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Sunday School Work Questions and Answers |
Below are questions and answers to queries we have received over the years.
We trust you will find them informative and helpful. We welcome postings
that any teachers and superintendents may wish to share. Send your
questions or posting request to us
here. Unless otherwise stated, the answers are supplied by David Jones.
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How can I
best communicate to a "mixed" class with different backgrounds, knowledge
level of Scriptures and spiritual states?
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How can I get
through to youth with my Bible teaching?
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Overhead
projectors are an excellent tool for Sunday School or children's work.
What are the advantages?
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What
steps can I take to revive an interest in children's work?
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How can I
use flannelgraph and other visual aids to teach Bible lessons?
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Children who have
been coming to Sunday School and Gospel Meetings for years seem to be at
high risk for making shallow (false) professions. They know all the
"right answers" and think that they are saved. I struggle with how to
respond to them. What do you suggest?
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You do have a challenge on your hands.
Thank God His Word is able to meet the need of them all.
One of the methods I have used in a similar situation is "involvement".
You will recall in Luke 10 when the the lawyer asked what he must do to
inherit eternal life, the Lord Jesus referred him to the Law and asked him
"How readest thou". The lawyer repeated a quote from the Old Testament
back to the Lord Jesus word for word and was congratulated for his response.
"Go and do likewise" was what the Lord told him to do.
Undoubtedly he wasn't expecting that and it hit him hard. He felt it in his
conscience.
The point I want to make with this is that the Lord had him express how he
understood the law and at times. I apply the same tactic. I involve the
students by asking them questions.
Using the very passage in Luke 10, here are some ideas:
v.25. Teacher: "We know what lawyers are in today's world. They work
with the law, and in the time of the Lord Jesus, they did the same thing.
However, the law then was not enshrined in the Constitution of the country
or dictated by the Supreme Court, but in the Old Testament writings of
Moses."
Teacher: "Now look at verse 25 and read it out loud for us".
---Choose at random one of the students--
* ¶ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life?*
Teacher: "There are two questions I want to ask about this verse. 1. What
was the lawyer trying to do when he approached the Lord Jesus. And 2.
Specifically, what was his question?"
---If there are chronic non-participants in the class, then direct the
question at one of the students by name. Different ones might be asked
during the whole procedure. Encourage the student to look at the verse and
express in his/her own words what they understand.
---You might ask a Christian student first of all, for their background
knowledge will enable them to answer more easily and their participation
will encourage others.
---If the reply is anywhere near what you want, let it stand. Rephrasing it
can be done later on but not at the moment the response is received.
--Should the student say, (He was trying to trap the Lord Jesus), that is
fine. Saying exactly what the Greek means will not achieve a great deal
with students.
---The second question about what he is asking about is what he must DO. If
this comes out, you might emphasize the DO, and say we'll talk about that
later.
Teacher: "Fine, let's go on to the next verse. Joel, or Jean, could read
the next verse, v.27."
---Should you have noted beforehand that some of your students are not good
readers, then be sensitive to not embarrass them. Not everyone is a good
public reader. If one wants to read and has difficult pronouncing the
words, quietly giving the pronunciation will build confidence.
Teacher: "Now where do you think he got this answer from?"
---((From the Bible)) is a good enough answer, but you could add that it was
from the Old Testament, and in fact, you might say: Teacher: "Do you want
to see the place?"
---Show it from your Bible or let them open up the passage.
Teacher: "Let's see. How many parts of a person are involved in this loving
of the Lord thy God".
---Have the students help you count, or if one has come up with a figure,
without saying ((right)) or ((wrong)), go over the verse. Heart, soul,
strength, and mind.
Teacher: "That kind of takes the whole person in, but how many directions is
this love to go?"
---If someone answers correctly, you will either say yes, that's what it
says, or in case of a mistaken answers, you might say: ((Let's see)).
---There is a "sign language" you could teach them as a reminder. Holding
your hand up with the thumb held horizontally and the index figure
vertically, with the other three fingers tucked into the palm of your hand,
you form a kind of an L - God on the vertical plane and my neighbour on the
horizontal.
Teacher: "Let's go on. How did the man do? Did his answer satisfy the Lord
Jesus?"
