Teens Experience God
“1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-2,14
Intro: Hannah really likes sunflowers so she planted several of them at the beginning of spring. Two of her sunflowers grew were very tall and gangly and looked like they would fall over. She put a stake next to them, but that did not seem to help. As she watched over them the next few weeks she could see that they began to grow together to support each other, and they grew very thick stems (thicker than the bamboo stake she used to support them).
Hannah thought that this is what it is like in our Christian walks, we will go through tough times, but if we cling to Jesus and we cling to each other we find strength to stand tall.
Another one of Hannah’s sunflowers had been planted next to a tree, but sadly had fallen over, you would have thought that it would have wilted and died, but it didn't! It started to grow roots out of the stalk along where the stem had fallen over and touched the ground.
Hannah thought this was a another good example of how we shouldn't give up, even if we feel as if we have 'fallen', we should still keep going.
Let me ask you…, Where Have You Experienced God?
Today we are going to talk about "Teens Experience God."
(In the Second Service) We have a wonderful group of teens who will make a confirmation of their faith.
Have you ever been handed a stack of forms and told to read and sign them at the bottom?
Did you understand all of the words?
Did you feel helpless?
Maybe a little stupid because you were agreeing to something,
when in reality you did not know exactly what you were signing?
We have all felt that way.
In Church we use terminology like: Liturgy, Hermeneutics, Eschatology, Even words like Justification, Sanctification, Prevenient Grace, Faith, Sin.
The word Confirmation seems confusing. By the time you understand what it means you are ready to be confirmed.
We need to boost our vocabulary in church. Even words like baptism, communion and confirmation need to be discussed and talked about so that these powerful words stay fresh and meaningful.
So first we are going to talk about what Confirmation means. Confirmation is a continuation…, of what God started
the first time…, that you became aware…, that you had an experience with God.
Teens confirm the vows of baptism that we made by their parents/guardians or God parents that were made on their behalf as in infant or early baptism.
The church also renews the vows it made and reaffirms to love, teach, and encourage the teen in the communal setting of the church.
The teen publicly professes personal faith and make the commitment to be faithful stewards of their time, talents, gifts and service in the body of Christ and out into the world.
Most things in our faith are not a one and done deal. Our spiritual life is a process is a continuation of our growing. Faith can not stay the same throughout the rest of your life.
We are either growing closer to God or we are moving farther away from God. There is very little room for standing still or sitting on the fence.
When Dominik was eight years old his mother became a Christian and joined the church. From that time forward he went to Youth Group and church had lots of fellowship with other Christians. As Dominik grew into a teen he read the Bible and sought God more and more. With this faith and strength Dominik thought that he had won the battle over Satan and sin. However, he soon realized that the battle had only just begun. Now Satan really had a reason to attack Dominik.
Suddenly worldly things became appealing. Listening to non-Christian music, hanging out with non-Christian friends was just the beginning. At age 14 Dominik fell in love with a sophomore girl in high school. Soon he preferred being with her more than being with his Christian friends.
He stopped going to the church on Sunday Morning because he stayed out too late Saturday nights. Then he stopped going to youth group all together.
From then on he started drinking, got drunk and smoked marijuana. A short time later he lost his virginity to his more experienced girlfriend. After that it seemed like everything went awry. His girlfriend dumped him for an older guy with a car.
Soon Dominik started to realize that life without God wasn’t so great after all.
At the age of sixteen Dominik tried magic mushrooms which led to drugs like ecstasy and cocaine. Another year later he also ended up using heroin and speed.
These chemical drugs changed the way he thought and looked at life. They changed the way his brain processed danger, and pain, and emotions. They damaged his body was so much and he was so addicted to them
that he thought he would die if I didn’t take them. But things only went from bad to worse.
One night at a party Dominik tried LSD. After a couple of hours Dominik was riding home with a friend when he started hearing voices. Dominik had never been on a LSD trip before. Things got really heavy.
Dominik heard voices that he thought were demons. Things got so bad that Dominik made his friend stop the car.
Dominik ran into a total strangers yard and collapsed.
He woke up the next morning in the E.R. Afterwards he had to explain to his parents what had happened.
That was the lowest moment in Dominik’s life. As a Teen…, How do you talk to your parents and tell them all the things that you have done?
Let’s face it. Not everyone has Christian parents to support them and help them find their way back.
Moms, Dads, grandparents would you have faith strong enough to do what it takes to bring back your child from this kind of struggle?
