Das Klassenzimmer der Übrigen: 1. Unser größtes Zeugnis

[0:00] Einen wunderschönen guten Abend und herzlich willkommen. Es freut mich sehr, heute hier bei euch in Stuttgart zu sein. Wir werden dieses Wochenende eine ganze Menge besprechen. Ich sollte vielleicht ganz kurz eine Einleitung geben. Ich stehe einem Missionswerk vor, einem Ministry, das heißt "Eine denkende Generation". Und da geht es ganz besonders um wahre Erziehung, Bildung, vor allem in der Familie.

[0:52] Vielleicht sollte ich das noch mehr spezifizieren: wahre Erziehung für das Kleinkind. Wer von euch glaubt, Jesus kommt bald wieder? Okay, gute adventistische Antwort. Ihr glaubt das alles? Wer von euch glaubt, dass es eine Generation gibt, die das auch möglich macht, dass Jesus bald kommen kann? Es muss eine Aufgabe getan werden. Und wie soll es so eine Generation geben, ohne richtige Erziehung, ohne richtige Bildung? Und diese Bildung, diese Erziehung kann in jedem Alter geschehen. Aber dort, wo man am meisten erreicht, wo man den größten Einfluss ausüben kann, das ist eigentlich in einem Kleinkind. Also, wir werden uns dieses Wochenende vor allem auch damit beschäftigen.

[2:00] Wir wollen mit einem Gebet beginnen und dann unser Thema betrachten: "Unser größtes Zeugnis". Lieber Vater im Himmel, wir danken dir für das Vorrecht, dass wir heute jetzt zu dir kommen können, um dein Wort und den Rat, den du uns gegeben hast, zu studieren. Wir kommen, um deine Wahrheit zu erforschen. Aber wir verstehen, dass wir diese Wahrheit nicht erkennen können ohne die Führung deines Heiligen Geistes. Bitte, Herr, sende deinen Heiligen Geist, um unser Denken offen zu machen. Herr, bitte gib, dass diese Botschaft für jeden Einzelnen hier klar sein wird. Und ich bitte, dass die Worte, die gesprochen werden, deine Worte sein werden und nicht meine eigenen. Das bitten wir im Namen Jesu. Amen.

[3:11] Schlagt mit mir das Buch Maleachi auf, das letzte Buch des Alten Testamentes, und zwar die letzten beiden Verse im letzten Buch des Alten Testamentes. Im Deutschen ist das in Maleachi 3, Verse 23 und 24. Da geht es eigentlich mit einer Weissagung, mit einer Prophezeiung los. Da heißt es: "Siehe, ich sende euch den Propheten Elija, ehe der große und furchtbare Tag des Herrn kommt."

[4:01] Also, ist das der Elija, von dem wir im Buch der Könige lesen? Nein. Dann wäre das ja Geschichte und nicht Prophezeiung. Also, das hat hingewiesen auf einen kommenden Elija, nicht den damaligen Elija, sondern jemand, der das Werk des Elijas tun würde. Und es heißt hier, dass das sein würde, ehe der große und furchtbare Tag des Herrn kommt. Ist das jetzt eigentlich das erste oder das zweite Kommen Jesu? Wer denkt, es ist das zweite? Wer denkt, es ist das erste? Ihr habt alle recht. Denn diese Prophezeiung hat ja eine doppelte Anwendung. Denn wir wissen ja, Jesus selbst hat gesagt, dass Johannes der Täufer eine Erfüllung dieser Prophezeiung war. Aber wir wissen auch, dass sich das auf das zweite Kommen Jesu bezieht, weil es ja hier um den großen und furchtbaren Tag geht. Das ist ganz sicher das zweite Kommen Jesu. Also, jemand wird kommen, um den Weg für Jesus vorzubereiten, dass er kommen kann.

