Читать книгу Rite of Passage for the Home and Church - D. Kevin Brown - Страница 10

To illustrate this problem, consider what is happening in many “Christian” homes today. A child or young person is disrespectful and dishonoring in their actions and their speech. They have little or no desire for the things of God and they have to be coaxed, begged or bribed to attend church. They struggle mightily in how they speak to you as their parent and their siblings. Their speech is often rude, unkind or mean. Yet, they claim to be a Christian. If this is the case, can you see there has been an “explosion” onboard? Should we be entrusting their eternity in their profession of faith in Christ if this is the behavior we are witnessing? Could it be that what we are seeing evidenced in their lives is the absence of the Holy Spirit of God? Some would say, “No, it’s just immaturity.” I understand that conclusion. But the Bible says, “Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright” (Prov. 20:11). Could it be that their behavior is revealing the truth of who they really are? Would we want to swallow hard and admit that their selfishness, irresponsibility and lack of godliness are quite simply indications that they are a sinner? After all, isn’t this how a “sinner” behaves?

I understand what I’ve described might not be indicative of your situation, but do you know homes like this? What I will describe in this book has everything to do with the work of the Holy Spirit of God and very little to do with some new approach or program.

I will attempt to define the patterns of raising Christ-centered young adults through a process I call “Rite of Passage” (ROP). From the beginning, I want you to understand ROP is not something new. It is actually something as old as Scripture. It is a process of teaching, admonishing and training our young people that brings with it specific expectations and encouragements that work within families and between families in the Body of Christ.

ROP exposes parents and children to what the Bible teaches about becoming and acting like a young adult. ROP has become a high water mark for many young people in the church I help to lead. In fact the children in our church can’t wait to turn 12 and be eligible, upon parental approval, for participation in this spiritual process. I describe ROP in detail in chapter 5, but I want you to understand at this point that ROP is simply a process that mirrors Scripture in training our young people. ROP has as its ultimate goal the statement of Christ as a 12-year-old: “Didn’t you know I had to be about my Father’s business?” ROP is much more than just another program that you have in your church or in your home. It’s also not a quick-hit program that one uses at the end of the child’s upbringing. ROP is truly a way of life or the ultimate mission of a family that begins when the children are born. It is a way of describing the spiritual nature and process of the training and admonition which must take place on a daily basis so that our children may have an opportunity to truly understand what it means to live for Jesus Christ as their Lord. This process must be 100% Spirit-led and Spirit-guided. The Spirit of God is our “mission control.” Ultimately, ROP is the culmination of years of teaching and training in the home with the church assisting and helping to acknowledge and applaud those dedicated efforts to raise Christian young adults.