Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210076S
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00:29 Hello, friends,
00:30 it's such a blessing for you to join us once more 00:33 for another 3ABN Worship Hour. 00:36 And I just want to thank you so much for being faithful 00:40 to this ministry, for watching us 00:42 and being a part of this incredible ministry 00:44 because you are part of 3ABN family. 00:46 Without you, this network does not exist. 00:49 Today, we are going to dive deep into God's Word 00:52 into the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy. 00:54 And we're going to be taking on a very important topic 00:58 that the Lord has laid on my heart, 00:59 one that is absolutely imperative for us 01:03 to comprehend today. 01:04 And so I don't want to waste much time. 01:06 I want to have a prayer, get right into this topic 01:09 because we're going to need every minute we can get. 01:11 Let us pray together. 01:14 Our Father in heaven, Lord, we dedicate this time to You. 01:19 This is Your worship our Lord. 01:23 We are gathered all around the world to worship You, 01:28 because You are worthy, Lord. 01:30 And we thank You for the opportunity 01:32 that we have once again to worship You, 01:34 as Your Word says, in spirit and in truth. 01:36 And, Lord, may that be the truth 01:38 right now, may that be the reality 01:41 that we uplift praise, that we give You glory, 01:44 through the rightly dividing of Your Word that, of course, 01:48 is led by the Holy Spirit. 01:49 So, Lord, we're asking for the Holy Spirit, 01:51 leading God in my words, Lord, leading God in my thoughts 01:54 that every word, every action, 01:55 every thought that is communicated 01:57 is that of Yours. 01:59 And may each and every one of us, 02:00 including myself, be awakened to such an hour as this, 02:04 that we may be aware of the times 02:06 that we are and the situation at hand. 02:09 We praise You and we thank You, 02:10 Lord, for all that You have done for us. 02:12 And again, we give this time to You in Jesus' holy name. 02:16 Amen. 02:19 The title of today's message is one that I made up. 02:24 It's not a real word. 02:26 But it's one that I made up for the purpose 02:29 of grasping your attention. 02:31 It's a mysterious title. 02:32 It's one that people are going to read and go, 02:34 "Oh, I kind of get it but maybe not, I don't know." 02:38 The title is Youthanasia, but not the euthanasia 02:42 that you may have heard of or maybe thinking of. 02:45 This Youthanasia is spelled 02:48 Y-O-U-T-H-A-N-A-S-I-A. 02:55 Of course, this is a play on words from the concept 03:00 of the real word euthanasia 03:02 which is spelled 03:03 E-U-T-H-A-N-A-S-I-A. 03:07 And there may be someone watching right now that says, 03:09 "Okay, there's a real word called euthanasia. 03:11 What in the world does that mean?" 03:13 I'll give you the real definition 03:14 that I found online and here it is, 03:16 euthanasia the real word, 03:17 E-U-T-H-A-N-A-S-I-A, euthanasia. 03:21 This is what it means, 03:22 the act or practice of killing 03:24 or permitting the death of hopelessly sick 03:28 or injured individuals, 03:29 such as a person 03:31 or domestic animals in some kind of way. 03:33 It goes on to say, in a relatively painless way 03:36 for reasons of mercy. 03:38 Euthanasia, it's a, it's not a positive thing. 03:41 It's one that you hear about, you might have read about. 03:45 It's a sad reality that in the world, 03:48 in certain parts of the world and in the past, 03:50 this practice of euthanasia, 03:52 permitting the taking away of life, 03:56 for whatever reason, 03:57 was practiced in the past and in certain parts 03:59 of the world today. 04:01 But, my friends, today, 04:02 I'm not talking about the real word euthanasia. 04:04 We're not going to be talking about 04:06 the real killing of people. 04:07 I promise you that's not the case. 04:08 But as you can see, on the screen behind me, Y-O-U-T-H. 04:12 We're talking about our youth today and, 04:15 of course, as a play on words, Youthanasia. 04:17 I'm going to be talking today about a very serious dilemma 04:20 that's going on in the world today, 04:22 in our church around the world. 04:24 And we're going to be talking about the importance 04:27 of retaining and keeping our youth in the fold. 04:31 How do we witness? 04:32 How do we win the hearts of our young people? 04:34 We are actually in a very serious situation, 04:38 a very serious dilemma in which there is a mass 04:41 and has been a mass exodus 04:43 of young people out of the church. 04:46 And, of course, this is what I would consider 04:48 to be called a spiritual Youthanasia, 04:51 of course, the play on the word youth. 04:54 My friends, what are we going to do? 04:56 How are we going to reach these young people? 04:58 We're going to talk about all of this today, 05:00 but first we need to consider the facts. 05:02 And we need to address the elephant in the room 05:04 that many of us have probably played a part 05:08 in this mass exodus of the young people 05:10 from the church today. 