Today's message particularly speaks about the childhood of Jesus. When we look at this scripture, we can see, "Ah, this is how we should educate our children." Generally, I don't preach much about child education, but I hope you see this as an opportunity to listen about it in church, so please lend me your ears. Therefore, the title of today's sermon is "This is How to Educate Children."
First, We Must Pray with the Given Word
First, we must always pray with the given Word. Some things may seem obvious, but you can understand why I am saying this. If we look again at Luke 2:40 and 52, it says, "The child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." Jumping to verse 52, it states, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." These two verses are very special to me. Why? Because I have used these two verses in my ministry for the past 20 years. What I mean by using these verses for 20 years is that whenever a baby is born in our church, I always go to these two verses to preach and share the Word. The reason I somewhat disregard our congregation is right here. If it's a baby, it must be these two verses, yet many of the congregation members do not know this. They might not even know that I shared these verses during the first child. However, by the fifth child, they seem to catch on. They start to understand around the third child. But the problem is that when they catch on from the third child, they might think, "Isn't there a different verse? Why does the pastor keep preaching the same verses?" Why is that? Is it because it's hard to choose Bible verses? No, I have counted and counted the verses. But I have my own reasons. If we talk about pastoral philosophy, I have my own reasons. The reason is that all our congregation members have one goal. From the moment they are born, all our congregation members have one goal, which is to become like Jesus. "Be like Jesus Christ." Of course, there is also this expression, "Like MJ." Do you know who MJ is? Yes, Michael Jordan. For those who like sports, there is also the expression "Be like MJ." But that's not the reason I do this; I believe all our congregation members, the members of Youngnak, should become like Jesus. Therefore, since we need to grow to be like Jesus from a young age, I preach with this Word. I share this message so that our children can grow up like Jesus from a young age.
Another reason is that when our congregation members have babies, many parents panic when they have that one baby. If the baby gets a little sick, some parents rush to the emergency room. Some parents call me, saying, "Pastor, my child has a fever." All babies grow while having fevers. But many parents are very anxious and don't know what to do. However, in verse 40, it starts with this: "The child grew and became strong." Right? In verse 52, it says, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature." Right? Growing in stature means growing healthily, right? Becoming strong means that initially, they are weak. All babies are weak. What God has promised is that they will become strong. He promises through His Word that they will grow healthily. So, when a child is born, the parents may not know what Word the child received, but I know. I have preached the same Word to our children for 20 years, so I know. I tell them, "This is the Word I shared when your child was born." But they don't know. They don't realize that I have shared the same Word with all babies. They might think, "Wow, the pastor has a good memory." Yes, I do. Because I preached this Word when they were born, and I believed and preached it. So, I share this Word. Why? Because the Word has power. If it has power, we need to know what was done. At least the congregation members may not remember, but the pastor should know. The pastor should know. So, the reason I share the same Word is because of this.
Moreover, what is most important is that now we become congregation members who hold onto the given Word and pray. When we remember what the given Word is, we hold onto that Word and pray. Everything a baby needs is contained in this Word. If the child grows well, they will become strong. Right? But it’s not just about being healthy. What else is needed? Wisdom must be there. "Filled with wisdom." Yes, wisdom must grow. Right? That is essential for a child. But it shouldn't stop there. Unbelievers think that being healthy and wise is enough. However, for us believers, what is absolutely necessary is that God's grace must be with us. We cannot do it by our own strength. No matter how smart and capable the child is, ultimately, what the child needs is God's grace. God's grace. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for that child to be filled with God's grace. Right?
One of the things I enjoy about sharing this Word is that our congregation members come to me and say, "I don't know about anything else, but Pastor, my child wants to be like you." Why do they want to be like me? I wouldn't want to be like me either. Yes, I asked what they meant by wanting to be like me, and they said, "I want to be raised like the pastor." So, our prayer topic is "to grow tall like the pastor." That's the prayer topic. So at least they remember one Word given for themselves. This is very important. Yes. It is very important for a child to grow well without being hurt in this harsh world. Yes. But while it is important for God's grace to be with them, another important thing is that the child must learn to love. They must know how to love. In this world, being loved and knowing how to love is exactly what Jesus was like. Right? In verse 52, it says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." This is very important. Being loved, how did Jesus become a child who knew how to love? It is because He was loved. Yes, because He was loved, He became a child who knows how to love. Yes. Therefore, when we pray for our children, we must not forget this. "God, please let our children be loved abundantly." Let them be loved by their grandparents, siblings, friends, and everyone in the church, so that they can grow up knowing how to love, embracing humanity and the kingdom of God like Jesus. If you pray with just these verses, our children will surely grow well. Don't you think so?
