Amen, we're in Joshua chapter 8 and we're just going to look again just remind you the
last couple of verses of Joshua 8, Joshua 8 and verse 34 said this, that after it he
read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings according to all that is written
in the book of the law.
There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua read not before all the congregation
of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers that were conversant among
them and the title of my sermon this morning is the family integrated church, the family
integrated church.
I'd like to pray and then we're going to get started with a message.
Father thank you for your word, thank you for Lord this church, this family integrated
church that we have here Lord and all the great people we have here, the great families,
the great children we have here Lord and I pray that you just help me to explain this
family integrated church model and you know what it's about, why we do it and how it works
and in the right way Lord in a way that people just you know understand, accept how we do
things here, accept the reasons we do them and then want to you know help that to work
and just be a part of what is a great church here Lord with some great people, Lord help
us to just continue to be that great church and Lord help me to preach this sermon just
clearly accurately boldly full of your spirit in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Okay so we have a sign on the front of our church if anyone noticed, quite a big sign
on the front of our church which says that we're independent, we're fundamental, we're
KJV only, we're soul winning and we're family integrated and I think most of that is pretty
self-explanatory, most of it I've covered at least you know most of that is covered
at least in part on our statement of faith okay so if you go on to our statement of faith
on our website our statement of faith isn't just a copy and paste of you know some sort
of baptist union statement of faith, no you know we have most of that covered on that.
The statement for example means that we're independent of any other churches, we're independent
of any other denominations, central leadership, any of that stuff, we're an independent church
here okay we don't rely on pleasing the liberal women at the head of the baptist union or
whatever they call themselves now, churches together, that's not what we're about unlike
most so-called baptist churches in this nation, we don't try and please them so we can keep
receiving that funding from the baptist union and keep getting advertised by them, no no
we're independent of those jokers all right, our church is therefore financially and spiritually
independent which is an important thing isn't it if we're just going to be led by the Lord
and not be worried about upsetting our paymasters or something else okay and as such we answer
to the Lord then and not fallible man or women and our church is therefore able to be and
is a fundamental church and a proper fundamental church which isn't a dirty word it's not you
know because people talk about these fundamentalists in Islam or something and people think this
sounds like some sort of extremist or something, no we just hold to the fundamentals or we
would say the basics of the Christian faith, we believe the basics of fundamentals, the
core doctrines of the Christian faith, the creation, the trinity, the virgin birth, salvation
being grace through faith alone, baptism after salvation, the other ordinance of the New
Testament Church, the Lord's Supper, we just believe the key clear doctrines of Christianity
okay that's what it means to be a fundamentalist church, we're KJV only, we only read and teach
from the King James Bible in this church, I mean what sort of church is that, you know
what that's the church that believes that God preserved his word like he said he would,
yeah we believe God when he said he'd preserve his word yeah we have it in English in the
King James Bible, we believe that we're not a Bible of the month club, we don't go well
I'm going to try a bit of the NIV this week and then next week or next month let's go
with the ESV, no we just believe the word of God is here in our King James Bibles, we've
got no reason to go to so-called other versions of the Bible, we're also a soul winning church
and that is exactly what it says on the tin okay we go out and we win souls because that's
the Great Commission, that's what we should be, that's what we do here, we go out we don't
track drop, yeah we might give tracks but the goal is to get people saved okay we're
trying to get in a conversation, get people saved, we don't go out and just have kind
of random apologetics evenings and times out where we're just there to debate and stand
on soap boxes with idiots in in town senses and stuff, no we're out to win souls okay
we're a soul winning church, we go to preach the gospel to every creature like we're told
to and like I said all of those are covered in our statement of faith and I also went
through them in our what we believe series which was just over a year ago now after we
became an independent church I wanted to make it clear what we believe is this independent
church here and we do continue to preach that stuff that continues to be preached from behind
the pulpit not just myself but men behind the pulpit some of that stuff will be covered
in bits and pieces in sermons and will come up at times but the last of those on our church
sign isn't on our statement of faith okay a family integrated church model isn't there
and it is something that we do believe obviously it is something that we do practice here and
although I preach on the differences between the Sunday school and that model that family
integrated church about it was about a year and a bit about 15 months ago now I last preached
that it is one of those things I think we need reminding of we do have more and more
new faces getting involved in our church and it's one of those topics that just needs reminding
regularly and we need to be on top of it and make sure that it works for our church as
well okay the title is a family integrated church and point number one today is what
is a family integrated church what is a family integrated church you might see it on the
sign somewhere you might wonder what it really is and what it isn't well have a look down
at Joshua chapter 8 Joshua 8 where we see an example of a family integrated church service
in the Old Testament okay so it's sort of a I would say a picture of a church service
here it's it's an example of a family integrated church service as well look at verse 30 there
in Joshua 8 verse 30 says and Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount
Ebal as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel as it is written in
the book of the Lord Moses an altar of whole stones over which no man has lift up any iron
and they offered their own burnt offerings unto the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings
now we'd no longer use an altar okay but we now present our bodies that living sacrifice
don't we holy acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service so we come and when
we come instead of bringing animals and things to say we bring ourselves as that sacrifice
don't we to God as we come to church on a Sunday morning and and a Sunday evening and
a Wednesday evening they said in verse 32 and he wrote there upon the stones a copy
of the law of Moses which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel by the
