Witnessing to Children
Evangelism: Sharing Christ to a Lost World • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 4 viewsThe greatest responsibility that a parent or an adult has is to evangelize the little children around them, especially their own. This responsibility comes before provision and protection.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
How many of us in this room were saved before the age of 13?
Anyone willing to share who was the first person to share the Gospel to you?
What percentage of people come to know Christ as Lord and Savior before the age of thirteen (13)? How many before the age of eighteen (18)?
The statistics are alarming and should put the church on notice.
According to a George Barna survey, almost half (43 percent) of Americans responded to the gospel before the age of thirteen, while two out of three believers responded to Christ before they were eighteen (Beougher, 273).
I was one of those 43% that surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ before the age of thirteen (13). I surrendered at the age of ten (10).
Who was the first person that I remember hearing the gospel from? It was my mother or father. It was my grandmother or even a member of my family. It was a VBS teacher. It was my RA (Royal Ambassador) leader. It was two men who came to my house on a Monday night and talked to my parents about Jesus, and me, listening to that conversation, became convicted of the need for Jesus and my lost state, and would pray to ask Christ into my heart two nights later. The sad truth is that most kids are like me. They do not hear much about Jesus at home. The only Jesus they see is a teacher at school or a Sunday school teacher at church. While most overlook them throughout the day and look at them as the church of tomorrow, we must be reminded they are the church of today and need Jesus just as the twenty-two year old addict does. While the need maybe the same, the saving grace is the same, the method of delivery needs to be different.
Throughout this lesson we will discuss where the Gospel should begin, Children need to be and can be saved, principles to keep in mind, and pointers for parents/grandparents who are uncomfortable sharing the Gospel.
Opening Passage
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Outline
Evangelism Should Begin in the Home
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
It is hard to say that you love Jesus when you do not share Jesus, especially to little children
Moses wrote, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. The greatest show of love towards God and the greatest show of love that we show to someone else is to share the Gospel with them.
He continues to write, And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. Sharing the Gospel and receiving the gospel are both matters of the heart. At the core of our being should be this desire and urgency to share the Gospel with those around us, especially to the children around us. Often this is quite the opposite of what happens though. We over look them, ignore them, and look at them as little pest. No, they are more than this. They are souls with a body that need Jesus.
We should not be about offending the children but about sharing the Gospel with them. As Jesus states...
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Evangelism should be at the heart of raising children - ‘…thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children...’
Evangelism does not end with conversion but continues through discipleship - ‘…and shalt talk talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and thou risest...’
The love of God and the heart of evangelism should be the heart beat of our homes - ‘…thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates...’
It is a biblical truth that evangelism in the home wins souls. Timothy’s mother and grandmother were both believers. His father was not. But through the faithfulness of Timothy’s mother and grandmother, he came to be a believer too.
Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
This truth stands today. We impress and influence the children around us. We do this by caring and recognizing they need Jesus too.
Children Need Jesus
All who are saved, are saved through a child-like faith
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
We are called to bring the children to Jesus not push them away
Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
Humility is the key (Talk with the child)
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Always remember, children can be saved through believing in Christ
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Points to Remember in Evangelizing Children
Like adults, children become Christians through responding positively to the gospel with repentance and faith
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Do not assume anything
Be sure to explain the difference between salvation and baptism
Avoid fear tactics
Deal with the individual child
Use open ended questions
Use the KIS mentality
K — Keep
I — It
S — Simple
Take a child’s interest in salvation serious
Pointers on Sharing to Your Children and Grand Children
We as parents and grandparents are responsible for our the spiritual foundation of our children/grandchildren
Share your conversion experience with your children/grandchildren (in an age appropriate way)
Be the example of sharing the Gospel
Keep the Bible as the source of authority in your home
Plan mission activities for the family
Be happy about your walk with the Lord
Conclusion
How many of us in this room were saved before the age of 13?
Anyone willing to share who was the first person to share the Gospel to you?
What percentage of people come to know Christ as Lord and Savior before the age of thirteen (13)? How many before the age of eighteen (18)?
The statistics are alarming and should put the church on notice.
According to a George Barna survey, almost half (43 percent) of Americans responded to the gospel before the age of thirteen, while two out of three believers responded to Christ before they were eighteen (Beougher, 273).