If I had preached this serious sermon 10 years ago, would it have been better? I don't know. But now, after 20 years, I finally share with you why I preach this, why I use these verses. Right? Of course, you might think it's not a big deal, but I have held onto this and prayed for your children, and now that you know, I hope you will pray like that too. Right? And I hope this tradition continues, not just for 20 years but continuously. Ongoing prayers, prayers directed toward children. There is God's work in that.
mindmap
root(("Child education must be based on the Wor"))
("First, we must pray with the given Word")
("Luke 2:40")
("Second, children must grow")
("Luke 2:52")Second, Children Must Grow
Second, we must remember that child education must be about growth. Luke 2:40 states, "The child grew and became strong." Right? In verse 52, it also says, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature." They must grow. Since they are young children, what must they do? They must grow. Those of you who have studied systematic theology or theology might know such terms as "the third Adam, the first Adam, the second Adam." Jesus is the second Adam. The first Adam is Adam, the one created by God. It’s hard to say, but you know who I mean, right? But what is the difference? What is the difference between the first Adam and the second Adam? It should be seen as something amazing. Why should it be seen as amazing? Because the second Adam came to resolve the sin of the first Adam, right? So, everything should be the same. All situations should be the same. However, the situations are not the same. Why? Because the first Adam came as an adult. God made him as an adult. But the second Adam came as a baby. Why did He do that? Shouldn't the situations be the same? Shouldn't the same situation give Him the qualification to save all humanity? It should be the same. But why did He do that? Why? In short, it is a bonus. We can see it as a bonus for humanity. Because if Jesus were the third Adam and came as an adult, there would be something He could not do. What is that? He would not be able to understand our childhood, our babyhood, our early years. Yes. So, in order to understand us, to love us, and to embrace us, Jesus came as a baby. He came as a baby for us, which is love. Right? Because He came as a baby, He bore all the pains that come with being a baby. If He were the third Adam, it would be fine. He would enjoy everything and come as an adult, saying, "Mom, Mom," without any pain, enjoying everything without any labor. He is doing well, right? Yes. He came having enjoyed everything. But the third Adam came as a baby to save us, including our sins and our childhood. Jesus' love is that.
Therefore, our Lord could say this. If we go to Hebrews 4:15, it says, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." The reason He can say this is that He understands even the sins we committed in our childhood. He resolves them. Even in our childhood, in some ways, we are the weakest. Aren't we? We often act thoughtlessly, and even now, there are many such moments. But even in our childhood, our Lord does not fail to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. Right? When a baby is born, He understands all the pain and the process of the husband pulling his hair out during childbirth. Yes. That is what our Jesus speaks about. Then, in Matthew 18:3, He says, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." If Jesus had not had a childhood, He would not have been able to say this. He would not have the qualification. But because Jesus had a childhood, He can say, "You must become like a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven." Therefore, anyone who humbles themselves like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He has the qualification to say this because He overcame that trial. Right? The important thing is that from a young age, our Jesus understood us and experienced everything to save us. But the problem is that for this to happen properly, they must grow. They must grow. Yes. So, it says earlier that He grew in stature. They must grow well. In the process of growing, there should be no sin. They must grow well. And in that process, they must be properly fed. They must be able to grow well without sin. Yes. Everything must be well-fed with spiritual nourishment for them to grow well. Right? This is the answer we have when we raise our children. What I mean is that when we raise our children, we must ensure that they can grow well. We must think about how our children can grow well. How can they grow well? Right?
