ucan2evangelise

ow can we follow the command of Christto “Go into all the world and preach the Gospelto every creature” when we work withchildren? What does it mean to evangelize? Isthere a special Gospel for children? You willfind answers to these and other questions inthis important book. You will discover just howGod works in the lives of the little ones as youtake time to teach His Word faithfully. Theguidelines given come from a careful study ofthe scriptures and many years experience inworking among children.

The evangelism of children is a serious workdependent on the Holy Spirit to illuminate themind, convict the heart of sin and point to theall sufficient work of Christ. This book will helpyou engage in a careful biblical evangelism ofchildren who are in urgent need of God’s greatsalvation.

If you are involved in a training ministry whatbetter book to use than this one, to helpchallenge minds and hearts regarding the needto evangelize children.

Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc.Specialized Book Ministry

Assisting Children’s Evangelists Worldwidewww.cefbookministry.com

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Guidelines forcareful and biblicalevangelism ofchildren

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Dr Sam Doherty

Dr Sam Doherty, BA, EdD.

U-canU-canU-canU-canU-canEvangelizeEvangelizeEvangelizeEvangelizeEvangelizeChildrenChildrenChildrenChildrenChildren

Guidelines for careful andbiblical evangelism of children

A series of short ‘U-can’ training manuals for children’sworkers:

U-can Know God’s Plan for ChildrenU-can Evangelize childrenU-can Teach a Bible LessonU-can Lead Children to ChristU-can Help Christian Children to GrowU-can Counsel a Christian Child

This book is for free distribution only — and not to be sold.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from theNew King James Version. Copyright © by Thomas Nelson, Inc.Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Published byChild Evangelism Fellowship® Inc.

Specialized Book MinistryAssisting Children’s Evangelists Worldwide

PO Box 308, Lisburn, BT28 2YS, Northern Ireland, UK© February 2011 All rights reserved

Revised and previously published under the title“How to Evangelize Children” in May 2003

Table of Contents

Introduction ………...........................................…..……..………....... v

Chapter 1: The First Step ......................................….. 1Chapter 2: Understand The Children…............... …...... 6Chapter 3: Understand Evangelism ……....……….... 15Chapter 4: Teach About God In Evangelism ….…. . 25Chapter 5: Teach About Sin In Evangelism ….….…. 35Chapter 6: Teach About The Lord Jesus Christ InEvangelism ................................................................. 40Chapter 7: Invite The Children To Come To Christ ... 51Chapter 8: The Children’s Response To TheInvitation Part I – Repentance …………...………..... 60Chapter 9: The Children’s Response To TheInvitation Part II – Faith ……………….….….…....… 68Chapter 10: Teach The Children The Results OfSaving Faith … ......................................................... 73Chapter 11: Teach That Salvation Is The BeginningOf A Life Of Obedience ............................................... 80Chapter 12: Make Yourself Available ……….……… 88Chapter 13: Use Your Whole ProgrammeTo Evangelize ……...................................................... 99Chapter 14: The Manner Of Evangelism …....……….101

U-can Evangelize Children v

INTRODUCTION

Before the Lord Jesus Christ returned to Heaven, He gave toHis disciples and to His Church down through the ages acommand. That command was – to evangelize!

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”(Mark 16 v15).

That command is still relevant for us today. The main reasonwhy the Lord Jesus has left us, as believers, here on the earth isso that we might evangelize the lost. This is something we cannotdo in Heaven!

A very large section of the world’s population consists ofchildren. In some countries almost one half of the totalpopulation is under the age of fourteen. This command,therefore, includes them, and gives to the Church of Jesus Christthe responsibility to evangelize and preach the Gospel to millionsof boys and girls. This evangelistic outreach to the children needsto be undertaken by individuals, by local churches, by missionarysocieties, and also by organisations which specialize in theevangelism of children. One organisation which makes theevangelism of children their priority and their speciality is ChildEvangelism Fellowship, the Mission with which I worked for 57years.

Children need to be evangelized. Boys and girls without JesusChrist are spiritually dead, outside God’s kingdom, and lost asfar as their position is concerned. If they have reached the ageof understanding and accountability (which is much earlier thanmost people think), and are not saved, they will, if they die, belost forever.

But children can be saved – through the preaching of theGospel, and as the Holy Spirit works in their hearts. But howcan they be saved “without a preacher”? (Romans 10 v14). Manyof us have been given the responsibility, and the privilege, oftaking the Gospel to these children and of evangelizing them.

vi Introduction

May we not fail to do so.Unfortunately there are many who work with children and

who even teach them the Word of God – but don’t evangelizethem:

Some of these teachers are themselves not saved. So it isobvious that they cannot, and will not, evangelize thechildren.Some of these teachers are saved, but they do not believethat children can be saved, and so they do not evangelizethem.However there are other teachers who are saved, and whodo believe that children can be saved, but they don’tevangelize them because they don’t know how to do so.

This book will, I trust, be a special help to this third group,although I pray it will also challenge the second group to startevangelizing the children.

I have written this book, therefore, to help those who wantto evangelize children. I trust it will help those especially whoare just beginning their ministry to children; but I pray that itwill also be a means of help and guidance to those who arealready evangelizing children. I hope that it will encourage andenable each of us to examine our ministry to ensure that it iscompletely biblical.

My primary goal in writing this book is that children willtrust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and I want to helpyou, dear children’s worker, to be the channel which God usesto evangelize the children and lead them to Jesus Christ.

“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven thatone of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18 v14).“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach thegospel to every creature’” (Mark 16 v15).

U-can Evangelize Children 1

Chapter 1: The First Step

In our examination of the evangelism of children we will needto study two subjects:

First of all, we will need to study the MESSAGE of salvationwhich we should teach to unsaved children when we areevangelizing them.Then, secondly, we will need to study the METHODSwhich we should use when we are teaching the messageof salvation.

In other words there are two main questions which we willneed to consider in this book:

What is the message of salvation?What are the methods we should use in our evangelism?

The Bible Gives Us the AnswersBut before answering those questions we need to ask, and

answer, one key question, or group of questions.Where do we find our guidelines for evangelism?Where is the only place where questions such as thesecan be answered?Where can we find the message of salvation?Where can we discover the methods we should use?

The answers to all these questions, for every true believer,can only be found in the Bible, God’s Word. God has given usHis Word to guide us in every aspect of our lives and service,and that includes our evangelism. Therefore we need to readand study the Bible to find the answers to these two key questionsconcerning the message and methods in our evangelism. Theanswers must come from the Word of God and not from thewords, or theories, of men .

2 Chapter 1

But a further question comes automatically to our mind:where in the Bible will we find the answers to these twoquestions? Which part of the Bible will be our primary sourcebook, and guidebook, as far as the preaching of the Gospel isconcerned?

There are several answers to that question – but we will seelater that there is one answer which is especially important.

Study the Old TestamentThere is much teaching in the Old Testament to help us to

understand the message of salvation. The power of God increation, His holiness, His justice, and His power to redeem Hispeople, are clearly revealed in the Old Testament, and all ofthese factors occupy a vital part in the message of salvation.There are also many descriptive accounts of men and women inthe Old Testament, who had a desire to turn from their sin, andwho were saved by faith in God, and in His promises. The OldTestament, in addition, contains many pictures and types of theSaviour Who was to come to save from sin.

Consequently, a study of the Old Testament will be avaluable and necessary task for those who want to understandthe message of salvation which they should teach the children.

In addition, the teaching and “the atmosphere” of the OldTestament will help us to see the importance of carefulness, andreverence, in how we present that message, and will ensure thatthe methods we use are in accordance with the message weteach. The Old Testament (or the New Testament) has no placefor clowns, comedians or magicians!

Study the New TestamentBut it is in the New Testament where we find the full

revelation of the Gospel and the message of salvation. Thereforethe answers to our two main questions concerning the messageof salvation and the methods of evangelism can be primarily,and more directly, found in the twenty-seven books of the NewTestament.


But this leads to a further question. The New Testamentconsists of four sections. While all four sections will help us inour search, which one will give us the fullest and clearestanswers, and will, indeed, provide us with a “primer onevangelism”?

The New Testament, then, consists of four sections:The four Gospels describe in much detail, the life, death,resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.The Acts of the Apostles give an account of the growth ofthe early Church – its ministry and its witness.The twenty-one letters, or epistles, are primarily addressedto believers, and give us instruction in doctrine and inpractice.The book of Revelation is mainly a prophetical book.

All four of these sections of the New Testament are importantin our search for the message and methods of evangelism, andall of them will help us to find, and understand, the answers toour two key questions concerning the message of salvation andthe methods we should use to teach it. But there is one sectionwhich will play the main part in our search and give us mosthelp for our answers.

The four Gospels are very important because they describefor us the redemptive facts which provide the basis andheart of the gospel message, and they also give much helpconcerning how that message should be presented.The twenty-one epistles, or letters, give us many doctrinaloutlines, and these include a number of important aspectsof the message of salvation.The book of the Revelation also includes, and refers to,several important gospel truths.But it is the Acts of the Apostles which must be ourmain primer and guide book on the subject ofevangelism. One of the main reasons it has beeninspired by the Holy Spirit, and included in the Wordof God, is to help us in our evangelism of the lost.

4 Chapter 1

Study the Acts of the ApostlesIn the Acts of the Apostles we can see the first evangelists,

and the first preachers of the Gospel, at work. We can read inthat book the actual records of what they said when they wereevangelizing, and we can clearly see the methods they usedand what they did. So they are our inspired examples, and rolemodels, as far as evangelism is concerned:

We should therefore study in great detail the evangelisticmessages of the apostles, as recorded in the Acts of theApostles, so that we can understand what we should saywhen we are evangelizing.We should also study, in great detail, the methods theapostles used in their evangelism, so that we can learnwhat we should do when we are evangelizing.

Consequently, we will refer to the Acts of the Apostlesfrequently throughout the pages which follow. This inspiredbook written by Luke, as guided by the Holy Spirit, will be ourmain primer and guidebook on the subject of the evangelism ofchildren. I trust that you yourself will take time, not just to readmy book (which I trust will be helpful), but to study in greatdetail the inspired book, the Acts of the Apostles, which Godhas provided to help and guide us in our evangelistic ministry.

THE MESSAGE AND METHODS OF EVANGELISM

HelpfulSources

ImportantSources

Very ImportantSources

THE GOSPELS

THE ACTS OF THEAPOSTLES

THEEPISTLES


Some of you may have specific questions about the messageof salvation:

Should I speak about God’s love or God’s holiness – orboth?Should I make it clear to unsaved children that God istheir Creator, and that they are responsible to Him?Should I include repentance in my gospel message?Should I tell children that if they trust Christ all their sinswill be forgiven?Should I teach unsaved children that Jesus Christ wantsto be their Lord, as well as their Saviour?What should be the centre and heart of my gospel message?Are there any other gospel truths which I should teach toprepare for that central teaching?

The Acts of the Apostles answers all these questions – andmany more.

Some of you may have specific questions about the methodsyou should use when evangelizing children:

Should I always teach the same identical gospel message?Should I adapt my message to the children I am teaching?Which parts of my message should always be constant,and which parts can I adapt?Should I “give the invitation” when evangelizing children?What is the invitation?Should I ask children to raise their hands, or come to thefront, if they want to be saved?Should I be serious or jocular in my presentation?

The Acts of the Apostles answers all these questions aboutmethodology – and many more.

I do trust that you will make a study of the evangelistic messagesand methods of the apostles your very first priority, and that youwill base your ministry on what they said and did.

6 Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Understand The Children

Before studying the message of salvation, and the methods weshould use in teaching it, it is necessary for us to have a clearunderstanding of what the Bible teaches concerning children,their needs and their potential.

There are many questions concerning children to which weneed the answers, before we can proceed any further:

Are children lost? Do they need to be saved?Are babies and little children lost?Can children truly trust Jesus Christ as their Saviour?At what age can they do so?Should we speak to children about sin and God’sjudgment?Are children more open to the Gospel than adults?

The answers to these questions, and to many more, can befound in God’s Word, the Bible. It is essential that we understandwhat God tells us about children, and the evangelism of children,and that we base our ministry on His Word – rather than listeningto, and basing our ministry on, the viewpoints and opinions offallible men.

The Bible teaches us five main truths about children:

Children Need to be SavedGod makes clear, in His Word, several key truths about the

spiritual condition and needs of children:

All children are born into the world with a sinful nature,inherited from Adam, the federal head of the human race,and the representative of all men: “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one’” (Romans 3 v10).


“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceivedme” (Psalm 51 v5).“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and deaththrough sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”(Romans5 v12).This universal sinful nature shows itself in universal sinfulactions:“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3 v23).“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to hisown way” (Isaiah 53 v6a).“The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as theyare born, speaking lies” (Psalm 58 v3).The result of universal sin is universal death.“For the wages of sin is death ……” (Romans 6 v23a).

This includes physical death:“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, anddeath through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because allsinned” (Romans 5 v12).It also includes spiritual death:“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcisionof your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgivenyou all trespasses” (Colossians 2 v13). “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins”(Ephesians 2 v1).

All children are therefore spiritually dead, and they willall die physically – as a result of sin.Because all children are spiritually dead, they are outsideGod’s kingdom, and they are all LOST as far as theirposition is concerned:“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do youthink? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does henot leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that isstraying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices moreover that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray” (Matthew18 v11-13).God is a holy and just God. Therefore He must punish sin:“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men,resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act thefree gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Romans 5 v18).

8 Chapter 2

“Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of ourflesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by naturechildren of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2 v3).We have already seen that all children are lost, as far astheir position is concerned. Those children who havereached an age of understanding, and accountability (andthis age is much lower than many believe), and have nottrusted Jesus Christ, are also lost as far as their conditionis concerned, and are under the just condemnation of God.If they die in that condition, without trusting Jesus Christ,they will be lost forever.“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe iscondemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the onlybegotten Son of God” (John 3 v18). Children therefore need to trust Jesus Christ as theirSaviour. They are not saved by baptism, or any otherchurch ceremonies; they are not saved because of theirparents; they are not saved by “being good”. They areonly saved through personal faith in Jesus Christ.“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from thedeeds of the law” (Romans 3 v28).“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to becomechildren of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not ofblood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John1 v12 and 13).When they trust Jesus Christ there are two main results:

They are justified. All their sin is forgiven, and Godsees them as pure and as perfect as Jesus Christ.

“And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things fromwhich you could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13 v39).

They are regenerated. They are “new creatures” witha new nature. They are not perfect but they are changed:

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless oneis born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’” (John 3 v3).“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things havepassed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5 v17).In considering the spiritual condition and the needs of

children there must be no room for speculation, opinions ormistaken ideas. We are dealing with the never-dying souls of


boys and girls. If they are already in God’s kingdom, and arenot lost, they do not need to be evangelized. But if they arespiritually dead (and we have seen that this is the clear teachingof the Scriptures), outside God’s kingdom and under God’s justcondemnation (if they have reached the age of understanding)– they need to be evangelized.

It is when our eyes are opened to the true spiritual conditionof children, that we will begin to have a burden to evangelizethem.

Children Can be SavedTrue biblical conversion involves a turning from sin

(repentance) and a turning to Jesus Christ (faith). Salvation ispromised to all who repent and believe (Acts 3 v19; 16 v31). Butthe question is — can a child turn from sin and have true savingfaith in Jesus Christ?

Unfortunately many Christians believe that children are tooyoung to turn to Jesus Christ, and that they need to wait untilthey are around twelve, thirteen or fourteen years old. But thisis not what the Bible teaches.

Can a child be saved?God tells us in His Word that a child can truly believe,and be saved:“And that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to

fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordanto possess” (Deuteronomy 31 v13).“That the generation to come might know them, the children who would

be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children; that theymay set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep Hiscommandments” (Psalm 78 v6, 7).“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it

would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and hewere drowned in the depth of the sea”(Matthew 18 v6).

All the words used in these verses with regard to children– “fear”, “set their hope” and “believe in” (or trust) — makeit clear that a child can have a personal relationship withGod, and like Samuel can, respond to the voice of God

10 Chapter 2

(1 Samuel 3 v10) – as God the Holy Spirit works in theirhearts.Also the Bible teaches us, over and over again, that wherethere is true faith in Jesus Christ – at whatever age – thereis salvation. Salvation is promised to “whoever believes”and there is no age limit:“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever

believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3 v16).Experience also shows us that children can trust Christ.Many Christians, including a good number of pastors,missionaries and well known Christians, date theirconversion from childhood. While this has usually beenfollowed by a deepening understanding, and a growth infaith and repentance, they themselves have no doubt thatjustification and regeneration took place at that momentwhen, as children, they truly believed and were saved.

