What Spiritual Lesson Does the Blessing of Children Teach Us?

Well, brethren, just a few minutes ago, we had a blessing of two precious little boys. Two beautiful little boys, James Rep and Jacob Bratt and Sivik. But why do we do this? I've given some information shortly before the ceremony, but let's go through some more detail here. Why do we do this? And why do we do this publicly? Now, I know that we do private sessions.

Some people would prefer that for various and sundry reasons. That's fine. But generally speaking, we do this publicly. Why do we bring those little babies up and place them in front of the congregation?

Why do we do that? What is the spiritual lesson? There are many. I'm going to highlight one today. But what's a lesson that this ceremony brings into sharp focus? As we're taking notes today, if you do take notes, we want to ask the question, hopefully answer it, what spiritual lesson does the blessing of children teach us? What spiritual lesson? Let's take a look at Psalm 127 to start our discussion. Psalm 127 and verse 3. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a reward. Children are a heritage from the Lord.

The word heritage, according to the Vines Expository Dictionary of Old Testament words, means a special gift from the Lord. Children are a special gift. Not everybody has children. Not everybody can have children. So if you have children, you have been tremendously blessed when you look into their faces. Appreciate the fact of how blessed you are as a mom or a dad. It says here, the fruit of the womb is a reward, showing divine favor, divine grace that God sheds upon us as we have our children.

Let's take a look at Mark 10. Here we're seeing the biblical endorsement, both in the Old and New Testaments, of this practice, of this ceremony. Mark 10. Here in the New Testament we see something very interesting. Our New Testament, New Covenant example through Jesus Christ. New Covenant, and it still carries on after Christ's death and so forth. Mark 10. Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Surely I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. So here we see our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is our example in all things. He did something very special for these little children.

Notice they were little children. They could be carried in adults' arms. This is why when we have the blessing of children, new people don't bring their 20-year-olds up. Kind of hard to hold them in your arms when they're 20 years old and weigh 200 pounds. So we use the little ones, the little guys, little gals. But here we see Jesus Christ setting the example.

Now, talking about our tradition in God's Church, the culture of God, the culture of God's Church, I should say, this ceremony began with Mr. Armstrong as he set the precedent many, many years ago where this practice was done during the Feast of Tabernacles. Back when the Church was relatively small, each year at the Feast of Tabernacles there would be the blessing of children.

Then, of course, as the Church got older, as the Church grew, the ceremony was transferred to local congregations. And we've settled on the Second Sabbath after the Feast. That's not a hard and fast rule, but that's typically when we do this. The Second Sabbath after the Feast of Tabernacles was designated as a day when we have the ceremony. Today is the Second Sabbath. We've been home since the Feast of Tabernacles, so we're having the ceremony today. As the years have progressed, some have asked if they could have the ceremony at other times of the year in their homes. We certainly have said that's permissible. That's certainly fine. If that's what you would like to do, people like to do.

Getting down more into the specifics. Let's go back to Numbers 6. Numbers 6.

We're going to see a blessing that God gave to Israel. Our Old Testament example.

Numbers 6, starting in verse 22.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his son, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. When we're reading here, children of Israel, we understand that children means all of the people of Israel, including the adults. But it also would include the children. This is the way in which you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his continents upon you and give you peace. So they shall put my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them. So here we see an Old Testament example of a blessing on the whole nation, yes, but that included the children of the nation. We've read in Mark chapter 10 the example of Jesus Christ. And so when we put those two examples together, brethren, what we have, the answer is a very important question for us, giving us scriptural guidelines as to who can participate in the ceremony.

There to be little children, as we see in Mark chapter 10 verse 13. They can be picked up in an adult's arms, as we see in Mark chapter 10 verse 16.

Therefore, we do this for little children. As it says in Numbers chapter 6 and verse 23, they are to be a part of the family of God. And so that means that people who are attending services, their members, they're attending, those are the ones we have that come up for the blessing. And brethren, the blessing is not a superstitious thing. The blessing is in that the parents, hopefully the grandparents, other family members are helping teach the little ones the ways of God.