I believe there is something we must tell our children to help them grow well. That is, we must teach them that their bodies are the temple of God. They are the temple of God. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, it says, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" Right? To a growing child, we must clearly instill the identity that "You are the temple of God, so you must grow well as a temple." We must feed them so they can grow well as the temple. Right? That is our job. Then our children will grow up saying, "Ah, I am the temple of God." Then their lives will change. How? They will live to achieve holiness. Right? Even if our children are not doing well, when they go to church, they will tidy themselves up. But when they realize that their bodies are the temple of God, they will tidy up their entire lives. Right? Yes. Isn't that so? Their bodies are the temple of God. Yes, their bodies are the temple of God. When we teach our children this, they will begin to change and live as the temple of God. Then, as it says in 1 Corinthians 6:20, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." We are people who have been bought at a price. Yes. My life is not mine; it belongs to God. I have been bought with the blood of Jesus on the cross. I am a redeemed person. Yes, we are the body that has been redeemed through the blood of Jesus, and what we must do is "glorify God with our bodies." The body refers to our entire life. Living our entire life to glorify God is what we must instill in our children. We must instill their identity of who they are. "You are the temple of God. You are the holy temple where the Spirit dwells." Yes. And "You are a person bought at a price. You are not your own. Therefore, you must glorify God." We must accurately instill this in our children.
Furthermore, we must instill habits in our children. Habits. You know, our lives are governed by habits. Whether you know it or not, you have certain habits. You continue to have those habits. Habits can be scary. Therefore, we must instill proper spiritual habits. From a young age, the habit of praying. Yes. The habit of reading the Word at a set time. The habit of worshiping and attending church. Yes. These should naturally be ingrained in our children without anyone telling them. At first, it seems like our parents are doing well. "Give us this day our daily bread; thank you, gracious God." And when that song ends, the prayer ends. But that habit ends there. There is no other song to sing. When our children pray before meals, they don't know what to do next. Create another habit. That's all there is. Yes. If the only habit is to pray before meals, it ends there. Yes. Think about what habits you are instilling in your children and ensure that you instill proper habits. Spiritual habits. Yes. Not just when they are young but also as they grow, we must instill proper habits. However, many adults fail when instilling habits in our children. They stumble. Why? Because our children are smart. They are smart. But they don't know. They are smarter than their parents. The fact that children are smart means that to instill a habit, "righting" is necessary. The child must recognize, "Ah, this is truly God's will." They must recognize it, but often it becomes the stubbornness of the parents. While living a life of faith, "I worked hard, so you must work hard too." Where is that? Isn't it so? Yes. Our children are very smart. If they clearly understand that it is God's will, they will follow that habit. But if it doesn't sit well with you, then you might use the Bible or something, and that can lead to a twist. As you all know, I shake my legs a lot. I shake them a lot. Some people get annoyed by it. They think, "That pastor is shaking his legs." So I openly live like this. I shake my legs. But do you know why I shake my legs? If I say this, it might seem like I'm blaming my mother, and you might think I'm a bad child, but it's because my mother's logic was wrong. What was my mother's logic? Whenever I shook my legs, she would hit my bottom hard. So this is not the first time I've been hit. I get hit really hard. Yes. And while being hit, I think, "Oh, I must have shaken my legs." I know. But every time I get hit, she says, "Why are you shaking your legs?" Does shaking your legs bring misfortune? What do you think? Does shaking your legs bring misfortune? Yes. No, the Bible doesn't say that. There is no such saying in the Bible. That is a superstitious saying. It is a superstitious saying. For a pastor or a pastor's wife to use superstitious sayings to prevent something is unreasonable. That itself does not resonate with the child. Think about it. If a pastor's mother says that shaking your legs brings misfortune, wouldn't I stop shaking my legs? Then I would be a strange pastor. Living a life disconnected from truth because of something that is not in the Bible makes me a strange pastor. In short, a believer must always be biblical. When any superstition or saying arises, it must be biblical. It must be based on truth. When it is based on truth, it can be advised and become a reality, and there we find the solution. When our children hear these habits, even if they are young, do not underestimate them. Our middle and high school children know a lot about the Bible. Yes. Therefore, everything must be biblical. It is not about sharing your experiences; it must be biblical. Yes. You must be able to clearly state that it is God's will. It must not become your stubbornness. It must not become something you heard from someone else. Yes. Always remember that when this is conveyed biblically, change occurs, and it can become a proper habit. There are many such things in our lives. There are many.
