Expositional Explaining Expository Exclaiming

For many in our "IFB" movement a LOUD service equals a powerful service. The preacher will carry his microphone and preach with it half down his throat yelling and hollering and begging for "amens" and "Preach-ons". As long as the preacher and half the congregation leaves hoarse, then 'God was in the service.' Well, volume does not equal power. Changed lives is a fruit of God's power!
The power of God is not found in volume, but rather in the Scriptures. You see, power is a direct product of proper authority.
For instance, the Lord in giving the Great Commission said in Matthew 28:

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things...

The Authority brought the power!
We also see in Acts 1 the following:

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me...

The Authority brought power!
The Lord said to a centurion once that He had not ever seen so great a faith as the faith he expressed. Why was that? Well, when the centurion sought to have his servant healed of Christ, he had faith that Christ could do just that; but his words were as follows in Luke 7:8

For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

You will notice that the centurion knew Christ had the power to heal because he too was "a man set under authority." Not just a man with authority, but also under authority. You see, power comes from being under the proper authority.
This is why the power of God is evident in the home when the children are subject to the parents, the wife subject to the husband, and the husband subject to the Lord and His Word. This is why the power of God is evident in ministries done through the local church and under the church's authority (Eph. 3:21). This is why our preaching, if it is to have the power of God, is to be contextual and centered upon the Word of God!
Paul in his final words to Timothy said in chapter 4:

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Paul told Timothy to Preach! Let us examine his thoughts on preaching:
I. The Cause of Preaching (vs. 1)
The word 'charge' there means to testify or bring to remembrance. Paul was reminding Timothy of why he had better take preaching serious...we will give an account before God someday. It would be of great benefit for every preacher to remind himself before taking the pulpit that we will give an account before God for how we use that pulpit. Our duty is the 'perfecting of the saints.' (Eph. 4:11-12). To teach them the Word of God, and we will most definitely give an account (Heb. 13:17). We will not give an account for our jokes, stories, illustrations, or volume; but we will give an account for preaching the Word!
II. The Command to Preach (vs. 2a)
Paul says here to 'Preach the Word!' In this you see a few thoughts:
A. Authority
The word preach there means a 'heralder.' A ruler would have a heralder to make announcements in a clear, loud voice. He was not an ambassador who made negotiations, but a heralder that made proclamations! The idea of a heralder is that he was not THE AUTHORITY, but he proclaimed the message of the Authority!
B. Action
Paul says "Preach". There is no substitute for preaching! God has ordained preaching as His means of proclaiming the Word (1 Cor. 1:21; Titus 1:3). God did not ordain cantatas, dramas, or social events as His means of proclaiming the Word...it is preaching!
C. Article
We are to preach 'The Word.' Not the Sword of the Lord, not another man's commentary, not a hobby horse; but preach the Word. Our people and our churches are truly being destroyed from a lack of knowledge of the Word of God!
D. Appointments
We are to preach the Word "in season, out of season." A true preacher of the Word of God will not seek excuses to not preach, but will seek for opportunities to preach! He will be ready, willing, and wanting to preach! A fire will be burning!(Jer. 20:9)
III. The Components of Preaching (vs. 2)
Preaching of the Word should consist of three actions according to this Scripture:
1. Reproving-Convicting, exposing, and correcting faults
2. Rebuking-Chiding to raise the value of, purposed to make better
3. Exhorting-Calling to one's side to strengthen and encourage.
I read a quote about preaching that said this:

Preaching is afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

If we encourage those that need rebuking, we assist in their sin; if we rebuke those that need encouraging, we push them towards sin.
IV. The Composure in Preaching (vs. 2)
When one preaches the Word, it must be done "with all longsuffering." Topical preaching has its place and is a good thing! The draw to topical preaching is that it excites and motivates people to make an instant decision! Preaching the Word and allowing folks to perfect (mature) in their knowledge of the Word of God will not produce immediate excitement or even decisions. We judge every service by 'how many came to the altar;' when we ought to judge a service by 'how many lives were changed in the weeks and months to follow.' Preaching through the Word of God must be done with longsuffering and patience.
V. The Core of Preaching (vs. 2)
Preaching must be, above all else centered on doctrine! Paul even goes on to warn in verse 3 that a time is coming (is it here?) when people will not endure sound doctrine! Preachers must center their preaching times not on telling stories, testimonies, jokes, illustrations, or other fluff; but rather doctrine.