The ministry is doing its part to teach the ways of God to the whole congregation, including the little ones. And certainly you, as members of the congregation, we have our part to play as examples, as lights, as mentors in the teaching of our children. So there is a real large community here that helps us in this whole program of taking care of our young people.

As I was thinking about the sermon today, there are any number of lessons I could have highlighted, but the one I had in particular, what spiritual lesson does the blessing of children teach us? It teaches us we're in partnership. We are in partnership with God in the blessing of our children. We are in partnership with God. That partnership includes God, His roles and responsibilities. It includes the parents, their roles and responsibilities. It includes the ministry, our roles, not just the pastor, but all the ministry, roles and responsibilities. And you, as a local congregation, you as your roles and responsibilities. So we have this partnership whereby we help in the blessing of our precious little ones. So again, brethren, this is not something we just do one Sabbath a year and kind of forget about it. This is something we do day in and day out in our walk with God as we work with our young people.

Now, a little bit of a qualifier here on my message today. God has any number of roles and responsibilities. I can't cover each and every one. Same thing is true with parents. Same thing is true with ministry. Same thing is true for you as a local congregation. So I'll be painting a little bit of a broad brush talking about some of the major things that we do. And hopefully you can understand that if I were to try to do this as an exhaustive sermon, it would take many sermons over the course of much time. Let's take a look at God's role. God's roles and responsibilities. What are some of the most important roles and responsibilities our Father has regarding our children? Number one, God gives us our children. God gives us our children. Let's turn over to Genesis 33. We'll be looking at the first five verses.

If you've got children, you have been so blessed by God. It doesn't mean that you don't have them. You're cursed because some people just don't have them. But God gives us our children. Genesis 33. We're going to see a story about two brothers. They had not been near each other for many, many years, and now they're coming face to face again. One brother has a certain idea how this is going to go, and another brother has a different idea altogether. Let's see how this plays out here. What does it all have to do with the blessing of children? Chapter 33 of Numbers, Genesis 33, verse 1. Now Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and there Esau was coming. So you know the background there. With him were 400 men. I'm sure Jacob was very concerned about seeing 400 men coming with his brother, who they had not left on the best of terms. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. So he put his family, he loved all of them, but he put them in rank according to those he cherished the most. We can debate that, but that's what he did. Verse 3. Then he crossed over before him and bowed himself to the ground seven times. So we're seeing the mindset of Jacob here, before his brother, until he came near his brother. But notice Esau. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept. Jacob was fearing reprisal. Jacob was fearing that those 400 men were going to do something to his family. And Esau, that was not in his mind at all.

Verse 5. Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children. And he said, Who are these with you? And so he said, The children whom God has graciously given your servant. Notice the words, The children whom God has graciously given your servant.

God, in his loving kindness and his grace, has given us children. That's God's role. That's God's responsibility. That's something we can't do of and by ourselves. God has got to be the one who makes that happen. So that's one of the great roles and responsibilities God has to give us our children. A second major role that God has for us, God teaches us as parents, us as family, the proper way to educate, train, and love our children. God has to teach us how to properly care for those beautiful little children that God gives us. Let's take a look at this education idea. Let's go to something very familiar to all of you. Deuteronomy 6.

Deuteronomy 6, starting here in verse 1.

Now, this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God to keep his statutes as commandments which I command you, and you and your son and your grandson. Notice the family aspect here. You and your son and your grandson all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore, hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you a land overflowing with milk and honey. So here we have a benefit spoken of as we obey God. Verse 4. Here, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your strength. And these words, as I command you today, shall be in your heart. So this is some of the basis for what we're teaching our precious children. You shall teach them diligently to your children, not haphazardly, not hit and miss, but teach them to your children diligently, and shall talk with them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, when you rise up. In other words, for family, every opportunity is a teaching moment. Every opportunity, you'll be driving down the street. Maybe you've got the radio on. You hear certain lyrics. Maybe those lyrics aren't the best lyrics. So you take a moment. You discuss the lyrics with your son or your daughter, your children. You go into a grocery store. You see somebody hold open the door. You take a moment. You discuss with your children the idea of politeness, the idea of opening up for fellows, opening up a door for a lady, and so forth. There are all these opportunities all the time. Nothing but teaching moments for us as parents. And certainly we're going to get down to the point, brethren, we're talking about those same kinds of ideas for us as a congregation. For us as a congregation. Verse 8, You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, they shall be as frontless between your eyes. So in other words, very much a part of our life.

