HOW TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT ON CHILDREN IN A WORLD THAT IS HOSTILE TOWARD CHRISTIANITY

THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IN CHURCH

SERMON 5

HOW TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT ON CHILDREN IN A WORLD THAT IS HOSTILE TOWARD CHRISTIANITY

INTRODUCTION:

WHEN I STARTED WORKING ON THIS SERMON, THE WORKING TITLE I BEGAN WITH WAS “HOW TO RAISE CHILDREN IN A WORLD THAT IS HOSTILE TOWARD CHRISTIANITY.”

SINCE THEN, I HAVE REPLACED THAT TITLE WITH THIS TITLE, “HOW TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT ON CHILDREN IN A WORLD THAT IS HOSTILE TOWARD CHRISTIANITY.”

I KNOW IT’S A BIT OF A LENGTHY TITLE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT MORE CLEARLY CAPTURES WHAT I WANT TO COMMUNICATE TO YOU, THE CHURCH, THIS MORNING.

BECAUSE HERE’S THE REALITY OF OUR CHURCH:

- OUR CHURCH FAMILY IS BLESSED WITH A WIDE RANGE OF LIFE SEASONS AND LIFE EXPERIENCES.

o WE HAVE, AS PART OF OUR CHURCH FAMILY, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS…AND THAT’S A GOOD THING.

- OUR CHURCH FAMILY IS BLESSED WITH AN OFTEN-CHALLENGING, BUT QUITE EFFECTIVE CHILDREN’S MINISTRY.

o THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MINISTRIES IN OUR CHURCH DESIGNED TO REACH CHILDREN AND YOUTH, FROM WORSHIPKIDZ, TO BETHEL KIDS, TO THE PEAK, AND FROM AGE-GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES TO SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL, SEE YOU AT THE POLE, AND YOUTH EVANGELISM CONFERENCE.

- AND OUR CHURCH FAMILY IS BLESSED THAT WE HAVE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES THE NEED TO MAKE DISCIPLES.

SO AS I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THESE TRUTHS, I CAME TO A COUPLE OF CONCLUSIONS, SO HERE THEY ARE:

- FIRST, NO MATTER WHAT STAGE OF LIFE YOU MAY BE, YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

o WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE CHILDREN, YOU HAVE CHILDREN.

o GOD HAS UNIQUELY FASHIONED OUR CHURCH WITH THE ABILITY TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

- SECOND, SINCE WE’VE BEEN FOCUSING ON MILLENIALS AND GEN-Z’ER’S, WE NEED TO BE TAUGHT HOW WE CAN GENERATE THE MAXIMUM KINGDOM IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN GOD ALLOWS US TO MINISTER TO…AND WE DON’T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT THIS IN CHURCH.

SO I’D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW THINGS WITH YOU, THAT I BELIEVE WILL HELP ALL OF US REMAIN FOCUSED ON ONE OF THE TASKS GOD HAS GIVEN TO OUR CHURCH, WHICH IS HOW TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN A WORLD THAT IS HOSTILE TOWARD CHRISTIANITY.

FIVE THINGS I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU…AND THESE FIVE PRINCIPLES APPLY WHETHER YOU ARE A PARENT, A GRANDPARENT, A RELATIVE, SOMEONE WITH WHOM GOD HAS ENTRUSTED THE STEWARDSHIP OF CHILDREN, OR JUST A PERSON WHO IS SOMETIMES AROUND CHILDREN.

1. TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH, LOVE THEM UNCONDITIONALLY AND TEACH THEM THAT GOD LOVES THEM UNCONDITIONALLY.

a. JESUS MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE HAD A DEEP LOVE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN MARK, CHAPTER 10…

i. – 13 AND THEY WERE BRINGING CHILDREN TO HIM THAT HE MIGHT TOUCH THEM, AND THE DISCIPLES REBUKED THEM. 14 BUT WHEN JESUS SAW IT, HE WAS INDIGNANT AND SAID TO THEM, “LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME; DO NOT HINDER THEM, FOR TO SUCH BELONGS THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 15 TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, WHOEVER DOES NOT RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD LIKE A CHILD SHALL NOT ENTER IT.” 16 AND HE TOOK THEM IN HIS ARMS AND BLESSED THEM, LAYING HIS HANDS ON THEM.

b. MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE WORD AGAPE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE WORDS THAT IS TRANSLATED “LOVE” IN THE ENGLISH BIBLE.

i. THAT TERM AGAPE, IS ALWAYS USED TO DESCRIBE THE KIND OF LOVE GOD HAS FOR HUMANITY.

1. A DEEP, ABIDING, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

ii. THIS IS THE TYPE OF LOVE WE ARE TO HAVE TOWARD…EVERYONE, ACTUALLY, BUT ESPECIALLY TOWARD CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

iii. YOU AND I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER ADVANCE OR HINDER THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM BY HOW WE LOVE OTHERS.

c. SO TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, LOVE THEM UNCONDITIONALLY AND TEACH THEM THAT GOD LOVES THEM UNCONDITIONALLY.

