What’s Wrong With Skipping Bible Class?
Judges 2:10-15
( have a couple kids stand up with me as a visual for the lesson)
There is an interesting phenomenon that happened on any given Sunday in any given church. More people show up for worship services than for Bible classes. We average about 40 more per week for Worship. That is roughly about 30 percent of our people come for worship that don’t come to Bible class. Of that number, most of them are families with school age children. Most of us would say “hey, no big deal. At least they are here for worship. Bible class isn’t all that important.”
What I want us to look at today is whether or not that is an accurate statement. Does it really matter if we don’t come to Bible class? This passage in Judges will help us answer that question.
PRAYER
I. History Repeats Itself
A. God’s desire
1. God wanted the Israelites to make sure and pass on what He had done for the Israelites on to each generation.
2. He knew that each generation needed to be reminded why they followed God.
3. READ Deut 6:49
B. God’s warning
1. Not only did God command them to teach their children to love and obey him. He also gave them a warning about what would happen if they failed to do that.
2. READ Deut 8:19-20
C. Israel’s failing
1. As our text pointed out, the next generation never learned what God had done for them.
2. Because they never learned what they needed about God and the covenant Israel had with God. They forsook God and worshipped the false gods of the land.
3. They suffered for it and would call out to God to save them.
4. God would raise up a judge, save the people and that generation would to right, but still didn’t pass along the greatness of God to the next generation.
5. So, the next generation would repeat the sins of the previous.
6. And add their own. READ Judges 2:19
II. We Are No Better Than the Israelites
A. We used to be known for our Biblical knowledge
1. As short as a generation ago, we were known for our knowledge of the Bible.
a) We could quote scripture
b) We knew the stories of the Bible.
c) We could find a scripture quickly when it was mentioned.
2. Bible classes were just that. We studied the Bible
3. We would then make practical application of the scriptures we studied to our every day lives.
B. Today’s generation is Biblically illiterate
1. As I have worked the teens and young adults, one thing has become clear.
2. For the most part, they don’t have a clue about scripture.
3. They can’t even find the books of the Bible.
4. They don’t know the basic stories of the New or Old Testament.
C. That’s OUR fault
1. But I don’t blame them; I blame us.
2. We are the ones as Bible class teachers and parents that should have been teaching them these things.
3. We taught them to study hard in school, but don’t encourage them to study their Bible.
4. We make sure they are in all kinds of activities, but don’t encourage youth group or camp.
5. We make sure they are never late for school or work, but can’t seem to roll out of bed an hour later to make it for Bible class.
6. And you wonder why they don’t seem to be as faithful to God as you would like them to be?
D. Churches aren’t helping either
1. Most churches are simply cutting out Bible class and mid week classes because no one is coming.
2. Rather than encourage families to commit to spiritual endeavors, we have caved in to the realities of a secular world taking over.
3. I know I have felt that way.
a) It just isn’t worth the fight.
b) It takes too much effort for too little results.
c) I’m wrong.
d) It’s time we start expecting families to put God back as number one on their priority list.
e) If we don’t push that as a church, if parents don’t push that at home, God falls further and further behind.
f) And we lose our children
E. A generation falls into sin
1. READ Judges 3:5-7
2. Just as that generation fell into sin and was swallowed up by the world around them, so will our generation unless we do something about it.
3. Those of you who can’t seem to make it to Bible Class on Sunday, Sunday night or Wednesday MUST make sure you are teaching your children daily at home a love for God.
4. But my fear is that you aren’t doing that either.
5. Look at your children now, because if things continue the way they are going, there is a very good chance you will not see them in Heaven.
6. Is it worth it?
III. Let’s Learn From Our Mistakes
A. Don’t repeat the past
1. We don’t have to repeat the past.
2. We don’t have to let each generation fall a little further away from God.
3. We can do something about it.
B. They are worth the effort
1. I want to make sure my children will grow up with a love for God that is hopefully even stronger than my own love for God.
2. I want to make sure they know the Bible and its teachings.
3. I want to make sure they apply those teachings to their lives.
4. They are worth whatever it takes.
5. I want to believe you feel the same way.
C. Commit to them
1. Call all the kids under 18 to come stand up front.
2. Sing “Jesus loves me.”
3. Dismiss kids back to parents.
4. Jesus loves them. The Bible says so.
5. Show them how, show them why.
6. Parents commit to teaching them as well as you can.
7. Teachers, commit to teaching them as well as you can.
8. Take advantage of every opportunity given to you to help them come closer to God.
9. Bible class isn’t the only answer, but it sure is a great help.
