VALUING OUR YOUTH
Deut. 6:1-9
Today is National Youth Day in the Assemblies of God, and I think it is necessary for us to take a look at this all important area within the life of any church that wants to see God continue to touch not only this Generation with the Gospel, but Generations to follow.
We see in the verse 2 of Deut. 6 that there are 3 Generations represented: You, Your Children, and Their Children after them. –
The reason that Orthodox Jews are so careful to teach their children and provide an atmosphere for learning about God is that they live with the realization that they are only one Generation away from forgetting God.
I believe that we too, are only 1 Generation away from forgetting God, and it is vitally important for all of us to become involved in this great message of the Gospel to make sure it continues to grow and flourish throughout the world – Parents and Caretakers, Youth and Children, Congregation and Crowd all must view it as our responsibility to make sure the Gospel continues to be strong, especially in this day we live.
A youth is a person who is going to carry on what you have started. He will assume control of your cities, states, and nations. He is going to take over your churches, schools, and corporations. You may adopt all the policies you please, but how they are carried out depends on him. So it might be well to pay him some attention.
Today, I’m going to be speaking to 3 different segments of people with the challenges we are facing, and will give each one of us an opportunity to Commit to the Lord in a brand new way that we will do our level best to not be the Generation that forgets God, or even the ones to follow.
First of all today, there is a:
I. MESSAGE TO THE CARETAKER
When I say “Caretaker”, I am talking about the Parents, or Parent, the appointed Guardian, the Grandparent or Relative who has been put in charge of bringing up the Child or Young person.
Now let me say right off the bat, that you are not looking at a “professional parent” – (and if I dared to give my boys an opportunity to shout AMEN, they probably would do so) I have had my share of failures at this whole thing we call parenting, and I often think that by the time we think we have a few things figured out about how to begin to be a parent, it’s time for them to move on to the next stage of life.
But then again, I do thank the Lord for my boys, and that they do have a heart for God and the House of God.
While I don’t have it all figured out today, I do know the Word of God still challenges us in areas, so let’s look at a few of:
1. THE CHALLENGES
a. Raising Godly Youth In An Ungodly World
What a tremendous challenge this is! Those of you who are here around my age, and a bit older remember that many of the greatest difficulties we faced in school was getting cuffed in the back of the head on the bus ride to school, having someone pull the chair out from under us, or getting caught chewing gum in class.
Now, our Young People are faced with the reminders of a Columbine or other school shooting when going to school. Drugs, alcohol, pre-marital sex, gang violence are now seen to be what is “normal” whereas it used to be these things were only part of the real rebels and troublemakers.
Regardless of how much the world attempts to stamp out the message of the Gospel in the lives of our Young People, it is still up to us to reinforce those messages and to encourage them to be strong in the face of adversity and challenge to their faith.
In the church, we teach that God created the world in 6 days and then rested on the 7th. In our public schools, they are taught that somehow everything just exploded and fell into place, and either guppies grew legs or monkeys lost their tails, but somehow we all just evolved into the place we are now.
I am here to say today once again that it takes a great deal more faith to believe in something as ridiculous as that than it does to believe that there is a God who cares about every intricate detail of life, and indeed created every human being in a unique way and with a unique gift and calling upon their life to contribute to humanity.
It must have been a Mother who asked the following question:
“If Evolution works, then how come Mothers still only have two hands?”
The teaching of Evolution takes away the Value of humanity, and places us on the level with the Animals, and it also takes away the idea that one day man will have to answer to God. Accountability is out the door.
ILLLUSTRATION OF WATCH COMING BACK TOGETHER
It is of vital importance that we as parents do not leave it up to the world to impart their values on our children.
Parents, do what you can to utilize the use of blocks and filters on your television and internet. Be careful of the kind of access you allow them to have out of your eyesight, and keep all these things in your eyesight.
I’m not here to judge you today, but I would be very careful about allowing access to the internet and television in the bedrooms of your children.
Parents, it is a right for you to know what your children are posting on the internet, and it is also a right for you to access their e-mail or web site postings any time you wish. If they don’t want you to, then you might really want to check it out then for sure.
It is up to us to do our best to Raise Godly Youth in an Ungodly World and the next Challenge is:
b. SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR YOUTH TO FOLLOW
Children will invariably talk, eat, walk, think, respond, and act like their parents. Give them a target to shoot at. Give them a goal to work toward. Give them a pattern that they can see clearly, and you give them something that gold and silver cannot buy.
Billy Graham (1918- )
What an awesome responsibility we have to the next Generation as we realize that the most powerful form of influence upon the life of a child is the example that we as parents and caretakers have on our Children.
Titus 2:4-6 - That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, [5] To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. [6] Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Titus 2:6-8 - Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. [7] In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness [8] and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
These scriptures were given as an encouragement to those who had a few years of wisdom and experience under their belts, to be sure to set an example for those were were going to follow.
The greatest way we can set an example for the next generation is to show the value of our relationship with the Lord as we pray, make the Word valued in our lives, as well as our attendance to the House of God, and being part of the family of God in word and deed.
I have never understood how we can convey the importance of our love for God if our church attendance is “hit or miss” – If you can’t make it on Sunday mornings, then remember there are Sunday nights and Wednesday nights, at least around here.
I’ve found (at least in my own life) that we make time for the things we really value and want to do. I encourage each and every person here to make your relationship with the Lord of the highest value, and it will be easily conveyed to the next Generation.