At what age can a child trust Christ and be saved?We don’t know. The Bible does not give an age, and neither

should we. Children differ from each other. But the Lord Jesusdid speak about little ones trusting Him (Matthew 18 v6). Sothe age when a child can trust Christ is generally much lowerthan what many Christians believe. I have found, for examplein my evangelistic ministry, that many children between the agesof 7 and 10 trusted Christ (plus, of course, some earlier, andsome later, than this age).

This is the vision we need for our ministry to children. Weneed to see that as God the Holy Spirit works in their heartsthey can trust Jesus Christ and be saved. And we need to makethis our goal at all times.

There are two kinds of childrenTherefore, and as a consequence of all we have outlined, we

need to understand that there are two kinds of children:Children who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Saviour,who have been born again, are spiritually alive and haveeternal life, and who are in God’s kingdom. These children


need to be fed and built up in their faith.Children who have not trusted Jesus Christ. These childrenare spiritually dead, lost and outside God’s kingdom. Theyneed to be evangelized.

Every children’s worker has therefore two responsibilities:To feed saved children. I have written a book entitled“Ucan help Christian children to grow” which will help youwith this ministry.To evangelize unsaved children. This present book hasbeen written to help you do this.

God Loves ChildrenThe Bible makes it very clear that God loves children:

God showed His love and deep concern for children bygiving many instructions about teaching them in the OldTestament (Deuteronomy 4 v9, 10; 6 v5-7; 11 v18 and 19;Psalms 34 v11; 78 v1-8; Proverbs 22 v6; Joel 1 v3).The Lord Jesus showed His deep love and concern for boysand girls in a number of ways:

He welcomed them (Mark 10 v13).He took them in His arms (Mark 10 v16).He accepted their praise (Matthew 21 v15, 16).He cared for their physical needs (John 4 v46-54;Mark 5 v38-43).He did not want them to be offended (Matthew 18v6), rejected (Matthew 18 v5) or despised (Matthew18 v10).He invited them to come to Him (Mark 10 v14).He wanted them to be saved (Matthew 18 v11).He did not want them to be lost (Matthew 18 v14).

What assurance this gives us, as we teach God’s Word toboys and girls, and as we evangelize them! Children are close tothe heart of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, and so is yourwork, as you minister to their needs.

12 Chapter 2

Children Are Open to the GospelChildren are open to anything and everything. They are

sensitive, vulnerable and very impressionable:

The world knows this and tries to win the children.The advertisers develop special techniques to influencethem.The cults and false religions take every opportunity toinfluence them.The communists have always made it their goal toindoctrinate children from an early age.

Unfortunately the Church of Jesus Christ is not always soalert, and very often misses opportunities to bring the Gospel tochildren.

You and I need to understand the following biblical factsabout children, and how they respond to the Gospel:

Children are more open to the Gospel than adults. Anadult must become like a child before he can be saved. Achild already is a child, and God can use the childlikequalities he possesses (trustfulness, openness and humility)to lead him to Christ:“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as littlechildren, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew18 v3).“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God asa little child will by no means enter it” (Mark 10 v15).The older a person is the harder he becomes, and the lesslikely he is to trust Jesus Christ:“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before thedifficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have nopleasure in them” (Ecclesiastes 12 v1).“That they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, butkeep His commandments; and may not be like their fathers, a stubbornand rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright,and whose spirit was not faithful to God” (Psalm 78 v7, 8).The teaching of God’s Word can have a deep effect onchildren’s lives, and impressions and influences implantedin childhood are lasting. Win a child and you win an adult:


“And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, whichare able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in ChristJesus”(2 Timothy 3 v15).“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will notdepart from it” (Proverbs 22 v6).

These biblical facts show us how important it is to evangelizethe children. If they are open to the Gospel; if they are ready tolisten; if these are the years of opportunity when they are beingformed; if it will be harder to reach them in later years – then itwould be a tragedy, and very unwise, if we don’t evangelizethem – NOW.

A Child Saved Is a Life SavedWhen is the best age to trust Jesus Christ? The simple answer

is – the sooner the better. Is it not better to be saved at sevenyears old rather than seventy? Common sense and experienceagree that it is better to come to Christ early in life. It is better toknow Christ as Saviour during the years when habits andpersonality are being formed, rather than after they have beenformed. It is better to learn and absorb the Word of God whenthe mind is open and learning is easy, rather than try to do soafterwards.

The children’s evangelist is not only interested in, andlabouring for, the souls of children, and not only praying thatthey will be saved; his goal is also the salvation of lives – wholelives to be lived for the glory of God. Many believers, who trustedJesus Christ in later years, have one regret – that they did not doso earlier and as children. In this way they would have avoidedthe waste of many precious years.

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before thedifficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have nopleasure in them. While the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, arenot darkened, and the clouds do not return after the rain” (Ecclesiastes12 v1, 2).“It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3 v27).

The Bible includes testimonies of those who started to walkwith God while they were young.

David said:“You have taught me from my youth” (Psalm 71 v17).

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“For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth”(Psalm 71 v5).

Obadiah declared:“ I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth” (1 Kings 18v12).

Josiah first began to seek the Lord when he was eight yearsold (2 Chronicles 34 v3) and Samuel first responded to the voiceof God when he was still very young (1 Samuel 3 v10), and theLord was with him from that time onwards (1 Samuel 3 v19).Also a number of others, like Daniel, Joseph and Isaac, all seemto have started walking with God when still young. Think ofthe influence and value of such lives, and of many others whowere converted in childhood.

Church history tells us that many spiritual giants were savedas children.


Chapter 3: Understand Evangelism

World evangelism is the task entrusted to the Church by theLord Jesus Christ.“Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16v15).

Every believer must take this commission seriously and beinvolved in fulfilling it.

However, you and I cannot go into all the world, nor is itpossible for any of us to preach the Gospel to every creature.Therefore, we need to ask God, the Lord of the Harvest, to showus where we should evangelize, and whom we shouldevangelize.

World evangelism, or total evangelism, involves bringing thegospel to every tribe and nation, and also to every age group –including children. Children are included in the words “everycreature”. Indeed children make up one third of the totalpopulation of the world, and in some countries one half!Therefore, as we ask God to show us where to go and whom toreach, it is clear that He will lead a substantial number of usinto a ministry to evangelize the children.

Our purpose in this book is to study the evangelism ofchildren and, in particular, to find out what the Bible teaches usabout the message of salvation, and the methods we should usein proclaiming and teaching that message.

There are eleven basic principles concerning evangelism, andespecially the evangelism of children, which we must, first ofall, be aware of, and understand; and we will look at them inthis chapter.

The Bible Is Our Source BookWe have already dealt with this point in the first chapter.

But it is so important that we need to come back to it and

16 Chapter 3

emphasize it again.The starting point in considering your message and methods

is not “What do children enjoy?” or “What can childrenunderstand?” or “What will the children listen to?” or “Whatdo people tell us to teach and to do?” Your first considerationmust be “What does the Bible say concerning what you shouldteach, and how you should teach?” What people say and whatyou say is not what matters. You must find out what God says!

The Word of God is your manual for evangelism and,especially, the Acts of the Apostles, where you can find out whatthe apostles taught when they were evangelizing and how theydid this. You need to learn about evangelism from them.

There Is Only One Gospel MessageThe New Testament makes it clear, over and over again,

that there is only one gospel message, and only one message ofsalvation:

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everycreature’” (Mark 16 v15).“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to youthan what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have saidbefore, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you thanwhat you have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1 v8, 9).

The gospel message does not change according to the agegroup being evangelized. There is not one message for one groupof people and another message for a different group. The gospelmessage for children is the same as the gospel message for adults.You do not have a short list of truths which are “suitable forchildren”, a longer list for teenagers, and an even longer one foradults.

Of course the evangelist must always consider both the agegroup and the background of those to whom he speaks, andthis will influence his presentation and application. The waythe message is presented, the methods used, and the emphasis givento different aspects may vary, but the basic message must alwaysremain constant. The message must never be altered or diluted inany way. When working with children you must be careful not tosacrifice truth in the interests of so-called “simplicity”:


The Gospel Is an Extensive MessageYou have been entrusted with the Gospel, and it is your

responsibility to teach it to boys and girls. But you must knowwhat the Gospel is and that it consists of five main groups oftruths!

Firstly, they need to be taught about Jesus Christ. The word“Gospel” means “Good News”. The Gospel is Good Newsabout Jesus Christ – Who He is and what He has done. Hemust always be the central theme of our Gospel preaching,as He was in the Gospel preaching of the apostles.But if you begin to teach children who know nothing aboutthe Bible, about the death of Jesus Christ, or the fact thatHe is our Saviour, you will find that they have greatdifficulty in understanding these truths. Other truths needto be taught as a foundation for the teaching of thesetruths.Secondly, they need to be taught about sin. They cannotunderstand salvation from sin if they don’t know whatsin is. So teaching about the Saviour needs to be precededby teaching about sin.Thirdly, they need to be taught about God. They cannotunderstand what sin is if they know nothing about God.Sin is rebellion against God and the breaking of His laws.Consequently, the proclamation and teaching of the GoodNews concerning Jesus Christ needs to be preceded byteaching concerning God, and teaching concerning sin.Fourthly, the children also need to be taught what theyshould do to be saved. Therefore the message of salvationshould also include Jesus Christ’s invitation and commandto come to Him, in repentance and faith.Fifthly, the children need to be taught the results ofsalvation and what God promises to do if they trust Christ.So, it is a help for the children to know what will happenif they do trust Jesus Christ – that all their sins will beforgiven, and that they will have a new nature.

Therefore, the message of salvation is an extensive message

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which includes teaching about five groups of truths – with anumber of truths in each group. These groups of truths, in theirlogical order, are truths about God, truths about sin, truths aboutJesus Christ, truths about what children should do to be savedand truths about the results of salvation.

The Gospel Is a Powerful MessageWhen God calls you and me to evangelize children, our first

reaction is usually “But what can I do to help children and tolead them to Jesus Christ?” We have a feeling of completehelplessness, and that is because we spend so little time withthem, and have little influence on them. At the same time thechildren receive such massive influence and input from so manyother sources.

But you need to remember what God tells you about theGospel in His Word:

“For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”(Romans 1 v16).

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who areperishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”(1 Corinthians 1 v18).

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper thanany two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4 v12).

“’Is not My word like a fire?’ says the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

ITSFOUNDATION

I T SHEART

ITSCOM-MAND

ITSPROMISE

GOD SINJESUS

CHRISTREPENT-ANCE &FAITH

RESULTSOF

SALVA-TION


breaks the rock in pieces?’” (Jeremiah 23 v29). “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return

to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper inthe thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55 v11).

The power of your ministry is not in you and your abilities;it is in the message you preach. You have the greatest and mostpowerful message boys and girls can ever hear.

The Gospel Is a Doctrinal MessageThe teaching of doctrine is simply teaching the great truths

of the Bible – and a number of these truths are included in thegospel message. It is impossible to truly evangelize childrenwithout teaching doctrine. We can see many examples of“doctrinal evangelism” in the Acts of the Apostles.

The apostles in their evangelism often taught truths aboutGod: God the Creator (Acts 14 v15), the Sovereign One(Acts 17 v26), the One Who planned salvation (Acts 3v18), and the kind and just One (Acts 14 v17; 17 v31).The apostles dealt faithfully with, and taught about, sinwhen they were evangelizing. They accused the Jews ofhaving crucified the Lord (Acts 2 v36; 3 v14, 15; Acts 7v51-53). They told them that they needed to turn from sin(Acts 3 v26), from wickedness (Acts 8 v22), from vanities(Acts 14 v15), that their sin would be judged (Acts 17v31; 24 v25), and that they needed to have their sinsforgiven (Acts 2 v38, 3 v19, 10 v43, 13 v39, 26 v18).The apostles preached Christ when they were evangelizing,and in doing so taught many great truths, or doctrines,about Him: His humanity (Acts 2 v22), His death (Acts 2v23); His resurrection (Acts 2 v24), His exaltation (Acts 2v32-36), and His appointment as judge of mankind (Acts17 v31).The apostles taught the unsaved the truths of repentance(Acts 3 v19) and faith (Acts 16 v31) when theyevangelized.The apostles in their evangelism taught forgiveness,justification and the gift of the Spirit for all who would

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believe (Acts 13 v38, 39; 2 v38).The evangelism of the apostles certainly was doctrinal.Consequently, the doctrines, or truths, of the gospel message

should be taught to children. It is unwise and unbiblical toencourage children to come to Christ when you have notexplained to them “Why”, “How”, and “What for?” Theanswers to these questions are the doctrines which you shouldinclude in your teaching. The teaching of doctrine does not followevangelism; it should be included in your evangelism. In otherwords you must carry out a teaching evangelism.

Evangelism Should Aim for the Mind, Emotions and WillAs you evangelize children you should instruct the mind,

praying that God will enlighten it; involve the emotions, prayingthat God will stir them; and challenge the will, praying thatGod will change its direction:

A n “ i n t e l l e c t u a l ”evangelism, which aimsonly at the mind, is dry andsterile.An“emotional” evangelism,which aims only at theemotions, is superficial andtemporary.A “volitional” evangelism,which aims only at the will,is premature and hasty.

You need to follow the patternof evangelism to which thebelievers at Romeresponded.

“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed (thatis the will) from the heart (these are the emotions) that form of doctrine(that is the mind) to which you were delivered” (Romans 6 v17).

GOSPEL


If you don’t follow this pattern, you run the risk of spuriousconversions or, if the child is truly saved, he may be easilyconfused, and quickly discouraged, in the early days of hisChristian life.

We Do Not Know How Much a Child Needsto Understand to be Saved

We are not told in the Bible how much a child, or anyoneelse, needs to understand, before they can come to Christ. Somechildren come to Christ on the basis of much understanding ofthe Gospel; some children come to Christ with comparativelylittle understanding of the Gospel. God is sovereign in salvation:

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannottell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of theSpirit” (John 3 v8).

Obviously there must be some sense of need and convictionof sin; there must also be some understanding of what JesusChrist has done for them, and some understanding of how theycan come to Him. But you must be careful, on the one hand, notto impose rules and regulations about how much needs to beunderstood; and yet, on the other hand, you need to do all youcan to teach the truths of the Gospel to children, and help themto understand them. When a farmer finds grain growing in soilwhich has not been thoroughly prepared, he realises that this isthe exception rather than the rule – and he does not take it as anexcuse to stop preparing his ground thoroughly.

Only the Holy Spirit Can RegenerateYou, as the evangelist, cannot give life to a spiritually dead

child, no matter how gifted you are. This is a work only Godcan do. Only the Holy Spirit can regenerate and give spirituallife. Unless God speaks and works in the child’s life, absolutelynothing can be accomplished. There can be human effort, andeven human results – when a child responds to pressure, or tothe influence of a teacher’s personality – but, without thegracious, convicting, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit,nothing of spiritual significance will happen.

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God Is Sovereign in SalvationIt is often difficult, even impossible, to understand and

explain the results of our evangelism:

One child can be deeply convicted of sin, and anotherremain totally unconcerned, after listening to the samemessage.One teacher may see several children come to Christ; andanother teacher who is equally faithful may see none trustthe Saviour.A children’s evangelist may hear that several childrentrusted Christ, after he brought a gospel message; and yethe could teach that same message on other occasions –without any obvious results.

These are all evidences of God’s sovereignty in salvation.Understanding this truth will save us from sinful pride whenchildren trust Christ; it will save us from despair, if we do notsee results; and it will, above all, keep us dependent upon oursovereign God.

God Has Committed the Ministry of Evangelism to Youand Me

But the truth of God’s sovereignty should not make uscomplacent in our evangelism. God does not work in a vacuum.God uses people like you and me to accomplish His sovereignpurposes:

“That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, notimputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word ofreconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though Godwere pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciledto God” (2 Corinthians 5 v19, 20).

God commands you to evangelize the children, and you mustobey that command with all your heart. A true belief in God’ssovereignty will not keep you from evangelism. It will, instead,encourage you to get involved in a ministry of evangelism –trusting your Sovereign God to work according to His graciouspurpose.


We Need to Know the MessageWe have already seen that God uses the Gospel message to

speak to the hearts of unsaved children, to convict them of sinand to regenerate them. It is therefore obvious that the messengermust know, and understand, the message he is to preach.

It will be our task in the chapters which follow to discoverand examine this message. But it can be summarized briefly asfollows:

Teach the children about God – especially about Hisholiness and His love.Teach the children about sin – especially about itsuniversality and its results.Teach the children about Jesus Christ – especially aboutHis Person and His work.Teach the children what they need to do to be saved –especially about repentance and faith.Teach the children the results of salvation – especially aboutjustification and regeneration.

