“Tell London” by telling your children

Are you telling, preparing to tell, thinking about it? I am talking about telling our community that Jesus is Coming Soon. We had planned focus on the family for the whole month of February and it was interesting to see how “coincidental” (there is no such a thing as chance with God) it was as the community around us focuses on the same thing – FAMILY!!!

I got an e-mail from some church members after preaching on parental responsibility alerting me of a few articles in the London Free Press this past week – about fathers who avoid paying child support, about parental neglect and lack of discipline in the family. The local 1290AM radio had been talking about reasons poor parenting of some is affecting the rest of community by drawing resources away from those who want to succeed. The CTV and few other stations had been talking this week about the whole society going downhill, attributing it directly to the lack of education and discipline within family.

All these communications inadvertently connect the current conditions of the family to the role of a mother! Either excusing mothers by saying they have not enough resources by fathers not supporting, or by being depressed and alone; or by blaming them for spending too much time in the workplace and neglecting the relational needs of their children, or simply by blaming the high stress and inflation on forcing both parents to work to survive the standards of living. In any case – every story links family issues to the Mother’s Role.

Not surprisingly – the bible mentions mother every time the character and accomplishments of a ruler mentioned. Read Kings & Chronicles: so & so reigned…and his mother’s name was… Ancients connected directly what the man did in his life – walking right in the eyes of the LORD or doing evil in the sight of the LORD – to the role of mother in their life.

The classic book on parenting - Adventist Home – says this: “The home should be to the children the most attractive place in the world, and the mother's presence should be its greatest attraction.” (p.21)

The influence of the church and that of a pastor is limited by mother’s role in the family: “…the mother has her line of work. She is to bring her children to Jesus for His blessing. She is to cherish the words of Christ and teach them to her children. From their babyhood she is to discipline them to self-restraint and self-denial, to habits of neatness and order. The mother can bring up her children so that they will come with open, tender hearts to hear the words of God's servants. The Lord has need of mothers who in every line of the home life will improve their God-given talents and fit their children for the family of heaven.” (p.236)

Are you telling your children that Jesus is Coming Soon? How are your daily actions of shopping, organizing your home, taking a time off communicate to your children your faith that Jesus is coming soon?

Tell London: Jesus is Coming Soon

Last Sabbath we were privileged to have Halsey Peat from the Conference Communication department dialogue with us on how we communicate the Gospel. In his presentation he reminded a simple rule of 5W&1H which determines interest level in all communication:

Who? What? Where? When? Why? & How?

The title statement “Tell London: Jesus is coming soon!” answers all the above mentioned questions:

What should we do? TELL!!!!

What should we tell? à Jesus is coming soon.

Who? Everyone of us to everyone we know, and don’t know yet.

Where? Obviously here in London, starting with the most close relationships, and people nearest to us.

Why? Because Jesus is coming soon.

When? A.S.A.P. (as soon as possible) à that’s what SOON means

This will happen if you truly believe this. The reason many are not telling, and just going through religious motions of liturgical rituals because the urgency of faith is gone.

q How? that’s where every person can design their own personal strategy; that’s where every ministry interprets means, sources, venues and approaches.

Today I want to focus on one particular of this – authenticity of telling. Telling goes beyond words – it’s our whole lifestyle. And who’s better know and first to receive than members of our families. Last week I’ve challenged husbands to take a spiritual responsibility for their families. Today my appeal is for parents in general. For brevity I will simply quote few statements from a classic on parenting called Child Guidance from the pen of inspiration:

It is in the home that the education of the child is to begin. Here is his first school. Here, with his parents as instructors, he is to learn the lessons that are to guide him throughout life …Let not home education be regarded as a secondary matter. It occupies the first place in all true education. Fathers and mothers have entrusted to them the molding of their children's minds. Home education is not by any means to be neglected. Those who neglect it neglect a religious duty. (p.17-18)

Parents, for Christ's sake do not blunder in your most important work, that of molding the characters of your children for time and for eternity. An error on your part in neglect of faithful instruction… will prove their ruin. Your course may give a wrong direction to all their future (p. 170)

Speaking of parents who do not walk the talk Ellen White says: “Such parents drive their children away from God, by talking to them on religious subjects; for the Christian religion is made unattractive and even repulsive by this misrepresentation of truth. Children will say, "Well, if that is religion, I do not want anything of it." (p.286)

How do you tell your children that Jesus is Coming Soon?