True preaching is the explanation and application of Bible doctrine. Anything else is religious speech making.

Oh that we would get back to doctrinal preaching. We have a generation of 'IFB' churches that have been raised on a diet of topical, easy listening preaching that know very little doctrine and as a result are being swept away into false churches and teaching.
VI. The Calamity (vs. 3-4)
Paul warns Timothy in charging him to preach the Word that people "will turn away their ears from truth..." We are living in a day when many folks do not desire the healthy doctrinal preaching of the Word; but rather just have a taste for the carnal weak novelties of easy listening preaching. People would rather be told how much God loves them and how good they are, than to learn doctrine, see truth, and truly see a reflection of ourselves in the mirror of God's Word.
Oh that we would get back to Preaching the Word!

The Great Sermon Hunt!

The recent success is hanging up as a trophy on the wall, the gun still hot from projecting its lethal bullet, and already the hunter begins preparation for his next conquest....many preachers know exactly of what I speak. The final "Amens" have been said, the pats on the back received, an enjoyed Sunday night meal at Wendys with a few church folks who still are laughing at the four five-minute stories shared in the 30 minute message delivered that night, and finally a good night's rest. Then...it begins....
What am I going to preach next week? First, a quick glance through some past sermons; if you're lucky, you might 'be led' to preach one that is already done and hasn't been preached for a few years. No luck!
We begin searching through our favorite books: "Simple Sermons on Salvation"for Sunday morning, "10 Practical Sermons on Serving the King" for Sunday night, and "50 Ready to Preach Sermon Outlines" for our mid-week service. Bummer, we have already preached 100 of them last year.
Hey! There's the "Sword of the Lord." We begin skimming the paper looking at the italics trying to find the main points. Unfortunately, we had Dr. PreachRight here at our church last year and he preached that same message. But, the other sermon on the front page...well...let's just say "Sunday Night-Done."
It's lunch time now on Monday and we go and take our lunch break, follow it up with a few games of solitaire on the computer, check our facebook, update twitter, and call a missionary and schedule him for next month (one sermon down for next month!). Time to go home!
Tuesday comes and after a quick two hour computer check on things, we then begin 'studying' again. We need a mid-week message and a Sunday morning message. We then go to our favorite web pages.... www.sermonseeds.org; sermonnotebook.org; and sermoncentral.com. There it is! "Prayer Revisited"

I. Privacy of Prayer
II. Power of Prayer
III. Persistence of Prayer
IV. Partnership of Prayer
V. Pattern of Prayer

And...the references are all given as well. Shew! Mid-week done! Time for lunch, facebook, solitaire, etc!
Wednesday begins, and the hunt is almost over. All we need now is a Sunday morning sermon-but wait, the phone rings and we need to go to the hospital to visit a parishioner. By the time we visit with them, stop for lunch, and swing by the store; well, it's time to get ready to preach that Prayer sermon and go to church.
Thursday is our day off. We shall rest.
Friday begins with some computer catching up, a quick call to check on the member at the hospital, and now it's time to study for a Sunday Morning Sermon. We bring out the big guns now...our "Spurgeon Sermons Five Volume Set." We will need to change alot of the wording as our folks would have a hard time following a non-alliterated message, but we could make it work. Or wait, maybe we could listen to a sermon on biblepreaching.com or sermonaudio.com or the like. It would require 40 minutes to listen and write down the points, but time well spent 'studying.' Yes, there it is, a sermon by Ralph Sexton Jr. "Making Much of Jesus." It did require 68 minutes of listening and writing down main points (of course we were able to continue our solitaire conquest while listening), but we are done studying! Time to go home and enjoy our Friday night Smackdown episode and maybe an episode of Survivor.
Saturday morning we get up at the crack of 9 and head towards church. There we meet with everyone and go out soul winning. We were able to get 12 people "repeat a prayer" and have 12 illustrations for "Making Much of Jesus." We then go home and enjoy a few hours of rest before Sunday. It's been a rough week, alot of studying and visiting, but we have our sermons and are ready for another Sunday.
But then Monday, the hunt begins!