It is the Gospel, the message of salvation, which we are goingto examine together, and study, in this book. I would again

THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

SALVATIONThroughRepentance andFaith

JESUSCHRIST

His Person and Work

RESULTSJustification

andRegeneration

GODHis Holiness and Love

SINIts Universalityand Results

Foun

datio

nA

ppro

pria

tion

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encourage you to make it your goal to find out exactly what theBible teaches on the subject of evangelism and, as I have alreadyemphasized several times, I would encourage you, especially,to study the Acts of the Apostles with this in mind. You need tostudy the biblical message of salvation and the biblical methodsof evangelism for yourself. You need to think them throughcarefully and prayerfully, and then come up with your ownconclusions from the Word of God. You and I need to follow inthe footsteps of the Berean believers of whom we read:

“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that theyreceived the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily tofind out whether these things were so” (Acts 17 v11).

I trust that my book, and the many chapters which followthis one, will help you in your study.


Chapter 4: Teach About God In Evangelism

Many children, indeed the vast majority of children, have noidea at all of Who God is and of what He is like, although this isall clearly revealed in the Bible.

Teaching About God Is the Basis of EvangelismWhile the Gospel message focuses on the Lord Jesus Christ –

Who He is and what He did – the foundation and basis of thatmessage is teaching about God:

Teaching about God is essential in your evangelism becauseof what the Bible teaches about the purpose and goal ofsalvation:

The primary purpose of the Gospel, and the work ofChrist, is to bring people to God (1 Peter 3 v18).Salvation is turning to God from idols (1Thessalonians 1 v9).Salvation is knowing God (John 17 v3).

The Gospel begins with God, and your evangelism shouldbegin there also.

Teaching about God is essential in your evangelism, becausethe children need to know that the plan of salvationcomes from Him:

It was He Who planned our salvation (1 Peter 1 v20).It was He Who gave His Son (John 3 v16).It was He Who took the initiative in our salvation(John 3 v16; 1 John 4 v10).

Teaching about God is essential in your evangelism,because the doctrine of God is the background andcontext of every other doctrine or truth in the gospelmessage.

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An understanding of the character of God helpschildren to understand what sin is (Psalm 51 v4):An understanding of the character of God helpschildren to understand why Jesus Christ had to die(Romans 3 v25, 26).An understanding of the character of God encourageschildren to repent and believe (Romans 2 v4).

The Apostles Taught About God When EvangelizingTeaching about God played a major part in the ministry of

the apostles when they were evangelizing.When the apostles preached to Jews, they assumed somebasic knowledge of the Old Testament teaching about God– but they still included much teaching about God in theirmessages. They especially outlined, in their preaching,what God had foretold in His Word (Acts 2 v17-24; 3 v18),how He had performed miracles through His Son (Acts 2v22), how He had planned Christ’s sacrifice for sin (Acts2 v23), how He raised His Son from the dead (Acts 2 v24-32; 3 v15) and how He had exalted His Son (Acts 2 v33-36; 3 v13).When the apostles preached to Gentiles in Lystra andAthens, they found it necessary to teach them more basicdoctrines about God – especially the truth that God is theCreator to Whom they were responsible (Acts 14 v15; Acts17 v24-26), that He is the living God (Acts 14 v15), thatHe is holy and righteous (Acts 17 v31), and that He willjudge the world (Acts 17 v31).

If you follow the example of these early (and inspired)evangelists, your evangelism of children will include muchteaching about God.

The four most important truths about God to include inyour evangelistic messages are:

God has spoken to us through the Bible.God is Creator.


God is holy and just.God is love.

God Has Spoken to Us Through the BibleThe first truth which children need to hear about God is

that He has spoken to us, and that He has revealed Himself tous, in and through, the Bible.

It is important for children to learn and understand that theBible is the Word of God, and that what you teach is from thatWord. You need, in this way, to establish the authority of yourmessage and to answer the question which children frequentlyask – “How do you know this?”

Children need to see that the message you bring is not basedupon your ideas, or someone else’s ideas, but it is what Godsays in His written Word.

Consequently, you need to explain that the Bible is differentfrom any other book in that, while it was written by men, thesemen were guided in what they wrote by God the Holy Spirit:

“For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spokeas they were moved by the Holy Spirit”(2 Peter 1 v21).

We believe that the Bible is inspired, that it is absolutely trueand that it can be depended upon completely and withoutreservation, and you need to teach this to the children.

THE GOSPEL STARTS WITH TEACHING ABOUT GOD

HE HASSPOKEN

HE ISCREATOR

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“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,for reproof, for correction, for instruction inrighteousness, that the man ofGod may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2Timothy 3 v16, 17).

“Boys and girls:You need to realise that this Book is a special Book, because it comes from God. God used mento write it but He guided them in what they should write. Therefore it is absolutely true.You need to read it, believe it and do what it says.”

(Here and on the pages which follow I have included a brief applicationto the children of each of these truths.

In each case I include the words “Boys and girls” not to indicate thatyou should use these words – but to explain that these are applicationsdirected to THEM.)

God Is CreatorOne of the greatest, and most fundamental, truths of

evangelism is the fact that God has created boys and girls, andthat they are therefore responsible to Him. This is a truth whichhas often been neglected in present day evangelism; and youneed to be sure that you do not omit it.

This is where the Bible begins:“In the beginning God created …..” (Genesis 1 v1).And as we read on through the Scriptures we find thatthe call of God to salvation comes from a position ofstrength. It comes from the Almighty Creator. God is ourMaker and so He has a claim on our lives; and we areanswerable to Him:“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before thedifficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have nopleasure in them’” (Ecclesiastes 12 v1).This is what the apostle Paul taught the Gentiles.When Paul was evangelizing Gentiles in both Lystra andAthens, he started by teaching them that God was theirCreator (Acts 14 v15, 17; Acts 17 v23, 24, 25, 28).Theywere ignorant of this vital gospel truth, and that was why


Paul started there. When Peter and Paul were evangelizingJews who already knew that God was their Creator, theydid not need to include this truth in their message to them.Most of the children you are evangelizing are similar intheir background to the Gentiles in Lystra and Athens.God is to them, as to the Athenians, the “Unknown God”.Therefore you need to start your evangelism, like Paul,with the truth that God is the Creator.This is what today’s children need to know.Today’s children are taught the theory of evolution ashistorical fact (which of course it is not). This teaching iscompletely contrary to, and opposed to, biblical truth, andits main danger is that it eliminates responsibility to God.If God is not our Creator we are not accountable to Him –and this lack of accountability provides the basis for allhumanistic philosophies and ways of life.

“Boys and girls:The Bible teaches us that God made us. He used our fathers and mothers of course; but it wasHe Who gave us life. The Bible calls Him ‘our Creator’. But, remember, because He made us, weare responsible to Him, and He has the right to ask for our obedience and loyalty.The Bible says, ‘Remember your Creator in the days of your youth’ (Ecclesiastes12 v1).”

It is important not just to teach the truth that God is Creator to childrenbut to apply it to them. There are several ways you can do this – both tounsaved children and saved children:

“Boys and girls:There are several things which you should understand.

The God Who made everything must be very powerful. Therefore, if you are not a Christian,He is able to save you, no matter how bad you have been; and, if you are a Christian, He is ableto help you overcome any problems you have – like, for example, a bad temper.

God made you. You must answer to Him for everything you do. You will appear before Him oneday.

“God made you – as you are. Do not complain about how you look. That is how God made you. God made others as they are. Do not make fun of other children who are a different colour from

you, or who are not as good at something as you are.”

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God Is Holy and JustGod’s holiness means that He is completely pure and perfect.

God’s justice is His holiness in action. It means that everythingHe does is right, and that He always rewards good and punishesevil.

These doctrines are vital in your evangelism of children, andyet they are often neglected. There are a number of reasons whyyou should teach them to our unsaved children.

God’s holiness and justice are taught throughout theBible:

Over and over again God is called “The Holy One ofIsrael” and is described as holy:

“And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD ofhosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6 v3).“For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whosename is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has acontrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and torevive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57 v15).

The holiness of God will be the main theme of theredeemed throughout eternity:

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”(Revelation 4 v8b).

The justice and judgment of God are included manytimes in the teaching of Scripture — both in the Oldand New Testaments:

“For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge theworld with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth” (Psalm 96v13).“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does notbelieve the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him”(John 3 v36).God’s holiness and justice were preached by theapostles.When the apostles evangelized the Gentiles, they taughtthese truths as an essential part of their evangelism:“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all meneverywhere to repent because He has appointed a day in which He will judgethe world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has givenassurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17 v30, 31).


God’s holiness and justice show man his sin.When children learn something of the purity and holinessof God, they will see how impure they are, and they willsee sin as something serious – and that it is rebellion againsta holy God.“Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight”(Psalm 51 v4a).God’s holiness and justice explain the cross.God is holy and therefore a sinner cannot enter Hispresence, or go to Heaven, when he dies. But Jesus Christbecame the sinner’s substitute, and God, in His justice,poured out His wrath and punishment for sin upon HisSon. Therefore the death of Christ was necessary for oursalvation. If God is not holy, there is no need for salvation.If God is not just, there is no need for the death of Christ:“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for ourpeace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53 v4 and 5).“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that Hemight bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by theSpirit” (1 Peter 3 v18).Today’s children do not understand about holiness andjustice.Children are growing up in a world of low moralstandards with rampant impurity, dishonesty andprofanity. They need to learn what holiness is – asdisplayed in the character of God, and in the life of theLord Jesus Christ.In addition, their concept of justice is warped by theinjustices they see all around them – at home, at schooland in the community.“Boys and girls:The Bible teaches us that God is completely pure, clean and holy. He never does anything

which is wrong. It is hard for us to imagine Someone Who is pure and without sin. But that is whatGod is like.

But God is also fair. This means that He will always reward purity; but it also means thatHe will judge and punish sin. And that means that He must punish you and me because we are

all sinners.”

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It is important not just to teach the children the truth thatGod is holy and just – but also to apply this truth and showthem what it means for them personally. This is a truth which isnecessary for both unsaved and saved children to understand.

“Boys and girls:There are several important truths about God which you need to know:

God is holy, therefore if you have not trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour you will not beallowed to enter Heaven where God is. But if you trust Jesus Christ, His righteousness orgoodness will be put in your account, and God will see you as pure and as holy as Jesus Christis – and then you can enter Heaven when you die.

Because God is fair He must punish sin. There are two possibilities:

If you trust Jesus Christ you will not be punished for your sin, because that punishment hasbeen taken for you by Jesus Christ.If you do not trust Jesus Christ, you yourself will bear your punishment.Because God is holy He wants children who have trusted Christ to be holy. He wants each of you to live a life which is pleasing to Him.”

God Is LoveIt is important that children have a correct and biblical

picture of God. It is therefore essential that children learn thatGod is, as we have seen, holy; but they also need to learn thatHe is love. These two truths should be taught together, and inbalance. To teach or emphasize one of them at the expense ofthe other will give a false, and unbiblical, picture of God.

The holiness of God makes salvation necessary.The love of God, His mercy and His grace, make salvationpossible.There are a number of very good reasons why you shouldteach the love of God to your children when you areevangelizing them:God’s love is taught throughout the Bible:

In the Old Testament, the love of God is primarilyseen in His relationship with His people, the Jews(Hosea 11 v8; Jeremiah 31 v3; Lamentations 3 v22).But it can also be seen in His attitudes towards the


heathen (Jonah 1 v2 and chapters 3 and 4).In the Old Testament, God’s love is seen in Hisgracious invitation to sinners:

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, ‘Though your sinsare like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red likecrimson, they shall be as wool’” (Isaiah 1 v18).

In the New Testament, the love of God is seenprimarily in His sending of Jesus Christ to die on theCross as the sinner’s substitute:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, thatwhoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”(John 3 v16).God’s love and grace are seen in the salvation of thosewho trust Christ:God’s special love gift to those who trust Jesus Christ iseternal life:“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the loveof God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Soninto the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not thatwe loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiationfor our sins”(1 John 4 v, 8, 9, 10).God’s love is shown in His care as a heavenly Fatherfor those who are saved.It is a love from which we can never be separated:“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather intobarns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more valuethan they?”(Matthew 6 v26).“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels norprincipalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor heightnor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from thelove of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8 v38, 39).Many children do not know that God is a God of love.They often have a concept of God as someone with a rodready to strike them, if they step out of line. You mustteach them that God is a personal God Who hates sin butloves sinners.Many children have no understanding of what love, truelove, is.Today’s world, and especially today’s media, present“love” as sexual interest and gratification, with the

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continued emphasis upon self, rather than wanting thehighest good for others. In addition, pop music usuallyconveys a perversion of love.Children need to hear and see what love really is – asportrayed in the biblical picture of God, and especially inthe Person and work of Jesus Christ.All children need to know that, because of God’s love,they can be saved.Above all, children need to see that it is the love of Godwhich makes it possible for anyone (even the worst andmost wicked sinner) to be saved, to be forgiven and to bechanged.

“Boys and girls:Do you know that God really loves you – no matter how bad you have been? He loves you somuch that He sent His Son to die for you, and take the punishment for your sins. Now He wantsyou to be saved and to live for ever.The greatest truth you will ever learn is:‘Jesus loves me, this I know,For the Bible tells me so.’He loves you and He wants the very best for you.”

It is important not just to teach this great truth of God’s love– but to apply it to both unsaved and saved children, and showthem what it means for them personally:

“Boys and girls:

If you are not saved, the Bible says that God loves you so much that if you ask Jesus Christto save you (and really mean it) you will receive eternal life, and all your sins will be forgiven forever.

If you are saved, God wants you to show your love for others (even if they don’t deserve it)just as He has shown His love to you.”


Chapter 5: Teach About Sin In Evangelism

We want children to trust Jesus Christ as their Lord andSaviour, but, before they can do so, they must be aware of thesin from which they need to be saved. Consequently, carefuland detailed biblical teaching about sin is an essential part ofthe evangelist’s message.

There are six facts, or truths, about sin which you shouldteach the children – not all at once of course, but over a periodof time, and as the exegesis, and explanation, of the Bible passageyou are teaching allows you to do so:

Sin is against God.Sin is transgression of the law.Sin must be punished.Sin is universal.Sin is an act.Sin is a nature.

AGAINSTGOD

TRANSGRESSIONOF LAW

UNIVERSALAN ACT

A NATURE

MUST BEPUNISHED

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Sin Is Against GodSin can only be understood in relation to God – His character

and His words. After David had sinned against Bathsheba andUriah he then repented, acknowledging that his sin wasprimarily against God:

“Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight;that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when Youjudge” (Psalm 51 v4).

Sin is, first and foremost, the breaking of God’s commands,and should be taught in its vertical connotation, rather thandealing with it horizontally. Sin, for example, is not just aquestion of disobeying one’s parents; it is a breaking of God’sfifth commandment.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long uponthe land which the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20 v12).

Sin is not just a question of stealing or lying; it is a breakingof God’s commandments concerning those two subjects.Illustrations of sin should, of course, be used, but it should bemade clear that sin is wrong because God says it is.

“Boys and girls:Do you ever disobey your parents and say words to them which are not nice. Did you know thatthis is sin? That’s what the Bible calls it. Why is it sin? Because God in His Word has commandedus to honour and obey our parents. If we don’t, we are disobeying God, and that’s what sin is.”

You should now be able to see how vital it is that childrenknow something about God and what He is like.

Sin Is Transgression of the LawGod has revealed the standards He requires in the Law, and

in its summary form — the Ten Commandments.The Bible says that “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3 v4).

Consequently, it is good to teach the children the TenCommandments. It is impossible for the children to keep thesecommandments, but an understanding of them will help toconvict them of sin, when they see how far short they fall ofthem.


Paul wrote, “I would not have known sin except through the law” (Romans 7 v7).Therefore the teaching, and understanding, of God’s

commandments and standards help to prepare the way for thegospel message.

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that wemight be justified by faith” (Galatians 3 v24).

“Boys and girls:Did you know that God has given us rules to obey and follow? There are ten main rules called theTen Commandments and they tell us, for example, that we should not steal, or lie, or use God’sname lightly. Do you know why God gave these rules? He wanted us to know that we are sinners,and so when we break these rules (and we all do so from time to time) we begin to see that we

need to be saved.”

Sin Must Be PunishedThe clear teaching of Scripture is that God is just, and that

He must therefore punish sin. Sin deserves punishment, andseparation from God:

“ The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18 v4).“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in ChristJesus our Lord” (Romans 6 v23).

However, while you must not omit God’s judgment on sinfrom your message, you should be wise in the way you teachthis solemn truth. It should always be done lovingly and tenderly– and with no attempt to frighten or pressurize the childreninto “making a decision”. Your responsibility is to warn – not tofrighten.

Also, the fact that God must punish sin explains the deathof Jesus Christ on the cross – why He died, and what happenedduring those hours on the cross, when God punished Him forour sins.

“Boys and girls:You need to understand that God is always fair. Do you know what that means? It means that Hewill always reward goodness. But it also means that He must punish sin. And you and I havesinned. So God will, and must, punish our sin – however there is someone else who willingly tookthat punishment. And that Someone is Jesus Christ.”

