Church Life 20 – Children’s Work

[00:00:00] Now, this evening, this very, very important matter that we have entitled teaching the young. But we had some problem over the title, because we're not just thinking of children. We're thinking really of the whole realm of youth work, and our responsibility for those from the moment they're born, really, until they reach an age, I suppose you could say, of adulthood. [00:00:36] We've called it teaching the young. But I'm hoping that by the grace of God, we shall be able to say a number of things about associated matters which have so much bearing upon this matter. Now what I'd like to do, first of all, is turn to a number of scriptures, two Timothy and chapter three, verses 14 and 15. [00:01:06] Two Timothy, chapter 314 15. [00:01:10] But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of knowing of what persons thou hast learned them, and that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. [00:01:44] Now we have another insight into timothys background in the same letter, chapter one, verse five. [00:01:54] Having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice. And I am persuaded, in thee also. [00:02:12] Are there something very wonderful? It's not a second generation something, whilst it was in grandmother, grandma and mother. Somehow or other it was original to each one. [00:02:26] And it's interesting that the apostle says in two Timothy 314 15, when he says, knowing of what persons thou hast learned them evidently grandmother, evidently mother. And of course, theres the apostle Paul, and there are others too. So there are all kinds of people who have had a part in the producing of a servant of the Lord. [00:02:53] There are parents, grandparents, relatives. There are servants of the Lord who are not related in flesh or blood in that way. [00:03:05] All these different connections that have had so much to do with this young man finding the Lord and coming into the service of God. And that, after all, should be the desire of everyone here this evening, those of you who are teachers, those of you who are parents, everyone who is part of the church of God here in Richmond. Our desire surely is not just to get youngsters to find the Lord to be converted, but to make disciples of them and to bring them to the place where they are themselves, men and women of God, able to lead others to the Lord Jesus Christ. We dont want a second and third generation. May God deliver us all. The trouble is, in the second and third generations, its not in them the truth, the things not in them originally, what we need to pray and pray all along is that we may all be a first generation in spirit. Now, if you will turn to a few other scriptures, proverbs, the book of proverbs, which has so much to say practically about children and both the attitude of children to their parents and to others, and the attitude of parents to their children and to those also who instruct them. Proverbs 22, verse six. Train up a child in the way he should go. And even when he is old, he will not depart from it. [00:04:48] Train up a child in the way he should go. Deuteronomy, chapter four and verse nine. Deuteronomy, chapter four, verse nine. [00:05:07] Now, here is something I think again we must all take note of. [00:05:14] Only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, unless they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life, but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children. [00:05:40] What a marvelous word that is. [00:05:43] Diligently. Take heed to yourself. [00:05:47] Paul was always saying to Timothy, take heed to yourself. [00:05:51] Doesn't matter how great a servant of the Lord we might become, we must always take heed to ourself. [00:05:57] Take heed to yourself. [00:05:59] Keep your soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, lest they depart from thy heart. Terrible thing, that something which once we saw and was revealed to us may just get encumbered with all other kinds of things overgrown with a whole lot of sort of undergrowth. And in the end, we become dull and then make them known unto thy children. Thy children's children. Again in deuteronomy, chapter six, verse seven. [00:06:36] Chapter six, verse seven, chapter six, verse six and seven. And these words which I command thee this day shall be upon thy heart, not just in thy mind, but upon thy heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up. Or again in chapter eleven. It's all summed up again here in chapter eleven, verse 18 and 19. [00:07:13] Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children talking of them. When thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up. So here is a life lived in union with God, which becomes in itself instruction. When you're sitting in the home, when you're walking in the way. That's the normal routine of life, in business life, as well as every other kind of life. Routine of life when thou liest down last thing at night and when thou risest up first thing in the morning, as much instruction for every one of us. And then there's another scripture. I'd like two more scriptures, all old testament ones, Isaiah 54 and verse 13. [00:08:17] Here's a wonderful promise from the Lord. It's particularly to those who've known deep, deep ways with God. [00:08:26] Verse 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. What a wonderful promise that is for any parent and for the church and for the teacher. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. And then one other scripture. Psalm 127, verse three. Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord. They may not always appear to be, but children are a heritage of the Lord. And we should mark that it's not just something physical, a heritage of the Lord. It's a precious gift. And the apostle Peter actually says in one Peter three, I believe it is one of those verses. There. The grace of life heirs together. Joint heirs of the grace of life. [00:09:32] It's the same thought again. Children are a heritage. Now, whether that is to the parent or whether it is to the teacher or whether it is to the church in general, children are a heritage of the Lord, and therefore they are a very real responsibility. Now, there are one or two things I think we ought to remember in facing all work to do with the young. And this covers every single aspect, whether church, home, or the children's work and time. First of all, every child is an individual with an individual personality and needs. [00:10:12] This goes right to the root of all the problem. [00:10:17] Wherever you get problem in relationship between teacher and child. It's general generally, because the teacher is not treating even a little tot as an individual personality, but the tiniest tot is an individual personality. They're not just a blob of flesh to be pushed here, put there, this and that and the other. They are actually a personality with their own individual need. And so the basis of all our work amongst the young must be that they are individual personalities with our soul that's got to be saved and with their own real need. That's the first thing. So it's not just a sort of haphazard type of duty which we've got to get through. We've got to grit our teeth and get through. There are not so many little creatures that have got to be somehow herded together, taught en masse and just cared for whilst the parents and the rest of the church hear the word of God, which is extremely valuable. [00:11:34] The children are personalities in their own right, and we have to face that. The second thing is, for every child, Christ died and there are limitless potentialities in each life. [00:11:52] If every teacher were to remember this, it would transform their attitude. Our brother last night spoke about a God who hides himself. He certainly does, and he hides himself sometimes in one of those little tops that's in your class. [00:12:07] You have no idea the limitless potential. You may at present feel there's limitless problems, but there's limitless potentiality. [00:12:19] Few people have known the at the time, the lives that they've been dealing with. Spurgeon went to Sunday school, the Wesleys went to Sunday school, Whitefield went to Sunday school. [00:12:34] Many others had some connection with teaching of one kind or another. They didn't have sunschool in the way we know it, but there were people who were responsible for them, sought to teach them. [00:12:49] Sometimes it was a christian teacher at school. [00:12:52] No one knew at the time who they were dealing with. Oh, we can all have the wisdom of hindsight and say, oh, if I had only known that so and so was going to be called of the Lord, my word, I would have done this and would have done that and would have done the other. [00:13:07] But you see, every one of those children is a life for whom Christ has died. And there are limitless potentialities. Just think, there's just a possibility of a watchman