[5:36] Haben wir zu diesem Zeitpunkt in der Geschichte der Welt ein Volk, das vorbereitet ist auf das Kommen Jesu? Ja oder nein? Absolut. Also, die Frage: Was ist da mit eingeschlossen in dieser Aufgabe, ein Volk vorzubereiten? Und jetzt kommen wir zu Vers 24 im Deutschen: "Das Land nicht mit dem Bann schlagen muss." Also, ein Volk soll vorbereitet werden. Wie? Indem Herzen gewendet werden, umgekehrt werden. Wessen Herzen? Das Herz von Vätern und von Kindern. Sollen sie voneinander entfernt werden? Nein, sie sollen zueinander gewandt werden. Das Herz der Väter zu den Kindern und das Herz der Kinder zu den Vätern. Das Werk, die Familien wiederherzustellen. Also, das Herz der Väter zu den Kindern und das Herz der Kinder zu den Vätern. Gemäß von Maleachi heißt es, das Werk, die Familie wiederherzustellen, ist das Werk, das ein Volk für diese letzten Tage vorbereiten wird.

[7:02] Warum? Warum ist das jetzt die Aufgabe? Warum hat Gott so speziell, so speziell vorhergesagt, dass dieses Werk das Volk vorbereiten wird auf die Wiederkunft? Warum hat er ganz besonders die Wiederherstellung der Familie hier erwähnt? Also, da gibt es sehr viel, was getan werden kann, um das Volk fortzubereiten. Warum hat er ausgerechnet diesen Aspekt hier so betont? Habt ihr da vielleicht eine Idee? Was ist daran so bedeutsam?

[7:53] Also, möchte jemand eine Idee? Es kommt von angeabscht, dass das und solche Vorhalten in den Tausend Jahren zurückgeschlagen werden. Okay, dann beginnt das in der Familie, ahead. Absolut, genau. Jesus sagte zu den Pharisäern, wo die Familien übrigens das Spiel der Lehrer gegen sie spielen. Und die Kinder konnten von der Behauptung der Eltern entfernt werden. Aber die Bibel sagt, man sollte Vater und Mutter ehren. Okay, das ist eine tolle Antwort. Satan versucht, er versucht die Familie zu zerstören, besonders heutzutage, mit den verschiedenen Rollen von Vater und Mutter. Und viele Entfernungen, die Kinder sind den ganzen Tag in der Schule, in der Welt und in der Kirche. Und die Jugendlichen sind von den Eltern entfernt. Und sie können nicht von den anderen lernen. Das ist ein toller Punkt. Was ich hier höre, ist, weil Satan die Familie so stark attackiert, können wir davon lernen, dass die Familie wichtig sein muss.

[9:48] Hast du noch etwas? Es geht wieder um das Segensgefälle. Es geht um das Segensgefälle, das Gott eingerechnet hat in der Familie, also in dem Menschenbeispiel von Gott, den Vater, auf seine Familie. So, there is a chain of blessings from the father to the family. So, children do not ask today, is it correct, is it okay to marry that person? Can you give you a blessing to this? So like Abraham and Jacob, when he blessed the children, so I can only get a blessing from my father, no one else can give me. When he says, yeah, you can marry that one. So, this is good. These are all good answers. We could talk about how the family is the nucleus of society. We could talk about how strong families create strong churches. There are many things we could talk about as to why the Lord has specified that a restoration of the family will prepare people for his coming.

[11:28] But there is a reason that many of us forget. And that is what I want to focus on right now. What is the greatest witness in our power for Christianity? It's called the well-disciplined family here. Maybe in today's age, we would just say a godly family. Out of all our options for witnessing, this holds the greatest power. So, if this is our greatest witness, then wouldn't it not stand to reason that Satan will work to attack this? Well, that's already been pointed out. I don't have to point out to you how he's attacking. 75% of our young people are leaving the church. The divorce rate is nearly the same inside as outside the church. I think that's translated. The divorce rate is nearly the same inside as outside the church.

[13:21] The average media use in most western cultures is close to 12 hours a day. We could go through statistic after statistic about how Satan is attacking the family. Over 50% of Christian pastors admit to having problems with pornography. But I don't have to point that out to you. You know Satan's attacking the family. Why? Because we have a work to do. We read in the book Education. The command given to the church: "Go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature."

[14:30] We've been called to this earth for a specific purpose. We have a work at this time in history that none other can do. Jesus says, "Go. Spread the word. Preach the gospel. And then the end will come." And as we look at our options, our tools for the spread of the gospel, what is the greatest that we have? What is the greatest, what is the best tool that there is? The influence of a well-coordinated and well-disciplined family is far greater than the influence of a powerful sermon from the pulpit. Who likes a good sermon? I love good sermons. They can be life-changing. And here we read that the influence of that godly family can be even more powerful than the best sermon.

