perish.” However, the meaning of the word translated as vision is “the Word of God preached and taught.” The verse can be paraphrased, “Where the Word of God is not preached or taught, people perish.” For many denominations, and par- ticularly the Church of God with our centralized government, everything starts at the pulpit. Translation: unless our pas- tors catch the vision for discipleship, it will not happen in the church at large. It can be mandated by the International Offices, but for a congregation to be a disciple-making church, the pastor must fully support the initiative. Where there is no vision from the pulpit, “the pew” will perish.


But “the pew” must also catch the vision. Whether we call it “small groups” or “Sunday school” or “discipleship min- istries,” people in the pew must under- stand that the most important verb in Matthew 28:19-20 (the Great Commis- sion) is not “go” but “make disciples” (NKJV). Yes, evangelism is critically important, but the imperative (com- mand) verb is to make disciples. Where there is no vision in the pew, the pulpit and world will perish.


Another group that must catch the vision is the home. Listen to the words of some of the most influential theologians in church history and their concerns on the role of the Christian family in the dis- cipleship of children:


There is no greater obstacle in the way of Christianity than neglect in the train- ing of the young. . . . No one should be a father unless he is able to instruct his children in the Ten Commandments and in the gospel, so that he may bring up true Christians. . . . But many enter the estate of holy matrimony who can- not say the Lord’s Prayer, and knowing nothing themselves, they are utterly incompetent to instruct their chil- dren.—Martin Luther


It is more than ever necessary now, in view of the neglect of the Word of God which we see in most people, and the contempt of parents in instructing their children in the way of God, from which one see a remarkable rudeness and great ignorance which is quite intolerable in the church of God. But may it be your


pleasure to command parents to exercise pains and diligence that their children learn. . . . Let parents undertake to nour- ish, govern, and teach their children com- mitted to them by God.—John Calvin


What will the consequences be, if . . . family religion be neglected? If care be not taken of the rising generation? Will not the present revival of religion in a short time die away? Will it not be as the historian speaks of the Roman state in its infancy, res unius aetatis—“an event that has its beginning and end within the space of one generation”? Will it not be a confirmation of that melancholy remark of Luther’s that “a revival of religion never lasts longer than one generation”? . . . Is there not a generation arisen, even within this period, yea, and from pious parents, that know not the Lord? That have neither His love in their hearts, nor His fear before their eyes? How many of them already “despise their fathers, and mock at the counsel of their moth- ers”! How many are utter strangers to real religion, to the life and power of it! And not a few have shaken off all reli- gion, and abandoned themselves to all manner of wickedness! Now, although this may sometimes be the case, even of children educated in a pious manner, yet this case is very rare: I have met with some, but not many, instances of it. The wickedness of the children is generally owing to the fault or neglect of their parents.—John Wesley


The Vision of a Family-Based Reformation


Could it possibly be that we, devout and well-intentioned Christians, are asking the church to do something we (homes and fathers) are called to do? In Ephesians 6, Paul did not say, “Church, train your children”; he said, “Fathers, train your children” (see v. 4). Here is a simple starting point. Fathers should take seriously their role in the discipleship of their children. We (I speak as the father of three children) too often ask the church to do what God has called us to do: disciple our children. It is not the role of a children’s pastor or youth pastor or senior pastor to evan- gelize and disciple my children. That


honor and distinction belongs to me, their father.


When Hudson Taylor’s father was asked why he did not put Hudson in Sun- day school, he replied, “Why would I want to relinquish the greatest opportunity that God has given me to someone else?” Hud- son Taylor went on to be one of the great- est missionaries to China that the West has ever seen. This is not a negative state- ment against Sunday school and teachers, but a positive statement about the influ- ence of a godly man in the life of his son.


Growing


Disciples


A parent will say, “I am not trained to do this.” We have to stop buying into the educational mentality that only “certified” teachers can teach; that only Ph.D.’s in theology can read and interpret the Scrip- ture. I believe 10 minutes a day of reading Scripture, singing a hymn with our kids, and praying with them would revolutionize discipleship in the home, which would revo- lutionize church-based discipleship. In other words, if we dads did what we are called and commanded to do, the church could expend more of its resources doing what it is called to do and not have to pick up our slack. I understand many young people do not have a father or mother coming to church. I was one of those young people back in the late 1970s. I was the first Christian in my household at 16 years old. I also understand there are many single- parent homes. However, the single mom and single dad can disciple their kids. Where there is a Christian father in the home, let’s do what God has called us to do. Let us pick up the mantle, privilege, and honor of training our children in the ways of God. There is no higher calling for me, a father of three.


Bob R. Bayles, Ph.D., is professor of discipleship and Christian formation at Lee University.


EVANGEL | November 2010 19


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