knee in your class. There's just the possibility of an Amy Carmichael, the possibility of someone who's going to make their mark. Now, this doesn't mean that those who don't appear to be quite so powerful or original are not as valuable. But I'm just pointing out some. There are limitless potentialities and possibilities. [00:13:45] Never forget it. [00:13:48] Thirdly, each child needs to be understood as a person, and given that dignity, he should be accepted as he or she is and loved through thick and thin. [00:14:08] Not in a sentimental way or stupid way, a naive way, but a firm, strong way. [00:14:16] I think most of the trouble in Sunday school work and children's work is that children are not treated as people, as persons. [00:14:27] They're just treated as those who haven't got a mind of their own, and those that have got to be sort of things have got to be banged into their thick heads. And somehow or other we have got to get something through to them, look after them while the services are on, or because this is the way we do things anyway. We should have a children's work because. Because it's the right thing to do. [00:14:48] But children must be treated, I think, as persons. And when have you ever noticed that all those people to whom children are naturally drawn are people who treat them as people? [00:15:02] The youngest child can be treated as a person and given that dignity, we're not treating them like so many calves in the store or so many dogs in the dog's home, so many sort of folks who haven't yet got a mind of their own. We're treating them as persons and giving them that dignity as a person in their own right. Now this we have to take a step further. We have to accept them as they are. And this is where we have all the problem, because we won't start there. We will only accept each child as he or she is to begin with, accept them for what they are, their personality, their temperament, their constitution. All of us have, if we think back into our childhood, will remember how we suffered. Because some teacher at school or sometime a parent would not accept our temperament. [00:16:02] They insisted that what was not just malice on our part or caprice on our part, they would not accept that it was temperament. [00:16:16] Just as an example of this, how much damage has been done to left handed people who in the old days were forced to write, well, my, there's been a lot of trouble, you know that now, of course, today, now there's none of that. But in the good old days, you had to whack, beat, kick, push, send into the corner any child who was left handed until they wrote with the other hand. And of course, all the stammering and many of the psychological complexes that came out of that, simply out of that one. Now that's what I mean about accepting a child as he or she is, not accepting what is a failing or weakness, but to accept a child, or to give that child dignity as a person, to accept them as a personality in their own right. I think it's very, very important. [00:17:10] Fourthly, not one child will ever forget the impressions made upon them in the home, by the church, and in the children's time. [00:17:21] These will be either negative or positive. [00:17:25] Now, everyone in this room who has been in the Sunday school has either negative or positive impressions. [00:17:35] Everyone in this room has about their childhood negative or positive impressions. And let me tell you this, whether you like it or not, those impressions were last with you to the end of your day. [00:17:51] What has happened to you when you were three, four and five? A lasting impression. Now, by the grace of God, those things can be mellowed. They can be tempered, they can be moderate. You can be delivered. But they have a lasting impression upon you if in no other way, they give you a sympathy and an understanding of others who suffered like you did. Now, it's not always negative. Some of us can think back to things that were absolutely positive. [00:18:21] I remember Auntie Ella, who became, I think, such a great prayer warrior in her very early days. Her father was one of the leading brethren in the great moving of the spirit of God. Right at the beginning of the brethren days, really, or when it was at its height. And she used to say how she remembered sitting on her father's knee at the Lord's table, a great big house. [00:18:47] And although she went right into the world and right into the cultural world, became an opera singer and came to the top of the profession right away from the Lord, married outside of the Lord and all the rest, she never forgot those early impressions. Not of something dark and shush, shush. And you mustn't. And you mustn't. All negative. But something that she used to say was an inward sense of God's presence, even as a little girl. [00:19:15] And she said the radiance that used to come out of her father's face as he worshipped the Lord at the Lord's table. I remember Lindsey Glegg, those of you remember on the visit some years ago when he came here and was at the morning time, and he said, you parents, I want to tell you something. [00:19:32] He said, your children will never, ever forget these times around the Lord's table. Now, of course, we pray that there will be positive impressions, not negative ones. [00:19:43] Positive impressions. [00:19:47] The impression. Now, let me just say that again, that not one child will ever forget the impressions made upon them in the home, by the church, and in the children's time. [00:19:56] These impressions will be either negative or positive. And that's the whole importance of our responsibility, just how solemn it is. Fifthly, a very solemn responsibility rests therefore upon parents, upon teachers, and upon the whole church. [00:20:21] We can make or break lives. [00:20:27] I wish I could speak for hours on this subject, but we'll be here all night. Just on this point. I could take you to people in this area who had christian backgrounds, christian homes. They are violently antagonistic. [00:20:44] So much damage was done in those early days that they will not even hear. I know some who will turn off the radio or television the moment a christian service comes on. Why? Because of what was done in their home, their very early days. And they're real believers and their parents were real believers. [00:21:04] I can tell you many other story, even missionary parents and others, where there's such lasting damage done in children that they become agnostic or atheist. [00:21:19] This brings home to us the solemn responsibility upon parents, upon teachers, and upon the whole church. [00:21:30] These are not just little simple, little empty headed, what's, shall I say, bodies. [00:21:44] We're dealing with. We are dealing with personalities. [00:21:48] Personalities that are taking in impressions upon whom something indelible is being written either negatively or positively. [00:21:58] Therein lies the solemn responsibility. [00:22:02] Now let's say something about teaching the young, whether the tiny tots, older children or teenagers, teaching in this sphere must be a calling from God. [00:22:17] We should never teach, even in the kindergarten, we should never teach, never undertake teaching or responsibility amongst young people for self satisfaction or self fulfillment. [00:22:33] And there's a terrible thing when you hear someone say that they feel frustrated, so they're offering themselves as a teacher. [00:22:41] What kind of consequence are we going to have from that? [00:22:46] It's a calling. [00:22:49] I don't preach the gospel just to fulfill myself. [00:22:55] I wouldn't be in the work I'm in just in order to get self satisfaction. [00:23:04] One is there because one is called. [00:23:09] And I think this is a very, very important point to make. Now, a number of things we can say. First about the actual time, the children's time itself. I've called it the children's time. [00:23:21] It's important that we do not look upon the children's time as some duty or something done for the children, to keep them quiet and out of the way whilst the rest are meeting upstairs. [00:23:44] I think it's very easy for us to get the idea that the children's time is simply to get the children out of their parents way so that the parents can reasonably take in the Lord's word, or that something should be done for the children simply because the people upstairs are meeting, the rest are meeting. So therefore we must have something for the children. [00:24:06] Their time is as vital as the time of the church. [00:24:15] And all the principles that govern the gathering really of the church ought to govern the children's time in a modified way, but they should be there. [00:24:24] Do we expect to find the Lord as head? We should expect to find the Lord as head in the children's time. Do we expect it to be a living, vital time for the believers? We should expect it to be a living, vital time for the children. [00:24:40] Should