[15:48] So the question is, where are we focusing our attention? Let me use an analogy here. Suppose I wanted you to do a job for me, I don't know, fix my car. So I give you a toolbox. And in that toolbox is every tool you need for the job, as well as an instruction manual. So you open the toolbox, you look inside. Here's some small tools. You need that for different parts of the job. You find some larger tools, very important for your job. Some really big tools you can't do the job without. And then you find one tool, bigger than all the rest. And your instruction manual says, it's your most important tool. Now, what are you going to do at this point? Throw that tool back in the toolbox, close the lid, say, oh, that's not important? No, you're going to say, okay, if this is my most important tool, I'm going to focus on learning how to use it correctly.

[17:24] It's the same thing here. Jesus has given us a job to do: spread the gospel. And he can come. And he's given us a toolbox. Tools for the spread of the gospel. What are they? We look in our toolbox. We find our church deacons. Helpful tools for the spread of the gospel. The church elder. Good tool for the spread of the gospel. Your church pastor, a bigger tool for the spread of the gospel. You find your local radio stations and television stations, the Adventist stations that are proclaiming the gospel. Joel Media TV, right? For example. Big tools for the spread of the gospel. Then there's, I don't know, three at the end, Hope Channel. Then you find Doug Batchelor, Mark Finley. Big tools for the spread of the gospel. And then as you look through this toolbox, you find a tool bigger than your radio station. Greater than Mark Finley and Doug Batchelor combined. And then you find a tool bigger than your television station. Greater than Mark Finley and Doug Batchelor combined. Your family. The influence of your family. The greatest tool. More powerful than the most powerful sermon that could be preached.

[19:18] Now, are we going to close that toolbox and say, oh, that's not important, we won't focus on that one? Or are we going to say, if this is our most important tool, we are going to work as hard as we can on making it as good as we can? Where are we focusing our attention? So this evening, I'd like to take a look at five practical ways in which we can strengthen our family witness. Because, you realize, the influence, the witness is always there. It can be good, or it can be bad. The witness is always there. It's up to us to improve that witness. And the way we do that is improving that family unit. Having that well-ordered, well-disciplined, godly family. So, here we go, five practical ways.

[20:33] The first thing we can do: focus on the early years. And I'm speaking of the early years of childhood. Now, you're probably thinking, well, the world does plenty of that. It's true. Yeah, you have daycare and kindergarten and preschool and everything else focusing on the early years. But you know they're missing something. The reality is, many times we are neglecting to focus on what is most important during the early years. What is important? Character. So, studies show, let's turn to some brain science here. Well, let's go through a list of functions. Is this an important list? Yes or no? Yes, okay, it's important. Do we want children deficient in any of these things? Yes or no? No, we don't want them deficient. So, why do I have this list here? The foundation for every one of these abilities is laid in the first seven years of a child's life. The foundation of character. What is this? In the first seven years. Good.

[22:33] The happiness of the family and the well-being of society depend largely on the physical and mental care that your children receive in the first five years of life. Does that say five years? It is five years, yeah, I don't know. Okay, it should be the first years. But notice the type of education named here. We have physical education, spiritual education, and mental training and education. Physical, moral, and? Mental, it's not named here. But there's only two named here: physical and moral or spiritual. In other words, we should be focusing on those things in the early years, and the mental training could come later.

[23:34] Here's some research, some secular research. The first three years. Secular research studying the development of conscience. I find that interesting. But I'm thankful they did. I'm thankful they did. But I'm thankful they did. And the foundations laid in the first three years. They did a study, what we call a longitudinal study, which looked at a large group of people over a 35-year span, I think. And they found who a person was morally. And they found out that the morality of a person, the moral decisions, the character of a person, you could almost predict that about them by the time they were age 3. The science tells us that how a person is morally is already pretty established at the age of 3. That is, of course, what science says. I am thankful that we can be born again. God has the power to change our minds. But he has also made us so that we should pay special attention to these early years, because that's where the biggest difference can be made. The lessons and habits that are learned and are formed during the early childhood have more to do with the character formation and the direction in which later life takes place than all the instructions and training of the following years.