It would be funny; if it weren't so true for so many.

Oh that men of God would get back to preaching the Word of God. That more time would be spent in prayer, fasting, and contextual study and preaching of the Word. I am not against using other folks ideas, sermons, and thoughts...just fear that there are those who if the computer and all books were removed other than a Bible, they would struggle in finding a sermon. I fear there is more time spent looking up illustrations than there are Scriptures. Our people are being lost to false doctrine, false churches, and lies and deceptions. May we preach the Word!

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But ye have not so learned Christ;
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind

Preach the Word!

It is Monday morning, and already the mind of the preacher is focused on next Sunday's message. What should be preached this week? For years being Jr. Church director and youth pastor, this was my life. Then I became pastor, and let's just say the pressure became immensely more with preaching four times a week!
A few years into being pastor, I was speaking to another pastor about sermons we had recently preached. He then made a statement to me that changed my life in regards to preaching:

"Pastor Burke, I have a great sermon worked out, I just need to find a Scripture to go with it."

Now, you might not think much about that statement, but it started my wheels turning. He did have a great message, and there was alot of 'hooting and shoutn' going on when he preached it; but the reference he used was at best-a stretch.
My mind went to 2 Timothy 4:2 that reads "Preach the word".
God began to speak to my heart. You see, there is a difference between giving a speech and preaching...at least there should be. Giving a speech can motivate, educate, and regulate a people for a time, but preaching changes lives for eternity. What is the difference? Preaching is proclaiming the Word of God!

I was somewhat surprised at the poll from last week. What kind of preaching do you enjoy listening too? Expository led the way by one vote over Topical and Personal Testimony. I would think that this typifies my readers, but probably not Baptist Churches; but I do believe that what we need most is expository preaching.
I'm not against 'in your face, get right with God you dirty sinner preaching.' Matter a fact, I involve myself in that quite often! But I just fear we have had a diet in our churches of too much fluff and show and not enough meat and vegetables.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: Amos 8:11

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Hosea 4:6

And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
Mark 2:2

Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
Acts 8:4

But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
Titus 1:3

One area of great weakness in our churches today is a lack of knowledge of the Word of God. We do know, for the most part, what we believe-but being able to show someone in the Word why we believe it is a different story. We do know the pet-peeves of the preachers that frequent our pulpits. We do know the top 5 sermons from Sword of the Lord. We have heard 75 different sermons on David and Goliath, Digging Wells, and Watching out for Wolves, but we have no idea what Ephesians is about. We have little knowledge of the books of Jude, Amos, and Malachi (other than that is where tithing is, right?); and don't even dare turn to Song of Solomon! Revelation is for the prophecy experts, and we will leave Genesis up to Ken Hamm. But, if you want to know "Seven Reasons Why Men Don't Get Saved" well, we've got 21 of them.
You see, this year I have been working on getting into better shape. I have lost 32 pounds thus far and have a lot more to go; and I haven't started Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, or used Dr. Atkins diet, I just started making better choices and eating things that are better for me.
Instead of my Reese's cups, I eat a mandarin orange. Instead of a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit in the morning from McD's, I eat a protein bar. You know what? I feel better, I am losing excess baggage, and my desire for the 'fluff' is pretty much gone.
I believe if more preacher's got back to expository, preaching the Word preaching, giving meat and vegetables instead of fluff to their flocks, we might mature as a people, shed some that sin baggage we carry around, and our desire for the 'fluff' sermons will dissipate as well.
And, you know what else, on Monday mornings I don't have to start the "Great Sermon Hunt" anymore, the Lord has already directed the passage we are to study by just going through the Word!
May God help us to Preach the Word!

