A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
Dear Pastor,
I want to thank you for taking the time to teach the Pray21 principles of Believe, Belong, Become, and Be from your pulpit during the next few weeks. As a pastor myself, I know how dedicated you are to accurately teaching God’s Word, so I have worked hard to make sure these outlines are biblically correct and culturally relevant to the battle your church faces today. At the same time, I admit that I do not know your congregation, so please make adjustments as needed to feed the flock entrusted to your care.
There are a couple points I would like to discuss with you briefly that are crucial. Honestly, I didn’t know how to address them in the outlines without having an intimate knowledge of your congregation. I was concerned that if I made these points, I might weaken the primary purpose of the four messages; therefore, I simply want to highlight them for your prayerful consideration and implementation.
You are going to find that Pray21 sermons deal primarily with the young people and youth ministry in your church. These messages place the emphasis on adults learning to see youth differently; but truthfully, many of the adults in your church are going to see themselves in the content and context of Pray21. This campaign is about helping followers of Jesus Christ (regardless of age) find their place in his cause and their role in his church. You know as well as I do that too many believers still do not know who they are even after decades of being in the church. Pray21 is an opportunity for the church to help youth and adults recognize and respond to God’s voice in their life.
While it is my fervent hope that your congregation will learn to see young people in a new light and embrace the mentality of youth in ministry, there is mutual benefit for all ages from this mission. As you and the adults in your church begin to believe in young people, they will begin to believe in themselves. At the same time, adults are going to be learning more about themselves. Be prepared to make this point in each sermon.
The need is great and the time is now. Take the time to make these messages personal to all ages. I already believe they are, but again, I want to leave those additional teaching points to your prayerful discernment and pastoral discretion. Apply this message to all generations – everyone is looking for a breakthrough.
Because of Jesus,
Timothy Eldred
Executive Director
Christian Endeavor International
Feel free to call me personally. I can’t wait to hear your wisdom! 800-260-3234.
Pray 21 Week 3: Become
Message: Becoming something takes time and practice. Jesus wants you to join him in trying out different things until you become a full-fledged follower.
Notes:
1. Focus – Jesus called people who were busy in some other cause. To Peter he says simply, “Would you like to fish for men?” David was looking after sheep. Both of them had to overcome fear and doubt—some from inside and some from outside.
2. Main point – we must tune into the desires of our heart and the things we are drawn to do. These can give us clues as to where Jesus is calling us. Sometimes, hurt or pain or sin and disobedience needs to be removed so we can see clearly. Even at the end of his time on earth, Jesus was working on Peter’s heart to get him to see clearly. David needed to hear the enemy ‘trash talking’ to get him stirred up for God. Don’t be afraid to let young people grapple with the really big, nasty problems that face your community. That is when they will begin to hear God calling them to the front lines. Get ready. They will need your support to do the things God has called them to!
3. By this week, something has started to happen in the hearts of the adults and students. Some will feel the strong call of God. Others, are hardening to protect their wounds. Yet others are kind of waiting around, wondering if someone will notice them. As Jesus did, we must look to see and confirm God’s leading. When you see hearts opening to God, be ready to ask the question, “Would you like to _______ for Jesus?”
4. The Pray21 Discovery Guide gives many examples that can be used for the sermon. Read and choose the one or two examples from Part 3 that speak the most to your heart to use in the message.
5. Combine these with examples from your life about how you became a part of Christ’s cause. When did you know what you were supposed to do for Jesus?
6. Have others give similar short testimonies—both youth and adults.
7. Leave time for prayer with the young people in the service. Break into small groups and pray with youth by name.
Outline:
1. Introduction
a. Just because you were made for something doesn’t mean you will know what to do right away.
b. If you are meant to win the World Series, you must still learn to hit and field a ball and work as a team.
c. If you are meant to free slaves, you must learn to influence men of power and bring about change.
d. If you are meant to fish for men, like Peter and the disciples, you must learn how.
e. Testimony – have several people come up and talk about how God is speaking to them through the series. Have others talk about how they found out what Jesus wanted them to do. Make sure to have them talk about how long they were Christians before they knew. Some will have taken many years of knowing Jesus before finding out what he wanted. Others will have discovered it right when they gave their hearts to Jesus! Ask them to share how long it took to become effective in what Jesus asked them to do.
2. The prophet Samuel saw the heart of a King in young David just as Eli had seen the heart of a prophet in Samuel.
a. David reacts to Goliath as A TRUE KING WOULD, even though he is just a boy—which his family is quick to point out.
b. Saul treats him like one of his soldiers and weighs David down with armor he doesn’t need. He assumes, like we do, that our young people are not capable of anything or that they need to learn our way first. Saul’s ways and the ways of the adults around him were useless. Saul had nothing to teach David! Or he was trying to teach him the wrong things in the wrong ways. Had David done it their way, he would have failed. Goliath would have squished him like a bug.
c. We need to be careful that we don’t load our kids down with useless armor meant for a different kind of battle.
d. We must remember that under the right circumstances, the heart of the King will be seen—at an early age.
e. Whatever you were made for will be revealed when you draw close to the battle and see for yourself what is going on and what is needed from you.
3. There is a war going on in our towns.
a. One side is saying, “We don’t need God to heal us and mend our broken hearts. We can do it ourselves with ___________.”
b. Jesus is saying, “Come to me, and I will give you rest.” (See Matthew 11:28.)
c. As long as we continue to fight the battle our way, we will always be stuck in an endless war and our enemies will taunt us.
d. When we enter into the war as Jesus’ followers, he shows us how we were uniquely made to join him in his effort to “draw all men unto himself.” (See John 12:32)
e. What is God asking you to do? What Goliath—what big problem is mocking the church in our town? What situation in our town threatens to prove once and for all that God’s church is dead and useless? Are you ready to be the one to restore God’s honor in our town by taking that giant on?
4. Becoming
a. A few things to remember:
b. God is not in a hurry. Jesus and his Dad would like to get to know you first before they start asking you to do stuff for them—like taking down giants.
c. You don’t have to do anything to be God’s child. It’s a free gift provided for you by Jesus. If you haven’t accepted that gift yet, no day is better than today!
d. Jesus wants you to follow him around for a while and see what he has going on. Along the way he will challenge your faith, “Still believe? Now what do you think? You with me?” So, it’s ok to have doubts. Hang in there. Jesus is an incredible teacher and his disciples asked him a ton of questions.
e. To become begins by saying, “I’m ready to start.”
f. You don’t have to wait, either. Whether you start early or late, the time to start your mission with Jesus is right now.
5. Conclusion and Prayer Time
a. Ask God to reveal the ‘giants’ in your town and the hurts and needs of your community.
b. Ask God to reveal which young people are supposed to take these giants on.
c. Ask God to give you faith in the young people that with your blessing they can overcome these giants and bring glory to God.
d. Ask God to open our eyes to see how he has uniquely made you to slay these giants and restore honor to his church.