05:13 I usually don't do this. 05:14 But before we dive right into these details, 05:16 I just want to say one more quick short prayer. 05:19 As I have introduced this, 05:21 I know your mind is wondering 05:22 what in the world is he going to talk about. 05:24 You know, we know that there's not a lot 05:26 of young people in church, but how, 05:27 where's he going to take this? 05:29 Let us pray one more time, just a quick short prayer, 05:32 that the Holy Spirit will open our hearts and minds 05:34 to be receptive to the Spirit of truth. 05:36 Father in heaven, I just want to ask one more, 05:38 Lord, not because You didn't hear the first prayer. 05:40 But because we come to You once more in earnesty 05:43 or we come earnestly before You. 05:45 And we place ourselves humbly in Your presence. 05:47 And we ask for the Spirit of truth to lead and guide us. 05:50 Soften our hearts, Lord, 05:52 and help us to be open to Your leading 05:55 and guiding right now, in Jesus' name I pray. 05:57 Amen. 05:59 I would like to start with a quote from an article 06:02 that was posted back in 1992. 06:05 May seem a little outdated, but the truth is spot on. 06:08 This is coming from Peter F. 06:10 Drucker, in an article that he posted entitled, 06:13 The Post-Capitalist World. 06:15 But a piece of this really caught my attention 06:18 when I found it. 06:19 And I want to share it with you right now. 06:20 And I think you'll find that this truth 06:22 is very relevant for today. 06:24 He says in the article, 06:26 "Every few hundred years in Western history, 06:28 there occurs a sharp transformation. 06:31 Within a few short decades, society, its worldview, 06:35 its basic values, its social and political structure, 06:39 its arts, its key institutions rearranges itself. 06:44 Fifty years later, there is a new world. 06:47 And the people born then cannot even imagine 06:50 the world in which their grandparents lived 06:52 and into which their own parents were born. 06:56 We are currently living through such a transformation." 07:01 As I read through that quote, 07:03 I don't think anyone in their right mind would deny 07:05 the truthfulness of that paragraph 07:09 that I just read. 07:11 We are certainly seeing that. 07:12 And we have seen that in history 07:14 that ever so many years, as generations go by, 07:17 we see a drastic transformation in life in general, 07:22 but especially the mentality, 07:24 the ideology and the beliefs of people as time goes by. 07:30 Now, I just had like a little quick breakdown 07:32 of the multiple different generations 07:34 from the early 1900s, all the way up to today. 07:37 And it's quite interesting when you consider it 07:39 because the majority of these stand alone, 07:43 while the latter generations 07:44 again stand alone in and of themselves, 07:46 but separate from the previous generations before them. 07:50 For instance, if you consider from 1910 to 1924, 07:53 this is what is known as The Greatest Generation. 07:56 And then you have 1925 to 1945, 07:58 what is known as The Silent Generation. 08:01 And then, of course, from 1946 to 1964, 08:05 The Baby Boomer Generation. 08:07 And then anyone born from 1965 to 1979, 08:11 this is what is known as Generation X. 08:13 And then we get into what is known 08:14 as the modern generations, the Millennials, 08:17 which is anyone born from 1980 to 1994. 08:21 The iGen or Generation Z generation, 08:25 which is anyone born from 1995 to 2012. 08:29 And then the one that many people don't have a clue about, 08:31 but is actually a new generation, 08:33 the newest generation is anyone born between 2013 08:37 and of course the future 2025 is known as Generation Alpha. 08:43 Now, what's interesting is, 08:45 there is no doubt that anyone who was born pre-Millennial, 08:48 in other words, from The Greatest Generation 08:50 all the way through to this Generation X, 08:53 most of those people would say, 08:55 "Man, who are these Millennials? 08:57 How do we reach these Millennials? 08:58 It seems like they have a different mind of their own, 09:01 a different idea of life and different set of beliefs." 09:04 The same thing applies to this Generation Z 09:06 as well as this, of course, a younger generation 09:09 that's going to be up and coming, 09:10 the Generation Alpha. 09:13 But, my friends, these are real people, 09:16 these are our children, these are our youth. 09:18 And even though there seems to be a drastic divide 09:21 of ideology, a drastic divide of mentality and understanding 09:26 of the different aspects of life 09:28 and especially pertaining to religion and spirituality, 09:32 spiritual things that are important to us, 09:34 there is still a way 09:36 that we can reach these young people. 09:37 But it also might mean 09:38 that we have to do some self-examination, 09:41 that we have to address the elephant in the room 09:43 and that we also ourselves might have to do 09:46 some reformation of thought 09:48 and idea in order to reach our young people of today. 09:52 There's one more quote, it's a lengthy quote, 09:54 but this actually really nails down the difference in idea 09:59 or perception of what we call truth. 