we expect the Lord to speak to the family of God. We should expect him to speak to the children. [00:24:48] Theres no difference. [00:24:50] And this will lift our whole attitude to this service onto another level. [00:24:58] Its a vital time, especially for the children. And the Lord is in the midst as much as he is in the midst of the gathering up here. [00:25:08] Every teacher should have spent time in prayer, not only for the lesson they give, but for the whole time. [00:25:18] Not just to pray for the lesson that they give, but to pray for the whole of the children's time. [00:25:27] It's of the utmost importance that the time should be living, that the presence of the Lord should be known and sensed by the youngest child. [00:25:37] We are failing. [00:25:39] If a little tart cant sense, though he or she cant put it into words, that somehow or other the Lord is present. [00:25:52] So much, if not all, depends upon the teachers, their attitude, their character, their preparation. Obviously, the children are not really the Lord's, many of them. [00:26:04] The character of the time, the atmosphere of the whole time depends upon the teachers and the way that they are approaching the time, their attitude toward it, their spiritual character, the measure of their spiritual character, and also the preparation before the Lord that they have made. [00:26:27] This sense of. The Lord's presence, as I've repeatedly said, can be the lasting impression through a lifetime for many children, or vice versa. [00:26:43] The time should be bright, enthusiastic, real, with all participating and involved teachers and children. [00:27:00] Now, just in case someone gets the wrong idea, why we say bright because quite honestly, children react very, very quickly to something which isn't bright. Now, just because it's bright doesn't mean it can't be deep or solid. [00:27:15] Now some people have got this idea in spiritual things that anything that's bright, of necessity, must be cheap. [00:27:23] So once you get a bright time, it must be superficial, but this isn't true. And especially we must watch it with children. They need bright, enthusiastic type of time. And I can't underline enough this matter of all participating. We should seek to get the children to participate not only in singing, but in every way. They really feel it's their time and they feel that this is where they can express themselves. And also that the teachers, if only the teachers, would be completely involved in such a time, not standing on the outside sort of thing, but really coming right in, singing with the children, participating with the children, so that there's a sense of all being together, enjoying the Lord. [00:28:14] That's the first thing then, that I'd like to say about teaching the young. It is the character of the actual time itself. Now the second thing I'd like to underline is the vital importance of example. [00:28:25] Example. And this of course, hits every one of us, is better than precept. [00:28:32] Oh, we're all so wonderful at telling everyone what to do and what the words say and this is this and that is that and then contradicting it in our own lives. [00:28:43] But example in the end is better than precept. When you see someone practicing what theyve taught you, it has a tremendous effect on you. When you hear someone always speaking about prayer and the necessity of prayer and the vital importance of prayer and you see them always in the time of prayer and taking part, its going to have an effect on you. But if a person talks and talks and talks about prayer and is never there at the time of prayer or very rarely, it's not going to have much effect on you. [00:29:12] If a person speaks continually about devotion to the Lord and you find they're not in the forefront of the battle, it's not going to have much effect on them. Now I'm talking of course about us as believers now, but when we come back to the children, it's just as important. Example is better than precept. A good lesson can be destroyed by a bad example. But I'll go further. I'll say this indeed. I think many good lessons given over many months, much fine teaching can be counted and destroyed by a poor example. [00:29:54] We need, therefore, to be an example. And I've listed six ways in which I think that every teacher should be an example. Please take this to your own heart. It'll hit every one of us if we do. And that's the. We must allow the lord to correct us and help us. First of all, we must be an example in character. [00:30:16] We're not just to be an example in outward behaviour and outward technique. We are to be, above all, examples in character. Nothing can take the place of true spiritual character. Christlikeness. Now, you may feel that you're a youngster yourself in this matter, but that's all right. As we heard over the weekend, if you've got the l plates on, that's all right. As long as you're learning, as long as God is by the spirit producing spiritual character in you, as long as he's forming spiritual character, that's the thing that matters. [00:30:54] And we must be examples of spiritual character. [00:30:59] Secondly, we must be examples in devotion to the Lord. [00:31:04] This needs to be obvious as well as being something inward. [00:31:09] People say, oh, but I'm absolutely devoted to the law, but it's an inward thing. Well, just wait as far as the children are concerned, it needs to be an outward thing too. No good just saying all, but I love the Lord. It's all inward. I worship him in my heart. There's got to be something outside as well. You must be an example of devotion to the Lord. [00:31:33] I think we've got to be an example of genuine self sacrifice, of real love for the Lord. I think we ought to be heard praising the Lord. I feel sad when children come Sunday after Sunday and have never heard their teacher open their mouth and worship the Lord. [00:31:56] They must wonder when they hear brothers exhorting everyone to worship the Lord and to praise the Lord. [00:32:04] Its not that they expect them every time, but when theyve never heard, dont you think they must wonder? [00:32:13] I think we need to be an example in devotion to the Lord. Inward first and out. [00:32:20] And then I think we need to be an example in behavior. It is vitally important that our moral and ethical behavior be above reproach. [00:32:32] Moral and ethical behaviour. Forgive the rather formal sound of it, but you understand what I mean in these days when there's so much loose living and so on, that we as teachers must have a moral and ethical behavior which is above reproach. [00:32:56] For instance, let me just make a quite bold statement about this as an example. I think it's terrible if there are girl girls, sisters who are teaching children who have brothers to stay in their flats. Or we know there are two or three of you living together, but it's still not a good example. [00:33:19] And vice versa is the same when there are boys and they have. I know this is not all common, but it's not good, it's not right. [00:33:29] We have to abstain not only from evil but from all appearance of evil. [00:33:35] And our behavior must be, in these days particularly above reproach, morally and ethically the same. If we're in business, we must make sure that ethically our behavior is above reproach. I think this is very, very important and I think it comes down to the matter of cleanliness, tidiness and even dress. [00:34:02] Again, forgive me being so bald and blatant in this thing, but I think if a teacher's got such a mini skirt on that when she sits down, down, it's nearly round her waist. What kind of example can that be to the youngsters when they're growing up? This is not a question, don't get me. This isn't an attack on modern fashions. I believe you should be as contemporary as you can be rightly, in a right way. But I mean the point is this, you have to draw a line somewhere. You've got to be an example in behavior. [00:34:35] And if you're going to be a teacher, what does it say in James? It says, be not many teachers, for the teacher shall have the severer judgment. [00:34:45] So it's better not to teach than to undertake such a responsibility, remembering that the way the Lord judges you is much more severe than someone who doesn't take on such a responsibility. [00:35:00] There are many other ways that we could talk about behavior, but I will leave it at that. I've just given one or two examples. But you understand, I think we should be an example in behavior. [00:35:11] Even the youngest child can understand something in the way we look and so on. It's all a part of an impression that's made upon a child. [00:35:22] Then again, fourthly, I think we must be an example in responsibility. [00:35:28] Oh, what a sadness it is when teachers are not responsible in the church and work of God. [00:35:35] When I was a lad, when I was first saved, I was twelve years of age. Before then, of course, for two years