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.
B. And God will certainly try to be a part of our lives.
3. We realize that the task is overwhelming.
A. When Manoah found out that he and his wife were going to have a baby...
i. it scared him to death!
ii. He didn’t know how to raise no baby.
iii. Especially one as special as this one seemed to be.
B. He and his wife were overwhelmed by their responsibility.
i. And just like Mr and Mrs. Manoah, parents today are overwhelmed.
ii. We need help.
iii. We need your support.
iv. We need your strength...
v. We need your encouragement.
4. The power of prayer
A. In Judges 13:8, we see that God came in answer to prayer.
i. Manoah prayed and basically said, "God, help us"
ii. We don’t know what to do.
iii. These are difficult days...
iv. it isn’t like it was when I was a kid...
v. How can we make sure that we raise our child properly?
B. Prayer was the key for Manoah...
i. and prayer is the key for our children too.
ii. Kay and I pray for our kids.
iii. We pray with our kids.
iv. We encourage our kids to pray.
C. But I want to take that a step further...
i. I want YOU to pray for our kids...
ii. not just my kids...
iii. but all the kids of the church...
iv. and even the kids outside the church.
v. When you are driving by a bus stop...
vi. instead of thinking..."If I tried to wear that out of the house, my mom would have thrashed me to within an inch of my life"
vii. Instead...pray for them.
viii. Pray for the children of the Church.
ix. Let them KNOW that you are praying for them.
x. When you drive past a school...
xi. make it a special point to pray for the children.
xii. It’s a crazy world out there...
xiii. but God will hear the prayers of His people...
xiv. And He will respond!!
5. Look what happened, "Samson grew, and the Lord blessed him" Judges 13:24.
A. Samson’s parents obeyed the Lord...
i. they raise him they way that the Lord wanted them too.
ii. They prayed for strength and guidance.
B. Now, I’m sure most of you know that there’s more to the story of Samson.
i. most of you know that Samson wasn’t always faithful to the call of God on His life...
ii. He got into trouble with women (remember Delilah?)
iii. He had trouble with his attitude (doesn’t that sound like any kids you have known?)
iv. But in the end...he decided to live for God.
v. And he gave up his life in serving the Lord.
C. I am convinced that the efforts that we make during our children’s growing up years are crucial...
i. The efforts we make at discipline...
ii. praying for our kids...
iii. bringing them to church...
iv. having devotions with them...
v. trying to bring them up in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord" Eph 6:4
D. These efforts are NOT in vain!
i. Scripture says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Prov 22:6 (NIV)
ii. All that prayer...
iii. all that Bible reading...
iv. all that Church attendance...
v. That sticks with a child
vi. It goes with you.
vii. I know...
viii. because it stuck with me...
E. Even if, God forbid, we have a child that wanders off into "riotous living" like the Prodigal Son...
i. They can find their way home...just like the Prodigal Son.
Conclusion
1. "Back to School" These are exciting times for our children...and for the parents!
A. But it is also a crucial time in the lives of our children...
B. and we need you to be a part of their lives.
2. You’ve heard of drive thru banking...
A. Drive through eating...
B. drive through pharmacies...
C. Well, I would like for to do drive thru praying!! (from Focus on the Family Article by Letitia Suk)
D. Pray for our kids.
i. pray for them when you drive by the school
ii. pray for them when you drive by the bus stop.
iii. Let our kids know that you are praying for them...
iv. let the parents know that you are praying for their kids
E. Be friends with our kids.
F. Love our kids...
3. When you do these things, you are having an impact on their lives that you might never imagine until you make it to heaven.
4.
