Teaching the Children

Deut. 6:4-9 “Hear O Israel, The LORD our God, the LORD is one! ……. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children,…..” ie: We want you to get this and we want your kids to get it.

Eph. 6:4 - “and you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

Prov. 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Parents' responsibility is more than a child’s physical well-being, education, and vocational training.

The responsibility ALSO includes character development, emotional, and spiritual development.

This means: teach, train, develop, nurture, instruct, impress upon.

SO, what should you teach them?

A FEW BASIC CONSIDERATIONS!

TEACH THE CHILDREN:

#1. Scripture – 2 Tim. 3:14-16 “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Scripture is more than good teaching and wisdom….. it also is

A. truth (established truth which needs to be discovered, not fabricated)

B. living truth -…. It is a living sword –Heb. 4:12

It is a talking mirror – James 1:23

#2. About Scripture – we live in the 21^st. century and there are skeptics, questions, challenges – some of which are valid.

Children need to be taught the source, transmission, reliability, practicality, proper interpretation, proper application, etc.

QUESTION: Why should I accept and apply scripture to my life unless I’m convinced of its source, reliability, truths, benefits???

#3. About God.

QUESTION: Shouldn’t that be 1^st??? On one hand, the truths about God are the primary importance, BUT where do we obtain these truths??? The revelation of God and God’s character is received THROUGH Scripture.

There are other sources of revelation – science, nature, etc., BUT scripture is the Primary and most Trustworthy source.

The only way to explain God to someone is if He has chosen to reveal Himself to the world. AND, He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures.

#4. About their sin nature.

In the Wordless Book – the BLACK page is central to the gospel story.

To OMIT the black (and the red) pages would result in an INCOMPLETE story without answers to our primary questions and needs.

Rom. 3;23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Sin is: 1. our actions

2. our inheritance

3. our tendency (Rom. 7;21 – “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.”

#5. About the remedy for the sin nature.

This is not good works and more effort!!

Rom. 3:20-22, Rom 4: 7 & 8, Rom. 5: 1 & 2

John 14:6 – “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” “ This is illustrated by the Bridge illustration, the Wordless Book, etc.

BUT – though we’re delivered from the penalty of sin, we are not delivered from the presence, power, persistence of it. Rom. 7:21

Therefore, teach:

#6. Self-discipline. I Tim. 4:7 – “….exercise yourself toward godliness.”

Timothy, train yourself because I can’t, parents can’t, even God can’t train you! Vs. 8

#7. Respect for others – because it’s not all about me and I am NOT the center of the universe.

Phil. 2:3 – “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

The point is not to believe that everyone is better than you, but that you treat them as if they are.

An excellent illustration is: Vs. 5 – “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”

Vs. 4 – “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

We are not more valuable than Christ, but He treats us like we are.

#8. About God’s plan and purpose for their life.

Jer. 29:11 – “For I know the thoughts that I have toward you, says the Lord,…..”

A summary of God’s plan is:

A. He wants to GET IN their life

B. He wants to GET ON the throne of that life

C. He wants to GET OUT in the world and work through their life.

TWO OBSERVATIONS:

#1. Whether my children grow up to accept Christ and follow God is NOT my responsibility. It is THEIR responsibility.

BUT, the teaching, training, nurturing, instructing – those ARE my responsibility.

#2. The process does NOT begin with you being a teacher of these things. It begins with you being a student – a believer, a disciple…..

So…. What’s your decision? What’s your response??