Introduction
For a lot of our population, the school year began this past week. In light of that, it would be good for us to consider what the Scriptures say concerning the education of children and youth. This is important because the Bible teaches that every area of life must happen under the lordship of Jesus Christ, every area of life is part of the kingdom of God, that includes the education of our children. Therefore, we are to strive for kingdom education. The ultimate goal of education in whatever setting is to develop a mature disciple of Jesus Christ whose life glorifies God. Today we will consider 10 principles that will help us in our journey toward kingdom education.
Don't turn your brain off just yet. There is a place for everyone in this area.
I. Principle # 1: The Education of Children and Youth Is Primarily a Parental Responsibility – Ps. 78:4-5
Dt. 6:7 – You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Dt. 11:19 – You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Pro. 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Mal. 2:15 – But did He not make themone, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
Eph. 6:4 – And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
A. These passages make it clear that it is the parents who are primarily responsible for the education of their children in all areas.
B. Even if parents delegate some areas of their child's education to others, they are still answerable to God for what and how their children are taught.
C. Malachi 2 makes it clear that God desires parents to develop godly offspring.
D. Application
1. Christian parents must make sure that they are assuming total responsibility for the education of their children.
2. So, they must constantly ask themselves certain questions that encompass three areas of life:
a. Who or what is in control of education of my child at home? What training is being directly by me, the parent? What influence do I allow the media to have on my child at home? Do I know what my child is seeing, hearing, or doing while at home?
b. What is my child being taught in church, Sunday school, other church related activities?
c. What is my child learning at school? From teachers? From textbooks? From curriculum? From other students? From the school's policies and procedures?
3. It is a tremendous task to assume direct responsibility for our children's education, but it is a task worth pursuing.
II. Principle # 2: The Education of Children and Youth Is a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week Process That Must Take Place from Birth through Maturity.
Dt. 6:7 – You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Dt. 11:19 – You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Pro. 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
A. You all have heard and even memorized this last verse.
1. We want to claim it as a promise that will assure us that if we have our children in church when they are little, they we will continue with the Lord when they are older.
2. However, this is not a promise, but a truism: however we train our children, that is the likely way they will go in their lives.
a. Whatever things we teach them by our life we think are important, these are the things they will think is important (though God can override this by his grace)
b. The concept communicated by the phrase train up a child is that this is a continual process that starts at birth.
c. When he is old tells us that this process does not end until the individual reaches maturity.
B. In Deuteronomy, God tells us that parents must teach their children diligently with intense, highly concentrated, consistent effort.
1. This effort takes place:
a. When our children get up each morning;
b. When they are at home and around the house;
c. When they are away from the house;
d. When they lie down to go to sleep.
2. The only time we should not be diligently teaching our children the things of God is when they are asleep.
C. Application
1. What am I doing to diligently teach my child the things of God when he gets up each day?
2. How am I diligently teaching my child God's ways while he is at home?
3. Is my child being taught God's truth in all of the activities he is involved throughout the day?
4. What am I doing to reinforce God's Word in my child when he finishes each day and goes to bed?
III. Principle # 3: The Education of Children and Youth Must Have as Its Primary Goals the Salvation and Discipleship of the Next Generation – Ps. 78:6-7
A. As parents, we must not forget that the ultimate goal of education is to enable our children to do what they were created to do: glorify and enjoy God in Jesus Christ forever.
1. If our kids make all the academic excellence lists and yet fail to follow Christ, what have we achieved of lasting value?
2. Success in education is demonstrated in our children and grandchildren teaching their children to know God and keep his commandments.
B. Application
1. We must develop a single-minded focus on the purpose behind the education of our children: to turn them into mature follower of Christ.
2. So ask yourself these questions:
a. Am I consistently sharing the Gospel with my children?
b. Am I a mature disciple of Christ, reflecting a life characterized by love, trust, and obedience to him?
c. Do all the educational efforts that I provide my child, both at home and away from home, point him to Christ and help her follow Christ?
IV. Principle # 4: The Education of Children and Youth Must Be Based on God's Word as Absolute Truth.
Ps. 19:7-10 – The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD isclean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
A. The Word of God was not given to us so that we could read and talk about it on Sundays and maybe Wednesdays.
B. It is God's revelation of what is true for every area of life and for every day of the week.
C. As we train our children, this foundational idea that there is absolute truth and that truth is found in God and clearly seen in Jesus Christ must permeate every aspect of that training.
