CHILDREN IN THE SANCTUARY, WWJD?
Well, maybe Jesus called the children to Him from time to time, but that was only for children’s class, right? No this was not an exception, this was how he taught all the time. In Matt 18 and 19 He had the children come to Him from among the gathering. They had actually been there listening to His teachings, I believe all of His teachings. In Matt 18:5, He not only welcomes the children, but sharply rebukes us if we don’t. He means actual children and the “babes in Christ. So how did all this age segregation happen? When the church decided to follow the world. Let’s see what the Word says. The Lord says, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds...Teach them to your children...” (Deut 11:18-19) “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (Deut 4:9). And of course all through Proverbs it tells us that it is the parents responsibility to teach their children. But you say, "it's easier to put them in the other room, let someone who is called to that do it, I can get into the presence of God better without them". That's the problem with the church today, we think ME FIRST and others later. The Word says put others first, be a servant, be responsible. The Lord wants your Praise, He wouldn't give you children if it prevented you from Praising Him. He says children are a blessing, so there must be a way. In Joel 2 the Lord calls us to “Gather the people, consecrate the assembly, bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast....” That pretty much takes out the nursery, children’s class and the youth group. And for you New Testament readers when Jesus fed the multitudes, yep, the children were there. About the only time things were really segregated, was by tribe, as in Joshua 7. So according to scripture, the gathering should be made up of everyone gathered with their family. How did things change? In the early 1900s, satan raised his ugly head in the form of “humanism”. That is the false teaching that man knows more than God. The same folks that adhere to this point of view are the same that teach evolution. This “age -segregation” teaching was made popular by a man named Granville Stanley Hall. Thus the public school system was born, and shortly after the church followed. Yes, the church followed the world rather than the Word. This same man also taught that “teenage rebellion” is normal. The Word says in Deut 21 that rebellious sons are to be stoned. Thank you Lord for your grace!!! The severity of this scripture shows that “teenage rebellion” is not only not normal but it absolutely intolerable!!!. The church has strayed so far from God’s plan. So where do we start? We start at home, teaching our children to worship. Yes properly training your children will require a little effort on your part. You are the one called to shepherd your children. It requires that you be giving, it requires that you die to your own selfish desires. Teach them the ways of the Spirit, measure their behavior with the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23), especially note that last one that is so forgotten these days, SELF-CONTROL. We start by repenting and asking the Lord for His help. Then we can also begin to minister to the children who come without parents. Have the children in the gathering sitting with their own family. As we begin to minister as the Word intends the Lord will be faithful to bring in parents. Until then the stronger family units can take in the children who come without parents, and maybe this will even open the door to be able to minister to them. We all know that it is common for ministers children to be rebellious, we know many saints of God whose children aren’t even polite much less saved. This is not what Jesus has in mind for His Church. If we can actually DO WHAT JESUS WOULD DO, and become UN-selfish, He will bless us in ways we cannot imagine. His way is always the right way. We have seen seen such mighty things with the children in the gathering. Such as...