---Depending on the reply, if it is correct, immediately ask: ((And what
else did the Lord say?))
---If they have difficult getting the reply. show them how the Lord said:
*Thou hast answered right:"
Teacher: "Do you know what this tells me? The man had no excuse for he
already knew what the Bible says. Just like most of you do".
---The teacher will lead by teaching at times, and your knowledge of the
student and the way the class flows with you in this method will make you
know how far to push on with your application, and when to continue.
Teacher: "Look what happened to the lawyer. he has a problem. Sherry, or
Jerry, read verse 29 for us".
---The reading is not so much for the teacher, for ME, but for US.
Teacher: "He was wanting to justify himself. The Lord hadn't said more than
((that's what the Law says)) and here he is with a bad conscience. What
does that tell us?"
---You might ask for some example when at school or in the home, or in
another situation where the students might have known someone who was caught
in something and tried to get out of admitting guilt.
---Depending on the age, you might want to speak of guilt as a blessing from
God for it leads us to look for relief. Feeling guilty for sin has only one
remedy, the blood of Christ.
Now I think I have outlined enough in this inductive way or involving the
students. Getting them involved will keep them from being distracted.
There are sometimes unruly students, but one way to bring them into line is
to ask them a question, or by some other means divert them from their
pursuit. It is not rewarding bad behaviour and if they are looking for
attention, they just got it and it can be used to their good.
I trust this is something of a help.
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Your query is one that many have made.
Having just had three grandchildren visit us for a month, one being a
teenager and the other almost, I had a refresher course in modern day youth.
The children were not rebellious but it taught me how different teenagers
are in different cultures and with different upbringings. However, I shall
offer some general suggestions.
1. Getting a young person's confidence is very important. This comes as a
result of respect. If they don't have respect for an adult, they wont want
to hear what the adult has to say.
2. Gaining respect cannot be legislated because one is older than they.
Respect is earned. Respect is the porch which gives access to the door of
confidence.
3. Respect is earned by establishing an impression which is formed by
observation of the adult in different situations. A discontented, irascible,
impatient adult who speaks gruffly and is closed to ideas which differ from
his or her own, will never earn the respect of a young person. He will
never gain their confidence and less will be able to weigh in with advice.
4. A kindly disposition on the part of the older person, a willingness to
listen, and a general behaviour pattern of genuine interest in others will
generate both respect and confidence.
5. Having an interest in the young person's world opens a few windows where
the light of counsel shines through. Asking about their studies without
immediately drawing comparisons to "when I was your age". This encourages
young people to share their thoughts, and even might lead them to tell their
plans and outline their expectations. The challenge for the adult will be
to show how God can be brought into their thinking.
6. The older person's experience as a teenager, especially if forty years
have gone by are of little interest to the youth today. "They didn't have
television and computers then, did they?" so the impression they have of us
is having been deprived of what they consider important.
7. If you first of all don't understand some of the terminology or the
issues that are being brought up, ask
questions and listen. Key on some aspect which appears important to the
youth and have them tell you what THEY THINK, without giving your opinion,
unless they ask for it.
8. The foregoing has to do with approaching the youth and obtaining their
confidence. It is essential to get their confidence first and this will lead
on to effective influence upon them.
9. I wanted to talk to a 12 year old about her spiritual standing before
God. She said she was saved, but I wanted to get a clearer confession from
her. The first 15 minutes of the conversation was about her school, her
teachers, her subjects, where she lived. I asked where she spent her
vacations, could she water-ski, etc.? And then a question about her Sunday
School, and the lessons, etc. etc.
"I was wanting to ask you about your own standing before God", was the way I
got to my point, but I didn't have to go much further, for she replied, "Oh,
I was saved on " and she gave date and time, and also the event. "What
verse was it that spoke to you?" A good answer was given.
"Just one more thing", I said, "Do you read your Bible and pray". Well,
Bible reading was weak. What she didn't have was a reading program. So
suggestions were given. A window of influence was opened to pour in some
light of advice.
10. Young people sense it when adults climb up on a pedestal looking downed
from their assumed height to direct the young people in the traffic below.
If they feel you are down there and mixed up in the traffic with them, they
will ask for directions how to get through the maze safely.