And it encourages me when I talk to some of you and you tell me how you're raising your children, the things you're doing, the kind of Bible games you play, the kind of discussions you have, the personal Bible studies you may do, let's say on a Friday night. It really encourages me as a pastor to see that the love and the concern and the nurturing that you're putting into the aspect of parenting God's way. And you're doing such a wonderful job with that. And I would encourage you to keep that up because we've got a very dark world out there. A very dark world that wants to grab our children and swallow them whole. And yet, if they've got a loving, nurturing atmosphere in the home, and they come here and there's a loving, nurturing atmosphere in church, then we're doing so much to safeguard our precious little ones. Verse 9, you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Dropping down here to verse 20, when your son asks you in time to come saying, what is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you? We break to modern day. Why are we going to the Feast of Tabernacles? School just started. What's in Wisconsin Dells, as Dan Dowd said. What's in Wisconsin Dells? Why don't we take vacation in a summer like everyone else takes vacation?

Verse 21, then you shall say to your son, we were slaves of Pharaoh. You know, folks, we've not been slaves of a physical Pharaoh, but we've been slaves in this world to a spiritual one. And we can tell our young people, our children, that God, in His graciousness and His kindness and His loving mercy, has called us out of a world where we were slaves to a very horrible way of living. Then you shall say to your son, we were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

You know, there are various ones of you who talked about the miracles God has performed in your lives. And I always say to you, I try to always say to you, please don't keep that a secret. If God has performed a mighty miracle for you and answered prayer for you, spread the good news. Spread the word. I don't like having conversations with people when they say, you know, Mr. De'Lisandro, this can't be God's church. No miracles today.

And I always shake my head because in my position, I see miracles all the time in anointings and answer prayers, you know, because I'm, you know, as a pastor, I get feedback. People say, pray for me, or they say, oh, I just want to let you know this is what happened. I was driving down the road, almost got in a car wreck, didn't happen, should have happened, didn't happen. God was there. Spread the good news. It really means a lot, not only to us as adults, but also to our kids. Verse 22, and the Lord showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all of his household. How many ways has God intervened in our lives to help us? And He brought us out from there that He might bring us to give us the land which He swore to our fathers and so forth. So one of the great things God does, God teaches us the proper way to educate and to train. Let's go now to Ephesians, talking about training. Ephesians 6, verse 4.

Ephesians 6, verse 4.

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath.

There are right ways and wrong ways of child rearing. There are ways that produce good results, good fruit. There are ways that don't. And certainly we don't want to put our children on edge. We don't want them to recoil when they see us coming. But notice, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. God teaches us, through the Scriptures, how to properly do that. It might be helpful to look at that translation, that verse with a couple of other translations, in the King James, the authorized version, the old King James. It says this, And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture, notice the word, the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The nurture.

The Weymouth translation, and you fathers, do not irritate your children and bring them up tenderly with true Christian training and advice. So nurturing tenderly, again, it shows that home environment that we were praying about earlier today. And we are to bring them up in the admonition, as it says there, verse 4, the admonition of the Lord. The Theological Dictionary of New Testament words defines admonition this way. It means to impart understanding, to set right, to lay on the heart. The stress is on influencing not merely the intellect, but the will and disposition. The word thus inquires the sense as to admonish, to warn, to remind, to correct. It describes a basic means of education. So that's what we're wanting to do. That's what God, that's part of His role to teach us how to do those things. And of course, as we prayed, one of the other big roles that God has for our young people, God gives our children supernatural protection. Supernatural protection. Those of you who raised your hands, of course, I'm sure all of us, I'm sure all of us, have had our share of looking back in our lives and seeing where God has intervened. I could look back in my life on several occasions and see where God intervened. I could have been in a very horrible car wreck a number of times. Being wheeled in to have your heart opened up and stopped and then restarted. I think God intervened there for me. But God intervened supernaturally for our children as well. Very specific. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 1.