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Sin Is UniversalThe Bible makes it clear (and experience backs this up) that

sin is absolutely universal, encompassing every nation, age groupand culture:

“As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3v10).“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3 v23).“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to hisown way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53 v6).

Children need to be taught, therefore, that they are includedin the universality of sin, and that their sins are not unimportant,or a source of amusement. In God’s sight, they are all sinners –and need to be saved.

“Boys and girls:The Bible tells us that everybody has sinned. We all find ourselves doing things which are wrong.Old people and young people, boys and girls, those who go to church, and those who don’t.Everybody! And that includes me too. I have done, and said, and thought, many wrong things too,just like you. And because of all the wrong things we have done we all need the Lord Jesus Christas our Saviour.”

Sin Is an ActSin is anything we do, say or think which displeases God.

So it is necessary to speak to children about specific sins, andgive illustrations and examples which are “true to life” andwhich the children understand. This was what the Lord JesusChrist did, when He dealt with people like the rich young rulerand the Samaritan woman.You are not trying to be critical of the children. You are onlypointing out specific sins, so that the children will trust Christ,and so that the precious remedy of the blood of Christ can beapplied. You are not leading the child to despair – but to Christand His forgiveness; you are not leaving the child under theguilt of sin; you are pointing him to the “Lamb of God Who takes awaythe sin of the world” (John 1 v29).


“Boys and girls:Do you ever feel guilty about the wrong things you have done? Perhaps it was an unkind word to yoursister, or a lie to your mother. Perhaps you took something which did not belong to you. Or perhapsyou remember bad thoughts you had about someone. These are all sins. But the good news is thatGod wants to forgive all your sins and take away your guilt – so that you can be happy and contented.He wants you to trust His Son Jesus Christ as your Saviour – and when you do that ‘the slate willbe wiped clean’ – for ever.”

Sin Is a NatureThe children need to understand why they sin. It is because

they have a sinful nature, and what they do is simply the resultof what they are. Each child is born with a bias towards wrong:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who canknow it?” (Jeremiah 17 v9).

Also, it is important for those children who are self-righteous,and do not see themselves as guilty of sinful acts, to realise thatthey are already guilty before God, because of the sinful naturethey possess.

“Boys and girls:You need to remember that sin is not just what we do. It is what we are. Our hearts and ournatures are sinful. We were born that way. And even babies and little children start doing andsaying and thinking things which are wrong. Why? Because they are wrong – inside. We don’thave to be taught to do wrong things. We need to be taught, and to learn, the things which areright. We especially need to learn how to trust Jesus Christ as our Saviour, because He will notonly forgive us our sins but He will also give us a new nature.”

It is the evangelist’s responsibility therefore to teach childrenabout sin – but only as a preparation for what you are going toteach them about Jesus Christ, and God’s remedy for sin. Thebad news needs to precede the good news – otherwise the goodnews would not be understandable. But, at the same time, thebad news should always be followed by the good news.

As you teach about sin, you need to pray that the Holy Spiritwill work in the children’s hearts, and that He will use the Wordyou teach to help the children understand what sin is, and to beconvicted of it.

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Chapter 6: Teach About The Lord Jesus Christ In Evangelism

The Gospel is, first and foremost, a message about a Person –the Lord Jesus Christ. The good news is that this Person, theLord Jesus Christ, saves boys and girls, men and women:

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, andJesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17 v3).“But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to theGreeks foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1 v23).

Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ there is no Gospel. So yourevangelism must always be Christ-centred. He is the centraltheme of the Scriptures and the central theme of the gospelmessage, and this should be reflected in your ministry to thechildren.

This does not mean that you leave out the doctrines aboutGod and sin which we have already discussed. These are thefoundational truths of the Gospel, just as the doctrines of JesusChrist are the heart of the Gospel – and these foundational truthshelp prepare the way for the good news.

The New Testament Evangelists Preached ChristWe have already seen that the Acts of the Apostles is our

main primer, or teaching manual, on the subject of evangelism,because in that book we see, and hear, those early apostolicevangelists preach the Gospel. It is significant that, while theydo include the foundational doctrines of God and sin in theirevangelistic messages, their preaching always led to Jesus Christ.

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name underheaven given among men by which we must be saved”(Acts 4 v12).“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ tothem” (Acts 8 v5).“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preachedJesus to him” (Acts 8 v35).“Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son


of God”(Acts 9 v20).“Explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and riseagain from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is theChrist”(Acts 17 v3).

They had different approaches, and these approachesdepended upon the circumstances and the people to whom theywere speaking, but they always arrived at the same destination– the great truths concerning Jesus Christ which we will studyin the remainder of this chapter.

The preaching of Christ in the gospel message involves theteaching of two main truths, or groups of truths, concerningHim:

Truths about the Person of Christ – Who He is.He is God the Son.He is perfect Man.

Truths about the Work of Christ – what He did:His sinless life.His death.His resurrection.His exaltation.

Both groups of truths should be taught to your children whenyou are evangelizing them. You cannot, of course, do this all atonce! But you should aim to do so over a period of time as theBible passages, on which your lessons are based, allow you todo so.

Truths About the Person of ChristIt is essential to teach the children Who Jesus Christ is. It is

Jesus Christ Himself Who saves children. Salvation is a personalrelationship between the child and the Person of the Lord JesusChrist. Therefore the children need to know Who He is, and seeHim as He really is.

There are two key truths about the Person of Jesus Christ,which you should teach your children, when you areevangelizing them.

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Jesus Christ is God the SonThe Bible teaches clearly, over and over again, that Jesus

Christ is God. This is a vital truth for children to understand,because it is only as God that He is able to save sinners.

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God wasmanifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preachedamong the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory” (1 Timothy 3 v16).

The apostles in their evangelistic preaching continuallyemphasized His Lordship and Deity:

“Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Sonof God” (Acts 9 v20).

The apostles often used the title “Son of God”, when theywere preaching about Him, and this was understood by them(and by their listeners) to mean that He was truly God. Butbecause so many people and cults speak today of Jesus Christ asthe Son of God (without believing that He is divine), it is betterand wiser for you to use the title “God the Son”. And it is alsobetter to give Him His full name “the Lord Jesus Christ” or “theLord Jesus” or “Jesus Christ” rather than just call Him “Jesus”.In this way you are once again emphasizing His deity.

The truth of the deity of Jesus Christ is vital because it is asGod that He is able to forgive sins, and to change lives.

THE GOSPEL CENTRES ON TEACHING ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

HIS

PER

SON

HIS

WO

RK

HIS DEATH

HISSINLESS

LIFE

HISRESURRECTION

HISEXALTATION

HE ISGOD

THE SON

HE ISPERFECT

MAN


“Boys and girls:You need to remember that Jesus Christ is God. He is different from us. He can tell the wind tostop blowing, and the waves to stop roaring. He can give blind men their sight, and make itpossible for lame men to walk. He can even raise people from the dead. He can do anything! Thismeans that if you are not saved He can forgive all your sin – no matter how bad you have been.”

Jesus Christ is Perfect ManThe clear teaching of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ

is completely, yet sinlessly, human.“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that JesusChrist has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does notconfess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4 v2, 3).“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become therighteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5 v21).

And the apostles, in their evangelistic preaching made it clearthat Jesus Christ was a man, and that He was human:

“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man ispreached to you the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 13 v38).

God the Son, the Word of God, became flesh (John 1 v14)and lived a perfect and sinless life – without, at any time, or inany way, sacrificing His deity. And the children need tounderstand that it was only as a man He could become asubstitute for men. A substitute has to be of the same nature asthose for whom He is the substitute. And He had to be a perfectman because He could only take the place of sinners if He Himselfwas without sin.

“Boys and girls:Do you know what a substitute is? He is a person who takes the place of another person. Afootball team usually has substitutes who sit on the bench at the side of the football pitch. If aplayer is hurt, or is not playing well, a substitute is sent on to take his place. The substitute is alsoa football player – like the one whose place he takes. Jesus Christ became our substitute. Hewas human – just like us but one hundred per cent without sin because He is God; and He tookour place when He died on the Cross. He took the punishment for sin so that we would not need

to be punished.”

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Jesus Christ is Both God and Man – Our MediatorConsequently, you teach your children that Jesus Christ is

the God-man, but you need to emphasize that He is One Person– not two! This may be difficult to understand, but it is a truthwhich we need to accept and believe.

Only as the God-man could He accomplish the work ofsalvation, and, because He is both God and Man, He can be thelink or Mediator between God and man – and our great HighPriest.

Truths About the Work of ChristThere are four truths about the saving work of Jesus Christ,

which you need to teach your children, when you areevangelizing them.

His Sinless LifeWe have already referred to this truth and its importance.

Only a sinless man could die for sin. So you need to show thechildren that everyone who came into contact with Jesus Christ,and knew Him during His 33 years of life here on this earth,testified to His sinlessness:

His Father said so (Hebrews 1 v8, 9).His friends said so (Acts 3 v14; 2 Corinthians 5 v21; 1Peter 2 v22; 1 John 3 v3, 5).His enemies said so (Matthew 27 v3, 4; Matthew 27 v19;Luke 23 v41; Luke 23 v47; John 18 v38).The demons said so (Mark 1 v23, 24).

It is also important to realise, and explain, that all thesacrifices of animals “without blemish” for sin in the OldTestament pointed forward to the Sinless One, Who would bethe eternal sacrifice for sin.


“Boys and girls:You and I have sinned many times – and God must punish our sins, unless someone else takesour place, and bears our punishment for us. But that someone else must have no sin of his ownif he is going to die for our sin. Otherwise he would have to be punished for his own sin. Is thereSomeone like this? Yes, there is! The Lord Jesus Christ never sinned. So He was able to diefor our sin. And He loves you and me very much. So He was willing to die for our sin.”

His DeathThe death of Christ is the central theme of the whole Bible,

the central theme of the gospel message, and the central themeof the doctrines of Jesus Christ:

In the Old Testament it is foretold.In the four Gospels it is outlined.In the epistles it is explained.In the Acts of the Apostles it is preached.

The death of Jesus Christ was preached in all the gospelsermons in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 3 v15; 3 v18) – and Hisdeath should also be the focus of the gospel message which youteach your children.

There are several aspects of His death which you especiallyneed to teach, and explain, to your unsaved children:

The purpose of His DeathHe died so that sinners could be saved from theconsequences of their sin.“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, thatHe might bring us to God”(1 Peter 3 v18a).He died so that sinners could be changed, and live alife pleasing to God:“Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from everylawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealousfor good works” (Titus 2 v14).

The nature of His DeathIt was substitutionary. He took our place.“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised forour iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, andby His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53 v5).

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It was sacrificial. God the Father punished His Sonand poured out on Him His wrath for our sin.“And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53v6b).“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief”(Isaiah 53 v10a).It was satisfactory. His work on the cross was afinished and completed work; and nothing needs tobe added to it:“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19 v30).“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10 v12).

The results of His DeathWhen a sinner (child or adult) turns from his sin, andtrusts Jesus Christ, there are a number of consequences:

He is justified (Romans 3 v24, 25). All his sin isforgiven.He is regenerated (Titus 3 v5, 6). He is a new person.He is adopted (Galatians 4 v3-5). He is a child of God.He is redeemed (1 Peter 1 v18, 19). He is free.He is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6 v19,20). He is able to live in a new way.He has eternal life (John 3 v16). He will live forever.

All of these results are because Jesus Christ died for us onthe Cross.

“Boys and girls:Do you realise how much Jesus Christ must have loved you and me – even though we aresinners, and have done nothing to deserve His love! We were really His enemies and completelyignored Him. And yet He said to His Father, “I will take their sin upon Myself and I will take thepunishment for all that sin – so that they don’t have to.”And that is what He did on the Cross. He took our place and our punishment so that we could besaved.”

His ResurrectionIn the Acts of the Apostles the resurrection of Jesus Christ

played a major part in their evangelistic sermons. His resurrection


was the visible proof, and the evidence, that the message theypreached about Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross wastrue. Indeed they never preached the cross, and the death ofChrist, without immediately including His resurrection.

“Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge ofGod, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was notpossible that He should be held by it” (Acts 2 v23 and 24)“And killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of whichwe are witnesses” (Acts 3 v15).“Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the nameof Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised fromthe dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole” (Acts 4 v10).“Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, theytook Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Himfrom the dead”(Acts 13 v29, 30).

Also the writers of the epistles make it very clear that theresurrection is an important and essential part of the gospelmessage:

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you,which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you aresaved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless youbelieved in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received:that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He wasburied, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures”(1 Corinthians 15 v1- 4).

Consequently, you should also be sure to include the greattruth of Christ’s resurrection in your gospel ministry to yourchildren.

There are several aspects of this great truth which you shouldteach the children:

The meaning of the resurrectionThe dead body of the Lord Jesus was raised again to life.His Spirit did not die – only His body. When that bodywas brought back to life it was changed to become animmortal body, never to die again, and His Spirit wasreunited with it.The fact of the resurrectionAs you teach the resurrection to the children you mayneed, from time to time, to outline the evidence for it, and

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how we know it actually took place as recorded in theBible:

The empty tomb (Luke 24 v3) and the undisturbedgrave clothes (John 20 v6, 7).The appearances of the risen Lord to so many people(e.g. John 20 v16; Luke 24 v34; John 20 v19; 1Corinthians 15 v6).The change in the disciples (compare Mark 14 v66-72 with Acts 2 v14-23).

The results of the resurrectionIt shows beyond doubt that Jesus Christ is God(Romans 1 v4).It proves that His death was sufficient for oursalvation (Romans 4 v25).It assures those who believe that they are fully justified(Romans 4 v23-25; 5 v1).It assures us of our own resurrection (1 Corinthians15 v18-20).It demonstrates the power of God (Ephesians 1 v19, 20).

Above all, the resurrection shows that Jesus Christ is alive –and that He is able to save all those who come to Him.

“But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to Godthrough Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”(Hebrews 7 v24, 25).

“Boys and girls:You should always remember that the Lord Jesus Christ did not remain dead. Three days later Herose again from the dead and became alive for ever more. God the Father made Him alive again,to show us that His death on the Cross was successful, and that He had truly died for all our sins.This is also the proof that, if you trust Him, all your sins will be forgiven. And it means that He isalive today, that He is here in this room and that He is able to save you today – if you ask Him.”

His ExaltationTeaching the children that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He

is exalted as the God-man to a place of complete power andabsolute authority, should be an essential part of yourevangelism. You are not presenting a weak Christ, Who is


pleading with them to “please let Me come in”. You arepresenting a risen, exalted Christ, the King of Kings, beforeWhom they should bow in obedience, and obey His commandto trust and follow Him.

There was nothing apologetic or half-hearted about theevangelism of the early church. They knew, and preached, thatJesus Christ was the exalted One, and that He had been given aposition of absolute Lordship by the Father:

It is not a matter of His being exalted, and becoming King,at a later date. He is King of Kings NOW, and has the place ofhonour and absolute authority at the right hand of His Father.

“All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28 v18).

The exaltation and Lordship of Jesus Christ was a truththe apostles preached with boldness to the unsaved:“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having receivedfrom the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this whichyou now see and hear” (Acts 2 v33).“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has madethis Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2 v36).“Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, togive repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5 v31).“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peacethrough Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all” (Acts 10 v36).This glorious theme continues throughout the epistles –both in relation to the Gospel, and to the instruction ofbelievers:“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in yourheart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans10 v9).“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord overall is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of theLORD shall be saved’” (Romans 10 v12, 13).

Consequently, you need to teach unsaved children that JesusChrist is Lord, and that when they trust Him as their Saviour,they will be taking the first step (and it is only the first step) ofsubmission to Him as Lord and King. They will then know that,when they trust Him, He will take charge of their lives, andmake changes in their lives.

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“Boys and girls:Did you know that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of all this universe? It is He, theLord, Who commands you to turn from your sin, and trust Him as your Saviour; and if you do,your life will be changed and He will become your Lord and King. Are you willing to obey Himtoday? Then trust Him and ask Him to be your Saviour and Lord – and start a new life today, livingfor Him.”

ConclusionTeaching the children about the Person and work of Jesus

Christ is an essential part of your evangelistic ministry – indeedit is the most important part.

However, it must be made clear again, that it is not possibleto TEACH all the truths involved in this great doctrine at anyone time. You will teach the truth, or truths, about Jesus Christ,which the passage on which your lesson is based teaches. Butyou should, at the same time, feel free to mention other truths(without teaching them), provided they help you to explain andapply the gospel truth you have chosen as your central truth.


Chapter 7: Invite The Children To Come To Christ

Before proceeding any further, let us revise what we haveoutlined so far concerning the gospel message:

The gospel message is founded, first of all, upon teachingabout God:

That He has spoken in His Word.That He is the Creator.That He is holy.That He is love.

The gospel message is founded, secondly, upon teachingabout sin:

That it is against God.That it is transgression of God’s law.That it must be punished.That it is universal.That it is an act.That it is a nature.

