The Ohio Independent Baptist, September 1964

en I ecame a man B Mr . Earl Urnbaugh " \\ llt'll 1 ,, a . n ~-t,il'-1, 1 ,, .... lkl' ,\, ,\ ~hiltl , I t in tll't ,t<.)l)J . , , ·J,il I, l 1•1t\t1gl1t ,\, ,\ ~l11h..t. l"lttl \\h en I l1t:carllL' a 11\,lll . I . l, ,1,, .t, \.'l11l\.lt,l1 tl1111g, . I Ctlr111 tl1tan" l J . I I . I l) l1l'~ 111c .\ 111 ,1r1 llL1c, r1t l ha~)11cn t)vcr11ight . 1 tt: h ~I, t\.t c.1rt: ,1ntl tra1r11ng 111t1st g 1 hct re n1 alt1rit )'~ whether 1n tl1c rt:.11111 ,f the r1h, ,1c,1l <.1r the l)iritt1al. Patil . aic.J. "\\ hl'Tl l hcca111c -.1 111an" atlli this i the longing L) f vc r ,1,.tli t 1 l~f\. ,, int) 111,1tt1rit\ . here i ( unf rtt1natel} 1 r ~ . t )rtt111 .. 1tcl , . ht \\C\Cf \i() l l r11a) \ ie\v that intern1 c(liatc. llt:n-.1gc ·t .. 1ge) a hrtLige tl1at ~pan, that e 1Jer icncc in life hc,, ct:r1 the chtlll anti the 111an r \.vOn1nn . I. Train up a child ·1--hc \\t~c 111nn i11 Pr v r b 22:6 tell ti to ' 'Train tip .1 ch,ltl in the \.\ a} he . hotild g ; and when he i ILi, he ,, 111 n t depart fron1 it." The h me und ay School and \ a ..1ti n Bible ch ol play an important pl ace j n thL n1atter f trl1i11i11g ttp a chi ld in the way he hou lcl go. The Linda} night Yot1th Group ometime cal led .... Tra1n1ng L' nion in the ,place in the church where the child receive hi training a he pa e over the bridge and thr ugh the gap to "when he i old n. It hould be a place where elf e pre ion i allowed . In the Sunday hool and in the preaching er vice ( in mo t in tance ) i a place v.·here the child Ii ten or doe home...work to learn. Ho\\ever, in the Youth Group he hould be showed ho\\. to lead a ong er vice and then be allowed to do it. He hould be taught how to develop a cripture me - age and then be given the opportunity to bring it to the group. He hould be guided in the develo,pment of leader- hip ab ility in moderating a bu ine meeting. H e should be elected to an office and al lowed to perform the re - pon ibilitie and privilege of the office. It i the place -where he can learn to erve on a committee and make a real contribution in working out a problem of planning a o~ial with other . Committee work i a matter of give and take and determining the Lord' will in a given ituation. One wonder if many an adul t fraca .cou ld have been avo ided if the adult in que tion had h ad thi kind of training in their youth. The pon or of the youth group mu t exercise great patience with teenager a they develop in the e abi litie . But. oh the joy he has when he ees them maturing in the e avenues. To let them work and ,plan , even though through trial and error is the only to see them grow into the mature, u able hri tian worker the church of every ucceeding generation so badly need . Thi i another way' of ..training up a child in the way he hould go ; and when he i old he will.. be a leader in the Lord' church . II. From a child ..From a child thou hast known the Holy Scripture , which are able to make thee wi e unto alvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.' II Timothy 3: 15. Again we di cover that the wi e man in Proverb 1:7 tell u ..the fear of the Lord i the beginning of knowl– edge··. So the ba ic thing in every believer life i being made \.\-i e unto alvation. We mu t build upon thi foundation. We must realize that thi is ju t the be- SEPTEMBER, 1964 PAGE 6 • gi n11 i11g < ( w1'-itlon1. 1:vcry ch i lc.l of ,o<.l n1t1st be lctl on anti l>lll into the 111aturc tl1ing\ ot the ( ' l1ris ti an life. 1an t) f t1t1r t1oy\ anti girl\ co111c int<) the knowlctlgc ,)I hr, , l a, the ir pcr,c)nal avic)r when they arc in their Junt t)f or J)rin1ary tlay\. Then they ~lore the Word <>f Ci d away in their heart s anc.J mine.Jc ;. hey learn the Bihle Lorie , hi torical incident~ and basic Bible trt1th~. They arc taught t apply the c Jes one; to their own every c.lay Jiving. It i e plained th at the e 4 thing happened for ot1r cxan1ple ". They are to learn from the live<; and the tlea ling of God with Hi children in by-gone day\. How now, arc tihey to how enough maturit y that they can in turn pa thi on to o thers? Where are they to have a training ground ? Certainly! The Yot1th GroL1p i\ the ,place. The pon or who doe not learn to work and guide and coun el from the background i failing to " train' the e young people to be able to go in the ~'way'' they hou ld that when they are old they will not clepart fr n1 he ·way of the Lorcl. Ill. Thy youth 'l Let no man de pi e thy yo·uth; but be thou and exampl e of the believers. . ." I Timothy 4: 12. The Apostle Pa ul exhorts young Timothy to be an example of the believers. Show me a church where the I Youth Group ha a real training program and I will how you a church where the adults of the congregation are pleased with God' ble s ing. There i no mug com– placancy here. There i hope. Plan are being made for futur e ex.pan ion . There i life. There is action. Young people are de pised when they are slothful and carele in their manner of life. They are de pi ed and looked down upon when their love (charity ) life is im– pure. They are frowned upon when they are inattentive ~o the reading, exhortation ·and do~trine of the Word of God. They are tolerated but not enjoyed in the church when they are lazy, undisciplined .and contribute nothing t to the well being of the body of believers. Yes and they ' certainly de erve to be de pi ed when this i true . W,hen we ee thi type of person in a home who do I we ·blame? "The parent", you ay and we agree. Who r then i to b,lame when we ee this in the youth of the church. A•gain we mu t agree 'The s,ponsor hip' ' i to j blame. Iif your church has thi condition exi ting wi~h your Youth Group go to prayer. Do not give up! Do not i di band! Seek the Lord of the harvest to thru t forth t into your harve t field the needed labor sponsor or spon- sor wiho will pray and work and coun el with the e Young People to "Train them up ' to be young people who will not be de pi ed but wiJl be example of vhe be– lievers. Many a devoted young ,per on ha put adult Christians to hame in their example of Faith in what God i ab le to do for Hi children. They can exemplify a Chri tian spirit , that i unque tionably controlled by the Ho]y Spirit. Their knowledge and ability to u e the Word of God in Soul Winning and Exposntion can enrich the life of any who will li sten. Their ability to under tand the deep truth i and doctrine of the Word i a joy to behold. Their lives are till uncultured by prejudice and preconceived idea o that they can face i ue clearly. Their con ecrated, pure manner of life is an in piration for duplication in the THE OHIO ~NDEPENDENT BAPTIST