Hebrews chapter 1 and in verse 14, talking about the angels. Hebrews 1.14. Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth the minister to those who will inherit salvation? Does that speak to our kids? Sure it does. Absolutely it does. Speak to us as well? Yes, it does too. So those holy righteous angels are there to protect us. I'm not going to turn there, but you might write in your notes Daniel chapter 6 and verse 22. We've gone through that in the past. Daniel 6.22. I'll read it. Daniel speaking. It says, My God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouths, so they have not hurt me.

That's what angels do for God's people. So those are some of the things. Certainly you don't want to pass by too quickly. I see my time is really evaporating here. Another one of God's roles is God works with our children spiritually. How much price can you put on that? That God works with our children spiritually. Are they called? Scripture evidence leaves no doubt that a child can have a tremendous relationship with God. Examples would include Samuel, Josiah, Timothy. Young people can understand spiritual concepts and principles. They come to services. They listen. You'd be surprised how many times parents will come to me. I'm speaking away or somebody's speaking away, and parents will say, you know, you said something, and my little one commented on that. You know, little pictures have big ears. Little pictures have big ears. 1 Corinthians 7.

I'm sure you know where I'm going here. 1 Corinthians 7 and verse 14.

1 Corinthians 7, 14, For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. Our children are in a very special relationship with God, because you are in a very special relationship with God. They've got special access to God. The way children growing up in the church are called will differ, for example, from the way I was called. I've always kind of joked that, you know, when I came into the church, I came in through the back door, through the back window, because my parents hated the church. Part of the reason they hated the church is the way I was evangelizing them about the church. I think probably anybody would have been of that mind unless they were being called, which they weren't. At least, not at that time. Later on, I had a chance to baptize my mother, and that was a special time for me. I remember baptizing her, and after the ceremony, I was kind of smiling, and she came over. Her big blue eyes looked at me and said, Randy, what are you smiling about? I said, well, now for a change, I got to lay hands on you.

I've been the other way quite a few times through the course of the years.

But the way our children are growing up in the church, their calling is different from most adult conversion experiences who didn't grow up in church. Our children, their calling is more of a gradual nature. It becomes more personal as they grow. As free moral agents, they have the opportunity to either accept or reject or walk away. Some walk away is always my hope and prayer that they will walk back. And largely again, brethren, that's again, as a community, what are they hearing in services? What do they see in the local congregation? So we do have our responsibilities to play. So God's roles and responsibilities, we just hit on a sampling. God gives us our children. God teaches us the proper way to educate, train, and love our children. God gives our children supernatural protection. And God works with them spiritually. Parents' roles. I will be taking you a little over time today. When I say a little over time, I've got my watch here. We won't go over another hour, but we will go over. Parents' roles and responsibilities. The number one role that I have right here is that parents provide a loving, nurturing environment.

A loving, nurturing environment. You might say, Mr. D., why don't you use talking about spirit first? Well, if we don't have a love—if we have somebody beating the Bible and beating their kid, the Bible thumping is not going to do any good. Parents must provide a loving, nurturing environment. Children must know they are loved. They must know they are cherished. They must know they are important and special to their parents. I have dealt with any number of dysfunctional families over the years. Any number of dysfunctional families where dad was a falling down drunk, and the oldest sibling would have to hide the younger sibling so they wouldn't get beat up like mom was beat up. People who couldn't really wrap their mind around the concept of a loving God because their dad was not loving. I think about the way I was raised. I had loving parents.

I think I was fairly well-adjusted growing up, but why? The household I grew up in, which was not a God-centered household—my dad could care less about religion. Mom was religious, but they showed their love to me. They showed their concern to me, and that helped me to be hopefully a stable individual. So that's something that we must do with our with our children. That's our parental role. Let's look at Titus. Titus 2 and verse 4.

Paul giving an admonition here to the various people in the congregation. They admonish the young women to love their husbands and to love their children. To love their husbands and to love their children. Give them all the attention you can, all the time that you can. Time is so fleeting. So many times I say to our young parents, enjoy these days. Because I remember back when I had the blessing of my two, and now they're in their mid-30s. Time just seems to go so fast. So take the time.