way anyone think that that had errors in it because it wasn't the exact original now I
bet that was a meticulous copy wasn't it a meticulous copy was still the word of God
verse 33 said and all Israel and their elders and officers and their judges stood on this
side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites which bear the ark of
the covenant of the Lord as well the stranger as he that was born among them half of them
over against Mount Gerizim and half of them over game against Mount Ebal as Moses the
servant of the Lord had commanded before that they should bless the people of Israel that's
a pretty big church service isn't it I mean that's a lot of people there right he said
in verse 34 and after it he read all the words of the law the blessings and cursings according
to all that is written in the book of the law there was not a word of all that Moses
commanded which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel with the women
and the little ones and the strangers that were conversant among them so it was a long
service and it was a family integrated service wasn't it that the congregation included the
women the little ones and the strangers that were conversant or we would say now that maybe
kept company that fellowship with them basically the converts okay the converts so here in
Joshua chapter 8 okay everyone is there for the service and that's what a family integrated
church service is okay there's no back room here where where we just send off all the
children okay there's no back there's no upstairs room where we send them there's no downstairs
basement room there's no out the back hut if you've been in those churches where yeah
yeah don't worry go out there through that bit over around there and get as far away
as possible into that little freezing cold hut out there some of you're thinking it's
pretty cold in here well don't worry you know we're trying to try not to get too hot and
cozy so you fall asleep all right but some some of those churches just send them out
to the hut get them as far away as possible we don't have that here where they go and
do other things there's no rotor of women and and I've been in churches where it's men
as well that instead of being part of the service and running an arts and crafts session
round in some other room somewhere okay we don't have that there's no creche service
where members of the church look after your kids for you we don't have that here and some
of you are thinking why don't we have that here because that would be quite handy it
might be quite handy okay the the families that were invited to be a part of the church
service with mother and father baby rooms as we know we're here linked up the service
to be used as required okay however the children are their parents responsibility just to make
that clear the children here are their parents responsibility they're no one else's responsibility
the title is a family integrated church service and point number one is a pretty easy point
okay what is a family integrated church well that's what it is a church where families
are encouraged to all partake in the same church service point number two why is this
a family integrated church this is a longer point now why is this a family integrated
church now in joshua 8 they've just won a brutal battle with ai they hanged the king
on a tree then buried his body with stones soon after it's time to hear the word of god
and you could understand the men there maybe think well this isn't really child's play
you know we've just been battling previously we've just slaughtered burnt a village town
city whatever you want to call it we've done all this stuff we we've hanged their king
on a tree then we buried him with stones okay let's get their women and children out of
here yeah yeah this is man's business now yeah we're the ones doing the fighting we're
the ones doing the battling we're the ones going to war well what happened is straight
after it was time to hear the word of god and they weren't saying look take the kids
somewhere honey take them down there's a cave down there just take it down there and start
drawing some stuff and just just get them away yeah they didn't say they didn't say
look some of those elders get their wives to deal with it they could deal with the kids
get the elders wives they don't need to be involved because we could just go ourselves
then right we don't want the kids here causing us a distraction they didn't say any of that
did they because that would be easier it would be easier for most people here wouldn't it
it would be easier if if my wife and some others maybe just kind of we made a room somewhere
maybe one of the upstairs rooms and just you know they looked after your kids then you
don't have to worry about them isn't that a lot of churches so-called churches around
right and i'm not saying they're not churches because of that but any version of church
most versions of church also they have that sunday school model don't they you could forget
all of that shushing and keeping them still and just send them far away and isn't that
what the world likes to do as well in in life in general right because isn't church all
about feeling good isn't it it's all about having an easy time of it it's a time to de-stress
isn't that why you come to church it's just a time to de-stress isn't it so now don't
people go to church to feel good well look at verse 30 it said then joshua built an altar
unto the lord god of israel in mount ebel as moses the servant of the lord commanded
the children of israel as it is written in the book of the law of moses verse 31 an altar
of whole stones over which no man has lift up any iron and they offered thereon burnt
offerings unto the lord and sacrificed peace offerings no church is us coming to sacrifice
ourselves to god that's really what it is first and foremost isn't it we're bringing
ourselves to god we're here to give of our time to him to praise and worship and to listen
to him that's why we come to church we don't come to church because it's a nice time to
get rid of the kids we don't come to church because what a great time now we could just
like feel good you know feel really like really enjoy the fleshly music and you know and kind
of maybe pay attention a little bit if he says some nice things in the sermon pat ourselves
on the back have a great time go home that's not really the goal of it yeah we should get
sometimes that and i hope people enjoy coming to church a lot of people seem to enjoy coming
to church right but that's not why we're here is it we're here because we're coming to sacrifice
of ourselves to god to praise and worship and to listen to him and when we do that then
we get blessed beyond a bit of free babysitting okay it said here in verse 32 it said and
he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the lord moses which he wrote in the presence
of the children of israel verse 33 says and all israel and their elders and officers and
their judges stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests of levites
which bear the ark of the covenant of the lord as well the stranger is he that was born
among them half them over against mount gerizim and half them over against mount ebal as moses
the servant of the lord had commanded before that they should bless the people of israel
so the people are being blessed and that includes the women and children okay for doing what
god commands his people to do they're being blessed for him and in the new testament that's
