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What About The Next Generation?
Young People and The Church
• 75-80% have been lost– Only 1 in 4 retained
Birth Rates
• America – 1.8 per couple• France – 1.4• Scandinavia Countries – 1.3• Japan 1.2• Italy – 0.9• Muslims in France – 6 per couple
Spiritual Birth Rates in the Church
• 2 children per family?• Loosing 75%• IT TAKES TWO FAMILIES TO GET 1 FAITHFUL
CHILD INTO THE NEXT GENERATION.
• Results? – Fewer elders, deacons, preachers and members.
What has been the answer of some?
• To do more and better youth ministries.• Have a “super Saturday!” – Fun and games and a
jumpers.• Schools, “outreach” programs.• Youth ministers.
• According to Howard Barr the number of youth baptisms has declined since the seventies. (DIDN’T WORK!)
“The more involved in reaching the youth the less the evangelistic
outcome.” - Barr
1 John 2:19
“They went out from us because they were not really of us. If they had been they
would have remained with us, but they went out, in order that it might be shown
that they all are not of us.”
How can we make up for the losses?
• To make up for what we are loosing now we would have to reach 3 lost people for every 1 Christian just to break even.
• “We reach by average 1 lost person for every 43 Christians.” – Barr– We are just filling a bucket with a hole in it when it
comes to our youth!
– SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
Ephesians 6:1-4
• How Do We Reach the Next Generation?
Why are they not coming back?
• 1) Biblical Illiteracy is at an all time high.• 2) Everything is now more important than a
marriage and family.
• So they are rock solid in their antagonism and rejection of the Gospel if they have gone that long away from the church.
Answer?
• PLUG THE LEAK in what we are doing in the HOME!
• The Answer lies in the HOME!• IT’S MY JOB. It is not the church’s.• It is the responsibility of the church to equip
saints for the work of the ministry not to do it for them!
• Some families are on spiritual welfare!
I won’t go there if they don’t have…
• Young people’s this or that!• Entertainment!• Youth adventures!• Gyms and “gathering places”• Bands, drama groups, etc…
Ephesians 6:1-4 KJV 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy
father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but
bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians (Context)
Chapters 1-3• Orthodoxy
– Right Believing
• Doctrine of Salvation– How we come to know the
Lord in the scheme of redemption.
Chapters 4-6• Orthopraxy
– Practice of what is believed
• Application– Sanctification– What we do.
4:1 – “Therefore, I the prisoner of the Lord implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling with which you have been called.”
Ephesians 5:15ff
Three Sets of threes:
• Three Contrast– Three Commands• Three Context
Telescopic
Ephesians 5:15ff
Three Sets of threes:
• Three Contrast– V. 15 – Therefore
be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Contrast• 1) Don’t walk as unwise,
but walk as wise.
Ephesians 5:15ff
Three Sets of threes:
• Three Contrast–V. 17 “So then do
not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Contrast• 1) Don’t walk as unwise,
but walk as wise.• 2) Don’t be foolish but
understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15ff
Three Sets of threes:
• Three Contrast– “And do not get
drunk with wine, for that is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.”
Contrast• 1) Don’t walk as unwise,
but walk as wise.• 2) Don’t be foolish but
understand what the will of the Lord is.
• 3) Don’t be filled with wine but be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:15ff
Three Sets of threes:
• Three Commands– V. 19 – “Speaking to
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.”
Commands• 1) Be a worshipful person.
Ephesians 5:15ff
Three Sets of threes:
• Three Commands–V. 20 – “always
giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;”
Commands• 1) Be a worshipful person.• 2) Be prayerfully thankful
for all things.
Ephesians 5:15ff
Three Sets of threes:
• Three Commands–V. 21 – “And be
subject to one another in the fear of God.”
Commands• 1) Be a worshipful person.• 2) Be prayerfully thankful
for all things.• 3) Submit to the authority
God has placed in your life.
Ephesians 5:15ff
Three Sets of threes:
• Three ContextsContexts
– 5:22-33 • Wives and
husbands– 6:1-4 • Children and
parents– 6:5-9 • Servants and
masters
1) Headship of the man in the house.2) Headship of the parents over the children.3) Headship of the master over the servant.
Ephesians 5:21
5:22 -- 6:9
• THREE RELATIONSHIPS
Ephesians 6:1-4 KJV 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy
father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but
bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4 KJV 2 Honor thy father and mother; (which
is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with
thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Ten Commandments
One - Four•Vertical Commands between God and Man.
Five - Ten•Horizontal Commands between man and man.
Fifth Command
• 1st one with promise
Exodus 20:12
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
How Important is this command?
Romans 1:24-30Process of Degradation of a Culture
• Three Tiered process:– Romans 1:24-25 – Dishonored God– Romans 1:26-27 – Dishonored Bodies– Romans 1:28-30 – Dishonored others
Exodus 20:12
12 Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Deut. 5:16
• Deuteronomy 5:16 KJV 16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
• So that you will continue to exist and perpetuate the faith!
Ephesians 6:2-3
• It is for the perpetuating of the community of believers into the next generation.
• It is the way to disciple the next generation!
THAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE HOME!
Ephesians 6:4
• 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Theme of the Lesson:
The Centrality of The HomeThe Evangelism and Discipling of the
next generation!
Ephesians (Context)
Chapters 1-3• Orthodoxy
– Right Believing
• Doctrine of Salvation– How we come to know the
Lord in the scheme of redemption.
Chapters 4-6• Orthopraxy
– Practice of what is believed
• Application– Sanctification– What we do.
4:1 – “Therefore, I the prisoner of the Lord implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling with which you have been called.”
Teach Your Children To Behave Like Christians
EVANGELISM• Fathers it is our job to
evangelize our children!
DISCIPLESHIP• Fathers it is our job to
disciple our children!
Three Phases in the Development of our Children
• 1) Discipline • It is our responsibility to tell our children, “Give me your attention.”
• Teach them to do what they are told, when they are told and with a respectful attitude.
• Positive Outcome? Perpetuate the community of Faith!
• Or else … Romans 1 could be the outcome.
Three Phases in the Development of our Children
• 2) Give me your mind
• That is when we teach them what to believe and why to believe it.
• Positive Outcome? Perpetuate the community of Faith!
• Or else…Romans 1 could be the outcome.
Three Phases in the Development of our Children
• 3) Give Me Your Hand.
• Give me your hand and walk with me so that I can teach you how to apply what it is that you have been taught.
• Positive Outcome? Perpetuate the community of Faith!
• Or else…Romans 1 could be the outcome.
If we do God’s things in God’s ways we will get God’s results.
If we do this we are not only going to plug the leak but we will also fill the
bucket.