Summary:
Our children are a heritage given to us by God and so we need to give account to God. This sermon touches on the importance of religious education - to nurture our childrens’ lives so that Christ is formed in them.
To do this, our own conduct and spirituality must be good, to set an example for them. In these last days, let us be watchful of our souls and the souls of our children, that we may be saved.

Heb 13:17
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

They are the watchmen of their souls. God tells the watchmen, “Listen to My words and warn the wicked. If you do not warn them to depart from their evil ways, that wicked man will die in his sins but I’ll require his life from your hands as well. But if you warn the wicked and he dies in his sins, you would still have delivered yourself.”

As watchmen, we have the responsibility to warn the believers. They may not need to be accountable to men, but surely accountable to God for whether they have been diligently discharging their duties. Will we be able to give our account with joy or grief? We ourselves know how we have taken care of this account. It’s fortunate we don’t have to give an account tomorrow. There’s still time for us to turn the bad account into a good one. So that when we give an account to God, we can do so with joy and not with grief.

This verse is not only spoken to the shepherds in the church but also parents at home, because parents are considered the watchman of their children’s souls. As believers, we believe children are a heritage from God. We know that we have to give an account for this heritage we have received from God. Has this heritage appreciated or depreciated in value?

A judge questioned a criminal. When he found out the name of the criminal’s father, he was shocked and said, “Your father is a well known professor in the legal sphere! His books have helped me to become a judge today. As his son, how could you have done such a deed to taint your father’s name?” The criminal replied, “The book my father wrote allowed you to become a judge. But it caused me to become a criminal. Because over the 10 years he took to write this book, whenever I entered his study room, he’d drive me out. He was only concerned about his glory. He only cared about academics but not how I felt. When I was sad, he never comforted me. When I did something wrong, he never had the time to discipline me. Why should I care how he feels?”

This is a regret that a parent would have if he failed to discipline his child.

Our children are a heritage given to us by God. If we don’t want this heritage to go bankrupt in value, we need to take care of it properly. No matter how beautiful a garden is now, it’ll be overgrown with weeds if we don’t take care of it. If we allow it to continue, the beautiful garden would turn into a grassland and harbour all sorts of snakes and rats.

While we still have the opportunity, we should esteem religious education. We should use the word of God to teach our children. Our children first come in contact not with the trends of this world, not with the bad culture in society, and are not first influenced by bad company. The first people they come in contact with are their parents. Therefore parents play a very important role, especially in religious education in this period of time.

If you miss this golden period for religious education, it would be a pity and regret for both the parents and the children. Sadly, many parents have missed this golden period to teach their children. But never mind. If we have really missed this golden period, let us take hold of the remaining time to teach them the word of God. Because religious education is not restricted to when they’re young or teenagers. Religious education is for life.

The speaker read an article: The Jewish education system can be said to be world class. The Jews formed 3% of the American population but amongst the famous professors in the US universities, they make up 30%. The Jewish education is indeed a success.

The article also said: The Chinese make up the largest population in the world. But Chinese Nobel prize winners are few in numbers. The Jews are few in numbers, but they make up 15% of all Nobel prize winners.

The article asked: why is the education system of the Jews so successful? It concluded that it was because the Jews esteemed religious education God wants them to esteem in their children.

Deut 32:45-47
45 Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel,
46 and he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law.
47 For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”

Our hearts have a very small space. We can’t put everything in our hearts. The things we set in our hearts would be what we reckon to be most important in our lives.

How many do we love? We cannot put everyone into our hearts; not everyone can be considered to be your loved ones. That would end up to be of no value. Only the one who is most important in your life is considered your beloved.

The question is: what is it that’s most important in our hearts? There are many things that are important. But which is the MOST important?

Moses tells us here. It is the law, all the words of this law that God wants us to observe. The word of God is not a futile thing that has nothing to do with us. It’s not just a religious life. It concerns our entire life. Therefore Moses reminds them, in the first part of verse 47,

For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life,

Do we have this understanding?
All of us know the importance of the word of God. But do you view the word of God so important that it’s as important as your life?

If you lose your life, then the rest of the things you considered to have been important are no longer important. Even though COVID-19 has brought us much suffering and threatened our lives and resulted in many losses for many people, it reminds us that life is most important. If you lose your life, what you think is important will no longer be important. Life is hence most important.