attending church isn't it okay that's that's kind of one of the number one things to do
isn't it as a new testament believer attend a proper church not christian themed daycare
and let me tell you what happens in a legitimate new testament church verse 34 and afterward
he read all the words of the law the blessings and cursings according to all that is written
in the book of the law the word of god gets read and it gets preached and it's not just
the fluffy bits is it it's not just the family-friendly bits that get taught and preached from behind
the pulpit it's not just a bit well you know that bit's kind of suitable for kids but this
bit isn't he read the blessings and the cursings he read the cursings as well he read about
all those threats all those all those things where god's saying look you do this this is
what's going to happen you turn away from me you forsake me you go whoring after other
gods this is what's going to happen to you he read all of that as well yeah he read the
blessings he read the cursings according to all that was written in the book of the
law he read the whole lot he read the whole lot to those families he read the whole lot
to those impressionable children he read the whole lot to those young children he read
the whole lot to those older children he read the whole lot to those women that included
leviticus chapter 18 we went through that the other week there's some tough stuff in
leviticus that includes leviticus chapter 20 i'm not just talking about verse 13 which
was probably water off a duck's back for them they were probably like yeah sure but
there was some there's some tougher stuff in there as well talk about putting people
to death putting witches to death all that sort of stuff they he they read through all
of that they read through all of them and other hairy chapters of the law were read
and hairy parts of the law now some would think because according to a lot of churches
they would think that's the time when the kids needed to go down to the cave and play
patter cake and not be part of the service because this is this isn't suitable for children
well it said in verse 35 there was not a word not a word of all that moses commanded which
joshua read not before all the congregation of israel it was not a word that he read not
before all the congregation of israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers
that were conversant among them and by the way that includes a stranger too there was
no skim read in the offensive parts when the stranger turned up there was no better
change your sermon quickly the strangers come in the newbies come in oh uh don't worry i've
got a i've got a backup about god's love here don't worry i've got a backup where i'm just
going to preach the gospel for an hour go newbies come in quick get the gospel out again
see if we can shoehorn it in somehow no they just he read all the words all the words they
read the whole word of god to the whole congregation of god's people why why well go backwards
a few pages to deuteronomy 31 so go backwards a few pages it is to deuteronomy chapter 31
where we see some of the reasons that it's so important for kids to hear the whole council
of god it's important for our kids to hear the whole council of god in deuteronomy 31
moses is giving them a pep talk before entering into the promised land it says this in verse
six deuteronomy 31 six he said be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid
of them for the lord thy god he it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor
forsake thee and moses called unto joshua and said unto him in the sight of all israel
be strong and of a good courage for thou must go with this people unto the land which the
lord has sworn unto their fathers to give them and thou shalt cause them to inherit
it and the lord he it is that doth go before thee he will be with thee he will not fail
thee neither forsake thee fear not neither be dismayed i wrote moses wrote this law and
delivered it unto the priests the sons of levi which bear the ark of the covenant of
the lord and unto all the elders of israel and moses commanded them saying at the end
of every seven years in the solemnity of the year of release in the feast of tabernacles
when all israel is come to appear before the lord thy god in the place which he shall choose
thou shalt read this law before all israel in the hearing gather the people together
men and women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear
and that they may learn and fear the lord your god and observe to do all the words of
this law the children also need to learn don't they the children also need to fear god and
observe to do all the words of this lord don't they children as well children need to learn
that when are they going to learn that they need to learn it from early don't they need
to be learning it from young learning it from early and of course look the meats drinks
divers washings carnal ordinances they're done away with okay they were only until the
time of reformation but god still wants us to live right doesn't he okay he still wants
us to live right he said through peter you'd have to turn there in first peter 116 be ye
holy for i am holy he said to be holy well oh well how can we be holy we better just
read the the bits that jesus christ emphasized that the bits that he talked about no god
doesn't change he's the same yes they stand forever okay it's the same holy standards
that you have for the beginning yes the ordinances are done away with but you know what the moral
law is still there the moral law still God still wants you to live right he still wants
you to be holy how are we holy psalm 119 1 verse 172 says my tongue shall speak of thy
word for all thy commandments are righteousness all his commandments are righteousness not
just the ones that we fancy nowadays not just the ones that fit in with our society nowadays
the whole lot is the whole lot is how are children to learn to live right if they only
hear part of it how are the kids going to learn to live right if they only hear part
of the law you say well they can learn at home so can everyone everyone can learn at
home so we might as well just give up on on church right but when you come to the house
of god our job is to teach and preach the whole council of god that's that's part of
the the the reason you come to church to hear it talk to hear it preached to hear it hammered
home because when we do our bible reading when we read through the bible we might skim
over those bits that maybe we don't really want to hear so much your children when they
do their bible reading might skim over many parts or maybe it goes in and it goes out
the other way or maybe they just hear it and maybe they forget about it but when you're
in church and it's being preached and it's being expanded it's being it's being put into
today's language in terms of what you're doing things it applies to in your life when you're
hearing it talk you're hearing it preach you're hearing it shouted at you it's a bit harder high
for me isn't it and god prescribes preaching and you know what children he preaches much as
the adults do children need preaching don't they verse 13 there said in that their children which
have not known anything may hear and learn to fear the lord your god as long as you live
in the land with he you go over jordan to possess it why is this a family integrated church one
reason is so that not just the dads not just the dads and mums but so that the children also hear
