I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      There is a battle raging right now for the souls of our children, adolescents, and young adults.

                                                             1.      Of course, this battle is nothing new, for Satan is always seeking souls to devour (1Pet. 5:8).

                                                             2.      However, the tide of the battle has shifted so that Christians in the current generations are losing their children at a much higher rate than those in past generations.

a.       Because the churches of Christ are autonomous, it is difficult to quantify how many young people are being lost from the churches.  Nevertheless, any observant member of the church can see that there is a growing problem.

b.       It is interesting to note that the denominations are having this problem also.  For example, the Council on Family Life reported to the 2002 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention that 88 percent of the children raised in evangelical homes leave church at the age of 18 and never return.

                                                             3.      What is happening to our young people?  Why are we losing them?  How can we save them?

B.      It is time that we who are Christians turn back the tide of this battle so that we can save our young people.

                                                             1.      The reason that Christians have been losing this battle is recent years is because they have stopped fighting the battle in the right way, which is the Lord’s way.

                                                             2.      We must realize right now that if we do not start fighting for our young people according to God’s directions, then our young people are going to be separated from the Lord for eternity.  If this possibility does not motivate us to change our ways, then nothing will.

II.      WHAT CAN THE CHURCH DO TO SAVE THE YOUNG?

A.      Consider some of the efforts that have been made by churches to save their young people.

                                                             1.      Some churches have youth ministers to care for the specific needs of a youth group in the church.

                                                             2.      Some churches use sports, entertainment, and other programs to garner the interest of young people and get them involved with other young people in the church.

                                                             3.      Some churches have special youth camps to help convert young people.

                                                             4.      Some churches hold “children’s church,” in which they separate the children from the rest of the congregation so they can have a worship service on their own childish level.

                                                             5.      Some churches have completely reformed their assemblies and worship styles in order to hold the interest and attention of the modern entertainment-addicted generation.

B.      None of these things is the answer to saving our young people.

                                                             1.      Let us acknowledge that sometimes these methods produce positive results.

a.       It is true that churches that employ the above methods will increase their attendance.

b.       It is also true that some young people that participate in such activities will be saved if they are taught the truth of the gospel and obey it.

                                                             2.      Let us also acknowledge that these methods are unscriptural and unauthorized by the Lord.

a.       Nowhere in the Bible do we read of such things being practiced by the church.

b.       Some try to justify these unscriptural methods due to the desperate need to save young people, but  they merely complicate the situation by adding problems on top of problems.

                                                             3.      Defying God’s authority is never the right answer to anything regardless of the apparent results.

C.      The truth is that the church can be most helpful in saving young people by standing up for the truth.

                                                             1.      The church has always been the “pillar and support of the truth” (1Tim. 3:15).  Let it be so now.

                                                             2.      To that end, here is the truth about the problem with young people.

a.       First of all, the salvation of young people is accomplished in the same way as the salvation of any people, which is through the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).

b.       Next, let us understand that changing the Lord’s church is not the solution.  In former generations, young people were saved while the church followed God’s pattern.  There is no reason why this should not be true today.

c.        The real problem is that young people are not being brought up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, but instead they are being thrown to the dogs in a wicked and corrupted culture.  No wonder we are losing them!

d.       Having identified the real problem, we can now identify the real solution…

III.   THE BATTLE IS WON OR LOST AT HOME!

A.      Parents must take on the fight for their children’s souls.

                                                             1.      It is parents who have complete responsibility for their children’s upbringing.

a.       Fathers specifically are charged with bringing up their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4; see also Col. 3:21).

b.       Mothers are to love their children (Tit. 2:4-5) and bring them up (1Tim. 5:10).

c.        Children need the instruction and teaching of both fathers and mothers (Prov. 1:7-9).

d.       The bottom line is this: parents must raise their children like it is no one else’s business because it truly is not!

                                                             2.      This responsibility must be carried out in the home.

a.       Rearing children must not be farmed out to others (babysitters, daycares, grandparents, schools, churches, etc.).  It must be carried out by the parents in the home.

b.       Consider how Moses commanded Israel to teach the word of God to their children diligently at all times (Deut. 6:4-9).  Should we think that God would expect less of us?

                                                             3.      Parents must start training their children in God’s ways early.

a.       Timothy was taught the Scriptures from childhood by his mother and grandmother (2Tim. 1:5; 3:14-15; note that his father was an unbelieving Greek – Acts 16:1-3).

b.       In Israel, children were brought by their parents into the worship assemblies from infancy (see Deut. 29:11-15; 31:11-13; Josh. 8:33-35; 2Chron. 20:4, 13; Ezra 10:1; Joel 2:15-17).

c.        These examples demonstrate how children must be immersed into the word and worship of God early and often.

                                                             4.      It is not the church’s responsibility to raise up the young, and the church is not equipped to do so.

a.       How can parents expect the church to save the children if they are unwilling themselves?

b.       A few hours per week spent in a worship assembly or Bible class in the church are not enough to make up for parents who neglect their responsibilities.

c.        It is wrong for parents to expect the church to do unscriptural things to save their children who are being lost because of parents’ failure and neglect.

B.      The reason we are losing the battle for our children’s souls is because parents have abandoned their God-given responsibilities.

                                                             1.      If parents turn their children over to the world for education and training, then they should not be surprised when their children are worldly.

a.       Many parents have given up their children to be indoctrinated in humanism, evolution, multiculturalism, etc.  “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?  A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:39-40).

b.       “Do not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals.” (1Cor. 15:33)

                                                             2.      Parents must stop listening to the wisdom of the world regarding their children and start listening to the wisdom of God.

a.       The world says that a child needs to have a diverse experience in the ways of the world, but the Bible says, “Do not learn the way of the (heathen) nations” (Jer. 10:2).

b.       The world says that a child needs to be herded together with other children of his own age, but the Bible says, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child…” (Prov. 22:15), and “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Prov. 13:20)

c.        The world says children need professional training, but consider Proverbs 1:7-9 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.”

d.       The world says that worldly education is the key to prosperity and happiness, but the Bible says, “All your sons will be taught of the LORD; and the well-being of your sons will be great” (Isa. 54:13).

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      Our young people are being lost because parents are giving in to the culture, turning their children over to the culture, and then blaming the church for their own failures.

B.      It is time for this failure to end.  Let us stop fighting to change the Lord’s church, and let us start fighting to change our broken homes.  If we will do this, then we can save our children.