What to Preach?

Church has become about a lot of things such as specials, offerings, activities, block parties, cantatas, Easter programs, food pantries, youth ministries and more; but may it never get away from its foundation of preaching!
Having grown up in a preacher's home, being a 'third generation preacher, and now pastoring myself, the question seemingly constantly being asked is "What are you preaching on this week?"
As a child, I asked that question and rarely gave much thought as to what all went into that preparation. For the next few weeks, I will share some things I have found out in regards to sermon preparation and how God leads as to what to preach. I am 34, am the farthest thing from an expert, and should the Lord allow me 34 more years of preaching the Word, I probably would change my writings on this subject 34 times at least. But for now, let me share what I have learned.
"What to Preach?" When I was an associate pastor and preached each week in our Jr. Church, this stressful question seemed ever present each and every week. What am I going to preach on?
One would think, with such a big Book such as the Bible, there would be plenty to preach on. Then one thinks, men have been preaching out of this Book for nearly 2,000 years, what is there left to preach on?
There are so many different types of sermons, styles to preach, and reasons to preach on...how does one go about preaching the right sermon for the right week?
Alfred Gibbs has written a good book on preaching titled "The Preacher and His Preaching." He gives Six types of sermons in his book:

1. Personal Testimony
2. Expository
3. Textual
4. Topical
5. Historical Incident
6. Biographical

If today's typical preacher would be honest, there is a seventh type of sermon now-a-days, the Internet inspired.One can just 'google' a topic such as "sermon on tithing" and find enough sermons to preach a conference on. Sort of weak though, isn't it? This type of preaching is weakening our churches and men of God and aids only to laziness and complacency and a great lack of fire from on high.
Now don't get me wrong, I do not think it is wrong to borrow from another man's brain. My dad has told me often concerning thoughts I have from the Word of God,

I am going to take that and make a real sermon out of it.

I just believe that there are too many Internet preaching pastors out there that need to spend less time 'googling' and more time studying and praying.
So, with the Lord's help, I will share what I have learned in regards to this area of sermon preparation, delivery, and archiving. Perhaps it can be of help to some one in some day ahead.

How Many Baptist Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?

We have studied many areas in the church and examined them in accordance to the Bible. We have taken a fresh look at salvation, singing specials in church, women singing specials in church, passing the plate for the offering, the invitation, public praying, the Lord's supper, bus and Sunday school give aways, children absent from our church services, and our missions programs.
Missionary Brian Elam recently visited our church and I greatly enjoyed our time together. In one of our conversations, he stated, "We do not need to ask ourself if something is wrong, but rather, 'What does God think about this'?" I believe that statement truly wraps up my intention for the past four month's posts. I have endeavored on cozaddale chronicles to take a fresh look at these areas in relation to God's Word.
The question is, are we so ingrained in our traditions that we will not consider change, or will we be sensitive to the teachings of God's Word?
In regards to salvation, are we consumed more with the lost saying a prayer and finding assurance in their prayer, or rather obtaining an understanding and repenting and believing? Far too many are doubting their salvation today because they have been told to base their salvation on their prayer and not on the finished work of Christ.
In regards to ladies singing in church, are they not "teaching and admonishing in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs"; and is a woman supposed to teach a man?
In regards to prayer, our Lord specifically instructs the disciples not to pray as the hypocrites, standing up publicly with repetition. There are no Scriptures to be found of public prayer in the church. Nor are there Scriptures for passing an offering plate, bus give aways, jr. churches, or mission boards. The question should not be "Is it Wrong?" Rather, what does God think on these matters? Are there principles and commands in Scripture that the above not align with? If so, should we not change?
We cannot allow traditions and 'the way we've always done it' to rationalize our practices. Men's ideas and philosophies, if contrary to Scripture invalidates our worship. Matthew 15 reads,

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

So, how many Baptist does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: 'CHANGE?????'

