Several years ago I was asked to make a presentation on the decline of the Sunday School and the impact it was having on society--so here it is.
When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. Judges 2:10 NKJV
Over the past two generations society has slipped into a mold of complacency and self-indulgence. Prosperity, hope, and noble ideals were replaced with an "If it feels good, do it" attitude, we became worshipers of self, while our culture has gone morally bankrupt. The present youth generation is at significant emotional, social, and spiritual risk. Young people are eight times more likely to attempt suicide than the youth of twenty years ago, and today's youth account for almost one-third of all abortions. Is there a way to change?
Yes, there is and the problems of today can be traced to the choices of the previous generation. In the scripture reading, we have an account of a nation which forgot to teach it's children the ways of God. We are able to look in retrospect at the Hebrews. We can trace the present crisis back to the root cause of the problem. We can look at the factors which contributed to a generation that did not know God. We can see the parallels which exist between a culture that lived about 1100 B.C. and our present day culture, and oddly enough the contributing factor to the moral and spiritual downfall of the early Hebrews is the same contributing factor to the current day decline in morals and religious values---Christian education is no longer critical. The church was to busy seeking respect from the world that it slowly shifted from the absolutes of God's Word to the standards of the world. Now the church's youth have absorbed the values of the more extensive youth culture of the world.
Why has all of this happened? Looking at the example given us in God's Word, an entire generation of children were not taught the teachings of the Lord God Jehovah. Parents, priest, and leaders failed to instruct their children in the ways of God. They were facing a moral decline. Their children did not know about the great deliverance from Egyptian bondage, the wanderings in the wilderness, and the victories over the kings of Canaan. They were ignorant of their spiritual heritage. Now they must survive in a culture that will soon absorb them into idolatrous pagans. How could this happen?
Before we can understand the present generation, we must look at the preceding generations. During the time of Moses, while wandering in the wilderness, the Hebrews based their moral standards on the Law of God. There were certain things which were right and wrong, and the people knew why they were right and wrong. Even with the rise of Korah and his band, the foundation of hope lied with trusting and believing God. This generation passed the message of the Law--- obedience to their children. They taught their children the precepts with the more significant principles behind them. They didn't take the time to explain the why's of the Law.
During the time of Joshua, the next generation grew up believing certain things were right and wrong because God says so--somewhere in the Law. They existed with an abiblical morality: an ethic initially based on the Law but had long since lost its spiritual meaning.
The next generation came to the conclusion that certain things were right and wrong, but they didn't know why. They were moral people, but their morality was not founded on clear teachings, even though they may have memorized portions of the Law. They were unable to explain why they believed; they just knew it was what good people do. The opinion of their neighbors was more important than what God thought of them.
generation following Joshua knew certain things were right and wrong, but they didn't care! They broke away from the rules of the previous generation. They abandoned their God. The lack of connection with the moral law was part of their rebellion. This led to moral degeneration. How could this happen?
First let me say, knowing where we are going is very important, but knowing where we are is just as important. As we read and study the life of the early Hebrews, we tend to be critical of their disregard for God. We must keep in mind that we are able to look in retrospect over several centuries of their culture. It is effortless to sit back and find fault with their actions. Yet we are in the same position that Israel found themselves after having entered into the Land of Canaan.
Looking back to the nineteenth century we can find the foundation for the significant problems facing the world today: environmental pollution, materialism on a large scale, racism, political terrorism, the alienation of the individual, bureaucratic dominance, drug wars, moral decay, religious intolerance, and spiritual apathy.
The resentment that many in the Third World now feel toward western Europe and the United States also stems from the nineteenth century. It useless to try to comprehend China, African, Latin American, and Middle Eastern attitudes without understanding the effects of the dominance western Europe and the United States had on the world in the nineteenth century. It is just as useless to try and understand the social and cultural problems of today without understanding the past.
The conquest of Canaan was not an act but a process. This process involved changed. Having spent four hundred years as slaves and forty years as shepherds in the wilderness, Israel is now rapidly changing into a different culture. There were many dangers confronting them.
