Honey, I Taught The Kids!
2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Intro: In 1989 a movie came out called “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. Tonight, I want to preach out of this passage “Honey, I Taught the Kids!” We need to be reminded of the absolute essential duty to teach the holy scriptures to our children!!
I. The Possibility
It is essential that every parent and every Christian understand something – children can learn.
The Apostle Paul knew how Timothy was raised, and how he had been brought up in the Word.
There is no question about it – kids can be taught
- Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
- Matthew 21:15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Yes! Children can learn.
Yes! Children can get involved!
Yes! Children can praise the Lord!
Yes! Children can walk with God!
II. The Process
I love what Paul said to Timothy – that from a child thou has KNOWN the Holy Scriptures
There is an emphasis on the word KNOWN.
This goes much further than an awareness.
This is much more involved than a periodic, random exposure.
This was more than just a family Bible lying on the coffee table.
This was deeper than a cross-stitched Bible verse hanging in the hallway.
This process was a little more involved than that!
This is a 2-part process:
A. The Teaching Process
Somebody has to teach the children. It’s just that simple.
We know who it was in Timothy’s case.
- 2 Timothy 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Do you see this 3rd generation process?
First in the grandmother, then in his mother, and it was in him too.
If we want our children to have an unfeigned faith, it must start with us!!
UNFEIGNED – without hypocrisy; sincere
We need more parents with unfeigned faith teaching their children the meaning of unfeigned faith.
It’s a non-stop endeavor.
From the time they are born until they die, we never stop pouring into our kids.
- We teach by our EXAMPLE
- We teach by our EXHORTATION
- We teach by our EXPLANATION
- We teach by our EXPERIENCES
B. The Learning Process
The children have to listen and learn.
Timothy knew the Holy Scriptures. That means he learned them.
That means he was interested; he was hungry; his heart was inclined to the things of God.
- Luke 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
The Bible is clear – Timothy knew the Holy Scripture.
That means he had done more than heard it.
He had believed it and embraced it and it became a part of him and who he was.
He grew to love it and he grew to live it.
ILLUSTRATION:
When I was 15, I tied a young preacher of about 20 years old in Bible Verse memorization. I had to stand up and quote 150 or 175 Bible verses correctly to win a Schofield Bible. We both tied, so we both won.
My wife competed in Bible Memory as a teenager. In 6 years of competing, she won either 1st place or 2nd place in the state of Georgia. She competed against between 100 and 125 other players. She said she memorized between 800 and 1,000 Bible verses and many of them she can still remember.
III. The Product
This teaching process produced a young man that would have a major impact on Christianity.
He became one of Paul’s most trusted associates.
As a matter of fact, Paul said that of all the young men that he had mentored, there was none like Timothy.
- Philippians 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.
- 20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
- 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
- 22 But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.
- 23 Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
- Faith – the same unfeigned faith that was in his mother and grandmother became his
- Wisdom – which are able to make thee wise
- Salvation – which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
- Grounded – through faith which is in Christ Jesus
Conclusion: The Apostle Paul reaped the benefits of a young man that had been taught the Holy Scriptures. The churches of that day reaped the benefits. Untold millions of Christians down through the years have benefited from it.
Paul couldn’t challenge Timothy to CONTINUE THOU IN THE THINGS WHICH THOU HAS LEARNED until someone had taken the time to teach it to him!!
Moral of the story – we have to teach our children the Word of God!!