No one goes to their graves wishing they spent more time at work. People can go to their graves wishing they spent more time with their kids. Take the time. It's so important. It's so important to them. It gives them such an anchor to their life to know mom and dad are there. They love them. They cherish them.

Proverbs 29, verse 15, I'm not going to turn there. But it says, In part, a child left to himself bring shame to his mother. Child left to himself bring shame to his mother. But we don't want that. So we're going to work about that. So there needs to be that bonding. And this is where, for moms, as you are able to, let's say, breastfeed, and you're looking at that little one's face as you're doing that, you talk about an enriching bonding experience. Or dad. You know, his dad is doing various things, as he's helping feed the child in whatever way he's feeding the child. That eye-to-eye contact, the physical touch is so very important. It's such a wonderful gift that we give to our children. Proper bonding helps a child be well-adjusted, responsive, loving, trusting. As they grow up to be a teenager, as they grow up to be adults, they understand how to relate to other people better. They understand how to relate to the opposite sex better, because they have had both a mom and a dad that were loving and nurturing. So that's one of the great jobs for moms and dads to do. Another role for moms and dads? To teach God's way. To teach God's way. To teach God's way. This is where I think so many of you have a leg up on some others that I could think of. As you tell me how you're raising your children, you're giving them a gift that has no price on it, because you're giving them the gift of the love of the Scriptures. You have little Bible games. You have Friday night Bible studies. You take the time to go through the word of God. Let's take a look at 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2.

You're going to wonder how I'm tying this into a blessing of children's ceremony, but please give me some time here. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 8. 3 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breadth of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming. 4 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.

Bad environment there, right? 5 With all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved. Notice what the love of the truth helps us to avoid.

It helps us to avoid or not be taken in or suckered by the power, signs, and lying wonders of Satan with Satan's deception, because we love the truth. We know the truth. It is a centerpiece of our lives. Verse 11. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. Because they don't love the truth, they will believe a lie. If we are grounding our children in the truth, they won't believe lies. They will have something to fall back on that is bedrock, the truth of God. You've got the example of the Bereans. I'm not going to turn there. Acts 17. The Berean example. They search the scriptures daily whether those things were so.

I forget how old my son was. We were living in Raleigh, North Carolina, my first assignment. I was the assistant pastor. My boss came over to the house one day and said, Brandon, I'm curious. What does your daddy do for a living? He thought about it. I don't know how old he was. He was just old enough to talk so he could understand what he was saying.

He thought about it. He looked at Mike, my boss. He said, Bibble Diddy.

Dad does Bibble Diddy, Bible study. That's what he saw daddy doing. Bibble Diddy.

And I always get as a dad, I remember that. That's what I do. I do Bibble Diddy. Let's go to 2 Timothy chapter 3.

2 Timothy chapter 3, one of the great personages of the Scriptures. Paul writing to young Timothy, younger man. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15. And that from childhood you have known the holy Scriptures.

From childhood his mother and his grandmother taught him the holy Scriptures. It appears he lived in a household where both parents were not in the church. And yet because of the example and the teaching of family, he became the man that he became.

So teaching our children the love of the Scriptures is a very important role in responsibility. One last one I want to cover, and again there are so many you could cover, but one last one I want to cover for parents. Is parents, we need to teach our children the basics of practical living. The basics of practical living. Now you may well be in a situation where you say, well I even bring that point up. Isn't that so basic?

Well again, brethren, in my ministry I have dealt with so many dysfunctional types.

A member of one woman telling me that she had her share of issues, but one of the reasons why she had her share of issues is her mother never once, according to her, her mother never once told her she loved her.

And her parents didn't go through the things that make us human beings. There was just no real parental roles in her life. And so she went through life kind of blindly, I don't know as an adult, what should I be doing? What are the rules as an adult? And you may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. And so one of the things as we're teaching the basics of practical living, and I'll narrow it down here a little more, the value of making wise choices. The value of making wise choices.

Let's look at Deuteronomy chapter 30.

