Why Children Quit the Church

Paul said to Timothy, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:20, 21, KJV.  When we consider those who have erred or have “gone astray from the faith”, I dare you to look to the right of your pew and look to the left. Look at the children and the teens around you.  Now, imagine that 2/3rds of them just disappeared. What has happened?  What happens to youth who regularly attend church services and activities, which speak to others about their faith, who are involved in the youth group and who are part of Christian schools?  We would like to think that this involvement would ensure that they are faithful into adulthood.  But, we may be mistaken.

Consider that 61% of adults, who were once involved in such things are spiritually disengaged.  More and more are we finding abandoned church buildings or congregations with hardly any youth.  And, while we live in the greatest Christian minded nation on earth, still the church, in some areas, seem to be headed toward the morgue.  Why is it that children find services boring, legalistic, hypocritical and find God as one who would not condemn one to hell?  Some youth state they just “need a break from church.”  Others make excuses that they don’t feel very good or that they want to be someplace else.  But, these are superficial answers.  Why is it that 95% of youth in the church attend regularly during elementary and middle school, but, by the time they go to college, that number drops from 95% to around 11%?  What has changed?

Now, parents may pay big bucks to send their children to Christian college, hoping to protect their faith.  Yet, many of those youth are already disengaged in the pew.  But, why?  Could it be that we need to consider Deut. 6:6-7:“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.” Programs may be entertaining, youth groups are wonderful, church activities are great and Christians schools can play an important part in the lives of Children.  But, none of these come close as the time when families sit down together and study from the Scriptures.  Christians are to place God’s words in our hearts.  They are to be preeminent in our lives.  God’s words are to be cherished in the heart and we are to be wholeheartedly committed to them. Thus, the Christian is to diligently teach these words to his children.  This is an absolute necessity. Yet, education of the Scriptures is not just teaching facts and principles, like passing on information.  Teaching is experiencing the truth personally and living out the truth before children.  It is living the commandments of God before their eyes and making truth a part of every aspect of our lives. This is why Moses said that the believer was to constantly talk about the words of God at home, when walking along the road, when lying down and when getting up.  The whole thrust is that he was to live by God’s words, experience them, obey them and set the example before children.

Perhaps, if we spend much more time in the Bible with our children and grandchildren, we can lower the 2/3rd’s of youth that are lost and disengaged from Christianity.

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The Transformation in Conversion

The Bible refers to the process of salvation also as a process of conversion. As a matter of fact, Jesus refers to the process of becoming His disciple in the same way. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus stated, “Verily I say unto you, ‘Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’” He alluded to the fact that forgiveness of sins was a condition He based upon the conversion of heart (cf. Matt. 13:15; Mark 4:12; John 12:40; Acts 28:27). In Acts 3:19, Peter preaches to the gathered crowd in Jerusalem, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” James closes his epistle, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (Jas. 5:19-20). Let us notice this transformation process with regards to what humanity needs to do in response to the gracious offer of salvation that Jesus has made possible through His offering on Calvary.

Faith changes our focus. By the very nature of faith, it shows that our focus is not on ourselves, but our focus is God. It pronounces our trust in God (cf. Rom. 4:3). It demonstrates our belief in Jesus (John 8:24). Thus, it signifies that we place our focus completely on God. Hebrews 11 (the Hall of Faith) provides this evidence concerning every faithful man and woman that the Hebrew writer lists. One by one, we see their focus. Abel focused his sacrifice to being righteous with God. In a world where many were focusing their walk in other ways, Enoch focused on walking with God. Noah focused his obedience to God. Abraham focused his travels on fulfilling the will of God. The same is true with us. The focus of our faith is the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 10:10-17).

Repentance changes our mind. From our introduction, the very definition of the term “convert” indicates a process of turning, and repentance involves a turning of our mind. The apostle Paul wrote, “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor. 7:9-10, ESV). We may see one of the classic examples of repentance in the prodigal son when “he came to himself” and said, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants” (Luke 15:17-19). Thus, repentance changes our mind from living as we want to living as God desires because we develop a conviction based upon godly sorrow.

Confession changes our allegiance. “…with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). What is it that we confess? In this case, we confess what we believe in our heart (Rom. 10:9)! That is, we confess that we have switched allegiances! Confession is that courageous confirmation that we desire to follow Jesus Christ. When Philip prompted the Ethiopian eunuch concerning his allegiance regarding his faith, the eunuch announced, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). Far too many Christian martyrs have died for verbally demonstrating such allegiance.

Baptism changes our state. As Paul reveals in Romans 6, when we are submerged into the watery grave of baptism, we are demonstrating that we have crucified our old man of sin (cf. Gal. 2:20), but as we come up from the water, we experience a spiritual rebirth (cf. John 3:3-5; Tit. 3:5). We are in a new state—we begin to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4; cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). It is because the blood of Jesus washes our sins away in the process of baptism that we understand the change of state before and after baptism (Acts 22:16; Rev. 1:5).

Therefore, through our response of faith, repentance, confession and baptism, we change our focus, our mind and our allegiance, and thus, God changes our state from one unsaved to one whom God saves or from non-Christian to Christian. Here is the transformation in conversion!

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Not a Time for Timidity

The crowd would have been larger last Saturday when 20,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D. C. in support of atheism had it not rained. Some of the speakers were absent but still sent videos to support the effort to mock Christianity. Speakers included Bill Maher, Adam Savage (co-host of Mythbusters) and David Silverman (president of American Atheists). Silverman praised those associated with him who storm faith barricades and bring “unpopular but necessary” lawsuits. He called for “zero tolerance” for anyone who disagrees with or insults atheism.

The featured speaker was Richard Dawkins, the renowned physicist and advocate of atheism.  He called upon all those assembled not only to challenge religious people but to “ridicule and show contempt” for their religious doctrines and sacraments. His words were obviously received with great enthusiasm by those assembled to hear him.