Missions on Target

The Lord started His church with His disciples and gave to them the Great Commission to make disciples, baptize, and then instruct them in all things. Our Lord instructed them in Matt. 28 saying:

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsover I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Then in Acts 1:8 before His ascension he said again,

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

These things are important in regards to missions. Our Lord traveled 60 miles to be baptized by John the Baptist. His disciples were also baptized of John the Baptist. It was to this first church that He gave the authority to go and evangelize, baptize, and instruct in all things. This Authority wrought power, and this power wrought results. The entire world was turned upside down (Acts 17:6) as a result of this Authority, power, and obedience to this command.
He had earlier given to the church the authority to discipline (Matt. 18), to administer the Lord's Supper (Matt. 26), and now to baptize (Matt. 28). From this point on, all examples of mission work was done through the local church. It was the local church that sent out its missionaries (Acts 8 & 13). Paul's epistle reads:

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Eph. 3:21

That church Jesus started began other churches to which was passed the Authority and Power to start other churches. Thus in a relatively short time, there were churches at Antioch, Galatia, Ephesus, Babylon, Corith, Pergamus, Rome, ...Cincinnati, Ohio; Loveland, Ohio; Goshen, Ohio; Hillsboro, Ohio; Bullhead City, Arizona; Magdellena, Mexico; Tata, Hungary; etc.
I am not one that holds to the thought that you have to be able to trace back your church to the Lord's; but I am one that believes that your church ought to leave the same 'print' as the Lord's. I don't know that it is humanly possible to trace back every church's history today...I've tried with ours, but hit dead ends very quickly.
I'm getting off track....back to missions. It is the church's responsibility to send out it's missionaries. I have heard and read of all the reasons why a 'mission board' or 'clearing house' are 'necessary;' but I can't find those para-church organizations in the Bible. The church was given the authority and power and I believe that a church under that authority, with that power, is more than capable to handle the missionaries God calls from that body. To think otherwise is to doubt the omnipotence of God, the promises of God, and the calling of God. Why would God call out of your body a man to send to the mission field that a church was not able to send forth? God will never ask from us what He does not supply for us.
I know that the clearing houses and boards are of mostly good intention and are seeing people get saved and works being established. Yet, we still read in 2 Timothy 2

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully

In order for there to be God's reward, there must be obedience to God's law.
I believe we have in our churches strayed away from God's plan somewhat. In His Word we read:
Jesus started a church, gave the authority to that church which started another church there at Antioch. That church sent out with the authority men like Paul who started other churches which continued this process. Paul was sent by his church. Other churches sent gifts (2 Cor. 8:2) of which Paul was greatly thankful.
We have developed a system where 'Church A' supports 50 missionaries at $60 a month ($3,000 month). Church A has a man in their church called to the field of Somewhere Out There and prepares to go. The church does not have the 'time, means, or finances to send that missionary out'. So, that man spends the next four years traveling around the country exposing his family to church atmospheres he normally would not attend for the cause of support. He will expand his waist line 6 inches from the lack of exercise and eating out constantly. Will struggle to properly educate and train his children from a lack of time. Could experience some 'spoiling' as he travels. Drifts away from his home church and pastor's heart. Picks up some unfortunate habits along the way. Finally reaches his goal, returns to his home church and meets the 1/4 of the church he does not know. A portion of his support from other churches now goes to a mission agency outside his local church. He is 'approved to go' by that board and heads out to the field, only to find the field has gotten much harder (or he has become somewhat weaker), his children have become some what rebellious (from a lack of time and investment from parents), and he just doesn't agree with his pastor on some 'minor issues' any longer.
Unfortunately these things do happen. We have gotten off target!
How I praise the Lord for the three missionaries Cozaddale sends out. How I look forward to the next missionary we are able to commission and send out. But wouldn't it be great if we were able to send him out and take care of the greater part of his needs? Wouldn't it be great if he need only visit a few very like minded churches who can send 'gifts' to help his needs? Wouldn't it be great that his pastor and he share a heart, vision, and doctrine?
We wouldn't be able to 'glory' in the 50-100 missionaries OUR CHURCH SUPPORTS, but we just might find that a greater work gets done and at a quicker rate, and by a means that glorifies our Lord.
Just something to think on.