Tell London” Mission begins at Home

We’ve been dialoguing about our dream to tell every household in London that Jesus is coming soon. Since October 14^th our Church promotes the Initiative to make Evangelism a Lifestyle. When we tell our neighborhood – together we tell all London. When we tell London, and other churches tell their cities – we Tell Ontario. When each Conference tells their province – we Tell Canada, and together we Tell the World.

But where do we begin? How do we do it? Quite often eyes of all turn to leaders – pastor will do it, elders will do it. Surely the minister can put Evangelism before all things….As I seek Divine Counsel I recall a testimony given by one of our church pioneers: “The minister's duties lie around him, nigh and afar off; but his first duty is to his children. He should not become so engrossed with his outside duties as to neglect the instruction which his children need…To a large degree the happiness of men and women and the success of the church depend upon home influence... Nothing can excuse the minister for neglecting the inner circle for the larger circle outside. The spiritual welfare of his family comes first. Great good done for others cannot cancel the debt that he owes to God to care for his own children.”

(Adventist Home 353-354)

WOW! If God will not excuse even the pastor from taking care of the family’s spirituality first, what shall we say about a plumber, a doctor, a teacher, a builder? Making a buck and a name should never take a priority over taking care of family’s spirituality. Even evangelistic efforts, the most noble efforts of presenting eternal things to people should come as a secondary after taking care of Spirituality in the Family.

Our Evangeliving begins at home. Our first witnessing begins to our spouses and children. And today I will talk more to the Christian husbands. The most popular TV show since 2004 is said to be the “Desperate Housewives.” I’ve never seen a full episode, once glanced over a few minutes – senseless foolishness. But then I ask myself – is it just a play, or is it a portrayal of our present reality? How many desperate wives are out there because their husbands have never taken the responsibility as spiritual leaders?

Why such an emphasis on husbands? Well, Biblically speaking – when Eve got Adam in trouble God did not ask Eve but Adam – “where are you?” The husband’s got God’s order for the ultimate responsibility for the home.

Among many appeals made to Christian husbands by early Church leaders one in the 1^st letter of Peter (3:7) gives powerful motivation: Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Husbands, do you want your prayers to be heard? Take the responsibility seriously, both: for God’s gift in your wife, and for God’s gifts in your children. May our families be the first place that London will meet Jesus!

Our Mission is to Tell London – Jesus is Coming Soon

Some folks approach me with a question: “Pastor are we changing our directions? What’s this “Tell London” thing? What about the NCD program? (the Natural Church Development process that we began in 2005) My answer was simple “No! Not at all!”

The NCD was not the end of means, but rather necessary means to a much greater end. Our purpose here is not to have a Church Development Program, not even to have a healthy church, but to tell the world around us that the time is short and Jesus is coming soon. The NCD – because the healthy church can do it – the “telling thing” – much better. The witness of a healthy functional and loving church is much more credible, desirable and irresistible. That’s right – IRRESISTIBLE! Quite often our best intentions to witness end up in hurts of rejection, discouragement and calling quits…Imagine if our sharing ability would become irresistible!

Our Purpose for Being as a Church is to do the Great Commission of Jesus: get going, meet people and make them disciples – open your live completely for them to see and copy, then baptize them and continue teaching everything you learn in your personal walk with Jesus. That’s what church is all about. Our reason for being is simply to Tell all London about Jesus’ love.

The Church where leadership simply manages day to day operations, lords over people in positional bureaucracy will never engage voluntarily and excitingly in Telling the Gospel. It takes the Leadership that Empowers people! Only church where spirituality is real and passionate, not a formality sham, will be contagious for all around to be spiritual too.

The church where relationships are warm and loving, where people love each other and even strangers just as Christ loved us will go out of the way, extra mile and more to care and share with people about Jesus.

The church where worship is inspiring and leads people into God’s presence, where everything is in order and structures function as if God orders it will be organized enough to know how, and to be able to tell people about Jesus Coming. That is why we do this thing – the NCD – to keep ourselves fit, balanced and trained, that we may Tell London what they need to know – Jesus is Coming Soon!

Last week I’ve challenged you to Tell London, to tell your family, your relatives, your neighbors, your coworkers! Tell everyone you meet that you are expecting Jesus to return soon! Have you told someone?

Start training for it by increasing your exercise with God by spend 10 min more every day in prayer & the Word of God, more that you usually do. Commit ONE HOUR every week reaching someone for Jesus. Together we can and we will Tell London that Jesus is Coming Soon!

Jesus promises to come quickly and we reply with eagerness: Come Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)