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Introduction:
What are the books of the Old and New Testament?
What happened on the seven days of creation? Who were the 12 sons of Jacob?
What were the ten plagues on Egypt?
Who were the judges and kings of Israel and Judah?
Can you answer these questions? When I was 16, I learned the 12 sons
of Jacob (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher,
Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph and Benjamin).
I did not learn them in a Bible class.
I did not learn them from a book.
I actually learned them from my then four-year-old brother.
He had been taught a song, listing these 12 men in order
and he taught it to me. Now,
fourteen years later. I
still remember that list of names.
Since then, while working with my own children, I have
learned all manner of important biblical information and I have
learned it through songs. Beginning tonight at 5:40 pm, I plan
to take these same steps with your children.
I want to take 15 minutes before every Sunday evening
service for the remainder of this quarter to help your children,
and possibly you, learn the answers to many basic Bible questions.
For the next few minutes, I want to explain why we are
doing this. I want to
explain why you need to bring your children. Discussion: I.
We are doing this because these things were written for our
learning (Romans 15:4). A.
Paul said that these things were written that we might be
encouraged through the scriptures in order to receive hope.
The only way for our children to have hope is to gain Bible
knowledge – to know the who’s who and what’s what of the
Bible. B.
The Hebrew writer demonstrates this in Hebrews 11,
the chapter of faith. By
noting the examples of the people mentioned in this chapter, we
gain encouragement to have faith in God.
If our children do not know these people, this chapter will
be dead to them. (By
the way, we will learn a song that actually goes through the
people listed in this chapter.) II.
We are doing this because the scriptures contain things
which will give our children wisdom leading to salvation and
completeness in Christ (II Timothy 3:14-17). A.
Paul is able to tell Timothy to continue in the
things he had learned and become convinced of from his childhood:
the Sacred Scriptures. He
had been given a foundation on which to live. B.
When I look at my children, I see innocence.
They do not know sin … YET!
However, if they live long enough, that innocence will be
stripped away. Sin
will become their master. For
these next few years, I have the opportunity to train them in the
will of the Lord. When
the day comes that they become sinners, they will know how to
overcome sin and death through Christ.
The only way we can train our kids for that day is by
teaching them the scriptures which are able to give them wisdom
that leads to salvation. C.
Secondly, Paul points out that the scripture will
make the man of God thoroughly equipped for every good work.
I want that for my children.
Not when they are 60, but when they are 16.
I want them to know the scriptures so they will know how to
behave in the house of God, which is His church (I Timothy 3:15).
I want them to have that knowledge long before they leave
home and enter an agnostic world of liberal college professors.
I want them to be prepared for that before they leave home. I want that for all of the children within this congregation.
We can only prepare our children for that through knowledge
of the Bible. III.
We are doing this to give our children a framework from
which to understand the great Bible messages and themes of
salvation, love, mercy, forgiveness, commitment, etc. A.
I have made some pretty strong statements about how I want
my children to be prepared by the time they leave home.
That is what I want. That
is my ideal. But I
know my children will not know everything by then.
They will still have a great deal to learn long after they
leave my home. B.
However, what I can give them is a beginning point, a
framework in which all other study can develop.
By teaching our children this Bible knowledge, we will give
them understanding, which will provoke greater understanding as
they continue to grow. As we learn from Mark 4:23-25, understanding begets
greater understanding. We
can get our children started on this cycle by providing them this
foundation. IV.
You need to come in order to train up your child (Proverbs
22:6). A.
You will train your child in two ways by attending Bible
drill sessions every Sunday night at 5:40.
First, you will be training your child through example.
Our children know what we have to go through to get ready
to be at worship on time. They
know the things we give up in order to come study God’s will.
By your taking time to be here 20 minutes earlier for your
child to learn the Bible, your child learns that Bible knowledge
is important. They
will remember that their whole lives.
Your example will train your children far greater than just
about anything you could ever say about its importance. B.
Secondly, you will be training your child simply through
the knowledge they will receive as they learn how we behave in
worship, how we worship, how people become Christians, how people
live as Christians, etc. They will be trained in a way that will make it difficult for
them to forget. V.
We must take time to instruct our children (Deuteronomy
6:6-9). A.
Under the Old Law, it was commanded for parents to teach
their children. The
New Covenant is no different (Ephesians 6:4).
You need to come in order to help fill your responsibility
as parents in instructing your children. B.
Moses told the children of Israel to teach their kids when
they sat in their house and when they walked by the way.
But let’s face it, in our fast paced society of running
from this event to that event, we do not sit in our houses very
much. The invention
of the car means we do not spend that much time walking in the way
either. Here is an
extra opportunity to stop from the hustle and bustle of the every
day routine and instruct our children, placing this information on
their hearts forever. Additionally,
the drills and songs we will learn are so simple that they can be
easily reviewed anywhere, whether in the car, just before bed or
during other times together. . VI.
You will also learn, adding knowledge to your faith (II
Peter 1:5). A.
As Christians, no matter how old we are, we are to grow in
Christ. I guarantee
you, if you come to the Bible drill sessions (even if you only
listen to the children singing and learning) you will learn
something new. In
working with my own children, I have learned the plagues of Egypt,
the days of Creation, the kings and judges and much more. B.
Secondly, you will be reminded of things you forgot you
knew. Peter said part of his job was to remind the Christians of
things they already knew (II Peter 1:12-15).
Why? So they
would be able to call these things to mind after Peter was gone.
We are doing the same thing in these Bible drill sessions.
In years to come, because of the songs we will sing and the
things we will learn, you will be able to call Bible things to
mind. Conclusion: We are not having this Bible drill session just to say we are doing something with the kids. We are conducting these sessions in order to fulfill our responsibility to teach the Bible. While we are focusing on the children, this will help the old as well as the young. It will be especially helpful to new converts who also need that basis and framework in which to study their Bibles. I encourage all of you to attend our first session tonight and continue coming throughout the coming weeks.
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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