Back 2 School Special

August 10, 2003

Title: Back to School Special

Text: Judges 13:1-25

Introduction

1. Well, our kids started back to school this week.

A. Jason is in Kindergarten

i. Lora is in 1st Grade

ii. Ethan is in 3rd Grade

iii. Amelia is in 6th Grade at the Middle School

B. We have been in prayer for our children and their schooling...

i. and we feel like the Lord has answered our prayers.

ii. We like all their teachers.

iii. But, we realize that the school year is just beginning.

iv. and we have a long way to go.

2. It’s a different world out there from the time when I was in school.

A. When I was in school, there were some problems with drugs and alcohol.

i. Occasionally someone would get into a fight.

B. But now, it seems worse.

i. Children bringing guns to school and killing others kids.

ii. The relentless teasing and humiliation that some of these kids suffered before they "broke" and brought the gun to school...

iii. the proliferation of drugs...

iv. pornography...

v. illicit sex...

C. To be honest, as a parent, it concerns me.

i. I know that we try to bring up our kids the right way...

ii. to love Jesus...

iii. and to love their family...

iv. we try to have them in Church often...

v. but we also realize that there are no guarentees in life.

vi. Just because we bring our kids to church and tell them about Jesus...

vii. doesn’t mean that they won’t fall away...

viii. it doesn’t mean that they won’t do something extremely stupid...

ix. something that may affect them for the rest of their lives.

3. And, to be totally honest with you...

A. the idea of being a parent to 2 boys and 2 girls...one of them in Middle School...

i. well...it’s overwhelming.

B. This week, I took my kids to the bus stop and waited with them for the bus.

i. Now that Amelia is in Middle School...she is riding the bus with High School kids.

ii. And when my little girl was standing out there with those other kids...

iii. looking so tiny and vulnerable...

iv. and knowing that she is riding the bus with wild 18 year old Seniors...

v. well, to be honest, it scares the living daylights out of me!

C. And this morning, I want you know that I NEED YOUR HELP!

i. In fact, I speak from all parents...

ii. on behalf of all our children...

iii. CHURCH, WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

4. You cannot just sit back and click your tongue when someone’s child misbehaves...

A. you have an active role in the raising of our children...

i. I don’t know if you realize that this morning...

ii. and maybe its not a job that you asked for...

iii. nor did you want it...

B. But you have a part to play in raising the Children of the Church...

i. and, in fact, I hope you realize that you have a part to play in raising ALL children...

ii. not just church kids.

5. And that’s what I want to talk to you about this morning.

6. Let’s turn in our Bibles to Judges 13:1-25

Body

1. First of all, it can happen to kids in Church

A. In Judges 13:1, it says, Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years Judges 13:1 (NIV)

i. The Israelites were a religious people...

ii. They were called "The Chosen People"

iii. Because God chose them to play a part in the redemption of mankind.

iv. But, in spite of their status, God’s Word tells us that they messed up...again!

B. And if it can happen to the Israelites...

i. it can happen in the Church of the Nazarene.

ii. And like I mentioned, just because we bring our kids to church...

iii. that is no guarentee that they will turn out okay.

iv. Don’t get me wrong...it certainly can’t hurt...

v. and I personally believe that kids that are brought to church are more likely to grow up to be Christians.

vi. But all of us....kids included...

vii. we make up our own minds on whether we will serve the Lord...

viii. or whether we won’t.

2. Secondly, God cares about us where we are.

A. God cared enough about the situation with the Israelites that He sent an angel with a message of deliverance.

i. And God won’t abandon us either.

ii. God still cares about us.

iii. God still loves us.

iv. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done.

v. It doesn’t matter what our KIDS have done...

vi. It can’t change the reality of God’s love for them.