The gospel message centres upon teaching about JesusChrist:

His Person• He is God.• He is perfect Man.His Work• His sinless life• His death• His resurrection• His exaltation

Those are the FACTS of the gospel message. But it is notenough just to present, and teach, facts and truths – importantand vital though they are. You need to challenge the children toACT on the basis of these truths. You need to show the children

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what RESPONSE God expects from them, because of the factsand truths which they have heard and learned.

You need to teach them the way of salvation and what theyneed to do to be saved:

They need to turn from their sin (repentance).They need to trust Jesus Christ (faith).

So you need to show them their responsibility to repent andbelieve.

You also need to show them what God will do for them, ifthey do repent and believe:

All their sins will be forgiven. They will be justified.They will be new creatures. They will be regenerated.

The way of salvation through repentance and faith, and theblessings which result, are integral parts of the gospel messagewhich should not be omitted. To experience these two blessingsof salvation the child must obey God’s command, or invitation,to turn from their sin, and come to Jesus Christ, and personallytrust Him as Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ invites them to cometo Him in repentance and faith.

It is therefore your responsibility not only to teach the gospelfacts or truths outlined on the previous pages, but also to give orbring the gospel invitation to unsaved children, when you areevangelizing them. To understand how you should do this youneed to ask and answer a number of questions about thisinvitation:

What is the invitation?Should I give this invitation?When should I give this invitation?How should I give this invitation?How does a child respond to this invitation?

What is the Invitation?To answer this question, we need to turn again to the pages

of the Acts of the Apostles, and watch those early apostolicevangelists at work. What did they do? What did they not do?


Perhaps it is better to first answer the question, “What is notthe invitation ?” – keeping in mind the evangelism of the apostles:

The invitation is not something to be added on after youhave preached, and after you have taught the gospelmessage. It is part of that message.The invitation is not a request by the evangelist, to whichthe children should respond physically by raising theirhand, coming to the front, or waiting behind.

As you read the Acts of the Apostles, you will find that Paul,Peter, Philip, and the other evangelists in the early church didinvite and challenge their hearers to repent and trust Christ.But they did so as part of their message. It was not added onafterwards. You will also find that they never asked for a physicalresponse.

What, then, is the invitation?The invitation is a call from Jesus Christ to come to Him, in

repentance and faith, to receive forgiveness and a new nature.The invitation does not come from us. It comes from Jesus

Christ. He invites the children to come to Him. We are only thebearers of that invitation to the children.

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If I had a friend who was going to be married, and thatfriend asked me to invite you to his wedding, I would be glad todo so. I would therefore come to you and say, “My friend wantsyou to come to his wedding. It will take place on June 6th inBelfast. He asked me to give you his invitation to come to thewedding.” I have fulfilled my responsibility; I have “given youthe invitation”. At the same time, I would give you cleardirections about how to get there (if you did not know the way),and I would encourage you to accept the invitation – especiallyif I knew that my friend really wanted you to come, and I knewhow pleased he would be if you did. But whether you go to thewedding, or not, is now a matter between you and my friend. Ihave fulfilled my responsibility.

Therefore, your responsibility as a children’s evangelist is totell the children:

That Jesus Christ wants them to come to Him. That is theinvitation itself.How they can do this – by trusting Him as their Saviour –either now, immediately, or later. Those are the directions.What Jesus Christ will do for them if they come to Himand how pleased He will be to receive them. Outliningthe blessings of coming to Jesus Christ will encourage thechildren to respond to His invitation.

SPECIAL

LY

FOR

YOU!

THE INVITATION

1. Jesus Christ wants you to come

2. This is how you can come

3. This is what He will do if you come


If you make these three facts clear to the children, you havegiven them the invitation.

Consequently, you can come to six conclusions (threenegative and three positive) about the invitation.

This invitation is not something to be added on after thegospel message; it is an essential part of the gospelmessage.This invitation is not part of my methodology; it is part ofmy message.This invitation does not require a physical response (suchas raising a hand, or coming to the front or waitingbehind).The child’s response to the invitation is a matter betweenJesus Christ and himself.The child responds to this invitation in his heart – now orlater.If the child responds to this invitation, Jesus Christ willreceive him – and save him.

What Does The Bible Teach?This invitation from God to man can be found throughout

the Bible:This invitation can be found in the Old Testament:“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though yoursins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are redlike crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1 v18).“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have nomoney, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without moneyand without price” (Isaiah 55 v1).The Lord Jesus Christ when He was here on earth invitedsinners to come to Him.“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give yourest” (Matthew 11 v28).“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes toMe I will by no means cast out” (John 6 v37).The evangelists of the early apostolic church gave thisinvitation.

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They invited, and challenged, their unsaved listeners torepent, to trust, to turn, to come or to call – and they madeit clear what God would do for them if they did so. Theyinvited them, they gave them the directions, and theyoutlined the results of their response, to encourage themto do so.“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized inthe name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receivethe gift of the Holy Spirit.’ For the promise is to you and to your children,and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts2 v38, 39).“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts3 v19).“To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoeverbelieves in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10 v43).“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man ispreached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believesis justified from all things from which you could not be justified by thelaw of Moses” (Acts 13 v38, 39).“So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,you and your household” (Acts 16 v31).“But declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughoutall the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent,turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26 v20).“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Romans10 v13).“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to Godthrough Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”(Hebrews 7 v25).Every time they preached and evangelized, they showedand taught their listeners what God wanted them to do,how to do it, and what He would do if they obeyed Him.When they had done this they had given the invitation.They did not ask their listeners to stand, come to the frontor raise their hands. And yet God the Holy Spirit workedin the hearts of those listening, and many were saved.Giving the invitation to children involves therefore:

Letting them know that Jesus Christ wants them tocome to Him, in their hearts, for salvation.


Letting them know how to do this.

Letting them know that Jesus Christ will receive themand will save them if they do so – to encourage themto do so.

The evangelist who has fulfilled these three responsibilitieshas given the invitation.You might say something like this:

“Boys and girls:Do you know that you are like this jailer? You have sinned and you have gone your ownway. But if you, in your heart, want to have your sins forgiven, and if you want to bedifferent, you can come to Jesus Christ today. Ask Him to forgive you and change you– and, when you do that, He will. He has promised to do so in His Word “Whosoever(and that includes you) shall call on the name of the Lord (if you call to Him and ask Him)shall be saved” (Romans 10 v13). Why not do so today? You can talk to Him in yourheart and call on Him at any time, and the moment you do so, you will be saved.”

Should You Give This Invitation?It would be wrong not to give this wonderful invitation,

when you are evangelizing children. To tell children that theyneed to be saved without showing them that it is possible forthem to be saved, what they need to do to be saved, and whatthe results will be, would be a grave mistake. The invitation is avital part of your gospel message. It is impossible to evangelizewithout giving this invitation.

When Should You Give This Invitation?If you understand that the invitation is an essential part of

the gospel message, then the answer is obvious. You will invitethe children to come to Christ every time you preach and teachthem the Gospel. The children who are listening to you shouldalways know that Jesus Christ wants them to come to Him, totrust Him, how they can do so, and what the results will be ifthey come.

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How Should You Give This Invitation?There are four words which can best describe how you

should give the gospel invitation to children: Authoritatively

You should give the invitation on the authority of whatGod has said in His Word. It is His invitation – not yours.That means you should always use a Bible verse as thebasis of the invitation you give.This verse should show the children what Jesus Christwants or invites them to do, and it should also show themwhat He will do if they respond to Him.For example you could use ONE of the following Bibleverses:

“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ “(Romans 10 v13).The child should be invited to “call to Jesus Christ”;and if he does so God promises to “save” him.“Believe on (trust) the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved”(Acts 16 v31).The child should be invited to “trust Jesus Christ”and if he does so God promises to “save” him.“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to becomechildren of God” (John 1 v12).The child should be invited to “receive Christ”; andif he does so God promises he will “become a child ofGod”.

NaturallyThe Bible verse you use in your invitation, and thechallenge you present, should be based upon the Biblepassage you have been teaching in your Bible lesson; andit should be the application of the great truth, or truths,which you have been teaching them from that passage.For example, if you are teaching a Bible lesson based uponthe story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, the naturalinvitation would be to “come” (like the prodigal) and theLord Jesus “will receive you” (as the prodigal’s father did)using John 6 v37b as your verse.“… and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6 v37b).


SimplyIt is better to stick to one verse and to one concept. Do notspeak about “coming”, “calling”, “receiving” and“trusting” in one lesson, or in one invitation. You knowthat these all describe the same act; but it is better to keepto one of these concepts, at any one time, to avoidconfusion.UrgentlyThe Bible uses several words to describe the evangelism ofthe apostles in the book of Acts, and these are words whichshould also describe your evangelism.

They reasoned (Acts 17 v2; 17 v17; 18 v4; 18 v19).The same word is used in Acts 19 v8, and is translatedin the NIV as “argued persuasively”. The word usedhere has the thought of thinking something throughlogically, and then presenting it in that way.They persuaded (Acts 18 v4; 19 v8). This word meansto bring about a change of mind by the influence ofreason.They beseeched (2 Corinthians 5 v20; 6 v1). This wordmeans to encourage people to do something.They warned (Colossians 1 v28).The children needto know something about the consequences of notresponding to Jesus Christ’s invitation.

So there should be a note of earnestness, urgency andpersuasion as you bring Jesus Christ’s invitation to thechildren.“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleadingthrough us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ForHe made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become therighteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5 v20, 21).“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receivethe grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6 v1).

But, like the apostles, you should trust God the Holy Spiritto work in the hearts of the children – and not put pressure ofany kind on them to respond to Christ’s invitation.

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Chapter 8: The Children’s Response To The Invitation Part I — Repentance

We have examined the message of salvation in detail, and wehave seen the gospel truths which we should teach the childrenwhen evangelizing them.

We have also seen our responsibility to challenge, and invite,the children to respond to these gospel truths.

It is now necessary to examine what that response shouldbe, so that you can know what you are aiming at, praying for,and expecting to happen as the Holy Spirit works in the heartsof the children; and also so that you can explain to the childrenwhat their response should be.

The Meaning of ConversionThe biblical response to the gospel message is two-fold. The

Bible often uses the word “converted” or “turned” with regardto this two-fold response. The Greek word used to describe andsummarize the sinner’s response to the Gospel is sometimestranslated “converted” and sometimes “turned”:

“Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be convertedto You” (Psalm 51 v13).

“…… unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by nomeans enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18 v3).

“For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing,and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes andhear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and beconverted, so that I should heal them” (Matthew 13 v15).

“Repent therefore and be converted” (Acts 3 v19). “A great number believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11 v21).“ ….. you should turn from these useless things to the living God” (Acts 14 v15).“To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from


the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26 v18).“…… that they should repent, turn to God” (Acts 26 v20).“ ….. and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true

God” (1 Thessalonians 1 v9).(Similar uses of this word are also found in Mark 4 v12; John 12 v40;

Acts 28 v27; Isaiah 6 v10).The response of the child to the Gospel can therefore be

summarized by the words “turn” or “ be converted”.We can see from the verses quoted above that this “turning”

has two aspects and involves two actions:A turning from vanities, from darkness, from idols andfrom sin.A turning to God and to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Common sense also shows us that a turning has two sidesor aspects. If I am walking and decide to turn, then I will, at thesame time, turn from the direction in which I was going and goin a new direction. There is only one turning, but that turninghas two aspects, or sides, to it – what we turn from and whatwe turn to.

And so it is with the conversion of a child:He turns from his old way of life, and from sin. The Biblecalls this repentance.He turns to Jesus Christ for salvation. The Bible calls thisfaith.

The child is saved when he turns – that is, when he repentsand believes. Both of these occur at the same time and cannotbe separated from each other. They are like two sides of thesame coin. There is one coin but two sides.

But I would like to emphasize two biblical truths:The child is saved by faith alone. The child is not saved byrepentance.However, saving faith includes a measure of repentance.The child cannot turn to Christ, and to a new direction, ifhe does not want to turn from his sin, and the old direction.

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The Meaning of RepentanceIn this chapter we will study what the Bible teaches about

repentance. We need to understand what repentance is – andwhat it is not.

What repentance is not:Repentance is not tears, anguish, distress, loss of appetiteor sleeplessness (although some of these may happen –especially with some adults).Repentance is not conviction of sin, or sorrow for sin –although without some measure of these, no matter howlittle, there can be no repentance.Repentance is not a work which a sinner does, or performs,on his own to be saved – because it is granted by God. Heis responsible to repent, but he can only repent as Godenables him to do so.“When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorifiedGod, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance tolife’ “ (Acts 11 v18).“In humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps willgrant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Timothy 2v25).Repentance is not another word for faith. The Lord Jesus

RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION

SIN

FAITH

REPENTANCE

AND


told the people to “repent and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1v15). Paul described the gospel ministry as “testifying both tothe Jews and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towardsour Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20 v21).

What repentance is:The word “repentance” means a change of mind; and the

context in which it is generally used in the Bible shows that it isprimarily a change of mind and attitude towards sin andtowards God – a change of mind which leads to a change ofdirection and, eventually, a change of behaviour. A change ofmind which does not lead to a change of direction and behaviouris not a genuine change of mind.

True repentance involves all three parts of the sinner:His mind – he knows what sin is, and that he has sinned.His emotions – he is convicted of his sin, and is sorry for it.His will – he wants to turn from sin, and he wants tochange the direction of his life.

However, two points should be emphasized:

There are degrees of repentance. If a child wants to trustChrist there must be repentance, but it might be very small.He is not saved by repentance, but he cannot be savedwithout it. However, a fuller understanding of the

SIN

REPENTANCE

MIND

WILL

I know

I am convicted

I want to turn

EMOTIONS

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repentance which took place at conversion often occursin the months and years which follow.Repentance does not end at conversion. It deepens as thebeliever makes progress in his Christian life.

The Bible Teaching on RepentanceThe Word of God makes it clear that repentance is an essential

part of the gospel message:

It was clearly taught and expected in the Old Testament:“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to ourGod, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55 v7).It played a major part in the earlier ministries of the NewTestament:

John the Baptist preached it:“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness ofJudea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’“ (Matthew 3 v1 and 2).The Lord Jesus preached it:“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for thekingdom of heaven is at hand’ “ (Matthew 4 v17)The twelve disciples preached it:“So they went out and preached that people should repent” (Mark6 v12).

The Lord Jesus told His disciples that it was an essentialpart of the gospel message:“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in Hisname to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24 v47).It played a major part in the evangelistic messages of Peter:“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized inthe name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive thegift of the Holy Spirit’ “ (Acts 2 v38)“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts3 v19)It played a major part in the evangelistic ministry of Paul:“And saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We also are menwith the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from


these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, thesea, and all things that are in them’ “ (Acts 14 v15)“Testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faithtoward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20 v21)“To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, andfrom the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sinsand an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me……But declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughoutall the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent,turn to God, and do works befitting repentance” (Acts 26 v18, 20).It plays an essential part in man’s salvation:“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke13 v3).It is God’s desire and will for all men today:“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness,but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish butthat all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3 v9).It is a basic and fundamental truth of Christianity:“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ,let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentancefrom dead works and of faith toward God” (Hebrews 6 v1).

Teaching Repentance to ChildrenIt should, first of all, be recognized that repentance is an

essential part of the gospel message and that it should not beomitted when we are evangelizing children. It is not, of course,necessary to use the word “repentance”, but the concept shouldbe included in your teaching of the Gospel, and in your challengeor invitation to the children.

Your TeachingThe children should be taught at least three truths on this

subject:

That sin is against God, and that they have turned to theirown way, and away from God.That each of them is a sinner, and that they need to besaved.

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That God wants them to turn from sin, and to change thedirection of their lives.

“Boys and girls:Do you know what it means to repent? Let me tell you about Philip.Philip walked slowly home from school. He wasn’t too happy with himself. He knew hislife wasn’t right. He knew he didn’t please God. He really wanted to be different. Heknew some of his friends would laugh if he stopped doing some of the wrong things theydid together. But somehow to be living in a way that would please God seemed moreimportant than anything. So on the way home Philip told God how sorry he was, andthat he wanted to be different. What was Philip doing? He was repenting, he wasturning from his sin. And, at the same time, he asked God to forgive him, to take overand be in charge of him. Now Philip was saved – for ever.”

Your ChallengeIt is not enough to teach the need for repentance to the

children. You also need to challenge them to repent.You could use words like these to challenge the children:

“Do you want to be different? Do you want to please God?”or “Do you want your life to move in a different direction?”or “Are you sorry that you have sinned and displeased God?”or “Do you know that being a Christian will mean a new kind of

life – and a new Master and King of your life – Jesus Christ?”