The first danger was the possibility of extermination. The tribes had deliberately come among hostile foes who now surrounded them on all sides. Between the Hebrews and the eastern desert lay the Arameans (north), the Ammonites (center), and the Moabites (south). Cutting them off from the southern land lay the Edmoite (southeast), and the Amalekites (southwest). Between them and the sea lay two powerful peoples, the Philistines (south), and the Canaanites (center and north). The Hebrews were in a do or die situation. They must stake roots and grow till their neighbors are pushed off the map, or they will cease to exist.
The second danger lay in the change in occupation that the conquest made necessary, and the consequent adjustment to new conditions of life. Before they had been nomads and shepherds; now they must become farmers, vine dressers, artisans, and trade folks. It was a question if they could stop roving if they could master the difficult art of developing the land into a viable way of life. Could they give up their tents and live huddled together in unhealthy stone villages and survive new forms of disease. The change was a challenge to their intelligence, courage, persistence, and faith in God. Some of the tribes would not meet the test; Simeon reverted back to a nomadic life, the half-tribe of Manasseh, east of Jordan, was absorbed by Arameans, Ruben was swallowed up by the Moabites, and Asher changed the plow and ox goad for a set of oar, becoming practically Phoenician.
The third danger was political. The Hebrews were from the earliest days thoroughly democratic. All of the tribes were on the same level of rights and opportunities, with special privilege for none, For two generations they has confirmed their love for a democratic life and institutions. They now came into close contact with the hostile Canaanites and Amorites whose type of government was an autocracy in which the ruling family owned all the inhabitants as mere vassals and used them to defend or extend their power. As the Hebrews watched these kings grow in power and succeed in war, it became a powerful incentive to drop their loose tribal form of government and copy the nations around them. Later during the time of Samuel, they did just that.
The fourth danger was the greatest---the realm of religion. Coming fresh from the desert with enthusiasm still burning for the God who had delivered them from Egyptian bondage, brought them through the wilderness, given them victory at Jericho, and aided them in the conquest of the new land, they had one bond that made them different form their Canaanite neighbors---they worship Jehovah. But they had come into a land over which Jehovah was believed to have no jurisdiction. they were in the area of Baal. Jehovah was the God of shepherd to be worshiped by the firstborn of the flock; Baal was a farmer's god to be honored with the first-fruits of the soil. Being no longer shepherds and in a foreign land, many of the Hebrews felt they were no longer under any practical necessity to be loyal to Jehovah. This is the generation that knew there were certain things that were right and wrong, but they didn't care.
Just suppose a Hebrew claims a portions of land in a hollow to the south of Bethel and begins to toil the soil. He buys his seed from a Canaanite neighbor, sow it by guess, and sits back and waits for the harvest. It never came; the seed rotted in the soil. He goes to his neighbor who sold him the seed to find out what happened. The Canaanite asks, "Did you make sacrifice to Baal who owns the field and lives in the big tree at the end of it?" The Hebrew confesses that since he was brought up to worship Jehovah, he did not. Whereupon he is told he will never have a crop until he sacrifices to Baal. Not being rich enough to survive a second loss he takes the advice of the Canaanite who shows him how to make sacrifice to Baal and just happens to teach him the correct method of when to sow and how to take care of his field. Next year he has a bumper crop.
This episode makes real the danger of Canaan. There was not a feature of the new life that was not connected with Canaanite religion---religion in those days was not a separate function but a vital part of everyone's life. Everyone firmly believed that all calamities came to men because of some slight to one of the gods. It was wise for everybody to keep on the best terms with all possible divinities---which meant that every Hebrew has to become an idolater. He has to worship the local gods of whatever part of the land he occupied, as well as the more significant gods, the sun, the moon, and stars.
The danger lies in just this---there was nothing left to distinguish the Hebrew from his neighbors. His moral, influenced by the example of his neighbors and by the debasing rites with which Baals were worshiped, will become corrupt, and in three generation there will be no Hebrews who worship the Lord God Jehovah.
Now lets look at our present day society. As a "Baby boomer" I have contact with primary historical sources. I can or have talked with individuals who lived in the nineteenth century, my grandparents; and those who live in the twentieth century, my parents; and those who will live in the twenty-first century, my children and grandchildren. I can personally cover four to five generations of history. Do you understanding the responsibility that I have to the future of this world? Do you understand the responsibility that I have to preserve the spiritual heritage of my family? Do you understand the responsibility that I have to maintain what is right, honest, just, and righteous? Do you understand the responsibility that I have to correct the mistakes of my grandfathers? Do you understand that if there is to be a spiritual recovery, it is my generation that has been given the means to accomplish the task?
