At the time I wrote this article I was 23 years old and had been a believer since the age of 17. All that I knew about being a Christian was what I had picked up from the adults around me, my own experiences and reading. Even as a young woman, I realised that I would not survive in this world without the help of our Lord Jesus Christ so I can only imagine how much more difficult it must be for the young people. Here is an article by Evangelist Marcus Rogers, which makes several excellent points about the need to be there for young people when they come to the point in their lives where they need to make decisions about their spiritual destiny.
It is worth remembering that the Internet was only invented in the 1980s and we’ve only had access to it for the last twenty years or so. So back in the 1990’s the world seemed a lot smaller and the information we had at our fingertips far less than it is today. That doesn’t mean we were any wiser because, without wishing to sound too much like Yoda, ‘the knowledge you don’t have makes you wise’. Of course the problem with thinking you are wise is that the younger generation will, over time, overtake you in terms of experience and knowledge and justifiably challenge you on your arrogance. In his wisdom, God is very aware of this problem. We, as humans, tend to get set in our ways and that’s why, on our own, we fail. No wonder God has had to use young people – children, if you like – in his plan.
As with many things in life, it is not that it is hard, it is that we are unaware of the simplicity of it all. We need a teacher to give us the knowledge, we need a leader to show us the way, we need an adviser to let us know when to go left instead of right. This article by Evangelist Marcus Rogers (the one we are reviewing today), does a good job of highlighting the things he has learnt from his own experiences in serving the Lord since he came to faith. What I found to be most interesting was his dedication to passing on what he’d learnt to other young Christians. It is surprising just how many churches we visit throughout the year that say they want to support young Christians but as soon as the young Christians step forward with the young people they start to complain that they don’t have the time. I would like to thank Mr Rogers for taking the trouble to record this article; it is very helpful to us all and an inspiration to the younger generation of Christians. I am grateful to the speaker for the following.
There is a lot out there to be encouraged by
God has given me the opportunity to be apart of what He is doing in this country and in the world. The amount of young Christians there are is amazing! I've seen whole groups of kids getting saved, a lot of them on mission trips. There has also been a huge push for youth leaders who are equipped to properly handle the Word of God. I've seen God work in teens through books like "Fascinating Faith", (a book written by Bill Perkins about the importance of faith). I know several youth groups who, after going through this book, have been greatly effected by the truth and reality that they must come to grips with their faith. There have been many other books and materials that have been used to equip and exhort God's people. Most recently, the book, "Sheep Among Wolves", by Mark Driscoll has taken a huge hit among young people for his no-nonsense approach to God's Word, how it applies to us, and how we must do something with that information. I've noticed that every time I preach the Word at a youth group, the boys always seem to come up to me at the end and ask me how they should live out what they've heard. To make a long story short, young people want to hear the truth of God's Word, and they're getting it all over the place.
We have to get the Word out
I'm sure you'll agree with me that if teens in America will listen to preaching and teaching, the church, our families, and I myself, have to get the information out there so they can get their hands on it. So, do you know a youth pastor, youth worker, or anyone else who works with teenagers? How can you help them do this? Do you have any suggestions on how to distribute Word-based materials to Christian teenagers? If you do, I'd like to hear them so I can write and put them out to God's people. My book, "Be A Warrior!", will be available for the digital download and purchase to help teens and youth groups get their hands on it. How we can promote and distribute these books, I don't know, but I'm working with others on that project and they know about it, so we'll see about it later. I'm sure you're wondering what exactly God has taught me on the issue of teaching young Christians. It's important for anyone to know that the younger generation needs encouragement. Sometimes I've seen kids give up on church because they weren't given encouragement. You might think, 'So what; that's a teenage thing.' Well, people, there's something called teenage depression. There's also something called teenage suicide, and the reasons teenagers give up are often because there's no one to stand behind them. I've seen many older pastors and people act like the new Christians have nothing to say, they're not as serious about church and God as the older folk, they're too busy playing games, and they have no good influence, they're weird because they're different. People, it's time to change! Many of these kids are not the problem; the problem is in the way some of us older Christians treat them. I'm not saying that the older generation is the problem. I know there are many who encourage young Christians and work with them. But there is still a lot of work to be done to get the young Christians motivated. How are we going to do that?
Give them something that applies to them
The answer I have to that question is that we've got to take the time to get to know them. They need something that applies to them; they need someone to get their hands dirty and really teach them about life and what it means to follow Jesus. The idea of teaching and training isn't just about telling a Christian how to pray and walk with God, it's also about teaching them how to build relationships, how to communicate well with people, how to handle problems and struggles. These are all things that they'll need to learn to do, as well, as how to evangelize. Let's look at the Ephesians 6:10-20 passage.
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in turn I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
You say, 'Well, Marcus, I've read this passage at least a 100 times; what are you trying to tell me?' The reason this passage has been pointed out to me so many times is because it's such an incredible reminder of what we need as Christians. In the day of battle, we need to remember what we need. The od who fights for us is able to give us everything we need to fight against the forces of darkness, and that doesn't just mean Satan.
When I say the "forces of darkness," I'm saying the forces of evil.
There's a lot we can learn from this passage, as well as the fact that we need God, His Word, and His truth in order for us to be victorious in our Christian life. Everything else must be secondary compared to God's Word. As we are saved, we get a salvation helmet on, which is a protection from the fier