11. Young people who attend our Gospel Halls need more than just sitting in
a Sunday School class or meeting waiting for the clock to mark the end of
what they might consider a boring session. The teachers should be aware of
young people and their problems, and show how the Bible has relevance to
them where they are. This is why we put suggestions and applications into
the Sunday School Lessons of the
San Felipe Collection.
(The Spanish version is available at
Colección San Felipe.)
12. When teaching in a class situation, there are times when young people
bring up topics which to their mind have something to do with the lesson
being presented. It might not be that clear to the teacher, but encourage
the young person to express their misgivings, doubts, or queries. Although
the teacher knows the importance of what he/she is saying, in the mind of
the youth, what he wants to ask about is important. There are three ways to
handle the above situation. Allow the youth to express what they have in
mind.
If the subject has merit:
- Deal with it kindly.
- Allow for others to have input.
- Once the reply is exhausted, bring the students back to the lesson.
If the subject is not relevant:
- Suggest you talk about it privately afterwards.
- Do not do a put-down or embarrass the youth so that he loses face before
his peers.
If the subject is relevant but removed from your lesson:
- Discuss a couple of parts of what has been suggested.
- Deal with the main part at the moment and suggest a return to the lesson,
but that following the lesson, you will return to discuss it.
- Depend upon the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind something in the lesson
which may have application to the question asked.
- Pace yourself correctly so that you will indeed have five or ten minutes
at the end to fulfill your promise.
(Promise-keeping is high in priority for building confidence).
- Should the time allotted for the class finish, and it seems necessary to
carry on for a few minutes, I would hope there is freedom to do so. ((See
note at end)).
13. Those who are interested in the young should also think of
extra-curricular activity. Have them to your home, take them on a picnic,
let them play ping-pong, etc.
14. The subject you have brought up has so many aspects to it, and one needs
utmost patience to build bridges of understanding through truth love for the
souls of the young. We are quick to forecast dire consequences if
something is not done for the youth. But sometimes by our carnal behaviour
and un-Christlike behaviour, we contribute to our self-fulfilling prophesy.
NOTE: Sunday School have different methods of bringing classes to an end.
The two main ones are to have everyone return to the main auditorium, or to
have the class dismissed by the teacher.
I favor the second method since "return time" to the auditorium is a
stress-builder, and the laggers cause
confusion as they straggle in. Trying to sing a chorus above the din is
irreverential.
When the teacher has the freedom to dismiss from the class, it is expected
they will respect the time allotted and not leave parents waiting for
children.
However, with young people, teachers have reported to me that their "quality
time" with youth has often been in the last ten to fifteen minutes. Should
it be convenient to carry on a few minutes, bring the class to and end with
prayer, and those who have to go can be dismissed while those who are
interested are free to stay.
Christians with a heart for the young and the lost will certainly not
complain about a few extra minutes spent to have input into lives which need
the truth.
I trust the foregoing is helpful. The Lord's blessing be upon you.
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There are several advantages:
1. The children look up when singing, not down
at a book.
2. The print is larger which helps especially
with ESL students and older Christians who need large print.
ESL -- (English as a Second Language)
3. It is easier to teach new songs as you can
block verses and show only the one verse that is being taught.
4. Simple graphics can be included.
5. Hands are free for action choruses.
6. The acetates or transparencies (on which
the printing is done) lasts for years, and are inexpensive.
7. Bible crosswords and Tic Tac Toe can be
done for question and answer time - boys against girls.
8. If you hear a new Sunday school song, you
don't have to wait for a new printing of the next children's song book.
You can introduce it the very next Sunday.
Some further comments about the use of over
Overhead Projectors and the Transparencies.
a. Portability may or may not be an issue
but generally portables are a little more expensive.
b. Before buying, check the price of
replacement bulbs as some cost more than others. They do last quite a
long time.
c. Always have a spare bulb on hand, but
remember that they are extremely hot when changing right away. Some
have space in the housing where the extra bulb can be stored.
d. Mount the acetates in cardboard frames
(you can purchase these separately), this makes the songs easier to
store, easier to handle and catalogue.
e. Store the acetates upright in a box with
a numbering system for easy retrieval. Store them in narrow sections
about 3'' - 4'' wide, otherwise they will flop and curve in the center
and will not stand evenly.
f. Put tabs at the top of the cardboard
frames to list the alphabetical order..
g. Songs can be written by hand with
permanent markers.
h. A good graphics program such as Corel
Draw, Power Point, Publisher, a scanner, etc. and good ink jet printer
works wonders. Most printer programs allow a transparency or high
quality configuration. The acetates for ink jet printers are more
expensive
i. Printing a trial copy on paper allows it
be proof-read first. .
j. Overheads will need to be cleaned of dust internally about every 3-4
years if used only for Sunday school. More often otherwise.
