – Students will never come up to the level of
            the teacher.  A preacher must hold standards high, so do parents.  You’re a
            fool if you think a teenager will have the same high values at the same time
            as the parent.
        4.  Crocodiles of Rebellion – Authority – “The preacher is right.”  “The Bible
            is right.”  A Rebel is always a liar.  A Rebel will lie to his wife, his
            children, his church and once lied to, children will begin the same life
            style.   POINT:  If dad lies, they think GOD IS LYING.
        5.  Crocodiles of Hypocrisy – Fake spirituality – They see you fake your talk
            and your walk then live like the devil at home.  “I just don’t know what
            happened to Johnny?”
        6.  Crocodiles of Backsliding – There is more hope of a lost man’s child
            getting saved than a backsliders.  There’s boys, daddy can’t get in church. 
            There’s girls, mama can’t get in church.  Why?  They died in the land of
            Moab while you were backslid.
        7.  Crocodiles of No Discipline – chaos, unruly disorder.
        8.  Crocodiles of Unfaithfulness – Haphazard attendance.  I’ve noticed
            children of parents who are not faithful.  They do not just become
            unfaithful but they are plagued with divorce, adultery, and infidelity.     
        9.  Crocodiles of No Example – When a family starts becoming unfaithful,
            they are headed for the divorce court, the juvenile court!
        10.  Crocodiles of No Priority – Church attendance – A reunion,  birthday
            party, family gathering is not on the same level with Church.  Christianity
            is not a game, it has eternal consequences.   Inconsistent.  Don’t think your
            children are going to give the church “first place” in their lives, if you
            don’t.  Example – I know parents that lay out for anything.  “I don’t feel
            good.”  Well, join the rest of us.  Example – I believe there are a lot of
            people that THINK they are faithful.  Next six months, keep a record. 
            People FANTASIZE!
        11.  Crocodiles of Superficiality –shallow, insincere, trivial, take it or leave it
            attitude.  Good old boy syndrome, Dukes of Hazzard.  This crowd cannot
            take “preaching.”  They can talk the talk but they can’t walk the walk. 
            When they leave, they always go to a liberal church and lose their kids.
        12.  Crocodiles of Rebellion – wife teaching girls – I can name home after
            home, where the children are wrecked because a rebellious wife fought
           God, the preacher, and her husband.
        13.  Crocodiles of Division – Parents ought to agree on discipline, church,
            standards, etc.  The child will take the side of the weaker parent.  Illustrate
            – I know whole families that are messed up because mama and dad can’t
            agree.  “Dog fights mean dead puppies.”
        14.  Crocodiles of Pettiness – small mindedness, childish, immaturity.
        15.  Crocodiles of Ignorance – Know the scores, the trends, the stars, but
            know nothing about God.
        16.  Crocodiles of Emotionalism – Some kids rule their parents by emotions. 
            They know from birth if they pitch a “tantrum,” they’ll get their way.  The
            way to overcome them is to pitch a bigger “tantrum” than the kid.  I’ve
            seen parents ruled  by EMOTION.  Get upset over some issue, leave the
            church, and now their children are wrecked.
        17.  Crocodiles of Worldly philosophies – I’ve know dads that smoked,
            fought the preacher, gossip and slandered the church and their boys are
            shacked up with an illegitimate baby, smoking dope, and will not work.
            I know Dads with “unrestrained passions” that got mad at preaching and
            now their family is going to a “worldly church.”  I now Moms with
            “uncontrolled obsessions” that left a Fundamental Separated Church and
            now their family is going to a “Liberal church.”  The tragedy is the
            “student is always more radical than the teacher.”  You can’t talk about
            hunting, fishing, golf and expect your boy to talk about God.  I know a
            Dad that magnified sports and not a one of his children know anything
            about God.   I know a Dad that didn’t believe in Biblical Disciple and his
            boy is a loser, drug addict, whoremonger, a derelict.
        18.  The Crocodiles of Money – The most important thing is not “money,
            property, and pleasure.”  I know a Dad who is a “workaholic” and all of his
            kids are messed up.  I know a Dad who is been in every “crooked scheme”
            to make money and all of his kids are crooks, perverts, and messed up
            emotionally.
        19.  The Crocodiles of Lethargy – Lazy – I know a preacher that was so
            confound lazy, he’s lost his family, his children, his ministry and is
            shacked up with a woman now.  Kids expect to get paid for chores around
            the house.  “Allowance?”  My daddy allowed that if I didn’t work, he’d
            beat my tail.
        20.  The Crocodiles of a Double standard – middle of the road, compromiser. 
            They claimed to be so spiritual but they’d go to any denomination, to any
            singing and their child saw through it.
        21.  The Crocodiles of a Perverted life style – No male figure head in the
            home.  I appreciate ladies that come to church without their husbands.  But
            the woman is not the “God” figure in the home, it is the dad.  Sexual
            perversion in a mother can lead to “gross” sexual perversion in a child. 
            Dads who are always gone, always working and leaves the boy raising to
            mom will raise a pervert.  Mothers who “Dress” to “Attract” will make a
            “Harlot” out of their daughters.  Mama can’t have a man on Saturday night
            and expect her daughters to be “Virgins.”
        22.  The Crocodiles of Bad Manners – Code of behaviour – rules of order.  I
            don’t believe you have to be “rich” to go to church.  But I think you ought
            to dress your children in a manner so they know “going to church” is
            different than going to “McDonald’s.”  It teaches them “CHARACTER,
            RESPECT, FEAR OF GOD.”
CONCLUSION:  I’ve read books like “Peace Child” where parents would throw
    their children into the River, to the Crocodiles to appease their false Gods. 
    When we throw our children to the “Crocodiles,”  we are in reality committing
    “Idolatry.”  I think it is the “height” of hypocrisy to say, “I am a Conservative   
    Independent Baptist” and then throw your children to the crocodiles.
    She sheltered him, sanctified him, and the Spirit (Miriam) saved him.