Readers often challenge me with questions/comments that I need to ponder seriously. They are questions that matter, I am thankful for them and they need to be answered.
“Kelly, you seem to elevate this topic over the others…”
“Kelly, why do you interfere in personal matters?”
“Kelly, why don’t you just live and not talk about these things, and let the Holy Spirit work as he wishes?”
The Lord providentially brought this message by Dr. Voddie Baucham into my hearing (without my looking for answers), and I could barely contain the outpouring of my soul about “why” indeed, I am compelled to talk about the things I do. In his profound message lies the answer.
Just personal matters?
It’s interesting that all throughout Scripture, instruction was given to the people of God as a group–a body. Suffice it to say, our personal choices profoundly affect the “body”. We are not separate entities, no more than your arm is separate from the rest of your body. And while it is true, each man will stand or fall before the Judge, as Christians, it would be naive to assume that the body will not suffer if its members have a skewed, biblical world-view. This, I believe, is the reason that Paul so carefully instructed Titus to “teach sound doctrine”; specifically as it relates to personal, daily living. It’s the reason God repeatedly sent messengers to instruct His people. (We are all messengers now. And I believe our lack of understanding of that has caused the church to indulge in error without check. We no longer “admonish one another” or check each other–which is why I said I’m thankful for the above questions and challenges some readers are willing to make.)
Why do I seem to elevate some topics?
The topic of children has mainly been the brunt of this comment. It is important to understand a few things…one, I don’t discuss matters of salvation much here–admittedly the most important topic–because my blog is directed toward believers. Hopefully, we’re beyond the fundamentals.
Secondly, I think few people realize how profoundly important our view of children is to the Kingdom work of Christ. I truly believe a wrong view of children is one of the foundational errors in the church and has had enormous implications for our evangelism and spreading of the gospel. We like to think it’s an isolated issue of privacy, irrelevant to anything spiritual. And as Dr. Baucham so passionately articulates in his message, nothing could be farther from the truth. God has written in our very bodies His will for us concerning children. He didn’t even have to mention it in Scripture, yet He continued to reinforce the importance of a right view of children. Forget the details! They are so often what create the controversy during these debates. The details can, indeed, be left for individuals to make choices regarding their family’s circumstances. But let’s get our over-arching view of children right, consistent with God’s view of children! After that, the details are going to work themselves out. I’ll let Dr. Baucham “bring it home” 😉
His message–if we could just get this one thing– would radically change the face of our culture. It’s big, ladies, it’s big!!! Perhaps the family could gather around and listen during family time, but whatever you do, make time for you and your husband to listen to this 20 minute message. Then pass it on! It is so passionate, so encouraging and it’ll make ya wanna shout!
Dr. Voddie Baucham’s message:
The Centrality of the Home in the Evangelism and Discipleship of the Next Generation
20 comments
Kelly, how do you pronounce “Baucham”? And “Voddie”?
Mary,
“Vody” “Bockum”
lol. The first time my husband heard Voddie Baucham on the radio, he *called me out of the shower* because he knew I would want to hear it too! And he was right! 🙂
Brother Voddie hit the nail on the head. Regardless of one’s personal views on birth control, it is an absolute *shame* the mockery and snarkiness people suffer from fellow believers over ‘yet another baby’. It is a shame we cannot seem to hold marriages together any more than the world can. It is a shame that we have succumbed to a fuzzy definition of “family” so as not to offend anybody. It is a shame how many of my peers in their 20’s and 30’s claim a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and yet live like h***.
Even without getting into the subject of birth control, the culture of the Church would shift radically, and impact the world radically, if people could wrap their minds around God’s attitude towards the family and children.
Hi Kelly!
“It’s interesting that all throughout Scripture, instruction was given to the people of God as a group–a body. Suffice it to say, our personal choices profoundly affect the “body”. ”
Reading that, two scriptures come to mind:
“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” Ezk 33:6
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal 6:1-2
(Don’t you just love that letter to the Galatians? :-)).
I think part of the problem is that we don’t want to be thought of as ‘That Christian’- the Church Lady, the crazy street-corner preacher, etc.
Doesn’t matter- it has to be done.
Thanks for the Scriptures, KB. That Galatians one is just what I mean- “considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Nips self-righteousness in the bud.
I haven’t listened to Mr. Bacham’s message, but I have saved it to listen to later… even so, I can pretty safely assume I will agree with everything he says. I remember seeing him in an interview aside a (self-described) Christian feminist on a news show once- they were discussing the Sarah Palin nomination. After he stated his viewpoint, the feminist kind of chortled and said that his interpretation of scripture wouldn’t resonate with the busy working families of today. He responded to her condescension with such dignity and authority… He stated firmly that as a messenger of the Gospel of Christ his job was not to tailor Scripture to “resonate” with anyone, but rather to present the Truth of Scripture unmodified. Bring it home indeed! Great man, and what a gift he is to the church in our present day.