I was dragged along to this Sunday school and managed to turn off completely. So I never took a single thing in in the whole two years we were there. But when we were saved, and when I myself became one of the youngest teachers in the Sunday school at the age of 14, one of the things that appalled me was the fact that over one third of the teaching staff of the Sunday school never came. Not only to the prayer meeting, but they never even came to the Sunday morning meeting. [00:36:18] They only came to the Sunday school and the Sunday evening. [00:36:28] Only a tiny percentage of that teaching staff came to all those gatherings and there were only two in the week and two on Sunday. [00:36:44] Can you therefore wonder that when a person like I got saved I couldn't understand it? [00:36:52] Here were the people who taught us. They never came to the prayer time, yet continually from the pulpit we heard the vital importance of prayer and what God can do through prayer. Yet our own people who taught us were not at the prayer time. We were told again and again from the pulpit about Bible study and the need of solid teaching and the need to receive the word of God and reflect on the word of God. But the people who taught us were never at the Bible study. [00:37:21] Example is better than precept. [00:37:25] If we're going to be taught to honour the word of God, we expect to see our teachers at the Bible study. [00:37:32] If we're going to be taught to pray, we expect to see our teachers. Now I know I'm talking about the older young people. But you see, the whole point example is better than precept and the other way around. Let me say this. What a joy it used to be for me to see someone in the permitting. I knew someone I had a relationship with, someone I'd known from earlier, an earlier year. Of course, for me it was only a year or two before, but it was a great joy to me. I had a relationship. If I had a question, I tot it off to so and so and said, what did that mean? [00:38:09] Because I had a relationship with them. The others I didn't know, but that one I knew from my Sunday school day. [00:38:17] I think that this whole matter of responsibility is very, very important. The children and young people need to see it in practice. [00:38:27] Let me say this, people say, oh, well, look here, I can't teach. I can't teach and come to all the meetings quite good, right you perfect right to your feeling. You shouldn't teach. [00:38:41] It's as simple as that. You shouldn't teach because teaching the young is the extra mile. [00:38:51] It is the extra mile. [00:38:54] It's not. I do it instead of, but I do it as well. [00:39:00] It's the extra mile. It's a life laid down. We don't want teachers who don't sacrifice themselves completely. [00:39:09] It's the extra mile in which all the real value and character comes out. [00:39:16] I think this is the most important point that we need to make this evening. I believe it comes down to attendance at gatherings. I believe it's participation in outreach, in fishing. The many other commitments, some of them quite material, cleaning, catering, etcetera. All these things come into this question of responsibility. What a lovely thing it is if some youngster starts to really move with God and they see some of those from the children's time, with responsibility in the children's time taking their place along with the family. They get to know them, they feel confident. [00:39:54] How sad I am when I see some of the young children coming. Well, older, younger children, if you. Well, you know what I mean. Older children coming on a Sunday evening, they don't see their teacher, thank God, if the teacher's in the music room praying. [00:40:14] But how sad it is if a child doesn't see their own teacher. What are we doing, may I ask? What are we praying for? We're praying for their conversion. We're praying that they may come right through to the Lord. And so, so careful are teachers that they don't even come. [00:40:33] Example is better than precept. Don't blame the children if they think, well, there can't be much in the preaching of the gospel. There can't be too much in it because so and so who taught me when I was doesn't even come. [00:40:47] Example is very, very important. I believe it comes down to punctuality, too. [00:40:56] I can't think it can be much for a child if they see their teacher pushing in late. Their parents have got them there early. I've told them that we must be on time. This is the Lord's table. And there they are at the Lord's table and see their teacher pushing in late Sunday after Sunday after after Sunday. [00:41:13] Example is better than precept. [00:41:22] Then there's a 15. Sincerity and consistency. [00:41:28] I don't believe there can be any substitute for sincerity. [00:41:32] I was asked personally what I thought to be one of the most essential qualities in teaching the young. I would say, I think without question that at least one of them, if not the main one, is sincerity. [00:41:49] Young people will forgive much, but not hypocrisy, not what they consider to be insincerity. [00:42:00] We need to be consistent in everything. Now, of course there can be a consistency which is horrible, but I don't mean that kind of consistency. [00:42:11] I think we must be. We must have a consistency in our standard of discipline and firmness. [00:42:19] Not one week going berserk with the children and the next week letting them do anything, but a consistency in our standard of firmness and discipline. [00:42:33] No favorites or dislikes must come. We must be consistent in our dealing with every child because we're all bound to have, I remember from my days, children who are real problems and others that we really can't help liking because they're so sympathetic and so they see to draw out something inside of you. But we must be consistent in our dealings with all the children in our particular class or care. [00:43:10] Do always what you say you will do. None of those empty threats. If you say one more thing, you'll go outside of this door, outside of that door, and then they say it and nothing happens. Be consistent. If you say something, keep to it. [00:43:28] You must keep to it. And if you say something which afterwards you regret, learn not to say it. [00:43:38] Too many people utter threats, you see, with children thinking they're just a few threats and they'll fall flat. Not modern youngsters. [00:43:48] If you say something, you've got to keep to it. You must be consistent and let your yea be yea and your nay be nay so simple, and you will find that the children will have a confidence in you. Do you remember all of you when you were at school? [00:44:04] You know the teachers we liked were often disciplinarians, not in a severe, harsh way, but there was a firmness and a consistency and we all liked them. And the teachers that we could get do anything with we had no respect for. [00:44:20] I remember teachers that the whole class was a riot while they were teaching. Paper, things going, other pellets going, things were drawn on the block, on the board before they came in, which was obviously a caricature of them. You could do anything. We didn't respect them and we never got anything from them. [00:44:39] We couldn't get anything out of them either because there was such a hubbub going on. [00:44:44] But those teachers who had a firmness and a strength about the whole way they dealt with. I remember seeing boys whacked with their own shoes and everyone enjoyed every minute of it. [00:44:57] We all loved those teachers. One I remember very well was we nicknamed Crowbar. [00:45:04] His name was Crowther and we all called him crowbar because he was a sort of thing. But I mean everyone liked him. [00:45:12] So be consistent. It's very important not only sincere but consistent. And remember lastly, in this matter of example a good testimony in the world what point to have people teaching who in their place of work have no testimony? For instance, if someone in their place of work is known to be a crabby old, what's the point of them teaching the youngsters? [00:45:41] And if there's someone at work who's known quite honestly not to be too truthful and this sometimes happens, what point they're teaching youngsters? [00:45:52] A good testimony in the world is important. Now a third point. [00:45:58] Now we've talked about example, the vital need of example. Third point is be filled with the spirit. [00:46:07] The children know whether the root of the matter is in you or not. Believe me, they do. [00:46:16] We did. [00:46:20] I used to know some of them used to stand up, this being you as you were only a kid, you know, just been said I was twelve years of age and yet we knew jolly well they hadn't got it in them. [00:46:30] Where they got their lesson from we don't know. But you knew it wasn't in them and you just sat there. Others you couldn't help but listen because it was in them. It was in them. [00:46:44] Be filled