Fifty years ago, Sunday school was the place to be on Sunday morning in America. There seemed to be no end in sight to the booming growth this arm of the church had been enjoying for more than a decade.
By 1980, Sunday school attendance had dropped dramatically. Christian educators began to turn their attention from theory to the very practical question of how the educational task of the church could be accomplished in an era when the Sunday school was in serious decline.
Today, things still appear to be going poorly for the Sunday school, and the question remains, what are we going to do about it? How did we arrive at such a depressing state of affairs in our Christian educational process?
Over the past two generations society has slipped into a mold of complacency and self-indulgence. Prosperity, hope, and noble ideals were replaced with an "If it feels good, do it" attitude, we became worshipers of self, while our culture has gone morally bankrupt. The present youth generation is at significant emotional, social, and spiritual risk. Young people are eight times more likely to attempt suicide than the youth of twenty years ago, and today's youth account for almost one-third of all abortions. Is there a way to change? Let's compare what is happening in our society with what took place in Canaan some 3,000 years ago.
You have been raised in a rural life-style. You have never lived in the city. You have never faced the problems of adapting to a new culture or way of life. You don't understand all the problems that seem to be everywhere except your own neighborhood. One night, God calls you to move into the city and clean-up the neighborhoods. You struggle with the call but know this is the will of God. Selling everything you have you move into the roughest area you can find.
First, I want you to understand something. You personally will be blamed for most of the social and cultural problems of the day. This is regardless of your race, religion, or social standing. You see, we live in a society that must blame someone for their actions. They must have a reason for the way they act. This is just another characteristics of our society. We start labeling children in school and continue through their adult life. They have in these label the foundation for the way they act and conduct themselves in society.
The conquest of this neighborhood will not be an act but a process. This process will involve change. Having spent your life in the country, you are now faced with a new way of life. There are many dangers confronting you, and you will soon find out that there will not be many people to support your efforts to bring about change.
The first danger is the possibility of extermination. You have deliberately come among hostile foes who now surround you on all sides. You have across the street a crack-house, on the corner the local drug dealers hang-out that sells their death, every night hookers are walking the street, and down the street in an abandoned house is the local neighborhood gang---this is your new home. You are in a do or die situation. You must stake roots and grow till the wicked neighbors are converted or pushed out of the neighborhood, if you don't accomplish this you will cease to exist.
The second danger lies in the change of occupation and the adjustment to new conditions of life. For several years you have worked for someone else. Now you are self-employed so you can give time to you new mission in life. It is now a question if you can master the difficult art of living in the city and establishing a business that you can turn into a viable way of life. Can you give up the quite unhurried life to live huddled together in an unhealthy, unsafe environment and survive the dangers of the street? The change will be a challenge to your intelligence, courage, persistence, and faith in God. Some people have already failed the test; some have moved back to the country, others have been absorbed by the streets, while some have vanished altogether.
The third danger is political. The Christians from earliest days have been thoroughly democratic. All believes were on the same level of rights and opportunities with special privilege for none. For generations, Christians have confirmed their love for a democratic life. You are now in close and hostile contact with the crack-dealer, the gangs, and perverts all whose way of government is dictatorial in which the ruling gangs own all the streets, and the inhabitants are mere slaves to be used to defend or extend their power. As you watch these gangs via for power and money, you are tempted to resort to violence to remove them. You are frightened because you are beginning to feel that these people must be removed from society if there is to be any remains of a free and moral society left. Keep in mind; your task is not to destroy these individuals, but rather bring about a spiritual change in their lives.
It is easy to get caught up in the political rhetoric of the day. The "left" telling us we need to be more nurturing and loving. The "Right" telling us to remove these people which cause the problems---make them pay. But we must look at both sides of the issue. But what side will you be taking?
There are those who voice their disgust over the inability of today's youth to pull their lives together. The breakdown of the family; deterioration of civility in everyday life; rampant greed at a time when one in five children is poor; an omnipresent sexual culture that fills our television and movie screens with sleaze, beckoning the young toward sexual activity at ever earlier ages; the enormous betrayal of children through physical and sexual abuse; the increase in legal abortions all have changed the culture in which we live. The 1992 report of the National Research Council says the United States is the most violent of all industrialized nations. Yet, it is the children of this generation that contributes to the problems of our society.