[25:59] "Give me a child until he is 7 and he will be mine forever." Do you know who said this? What was that? It's a Jesuit educational philosophy. They recognize. They recognize this fact. Do we? Are we capitalizing on this? There is a big extent of the destiny of their children for time and eternity in their power. The redemption of the little ones is almost entirely dependent on the upbringing in their childhood. So the question is, when is our focus?

[26:57] So I'm very glad that there is a youth ministry in our church. This is good, we should do that. But if we are waiting for youth ministry to bring about the conversion of our children, we are waiting too long. If we truly believe that character is laid in the first few years, we need to be focusing on that time. We need programs to help parents do their job properly when their children are young. Many times we are spending our time later on in life, trying to heal wounds when we could just be preventing them from occurring.

[27:53] Our second way in which we can strengthen our families is to limit media. We've done a recording for Joel Media TV on this topic. So we're not going to go into this comprehensively this evening. But you can watch that video. Studies are finding that it has just inundated our life. We're using 8 to 12 hours per day. 75% of children age 0 to 8 have access to a smartphone. Whether we're using this much or not though, we could realize that we're using more than we would have 50 years ago. So the question is, how is it affecting us? What is even a little bit doing?

[29:07] Let me introduce you to a rather famous researcher. His name is Dr. Nicholas Kardaras. He is an addiction specialist, one of the top in the world. And for many years, he's focused on very difficult addiction cases of drugs. But recently, he's begun to focus on media addictions. Let me read you a quote from him. And what I can say is that it's easier to treat a heroin addict than a real screen freak. Which one of you gives your children heroin? No, I don't think so. But here we're giving them something for free, something that makes them even more addicted? This is a dangerous substance.

[30:21] Many problems are linked to childhood media use. Both problems with the brain in terms of delayed development and attention deficit disorders, things like that. Also problems with health, the health of the body, the health of the eyes. That could be done. Studies have particularly on the development of the eye. And studies have found that children who spend less time outside are at a greater risk of developing myopia. But of course, as they're sitting there on the media, they're not getting time outside. There's also the problem with blue light, the type of light emitted by the screen. This light is damaging to the retina of the eye. And it also directly affects our body's circadian rhythms and sleep cycles. As far as the connection to attention deficit disorders, as children are conditioned to having the media make them pay attention, pretty soon they lose the ability to hold attention for themselves.

[31:57] But let's just think about how childhood used to be. You know, they spent time playing outside. Of course, now we've replaced that with media. Now they're playing on the smartphone. They're sedentary. They're being entertained instead of having to work. There's no need for creativity because it's already been imagined for them. Now you just have Ctrl-Z instead of having a real-life consequence. And they're not even using books and paper and pencil anymore. And people say, well, that's just the new reality. But the studies show that how it used to be is far better for the development of the brain.

[33:25] Now when it comes to educational media, we have, to my knowledge, not a single study that has shown a long-term benefit from educational media. Although probably the most significant argument against educational media is that many of the tech company CEOs are sending their children to tech-free schools. In fact, Steve Jobs said his children haven't even used the iPad. Remember this. If your child can use a smartphone, it can also simply operate these things. Let's go back to how it used to be. We're talking about the strength of the family.

[34:41] It's easy to point the fingers at the children and say, you shouldn't use so much media. When we hang ourselves on the device and tell our children we shouldn't use it. What priorities are we setting? Do we recognize that the character development of our child is the biggest priority? Or do we say that our phone is more important to us than the child?

[35:17] Our third area to strengthen our family is to focus on character development as our greatest priority. How many of you have ever gone on a long trip somewhere? Driving somewhere. Maybe a couple of days journey. And you're going as a family. And you're packing the car. Can everybody bring everything they want? All the kids bring all their toys, all their clothes. That's what they want to do. No. You have to limit it. Here's your suitcase. It has to fit in there. Imagine, though, you're going on a long trip and you're flying. You're on a budget airline. You only need to get one little suitcase. 7 kg. 7 kg or 10 or whatever it is. Now, does the importance of what you put in that suitcase go up? It will. You're going to think about this. What do I need at my destination? You're going to pack things into that suitcase that you need at your destination. Nothing unessential.