the whole council of god that's one of the reasons we want the children to hear the whole council of
god okay but it's not just for them now okay turn to turn to psalm 78 psalm 78 we will be coming
back to joshua right psalm 78 you're turning to if they get used to being in a proper church service
now the kids get used to being in a proper church service they're less likely to end up compromising
at happy clappy adult sunday school church when they're older aren't they
so if they get used to normal church now they're less likely to seek those happy days those happy
memories of when they were like clapping along you know in the back room somewhere along to some you
know catchy slightly doctriny tune if you're lucky no they they get used to just being in church don't
they and get used to being in church they're more likely to then be in church when they're older
because there's a lot of churches which are probably a watered down version of a normal
church's sunday school that are probably a softer version of a sunday school where they just clap
along to some empty songs some empty tunes they get a tiny sermonette with a lot of you know visual
stimulation to really keep them excited and then that's the end of it well look at psalm 78 and
verse one it's masculine asaph it says in verse one give ear oh my people to my law incline your
ears to the words of my mouth i will open my mouth in a parable i will utter dark sayings of old
which we have which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us we will not hide them
from their children showing to the generation to come the praises of the lord and his strength
and his wonderful works that he had done don't hide the parables and the dark sayings from the
children show them the beauty of the word his strength his wonderful works that's what he's
saying right verse five said for he established a testimony in jacob and appointed a law in israel
which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children that the
generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise
and declare them to their children so the people have all cared about their onward line okay they
cared about their children's children and their children etc that's something i think that's
that's gone a lot with people nowadays right a lot of people it's like they couldn't give a
damn what's going to happen to their grandchildren their great-grandchildren or anything else but
people used to care about that a lot my line is important right that's how people used to see it
in the bible we see that a lot they really care about what's going to happen to their line after
them and how we train our children what they get used to whether they're likely to be some people
doesn't matter at least they're safe no no we want our children serving don't we
want our children to grow up to want to be in church and want to raise their kids to be in
church well the knock-on effect of that of getting it right kids raised right to go and open their
mouths boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel that's what we want don't we it said in
verse seven that they might set their hope in god and not forget the works of god but keep his
commandments and might not be as their fathers a stubborn and rebellious generation a generation
that set not their heart to right and whose spirit was not steadfast with god and that's
all of those fun club church members now isn't it there are two bogged down by the cares of this
world the deceitfulness of riches they're not steadfast they're not doing the things of god
yeah they might go to fun club on a sunday pat themselves on the back after us and that's about
as far as the christian life goes it seems with so many out there that's not what we're raising our
children for is it that's not our goal yeah we might fail yeah we might not get it right but
that's not our goal is it he said the children of ephraim being armed and carrying bows
turned back in the day of battle so they had the ability they had the gospel they had the word of
god they had the other weaponry didn't they they could have gone on to fight for god what happened
verse 10 they kept not the covenant of god and refused to walk in his law and forgot his works
and his wonders that he had showed them they didn't have a good enough ground in the things of
god they let sin bog them down they forgot what he's revealed to them and fast forward to nowadays
and they just didn't have enough bible did they that's what we see nowadays we see people look i've
been to churches where you're looking at people and you're talking to people i remember a church
was that many years ago and there were some saved people some of the elderly people they were saved
and they were just doing nothing now and the kids weren't raised the things of god they they weren't
they weren't doing the things of god anymore it was becoming more of just a fun club christianity
too many renditions of father abraham and not enough thus saith the lord when they were grown up
that's what it was if you're wondering it's like father abraham has many sons i used to take her
kids to sunday schools right but you know you know though it's actually quite a good that's actually
quite a doctrinally accurate song as well yeah but too much of that and not enough thus saith the lord
yeah look that stuff's all right for a time and that stuff do that stuff at home with your kids
make it fun make it enjoyable remind them stuff through song but there wasn't enough thus saith
the lord was there too many cartoon images of mini boats with smiling giraffe necks poking out the
top of them and and not enough genesis 613 and god said unto noah the end of all flesh has come
before me for the earth is filled with violence through them and behold i will destroy them with
the earth too much fun and frolics and not enough what was the real message of the flood wickedness
and destruction by god too many coloring books with a long hair jesus in a dress
that's what it's that's what's out there isn't it i mean my kids getting rebuked for for saying
are you sure jesus looked like this in one of their sunday schools and they'll go he did wear
a dress and they were like trying to convince them that he wore a dress too many coloring
books of jesus in a dress you know not enough of verses like revelation 616 where the people left
on earth said to the mountains the rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sit on
the throne and from the wrath of the lamb not enough of that is there going on i don't think
they're preaching like that in them sunday schools you might hear a few more tears if they did at some
of those schools look jesus loves them yeah jesus loves everyone right jesus love love
jesus loves the world right jesus loves us jesus loves his children he died for us yeah he died
for our kids he's there for them in life but he but not painting pictures of him isn't what makes
you turn back in battle okay i just didn't paint enough pictures of jesus that's why i've turned
back in the battle that's why i've given up it's not what makes you refuse to walk in his law okay
it's not what makes you forget his wonders and his works no deuteronomy 31 12 we don't have to turn
back there but it said gather the people together men and women and children and our strangers that
is within our gates that they may hear that they may learn and fear the lord your god and observe
to do all the words of this law that's what he wants right so it's for them to hear all those
words for them to get used to hearing all of those words setting habits for life proverbs 22 6 says