The challenge also comes in showing the value of hard work to the next generation, which begins in the home.
"I’m really worried," said one little boy to a friend. "Dad slaves away at his job so I’ll never want for anything. Mom works hard every day washing and ironing, cleaning up after me, taking care of me when I get sick. They spend every day of their lives working just on my behalf I’m worried--. His friend asked, "What have you got to worry about?" And he replied, "I’m afraid they might try to escape.
I was talking with a man the other day who had just gotten a job and was finally able to get off unemployment as he began to work for the first time in many months. He told me that he just got tired of sitting around the house and doing nothing. I then remarked that that’s the way I would be too, and then said that I’d rather work for less money than the more money that might come in through unemployment. The person standing next to him looked at me like I had lost my mind. Well, that’s basically the way it is. I would rather be part of something that is providing a sense of accomplishment and achievement while working, and if need be, work at that job until something better came along.
When we have too much time on our hands, that’s when we get into things we shouldn’t get into. I believe that God wants His people to be active and not afraid to work both for our financial well being, and also in the areas of volunteer work.
1 Tim. 5:13-14 - Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. [14] So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.
Another challenge we as Caretakers have is to DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS FOR A LIFETIME.
What a complete honor and joy it is to know that I’ve been able to continue the relationship with my parents until my Father’s passing, and with my Mother. They have been Godly examples and powerful influences in my life, and while they were far from perfect, there was a relationship with them that is one that is highly valued and cherished.
As I grew older, it was amazing how much smarter my parents actually became!
As we see the Challenges given to us as Caretakers, such as:
Raising Godly Youth In An Ungodly World – Setting The Example for Youth To Follow – Developing Relationships For a Lifetime…
It is also important that we see the Commitment that we must make and it is taken from Joshua 24:15 - But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua was challenging the people here to make their choice. That is one thing God will always give us, and it is a choice of who we are going to serve. The challenge is to make the right choice and choose the ways of God -
A man and his young son were climbing a mountain. They came to a place where the climbing was difficult and even dangerous. The father stopped to consider which way he should go. He heard the boy behind him say, "Choose the good path, Dad; I’m coming right behind you!"
Author unknown
Choose the good path!
Secondly, today we are going to look at:
II. THE MESSAGE TO THE CHILD
The responsibility for the next generation does not begin and end with the Caretaker, but the next generation itself also determines what kind of generation they’re going to be.
There comes a point in the life of every young man and woman that a choice is made of who they are going to serve regardless of whether they have had an example to follow or not.
When any of us stand before the Lord one day, we are not going to be able to ultimately point the finger at others and blame them for our lack of desire for the things of the Lord.
A. The Challenges
There are some tremendous challenges though that our Young people are facing today, and the first one I’m looking at is:
1. Standing Strong In The Face of Peer Pressure (Defensive)
Ephes. 6:11 - Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
The first two challenges I’m going to look at today are more in the Defensive area, and the last challenge is one of Offense.
Our Youth battle with the constant challenge to “fit in” – The pressure by their peers is tremendous, and for a young person to walk with God in a meaningful way, they are going to have to Stand strong while others around them are doing the “easy thing” and just becoming part of the crowd.
One woman was asked the benefits of living to the age of 102. After a pause, she answered, "No peer pressure!"
Really, no matter who we are here today, there is the pressure of our peers, but I believe it is of greater intensity when a person is young, especially when it comes to serving the Lord.
Peer Pressure involves the thought of “everyone’s doing it”, or “everyone else is going” – It is the desire to fit in with the crowd so that you don’t stand out from it.
I submit to you today that it takes a a strong person to stand up to Peer Pressure and stand out from the crowd, but it takes an even stronger person to stand out from the crowd in the form of doing the right thing and standing up for God.
I have seen a vast variety of young people who have no heart for God wanting to rebel against the “norm” by things they do to themselves on the outside that is often not even very healthy to do. I’ve also found that when these young people become Christians, they are often some of the strongest and powerful Christians because they are already in the mode of not really wanting to fit in.
Stand strong in the face of Peer Pressure, and you will find that God will be your source of strength in the times of loneliness and even rejection that you may feel.
You are able to stand strong when you put on the whole armor of God:
Ephes. 6:14-18
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, [15] and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. [16] In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [18] And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Not only is there the Challenge to Stand Strong in the Face of Peer Pressure, there is also the Challenge of:
2. STAYING PURE IN AN IMPURE WORLD
1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
In our realization the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, the Bible tells us to be “self-controlled and alert” –
The message of the world is “don’t hold back”, but the message of Christ is: “be self-controlled”
Why is it that way? Is God just out to make sure that life is miserable for anyone seeking a good time? Absolutely not!
God made each one of us in a unique way with a plan for our lives that will bring more thrills and chills to us than we ever dreamed possible if we continue to obey His will.
This self-control He is encouraging us to have also applies to our Young People, and especially in the areas of sexual activity outside of marriage.
Let me just say it loud and clear – There is only one acceptable place that God has designed sex for, and it is in the marriage relationship between a man and a woman.
So often, you may be tempted to think that somehow because you are young you are not able to be used by God in a powerful way, but I want you to know today that you can be a powerful person having an impact on others around you, not only of your own age, but also those who have a few years on you!
1 Tim. 4:12 - Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