- submitted by Lorne Nathe,
Vancouver, BC.
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Here are three steps.
1. Have a vision for children's work.
Work among children requires an understanding that results will not always
be immediate. The hearts of the young are like untilled fields, into which
seed must be sown, and the effect might not be seen until years later. You
might not even be the person who sees the results, but glory will reveal
God’s working in the heart of the young and how the seed sown years
previously bore fruit later on.
Manuel Basaure is from Santa Cruz, Chile. It is a rural area where people
with little of this world’s goods and eke out a living with vegetable
gardens and vineyards. Manuel is closer to 40 years of age now, married and
with a couple of children. Manuel did not complete 12 years of schooling,
for he had to work in the fields, helping his father. A lady in the area
whom they called “tía” (aunt) used to gather the children together and
teach them Bible stories. It was an interesting diversion for television
was little known in the area at that time. However, something of the truth
remained with him. Since Manuel was a good football player, he thought he
might make a better living that way so he left Santa Cruz in search of other
horizons and eventually ended up in the Aconcagua Valley where San Felipe is
located.
An injury to his leg diminished his dreams of becoming a football player.
Walking in the Central Plaza of San Felipe one Sunday evening, he heard a
group of Christians preaching in the open air. What they were saying had a
ring of authenticity to it, for it was something similar to what the “tía”
had taught. He followed the believers when they went to the Hall for the
night meeting and finally summoned up enough courage to enter.
He continued to attend and was saved a short time later. I wonder if the
“tía” ever knew that the seed sown into a young heart, would take root many
miles away, and a young man would be reached by God for eternity. Now he is
assembly fellowship with his wife and a valuable asset to the local
assembly.
VISION in the long-term is a necessity to promote interest in the work with
children.
2. Love the children with authenticity.
Children are sensitive and quickly discern when there is true love for
them. Having time to listen to them, identifying with what thrilled them,
sharing in their dreams for the future, tolerating their mischief,
(different to consenting their bad behaviour), and showing affection goes a
long way to gaining their ear to listen to Gospel.
Many years ago when Moody’s Sunday School was the most popular in Chicago, a
little boy trudged many blocks to attend. On the route, he passed by
another Sunday School and the teachers made numerous attempts to have him
enter. Each one was rebuffed. Finally, one of the teachers who had
attempted to get him to enter asked him, “Why do you go six blocks further
on when this Sunday School is right here?” His answer was simple: “Because
down there they loves you”. End of conversation.
A mischievous boy named Adolfo is five years of age. He is a handful for
his parents, but is slowly improving. Sitting in meeting is boring, but by
perseverance, the parents have been able to control him. With their
consent, Adolfo goes and sits beside an elder and his wife in the Breaking
of Bread. He hardly causes any problem for he behaves better than with his
parents. Sometimes the elder preaches the Gospel, and Adolfo will go and
sit beside him on the front bench while the hymns are being sung, and if the
elder is preaching second, Adolfo will remain at his side until he goes to
the platform. Adolfo knows that someone loves him.
For children’s work, we should seek to share the love the Lord Jesus had for
the young. “Suffer the little children to come unto me”. His disciples were
being rebuked for trying to restrain the children.
LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN is necessary.
3. Perceive the real needs of the children.
Many are familiar with the off-quoted Scripture, Pr 22:6 "Train up a child
in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
To TRAIN someone in any task requires a perception of the capacity of the
trainee. To train is to instruct or catechise. It is the task of
communicating and instructing. Within the framework of the Sunday School,
it is communicating the love of God through Jesus Christ, seen most clearly
in the work accomplished on the Cross. It also means to communicate the
child’s responsibility to respond to the invitation of the Lord Jesus to
“Come”, and God’s command to “Believe”.