with the spirit. If you've not been filled with the spirit, seek to be filled with the spirit. Don't be put off by all these silly comments that people make as if to be filled with the spirit is something frightening and horrifying. [00:46:58] It is the norm of christian experience to be filled with the spirit. [00:47:04] Seek to be filled with the spirit. [00:47:07] What does that mean? It means this, that you will be filled with love and filled with grace and filled with faith and filled with power and filled with wisdom. That's what it means. There will be a spiritual brokenness in you if you're filled and baptized with the spirit. And there will be spiritual gifts in you. [00:47:28] Well, it doesn't mean, of course, you'll speak in tongues, children's thing, or necessary like that. But it does mean that you'll have now and again an inner knowledge of things and you'll have faith and you'll have much else. And perhaps in the background, many of those gifts will be manifested in you which will enable you to touch heaven for those children in a way you couldnt have done without the Holy Spirit. [00:47:54] Take a genuine personal interest in the children committed to your care. [00:47:59] Pray for each one of them regularly. And also especially in other words, be quite disciplined in this matter. Every teacher, those children in your care, pray for them regularly, daily, or cover the whole lot in a week, you know. But remember too, there will be special times when God will burden you with one particular child. Pray for that one, especially at such times. Be led of God in your prayer. Pray for each child regularly. As you pray for them, you will get an understanding of them and you will get a love for them, even the most difficult. If a child is difficult, pray for that child the more. Remember, some of the most difficult youngsters have turned out to be the greatest servants of the Lord. [00:48:46] Not that we want to have difficult youngsters, but you know what I mean. [00:48:51] Get to know each one as a personality. Do not treat them as numbers or heads or duties, but people take a genuine personal interest in them. This is one of the keys, of course, to relationship and communication is just to take a real interest in a child as a personality. And if the child is difficult, go out of your way to take real interest in them. Try to understand them having prayed for them. Take real interest in them. Now there are one or two practical things which may appear not to be too spiritual, but I can have a tremendous bearing upon the whole matter. Remember their birthdays. I would very much like to know how many teachers here remember the birthdays of their children. [00:49:39] I believe that counts a tremendous amount. Let me give you an experience from my own. [00:49:45] When I was young, we had a teacher who was a dear old bumblebee as the only word. When he mumbled along, he couldn't preach for toffee. He was the biggest old boy, dear old thing, we loved him. He was the biggest old boy, you could wish to have. It was just, of course, inherent. I mean, it was something with. I'm not going to mention any names, but he was. But Juno, he remembered every single boy in a class of 20 in a covenant across. He remembered every single one of them for their birthdays and Christmas, both present and card. And, you know, I know we're all avaricious, but, oh, my. It wasn't just the card, it was the gift. I mean, we thought so much of him. We weren't prepared to put up with him bumbling Sunday after Sunday because we knew that he loved us. And I'll tell you something else. That man actually used to put down scriptures, which at the time didn't always mean a lot to us. But, oh, it came to mean so much to us later. My little daily life, which I've used now all through these years, was given to me by my old covenant. A teacher with all the scriptures, which at the time didn't mean, which meant so much to me. In the years when I was baptized, he gave me a book and he gave me that daily light. [00:51:05] Many other things too, I could tell you. But you see, I think that every teacher should go out of their way to make themselves aware of their children's birthdays. [00:51:19] This is one of the ways that children are children. [00:51:24] And then I said, when they're ill, visit them. Or if you can't visit them or it's not so serious, send a card. [00:51:32] I, of course, when I was a lad, as some of you know, was constantly ill, I spent a third of the year, sometimes half a year in bed. But when I became a Christian, one of the most lovely things were the people who used to write letters and send all. I remember some ladies sent carbs, foot jelly and boy, but I couldn't eat anything. And all these things. And they all meant such a lot. [00:51:56] And even I used to have the lead with the comradeship for China. It was the Cim young people. She used to write to me every week when I was so ill. And I used to look, you see, they're these things. They're the bread and butter of communication, of relationship. And sometimes we live such busy lives, we forget all this in our relationship with children. You see, we're treating children's personalities. When we start to do this as friends. [00:52:28] We're not treating them as some little tiny thing to be pushed around, shoved in the corner, but as those that have somehow or other have got some. They've got a dignity as a person. [00:52:40] Also. I would remember another thing outings or inviting to tea now and again. All this makes a thing. I won't say more about it. Always show courtesy to children. [00:52:53] I think this is just a small point, but always show courtesy to children. [00:52:58] Many of us were hurt when we were younger by some adult who just sort of did to us what they wouldn't dream of doing to another human being, and we felt hurt inside. [00:53:12] Show courtesy. [00:53:14] Always remember, treat them as people. Never treat them as clots or dim kids, or even make them feel that they're nothing, just kids. [00:53:24] All right. There are some people who say, ah, they need discipline. You're quite wrong. [00:53:29] That's quite the wrong kind of discipline to make children just feel they're nothing. [00:53:35] You can show them courtesy and treat them as individuals and still have all the discipline in the world. [00:53:44] Then there's another point I'd like to make. It is communication and involvement. Sounds rather technical, but let's. Let me say this is just the whole question of getting something over to them and involving them, you being involved and involving them. First of all, when you're teaching, use simple, clear language. Explain terms to children. [00:54:07] Never be too long. Err, always on the side of brevity. If you're going to err at all, illustrate as far as possible. Remember that when children are young, often it's the illustration that sticks in their mind, and therefore the whole truth is fixed and planted in their mind by a good illustration. [00:54:27] Be careful, of course, of illustrations which are so wonderful, the children will remember only the illustration and nothing else. [00:54:34] Get the children to participate. [00:54:38] Get them the art of teaching, isn't it? Get the children to participate. I mean, what we mean is this. Ask them questions. When you're teaching them, say, well, who do you think would do this or that? Whatever it is, ask questions. Get them to participate. The trouble with many teachers is they just go on and on and on from beginning to end, and then they finish and there's no participation on the part of the child. Only we can get them, even if it means you've got to cut down what you say by a third, but you're getting them all interested and attentive and so on. I think that's a tremendous gain. [00:55:21] Get the children to pray. [00:55:25] Sometimes it might be good if you. Oh, you'll have some funny prayers, but that doesn't matter. The Lord understands that he's always hearing funny prayers from some of the older ones, too. [00:55:35] But get the children to pray. Involve them in things. Sometimes there are things we are praying for as a company. [00:55:43] You can get them involved in those messages, don't get them involved. Praying for your own personal illnesses. [00:55:51] Keep yourself right out of it. But when or any of those. And don't, whatever you do, get them involved with third tertiary stage of cancer or some other thing. It's not that we don't believe God could heal, but the problem is that it terrifies the children. They go home and have a nightmare. [00:56:11] But there are things like, we're praying for the barn. Well, now, children, we need a building there. Shall we pray for it? Yeah. And everyone understands what we want it for and all pray how wonderful it is when God provides God a part. They're involved, this kind of thing. I mean, always yourself, participate. When they're doing things, for example, when they're singing, do sing with them. Don't