The Relationship of Authority and Control
The sermon explores the relationship between authority and control, emphasizing the importance of establishing controls in children to prevent detrimental consequences.
J. Hampton Keathley III delves into the relationship between authority and control, emphasizing that authority involves the responsibility and right to direct others and establish standards for control. He highlights the importance of parents in developing controls in children, drawing parallels between the need for external controls like diapers for babies until internal controls are developed through training. Keathley III warns of the detrimental consequences when parents fail to establish controls in various areas of their children's lives, likening it to the neglect of using diapers and toilet training. Ultimately, he suggests that many issues in schools stem from parental failures to provide proper authority and control at home.
Text
We can get a better handle on the issues if we look at the relationship between authority and control.
(1) Authority means the responsibility and right to direct and cause another to follow directions. This means the responsibility and right, as necessary, to exercise power to control, restrain, curb, or corral, i.e., the power to use one's authority to bring about pressure to restrain someone from going off course to the left or the right or from running unrestrained as mentioned in Proverbs 29:15.
(2) Authority means the responsibility and right to establish standards that become the measure or the tests for bringing about controls. As authorized by God, parents have the responsibility for developing controls in children who are born without controls and who are inherently rebellious, going astray from birth (Prov. 29:15; Ps. 58:3). As mentioned, a baby's need of diapers provides a good illustration. Babies must have external controls (diapers) until internal controls can be developed (toilet training). When parents fail to control and then train their children in the various areas of life, it is comparable to failure to use diapers and to never toilet train their child. Would you want to face the consequences of an undiapered, untoilet-trained child in your home? Of course not! But in many other ways, parents fail to establish controls, which have their own detrimental consequences to other family members, to the children themselves, and to others in society. In essence, the problems we have in our schools is really a parental problem.
Sermon Outline
- Authority Defined
- Responsibility to direct and cause another to follow directions
- Right to exercise power to control and restrain
Key Quotes
“Authority means the responsibility and right to direct and cause another to follow directions.” — J. Hampton Keathley III
“When parents fail to control and then train their children in the various areas of life, it is comparable to failure to use diapers and to never toilet train their child.” — J. Hampton Keathley III
Application Points
- Parents have a responsibility to establish controls in their children to help them develop internal controls.
- Failing to establish controls can lead to problems in schools, family relationships, and society as a whole.
- Developing controls in children involves setting standards and exercising power to control and restrain them when necessary.