Deuteronomy chapter 30 in verse 19.

I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life that both you and your descendants may live. As parents, we need to educate our young people of making right and wise choices. And you know, so many times what I've seen, and you know you can go by your experience, but from what I've seen is people can make some very bad choices. And once they've made some bad choices, that tends to spawn other bad choices. And you get into this downward spiral of making more and more bad choices, predicated on what's gone before. Now, just the opposite can be true. If we're teaching our children, and we're using proverbs as we're educating our people, we're giving them a concept of wisdom. We're giving them a concept of how to make proper choices.

Good decisions, and every decision has a consequence, good decisions often permit good choices down the road. Good decisions permit good decisions down the road, especially as young people, especially as young people. So parental roles and responsibilities provide, number one, a loving, nurturing environment, number two, teach children about God in His ways, and number three, teach them the basics of life, especially how to make wise choices. Okay, we'll narrow this down now to the ministry, not just pastors. We're going to include our other two fellows here and any other ministers that you come in contact with in God's church. Our role, our responsibility, much like the family. I view our elders view it the same way. We view our job as to provide a spiritually nurturing environment in the congregation, a spiritually nurturing environment.

You know, I've mentioned to you in the past what my ministry entailed before moving to Chicago. You are so fortunate in the ministers you've had, Mr. Faye and others. My first pastor, I walked into a church where the pastor had been sleeping with the sermonette man's wife for five years and everybody knew it. Now, how would you like to go to Passover services and know the guy conducting services was sleeping with that lady? Or how would you, as a congregation, like in this case, to be literally sworn at from the pulpit?

That was my first pastor. My second pastor, the minister, used his teenage children to spy on other children. And then, and then, during services, he would announce somebody's name. Need to see so-and-so after church. After church, so-and-so would be ushered off to a room. All the deacons and elders would surround, and he would get yelled at. So, the place for everybody in the whole building heard it. My last pastor in Detroit, following somebody who took three quarters of the church before I got there. Those environments were not loving, nurturing environments. Those were environments where people would have dysentery prior to coming to church, because they feared their name would be called. So, I know a little something about that, and I don't want ever to be in a situation where I, in any way, foster any kind of a relationship in a local congregation that's not nurturing. Let's take a look at First Thessalonians chapter 2.

At this point, you're saying, yeah, I'm glad I became Chicago.

Wendy said he's not so bad. First Thessalonians chapter 2.

Notice the way Paul discusses his relationship with the church here in Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 2.4. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, all of us as ministers in the Chicago church take this very, very seriously to be approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, to teach God's precious people the truths of the Bible. Even so, we speak not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. So, the bottom line for any of us as ministers is we have to be true to God. We want to provide that loving, nurturing environment. There are times when sometimes there's correction needs to come about as well, but even that can be done in a loving, nurturing way. Verse 5, For neither at any time do we use flattering words, as you know, nor our cloak of covenants, God is witness, nor do we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. There were times where, because of the church there in Thessalonica, Paul may have been in it for the money, he didn't collect tithes and offerings, which was his right to do. But this is where he worked with his own hands, so people wouldn't think he was in it for the money. But notice verse 7, But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. We were gentle as a nursing mother cherishes. Notice the description there. 8, So affectionately longing for you we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you have become dear to us. Notice the description the man is giving here about how he views the church. It's a warm, spiritually nurturing environment. 10, You are witnesses in God also how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved among you who believe. So it's up to us in the ministry to set the example of Christian living.

Hopefully we do a good job with that. I know the other two fellows do. Hopefully I am doing it as well. 11, As you know how we exhorted, comforted, and charge everyone as a father does his own children. So over and over here we see a language where the ministry provides a spiritually nurturing environment. Let's go to 2 Timothy chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 2.

Verse 24.

Another one of the roles of the ministry is to help the bride of Christ get ready.

