Matthias' Lot Series

Okay, now as the youth pastor, I have to get real serious about an issue here. For most of my career I kind of used what I would call “fun motiviation,” and I may still do that. But, I cannot for the life of me understand why a person who professes a belief in Christ would NOT read the word of God daily. Okay, so you miss a day, so what, I get that. But for the most part, what in the world are we doing? We are the best of the best! The new generation! We are the ones that could be alive when Christ comes back! We are the ones who may see the entire world evangelized for the gospel of Christ! And I am not kidding about that. But, are we also the ones that cannot find a blink of daylight to read God’s Word?

(Leaders, please put the above lesson in your own ways. Remember, any specie that does not eat does not grow. And any specie that does not grow, dies. We cannot kid ourselves, either we teach our youth to read the Word or we’re kidding ourselves).

*I also want to put an asterisk here. Just in case one of us leaders has not established a regular quiet time with the Lord, it may be better for you just to skip part two of this lesson and go directly to part three. Why? Well, it would be hypocritical to lead others towards having a regular quiet time if we are not, and as a teacher of God’s word you don’t want to bring any form of judgment on yourself for doing that. So please fix that prior to fixing them. Thanks for understanding gang.

Check out these stats….

10% of church members cannot be found?

20% of church members never attend church

25% admit that they never pray

35% admit that they do not read their Bibles

40% admit that they never contribute to the church?tithe or offering

60% never give to missions

70% never assume responsibility within the church

85% never invite anyone to church 95 % have never won anyone to Christ

BUT! 100% expect to go to heaven

(The Choice, by Thomas Trask, Zondervan Pub. House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1999)

3. WITH JESUS

Transitioning from the previous stat to the next topic, this goes without saying, but the call to be an apostle involves having walked with the Lord. Read the verse again…

BIBLE VERSE: Acts 1:21-22

21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

So, one of the qualifications is to HAVE BEEN WITH…THE LORD. Okay, that sounds pretty basic. If I want to be this super all-power apostle for Christ, I have to know Christ. Yup, that’s true. But as we have talked about before, there’s a whole lot of people who say they know the Lord but ultimately do not. After all, their actions leave them out. Here’s what I am talking about…

BIBLE VERSE: 1 Corinthians 6:9