Topic: Youth
This week topic is on for those are in younger generation. If you are under age 30, this message may give some inside of what God has planned for you.
As we see in today's world, many TV programs that young children, teenagers, and young adults watched have impacts on violent, drug, and any kind of addictions that pull themselves from God. As we see in movie theaters, there are more PG-rated movies than G-rated movies. Or we hear about some teenagers would decide to set up a false bomb thread alarm in the school to make everybody would be frighten. I had been in this situation before while I was in high school and rehabilitation center. It was not fun at all.
Is there hope for children, teenagers, and young adults from all the destructions in their lives? When children become teenager years, they started to make many hard choices in their lives. They will listen to many advices from their peers, friends, parents, and teachers as they are going through transaction period. Overall these, is there any hope that they can survive throughout their lives? If we are single young adults, is there any way to escape from loneliness, depression, and sadness? What we, as single adults, can help the other people who are younger than us?
Read Jeremiah 1:5 with me:
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
The Book of Jeremiah is about how God used this young man, Jeremiah, as a prophet of God to lead the nation. Throughout his life, Jeremiah cried out to the people to bring them to God. Most of Jeremiah's speeches were harsh to the people of Israel. Because of his harsh words, many people, even his own family, hated him without knowing that his words came from God. Some of Jeremiah's obstacles are death threats (see Jer. 11:18-23), isolation (see 15:15-21), stocks (see 19:14-20:18), arrest (see 26:7-24), and challenge (see 28:10-16).
If we, as single young adults, face these or more challenges in our lives, what we do to protect ourselves from harm? Some of us decide to look for drug, sex, or violent activities to get the solution to the problem. As we see on the news, MTV, and other mass Media, we see that many teenagers and young adults are killing themselves in the spiritual round. Satan is controlling our young people through many television, radio, toys, and movie industries--pulling them from God.
As Christian young adults, we first need to understand that our physical bodies are not just bodies, but they are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). We bought at a price (I Cor. 6:20). Jesus didn't just die for our sins, but He died for us with His compassion, love, and care for us, so we could be saved. If we destroy with alcohols, having sex outside the marriage, committing crimes, and putting tattoo on our bodies, we actually are destroying God's House.
We need to build ourselves with the strong foundation rather than what the world offers. What are they? How we build strong foundation in our lives as young generation?
1) Establishing relationship with Jesus Christ. As we read about Jeremiah's life, he faced many obstacles in his life, from his youthful age to adult. Although he had many challenges, Jeremiah didn't give up the problem. He was going to give up once (Jer. 1:6a), but God kept give him encourage and hope in his life to do difficult assignment. God didn't just give him encouragement, He walked side with him during the difficulty. God said in Isaiah 43:2, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; ad through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."
If we have the relationship with Jesus Christ, we can accomplish anything in His name.
2) Don't say I am too young to do the will of God. God always choose young people to accomplish His plan. In Genesis, God choose Joseph to bring out His people from the seven years of famine. In 1 Samuel, God choose young David to lead the nation of Israel, which it leads to the promise of the coming of Messiah.
Why? Why He choose the young people to accomplish His plan?
The Bible tells us that God loves us as His children. He knows us before we were born (see Jer 1:5). He created us, so that He can have relationship us. He calls us to show example of obedience of God's children to others, so they can be citizens of His family.
Paul says in I Timothy 4:12-16, "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
As we close in this portion of topic, ask yourselves with this question: What God has planned for me with this young age? Don't say you are too young to be on the missionary field. Or if you are adult, don't just say you're too old to reach to the needy. God can use any of us to accomplish His plan.
Are you saved? Are your love ones and friends saved in the grace of God through Jesus Christ? The purpose of this study is to help you to become closer relationship with Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:1-3.)
If you are lukewarm in your relationship with Jesus Christ and want to know Him as your personal Savior and Lord of your life, please consider asking Him to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life. Paul says, "That if you confess with your mouth, `Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believed and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10.) If you have done in your private room or workplace, then you need to tell to your friends or love ones about what you have done, so they may rejoice with you and want to have that relationship with Christ in their own life. There are many occults in the world, which do not know the love of God and His great plan for those who believe in Him. As it is written in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