The fact that all this could happen shows how openly our faith is being attacked. Those of us who have a respect for God as a creator and as the absolute standard for morality have become open targets for comedians and for many in the news media. We are truly faced with great challenges.

It is amazing how moral issues have become the focus of political conflict. Every Christian is confronted with decisions about those who support gay marriages, the rights of parents to teach morality to their children, abortion and the right to openly practice our faith. Years ago the issues had to do with international relations, freedom in distant lands and democracy, but such issues are no longer in the forefront. For Christians, the central issue is morality! It is greater than the display of the Bible and prayer in schools. It is an attack against the fundamental values of righteousness.

These problems are not just related to Washington, but they are found all around us. Yet far too many Christians are hesitant to speak in the marketplace, during coffee breaks at work, at the gym, and among their friends when words which cause great joy in hell are being spoken by others. Remember that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). In the absence we create from our timidity, the shouts from hell will be the only thing heard!

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand” (2 Tim. 1:8; Eph. 6:13).

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What do You Know about Aaron?

When we consider the man Aaron, how much do we really know of him? Perhaps we know him as the brother of Moses. Others may know that he had some sons and that two died before the Lord. Perhaps, you know him from his rod in the Ark of the Covenant. But, what many people remember him for and for what he is commonly known for throughout the religious world is a man who built a golden calf. But, consider if you will, the life of Aaron.

Aaron’s genealogy and his family are mentioned in Ex. 6:20, 23. Aaron was three years older than Moses (Exo. 7:7). But, Aaron was not just a brother to Moses. They were partners in work of the Lord. In the Pentateuch he is called the Levite of priest and he is Uirst mentioned when Yahweh appoints him as the spokesman for Moses in the mission to Pharaoh. In Exo. 4:10–‐17, after Moses complains that he doesn’t know how to talk to people, Aaron was chosen by God to be the prophet of Moses. Thus, Moses was to be to Aaron as God and Aaron was to speak the words that Moses spoke to him (vs. 16). And so, Aaron in vs. 27–‐31, spoke to the people as Moses had instructed.

Aaron was Moses’ right hand man who appeared together before the Egyptian king. The relationship between them furthered when Aaron along with Hur supported Moses during the battle with the Amalekites (Exo. 17:8–‐13). It was Aaron who held up one of the hands of Moses so that the will of God could be accomplished. Furthermore, when the covenant was made at Sinai, Aaron and his sons Nadab and Abihu, accompanied Moses to the base of the mountain in which Moses went up to gather the words of God.

Now, we know that as Moses was one the mountain, that Aaron made a golden calf, which also excused him self saying that the people made him do it (Exo. 32). Again, in Numb. 12, Aaron appears in an unfavorable light as he criticizes Moses and his wife. You see, Aaron had for a brief moment, forgotten his place thinking that just because God had also spoken to Aaron directly (Lev. 13:1; 14:33; 15:1; 19:1), that he felt the law could come through someone else besides Moses (Numb. 12:2). Of course, Aaron was mistaken. Now, there were still some great things that Aaron was a part of. The priesthood was instituted at Sinai and solemnly bestowed upon Aaron, his four sons and their descendants (Exo. 28). Aaron was to be given holy garments that were for glory as well as beauty (Exo. 28:2) and he was a type of high priest, by which, the priest descended down through his family with Nadab, Abihu, Ithamar and Eleazer (Lev. 10:1–‐7). And, he continued to stand for God and with his brother Moses even when hungry people murmured against them both (Exo. 16). It was he who spoke to the people about their murmuring.

Aaron and Moses, close brother to the very end. In Num. 20 we read of the people having no water in which they go against Moses and Aaron again. Aaron and Moses were told to take the rod (vs. 8) and speak to the rock before the congregation. Moses struck the rock and Aaron spoke words that were in rebellion to the Lord’s words (Num. 20:12, 24). As a result, both of them were forbidden to lead the children of Israel to the promise land and both died.

With Moses dying soon, Aaron died at Mosera (Deut. 10:6) on the mount of Hor (Numb. 20:22–‐29) at the age of 123 (Num. 20:29). This was during the 40th year of the wilderness wanderings (Num. 33:38–‐39). And, while Eleazar, his son took his place as priest (Deut. 10:6), all of Israel mourned Aaron for 30 days (Num. 20:29).

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The Price of Children

Not to long ago, there was a calculation on the cost of raising a child from birth to 18. It was suggested that the expense was about $160,100 for a middle–‐income family. And, while that is a lot of money, those estimations grow even higher considering college tuition and the ever rising cost of living. Now, to get a better understanding of this amount, some people took this $160,100 and broke it down to: $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That’s a mere $24.24 a day! Just over a dollar an hour.

Because of these kinds of numbers, some have suggested that if you want to be rich, don’t have children. However, I would state that if one wants to be rich, they ought to have children, especially when they consider what they are getting for that $160,100. Naming rights. First, middle, and last! Glimpses of God every day. Giggles under the covers every night. More love than your heart can hold. Butterfly kisses and bear hugs. Endless wonders over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies. A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate. A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites. Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to: finger–‐ paint, carve pumpkins, play hide–‐and–‐seek and catch lightning bugs. You have an excuse to: keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, go to Disney movies, and wish on stars. You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay on Mother’ Day, and cards with backward letters for Father’s Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for: retrieving a Nerf ball out of the tree or Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off a bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool and coaxing a wad of gum out of hair. You get a front row seat to history to witness the: first step, first word, first date, first time behind the wheel and to seed the seed of God’s Word began to grow in your child. You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology , nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match. And in the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo–‐boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits. So, one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. I would say that all this is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

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