A strategic partnership is needed between parents and the church in order to provide an environment of true Biblical discipleship and spiritual development.
Four Keys to an effective Shift:
1. Obedience leads to experiencing God's blessing.
- Parents are called to live out the Shema (Deut 6:4-9) within their lives and to lead by example.
- Joshua was a great example of obedience. He even drew a line in the sand telling the people of Israel to chose who they were going to serve, but he and his house were going to serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14-15)
- God desires obedience more than sacrifice. (I Sam 15:22)
2. Godly Influence is vital (v.7)
- The goal is not to be perfect, but faithful.
- While Joshua was leading Israel they followed the Lord, but after Joshua and his elders died the generation after that did forsook the Lord.
3. Past influence and success does not guarantee future obedience and prosperity (v. 10)
- The past is a monument to be remembered not an anchor to weigh you down.
- Families relied upon the priests to teach their children rather than taking responsibility. Sound Familiar? I think so. Huh? Church today?
- Church is a partner, but not primary.
4. Lack of Influence leads to compromise (v.11-13)
- Inconsistent godly instruction leads to ineffective parenting, an increase in doubt, and apathy in your spiritual life.
- You can ride the bench as long as you want.
- Apathy breeds apathy.
- The next generation needs to be challenged to engage in their own mission of pursuing Christ and His Kingdom.
What a great day. I hope and pray for the next generation as they come to understand Christ and the role they play in his Kingdom. I leave you with a scripture from Proverbs "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
No comments:
Post a Comment