train up a child away should go when he's old he will not depart from it that's our goal isn't it
we're trying to train them up in the way they should go yeah there's many elements of that
them just sitting in church doesn't mean they're going to go on to serve god but it's part of it
isn't it learning how to be in church learning what church is about learning to sit through
preaching learning to to reverend praise and worship all of those things they're more likely
going to do that in the future aren't they but it's for their own safety too turn to first peter
five first peter chapter five contrary to popular belief guess whose responsibility a child is
contrary to popular belief out there contrary to our world's belief whose responsibility
is our children did you know it's not actually the school teacher's responsibility your child they
don't have more responsibility than you i don't know about you but when we first uh many years
ago we had our eldest children at school and i mean they would treat you like you were kind of
almost like an annoyance and they were teaching you how you needed to parent your children
everything else like they knew best about your child that's kind of that that's the sort of
culture we're in nowadays isn't it that the school like those parents you know lucky the
school teachers there to parent them did you know that the doctors not responsible for your children
yeah they like to act like they know best like they know it all now even though doctors throughout
history have rarely known it all and they've never known it all they've often got many made
many big errors but apparently they know it all now and they know exactly what you should have
shouldn't do with your children and they're responsible for your children aren't they well
it's not actually any agents of the state they're not really responsible for your kids god doesn't
decide yeah yeah you know our the government would love you to think that they're responsible
for your kids but they're not you're responsible for your children parents are responsible for their
own children and parents out there okay you need to realize that your children are potential
targets potential targets okay now you don't have to go crazy with this okay some people go too far
with this but it's got to be worth being sober isn't it being vigilant because first peter five
eight to nine we're commanded to be sober be vigilant because you adversary the devil as a
roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resists steadfast in the faith knowing
that the same afflictions accomplishing your brethren that are in the world so basically the
devil and all his children those sons of belial those children of the devil those reprobates out
there are predators and predators look for the weak they look for the lame and guess what else
they look for the young that's who predators go for the young they're easy targets because
they're sick individuals and that's who they go for and it's not just the devil it's not just some
devils it's everyone that's of the devil and there's a lot of them out there aren't there
because evil minister jesus shall work wax worse and worse deceiving being deceived there's more
and more of them out there and and you know what that affliction he said whom resist steadfast in
the faith knowing that same afflictions are accomplishing your brethren that are in the
world that is so commonplace in the world it's scary isn't it it really is this is really
commonplace in the world my wife just came back from seeing her family she saw some family members
yesterday who and and just the stories coming out the stuff she's hearing coming from their schools
or it is scary how rife this is becoming this sort of thing it's horrendous it's everywhere schools
not you know neighbors family men just all this stuff going on it's horrific yet so many people
are just act as if it's just impossible there's no such thing and he said the same afflictions
are accomplishing your brethren that are in the world and that's that's a big problem in the world
right now is it vigilant to be sending your kids off with people that you don't really know is that
vigilant to just send your kids off i don't know who they are i don't know who what they're doing
i don't know you know but hopefully they're all right they go to church should be fine
even around and sometimes even around other kids unsupervised
do you know that that's that's a common that's a common affliction in the world by the way
other kids other children abuse from other children sometimes older children sometimes not
right right unsupervised kids a child left to himself brings his mother to shame
yet how many people just they just can't get their head around this at all they do and and
again you don't have to go too far with this some people it's like someone said hi to my kid they
must be some sort of weird i know but you know what you need to know where your kids are what
they're doing don't you you need to you need to be vigilant and you need to be sober because there's
predators around that's what the bible's telling us and this stuff sadly is rife in churches
because you know who predators are often attracted to those that are over trusting and christians
are often over trusting aren't we because we want to trust people because we want to think the best
because we want to see the best in people so we over trust and that's an easy target for these
sorts of people and this stuff is rife in churches sadly okay so you don't have to go overboard with
this but look we we do in our church we have our eyes open to this sort of thing but kids are
definitely safest with their parents aren't they yeah they're safest through their parents and
that's not to mention by the way also keeping them safe from false doctrine as well i mean what's even
been taught in half these sunday schools you don't even know because most of the time you're not in
there look i've been guilty of this i've had my kids in sunday schools before and then they've come
out and i'm trying to ask them what they got taught and they're trying to remember and we're
trying to get to the bottom of what they are and what they're not being taught and i was over
trusting of that i you know i was well just hope for the best of that and so often you don't have
the choice i've been at churches where they're trying to wrestle the kids off you to drag them
off to sunday school to be indoctrinated with false doctrine and you're borderline fighting for your
kids there okay it's rough out you know that's that's the reality isn't it who's been at churches
where they try and grab your kids and take them off you and say yeah we've got a few hands up right
they want to get those kids away they get them off get them out of that service ruining that service
let's get them down in the basement we're like who knows who teaching them who knows what i mean
what on earth right but turn to matthew 14 turn to matthew chapter 14 we want to keep them safe
for false doctrine and if you're in a church and you're listening to what's being preached
if there's something that you don't agree because they're your responsibility you don't agree with
what i'm teaching or preaching you're welcome to do that yeah i'm i don't think that i know it all
you don't agree with it go home and talk to your kids say well yeah i know he applied it like that
but i don't necessarily now of course be careful now if you just want to pick on every single thing
you can find something you know to pick on then you're going to probably start to create an issue