IN THE WAY in Hebrew is --- “in his way”. This is not “my chosen way” for
the child, but according the child’s “way of being”. Within the framework
of the child’s personality, it is necessary to perceive his strengths and
weaknesses, his interests and motivations, his psychological makeup. When
the teacher catches a glimpse of what makes the child “tick”, it opens up a
pathway into his heart.
Juan Carlos was a going concern in a young people’s class. He lives in
Panquehue, Chile. He had a high sense of right and wrong, especially
amongst his peers, and felt no inhibitions about expressing his views. He
was intelligent and quickly caught what was being taught. What to do with
him presented a problem, for periodically he interrupted the class with
remarks about his peers, or drawing attention to someone who wasn’t
listening. Do we curb Juan Carlos? We cannot allow him free rein to express
himself for his leadership personality would lead him to take over. The
challenge was how best to retain his interest while not quenching his
spirit, and not lose his attendance.
A quiet assurance to him that the teacher was aware of what he was saying
quieted him somewhat, but when his remarks could be incorporated into the
teaching, then the teacher would key on what he had said and develop the
thought and apply the lesson. At that point, it was suggested he wait to
speak, but periodically the teacher would ask a direct question to him, like
“Juan Carlos, what do you think a parent should do if ... “ Others too were
invited to interact, and what had started out as disruption was turned to
advantage.
It required PERCEPTION OF THE NEED OF THE CHILDREN.
Further to Prov. 22:6, WHEN HE IS OLD is literally “when he has hair on his
chin”, indicating a time of maturity. HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT is also
translated, “It will not depart from him”, which seems to be the preferred
translation.
Gloria García was a restless child. Her Mother was in assembly fellowship
and she dutifully went to Sunday School. She had a very quick mind,
especially for Math and understanding abstract ideas. Unfortunately, a
combination of her own restlessness and the lack of someone she could trust
to guide her, allowed her to drift away from the Sunday School when she was
a teenager. It is uncertain at what point she was saved, but she knew where
the truth was to be found.
Gloria married, but realizing the importance of having God in a marriage,
she returned to the hall bringing her husband Osvaldo, with her. He
trusted Christ as Saviour also. Today, Osvaldo is responsible for the
Sunday School, a true shepherd in the assembly, and their eldest boy Andrés,
about to graduate from high school, was recently baptized and is now in
fellowship.
Gloria’s Sunday School teacher understands her and over the years has helped
her handle her restless personality. What she was taught while in Sunday
School never left her, and today there is fruit in her life, in her
husband’s and now their eldest son.
PERCEPTION OF NEED IS NECESSARY to work with children.
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I have received requests on different
occasions for points on the use of flannelgraph, and other materials to
teach Bible lessons. In response to this need, I offer this first note as
an introduction to the use of flannelgraph and other visual aids.
"Flannelgraph is just for small kids", opined a teacher at a conference for
Sunday School teachers. "Older ones just don't go for it".
"Are you sure?" I replied. "I have even used flannelgraph in tent meetings
for adults, and it is surprizing how it helps people to visualize the Bible
scene you wish to depict, and from which to draw lessons".
The teacher was not being opinionated, and further conversation revealed he
was repeating what others had said, not what he had experienced. Based on
this unproven premise, the Sunday School in which he participated had
restricted the use of flannelgraph to classes with children six or seven
years of age, without attempting to use it with older ones.
This introductory note is not designed to try to convince people to use
flannelgraph, but to suggest methods and application in the use of visual
aids. Subsequent notes will deal with different aspects of the subject to
help the students obtain a mental picture of ancient stories with a modern
applications.
The Use of Visuals
We live in a world where there is more emphasis placed on transmitting
information visually, coupled with an accomanying explanation using simple
phrases . Television is exploited as the chief means to transmit messages
visually. They still get through even though the viewer touches the "mute"
button.
One of the chief ingredients to make a computer program "user-friendly" is
how understandable and well designed the icons are to allow the operator to
visually choose what he wants. You hardly have to know how to type, just as
long as you can point the mouse at the picture.