just stand on the periphery doing nothing or just watching. It's one of the troubles is you give an impression that they are they and you are you. But if you'll come in, then there's a sense of worship. We're worshiping the Lord, we're praising the Lord, the Lord. So come right in, be involved with them. When they're reading aloud, you read aloud with them. Be involved. [00:57:02] Always answer questions. Their questions may appear to be irrelevant or even stupid, but they can be very large to the child concern and never laugh at a child's question. [00:57:18] Now, of course, we have the problem of professional questioners. That is the child who very quickly knows how to completely tie up the whole time, and the teacher with a few questions. I remember in the class I used to be in in two years, and I never listened to a thing that there were three boys who used to plan the questions for that Sunday. And the dear old teacher, he went off on this one. He never ever ended his lesson. Never ever. We used to start normally with Noah and we ended with John the Baptist or something else, you know, because they knew what to do and they got him right off course. The reason, part of the reason was that they found him so boring. [00:57:58] So what they did was they asked him questions which they thought would be more interesting. [00:58:04] Well, there may be a point there, you see. We'll have to face that, but don't win when children ask genuine questions, don't laugh at them, seek to really answer them. And if you can't, say, you can't, but say that you'll ask someone else and next week you'll tell them. And remember, if you've said that, be sure to tell them the answer, even if they've forgotten, because this will all mean confidence in you as a teacher. Now, there are some practical observations in this matter of teaching teaching young. [00:58:37] When there isn't a special time of fellowship and prayer for teachers, always be present. [00:58:43] There is absolutely nothing which should take priority over such a thing. All right, you may find the time a bit boring, but you should not have committed yourself to this responsibility. If you're not prepared to be at a time for fellowship and prayer of all those who are in the world, don't just feel well. It'll be prayed for and I pray for it anyway. [00:59:06] You must be present for that. Secondly, always seek to prepare your heart as well as your lesson for the children's time. I think this is very important to prepare your heart as well as your lesson for the children's time. [00:59:25] Thirdly, do not be always pressing for decisions. This is a gross failing and mistake in some quarters. I don't believe here of trying to push little ones into a decision. It is extremely unwise. Our job is to look after them, to teach them when there comes a time, as it will, when they're ready. Then, of course, it's wonderful. [00:59:57] Especially those who are the children of christian parents should not be pressed into a decision. [01:00:03] I have seen so many who've come to me later and said, well, I made a decision when I was young, but it didn't work. [01:00:10] And what do we find? It was at some enthusiastic crusader camp or some enthusiastic teacher who pushed them into a place where they made a decision and they were not ready for it. [01:00:25] There is a time to be born and it's a wonderful thing when youngsters grow up in a christian atmosphere and know the truth and they come to the place where it comes into them. Then you've got something strong and all the teaching from the past comes back into value. [01:00:41] So don't be always pressing for decisions. And then, fourthly, when you are given a responsibility, for example, leading or leading the whole children's time or choruses, take it very seriously and prepare for it. [01:01:01] Don't think that you can just stand up there and say, now, what chorus shall we sing? And then you'll find your mind will go blank. The devil will see to that. And then you'll think, oh, dear. And then you'll say, what would you like? You see? And then you get into a bigger mess. The whole atmosphere is something slap happy. [01:01:18] It's quite different to a preparedness. And now we're going to sing this course and that course and the other and they're going to contribute. Perhaps there's one or two they would like. But there's preparation. [01:01:28] You can never go into a time like that without preparation. [01:01:32] If you're asked to lead, take it seriously. Prepare before the Lord. When I say prepare, I mean maybe only leading, but don't just walk into it and just take it as it comes, because the atmosphere then is one of sort of sloppiness and chaos. And you can't blame the children if they get the idea that time's not very important. [01:01:58] Then again, nothing can ever replace a sense of humor, especially with children. Laugh with them and not at them. [01:02:08] I think all of us have got folks we can look back to with real joy, and nearly all of them were people with great sense of humor, especially us. Of course you've got a sense of humor when we were kids, and children have a great sense of humour, some of them. [01:02:23] And those who could laugh with you, you really love them. [01:02:28] And if you could get them to laugh, well, you felt wonderful. [01:02:34] And there's no substitute for sense of humor. [01:02:38] I must say that when your class is unruly or control, it's often boredom, which is the root cause. Take note, and this is a very important point. People often say, I can't control my tasks. It's because you're boring. [01:02:56] So take serious note of that, and if you are aware of it, begin to ask. Now, help me, Lord. What way can we get these folks to participate? Now, of course, I'm saying in some of the older classes, you can get a ganging up of two or three against their teacher to undo the whole thing. And this is another matter which I think needs fellowship in prayer. [01:03:22] But generally speaking, when in a younger class, and there's a lot of unruliness and disorder, it's because there's boredom, because, generally speaking, younger children, once they're interested, will listen and will take part. [01:03:40] Then lastly in this matter, remember to tidy up the room in which you meet. [01:03:46] Sometimes the children will help you. I'm sure it's good. It amazes me sometimes the way teachers leave things. [01:03:54] And the stewards up here on a Sunday morning, for instance, are nearly always here to 01:30 and sometimes quarter to two. Getting this room ready now in the downstairs room, until a few months ago, I myself, having often preached up here, had to go downstairs and pull that room, right. Not any of the teachers have done it. This was some months ago, nine months ago. Then I asked one or two of the boys if they would help Jimmy and Graham. [01:04:22] They would help, but I thought, well, there's something wrong there. I know everyone's got to get away to lunch. [01:04:28] But really and truthfully, everyone else goes away for lunch too. [01:04:35] Now it has been better. More recently teachers have been seeking to put away things. But it will help if you're only tidy up afterwards. Everyone bear their own load and then it makes it all easier. And then there are one or two who can step in and do the last things and get you out. We understand. Folks have got to get home for the other side. You've got people coming, you've got hospitality and all this kind of thing. But it does help to do that. Now, one or two other matters in relation to children. First, the home and the children. Now I'm not going to say a tremendous amount about the home. And some people might say, oh, dear, well, you have no right to say anything about a home, but just wait. In my ministry and work, I hear. I can't tell you what I hear about christian homes very much. I think of the counseling I think goes back to christian homes all over Scandinavia and over Europe. I hear youngsters coming and telling me about the problems they have with father and mother, the problems they have with the home. I could tell you many, many things and I believe that's why the apostle Paul could say so much about children and about marriage relationships, because he was the depository of so much problem. [01:05:51] So just take it like that. [01:05:54] The few things, I think, and some of the things come from things that youngsters here have said as well. [01:06:03] Now, there's no children's time or work or movement which can ever take the place of a good home or of good parents. [01:06:12] It is an utterly false basis when parents think that teachers in the Sunday school or children's work should do all the teachers teaching, those teachers can only supplement a good christian home and good christian parents. And that is all they're meant to do. [01:06:35] They can never take the place. Now, I'm not talking, of course, of a kind of work where they're all unsaved children. I'm talking now