with your kids in church and they're going to maybe not respect and preach so much but when
it's something that's important to you go no you know i know you said that but we don't agree with
that fine do it respectfully go back and explain to your kids you can't do that if they're shoved
in a sunday school summer you don't know what's being told what's being told to them what's being
preached well in matthew 14 okay the question is why is this a family integrated church it's that
they hear the word of god they get used to real church it's safe for them and most important
because it's biblical a family integrated church for me is biblical in matthew 14 okay is a famous
miracle of feeding thousands with five loaves and two fishes well he's healing them first okay which
is a picture of spiritual healing obviously we see a lot of physical healing in the bible and we
do a lot of spiritual healing in a church okay that's one of the things we do when we preach the
word of god in church is we're trying to spiritually heal people right on verse 19 in matthew 14 says
and he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass and took the five loaves and the two fishes
and look he up to heaven he blessed and break and gave the loaves to his disciples and the disciples
to the multitude and they did all eat and were filled and they took up the fragments that remained
12 baskets full now often people are going he fed five thousand people with two fishes and five
loaves didn't he well let's have a look verse 21 and they that had eaten were about five thousand
men beside women and children no it wasn't just five thousand it's more like multiple times that
multiple five thousand men besides the women and children
but they were all there together weren't they and as well as being the same in the in the next
similar food miracle in the following chapter he does the same again again it's same it's women
and children there as well we we don't see any example of the children be exclude being excluded
from any of these example type church services any of these pictures of church services any of
these gathering together of an assembly of a congregation you just don't see that you don't
see the kids being excluded oh well we better teach the kids separately get them out of there
you just don't see that in the word of god in fact when they tried to prevent the young children
coming to him you have to turn a bit in mark 10 14 it says but when jesus saw it when they tried
to stop him he was much displeased and said unto them suffer the little children are coming to me
and forbid them not from such as the kingdom of god he got angry when when you try and stop kids
coming to the word of god to hear the word of god it's being preached behind the pulpit in this
church you oh get rid of them and get them coloring in downstairs you're you're you're
forbidding them from coming to the lord like i said i've been to churches where you almost
have to have a row about it they don't want your kids anywhere near the service
do you think jesus is happy or unhappy about that bob says he's displeased he's displeased
some of those new testament letters i remember covering this last time okay written to the
afision and the colossian church they're written to the church and they directly address the
children children obey your parents for all things in all things so this is right children
obey your pain he's he's he's addressing the children not saying parents tell your children
to do this when you talk to them after the service no the letters are written to the church they're
part of the church they're as much a part of a proper church as anyone else i remember i had
someone and it was innocently asked years ago do you count the children in your attendance
register i was like oh we sure do of course we do they're part of the church kids are part of
the church they're listening to preach they're listening to the word of god preached they're
singing along to the hymns it better be no but they are they're part of the service they're part
of the church and they're as much apart as anyone else in the church aren't they go back to joshua
chapter eight the title is a family integrated church point number one what is a family
integrated church well it's a church where families are encouraged to all partake in the
same church service point number two is why is this a family integrated church they hear the
word of god they get used to real church it's safer for them and it's biblical and it's biblical
point number three how does it work being a family integrated church so how does it work
being a family integrated church because that's a big question for a lot of people and it is a big
problem for many sorts of churches as well how can this even work look at joshua eight in verse 34
834 said and after it he read all the words of the law the blessings and cursings according to all
that is written in the book of the law now sometimes the law is referring to the ten
commandments which is a sort of summary okay a condensed version of the whole law however here
he talks of the blessings and cursings and all that is written in the book of the law it then
said in verse 35 there was not a word of all that moses commanded which joshua read not the whole lot
okay before all the congregation of israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers
that were conversing among them now either that was a very long bible reading okay you might
sometimes when we when we open up a chapter and it's a long bible reading thinking oh this is
going to be a long one i mean that was all that moses commanded okay or maybe it was a series i
don't know how they did this okay maybe they had a few breaks but you can imagine that some of those
younger children might have found this a bit hard don't you think so oh well no it's okay because
that was back in israel the children much better behaved then look kids are kids right okay they
were probably sitting there thinking okay when is this this is going on a bit some of those younger
children especially right i don't know what they did to make it work okay i don't know but we have
some ways that help the family integrated church to work in this church and we have some rules
that that should make it work if everyone follows the rules okay first corinthians 14 40 says let
all things be done decently and in order and let me just tell you that if this was a free
for all if we just had family integrated outside when kids come in and then there was just no
example no rules no way of of of kind of trying to encourage people to make it work believe me this
this it would be a nightmare no one would really listen be able to hear the word of god they
wouldn't there'd be so many distractions in the service it would end up being more of a problem
and we might be better off to make the sunday school if that became the case no we have some
rules okay and the idea of the rules that they help to make it work now the the the rules that
we have here were initially by our planting pastor by pastor thompson who came up with this list
i've adapted a couple of them but i i've kept pretty much all of them okay because they really
do work they do help they've come from from many years of having a family integrated church so
they're things that work but just to make it clear as i go through this i don't don't anyone
here start going bright red and thinking oh but i haven't done this i mean that's not the idea okay