The Jews listened to the words of Moses. They viewed the word of God as the word of life. Therefore religious education to them is education about life itself. They are hence very serious to use the word of God to teach their children. Because they’re very serious in their religious education, their children harbour the word of God in their hearts. Because God is in their hearts and they have the word of God in their hearts, they’re able to love their own lives. Not just at home. Our children are often very obedient in front of us. But what happens when they’re out of our sight? Are they still as obedient and submissive as in your presence? If you’re omniscient and are able to see what they’re doing outside, you’d be disappointed and grieved. We must set the words of God in their hearts. So that they not only hear the words of God but also keep them in their hearts.

We think we have already told our children and that they have already heard. But it only goes in one ear and comes out the other. How many have allowed the word of God enter their hearts and remain? It’s not an easy task.

We look at ourselves. We listen to many sermons and try to retain the words of God in our hearts. But how much is retained? Yet, we remember all the details of the plot of the Japanese or Korean drama.

We often have our own weaknesses in this area. We may esteem the words of God but neglect the word of God. Even though we carry out religious education, it’s not as effective as we hope it’ll be.

Hence, let us be like the Jews to treat religious education as something that concerns life itself. Further, the responsibility of religious education doesn’t lie on the shoulders of the rabbi but on the parents. The rabbi can only conduct 1 hour of lessons a week, and some only meet the children once a month. How can they allow the word of God to nurture the child to keep the words of God? As parents, we spend most of our time with our children. Therefore we ought to be watchful for their souls all the time. Let us put the words of God into their hearts through this education about life.

But first of all, we must put the words of God in our lives. We esteem their academic studies. We think about their studies all the time. We are very concerned about their future. But why have we neglected the future of their faith? As parents, of course we should be concerned about our children’s academic studies as it’ll impact their future and our own. If they have a bright future ahead of them, we’d have a bright future ahead of us too. It’s only right for us to be concerned about their studies in school. But shouldn’t we be all the more concerned about their souls?

Matters concerning this body are important but these will only last for a few decades. But the salvation of one’s soul concerns eternity! More importantly, God will require us to give an account in the future. God has given us this very important heritage. How have we taken care of this heritage God has given us? Therefore we ought to esteem our children’s religious education. So that they have the words of God in their hearts and their souls will be saved in the end. Whether our children’s souls can be saved in the end depends on whether we nurture them today.

Gal 4:19
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

This is the goal of Paul’s pastoral efforts - that Christ would be formed in them. He doesn’t only teach believers concerning the word of God. More importantly, he nurtures believers so that Christ’s life is formed in them. Many parents think, “I’ve already taught my children how to read the Bible, pray and I bring them zealously for services. Have I not done my part for religious education?”

But they have neglected to nurture their children to make sure Christ’s life is formed in them. Instead, parents often let their children’s life become more and more secular. They’re only Christians in the church. But they’re not like Christians outside church. Their biblical knowledge allows them to score full marks for Christian exams but their Christian living score is 0. We need to be clear that the goal of religious education is not just to teach biblical knowledge, more importantly is to nurture their lives so Christ is formed in them. So that they will manifest the life of Christ in their daily lives. Therefore Paul tells us in 2 Cor 12:1, “Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ”.

Paul was indeed a person who imitated Christ. What he manifested was the life of Christ. Because the life within him has been transformed into the life of Christ. Can we tell our children to imitate us just as we imitate Christ? If we have followed the example of Paul, we can tell our children very certainly tell them to imitate us as we imitate Christ. But we know who we have imitated. How can we tell our children to imitate us as we imitate Christ?

There is a saying that goes: How can a dead hen lay eggs?
A corrupted life can’t produce good life.

If we don’t pursue growth spiritually to be like Christ, then how can we nurture our children’s life so their lives can be like Christ?

The adult crab walks sideways. How can it expect its children to walk straight?

The parents’ faith directly impacts their children’s faith. “Like father, like son.”

Therefore our conduct and how we present ourselves before our children is very important. Everyone hopes their children will grow up to be good people. Then we must ourselves first be good! We hope Christ will be formed in our children. Then Christ must be first formed in us so they can imitate us. If parents don’t fear God, how will our children fear God? If parents don’t pray at home, how will children pray at home? Some children may be obedient to pray because parents tell them to. But in their hearts they think: My parents don’t even pray and yet they ask me to pray.