V. Principle # 5: The Education of Children and Youth Must Hold Christ Preeminent in All of Life.
Col. 2:3, 6-10 – … in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Rom. 11:36 – For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
A. We can't really know anything fully till we know that that one thing was made to declare Christ's glory.
B. True discovery is really to discover how the things that are around us glorify Christ.
1. Christ must be preeminently focused upon in our homes.
2. Christ must be preeminently focused upon in our church.
3. Christ must be preeminently focused upon in our schools.
VI. Principle # 6: The Education of Children and Youth Must not Hinder the Spiritual and Moral Development of the Next Generation.
Mt. 18:6 – Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mt. 19:13-14 – Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
A. Sometimes we think of offending children only in terms of physical abuse, but anything that hinders their moral and spiritual development is, according to Christ, the epitome of child abuse.
B. So, are the educational choices at home, at church, and at school, that we are making for our children getting in the way of their spiritual development and in the way of Christ's being preeminent in all things?
VII. Principle # 7: The Education of Children and Youth, If Delegated to Others by Parents, Must Be Done by Teachers and Systems Chosen with Utmost Care to Ensure That They All Follow These Principles – Ps. 78:3-4.
A. Every parent will in some way delegate some of the responsibility in the process of properly educating his/her children.
1. Notice that the raising and educating of children and youth has a communal aspect to it.
2. Also notice that God speaks of our raising our forefathers children.
a. So, the church community helps in the educating of our children (it might not take a village, but it sure helps to have church).
b. And the historic community is also involved (the cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11).
B. When Moses was trying to educate the children of Israel to know and follow God, Jethro warned Moses to be extremely careful to check the character of the person to whom he would delegate any portion of this responsibility.
C. Each person had to fear God, love truth, and hate covetousness.
Ex. 18:21 – But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
D. Are we entrusting our kids to this type of people and institutions?
VIII. Principle # 8: The Education of Children and Youth results in the Formation of Lifestyles or Worldviews That Will Be Patterned after the Belief Systems or Worldviews of the Their Teachers.
Lk. 6:40 – A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
A. Every person has a worldview or an underlying belief system that drives his or her attitudes and actions in life – even if one doesn't realize it.
B. Every one will also attempt to further his worldview in whatever way he can.
C. This is most obvious in education.
D. Everyone who teaches others influences them in at least three ways:
1. Content: what they say;
2. Communication: how they say it;
3. Conduct: how they live.
E. No one can teach out of philosophical vacuum.
1. Their beliefs and values will come out and these will help shape the beliefs and values of those whom they teach.
2. The sad thing is that it is estimated that only 7-8% of today's Christians have a biblical understanding of life.
3. Following this principle would cause us to conclude that today's Christians have been educated by a majority of people, or influences, who did not possess a biblical worldview, which is exactly the opposite Ps. 78 is telling us to do.
IX. Principle # 9: The Education of Children and Youth Must Lead to true Wisdom by Connecting All Knowledge to a Biblical Worldview.
Col. 2:3 – in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
A. Nancy Pearcy in Total Truth says, "We must begin by being utterly convinced that there is a biblical perspective on everything – not just on spiritual matters…. The fear of some 'god' is the beginning of every proposed system of knowledge…. God is the sole source of the entire created order. No other gods compete with Him; no natural forces exist on their own; nothing receives its nature or existence from another source. Thus his Word, or laws, or creation ordinances give the world its order and structure…. There is no philosophically or spiritually neutral subject matter."
B. God created the entire universe, including every fact found in every subject one studies.
C. The Bible makes it clear that God reveals his very character and nature to us through our understanding of his created world – Ps. 19; Rom. 1.
D. Therefore, the education that we provide our children must not merely give our children knowledge.
E. It must lead to true wisdom and understanding by helping them see the God-intended meaning found in everything they learn.
F. God is not irrelevant to any part of learning.
X. Principle # 10: The Education of Children and Youth Must Have a View of the Future That Includes the Eternal Perspective – Ps. 78:5-7.
A. The education of children and youth must not only prepare them for a life of service here but also to stand before God for eternity.
B. Our goals and desires in education must be guided by who we are eternally in Christ.
Col. 3:1-2 – Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Conclusion
All these principles boil down to one overarching principle: Christ must have the preeminence in your children's education at home, at church, and at school, wherever that school maybe.
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