about the kind we have here where most are from believing households. [01:06:49] Parents should remember, I think, a solemn vow which they themselves took at the dedication of their child. [01:06:58] What was it? Well, it was to this, more or less. [01:07:03] It was that they promised to so order their home under the Lord Jesus Christ that that child would early come to know him. [01:07:16] I think every parent should remember this because no amount of teaching in the children's time or in the church can ever counter the bad testimony of a christian home or disorder in a christian home. [01:07:33] Much of what we've said about teachers and so on is applicable to parents. [01:07:38] I should think that's obvious. But I'll just take four things that I think we ought to underline. First of all, genuine love. I think there can be no substitute for real love. [01:07:52] I don't mean wishy washy sentimentality, but real love, where a child knows that it is secure in the love of its parents. [01:08:03] Secondly, on the matter of sincerity, as I've said, one of the greatest qualities in, in any teacher is also one of the greatest qualities in any parent. [01:08:17] Parents can make many mistakes, yet their children find the Lord. Have you noticed that? [01:08:23] I could tell you parents whose children have not found the Lord. I could tell you parents whose children have found the Lord very much is the question of sincerity. [01:08:34] A third thing is genuine in many parents truly love their children and care for them, but apparently have no time for them now. In other words, it's only apparent, but they give the appearance. [01:08:52] It's got to be trained now to train it. It has to be discipline. Those branches will just grow anywhere. And if we let them grow anywhere, people walking by will break them. The plant will get damaged, it may get diseased. So what do we have to do? We have to prune back certain things and we have to tie back the others to certain. [01:09:13] The vine becomes very happy after a while. It bears food and it's very happy, doesn't lose its food. Now, that's discipline. [01:09:21] How in the world. Parents seem to think that discipline is no longer required in these days because they get the idea that all it is is sort of wacky. [01:09:31] It says in the word, he who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him greatly. Or again, I turn you to chapter 22. Chapter 22 and verse 15. [01:09:48] Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. [01:09:52] The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. [01:09:59] Think about it. [01:10:01] Chapter 23, verse 13 and 14. Do not hold back discipline from the child. I'm reading in the new american standard Bible, by the way, although you beat him with the rod, he will not die. [01:10:15] You shall beat him with the rod and deliver his soul from hell. [01:10:21] Now, this doesn't mean that you go beating the child day and night, as there were some unfortunate examples which parents in victorian days which did great damage to children. [01:10:34] But that's not what it says. This is speaking of parents who love their children, love them. [01:10:40] And it says of God, just like a father chastens his son, so the Lord chastens everyone he loves. It's love. [01:10:51] This is the kind of discipline that comes out of love, not out of anger and irritation or sadism, but out of real and genuine love. Then again, look at chapter 29. You see, it's everywhere. And I'm only giving you a few examples from this book of wisdom. Chapter 29, verse 15. The rod and the reproof. Give wisdom. But a child gets his own way, brings shame to his mother. [01:11:20] Or again, proverbs 1918, discipline your son while there is hope and do not desire his death. [01:11:33] Isn't that a word? [01:11:35] In other words, if you don't discipline him, you desire his death is moral destruction. [01:11:42] Well, I think that's enough just to say now, just a few things in connection with this discipline. It's not harshness nor severity, but loving training. [01:11:53] That's what discipline is. [01:11:56] Never exercise discipline in irritation and anger. And if you do, always make sure you say sorry. [01:12:05] And remember Ephesians six four and Colossians 321, where it says, prove the fathers, provoke not your children. Twice it says, it, provoke not your children. And it's very interesting because in connection with the children obeying parents on. It's very interesting, isn't it? How does a father. How does a parent provoke his child? Surely by what the child feels to be unjust treatment. [01:12:30] So they're provoked, and out of that provocation comes a root of bitterness which can last a lifetime. [01:12:39] Don't let the sun go down on your horse. Always admit a mistake when one has been made. [01:12:47] We've all loved parents who could say that was a mistake. [01:12:53] It's no letting down of the. Your authority and everything else won't collapse in a heap when you admit a mistake. You'll only in the end, if you're firm and strong in genuine discipline, will only earn real respect and confidence. [01:13:09] One or two other things. Parents should never row in front of the children. I think there's hardly needs saying, and especially not row over the children in front of them. [01:13:18] But how often we hear of this. [01:13:22] Be careful of the kind of things spoken of in hearing of the children. [01:13:28] Often parents do not think that children understand, but, boy, they do. [01:13:33] And later on in life, we hear some of the things that parents have said, you know, because they've gone deep into a child's consciousness and whole mentality towards the church, towards certain people, comes out of what they have heard said. And sometimes they've got the wrong end of the stick. But it's very, very difficult to put it right. [01:13:59] Establish a family altar. [01:14:01] Every family ought to pray together and to worship together. It's a poor thing, isn't it? If it's only the child himself or herself who prays. Or when we're together here or in their class. [01:14:15] There's nothing like a family altar, a genuine living point of a family where they can meet with the Lord, pray with the children at night and enter into their prayers. [01:14:28] Pray for the teacher or teachers of all the children's time. Do not just leave them all to the church or to the teachers. [01:14:38] Develop a good relationship with the teacher. Remember that they often see another side of your little darling. [01:14:46] Now this is very important because again and again parents are found out on this matter. They go completely onto the defensive, as if they ask about something and a parent says, a teacher says, well, so and so is really a difficulty. Then they immediately go on to a defensive. [01:15:05] Remember, they do see something. Another side. So often people just write off what a teacher says or feels about that one's child. [01:15:18] Don't do it. Sometimes it's wrong, sometimes there's a misunderstanding, but rarely the teacher sees another side of the child. Ask any teachers here some of the problems some of them have with peer who insist that their children do not do so and so and so and so. And it is blatantly apparent that the child does in front of the teacher, in front of a whole class. [01:15:45] We have to be realistic in this matter. So develop a real relationship with the teacher so that you can pray together for the child. [01:15:55] And there's not a sense of being in two camps, but both family and teacher are together in praying for that child, an understanding of the needs of that child, because you as a parent can supply information which the teacher can't have, and the teacher can supply you with information you haven't got. [01:16:16] Covenant to pray with and for them, as well as your child, that is with and for the teacher. [01:16:24] Do not be discouraged if one of your children is a black sheep. [01:16:29] After all that we've said this evening, you can be very easily discouraged. [01:16:34] There are always black sheep. And one of the loveliest things in church history is that black sheep have become some of the greatest saints. Saint Augustine was a blackguard, and he became one of the great apostles of the church. There are others, too, I can tell you, but we won't go into it too much. For my word, there have been some black sheep that God has saved. [01:17:01] And the very thing that makes a child a black sheep is often the very quality that God finally takes hold of, breaks and uses. [01:17:09] Remember it, even if it's tough going at present. [01:17:12] Pray and seek fellowship. Now swallow. Follow your pride. Most parents don't like to go and ask for prayer when they've got a black sheep. They don't want to do damage to the child. That's understandable. They don't want it just to be aired everywhere. But often it's pride. [01:17:29] Swallow your pride and expose yourself. [01:17:33] And in doing