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THE VITAL MINISTRY OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL (Part II)
But Jesus said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me:
for of such is the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 19: 14)
God is deeply concerned for the spiritual well-being of the little ones. Read
the following poem to understand more of the preciousness of their souls:
THE SOUL OF A CHILD
The soul of a child is the loveliest flower
That grows in the garden of God.
It climbs from weakness to knowledge and power,
To the sky from the clay and the clod.
To beauty and sweetness it grows under care.
Neglected, ‘tis ragged and wild;
‘Tis a plant that is tender and wondrously rare,
The sweet wistful soul of a child.
Be tender, O gardener and give it its share
Of moisture, of warmth, and of light;
And let it not lack for painstaking c are
To protect it from frost and blight.
For the day will soon come when the bud will be bloomed,
And the ways of the world beguiled;
Let us win him to Christ yet there is room
In the sensitive soul of a child.
The Lord has entrusted to the church the sacred responsibility of ministering to
the sensitive souls of the young. Through the Sunday School, the little ones are
taught the way of redemption and life. Interestingly, the word ‘catechise’ in
Luke 1: 4; Acts 18: 25; Galatians 6: 6, literally means ‘to sound down (the
ears)’ i.e. ‘to teach by mouth’.
“Sunday Schools, when operated with vision and vigour and Gospel clarity,
achieve great things … we have seen great deliverances again and again … many
former Sunday School and Bible Class children have embarked upon young adulthood
with a training which has not yet had its impact on their lives. Then, just as
they have been about to launch into some moral excess, something has stopped
them! What they have heard from God’s Word has restrained their minds and
hearts, and enabled them to see the futility and immorality of the route they
were about to take” – Dr Peter Masters. Truly, the Sunday School is a
soul-saving, soul-preserving, and soul-warning ministry.
Let us consider some unique benefits of ministering to children :
a. Exposes the child to the Gospel at an early age
The soul of the child is at stake. Children grow up to be parents, and future
leaders of churches. Some boy may grow up to occupy the prime minister’s chair,
while another the electric chair. One girl may grow up to become the godly
mother of a Christian home, while another becomes a woman of the streets.
God has ordained the church as a means by which children may hear of the Saviour
and His love for them. A child’s heart is easily open to the Gospel. Let us
reach them while they their hearts are still tender and receptive.
b. Warns against sin and Hell
The Sunday School is not only a ministry of redemption but of warning. Most
children do not know the gravity of sin; they do not see themselves as sinners
condemned to Hell’s fire. A child’s inclination is to follow the wicked desires
of his heart (Prov. 23: 14). Prov. 22: 15 tells us that “foolishness is bound in
the heart of a child; but the rod of correction will drive it far from him.”
Here we are not advocating using the rod in Sunday School but the idea is there
that a child is foolish and if not given the appropriate warnings about sin and
Hell, he will naturally follow his heart’s desire to his eternal ruin.
Conclusion
“Bible-believing Christians do not need to apologise for Sunday Schools” –
Malcolm Watts. The church’s duty is to use all means at her disposal to
evangelise children, to introduce them to the Gospel of grace. As a church, we
must recognise that we have unique and special opportunities among the young.
May we do all we can to secure the safety and well-being of their souls.
(… to be continued)
- Pastor
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