There are three warnings to remember concerning yourchallenge to the children on this subject of repentance:

Your challenge and invitation to the children is not only“Do you want to have your sins forgiven?”, or “Do youwant to receive eternal life?” That is only part of the gospelchallenge and invitation. You also need to include the otherpart: “Do you want to be different? Do you want to turnfrom sin and please God?”Jesus Christ died not just to forgive sin and give eternallife, but also to regenerate and change sinners.Consequently, the children need this two-fold challenge.Unfortunately, many who evangelize children only presentto them the need to have their sins forgiven, and to receive


God’s gift of eternal life, and assure them that they will beforgiven and live eternally if they trust Jesus Christ (whichis, of course, absolutely true). But the children who arebeing evangelized also need to be taught that God wantsto see a change in their lives, and that, if they trust JesusChrist, He will expect to see that change.You do not need to overemphasize the subject ofrepentance. It should, of course, be included in your gospelmessage, but your main emphasis should be on theresponsibility of the children to put their trust in JesusChrist – as outlined in the next chapter.It is important always to be balanced in your presentation.The vital fact to remember is that you should encourageand invite the children to come to Christ – and you shouldshow them how to do so in the way which is appropriateto, and fits in with, the passage of Scripture and the storyon which your lesson is based.You should never give the children the impression thatthey must reform their lives, perform good works, or makepromises, before they can come to Christ. The gospelmessage is that they should come as they are, with theirsin, to be saved. But, having said that, it should be obviousthat there must, at the same time, be a desire to turn fromthe wrong, and sin, in their lives – otherwise they do notsee what they need to be saved from.

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Chapter 9: The Children’s Response To The Invitation Part II — Faith

Repentance and faith are two doctrines which cannot beseparated. They do not mean the same. Repentance is not faith,faith is not repentance. The two words are not interchangeable.The Lord Jesus made this clear when He preached “Repent, andbelieve in the Gospel” (Mark 1 v15).

Repentance and faith are, as I have already said, like twosides of one coin. They both happen together at the moment ofconversion. When a person truly repents he will turn in faith toGod. When there is true faith there is also repentance, becausetrue faith includes repentance. Someone has well said, “We aresaved by faith alone, but the faith which saves is never alone.”We are saved through faith alone in Christ alone. We are notsaved by repentance, but we cannot be saved without it.

The Meaning of FaithIt is important that we understand the teaching of the Bible

concerning faith.What is faith?

True saving faith is that act by which a person is enabled, bythe Holy Spirit, to commit himself to Jesus Christ, and dependon Him alone for salvation. Saving faith is not just “believingsomething with the head” or “believing that the Lord Jesus diedfor me”. It is, of course, both of those, but it is more. Faith ispersonal trust in, and a commitment of oneself to, the Lord JesusChrist.

Faith, like repentance, involves the mind, the emotions andthe will.


Faith involves the mindKnowledge is necessary before faith can be exercised. Before

a child can have faith, or can trust in Jesus Christ, he must knowsomething about Jesus Christ, and what He has done.

But head knowledge on its own cannot save. Even thedemons believe (James 2 v19). They have head knowledge aboutJesus Christ, but they are not saved.Faith involves the emotions

It is necessary that there should be an emotional assent, anda heart conviction, that what God has said, and that which thechild has heard and learned, is true. So the child’s heart oremotions are touched, and he is convinced that he needs to besaved, and that Jesus Christ can save him.

But this still falls short of saving faith. Not only do the demonsbelieve (they have knowledge) but James 2 v19 tells us that theytremble (their emotions are affected). But they are not saved.Faith involves the will

On the basis of what the child knows about Jesus Christand what He has done, and the conviction or feeling in hisemotions that this is true, the child needs to put his TRUST inJesus Christ by an act of his will. This placing of trust in Christ iscalled by John Calvin (the great French reformer and theologian)“the crowning act of faith”; and it is this personal trust in JesusChrist which results in salvation.

SIN

FAITH

MIND

WILL

I knowHe can

EMOTIONSI believeHe can

I trustHim

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This three-fold response is only possible as the Holy Spiritworks in the children’s hearts. Faith is a gift of God (Ephesians2 v8), and it is the Holy Spirit who helps and enables the childrento put their trust in Jesus Christ.

The Bible Teaching on FaithThe Bible emphasizes, over and over again, how important

and fundamental faith is in the salvation of a sinner, and that itshould therefore be central in your evangelistic message,challenge and invitation:

It was always required by Jesus Christ in His dealingswith people (Matthew 8 v5-10; Matthew 15 v21-28;Mark 2 v1-5; Mark 10 v46-52).It was an essential part of the great commission givento us by the Lord Jesus:“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospelto every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved;but he who does not believe will be condemned’” (Mark 16 v15, 16).It was preached by the apostles as the way ofsalvation for sinners:

By Peter:“To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoeverbelieves in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10 v43).

By Paul:“And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all thingsfrom which you could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts13 v39).“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will besaved, you and your household’” (Acts 16 v31).“Testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance towardGod and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20 v21).

By the evangelists in the early church:“But when they believed Philip as he preached the thingsconcerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, bothmen and women were baptized” (Acts 8 v12).“Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. Andthe eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from beingbaptized?’ Then Philip said,‘If you believe with all your heart,you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is


the Son of God’ “ (Acts 8 v36, 37).“And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great numberbelieved and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11 v21)It is the foundation of a right relationship with God“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith;as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’ “ (Romans 1 v17)It is essential for salvation (John 3 v36), theforgiveness of sin (Acts 10 v43), eternal life(John 20 v31), entrance into God’s family(John1 v12), and all the other blessings salvationbrings.The Bible makes it clear that salvation is by faith alone– and strongly refutes any argument, or teaching,that salvation is by works, or that salvation is by faithplus works:“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with Godthrough our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5 v1).“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but byfaith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, thatwe might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of thelaw; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified”(Galatians 2 v16).

Teaching Faith to Children

Your TeachingIn your teaching of faith to unsaved children there are several

important principles to remember:You must be careful about the words you use. If you speakonly about “believing” or “believing that Jesus Christ diedfor you”, you can give the impression that headknowledge is sufficient.It is better to use, in addition, words like trust, or rely on,or depend on, or receive. These make it clear what thechild needs to do to be saved. The words “believe in” or“believe on” which are used frequently in the Acts of theApostles by the early evangelists actually mean “trust”.This is also the word most frequently used in the NewTestament to describe the sinner’s required response. This

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word “trust” is therefore the best word to use whenexplaining to the children what they need to do to besaved.You need to explain carefully what it means to put one’strust in Jesus Christ. You can do so by referring to storiesin the Bible such as the Passover lamb (Exodus 12, 13),the brazen serpent (Numbers 21 v1-9 and John 3 v15) orthe conversion of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16).You should use illustrations to help the children tounderstand what it means to trust.

“Boys and girls:Please look at this chair. I am thinking about sitting down on it.I know it is a good strong chair. Others have sat on it.I know the shop in which it was bought, and I am sure they would not sell it if it was notstrong and able to support me.(Just put your hand on the back of the chair, and ask the children if you are trusting it).But the chair is no use to me until I actually sit on it and trust myself to it (Sit on it).You may know that the Lord Jesus is the Saviour, and you may feel that He could saveyou, but it is only when you actually put your trust in Him, and when you ask Him to save

you that you will be saved.”

You need to emphasize that putting your trust in JesusChrist, as Saviour, is only the beginning of the Christianlife, and that the saved children’s faith will deepen andgrow as they understand more of God’s Word, and areobedient to it.

Your ChallengeIt is not enough to teach children what faith is. You need to

challenge them and invite them to put their trust in Jesus Christ– without of course putting any pressure upon them.

“Boys and girls:Jesus Christ wants you to trust Him as your Saviour. This means that in your heart youreally want Him to save you, that you believe that He can save you – and that you askHim to do so. The moment you ask Him, the moment you trust Him in this way, theBible says you will be saved.”‘Trust the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved’(Acts 16 v31).All your sins will be forgiven and you will be a new person.”


Chapter 10: Teach The Children The Results Of Saving Faith

What happens in a child’s life when he trusts Jesus Christ?What does God promise to do for all who come to Him throughJesus Christ, in repentance and faith? What is salvation?

The Child Needs to Know What Will HappenChildren should be taught the answers to these questions,

even before they are saved – as part of our evangelism. This waswhat the Apostles did when they evangelized:

Peter taught the Jews what God would do for all whorepented and believed. He told them their sins would beforgiven, and that they would receive the gift of the HolySpirit:“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized inthe name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receivethe gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2 v38).Peter told his listeners in Jerusalem that, if they repented,all their sins would be blotted out:“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out”(Acts 3 v19).Peter, preaching to the Gentile Cornelius and hishousehold, taught what God would do for them if theytrusted Christ. He told them that all their sins would beremitted or forgiven:“Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10v43).Paul taught the Jews in Antioch that if they trusted Christthey would be justified:“And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things fromwhich you could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13 v39).

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Paul told the Philippian jailer that if he trusted Christ hewould be saved:“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,you and your household’” (Acts 16 v31).

The Bible teaches us that there are at least six results, orconsequences, when a child trusts Jesus Christ as His Lord andSaviour.

He is justified.He is regenerated.He is saved.He has eternal life.He receives the Holy Spirit.He is a child of God.

He is JustifiedJustification is a legal term, which deals with the child’s

standing before God the Judge, and it has two constituent parts:All the child’s sin is forgiven – past, present and future:“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so

THE RESULTS OF SAVING FAITHJUSTIFIED

FAITH

REGENERATED SAVED

ETERNAL LIFE

HOLY SPIRIT

ADOPTED

SIN


that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3v19).“And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things fromwhich you could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13 v39).The righteousness of Jesus Christ is credited to him (orput into his account), and God now sees him as pure andas holy as Jesus Christ is:“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might becomethe righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5 v21).“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also byone Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5 v19).

If you want to understand the doctrine of justification byfaith alone more fully, write to the address given at the front ofthis book and request my book “Saved by Faith Alone.”

This doctrine is of vital importance to the children. It isimportant for the children to understand that, if they trust theLord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, they will never be condemnedby God for their sin, and they will be saved forever.

“Boys and girls:Do you understand that when you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour, God will forgiveall the sins you have ever committed, and even those you will commit in the future. Andnot only that, God will see you as pure and as clean as His Son, Jesus Christ. Isn’t thatwonderful?”

He is RegeneratedWhen God saves a child He gives him new life, and creates a

new person with a new nature:“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins”

(Ephesians 2 v1).“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have

passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5 v17).This work of God is called regeneration, or the new birth,

and without it no one can be saved:“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is

born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’” (John 3 v3).Children need to realise that, when they trust Christ, they

will be born again, and that God will change them from being

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those who wanted to go their own way, to those who want togo God’s way – and that this change, be it ever so small, will beevident in their lives.

(Some Christians believe that regeneration precedes trusting in Christ,that God first regenerates the sinner, and then he is able to repent andbelieve. Others believe that the Holy Spirit first of all enables the sinner torepent and believe and then when He does so He regenerates him.

I am sure we all agree that a sinner cannot repent and believe and besaved without, first of all, the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart. Thewords of the theologian and evangelist John Stott are helpful here whenhe writes:

“I doubt if we need to lose sleep over the question as to whether regenerationor trusting Christ comes first. Scripture seems to accord the priority nowto the one and now to the other. The really important truth is that theyare inseparable.”)

“Boys and girls:I want you to know, and God wants you to know, that when you ask Jesus Christ to beyour Saviour, He will not only forgive your sin but also make you a new person. You willnot be perfect. You will sin again – often. But you will be different. You will have a newnature that wants to please God. Just as you were born into this life as a baby, andstarted to grow, you will be born into this new life when you trust Christ and you will startto grow.”

Justification and regeneration are two different acts ofGod – one dealing with a sinner’s position and the other withhis person. But they both happen at the same time. No onecan be justified if he is not regenerated, and no one can beregenerated if he is not justified.

He is Saved“Saved” is a word which is often used in the Bible to explain

what happens to a sinner who puts his trust in Jesus Christ.“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you

and your household.’ “ (Acts 16 v31).“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;

it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2 v8).The word “saved” covers the whole work of God in delivering


the child who trusts Christ from the penalty, power and,eventually, the presence of sin. The word “salvation” thereforeincludes both justification and regeneration, and also othersalvation truths.

But the more specific meaning of the word “saved” is“rescued” or “delivered”. The child who trusts Christ is rescuedfrom sin and its consequences. Jesus Christ reaches down andsaves him. This can be illustrated by a boy who is drowningand calls for help. His father rushes into the water and saveshim:

“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ ’”(Romans 10 v13).

“Boys and girls:If you went for a swim and took a cramp, and found yourself beginning to sink, whatwould you do? You would call for help, and I am sure that someone would jump in andsave you.So, when you know you have sinned, and that God will punish your sin, what should youdo? You should ask Jesus Christ to save you, and He will do so. He will rescue you fromthe punishment for your sin.”

He Has Eternal LifeThe Bible teaches that the child who puts his trust in Jesus

Christ will live eternally.“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begottenSon,that

whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”(John 3 v16).

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this lifeis in His Son” (1 John 5 v11).

It is also important to teach the children that eternal life islife which cannot end. Therefore the child’s salvation is eternaland cannot “be broken”.

But it also means that he has life of a different quality, and isnow alive to God.

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and JesusChrist whom You have sent” (John 17 v3).

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“Boys and girls:Did you know that if you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour you will live for ever? Yourbody will die, but the real you will go to Heaven to be there for ever more; and then yourbody will later be raised from the dead and reunited with the real you; and you will livelike this in perfect happiness for ever and ever. So be sure that you trust the Lord Jesusas your Saviour.”

He Receives the Holy SpiritThe clear teaching of God’s Word is that the sinner who

trusts Jesus Christ receives, at that moment, the gift of the HolySpirit:

“But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Himwould receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given ….” (John 7 v39a).

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in thename of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the giftof the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2 v38).

The unsaved children need to know this, and they need tobe aware that the Christian life cannot be lived in their ownstrength. But they also need to be taught that God the Holy Spiritwill live in them, and will help them to be what He wants themto be, and to do what He wants them to do.

“Boys and girls:When you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour God has two wonderful gifts for you. Firstof all He will give you the gift of everlasting life. This means that you will live for ever. But,secondly, God the Holy Spirit will come to live in you, and He will help you to live the wayGod wants you to live. You don’t have to live the Christian life on your own, or in yourown strength. He will give you the strength you need to overcome sin.”

He is a Child of GodOne of the most wonderful results of salvation is that the

child who trusts Jesus Christ is adopted into the family of God,and that God becomes his Heavenly Father.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become childrenof God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1 v12).

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you receivedthe Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8v15).


This great truth brings countless blessings and privileges tochildren who trust Jesus Christ, and they should be taught whatthese blessings are. They will be able to share all their problemsand joys with their Heavenly Father, and will be able to experienceHis love and care at all times.

“Boys and girls:The Lord Jesus tells you in the Bible that when you receive Him as your Saviour you willbecome a member of a new family. You will have new brothers and sisters who are alsobelievers. But you will especially have a new Father. God will be your Father and He willcare for you, He will listen to you when you have problems and He will supply all yourneeds. Do you want to have a Heavenly Father like this? Then receive Jesus Christ intoyour life” (John 1 v12).

We should teach all these results, and consequences, of faith in Christto our unsaved children, when we are evangelizing them. We should not,of course, try to do so all at once. But we should try to teach them overa period of time, and as they are found in the Bible passage on which ourlesson is based.

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Chapter 11:Teach That Salvation Is The Beginning Of A Life Of Obedience

The Bible makes it clear that when a person, old or young,becomes a Christian, there will be a change of direction in hislife. He will not be perfect; but he will be different. He will notbe all he should be, he will not be what he would like to be, buthe will not be what he used to be!The children’s evangelist may ask questions like these:

“Should I tell unsaved children that, if they trust Christ astheir Saviour, God will expect to see a change in their lives?”

“Should I teach unsaved children that, while becoming aChristian is the most wonderful thing which can happen tothem, living as a Christian will not be easy?”

“Is the step of trusting Christ one that unsaved childrenshould be encouraged to think carefully about, and weighthoroughly, before taking it?”

An examination of New Testament teaching on this subjectleads to the conclusion that the answer to all of these questionsis unreservedly “Yes.”

The ministry of the Lord Jesus says “Yes”.The ministry of the apostles says “Yes”.The honesty of the evangelist demands “Yes”.