Love the sinner--- but hate the sin. You have to love them just the way they are but teach them that God is not finished working on them yet.
We know that the best of guardians can’t watch their kids 24/7 Kids will do what they want to do.
They will go behind your back. They will not tell you everything they do. Here is where the gospel comes in . . .
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
Jesus Christ is part of our life. God is available to us when we are broken…, hurting…, struggling…, when our life is out of order, when dreams get shattered, when life is a wreck, when we have messed up. When we are lonely enough to Google loneliness.
Hear the Good News. Jesus Christ became flesh and dwells among us. In other words. God didn’t just create the universe and make humankind and walk away. No, God sent his son Jesus to live and die and be resurrected
so that we would know that we are not alone. Let’s open our Bibles to Moses and the Burning Bush Exodus 3:2
Deep into the wilderness--- feed flock. Near Sinai--- interesting is this is known as the Mt. of God--- not food for sheep but glimpse at God?
God will often coax us along. God gives us moments for growth along the journey. God gives us opportunities to respond to his Invitations.
How long did Moses stare at the bush before he realized it wasn’t consumed?
Now that God had his attention…, How long did Moses stare at the burning bush before he realized it was God?
Gideon and Flaming Rock Judges 6:21 Midianites –had troubled Israel for 7 years. Maruaders—destroyed crops, sheep, oxen, left nothing to eat. Gideon least, smallest, weakest of the 12 tribes of Israel. Built an altar to the Lord. Placed meat and bread on altar. Fire flamed up from the rock and consumed what Gideon had brought.
Angel of the Lord disappeared.
How Long had Gideon been talking to the angel of the Lord?
How long did Gideon stare at the altar and the fire before he realized it was God?
Manoah and his wife Judges 13:20 His wife met a stranger told her in her old age she would have a child. Manoah ran to ask the stranger if he was the one who had been talking to his wife? Manoah asked the stranger to stay while he prepared a goat to eat. Manoah asked the stranger what was his name. The stranger replied why do you ask my name and even if I told you you would not understand.
Manoah took goat and grain and placed it on the altar. As they watched fire shoot up toward the sky and consumed the offering. They also saw the angel ascend upward toward the sky.
How long did Manoah and his wife stare at the altar and the fire before he realized it was an angel of God?
Abraham, Isaac and the Ram Genesis 22:13 What is my Isaac. It is not just one thing. Not just one of my two sons
Take your son. Which Son? He had two Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was first born. Lots of joy in first born. Lots of firsts. First words. First steps. First Birthday. First hurts.
Take your beloved son. Not just one of my two sons. Not just my wife. But everything I hold dear. See anything that you value. Everything that you put before the putting the Lord first is your Isaac.
There are a lot of Isaacs. You know what they are.
How long did Abraham stand there with his Isaac on the altar before he noticed the Ram stuck in the bushes?
How long are you going to stand where you are before you hear God’s voice speaking to you?
You have to put God first!!!
Here’s why this matters when you walk out of these doors . . . Biblical and theological knowledge has extreme value, but bible knowledge carries far more weight and meaning when you understand and put into practice
the knowledge in whole life.
Given where many people are in your relationship with God you may have not yet fully made the connection between biblical concepts and your daily life as believer.
It is how to you put into practice on a daily basis what you learn at church when you leave and go out?
One day a Pastor discovered a bat in the church – much like the rest of his church—
he couldn’t figure out just how to get it out.
First, he tried running up and down the aisles, wildly waving a broom back and forth, yelling.
That didn’t work…
Then he went up to the church organ – turned it on – and began playing the organ – very loudly… very badly!
The bat wouldn’t leave.
He tried preaching his worst sermon ever! Nothing worked
– the bat remained in the church. He just could not get the bat out of church.
Then the pastor had an idea – and said, “I know – I will baptize and confirm the bat;
Then it will leave and we will never see it again!”
Listen we have to figure out how to get out of the church and into the community
taking the Good News of the Kingdom of God with us.
Being unchurched may be reaching epidemic proportions in America.
There are more preachers and more churches that ever before.
But there are more lost and unchurched than ever before.
What can we do about it? We can create safe and healthy groups where we can share our struggles together. Where we can witness with compassion.
Where we can work with friends to transform the community and make the world a better place to live.
Where men, women, moms, dad, grandparents…, where “Teens Experience God.” (children youth are church)