Kelly,
This clip is absolutely shocking to me. I’ve never heard anybody actually preach these things before. So amazed by this man, but much more so by what he said. I agree whole-heartedly with Mr. Baucham’s sermon. My husband youth-pastored when we first married so I feel to some extent that we’ve ‘been on both sides of the fence’. We absolutely had no clue what we were getting into when he took that position, yet through our experience we began to think much deeper about raising children (we were pregnant with our firat at the time). The Lord grew us through this and opened our eyes to ‘typical Christian parenting.’
Thank you so much for posting this. I can’t wait for my husband to hear it. He’ll have whip lash from nodding in agreement. 🙂
PS. This is probably a little weird, but I was wandering if you had any stats/facts (or could direct me to a list) about the health benefits of having several children (and nursing)? I know there are lots and I’m thinking of giving a list of them to a family member that has become particularly overwhelming lately. In the kindest, sweetest way I can say it, I just don’t don’t get how someone who is very overweight, and has health issues because of this can be so “concerned” about my health (in that I’m “killing” myself by having babies). Not exactly the most health concious individual.
Charity,
Here is one health-pregnancy-related article I’ve posted about:
http://generationcedar.com/2009/04/pregnancy-is-for-our-health.html
And here are some other facts:
* The younger a woman has her first child, the lower her risk of developing breast cancer during her lifetime.
* A woman who has her first child after the age of 35 has approximately twice the risk of developing breast cancer as a woman who has a child before age 20.
* A woman who has her first child around age 30 has approximately the same lifetime risk of developing breast cancer as a woman who has never given birth.
* Having more than one child decreases a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer. In particular, having more than one child at a younger age decreases a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer during her lifetime.
* Although not fully understood, research suggests that pre-eclampsia, a pathologic condition that sometimes develops during pregnancy, is associated with a decrease in breast cancer risk in the offspring, and there is some evidence of a protective effect for the mother.
* After pregnancy, breastfeeding for a long period of time (for example, a year or longer) further reduces breast cancer risk by a small amount.
National Cancer Insitute
I don’t think posting your views publically and in a generalized manner is interfering. There’s a difference between posting your views on your own blog and getting into people’s faces personally.
I have heard this sermon. Loved it, and had my husband listen to it later on. 🙂
thank you so much for posting that sermon. I wish Voddie baucaham would come to Australia!
I five children, all boys and I cannot even guess how many times I have gotten ‘so are going to give up trying for a girl?’ !!! I always say we are trying for a boys soccer team (11) !!!
My husband and I love Voddie Baucham. A lot of what he said in the sermon is also in his book “Family Driven Faith”. Like one of your previous commentors, I too had never heard of anyone preaching and teaching these things. It’s amazing how many churches are absolutely adamant about children not being in the sanctuary. I understand that they can be distracting and noisy but I also think that a lot of times people forget why they are at church in the first place. It’s not about us, it’s about HIM. And He said “Let the little children come to me…” Sorry don’t mean to write a book. A lot of my extended family goes to a church that does not allow children under 2 in the sanctuary and they encourage parents to drop their children off in childrens church before church starts. It’s a nice church and all, but we would never join a place like that. Our church has children’s church and all of that, but not until after praise and worship. I like having my kids in worship with us. My husband and I teach children’s church so we are with our 6 year old daughter most of the time. Ok sorry this is so long. Thanks for the post 🙂
I loved what Voddie said about following a woman with many children into to church and listen to the comments. Just this past Sunday it hit me that besides one other family, we had the most children in the church. Someone had said something about a dwindling number of young children in church, I just had to add to the conversation with “I’m doing my part, how about you!” I couldn’t help myself. Every week someone makes a comment about my hand being full. I just could resist 🙂
Kelly, Thank you very much for the information. Blessings to you and yours…
I have never heard this pastor before and I think he is awesome.
Some of the above comments were about churches that do not allow children in the service, we have visited churches like these. Mostly, before we had children. There always seemed to be a cold feeling about those congregations. The church we are at now has all the children services and they used to push them hard. Like as soon as you opened the front door, the ushers would be directing us to the nursery or childrens building. They have backed off now though. I guess I stated to them enough that “we worship together as a family.” I am noticing alot more families with their children sitting and worshiping together. Still, there are SO MANY different youth classes. Not that youth services are bad. I just remember being amongst the youth groups as a teenager and honestly, when the pastor was not leading, the teen minds was not on Jesus. I know not much has changed because there are alot of boy/girl relationships in the teen youth group at our church. It doesn’t seem to worry those parents. Get a clue mom and dad!! Meanwhile, the ushers are worried a baby might cry or laugh during the service. Baffles me….
We visited a church recently that was a lovely small country church, doctrinally sound, just what we thought we were looking for except….parents and children were split at the door. And between Sunday School and the service, the children were “in class” for 3 full hours. 🙁
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