The Ministry of the Lord JesusWhen unsaved people came to the Lord Jesus and spoke

about starting to follow Him, He explained to them carefully allthat would be involved:

In Mark chapter 10 v17, the rich young ruler came to the


Lord Jesus seeking eternal life. He was an earnest enquirerwhom the Lord Jesus loved; but the Lord Jesus showedhim clearly all that would be involved. He put His fingeron the one thing in this young man’s life, which was moreimportant to him than God, or eternal life.“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘Onething you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and giveto the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come,take up the cross, and follow Me’ “ (Mark 10 v21).He asked him if he would be willing to give Him first placein his life. The young man said, “No.”In John 4 v15 the Samaritan woman was very enthusiasticin asking for the “water of life” which Jesus Christ offered.But the Lord Jesus showed her something in her life whichshe would first of all have to be willing to deal with, whenHe told her: “Go, call your husband, and come here” (John 4v16). She had to realise that receiving this “water of life”had far-reaching implications.In Luke 9 v57-62, three different people spoke to the LordJesus about following Him. In all three cases He made itvery clear to them that there would be sacrifices, if theywere to take such a step (verses 58, 59, 62).In Luke 14 v25-33, the Lord Jesus emphasized to themultitudes who were listening to Him, how essential itwas to weigh up carefully, and think clearly about all thatwould be involved in taking the step of following Him –before starting to do so.

The Ministry of the ApostlesThere were a number of ways by which the apostles taught

unsaved people that the Christian life would be a life ofobedience.

The apostles included teaching about baptism in theirevangelistic ministry. When the apostles wereevangelizing they often underlined the importance ofbaptism.

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“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized inthe name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receivethe gift of the Holy Spirit’ “ (Acts 2 v38).In response to this message, those who were saved werethen baptized.(See also the following passages Acts 2 v41; 8 v6, 12, 36; 9v18; 10 v47; 16 v15, 33; 18 v8; 22 v16).The Apostles’ primary purpose, through the inclusion ofbaptism in their gospel message, was to show theirlisteners, beforehand, that if they trusted Christ He wouldexpect them to confess Him publicly before others – nomatter what it cost. They were letting them know thatthey were not being called to secret discipleship – but thatthey had to be prepared to be known as Christians. Thosewho listened to the early evangelists knew that believingin Christ would involve a stand to be taken, and a price tobe paid.In their evangelism, the Apostles made no secret of thefact that those who trusted in Christ would, at the sametime, “turn from these vanities” (Acts 14 v15), and that theLord Jesus would “turn away every one of you from hisiniquities” (Acts 3 v26). Those who listened to the earlyevangelists knew that believing in Christ would mean achange of direction, and a change of life.It is obvious also from what Paul wrote in his epistles,that he had warned his listeners concerning the possiblesufferings involved in taking a stand as a Christian:“For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we wouldsuffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know” (1 Thessalonians3 v4).Those who listened to Paul knew that the Christian lifecould involve suffering and difficulties.The Lord Jesus and the apostles used the words “beconverted,” or “turn”, in their evangelism.

The Lord Jesus had said:“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become aslittle children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven”(Matthew 18 v3).


Becoming one of His followers and being able to enterHeaven, would be the result of a “conversion”.The apostles continued to use the word “converted”.“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blottedout, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of theLord” (Acts 3 v19).“So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed throughPhoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles;and they caused great joy to all the brethren” (Acts 15 v3).“For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entrywe had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve theliving and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1 v9).The word “conversion” means “to turn around”, “togo in the opposite direction”; and, when it was usedin evangelism, it indicated clearly that trusting Christwould involve a complete turn around.

The apostles taught that becoming a Christian meant tobe obedient.They clearly taught that coming to Christ would be a stepof obedience – the first step in a life of obedience; and thatthose who come to Christ for salvation come on bendedknee. They made it clear that salvation would be thebeginning of a life of submission to Jesus Christ as Lord,and that it would involve their first confession of Him asLord.We can, therefore, see this frequently in the writing andthe preaching of the apostles:

They taught that the Gospel, the truth, or the faith,demands obedience:“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, andthat obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians1 v8).“For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house ofGod; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them thatobey not the Gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4 v17).“Through Him we have received grace and apostleship forobedience to the faith among all nations for His name” (Romans1 v5).“But now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures

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has been made known to all nations, according to the commandmentof the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith” (Romans 16v26).“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth throughthe Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another ferventlywith a pure heart” (1 Peter 1 v22).When they preached the Gospel to unsaved peoplethey taught that He was not just a Saviour to trust,but a Lord to obey:“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hasmade this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts2 v36).“Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior,to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5 v31).“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preachingpeace through Jesus Christ; He is Lord of all” (Acts 10 v36).“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe inyour heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will besaved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and withthe mouth confession is made unto salvation. For there is nodistinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all isrich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of theLord shall be saved’ “ (Romans 10 v9, 10, 12, 13).“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, andourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4v5).“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk inHim” (Colossians 2 v6).“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will besaved, you and your household’ “ (Acts 16 v31).

The Bible describes salvation as obedience to the truthwhich has been heard –“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey,you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death,or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that thoughyou were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrineto which you were delivered” (Romans 6 v16, 17).The Christian life is a life of increasing and progressivesubmission to Jesus Christ as Lord; but the first step inthat submission, be it ever so small, is taken when the childobeys the command of Jesus Christ and trusts Him as


Saviour.The apostles understood the words “disciple” and“Christian” to mean the same. Becoming a Christian meantto become a disciple.The word “disciple” means a “learner” or “follower ofanother’s teaching” and that is what a Christian is.The word “disciple” is used interchangeably by Luke, inthe Acts of the Apostles, with the word “Christian”. Thiscan be clearly seen in Acts 11 v26:“The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”Consequently, a child who becomes a Christian becomesat the same time a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ: andthe challenge to anyone who wants to become a disciple(or a Christian) is to put the Lord Jesus first in his life(Luke 14 v26), and to take up the cross and follow Him(Luke 14 v22).

The Honesty of the EvangelistIt is but fair and honest that the evangelist should make clear

to the child all that is involved in trusting Jesus Christ as HisSaviour, before he does so. The child who takes this step shoulddo so with his eyes open. You do not want children to bedisillusioned, disappointed or embittered when they realise thereare problems in the Christian life, and they have not beenprepared for them. It is obvious, from what has been outlinedabove, that there is a cost involved in trusting Jesus Christ asLord and Saviour, and in following Him. In Luke 14 v25-33, theLord Jesus points out the problems of starting to follow Himwithout first counting the cost, and without seeing clearly allthat is involved in taking such a step.

What Does This Mean for a Child,and How Does it Affect Our Message of Salvation?

Let us think back to the three questions asked at the beginningof this chapter. In the light of what we have learned we cancome to three conclusions:

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The unsaved child needs to know that God will expect tosee a change in his life if he trusts Jesus Christ as hisSaviour. If he is not willing for this change he is not readyto trust Christ. He needs to understand that trusting Christis the first step in a life of obedience to the Lord Jesus.Getting up a few minutes early to talk to God, making aneffort to be helpful at home, letting others choose a gamerather than himself, could all be involved later in followingthe Lord.

“Boys and girls:If you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour He will expect to see a change in your life. Hewill become your King and will expect you to obey Him. Do you understand this? It willbe the beginning of a new life for you.”

The unsaved child needs to realise that the Christian lifeis not free from problems, and that it can involvedifficulties.

“Boys and girls:When you trust the Lord Jesus all your sins will be forgiven and you will begin a new life.But that does not mean that you will never have any difficulties or problems. I want youto know that, although it will be a wonderful life, it will not always be an easy one.”

The unsaved child needs to consider carefully the step oftrusting Christ before he takes it, so that he is fully awareof what he is doing. He will need to think about what theLord Jesus would want him to do; he will need to be willingto obey Him; and he will need to be prepared to be knownas a Christian.

“Boys and girls:It might be that when your friends find out that you are a Christian they will say, ‘We’renot going to be your friends any more.’ “

However, you must be balanced in your evangelism. You must becareful, on the one hand, not to give the impression to the children that if


THE TWO SIDES OF EVANGELISM1. OUTLINE BLESSINGS

OF SALVATION

2. INVITE THEM TO

COME TO CHRIST

3. ENCOURAGE THEM

TO COME - BUT DON’T

PRESSURISE THEM

1. GOD WILL EXPECT TO SEE

A CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES

2. THE CHRISTIAN

LIFE IS NOT

ALWAYS EASY

3. THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT

WHAT THEY SHOULD DO

they come to the Lord Jesus they will be ‘happy all the time’, or that‘their problems will all be solved’. But you also need, on the other hand,to tell children, with authority and confidence, what God will freely do forthem when they come to Him through Christ.

The Holy Spirit will come to live in them, and He will give them joy,and the strength necessary to take their stand, as well as the power tolive a life pleasing to God (Galatians 5 v16, 22, 23).

“Boys and girls:When you trust the Lord Jesus your new Christian life will have difficulties and problems.But the wonderful truth is that you will have Someone to help you with all thesedifficulties. God the Holy Spirit will live in you and give you strength to deal with yourproblems, and He will also give you real deep joy and peace. So you do not need to beafraid of taking this great step and trusting Jesus Christ as your Saviour. It will be themost wonderful thing you have ever done.”

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Chapter 12: Make Yourself Available

The main responsibility of the children’s evangelist is to teachthe message of salvation, as thoroughly as possible. This mustinclude, as we have seen, clear teaching about the facts of theGospel (truths about God, truths about sin, truths about JesusChrist and also truths about the way of salvation and the resultsof salvation). Also, you must always be sure to include a clearexplanation of how the children can trust Christ, and you shouldchallenge and invite them to do so. Pray too that the Holy Spiritwill be working, and that, in the quietness of their hearts, childrenwill trust the Saviour.

Children often do come to Christ in repentance and faithwhile they sit in a meeting. Others have come to Him in theirown home. Yet others, having heard the message, wereapparently unmoved, but in later years came to trust Christ. Allof these underline the necessity of teaching children how theycan come to Christ and trust Him. This is an integral part of theevangelist’s message.

But there are some children who need personal help andcounselling and who, for one reason or another, do not feel ableto come to Jesus Christ “on their own”. So that brings us to anew subject. We are going to consider how you as the teachercan make yourself available to such concerned children. We willdo so by answering the following questions:

Why you should make yourself available.What it means to make yourself available.How to make yourself available.When to make yourself available.


Why You Should Make Yourself AvailableWhen you have taught a Bible lesson and concluded the

meeting, do not assume that your ministry to the children isfinished for another week. Personal work and counselling arean important part of the teacher’s ministry. Therefore you needto be ready, at all times, to help concerned children on a personalbasis, after the meeting is over.

There may be unsaved children listening who want and needhelp and counsel. The teaching they have received has arousedquestions in their minds.

Some of them may have individual, particular problemswith which they need help.Sometimes children from another faith may want to talkon a one- to-one basis, once or many times, before theyare ready to trust Christ.There may be children who are concerned about their sin,but have not grasped the way of salvation, and want toknow more.In addition, some children are shy and would never takethe initiative in talking about a spiritual problem.

For the sake of all these children, it is good that you let themknow that you are willing to help them, and you also need to letthem know where, and when, they can speak with you if theywant this help.

What it Means to Make Yourself AvailableMaking yourself available to unsaved children simply means

that you let the children know that you are ready and willing tospeak with them personally, after the meeting is over – to showthem more clearly how they can be saved.

When you make yourself available you need to make fourthings clear to the children:

That you are available to help them.Where you would be available.When you will be available.

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What they should do if they want your help.We will deal with all of these in the pages which follow.Making yourself available is not part of the message of

salvation. This should be very clear in your mind, and it shouldalso be evident in what you say. You need to make sure thatthere is no confusion in the minds of the children. They shouldnot think that ‘staying behind’ is a necessary step for salvation.You must never give children the impression that they must cometo you if they want to be saved.

A child can respond to the invitation from the Lord Jesuswithout speaking to you. Conversely, waiting behind does notmean that the child will be saved. When you let the childrenknow that they may come and talk with you, if they wish, youare simply ‘opening the door’ for them to receive further help –that’s all!

How to Make Yourself AvailableThere are several rules to understand and follow when you

are making yourself available to concerned children:Be careful

When you make yourself available, you are simply givinginformation to the children. The passion and urgency, whichshould be obvious as you give the invitation, will not be presentas you tell the children that they can come and talk with you ifthey wish.

Of course you will be kind and approachable in your manner,but there should be no pressure, no playing on emotions, no useof fear or man’s persuasive powers. Remember that childrenare sensitive and vulnerable, and can be influenced against theirwill. So you would never say, “I was really disappointed that noone stayed behind last evening” or “Don’t go away until you’vetalked to me about receiving the Lord Jesus. You don’t know whatwill happen when you leave. You might get knocked down by a caron the way home, and then it will be too late.” Do not pray, in yourclosing prayer, that children will stay behind; rather, pray thatchildren will trust the Lord. Also, it is generally unwise to


approach individual children and ask, “Did you think of stayingbehind?”

Also I would never ask children to raise their hands, or lookat me, or stand up, or come to the front if they want to be saved– or if they want me to help them. This can easily result in aquick and emotional response which has not been thoughtthrough, or there might even be the possibility of “following theleader”, when children do what they see others doing.

I feel personally that it is better to suggest to the childrenthat if they want your help and counsel they come to youpersonally after the meeting is over. This allows them time tothink about what they are doing, and to come on their owninitiative – rather than being influenced by others.Be clear

You need to specify when you will be available. The besttime is after the meeting. So you need to make this clear to thechildren.

You need to specify where you will be available. Name acertain place where you will meet the concerned child after themeeting.

There are several ways you can do this:

You could say that anyone who wants to talk further abouthow to be saved, should come after the meeting and siton one of the seats at the front. If a child does this you willknow that he wants to talk with you.You could say that those who want further help will findyou, when the meeting is over, standing by the piano, orby the flannelgraph board. The child can come to youthere, and say, “I want to know more about how to besaved.”In a large rally, or at children’s camp, you might find ituseful to ask concerned children, who want to come andtalk about salvation, to go to a particular room, when theother children are leaving. Make sure they know wherethe room is!If you are involved in open-air evangelism, you could tellthe children that, after the meeting, you will be standing

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by a certain tree, and that the children who want to talkto you should go there.In a small Sunday School class a child could simply stayin his seat when the others have gone.

When you make yourself available, make sure that you goto the place where you said you would be! It is easy to forgetthis in the hustle and bustle of finishing a meeting and tidyingup afterwards. Also, make sure that other workers know not tointerrupt while you are counselling, although in the social climatewhich exists in some of our countries today it might be good tohave a co-worker present during the counselling time.

Also, it is good to explain clearly the purpose in coming tospeak to you. You need to make it clear that you are speaking tounsaved children, and especially to those who are concernedabout salvation, and want help. You could say, for example:

“Boys and girls:If you are not saved and really would like to be – but are still not sure how to be – andyou would like me to explain it to you, then ….”

You always need to emphasize that you cannot save, andthat just because a child speaks with you, it does not mean thathe is saved.Be brief

There is no need to labour the point. A few sentences aresufficient to tell the children that you are ready and willing tohelp. If you keep referring to this throughout the programme itcould well become pressure.

Sometimes people feel that making yourself available isputting pressure upon children. But if you are wise and sensitivein how you do it, this will never be the case. You simply ‘openthe door’ for children to come for counselling; you never try topush children through!

Be personalUse the word “you”, rather than “someone”, or “all of you”.

Each child should know that you are willing to help him. Soyou would say,


“Boys and girls:Do you have questions that are bothering you about becoming a Christian ….?” Or“Would you like to talk more with me about how to be saved ….?”

Be variedDon’t always use the same words at the same time in your

programme, or it will get to the stage where the children will nolonger hear you.

The following are examples of different ways in which youmight make yourself available to your children:

“If you really want to be saved from sin, but aren’t sure how,I will be glad to talk to you after the meeting and show youfrom the Bible how you can be saved. I will be standing herebeside the piano when the meeting is finished. Come and say, ‘Iwould like to talk about being a Christian.’ “

Or “Do you have questions about what you have beenhearing here during these last weeks? Those questions arebothering you, and you really want to know the answers. I willbe glad to answer your questions. If you want to come and talk,just come and sit in one of the front seats when the meeting isover. Then I’ll know you want to talk with me.”

Or “Do you really want to live for the Lord Jesus, but youdon’t know how to come to Him? I will be glad to explain itfrom the Bible; come and see me. I’ll be standing by that treewhen the meeting is over. Remember, I can’t take away yoursin. Only the Lord Jesus can do that. But I will be glad to helpyou understand better how you can come to Him. Just comeand sit with me under the tree.”Offer help to children who have trusted Christ

Children who trust the Saviour on their own, without beingcounselled, need your help and encouragement; and it is goodfor them to let you know they have trusted Christ. From time totime, therefore, you should say something like this:

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“Boys and girls:If you have trusted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and you have never told me aboutit, please let me know. I’ll be standing beside the piano after the meeting is finished. Iwould like to know that you too have trusted the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Saviour,so that I can pray for you and perhaps help you.”