Textbooks used in schools are filled with beautiful pictures and descriptive
drawings which enable the students to learn quickly and form a mental image
of the material being taught. Why then, should it be thought that a Sunday
School not use visual aids with the children?
What Should Be Visualized
The Bible is the textbook for the Sunday School. The wide variety of Bible
stories can be made interesting for they include experiences people go
through in today's world. Emotion is expressed, fear is felt, and
circumstances produce happiness or sadness. The positive and negative
consequences of a course of action can be pointed out. It is a challenge
to the teacher to transport the children back into the realm of history,
help them identify and understand the historical events, then bring them
back into today's world and see the similarities. The next step is to
introduce them to the never-changing God Who dealt with people in the past
and deals with people today.
The challenge is to help the child in the relatively short time at your
disposal to "see" what happened long ago and what happens today. If you had
the child every day for half an hour, the task would be much easier. But
you have a child for half an hour one day of the week, and your goal is to
have them understand at least ONE lesson of the many that can be found in a
Bible story.
Figures of people, and of animals, of houses, and rivers, of hills and
fields, placed visually in front of the children should be considered as
helpers in your task. You must tell the story, you must make it real, but
a figure of a lost sheep wandering off, or a father going up a hillside with
his son, carrying wood and fire, is appealing. But ask where is the animal
to sacrifice? The visuals save you words. They depict a proud man going in
to a river to duck himself seven times, or a centurion being told by Peter
to get up from the ground and not to worship him.
Where To Start
When preparing a lesson, there are four important factors to consider.
1. The narrative or the lesson story.
2. The important points in the story. Not all details have to be
emphasized.
3. Some present day equivalent to the story to bring it to where the
children are.
4. The application of two or three points. There may be more, but
saturation leads to confusion.
I have discovered that points 1, 2 and 3 take time to prepare, and we must
depend on the Holy Spirit to bring to mind certain truths that are to be
emphasized. I have also discovered that preparing point 4 takes the same
amount of time as the other three if the lesson is to be well taught. Even
as you teache, don't be afraid to ask the children if they understood. Ask
the children what Cornelius is doing wrong as seen in the figure of him
bowing before Peter.
With the story of Naaman going into the Jordan, ask the children to locate
the verse that stipulates how many times he is to wash. Their Bibles will
be open in 2 Kings 5. Tell them the answer is between verses 8 and 12.
The idea is not to make it difficult but easy for them to find the answer.
Satisfaction in finding the answer creates a greater interest in the story.
Figures of a Cornelius before Peter don't require you to describe the scene
which some of the less imaginative would find difficult to visualize if all
you used were words. I use numbers prepared beforehand to put across the
top the flannelgraph board showing the 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 times Naaman is to wash
BEFORE healing comes. The lesson is complete obedience. Ask the students,
"What if he had stopped at 5?" The application of the point on obedience is
"believing ABOUT the Lord Jesus dying is not sufficient, rather, it is
believing He died for me".
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Your observations are valid and many have
experienced what you have. There are children with the correct answers
when asked if they are saved, but there is little evidence in their life
to support what they claim. This is not only true of children from
unsaved homes, but also children from homes were the parents are
believers
As an illustration of this, a boy of 15 whose
father is an elder and whose mother teaches in the Sunday School, asked to
be baptized. He answered all the questions put to him with clarity. He
had all the doctrine down pat. The brethren suggested he wait for reasons
considered valid to them. Six months later, their decision was justified.
In meeting he hardly ever closes his eyes during prayer, can sit through a
meeting without a hymn book or a Bible, and if given the chance to get to
meeting on time, or late, he chooses the latter. On occasion, he has been
grounded by his parents who find him uncooperative and stubborn. It is
possible that this boy is saved, but there is little evidence of reality
in his life.
When a young person says "I'm saved", the
questions asked ought not to have the answers "built-in". In other words,
questions which elicit a "yes" and "no" response do not reveal what you
are really looking for.
A question like, "Tell me what happened when
you were saved", is a good opener.
Depending on the response, choose some point
the person mentions which touches on the key issues, such as the value of
the death of Christ, the recognition of being a sinner, of having a bad
conscience, or of even wanting to be in Heaven. From here and keying on
what has been said, ask other questions which will require a spontaneous
reply.
