How Do Our Children Interpret Our Faith?
Introduction
On November 11, 2003 I had the esteemed privilege of addressing our community in the presence of hundreds of our residence. It isn’t very often that we can make a statement to so may in our community and be uninterrupted having such a captive audience. To date, I think that Remembrance Day 2003 is on the highlights of my community engagements. What an utter joy and honour to gently challenge our community on behalf of children and youth and at the same time have the opportunity to tell hundreds of teens and children that Jesus Love Them and that they are of supreme value. My articulated and flowery words would have been null and void without sincerity. Words are the emptiest venue of communication if there is no action behind them.
Transition
Children are famous for ignoring what adults say, but they don’t ignore what adults do and they don’t mind being bluntly honest.
Story
A Sunday School teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. She described the situation in vivid details so her students would catch the drama. Then she asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?” A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, “I think I would throw up.”
Transition
Let’s examine the scripture lesson this morning with such honesty and we would respond appropriately.
Examination of Mark 10:13-16
There are four (4) groups of people:
1. The parents (probably the Mothers)
• They have heard of Jesus’ ministry
• Some had possibly seen how Jesus had touched people and healed them and removed their pain.
• It is possible that these parents had brought their children to Jesus to heal them
• Perhaps they thought that if Jesus would touched them their children would experience a transference of power and become like him
• Perhaps they simply saw how good and kind he was and wanted to place a role model before their children.
• The parents would have been aware of Jesus’ lack of popularity with the scribes, Pharisees, Priests and religious rulers but there was definitely saw something special in Jesus that they wanted their children to experience.
Serious Story
There is a story of a High Born East Indian man born into a high cast who had become a Christian. His family had disowned him and the door of the family had been shut on him. Occasionally he would sneak back home and secretly visit his mother. During one of these visits she recounted how while carrying her son, she had been regularly visited by a missionary. The missionary had given her a copy of one of the gospels. She had read the gospel and although she had no desire to become a Christian she did long that this unborn child would grow up to be like Jesus.
Transition
Could there have been something about Jesus that made these mothers yearn for their children to be in his presence? in order that they might be like him?
The Second Group of People: The Disciples
• There is an old hymn that goes “The stern disciples drove them back and bade them depart”.
• All I can envision is a bunch of grumpy old men who thought that children should be seen and not heard.
• -- We are judging the disciples based upon an action. We have them all painted as the mean people in the story – not necessarily based on the truth.
o Jesus was very busy man, in high demand.
o He was constantly surrounded by people
o Somebody always wanted something from him – few people wanted to put back into Jesus’ life.
• In all fairness to the disciples, it is possible that they were protecting Jesus and that the motive behind their action was driven by love and compassion for their Master.
Transition
• Our motives aren’t as often to be questioned as the way that we verbalize our responses.
• What we say and what we mean and what we do don’t always line up, but they could if we took to think before we say and before we do.
Then There is Jesus
• Even the most hard-heart is softened by a child or by the kindness shown to a child. In this story we see the tenderness of Jesus.
o He didn’t even scold the disciples; he simply invited the children to come. His invitation taught a lesson to the disciples, the parents and hopefully us :
In order to have real faith we need to become as Children pure and accepting.
• We will worry about things and a child will say “It’ll be ok because I asked God to help us”.
The fourth, the Children
• Children teach us so many lessons even when their understanding and their interpretation is not always correct. Which poses the question, “Is their interpretation of us, their problem or ours?”
• There has always been the tendency to expect children to act like us – or do we really want that?
• In our lives we live contradictions and then we try to cover them up with
o “I am the adult” or “Do as I say and not as I do”
Transition
• How did the children interpret the actions of the disciples?
• How do children interpret what we do, particularly concerning the importance of our faith.
• When I was the worship leader back in the mid 80’s, I used to have my wife Ann drive to church because I had to pick the music and write out the order of service in the car (20 minutes and it was all done).
o What did that say about my perception of the importance of worship?
• I brightened up and then Ann only had 15 minutes to prepare her Sunday School lesson on County Road 44.
o What did that say about her perception of the importance of the Sunday School lesson?
• (I will repent even if you don’t) – Anybody else want repent for the little value you put on the Lord’s Work or The Lord’s House as it falls into disrepair.
Listen to the Children – They will lovingly evaluate us.
“A young boy is gazing at the plaque located at the back of the church. Pastor McGhee stood beside the boy and said quietly, “Good morning Alex.” “Good morning pastor,” replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. “Pastor McGhee, what is this?” Alex asked. “Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.” Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Alex’s voice was barely audible when he asked, “Which service, the 8:30 or the 11:00?”.
“A Sunday School teacher challenger her children to take some time on Sunday afternoon to write a letter to God. They were to bring their letter back the following Sunday. One little boy wrote, “Dear God, we had a good time at church today. Wish you could have been there?”
“A Sunday School teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?”. One bright little girl replied, “Because People are Sleeping”.
“A little girl became restless as the preacher’s sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, “Mommy, if we give him money now, will he let us go?”
Transition
How exciting is our faith? I think that deep down inside all believers there is an excitement. It’s like that statement, “If you’re really happy you had better tell your face.”
Story
Nine year old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to the Israelites out of Egypt. When get got to the Read Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge, and all the people walked across safely. He used his walkie-talkie to radio headquarters and call in an air strike. They sent in bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved. “Now Joey, is that REALLY hat your teacher taught you?” his mother asked. “Well no, Mom, but if I told it the way the teacher did, you’d never believe it.”
What are children hearing from us?
• Children are not easily fooled.
o What are children hearing when week after week we ask for Sunday School Teachers and Junior Church workers?
o What do children hear when we speak of the church and our church family?
o What do children hear when church attendance is optional because we were out too late?
o Do children hear from us, that the church is important.
One can say, the relationship with Jesus is the important thing – After all you don’t have to attend church to be a Christian.
No you don’t, but you do have attend church if you want to be a healthy Christian. Sometime I feel like standing up on the table and yelling “Christ died for the church”.
• Let’s move to a moment to Post-Children (adults)
o They say “I don’t do church” Could this be the fault of Christians? Yes, too often.
• What are our children hearing from us about relationships?
o Unresolved conflict between family members both biological and church family.
• What are our children hearing from us about the opposite gender?
o Husbands, the way we speak to, speak of and treat our wives tells our daughter how to feel about themselves and our sons how to treat women.
o Wives, the way you speak to, speak of and treat your husbands tells your sons how to feel about themselves and your daughters how to treat other people’s sons.
Transition
We want to be a healthy church within the reach of our community where people can know, love and serve God both here and beyond. This includes our children. How are we going to have healthy children who serve the Lord with all their potential, if we are not healthy examples in the ways that we live out our faith.
What do our Children have to offer us NOW?
o They us in worship this morning. They did it with all their hearts.
o They offer us life noise!!
o Have you ever been in a church where there are no children? No noise – silence – No joy. Those are the churches that say “if only the young people and young families would come”. They long for the noise – we have the noise and assorted distractions!! (Hallelujah)
Conclusion
o My mother took me to church and she worked hard in the church bringing me up in the faith because she knew its value.
o Our son Evan was born on Friday and attended church on Sunday morning. His first stop after leaving the hospital was the Kemptville Free Methodist Church.
o As parents we dressed our children every week, and when they get older we encourage them along to be in Sunday School, Junior Church, Church Service, Youth Events.
o Why, what’s the reason for being here and going to the effort of bringing our children up in the church?
So they will experience the touch of Jesus. DO THEY?
