In a conversation with a fellow dad of two older teenage daughters, this father was recounting to me the many times that his family had visited various congregations around the country while traveling. Sometimes a family doesn’t always know “what they’re walking into” when they visit a congregation in another city or state, so the children may see or hear things that are different than what they are accustomed to seeing and hearing in their home congregation. But this father told one story that came at the matter from another perspective.
He said that they visited a congregation in another state where the preacher was speaking about the advantages of living the Christian life and how important it was for everyone to become a Christian. This father recounted that the sermon was very good and made a lot of valuable points for his girls to hear. And then he told me, “But there was something missing in the lesson, and the girls recognized it, too.” What an interesting observation to make! The preacher had excluded any mention of baptism in his discussion about how to become a Christian, and these teenage young ladies (with one of them sitting at the table as her father recounted this story to me) detected the omission and mentioned it to their parents as they drove away from worship that day.
What a lesson for us to learn as Christians, as well as for parents to take close note in the raising of their kids. It is vitally important that we learn to recognize error when we hear it proclaimed, and to teach our children the truth so well and so often that they also recognize teaching that is contrary to sound doctrine (1 Tim. 1:10; Rom. 16:17). But even more difficult is being perceptive enough in listening to “catch” when something is not being said. Remember that “adding” to God’s Word (which is easier to spot) is just as sinful and destructive as “subtracting” from God’s Word, which can be more difficult to detect (Rev. 22:18-19).
Our church building is located at 4067 Leo Lane in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. What if someone was giving directions and said to go north through Georgia to Tennessee? We would immediately recognize the error in what was being instructed. But, what if someone gave a traveler very good directions and got him in the vicinity but never told him to turn on Leo Lane? That traveler would never make it to our building! But would someone listening “catch” what was missing?
Parents, are you teaching your children what to guard against, when it comes to the false teachings that are out there? Train their ears to not only hear “what’s wrong” but also to hear “what’s missing”! The only way to do this is to inscribe God’s Word so indelibly on their hearts that “none of [their] steps shall slide” (Psa. 37:31). May God help us!