2 Timothy chapter 2.

Verse 24. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach and be patient. All any minister who is worth his salt needs to do is look at his own life and realize that we all live in glasshouses. In humility, correcting those who are in opposition. Notice, in humility. And there are times when correction needs to take place. But that needs to be done in humility. Understanding that there are times we need correction as well. We're human beings too. In humility, correcting those who are in opposition. Opposition to what? Opposition to our best interest, which is God's way of life. If God perhaps will grant them repentance so they may know the truth. Not just the truth of the Scriptures, but the truth about where they stand with God. And sometimes people just don't see where they're standing with God. They don't see that they are edging themselves out of the church. And so it's the ministry's responsibility to, in a loving way, try to show people, look, you're hurting yourself. And sometimes people leave us no alternative, but to do so with means we'd rather not do.

Verse 26. That they may come to their senses, spiritually speaking, and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him, to do his will, Satan's will. So here we see, brethren, the ministry working to ready the bride of Christ. This is our role. It's my role to help make sure that we have the right kind of programming. And we do in Chicago. We're about to start these parenting classes. For the most part, as I look at you as parents, I see really good examples. I see well-adjusted young people in our congregation. So I'm kind of preaching to the choir here, but these things need to be said. We need to make sure that we hear these things and move forward with these things. Okay, let's go to the last area of the sermon today. The minister's role, again, was to provide a spiritually nurturing environment and to work toward ready the bride of Christ. Let's look now at the congregation's role, some of them.

Role and responsibility. As I made mention, we had two beautiful little boys, cousins, sharp-looking little guys, came up in front of the congregation. They were held by one of the parents. That tells us something. I think Mr. Armstrong, in his wisdom, we could always have done this privately, but Mr. Armstrong, I think as he was inspired to God, was inspired that we did it at the Feast of Tabernacles in front of who knows how many back when the church was very young. And then when the church got bigger, we do it here in services. Bring that child up in front of the congregation so that all the congregation, in my feeling, the whole congregation has a certain responsibility. So one of the roles and responsibilities for us as a Chicago church, much like the parents, much like the ministry, to assist in providing a loving and nurturing environment in the congregation. To assist in providing a loving and nurturing environment in the congregation. We don't want our young people to turn 18 and leave because the church in Chicago was cold and uncaring and just not a good place to be. Now, my view, and one of the reasons why I was looking forward to moving to Chicago, is that's not the reputation you have. The reputation you have is that you're a very stable, warm, loving congregation. Mary used to attend here before we got married. She attended here for about six months with her brother Todd. Many of you remember Todd Snyder, her brother. Chicago's got a great reputation, but that can go away if we allow it to go away. We don't want it to go away. We want to keep it. We want to continue to be a warm, loving, responsible, nurturing congregation. Let's take a look back to Titus. Titus 2. Paul here gives some admonition to various segments of the church. Titus 2, verse 2, talks to the older gentlemen. Titus 2, too, that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. So Titus was to teach them to manifest the characteristics of maturity. We're well on our way here. I believe the Chicago church is a very mature congregation. We want to continue in our maturity. Older men, he says, are to be worthy of respect. Older men are to be serious-minded and not clowns. Not somebody where a young person just dismisses them, although they're kind of the town clown. No, we go to certain ones and we say, well, that man's really lived a life. I can learn from that person. And hopefully, we're rearing our young people where they don't always just want to be with peers. They want to be with older people and learn. That was one of the joys I had when I first got up to Ambassador College. All of my friends had graduated from high school the year I was born. They were my closest friends. They were all 18-20 years older than me, but I enjoy going over their homes, sitting down, listening to how they came up in the church and the things they've learned. That meant a lot to me. So, older men, here's our mission statement. We want to be the kind of people who are worthy of respect, mature. Not that we can't ever tell a joke. We don't want to walk around all stuff shirted and that sort of thing where if we smile, our face cracks and falls off.

We don't need that either. There's got to be a balance. Moving on, verse 3. The older women, likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanders, not given much wine, teachers of good things. Older ladies. There's an opportunity for mentoring the younger ladies. Of course, older gentlemen, mentoring the younger gentlemen that is so needed in today's world. Having proper mentorship. You wonder, well, what can I do to serve? I don't set up chairs or I don't play. I'm not into choir. I don't play the piano. I wish we had more people to play piano. She does!