We can also connect this to wisdom and knowledge. In verse 40, it says, "The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom." It says He was filled with wisdom. And it says, "He increased in wisdom and stature." You see, the word "knowledge" is not used for Jesus; the word "wisdom" is used. This is very important. For us believers, wisdom must grow, not knowledge. What is the difference? When knowledge grows, you use it to judge and condemn others. Knowledge does not save people; it can destroy them. Because it may sound funny, but wisdom includes love. Knowledge does not include love. Therefore, what the Pharisees do is knowledge. They have a lot of biblical knowledge. But the problem is that they use that knowledge to attack others. This is the Pharisee, right? They use that knowledge to condemn others, saying, "You are wrong." Okay, they may be wrong. But if there is no love, it can lead to death. You must be able to interpret it with wisdom. You must be able to interpret it with wisdom.
Let me tell you about someone who was the richest person in the world. You might think, "Oh, the pastor is going to talk about offerings again," but it is about offerings. Yes. In the case of Rockefeller, he became the richest person in the world. He became the richest person. But why? Because his mother imparted knowledge to him. Knowledge. What was that knowledge? From a young age, she told him, "No matter how poor you are, you must give your tithe." You know, there has never been a richer person in history than Rockefeller. There has never been a richer person. But Rockefeller, even when he was a poor farmer with a very small salary, always gave his tithe to God. He gave his tithe to God. Yes. But what does this have to do with wisdom and knowledge? Rockefeller received that knowledge and exercised the law of loving God. Do you understand what I mean? When he received money, he thought, "Ah, since I received allowance from my mother, while working, I must do this because I love God who saved me. I must do this much." This is how he interpreted his finances. This is wisdom. This is wisdom. But the person who receives it as knowledge thinks, "If I don't do this, God might punish me. If I don't do this, something bad might happen." Yes. Reluctantly, they think, "Let's see what God will do." This is the appearance of someone whose life is limited to knowledge. You see the difference? You see the difference? Yes. When you receive knowledge, when you receive knowledge from your mother from a young age, Rockefeller was able to interpret it with wisdom. What was that wisdom? It was God's love. God loves me this much, so I must do this much. Yes. But conversely, the person who interprets it with knowledge thinks, "If I don't do this, I might end up in trouble." Yes. God might ruin the business I have. This is the characteristic of someone who interprets it with knowledge. However, the difference is enormous. The result is enormous. Therefore, I hope you can see this difference. When you receive knowledge, does it become wisdom filled with love, or does it become a burden that leads to self-condemnation? You must see what kind of life you are living. So, what was the result for Jesus? Yes, the result for Jesus was, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." That is the answer. How could that be? Because the wisdom given was interpreted with love and applied to life, He was able to grow in favor with God and men. That is where it was. Right? I hope you become wise people who can interpret this. Wise people. Therefore, not only you but also your children will be beautifully raised to be loved by God and people.
I will do something I don't usually do today. There is no small group today, right? Yes. I don't think I need to go through three points. I think I can finish with just two points. Is that okay? If I finish early today, is there a problem? Oh, there is no problem, right? Yes. You can sing a little more. You can sing a little more, but let's pray and conclude.
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us prayer topics. May all of us raise our children to be like Jesus. May they grow healthily. May our children be filled with wisdom. May God's grace abundantly dwell upon them. Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to grow. May we eat and enjoy the good things you give us in the Lord and grow well. May they be filled with wisdom. May they lack nothing in wisdom. Heavenly Father, may our children not forget that they are the temple of God and live holy lives. May the knowledge given by God not end as knowledge but become wisdom. May they grow up receiving much love from God and people. God, may we raise our children, whom you have given us as gifts, well. May we not be lazy, and may we be used by you so that our children can grow well, receiving praise from God in the Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for today's message, and we earnestly pray in Jesus' name. Amen.