if you weren't aware of this and just learn from it and and but we need to make it work okay because
a family integrated church is a great thing if it works well it can be a problem if it doesn't okay
so here are some rules that we have here okay number one parents should be should to be training
children at home to sit through services and the best time is at family devotional time okay so
that's a good time to be the training is really done at home okay so we're trying to train them
at home if you're constantly chastising and bringing back like that just becomes a distraction
itself doesn't it so train them at home if they're not ready to sit in the services they're not ready
to sit in the services right okay but that should be done at home and and that's a good reason to
have a family devotional time as well so a time when you're reading the bible teaching the bible
to your family for me after dinner is a good time to try and have a family dinner teach the bible
that's a good time to train your children as well to get them used to being able to sit still when
the word of god's being being read and taught number two use the baby rooms for the purpose
of training children to sit quietly during the church services so when you're in those baby rooms
it shouldn't then become a you know kids doing laps of the baby room you know smashing the place
up and screaming shouting they're meant to be being trained in that baby room as well okay so
you do your training at home you do your training in the baby room rather than it's like free for
all now we're in the baby room it's okay because hopefully you won't be able to hear what about the
other and then you'll have moms that don't want to go in the baby room because the baby room's turned
into a sort of you know some sort of party or worse in there right number three parents should
not train children or calm down their children during church services please use the baby room
okay so if you're constantly having to tell your kid and and argue and and and punish and whatever
else during the service well they just need to be in the baby room and just to make it clear on that
look i've got some there are some guideline ages that that are here but really it's individual and
it's not a slight it's not like oh you you must be a terrible parent because your child's not ready to
sit the service their kids are different with it you know i've said many times your kid might not
be so great at sitting at a service but they might be great in a hundred other ways okay it's just
it's not a competition we're just trying to we want it to work and you have to follow these
rules for it to work okay number four in a transitional phase where you're teaching children
to sit through service please minimize distractions so there is going to be a phase where you're like
i think they're ready and then and it's like please minimize the distractions the problem
with distractions okay no we're not like the like i said churches i've been to where someone breathes
and everyone's turning around and like oh i can't believe they didn't send them off to the sunday
school okay we're not like that but on the flip side if a kid's causing distractions and it's
stopping people here the way they go what if that was a verse they really need to hear what is that
was a point they really need to hear and because because you didn't want to use the baby room for
whatever reason or because you didn't you know you you didn't really want to respect the rules
that person's missed something that could have really helped them at that point in their life
something else okay so it is important parents should promptly and quickly remove children from
service as soon as they make distracting noises when they're screaming in the service people aren't
listening to the preaching because they're distracted and back to that point i just made
okay so that's important isn't it right to get that right and look it's not no no we're not going
i can't believe it your kid had a touch yeah kids have tensions but they should be having it in the
service okay so if kids are kicking off just take them out right parents with babies are young
children who are more likely to need calming down okay so if you've got a child that's going to need
that more should sit near the baby room so you can take them out quickly okay and if if you if
you come in you're like i've got nowhere just talk to one of the ushers say i wouldn't mind being near
the baby room and they'll happily move people around for you okay if you're coming out of the
mother baby room more than two to three times per service your child may not be ready to sit through
the entire service so if that's the case just stay in the baby room look i know it's not ideal i know
in the baby room at least it's still part of the service you're still listening to the service
you're still part of it but look if you if you're coming in and out that causes a distraction as
well doesn't it right don't expect a naught to two-year-old to sit through an entire service
don't place unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children it's unrealistic to think they're
going to be in subjection in every way shape or form okay and that's a good reminder for everyone
because people get pressured by this they feel some sort of social pressure that my kids should
be ready then they're getting angrier with their kid who's just being a kid look you know what it's
not going to be easy for a young child to just sit for a service like this okay that's just you know
it's not you know what it's not easy for a lot of the adults to a lot of adults couldn't sit through
the service don't expect your kids to necessarily be able to and don't be so angry with them if they
don't don't place those unrealistic expectations use the baby rooms you've got another one upstairs
as well do what you need to do right number nine begin to actively train a three-year-old to
transition for the baby room in the sunday evening service so that's a good benchmark but like i said
many children are different okay if that three-year-old might not be ready yet well don't
stress about it okay no one's going oh how old's your cut child right that's it yeah just just do
what needs doing right number 10 children that are four to five again a good good kind of guidelines
should be expected to sit quietly through the services unless there's a legitimate medical
reason why they can't okay but again there are kids that just aren't ready yet for whatever
reason if they're not ready then use the baby rooms yeah it is appropriate for children one to
two to play quietly in the baby room you should not allow children of any age to scream or yell
loudly in these rooms for long periods of time however look they're going to have the odd kickoff
tantrum but you've got to deal with it right if they're just screaming shouting throwing things
kick then it's going to affect the other mums who then can't really hear the preach because mums we
want the mums and those children hearing the preacher as well just from the baby room right
don't allow your uh don't allow your child to scream through the entire service and obviously
applying to the baby room okay you need to you need to get on top of that new families to the
family integrated model should be given some time to adapt okay so look there are people not
everyone's kind of had their kids born you know whilst being part of a church like this okay so
suggestion for for those of you with you know who who are trying to get used to this bring things
