order while homeschooling three kids before?”
Her tired smile let me know she knew where
I was going, but regardless, she needed the
Truth in this moment. Here is some of what we
remembered together...
Children’s Ministry is the most futuristic
and strategic ministry of the Church. It
simultaneously impacts the Church of today
and sends out a ripple effect into her future.
The weighty responsibility of passing on faith
from one generation to the next is God’s very
own grand idea. We see in Deuteronomy 6 His
perfect master plan to pass on faith in Him from
one generation to the next: ALL of God’s people
telling ALL of their children ALL about Him.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord
is one. Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength. These commandments that I give
you today are to be on your hearts. Impress
them on your children. Talk about them when
you sit at home and when you walk along the
road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
The beautiful thing about this national mandate
was that no one is left out– singles, empty
nesters, grandparents, teenagers, parents,
etc... Everyone has a responsibility to invite the
next generation to taste and see that the Lord
is good and that He is exactly Who He said He
is. Often, however, it is the dedicated children’s
ministry leader who is the one who champions
this responsibility to disciple children.
When you’re doing the most futuristic and
strategic ministry of the Church, and when
you’re dedicated to the discipleship of children,
we know it is hard work, but we must also never
forget that it is opposed work. The enemy is
keenly aware of the long term ramifications of
children coming to know the Lord and putting
their faith in the Savior. When a leader pulls
their seat up to the kids table, there is no doubt
they will experience attack and opposition
from the enemy who despises the hope of the
gospel and what it means for children to come
to Jesus.
But our Savior feels even more strongly about
what it means for children to come to Him.
Matthew 18 was a remarkably blunt moment
between Jesus and His disciples about the role
of children in the Kingdom. While everyone
was arguing about greatness and position,
Jesus painted a clear picture of what was close
to His heart. Rather than speak in parables, He
expressed in no uncertain terms that to get in
the way of a child coming to Him had serious
consequences. Consequences meaning it would
be better to be dead kind of consequences.
Now, if this is the lesson in the physical to His
followers, can you imagine the battle taking
place in the spiritual? Though we have said yes
to an opposed work, we serve a Mighty God
and a Victorious King who battles for us. This
should deepen our courage, but Ephesians
6 and James 4 remind us that we also have a
responsibility in this battle. As His followers, we
are to put on the full armor of God– every piece
of it- in order to stand firm against the schemes
of the enemy. Schemes is a key word… it helps
us understand that our enemy has large-scale,
systematic plans to destroy those who say
“Yes!” to Jesus. We must listen to our King if we
are going to stand, resist the enemy, and keep
being obedient to His call to make a clear path
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