A question such as, "Why was it necessary for
the Lord Jesus Christ to die", requires thought and care to explain. This
particular question draws attention to two or three key.
1, It was necessary for Christ to died because
no other means would suffice to bring us salvation.
2. Death was necessary because that is the
sentence imposed by God upon the sinner.
3. A sacrifice for sin must be perfect and
this describes the Lord Jesus.
It is important to be alert to a response like
"Christ died for us all". It is a very general comment and not what we
are looking for. The matter of salvation is highly personal, and it
has often been said, "believing that Christ died for all, saves no one."
What we prefer to hear is that Christ died for me. There is something
personal in the confession of faith.
At times, young people put a lot of emphasis
on the physical sufferings of Christ, such as the crown of thorns that
must have hurt him a lot, or the cruel soldiers piercing His hands with
the nails, etc., etc. This might reveal a certain sensitivity,
but "feeling sorry" for the Lord Jesus is not the essence of faith.
Some people become overwhelmed at the thought
of all the Lord Jesus suffered physically, and say they "feel sorry for
what was done to Him". Some are sympathetic to the Lord
Jesus and "embrace" Him sentimentally. Of course, that is not faith. The
issues of sin and the need for new life from the resurrected Saviour are
not included and perhaps this is more of a problem than we realize. Even
the appeal at Christmas to trust in the "babe in the manger" is not the
gospel. Trust must be in a resurrected Saviour who died and was buried.
The sufferings which brought our
salvation were those experienced by the Lord during the three hours of
darkness. The soldiers at the cross and the religious leaders before,
were not those used by God to inflict suffering for sin as required by
God's righteousness. There must be an understanding that the Son of Man
was rejected by men but the suffering for sin was at the hand of a Holy
God. Romans 4:25 speaks of the One "Who was delivered for our offences,
and raised again for our justification."
Naturally, all of this deeper "theology" is
not going to be understood fully by youth, but what we seek is an
understanding that Christ suffered for our sins when the sword of justice
from heaven awoke against Him.
Another series of questions has to do with
asking the students what changes have been evident in his or her life.
True spiritual life has an appetite for the things of God and for
holiness. They might talk about formerly taking drugs, being immoral,
disobedient, a trouble causer at school. True conversion will mean
these things have been left to one side and a new behaviour pattern has
emerged. 2Cor 5:17 "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a
new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become
new."
However, we are looking for something positive
like "I now want to read my Bible", "I find myself preferring Christians
songs", or "I enjoy hearing about the Lord Jesus". Also, "I just want my
friends to know the Lord Jesus," or, "I apologized to my Mother for the
disrespectful way I treated her before", and, "My language is now clean".
The Gospels record that those who trusted in
the Saviour, were changed and they followed Him. Ask the student if he or
she has told anyone about being saved through Christ. Also ask, "have you
thanked God for salvation?" You might even enquire if the student would
like to express thanksgiving to God aloud. Some will be quite reluctant
and a little bit of persuasion might be necessary but no pressure should
be applied.
Of course, the teacher must not put words in
the student's mouth. We look for spontaneous responses to key questions
that will reveal to the teacher AND to the student whether there is
reality in their claim of to being saved. It is easy to say one is saved,
but when the confession is put to the test, it might reveal points that
needs clarifying. At any rate, we should accept the responses and leave it
to time to reveal the reality of what has been confessed.
a weakness.
The value in this is it will give an
opportunity to the teacher to explain some points which are unclear, and
if the student is really saved, to encourage him to go on for God. It
will include giving suggestions on having a daily reading of the
Scriptures. There will be encouragement to speak to God in prayer daily,
with thanksgiving for blessings received and of course remembering to give
thanks for food. This might pose a problem to a child in an unsaved home
and you should have some practical solutions to the problem, like quietly
bowing your head and thanking God. Or if the family should ask what they
are doing, not to be afraid to tell them and even offer to give thanks out
loud.
Unfortunately in many cases, young people who
profess to be saved think that is all there is to assuring their entrance
into heaven and avoiding hell. "GO and TELL" is what the Lord instructed
His converts to do. Do the friends of the student know? Also "GO and
DO", for by their fruits they are known.
I trust this to be a help in leading young
people on to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ".
2 Peter 3:18
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