A Generation Needing God

I. Statistics

a. According to recent statistics only 4% of this generation will become bible believing Christians as compared to 30 to 35% of the baby boomer generation.

b. Simply put according to this statistic 1 out of every 25 youth will be saved while the other 24 walk through their lives without ever knowing Jesus.

II. The feelings of the Church

a. The Church as a whole should be distraught over the thought of these numbers but they are not because the Church has became complacent with its own salvation

b. It needs to be the desire of all Christians to try and reach out to this generation, or else down the road the leaders of our country will not even know the God that watches over them.

III. Why things our this way

a. The Law was erased from the hearts and minds of our nation. Our knowledge of what sin is has been compromised.

b. The fear of the Lord was never instilled into our children. God became of God of only love and not a God who was righteous and just. God no longer judged our sins because he was love and so our children felt no restriction to their actions.

IV. The Law

a. Psalm 19:7 (NIV) “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”

b. If we expect to revive the souls of this world we have to start where Jesus did by showing people that in our hearts we are sinners. When the rich young ruler came to Jesus to learn how to be saved Jesus took him straight to the Ten Commandments. When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well he showed her how she had broke the commandments. Constantly Jesus used the Law to show why the world needed him to come and sacrifice his life.

c. Romans 3:20 (NIV) "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

d. Galatians 3:24 (NIV) "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith."

e. Joshua 1:7-8 (NIV) "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

V. The fear of God

a. To many times in these times we try and us joy and happiness and the keys to evangelism but the bible makes it very clear that to be followers of Christ we have to take up our cross. Also Jesus tells his followers that they will be persecuted because he was persecuted. It is for this reason we need to help people see their need for forgiveness and to instill a fear of God and judgment into them.

b. Proverbs 1:7 (NIV) "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

c. Proverbs 16:6 (NIV) "Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil."

d. Proverbs 14:27 (NIV) "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death."

e. Proverbs 23:17 (NIV) "Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.