for children to quietly do during the church service quiet toys are good not the not the like
press the button and then we sometimes have to hide them off because they always seem to come
out somehow yeah okay but um no snacks things that make a bad mess so don't do the old classic
church classic is just feed them up for the service and it's oh well those kids were so
quiet how wonderful and then when they get up and leave it's just like a deluge of squashed in
food into the seats and floor and stuff like that okay so not not by food okay number 14 parents
should not be holding long conversations in the mother baby room or sitting on their phones
don't come to church to take a nap okay set the example to the other parents and children
if you're sending a bad example the children will follow so that's a good reminder isn't it if you
tell them something but you don't follow it then they'll feel why should i do it if you don't so
obviously if you're telling your kids you need to be quiet and everything else while you're gassing
with the mum in the baby room well that's not going to be a good example to be setting is it
number 15 children after sitting through a long service should be allowed to play without being
reckless or rambunctious oh i like reading that word each time because i need to use it more in
vocabulary in my daily vocabulary uh so um okay so after the service okay you know we because we can
and we can be like this like sit still do it are they really gonna they've just sat still for an
hour and a half or something you know they've just listened to me for an hour sometimes more yeah
they probably need to let off a bit of steam we just but we need to keep an eye on it because
number 16 is train your children not to run in the church and with young children it's hard they're
gonna do it we need to be on them so you know if if we're all telling our kids not to because it's
hard if one is and then the others aren't just let's not have them running why do we not want
them running in the church because they cause someone injury calls themselves injury because
someone walks out of somewhere and the kid runs into them and they buckle that's not what we want
going on okay so we need to remind our kids not to run in the church dad's number 17 help the mums
and give them a chance to sit through the services now and then allow your wife to list some of the
preaching to your wives need to hear the preaching too so that's up to you if you want or don't want
to do that but i think that's a good idea okay to to try and give them a chance as well we do have a
dad baby room as well be part of the service and part of the after service we should all be singing
together singing time and preaching time is the time to be in the service not chatting having
coffee so we're kind of going off a little bit family integrated stuff here but it's it's a good
reminder okay okay so 10 30 when the service starts is when the service starts yeah if you're
kind of making coffees and teas and stuff i don't think that's well it's not a good idea it's not a
good thing to be doing number 19 be on time if you don't show up for work late every single time why
should you show up for church late every single time it is a distraction to some people that's
true if you're late to church all the time what's that saying to god and also to the ushers who are
having to get up stop their singing interrupt the prayer whatever it is whatever time you come in
and let you into the church so look all it means is just getting up earlier and leaving earlier
when the service starts we should be ready to engage in the service don't wait until the song
service starts to get your coffee don't wait until the song service starts to use the toilet 10
minutes early you should be letting your kids go to the bathroom as well that's something we need
to remember as parents we're going to get the kids to the toilet before and then hopefully it won't
just be a conveyor belt in and out of the toilet and that was our 20 rules to make a family
integrated church service work hopefully you know if you're sitting there going i couldn't remember
that one let me know i'll happily tell you them again give me a shout but because we want it to
work don't we if if it if it ends up being a problem if the service doesn't work if it ends
up with just kids you know kind of doing cartwheels down the aisle and doing laps during the service
and screaming and shouting and kicking off and everything else then it gets the point where
people are like i need to go and find a church where it's not family integrated but if we do it
right then we end up with with it being a success and we keep the kids safe we keep them in church
listening to the word of god being preached getting used to these things for life but also
it doesn't detract from everyone else and from the rest of of god's people in the house of god as well
joshua 835 said there was not a word of all that moses commanded which joshua read not before all
the congregation of israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers that were conversant
among them so that's only possible if everyone tries to make it work if we all try to make it
work then it will be possible the title is the family integrated church number one what is a
family integrated church it's a church where families are encouraged to all partake in the
same church service and it's a time of being together then with your family as well isn't it
because for some you know you you maybe you have to work on a saturday maybe you have other things
you have things on maybe some days you're one day off and then when you're sending your kids off
somewhere and you're barely seeing them for the day well it's not really much of a time with your
family is it but being part of the church together being part of the service together being here
together does help with that so it's a church where families are encouraged to all partake in
the same church service which should help strengthen families together as well and they're
hearing the same teaching together number two why is this a family integrated church because they
hear the word of god they get used to real church it's safer and it's biblical and number three how
does it work being a family integrated church pretty simple by following the laws okay um
on that we're going to finish it away
father thank you for your word thank you for um lord the the families in this church lord
thank you for the great kids here help us to to um to just you know between us between us as
families as as church members to just help these kids to to go on to want to serve you lord as they
grow up to go on to be strong christians to go on to carry that torch you know as some of us you
know start to get older and and you know and go on to to be with you lord for for eternity help
help our kids to just be able to to to keep this church strong to keep this church thriving and
help us to to help them to do that by being a you know a church which is welcoming which is
which is the right environment for kids help us to keep them safe lord but also help us to keep
this church functioning properly at the same time as well and for it not to detract from the preach
from the teach from the word of god from the hymns lord help us get the balance right in this church
help everyone here to to help that to happen help us also lord to uh to have a great soul winning
time now this afternoon uh to get many people saved and then to to return for the evening
um series on proverbs as well lord in Jesus name we pray all of this amen