[37:39] But imagine, except it's not imaginary, we're all on a journey toward heaven. It's not just for a couple days. It's not for a year. It's permanent. It's for eternity. And how many things can we bring with us? How many? Just one. Our character. Do we need a good character when we get to heaven? Can we just stop at the heavenly marketplace and buy a new character? No, we need a good character when we get to heaven. Good. Let's focus on what counts. Let's focus on what will prepare us for heaven.

[38:51] Our fourth point. Parents recognize and accept that parenting is their primary job. Parents recognize and accept that parenting is their primary job. Parents recognize and accept that parenting is their primary job. Nothing else should get in the way. They've done some studies on successful Christian parents. Which I found interesting. I said, what's a successful Christian parent? And the way they determined a successful Christian parent was they looked first at the young people. They found spiritually strong young people who had been raised in the word of God and stayed in that as they matured and grew. And they said, that's a successful Christian parent. I would agree. There were many characteristics, but three we'll focus on here. They saw parenting as their primary job. They also did not leave the discipling of their children to the church or the school. They realized that no matter what the school or the church was doing, they needed to remain actively focused on their child's character development.

[40:49] They also recognized, and this is interesting, that they accepted from the very beginning they would be counter-cultural. In other words, they were okay with being weird. I was talking with some friends recently. They had recently made some significant decisions and changes in their family. They had left a worldly way of living and were following God's plan for the education of their children. God's plan for their lifestyle, their health and diet. A lot of changes. And in the process, they lost all their old friends. All their friends said, you're too weird. Have you had that experience? So I asked the mother. It had been about a year later. I said, too weird. Would you have anything to encourage someone who's in a similar situation? Where they feel so weird and all their friends have left them because they're so different. She said, well, yeah, it was really hard. But she said, you know, it's a lot easier now. I kind of like being weird. I said, what? You like being weird? No, no, no, I don't mean that. Not that I like being weird, just to be weird. But she said, I'm realizing something. My friends think I'm weird. But I'm following God's plan. So God doesn't think I'm weird. And if God thinks I'm normal and my friends think I'm weird, then I like being weird. I said, I like that attitude.

[43:37] We need to learn to see things from God's perspective. When he asks us to do something that is different from the world around us, which he said he would, we're called to be a peculiar people. We're worried so much about being different than the world. But if God thinks we're normal and the world thinks we're weird, then we should just like it that way. We should just like it that way.

[44:39] There's nothing more important. Our fifth point. I realize this one is not politically correct. But we're not interested in political correctness, I hope. We're interested in correct according to God. And that is: stay-at-home moms. Now again, we're specifically speaking in the early years of childhood. I realize that, especially here in Germany, home education is not an option. But there's still a lot that a mother can do in the early years of a child's life. She can be as Hannah, the mother of Samuel, who in the first few years of that child's life laid his character.

[45:57] Studies show that families with one full-time parent typically raise more successful children. Now that's just worldly success. Even the world recognizes that full-time parent, which is typically the mother, raises more successful children. Christian research shows that those families with one income, which again, that's typically the father working, the mother at home, raise more spiritually successful children.

[46:45] The work of the mother is incredibly important. They did some studies on rats. They took infant rats and separated them from their mothers for 24 hours. They later examined their brains and they found that just that 24-hour time of maternal separation, we call it, was the rate of what we call apoptosis, which is the brain cells dying. It was literally killing the brain cells to separate the infant from its mother. They've also found physical damage to an area of the brain known as the hypothalamus. Any separation of mother and child even for just a short period of time will cause the stress hormones to raise, and these stress hormones are actually lethal to cells of the hypothalamus. So it's important for the endocrine system, the automatic nervous system, the behavior, the metabolism, the growth and the development. A very important part of the brain is actually destroyed by the stress hormones. The stress hormones are actually destroyed by the endocrine system. The part of the brain is actually destroyed by separation of the mother.

[48:51] And here we have the hippocampus, which is also destroyed and attacked by separation of the mother. I'll tell you about it now. This is the anterior cingular cortex. It's part of the frontal lobe. It's in the center of the frontal lobe. It's very important for many functions. But the two functions I want to focus on: it is responsible for discerning between truth and error. Would that be important for a Christian? It is also the center of the free will. In other words, this is the moral decision-making part of the brain.