These are the children who are growing-up not knowing God. Children whose parents are divorced; who are thinking about suicide at a young age, who are sexual activity before they are teenagers; who carry guns and knives to school; who are enrolled in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs before they are out of school; who are physically and sexually abused. The National Research Council's report states; the homicide rate for 15-24 year-old males is seven times higher than Canada's and forty times higher than Japan's. The United States has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates, the highest teen abortion rate, and the highest level of drug use among young people in the developed world. Youth suicide has tripled in the past 25 year. Who are these children? They are the children of this generation. They are mine and your children.
The fourth danger is the greatest---the realm of religion. Coming fresh from the rural and urban areas with enthusiasm still burning for the God who had delivered them from the perils of sin and the life without hope, who had given them victory, and aided them in the conquest of each new day, you have a bond that makes you different from your neighbors---you worship Jesus Christ. But you have come into a land over which Christ is believed to have no jurisdiction. You are in the land of Satan. Jesus Christ is the God of the old folks. His name is an expression to be used when swearing. You are no longer among Christians. You are in a foreign culture where many Christians before you felt that they were no longer under any practical necessity to be loyal to their Christians teachings and beliefs. So they stopped going to Sunday School and church. They might send their children on special occasions, but God was no longer part of their everyday life.
Remember Israel, an entire generation of children were not taught the teachings of the Lord God Jehovah. Parents, priest, and leaders failed to instruct their children in the ways of God. We are traveling down the same road only at a faster and more dangerous rate.
David Barton, (1990) in What happened in education? found in his research that the major event corresponding to the downturn in academic scores, school violence, dishonesty, disrespect for authority, peer cruelty, sexual activity, and self-destructive behavior was the separation of religious principles from the public school system. Using data from the College Entrance Exam Board, Department of Education, Digest of Education Statistics, The Psychological Corporation, Statistical Abstracts of the United States, and test results from the National Merit Program reach a conclusion that the event which started the decline of the public education system was the Supreme Court decisions of Engel v Vitale (1992) and Abington v Schempp (1993). Barton shows that prior to 1963, that a remarkable stability in academic achievement, violence, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, and etc. never moved more than two consecutive years in the same direction. In 1963, however, there was an eighteen consecutive uninterrupted years of decline.
Barton concludes that a solution must center on an event originating in 1962-1963 which subsequently generated an on-going policy which had lasting impact over the next two decade. The study included eleven reviews of Supreme Court decisions concerning the role of religious principles in the public school. The findings were that nothing concerning God or His principles is officially welcome in our public school system.
There is today a generation that does not know about the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Golden Rule, respect for others, respect for authority, honesty, kindness, and a host of other moral values which were once taught in the public school. They are ignorant of their spiritual heritage. Now they must survive in a culture that will soon absorb them into materialistic, self-indulging, reprobates.
Some would have us to believe that teaching these moral values is not the responsibility of the school. I would ask then whose responsibility is it? The home? The church? If it is the homes responsibility where do parents learn to train their children in these values? The church? Then why doesn't the church seriously engage in a responsible training of these moral values and principles? Why is it that spiritual education is left to telling Bible stories, sing choruses, and playing games? Why doesn't the Church feel the importance of making a difference in our society? Why isn't Sunday School the major arm of training, equipping and evangelism?
Are we so different from the early Hebrews? Are we so blind to the present that we will not see the inevitable fate that awaits us? In the early 1800's there was a Biblical morality. Certain things were right and wrong, and they knew why. By the late 1950's we see abiblical morality, certain things were right and wrong, but they weren't sure as why. In the late 1970's our society had become immoral, certain things were right and wrong, but they just didn't care. Today, we live in amoral culture. There's no such thing as right and wrong. Every man does what is right in his own eyes.
We have arrived at the place that the early Hebrews found themselves, a generation that does not know God. It has taken us less time than the Hebrews to raise a generation that is ignorant of God.
We need to cry out to the Lord in humility seeking his forgiveness and setting the present generation on the correct course by teaching them the ways of God as directed by the Holy Scriptures.