An Auditorium Amber Alert!

Truly, in most churches today, there could be issued an Auditorium Amber Alert! Who exactly is missing? Well, basically all children. Who has taken them? No one really; the parents have handed them over to nursery workers, jr. church workers, Awana workers, Sunday School teachers, etc. They can be found many places: roaming halls, in the fellowship hall in jr. church, in the gym playing dodge ball, making a craft in the Sunday School room...but this we know, they are not in the auditorium.
When did this all begin? Best I can find, nurseries began with Billy Sunday and his campaigns held in his tabernacles. We can read

Crowd noise, especially coughing and crying babies, was a significant impediment to Sunday's preaching because the wooden tabernacles were so acoustically live. During his preliminaries, Rodeheaver often instructed audiences about how to muffle their coughs. Nurseries were always provided, infants forbidden, and Sunday sometimes appeared rude in his haste to rid the hall of noisy children who had slipped through the ushers

Again, as noted before, due to the 'conversion success' that men like Sunday saw, Baptist began to adopt their 'unBaptist' ways into their churches. The "Jr. Church" began in 1929 with John Higgins, an Episcopalian, as an experiment to separate children into their own age groups and attempt to reach them on their level. We have more children's ministries than ever before, yet, we are losing our children at a faster rate than ever before. Why is this?
The typical child that rides the bus does not know the pastor, hear the pastor, or many times even know what he looks like. They know their bus captain, their Sunday School teacher, and their jr. church leader, but not the pastor. Please note...how we praise the Lord for those who will serve the Lord in these capacities. Their desires for the young people are pure and admirable; yet we cannot get away from Scripture that the Lord has 'set the members' has 'given pastors' for the perfecting of the saints...that includes the young ones too.
Instead, our children get a steady diet of "Father Abraham," "the twizzler game," and quiet seats galore! They get a steady diet of 52 sermons on simple salvation every year for 7 years, then upon entering the teen class feel the sudden need to be a 'jr. church worker' because they just don't feel comfortable in the auditorium.
So, we look to Scripture. Let us examine children's ministries in God's Word....still looking....still looking....none to be found. Instead we read:13And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation; And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 2 Chron. 20



There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them. Joshua 8:35


When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: Deut. 31:11-12


Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore. Ezra 10:1

In the New Testament, children were brought to Jesus and He welcomed them in His presence.
Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10:14

The New Testament Epistles were written to local churches and it was expected that the children would be in the congregation listening to the letters read aloud.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Eph. 6:1


Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Col. 3:20


My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 1 John 2:1

Point is, they weren't in jr. church, teen class, kid's club, or anyplace else...they were sitting in the service. Rather than being surrounded by a majority of children their age, learning their traits (most bad), they, in the early church, were sitting in the congregation where the majority were adults who were matured in the Lord, who showed a love for the Word of God, who showed them what the Christian life was truly about.
I just can't help but believe that if we went back to doing things God's way, things would go so much better. It seems like these last few years Independent Baptist and Evangelicalism has been inundated with books dealing with the issue of why we are losing our children. From Ken Ham, to First Baptist of Hammond, to David Cloud, Terry Coomer...to even myself and Pastor Carr; we have studied and shared why we believe we are losing our children to the world. Perhaps we need only to look at ourselves. Perhaps if we brought our children to church with us, sat under the same preaching, discussed how God is working and speaking to our lives, and spent more time together as a family and less time separate with peers-our children might not depart when they are old. Perhaps if we kept them in an atmosphere conducive to maturity and less ones 'on their level,' our children "may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:".
Doesn't it seem ironic that the services where the 'Lord really moved,' are the services where the families are all together?
We could issue our auditorium amber alert-for our children are indeed missing. Sadly, most after aging 18 years, continue to be missing.