2. ADDITIONALLY, IF WE WANT TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, WE NEED TO TEACH THEM THAT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THAT HIS PLAN IS GREATER THAN THEIR PLAN…OR YOUR PLAN.

a. TOO OFTEN, WE TRY TO SUPERIMPOSE OUR PLANS FOR OURSELVES OVER GOD’S PLAN, OR WE TRY TO SUPERIMPOSE OUR PLANS FOR THE CHILDREN IN OUR LIVES OVER GOD’S PLAN.

b. BUT LISTEN TO THE WISDOM OF SEEKING OUT AND THEN FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN.

i. – 3 BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO HAS BLESSED US IN CHRIST WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, 4 EVEN AS HE CHOSE US IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM. IN LOVE 5 HE PREDESTINED US FOR ADOPTION TO HIMSELF AS SONS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF HIS WILL, 6 TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORIOUS GRACE, WITH WHICH HE HAS BLESSED US IN THE BELOVED. 7 IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR TRESPASSES, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE, 8 WHICH HE LAVISHED UPON US, IN ALL WISDOM AND INSIGHT 9 MAKING KNOWN TO US THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL, ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE, WHICH HE SET FORTH IN CHRIST 10 AS A PLAN FOR THE FULLNESS OF TIME, TO UNITE ALL THINGS IN HIM, THINGS IN HEAVEN AND THINGS ON EARTH.

c. GOD’S PLAN IS TO UNITE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, THINGS IN HEAVEN AND THINGS ON EARTH.

d. THINK ABOUT THE MAGNITUDE OF THAT STATEMENT, THAT THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE WOULD INCLUDE US IN HIS PLAN TO BRING TOGETHER THE THINGS IN HEAVEN AND THE THINGS ON EARTH.

i. WHAT A GREAT PRIVILEGE IT IS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN OF GOD!

ii. WHAT IF WE STARTED HELPING THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH WE MINISTER TO RECOGNIZE THE TRUTH THAT GOD WANTS TO USE THEM AS PART OF HIS PLAN TO REACH THE NATIONS WITH THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL?

iii. WHAT IF WE BEGAN TO VIEW OUR MISSION AS ONE OF TRAINING CURRENT AND FUTURE MISSIONARIES THAT GOD WILL USE IN LOCAL SCHOOLS AND ON DISTANT SHORES TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST?

iv. WHAT IF THE NEXT GREAT EVANGELIST, OR MISSIONARY, OR CHURCH PLANTER, OR PASTOR IS SITTING IN OUR PEWS EVERY WEEK?

v. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT HE OR SHE HAS THE TOOLS TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT WITH THEIR LIVES?

vi. WE CAN START BY MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT GOD HAS A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR EACH ONE OF THEM…

e. TO MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, WE NEED TO TEACH THEM THAT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR THEIR LIFE, AND THAT HIS PLAN IS GREATER THAN THEIR PLAN…OR YOUR PLAN.

CONCLUSION:

I REALLY WANT TO TRY TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF YOUR TIME, SO I WANT TO STOP HERE FOR THIS MORNING, BUT BEFORE WE CLOSE, I WANT TO ASK YOU TO DO A FEW THINGS.

FIRST, I WANT TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER HOW YOU, PERSONALLY, CAN MAKE A KINGDOM IMPACT ON CHILDREN.

- I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT A FEW ACTIONS STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO MAKE SUCH AN IMPACT.

o MAYBE IT IS VOLUNTEERING TO SERVE IN ONE OF THE NUMEROUS MINISTRY AREAS COMMITTED TO TEACHING CHILDREN BIBLICAL TRUTH.

§ I KNOW CAMERON IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL HELP WITH THE YOUTH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS.

§ WE COULD USE SOMEONE TO MONITOR THE DOORS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS TO KEEP THE CHILDREN SAFE AS THEY ARE BEING PICKED UP.

§ WE NEED EXTRA SUNDAY SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS, WORSHIPKIDZ VOLUNTEERS, VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS, AND CHAPERONES FOR YOUTH EVENTS.

§ MAYBE ONE OF THESE AREAS IS APPEALING TO YOU, AND YOU COULD COMMIT TO SERVING IN ONE OF THESE IMPORTANT AREAS.

o MAYBE IT’S GETTING INVOLVED IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOL THROUGH TEAM READ, OR TEAM MATH, OR HELPING WITH FCA, OR GETTING INVOLVED IN A BOOSTER CLUB.

o OR MAYBE IT’S COMMITTING TO PRAY FOR THE MINISTRIES THAT ARE CHILDREN AND YOUTH-CENTERED.

§ NOTHING ENCOURAGES A LEADER MORE THAN WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, “I’M PRAYING FOR YOU.”

o THAT’S FIRST, BUT HERE’S THE SECONG THING I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TO DO…

- I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU EVALUATE YOUR OWN WALK WITH THE LORD, TO BE SURE THAT YOU ARE PART OF THE KINGDOM.

- EXAMINE YOURSELVES, TO SEE WHETHER YOU ARE IN THE FAITH. TEST YOURSELVES. OR DO YOU NOT REALIZE THIS ABOUT YOURSELVES, THAT JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU?—UNLESS INDEED YOU FAIL TO MEET THE TEST!

SO LET ME REMIND YOU OF A COUPLE THINGS…

- FIRST, YOU CANNOT OVERCOME YOUR SIN PROBLEM ON YOUR OWN.

o THE BIBLE SAYS IN THAT EVERYONE HAS SINNED, AND EVERYONE FALLS SHORT OF GOD’S STANDARD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

- BUT SECOND, CHRIST DID ALL THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR YOU TO BE SAVED WHEN HE WILLINGLY DIED TO PAY FOR YOUR SINS.

o THE BIBLE CONTINUES IN BY INFORMING US THAT YOU CAN BE JUSTIFIED IN THE EYES OF GOD BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE CROSS…

o WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY GOD’S GRACE AS A GIFT, THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS.

- SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND ETERNITY SEPARATED FROM GOD.

- GOD LOVES YOU AND HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM.

- AND IF YOU WILL AGREE WITH GOD THAT YOU ARE A SINNER, AND ASK JESUS CHRIST TO FORGIVE YOU AND SAVE YOU, HE PROMISES THAT HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERLASTING LIFE…

- MAYBE YOU ARE READY TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS…

- I’D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.