A talk with the teacher often helps clarify things in the child’smind. It also helps you to pray for children and follow them up.Have a good relationship with the children

Children will come and talk more readily if they regard youas a friend whom they trust. So you need to build up a goodrelationship with them by showing interest in each one. Chatwith them as they arrive. Have an approachable manner. It iseasier to have a good trusting relationship in a regular ministry,but you should make this your aim in every ministry. In asituation where you have the same small Sunday School classevery week, it is important that the children always know thatyou are available. You do not need to formally say so in eachclass. You will tell the children that you are available, and fromtime to time you will remind the children about this. But, if youbuild the kind of friendship which it is possible to have withchildren in that situation, they will feel free to come and talkwith you whenever they need to. In a single, isolated meetingwhere you do not have a regular ministry to the children, donot assume that they know they can come and talk with you.You need to tell them so.

When to Make Yourself AvailableThere are several important points to remember, which will

help you know at what part of your teaching programme youshould make yourself available. Usually, when there is morethan one person involved, it is the person who teaches the Biblelesson who makes himself available and counsels concernedchildren. You may, of course, involve others in counselling, ifseveral children need help.


During the programmeYou can make yourself available at any time during the

programme.

You can make yourself available before or during yourteaching of the Bible lesson. This is the usual place to makeyourself available.

If you were teaching the lesson on Nicodemus you mightinclude words like these:

“Boys and girls:Nicodemus had many questions. Perhaps you are like him. You have been thinking abouttrusting the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. God has been speaking to your heart. But youhave questions, or you’re not sure how you can become a true Christian. If you want totalk with me at the end of the meeting, just come and sit in the front row here. I’ll knowwhy you are there and will be glad to talk with you.”

Or you could make yourself available after teaching thememory verse. Perhaps the memory verse was Luke 19v10. After you have taught it you might add:

“Boys and girls:Perhaps you know you are lost, and you are very concerned about this. If, at the end ofthe meeting, you are still not sure how you can be saved, don’t be afraid to come andspeak to me, and I will explain it from the Bible. I’ll be standing beside the flannelgraphboard.”

Or you could make yourself available after you sing achorus.Perhaps the children sang the chorus, “Love, Love, L-O-V-E”.When they sing the third verse (“Come, Come, C-O-M-E”) youmight say,

“Boys and girls:It may be that you really want to come to the Lord Jesus, but you don’t know how. Atthe end of the meeting you can come and talk with me about it. I’ll be glad to show youfrom the Bible how you can come to Him. I’ll know that you want to speak with me if youcome and sit in a seat in the front row.”

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Or it may be that you have a moment for importantannouncements during your programme, and you couldlet the children know you are available at that time.

Separate from the invitationIt is essential to keep in mind the clear distinction between

two separate, and completely different, things:– Giving the children the invitation to come to Christ in

repentance and faith. This is part of the gospel message.A child responds to this invitation in his heart when heobeys God. Nothing physical is involved in his response.

– Making yourself available to help children who want tocome to Christ, but who are not sure how to. This is notpart of the gospel message, but part of your methodology.Making yourself available is only the communication ofinformation to the children. It is not challenge or teaching– it is just letting the children know what they should doif they want help. This does involve physical movementof some kind if a child comes to speak with you.

These two concepts should be completely separate in yourthinking, in your preparation and in your presentation, so thatthe children also will see them as two completely separate things.

So when you are urging children to trust the Saviour, do notmake yourself available at the same time. Children can be easilyconfused, and you don’t ever want them to think that you havea part in their salvation. You should never want the children tofeel that their coming to you was the same as coming to JesusChrist. So it is best not to make yourself available at the endof your Bible lesson, if at that time you are inviting childrento come to Christ.When you have taught something

Normally you will not make yourself available until you havedone some teaching, which may have provoked concern andquestions.

AlwaysYou should always make yourself available when you

evangelize children who may not return, and you have only


this opportunity to teach them the Gospel, and challenge themto respond. This would apply to a one-off meeting, or a rally, ora church service, or a 5-Day Club where children come and go,and are not regular in their attendance.

However, when you have a regular ministry to children, andthe same children listen to your teaching every week, you donot need to make yourself available every time you teach. Butthe children should know you are available, and you shouldremind them frequently that you are.

ConclusionThere are two extremes you must avoid when making

yourself available.Firstly, you must not be so zealous to see “results” that you

put too much emphasis on telling the children they may, orshould, come and talk with you. You should not get to the placewhere you feel that children cannot be saved unless you havecounselled them. You should not, in any way, give the childrenthe impression, consciously or unconsciously, that this is so, norshould you have the attitude that you would prefer that theytalked with you, and then trusted the Lord, rather than doingso on their own.

Secondly, you must not be so cautious that you never let thechildren know that you are available to help them. So manychildren live unnecessarily with burdens and questions which aone-to-one conversation, centred on the Word of God, wouldsolve. Sometimes fear of not being able to cope with a counsellingsituation can make you reluctant to offer this help to children.You should do what you can to prepare yourself to counsel anddepend on the Holy Spirit.

Children often need personal help. Part of your ministry is tooffer that help to them – and to be ready to give it to them whenthey ask for it. An outline of how you can give this personal helpcan be found in the book “U-can Lead Children to Christ” Or betterstill, endeavour to receive some training where this is available.

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Check ListWhen you make yourself available, you need to make four

things clear to the children:

That you are available to help themWhere you will be available.When you will be available.What they should do if they want this help.

Now ask yourself these four questions:

Does the concerned child know you are ready to help him?Yes ….. No …..Does he know exactly where he should go?Yes ….. No …..Does he know when you are available?Yes ….. No …..Does he know exactly what he needs to do if he wantsyour personal help and counsel? Yes ... No ...

MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLEWHY? WHAT?

HOW?

PERSONALHELP OFTENNEEDED

LET THEMKNOWFOUR THINGS(SEE PAGE

CAREFULCLEARBRIEFVARIEDPERSONAL

ALWAYS -IF NECESSARY

89)


Chapter 13: Use Your Whole Programme To Evangelize

It is important that you make the most of every moment of theteaching hour you spend with the children, and that you useevery part of your programme to teach and evangelize.

SongsTeach songs which have a clear, accurate and true teaching

of some aspect of the gospel message. A song might reinforce agospel truth you will be teaching in the Bible lesson; or it mighthelp to teach other gospel truths, which will supplement andhelp explain the gospel truth taught in your Bible lesson.

Do plan carefully the songs you sing, as they can be a realhelp to unsaved children, and also, when they sing themelsewhere, they can be a real help and blessing to others.

Memory VersesMemorizing Scripture is a very important part of the

evangelism of children. They may forget much of what is said,but well taught Bible verses will remain with them forever.

So you should select Bible verses which teach an importantgospel truth and help children understand the gospel message –preferably the truth which you will teach throughout the Biblelesson. Then you need to take time to explain the verse, andencourage the children during your meeting to learn andmemorize it.

ReviewReview is an important part of teaching. You need to keep

coming back to the gospel truths you have previously taught to

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understand them and see how they all fit together. You can dothis by asking carefully chosen questions, or your review cantake the form of a quiz or competition. Children always enjoyquizzes and can benefit greatly from them, but only if you chooseand ask good and relevant questions.

Doctrine LessonsYou will find it helpful when evangelizing to include short

five-minute visualized presentations of Bible doctrines in yourprogramme. You could do this, in addition to your Bible lesson,on a weekly basis, and your presentation should be systematicand logical – each one following on from the previous week.

Or you might want to teach a series of doctrinal lessons asan alternative to your Bible lessons. This series could deal withkey subjects such as God, or the Lord Jesus Christ, or sin, orGod’s way of salvation. If you are evangelizing children, everydoctrinal lesson in each series should be evangelistic in itsemphasis.

Missionary StoriesFrom time to time in a regular ministry it is good to relate

examples of how God saved, called and used missionaries. Thesebiographies can be very interesting for unsaved children, andcan help them come to a clearer understanding of salvationthrough hearing of the missionary’s conversion, or of theconversion of others through his ministry.

Bible LessonsThe Bible lesson provides the opportunity to do the most

thorough teaching of the message of salvation.It is, of course, impossible to teach all the truths of salvation

in every Bible lesson. You should follow the system of teachingone central truth in every Bible lesson, and applying that truthto the unsaved children (in addition to the application you maketo the saved children) as is outlined and taught in detail in thebook, “U-can Teach a Bible Lesson to Children”..


Chapter 14:The Manner Of Evangelism

God has left us in no doubt about the message we must bringto a lost world. The great source book on evangelism, the Bible,makes the message very clear. It does not stop there, however,for it also shows us how we should evangelize. The manner inwhich New Testament evangelism was carried out is just asstriking as its bold, clear message. This is hardly surprising, as itis a known fact that the way in which we present a messageconveys a lot about the message. This is true in everyday life. If,for example, your neighbour knocked your door and placidlysaid, “Excuse me, we think we have lost our little daughter.,perhaps when it is convenient you would help us look for her,”you would not be alarmed immediately and hurry to search! If,on the other hand your neighbour entreated, “Our daughter islost! Come now and help us find her,” you would go at once. Soit is in evangelism; you communicate a lot by the way in whichyou teach the message of salvation.If you teach in a detached manner, with little enthusiasm,apologetically, with little authority or in a light-hearted way, thechildren will draw their own conclusions about the Gospel. Suchapproaches are inconsistent with the message we are bringing.What then should characterize the way in which weevangelize?

SeriousnessFrom beginning to end the Scriptures make it clear that when

a prophet, evangelist, or teacher brought a message, there wasalways a solemn consciousness that it was a message from God.Their approach was never light-hearted; their aim was neverentertainment. If there is continuous laughter when we areevangelizing it is unlikely that there will be much conviction of

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sin. In evangelism the issues with which we deal are vital, seriousones; we deal with the never-dying souls of boys and girls. Thereis a place for humour and laughter, but they should never bedominant. Let us always be careful to avoid an emphasis onentertainment and fun, which will inadvertently convey tochildren that the Gospel is not to be taken seriously.

“Boys and girls:Did you know that everyone was drowned in the great flood except for Noah and hisfamily. They believed God and they entered the ark, the only place of safety. The otherslaughed, made fun and mocked Noah. But Noah knew that what God promised wouldcome to pass, and that the flood would come – and they wanted to be saved. So theydid what God told them to do.”

PersuasivenessAs Paul preached he was often disputing, discussing and

reasoning with his hearers: “Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue withthe Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with thosewho happened to be there” (Acts 17 v17).

The same word is used in Acts 19 v9 and Acts 24 v25. Itmeans to present an argument, to present one case againstanother. By doing so the evangelist is encouraging his unsavedhearers to think for themselves, and to see that they are wrong.Children’s evangelists should also be encouraging children tothink, obviously on their own level. As the Gospel is presented itshould be a simple, well reasoned case.

But Paul’s evangelism went a step further. He sought topersuade people. We read in Acts 18 v4 about Paul in Corinth:“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews andGreeks.”

The thought here is that of winning over the hearers. It isnot only presenting a well reasoned case, it is more. It is asking“Will you not trust Him:” “Why won’t you believe and besaved?” This same word is translated “persuade” in Acts 26v28; Acts 28 v23; and 2 Corinthians 5 v11.

Perhaps you are teaching a lesson on the broad and narrowway. There should be reasoning and persuasion as you teach:


“Boys and girls:You need to think of where the broad way is leading. Think of where you will go if youare on the narrow way. Is it not better to be on the narrow way? Which way are you on?If you are on the broad way, why should you stay on it? Listen to the words of the LordJesus “Enter in at the strait, or narrow gate … only a few find it.” What must you do?You must want to leave the broad way. You must trust the Lord Jesus to rescue youfrom it and bring you through the narrow gate. Oh, leave the broad way today. Won’t youcome to the narrow gate, by trusting Jesus Christ?”

We should ask searching questions as we evangelize. Weare not looking for a verbal response, but we do want the childrento think through the message and its implications. We areendeavouring to convince them that they must be saved. Ourmanner as well as our message should contribute to thispersuasion in our evangelism.

There are other words used to describe apostolic preachingwhich underline the fact that our approach as well as the contentof our message is very important. They warned (Colossians 1v28); they beseeched (2 Corinthians 5 v20); they convinced (Acts18 v28). They were not, of course, using human means to get adecision. They were not manipulating the people to obtain anoutward response. But everything about New Testamentevangelism sought to convince the hearers of the truth of theGospel, of the utter foolishness of rejecting it, and to persuadepeople to respond in their hearts to God’s invitation.

THE MANNER OF EVANGELISM

SERIOUS

PERSUASIVE

WARM

URGENT

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Warmth and ConcernThe evangelist does not present his message like a history or

geography lesson. The message has gripped him; it is part ofhim and, in a sense, he is part of the message. As he evangelizes,he is conscious that there are serious issues at stake. RichardBaxter, an English puritan, had the heart of an evangelist. Hesaid that when he preached, he preached as one who wouldnot preach again; a dying man to dying men. Paul could say tothe believers in Ephesus:

“Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warneveryone night and day with tears” (Acts 20 v31).

We can see the same concern in Paul’s reply, when Agrippasaid that he was almost persuaded to be a Christian:

“I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, mightbecome both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”(Acts 26 v29).

The true children’s evangelist cannot bring the message in adetached, matter-of-fact way. His Bible lesson will not be animpersonal presentation. He loves the gospel message and thisis obvious as he teaches. He loves and is concerned for thosewho listen. He longs that they would trust the Saviour. This toois seen in his whole approach to children.

This concern will keep harshness out of our evangelism. Wewill not coldly announce, “If you go on in your sin, you will goto hell.” Yes, we will warn the children concerning the resultsof unbelief, but with tenderness and entreaty.

Entreaty means “making earnest request”. We shouldevangelize with a burdened, caring, warm heart.

“Boys and girls:Do you understand that God loves each of you and that, if you are not saved, He wantsyou to trust Jesus Christ. The door is open and you just need to enter it. And the reasonI am teaching you from the Bible is because I would dearly like to see each of you trustChrist. Why not trust Him today – and be saved?”


UrgencyUrgency is that quality in our evangelism which conveys to

the children that they must consider the gospel invitation anddo so now. This was certainly evident in New Testamentevangelism. People were urged to turn to God at once:

“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness” (Hebrews 3 v7, 8).“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading

through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5 v20).

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6 v2).

Perhaps this is the aspect of evangelism which is in mostdanger of being lost in work among the young. Children havetheir whole lives ahead of them and, even subconsciously, wecan adopt the attitude: “They have plenty of time,” or “We’llsow the seed, there’ll be a harvest when they grow up.” TheBible gives no ground for such complacency in any type ofevangelism. Realising these basic facts: the uncertainty of life;the reality that people can come to Christ only when the Spiritdraws them; that God demands prompt obedience; we mustsound that note of urgency.

This means that we will try to impress upon children thatnow is the time to trust the Lord. We will show them their peril.Words like “now” and “today” will be used in our teaching.This will be especially true as we give the invitation, often towardsthe end of the Bible lesson. The end of the Bible lesson shouldnot be merely the tying up of the loose ends of the story, butshould include a clear, urgent, concerned challenge to obey Godtoday and trust Jesus Christ now.

“Boys and girls:Do you now see that if you are not saved God promises to save you now, if you trust theLord Jesus? Is God speaking to you today? He does not promise to save you tomorrow.Don’t put it off. Today is the day of salvation – and you can be saved right now if you trustHim.”

Additional publications available for children’s workers who willmake good use of them in a Biblical ministry to children

A series of devotional books for children’s workers: “The Problems of a Children’s Worker - and God’s Solution” “Obedience to the Heavenly Vision”“Smooth Sailing in Personal Relationships and Leadership”“A Life Worth Living” An Autobiography“Salvation by Faith Alone”“Truths for Teachers”“God’s Word for God’s Workers Vol 1”“God‘s Word for God’s Workers Vol 2”

A series of training manuals for children’s workers:“First Steps”“How to Lead a Child to Christ”“How to Teach Bible Doctrines to Children”“Why Evangelize Children?”“The Principles of Teaching”“100 Questions and Answers Concerning a Ministry to Children”“How to Evangelize Children”“Bible Talks for Children Vol 1”“Bible Talks for Children Vol 2”“Now I See It”

A series of visualized lessons to teach Bible doctrines to children:“Questions Children Ask” (5 lessons)“Who Is God? (10 lessons)“What Is God Like?” (10 lessons)“The Bible” (5 lessons)“The Lord Jesus Christ” (5 lessons)“What Is Wrong With the World?” (5 lessons)“Salvation – The Gift of God – Part I” (10 lessons)“Salvation – The Gift of God – Part II” (10 lessons)“Growth - The Plan of God” (20 lessons in two parts)“The Holy Spirit” (10 Lessons)“God Listens to His Children” (11 Lessons)“Creation & Evolution” (10 Lessons)

For information on the availablity of these publications please contact -CEF Specialized Book Ministry,

PO Box 308, Lisburn, BT28 2YS, N Ireland, UKor online www.cefbookministry.com

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