And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ~ Luke 24:47
The late great preacher C.H. Spurgeon nailed an extremely important point over a 125 years ago when commenting on above passage:
"Beginning at Jerusalem, must surely mean begin at home. You know the old proverb, 'The cobbler's (shoemaker's) wife goes barefoot'...I knew a man who used to go out with preachers every night in the week, and try to preach himself, poor soul that he was; but his children were so neglected that they were the most wicked children in the street, and they grew up in all manner of vice. The father was prancing about and looking after other people, and did not care for his own family. Now, if you are going to serve Christ to the very ends of the earth, take care that you begin at home...Dear parents, need I urge you to look to your own children?" ~ Spurgeon
I think one of the biggest blind spots in the Church today is the fact that we are skipping Jerusalem. We are not beginning in the home and are therefore suffering the consequences for our disobedience. Luke reiterates our Lord's strategy for impacting the world for Him where he records Jesus words in Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Jesus makes it abundantly clear that we are to begin in Jerusalem first, which for Christian parents means in the family. We are not supposed to go to Judea, Samaria, or the ends of the earth until we first begin in our own little Jerusalem.
Most Christian parents today are not beginning in Jerusalem with their own families; rather, they are sending them to Caesar (a.k.a., public schools) and then wondering why their kids are turning out to think and act like Romans.
Do you want to impact the world for Christ? Parents, obey Him and start at home. Home education is the best model by which to disciple our families. Watch how powerfully God will move if we first turn our hearts towards our children (Malachi 4:6). I cannot put it any simpler that our first mission field is in the family, so, by God's grace, let us begin there.
"... But if any of you are in the Sabbath-school, and never have a Sabbath-school at home; if any of you talk to strangers in the aisles, but are neglecting your own sons and daughters—oh, let it not be so! The power of a father's prayers with his arms about his boy's neck I know full well. The power of a mother's prayers with her children all kneeling round her is far greater with the young than any public ministry will be. Look well to your children: begin at Jerusalem." ~Spurgeon
Next week how to begin Jerusalem
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—David d'Escoto is a teaching elder, the co-author of "The Little Book of Big Reasons to Homeschool" and its companion Bible study, he also co-hosted the former radio program "Homeschooling for Life." He and his wife, Kim, have homeschooled their five children for over 10 years. Visit their website to sign-up for their free webinars and newsletters at http://dexios.info.
