An Awesome Responsibility

An Awesome Responsibility

Proverbs 22:6

Matt. 19:14

Psalm 127:3

Intro-

I don’t know about you, but what I gather from the Word of God

is that children are important in his eyes. We have to understand

that our children are an incredible gift from God, which are really

only on loan to us. God says here you go, now raise them in my

ways, bring up Godly men and women of God. Wow! You know

we have an awesome responsibility to God and our children.

Because he gives them to us with the understanding that we are

going to do everything we can to raise them like his word says to.

One day we will stand before him and be accountable for what we

have done, with and for our children. Sometimes it can be

overwhelming as I think about Jonathan and Timothy. Am I

doing enough? Am I showing God to them in real away, cleary

enough? Am I doing something that maybe I shouldn’t be doing?

And I know that we all have those same thoughts and questions. I

know that each and everyone of you have at some time

contemplated the exact same things. Sure we have been given an

awesome responsibilty. But I sure am glad I don’t have to do it

alone. You see God in his infinite wisdom and understanding,

instituted the church. And with that comes the churches

responsbility to help train the children that God has given it.

Because of the church body I know that there are going to be

teachers helping to confirm what I have shown, there is going to

be someone to hug maybe when I should, someone to set straight

if maybe I didn’t see.

I want to tell you brothers and sisters that we have an awesome

responsbility to every child that walks through our doors. We all

heard the statistics that says, 80% of all who get saved do so

before the age of 18. But do we belileve that? Do we truly believe

in the importance of ministry to our children?

If we truly believe this here are six things we will do:

1. Pray

A. Pray for our children

B. Pray for workers

Matt. 9:37

2. Practice

A. Set a godly example for children

James 1:22

We’ve all heard the expression that when you have children you

have a tape recorder in your house. For the most part that is true,

not everything your says comes from your home. But e have to

know that there are hungry ears and eyes that are watching and

listening to what we say and how we act and react.

(red headed step child)

3. Prepare

A. Prepare for minstry to children

We will insure that all we do for our children is done with

excellence and with sufficient time.

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the

Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall

receive the reward of the

(Sometimes smaller churches get a mindset of only preparing for

Susy and Bobby)

Tell story of lady who took over SS for small church and turned it

into the largest SS in country (10,000 in attendance)

B. Preparing others for ministry

4. Provide

A. Provide financially for minstry to children

B. Provide varied ministries to children

Wed. nights

Sunday school

Outreaches

We need to be creative in our ways to reach the children in

Columbia City.

C. Provide an atmosphere of unconditional love for

children

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love

one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye

have love one to another.

5. Prevail

A. Do not be weary in well doing

Need to keep pressing on and understand who it is we are working

for.

B. Do not give up on the undesirable child

Many times that child is experiencing the type of love from God

for the first time in their lives

6. Proclaim

A. The gospel of Jesus to children

Judges 2:10

B. The need for quality ministry to every boy and girl

C. The need for total church involvement in this

ministry.

Let me express to you the importance of the entire church in

training up our children. We have a corporate responsibility to

instruct and teach the children in this church. And some

instruction may not happen in what you would call the traditional

class room. Let say you see children running through the church

and you don’t see their parents. Here is a perfect opportunity to

instruct and train. Now you need to do it in a loving way but the

children have to know that this place is full of adults who care and