so, you will get the fellowship of the church, which will touch the whole situation. [01:17:39] Remember that. [01:17:42] Above all, remember that the children's time, the teachers cannot take the place of the home or the parents. They can only supplement or complement what you are doing. Do not expect them to do what you are not doing. [01:17:57] In other words, if you are not yourself nurturing your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, don't expect them to do it. You must also take your place, and they will complement and supplement your testimony and example. Lastly, and very briefly, the church of the children's time. Here's something for every one of us, and I think especially those of you who really do pray and have a ministry of intercession. The children's time can never and must never be a substitute for the church. It is a means to an end. The same with youth work or young people's time. It's a means to an end, not a little cancerous growth. That's a substitute for meeting with the church. It is the means by which, in the end, those in it come right into the life of the church and are integrated and take part. We must, as believers, realize and recognize the tremendous need of reality in church, church life and service. I can't overemphasize this. These children that come every Sunday morning, my word, they could tell you all kinds of things just by watching. [01:19:11] They see the people who are in the time of worshipper. [01:19:17] They see a lot of other things that go on, and they spot it all. You see, they're not the Lords. They sit there, they're covered, thank the Lord, by their parents faith. But they sit there taking every single thing in like radar equipment, swiveling over the whole congregation. And I've heard from many a parent, when they go back, they get some embarrassing questions asked about why so and so does this or why so and so looks like that, and all these kind of things. Now, I think we need to pray very much for reality in church life. Of course, we can't stop the eccentrics. [01:19:57] I mean, God saves eccentrics. So you'll get an eccentric now and again in the church. And strange enough, it doesn't bother the children. They rather like them. [01:20:08] But what no child will ever get over is unreality. And insincerity. And it's when they see someone in the gathering who appears to be in and all the rest of it and then they see them in another light and in that moment the damage is done. [01:20:27] My own father was put off right up to the moment he was finally converted by something that happened to him in church in Cork. [01:20:36] My grandfather on my mother's side was put off forever because they had the moody Sankey lot go there and because my great grandparents were fine christians and had arranged the campaign in that part of England and Scotland. And when they came, of course, you know, Moody was always against smoking and he used to always make this famous phrase, if God intended men to smoke, he would have put a chimney in their head. Now, the vicar smoked, but he gave it up along with all the rest of the congregation. And of course there was great much about this business that everyone had given up smoking. And the vicar himself began to speak about the same thing, saying, if God intended you to smoke, he would have put a chimney in your head. But in the Bible school class for the boys Bible school class about a month or so afterwards, when the vicar had said this in the morning service, my grandfather, who was always a bit of a lady, saw smoke coming up from behind a u. I got this on his own mouth from behind the u henge. And he thought, one of the boys, I'll go down and I'll pounce on him and I'll say, I'm the vicar. [01:21:47] Of course he went down, pounce on you and I'm the vicar. And he was the vicar behind the, uh. Having a smoke before the boys Bible cast. Now, of course, my grandfather was. His whole world fell in a heap. [01:22:02] I don't know to this day whether he ever recovered from it. [01:22:08] We need to pray for reality and sincerity. [01:22:13] Very early children begin to sense whether there's something real or not in the life meetings of the church. We must therefore pray for this. [01:22:22] One hypocrite can do more much damage, even one unwitting hypocrite. [01:22:28] Let's pray that all our meetings be living and full of the presence of Christ. This impression will never be forgotten. They may go into the far country, the children. Some may be black sheep of the first order, but they'll never forget those early impressions of the presence and glory of God in the midst of his people. They'll never get away from it. Even if in the end, on a death bed, they come back to God. They will never get away from the impression of the presence and glory of God in the midst of his people. Therefore, we need to pray that all our gatherings shall be like that, full of the presence of the Lord, real and true. Look to the Lord to put specific children on your heart for prayer. Remember the vows we all made, their dedication. [01:23:21] We can't pray, perhaps for every child, but couldn't we all ask that God put one child, three child, five children, one child per day for each week, as it were, upon our hearts, and keep to those children and pray for them regularly, and so fulfill our vows and pray for the families. There's a huge assault of the enemy upon family life. We need to pray for the families. It's not just ordinary or normal, it's satanic. [01:23:56] Sometimes it's good for some of us to get together and pray. A few years ago, some got together and prayed for some of those who were quite not interested at all. One by one, they came through their failings and weaknesses, but they've stayed and gone on bit by bit, thank God. I think there are a place for us getting together now and again. Some of us who've got the time and praying specifically for certain children, especially those getting to that age where, you know, the dangerous age of mid teens, show a real interest in the children. Don't be always restraining or correcting them. The kind of person when you were a child who was always going, shh. Or you look untidy or do your shoes up, or, you know, not your parent, but some dear person who sort of was always correct, you thought they were doing the Lord's work and probably had a genuine affection for you. Didn't do me much, but I remember an old man in Duke street who was a deacon. And when the door opened in the old days in the old building, he used to come across and he hadn't got a hair on his head. It's a great big, shining pink bald head. And he played the organ. And as he came by, I used to sit in the front row. As he ran out. He used to put his hand on my hip, which was a shock of curls. [01:25:19] And then he would say in a whisper, give me some of it. [01:25:27] Now, that was just before the gathering, you know, on the Lord's day, in the morning. But you know, I loved him. Mister Halliday was. I remember him to this day, but not some of the others. I know I was a handful, of course, but, oh, I didn't. I can't say I remember with gratitude some of the others always putting you right, always correcting you, always. No, but those who had some kind of feeling for you. They could put you out. They could say, you shouldn't have done that. As long as my eye was personally rebuked publicly for laughing or up some high jink. And then he would come up. You seem well. Of course you shouldn't have done that. [01:26:09] But you could take it because you knew. Because you knew he understood. Take an interest in the children. Don't just look upon them as appendages just there to be seen and not heard. Take an interest in them. [01:26:24] Don't smother them. And don't, whatever you do, sort of preach all the time at them. But take a normal human interest in them. Well, there we are. Shall we pray? [01:26:42] Lord, what a tremendous subject this matter is and how it finds us all out, Lord, and how we need thy help. Not that we may be condemned or feel accused. But, Lord, that every one of us may be helped and encouraged and strengthened and corrected and trained. [01:27:06] Now, Lord, we commit ourselves to thee. [01:27:10] Thou art the only one God who can really do the work here amongst us which needs to be done in the life of the church, in the life of every family and home and in the childrens time and work. Do it. Lord, we pray to thy glory. [01:27:33] Fill our homes, fill the church, all our gifts, gatherings and our life together. Fill every teacher and the children's time with the reality of thy presence. [01:27:48] May there be such a sense, Lord, of thy being in the midst of thy presence and thy glory that we shall see child after child grow up into a saving knowledge of thyself and come in thy time to be true servants of thine. [01:28:13] O Lord, hear us and translate all this this evening into flesh and blood. We ask it together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.