[49:59] I was in Geneva, Switzerland last year doing a seminar. A man came up to me afterward. He said, I'm a neuroscientist. He told me, I've specialized in research on this part of the brain. And he said, I'm a neuroscientist. And he said, I've specialized in this area of the brain, the anterior cingular cortex, for 14 years. I said, really, tell me more. I've studied this area of the brain also, not for 14 years, though. He said, it's a fascinating area. It's a fascinating area of the brain. He said, one of the most significant damages to this area of the brain is maternal separation. I said, tell me again. The moral decision-making part of our brain is specifically damaged by maternal separation. He said, yes. I said, the devil knows what he's doing, doesn't he? Encouraging a society that will separate mother and child at an earlier and earlier age. Knowing that it will cause many problems in the future. Knowing that it will cause many problems, emotional problems, academic learning problems, cognition, many issues. But the real thing he's targeting is the moral decision-making abilities.

[52:13] But we didn't have to do this in the first place. We were told opportunities of inestimable worth. How much is inestimable? Can you give me a number? How much is inestimable? Can you give me a number? No, that's impossible, right? It's inestimable. They tried to estimate the value of a mother's work. They took all the different parts of her job and they looked at the salary for each of those jobs. And they added it all up. Let's just say mothers are the most underpaid people on the planet. But that was a secular standpoint. What they did not calculate was training a soul for eternity. Because you can't calculate that. That has a value beyond computation.

[53:51] The smartest people on the planet are the most underpaid people on the planet. Let's look at the good things about a mother's work. The best and most tender earthly bonds exist between a mother and her child. A child is easier through their life and their mother's example to impress than a father's. An integer bond of unity connects them. Don't get upset, fathers. You have a vitally important role. But there's something extra special about the work of a mother. Research is just now beginning to understand that special role. But God told it to us a hundred years before the research discovered it. That there's something special in the character development of a child that comes from the mother. The mother who raises her children for Christ is just as active for God as the spiritual one on the edge. The king on his throne has no higher office than the mother has. The mother is the queen of her house, the queen of her kingdom. The mother is the queen of her house, the character form of her children lies in her hand, so that they are capable of a higher, immortal life. An angel could not desire a higher task, because in fulfilling this task she serves God. If she is aware of the holy character of her task, she will do it with courage. She should think about the value of her work and arm herself for time and eternity.

[55:47] Dear mothers, do you desire a life task? God has given you one in your children. Do you want to have an influence in this world? You are in the position where you can have the most influence. The Lord has decreed that next to God, the mother has the greatest power for good in the world. Do you want to be a leader? Lead your children to Christ. Do you want to be a reformer? Reform your families, and the reforms you begin will change thousands. Do you aspire to missionary service? If you are faithful as a mother, God will record your name beside David Livingston and Hudson Taylor and the greatest of missionaries to have walked the earth. Do you want a great work to do? Your work is greater than the king on his throne. The greatest leaders that man can put in place cannot do the work of a mother. Does that mean that kings are important, and so are mothers? No. It means the world could do without kings, but it could not do without faithful mothers.

[57:51] Do you wish you could just go be an angel? Wouldn't that be easier? If you could, you'd go ask to be a mother again. Because an angel could not ask for a higher mission. Some years ago, there was a mother with a baby son. Her marriage had gotten off to a very difficult start. It wasn't getting any better. It looked like she would need to raise her son alone. The future looked very dark. But she said, you know what? I have a priority. I have a priority that God has given me: to raise a son for the kingdom of heaven. Not very much money made it into her hands. No car. No phone. No internet. Sometimes she unplugged the refrigerator. There was no food in it. She could have gone and gotten a job. In fact, her husband wanted her to go get a job and make money. She said, no, I have a different priority. Many years she stayed with her children. Her friends didn't understand it. Her husband's family found something wrong with everything she did. They said, why can't you just be normal? Why do you have to be so weird? It didn't matter though. She had a different priority.