But, you know, as you've gone through life, that gray hair represents something. Those lines on our face represent something. We've learned some good things and we've learned some things not to do. And those can be passed along in a proper way, not to two-year-olds, but you know you will not know what I'm talking about. We want to have an environment where that's the case. Dropping down here to verse 4 and 5. That they admonish the younger women. So here we've got the mentoring. To love their husbands and to love their children. Notice it was on here for our younger women. We have seven different things here for our younger ladies to take a look at. To be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands. That the Word of God may not be blasphemed. Now, is it the case that younger women have more needs? Of course not. I don't know why Paul wrote it this way, but God inspired it. Seven things are emphasized here for our younger ladies. Number one, lovers of their husbands. Number two, lovers of their children. Number three, self-control. Four, purity. Five, busy at home, doing the domestic things. That doesn't mean that because you work outside the house that there's something wrong with you. That's not the case at all. You just have to organize your day differently. Organize your life a little differently. Not everybody can be a stay-at-home mom these days.

So number six, kind. Number seven, subject to their husbands. Subject to their husbands. Younger men. Let's take a look at chapter 2 here, verses 6-8. Likewise, exhort the younger men to be sober-minded. You know, Mr. Bradford gave a very wise session, both during last February's Young Adults' Weekend and at the feast, talking about not despising people's youth. How, as a young man who doesn't have years and years and the gray hair and all that, how can you go through life where people take you seriously? Well, if you have a proper, balanced way, you're sober-minded. You're not the village idiot. You come across as somebody that was respected. You've been studying the Proverbs. You're reading that over and over and over. You're seeing the wisdom there, and you're bringing that into your life.

Verse 7, all things show yourself a pattern of good works.

People see the fruits of your life, and they say, you know, that guy has got his act together. In doctrine, showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Much like it was true of Daniel, they couldn't find anything against him because he was such a good individual. He was an upstanding man. He showed himself to be a good individual.

Last idea, brethren, regarding our responsibility as a congregation. One thing that young people have a tremendous affinity to spot is hypocrisy.

As a congregation, we don't want to be viewed in any way, shape, or form, and as individuals, as hypocrites. What we are is what we are. We don't wear a church face on the Sabbath, and then somebody sees us during the course of the week someplace else. They see a totally different person. Look at Mark chapter 7.

Mark chapter 7 and verse 6.

As I was doing some research here, I found an article written by Billy Hollowell. Five possible reasons young Americans are leaving church and Christianity behind. It's a little bit dated. It was written in October of 2013. But I think the message here is still valid and still true. He goes through five reasons. I wanted to cover just the first part of what he wrote. There's been much discussion of light surrounding declining church attendance, and in particular, the rise in religiously unaffiliated young people. There are a variety of theories surrounding why millennials, those individuals born between the years 1980 and 2000, are leaving the church or the Christian faith more generally, and differing views about what the phenomenon means for future faith in America.

Focus on the family. The Christian ministry and the Barna group, a firm that studies trends and religion, are just two of the organizations that have researched some potential reasons why a portion of young people are fleeing the pews. I quote, number one of the five. The first and foremost is the idea that some millennials have that religious people are, quote, hypocritical, judgmental, or insincere. This focus on the family argues might hamper interest in participating in both church and Christianity as a whole. So, brethren, we are here today. We bless two beautiful little baby boys. But we are in a partnership with God, a partnership that includes God, parents, ministry, and congregation. Let's take a look at one final scripture in the book of Ephesians. One final scripture, Ephesians chapter 4. Talking about the growth and development of the body of Christ. Ephesians chapter 4. Verse 16. Let's kind of break into the thought here. Ephesians 4.16. From whom the whole body joined and knit together by which every joint supplies.

We all have a part in the health of the Chicago congregation and the health of our little ones.

Joined and knit together by which every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share. Every part does its share, causing growth of the body for the edification of itself and love. That's what we want here in Chicago. That's what we want to see. We want to see this tremendous environment, which we have, and we want it to augment it. We want it to proceed even more richly. So to our two families that had the blessing of children today, my honor and privilege to help be a part of that. Looking forward to watching those two little guys grow.