They only pray in order to account to you. Therefore many children don’t know how to pray in church because they don’t know how to pray properly at home. Not that they don’t know how to kneel down. But can see HOW they pray. It’s because they don’t esteem prayers and don’t believe in the power of prayers. These are the consequences of parents themselves not believing in the power of prayers. Perhaps our prayers have not been answered by God. Just like praying for the Holy Spirit - many have yet to receive. This has resulted in negative consequences. Everyone thinks and is assured and comforted because they see that a lot of other people also haven’t received the Holy Spirit. But if many people had already received the Holy Spirit, then we would condemn ourselves and feel embarrassed. The speaker recounts his experience of praying for the Holy Spirit: “The majority of people around me had received the Holy Spirit and I was the only one left. Before that, I hadn’t been so serious in my prayers. I was thinking, there are some people who haven’t received Him. But after a while these people received Him. So I felt very ashamed and anxious. They even told me I was the only one left and they were praying for me. This caused me to feel more shame. But it also resulted in me being more zealous and prayerful.”

We all think in like manner. If everyone is zealous in attending service except me, I’d feel ashamed even if no one rebukes me. But if the majority don’t come for services, would I feel ashamed? Of course not, I’d feel comforted.

The speaker met Pr Chin at the dentist and Pr Chin how many people attended Sembawang church on Wednesday. Sembawang church just resumed its Wednesday night service. Pr Chin was interested to know how many had attended. Actually, the speaker was anxious how many people would attend. He was actually prepared to stay at home for service, he wasn’t aware he could return. He thinks that likely many members were like him who weren’t aware. Truly there were few. 8 people were in the hall. 2 ushers. 10 in total.

We are all accustomed to attending services at home because it’s more convenient. But if we are able to overcome the inconvenience to travel to church to worship God, He esteems this heart to worship Him. God does love our heart that is willing to worship Him at home, after all, when 2-3 gather in His name, He will be in their midst. We have faith that God is with us. But we neglect another verse that tells us that He wants us to go where His name is named. Why have we overlooked this verse in the Bible? Isn’t the Old Testament God our Lord Jesus too? Don’t be mistaken that it’s spoken by YHWH, the Old Testament God. If we read the Old Testament, we’d notice this important passage where the Lord God blesses the people from the temple. Yes, God is omnipresent, but he is especially present in his temple. He is waiting in His temple, for his children to come to worship Him. So let us not only focus on the verse that says, ‘where two or three gather in My name, I’ll be present’. And then feel assured to have services at home.

Indeed, it is true that not many members come to church for services. In Sembawang, there’s now no restriction coming back for night, morning or afternoon Sabbath service. Because it never exceeds 50. If by the grace of God it hits 100 members, then they’d think about restricting numbers. Most members are already accustomed to attending services online. This has affected our worship of God in some manner.

When we were not allowed to come back to church for services, did we feel something was missing? Did we have a sense of regret that we didn’t come back to church more often than we could?

The speaker still remembers the last service when we could all worship in church, before the circuit breaker. It was a Wednesday night service and the speaker was also speaking the sermon that day. The church hall was filled to the brim. It must have been because it was the last time to be gathered together.

We have that sense of regret. That’s why we grabbed hold of the opportunity to come to church for service for the last time then. At that time the speaker was thinking: would you come for Wednesday night service if services could go on? At that time he didn’t dare to voice this out and placed it in his heart. He hopes we will learn something from this experience.

One day when the great persecution comes, there’ll be no more services. No more speakers to speak sermons. No one to remind or rebuke you. Everyone would have to face his own test then. Who would be able to stand firm and hold on to his faith?

All of us should prepare ourselves for that test which is coming. However a common mentality is: exams are important but since it isn’t happening so soon, we don’t study yet. But the night before, many burn the midnight oil to study. You can study at the last moment and still do well.

But can the same apply to your faith? Can you suddenly be firm and strong in your faith? A life doesn’t arise out of nowhere and suddenly be strengthened. Unless it was a miracle or the mercy of God. When trials and tests come, how can God perform the miracle when the test is God-sanctioned?

Listen to the words of God. Be serious in our faith. Heed the words of God in our hearts. Let us change our life so it is like Christ. So that our faith can be stronger. When we are faced with any kinds of tests, we will surely not give up. Not only should we have this kind of faith, it is hoped that our children can also have this faith. We hope not just for our own salvation, but for the salvation of our family.

The day is drawing near. Should we not be even more serious in teaching this important faith to our children?

May the Lord help us so we will be watchful of our souls and watch over the souls of our children so that all of us will be saved in the future. This is the greatest grace.