[1:00:23] Years went by. Some were filled with struggles untold. But she kept on. She knew her children's hopes. She found pride in their accomplishments rather than her own. It wasn't easy. But she remained committed to the eternal salvation of her children. That son, that's me. That mother of my own. How true it is when the judgment shall sit, when the books will be opened, when the "well done" of the great judge is pronounced, the crown of immortal glory is placed upon the brow of the victor. Many will raise their crowns in sight of the assembled universe, pointing to their mother. "She made me all I am through the grace of God. Her prayers, her instruction have been blessed to my eternal salvation."

[1:02:01] Can you find anything more important than this? Is there anything of higher priority than this? Is it radical? Is it extreme? That's what the world says. But do we really consider the character development of our children the highest priority or not? If we can't sacrifice to focus on that, then where is our priority? It's a hard decision though. These are difficult things to do. That will go against the grain of the world. The future may look impossible to us.

[1:03:03] And it reminds me of a story from ancient times. When you are traveling somewhere, many of us living in the great cities don't understand this. We turn on the lights and drive to our destination. But before you had cars and you were traveling in the mountains, you didn't even have a flashlight to cast a glow, a beam into the distance. No, you had a little oil lamp. It cast a small glow around it. You could hold it up here, but that would just blind you. You had to hold it down by your feet. And it cast a little glow just far enough to see the step in front of you. So you could stand at the beginning of the pathway and get all worried about the road ahead. What about, there's probably cliffs, there's probably wild animals, there's dangers ahead. How do I know I'll reach my destination safely? But you couldn't see the road ahead. The only thing you could see was a step in front of you. So you'd hold the lamp down there. You'd say, okay, that's a good step. I'll take it. Now what happened? You have light for another step. That's a good step, I'll take it. And you have light for another. And down this path you would go, step by step by step. Never seeing the road ahead, but seeing light for the step in front of you.

[1:05:28] And God works with us that way. He asks us to do things that we cannot see how it will work out in the future. And we say, Lord, I don't understand. He says, you don't need to understand. You don't need to figure out the future. You need to take a step in the light that you've been given. When you're willing to obey what I've asked you to do now, I'll explain more later. When you're willing to obey what I've asked you to do now, I'll explain more later.

[1:06:13] So, dear families, we have two options. Bad family influence is harmful to a whole society. It leads to a wave of evil where families, communities and governments have to suffer. Does anyone want this option? I don't think so. Option two. Who wants this option? Amen.

[1:06:47] There was a man, he wanted to change the world. An ambitious goal. So he thought about it for a while. One morning he got out of bed. "All right, today's the day, I'm going to start changing the world." He got out the map. The world's a big place. Where do I start? Well, I guess I'll start with my own country. If I can change my country, then I can change the world. But that's too big. Where do I start in my own country? I guess I'll just start with my state, my region. But where do I start there? That's too big. I guess I need to start with my own city, he said. I'll start with my city, and then I can change the world. Now which street do I start with? I guess I could start with my own, he said. So he puts his shoes on, he's headed out the door, and he thinks, now which house do I start with? The ones down at the end, yeah, they need some help. No, but wait, the other end, I don't know where to start. And then he thought, you know what? What about my family? Yeah, my family needs some change. Okay, I'll start with my family, I guess. Then I'll change the world. But he still had a problem. Who in his family does he start with? His wife? His children? His mother-in-law?

[1:08:54] And the Lord spoke to his heart: "If you want to change your family, you need to change yourself." And there the man found the secret to changing the world. When we allow the Lord to change our own lives, then we can influence our families. We can lead that change and transformation in our families. And when we change our families, we become the greatest witness for the power of Christianity. The most powerful sermon that can be preached. And we change our community. And if every one of us does that, we change the world. We spread the gospel. And Jesus comes.

[1:10:07] How many here would like to say, as Joshua said in the Bible, "Other people can do what they want, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Amen. Let's pray.

[1:10:32] Father in heaven, what a great task you have given us. The reality is, it's impossible. But all things are possible with you. So Lord, we come this evening recognizing our need. We are willing for you to transform our families so that we can be lights to our communities. We recognize this may involve difficult decisions and changes. But you have promised to help. And we come claiming that promise. Please give wisdom, strength, guidance, courage, whatever it is that is needed. We claim your promise. We ask for help. And we thank you, Lord, for the Sabbath that's now upon us. We trust that you have many blessings in store for us today. And we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.