10:01 Okay? 10:02 And when I say what we call truth, you know, 10:04 there may be someone sitting at home right now says, 10:06 "Well, I know what truth is. 10:07 I know exactly what truth is." 10:09 And while somebody else is saying, 10:10 "Well, I also know what truth is." 10:12 But you bring these people together 10:13 and they have a different conclusion or different idea 10:16 about what truth is. 10:18 But in Dr. Hyveth Williams book, 10:21 Nothing But the Best on page 156 and 157. 10:24 She describes the difference between what is known 10:27 as the modernist mentality, which is yesterday's mentality, 10:31 you know, that The Greatest Generation 10:34 through to the Generation X mentality 10:36 of how to come to truth 10:38 or how to determine what truth is. 10:41 And then she compares that or actually contrast that 10:44 to the idea of what is known as postmodernism 10:48 or a postmodernist mentality of what truth is or how do we, 10:52 how we come to the conclusion of what truth is. 10:54 And this is what she says, again, 10:56 this is Dr. Hyveth Williams in her book, 10:58 Nothing But the Best, page 156 and 157. 11:00 And she says, "We were trained, speaking of the modernist, 11:04 we were trained to discover truth 11:06 based on the five foundational Protestant principles 11:09 of number one, Sola scriptura, 11:12 which means by Scripture alone. 11:15 Number two, Sola fide, which means by faith alone. 11:20 Number three, Sola gratia, which means by grace alone. 11:25 Number four, Sola Christo, 11:27 which means through Christ alone. 11:30 And number five, Soli deo Gloria, 11:33 which means glory to God alone." 11:36 But she goes on to say, "But today, 11:39 the Western world has seen a significant change 11:43 in this concept of truth, 11:45 for postmodernism holds to no objective truth. 11:50 Rather, truth is not to be discovered but created. 11:54 This means that, from a postmodern perspective, 11:57 whatever you think is truth is truth. 12:01 It doesn't matter what an author wrote, 12:03 especially in the ancient books of the Bible 12:05 or in Judeo-Christian writings today. 12:09 Postmodernists tend to favor the concepts 12:11 of alternative reality called uchronie 12:14 or counterfactual theory, 12:16 concluding that perception is everything. 12:21 It means that whatever you perceive to have happened 12:24 is just as true 12:25 as what actually did take place. 12:28 Thus, their motto is 'Don't impose your values on me. 12:33 Let me determine what is right or wrong for me.'" 12:38 You know, as I read through that, 12:39 I'm sure there's many parents, many grandparents, 12:42 family members, friends at home, 12:44 that as I read through that have said, yep, 12:47 that exactly applies to maybe my grandson 12:50 or maybe my son or my daughter 12:52 or whoever it is you're thinking of right now, 12:54 that's a young person. 12:55 You know, it seems like there's a divide, 12:58 there's a big gap. 13:00 And we're trying to understand how do we fill that gap? 13:03 How do I reach my son? 13:04 How do I reach my daughter? 13:05 How do I get them interested in spiritual things? 13:09 And more specifically, how do I get them interested 13:11 in the truth of God's Word 13:13 when many of the young people today have 13:15 a different perspective or a different perception 13:18 on what truth is? 13:20 Oh, my friends, I'll tell you, 13:21 as much as you may not want to hear this 13:23 and I even throw myself into this category as well. 13:27 I don't think that, that gap is too hard to fill 13:31 or to bridge that gap is not as difficult as it may seem. 13:35 It may first also begin or may need to begin with us doing 13:40 some self-examination of ourselves. 13:42 That, what I'm trying to communicate is that in order 13:45 to reach our young people today, 13:47 it may mean that we need to do some reformation of thought, 13:50 an idea in order to reach them on their level. 13:55 Now, understand, my friends, I know when I say this, 13:57 there's already someone that say, 13:58 "Wait a second, what are you trying to say?" 14:00 We're not trying to abandon truth 14:03 as we see in God's Word, certainly not communicating 14:05 that we should compromise the truth of, 14:08 truths of God's Word in order 14:09 to reach young people on their level. 14:11 But what I am saying is that the methods and the tactics 14:14 and the way that we go about witnessing 14:16 to our young people today needs to be rethought. 14:20 It needs to be considered from a different perspective, 14:22 from different angles. 14:24 We need to be very delicate in how we reach out 14:27 to our young people today because the truth is, 14:29 the mostly, the only gospel that they're ever going to see 14:32 or many of them are going to see 14:33 is the gospel that's in you, 14:34 the reality of Jesus that's in you, 14:37 even if it is there. 14:38 Oftentimes, we have parents and grandparents 14:40 and many people in our communities 14:42 and our spiritual communities 14:43 that want to see the young people change, 14:45 that want to see a revival in the young people's hearts 14:47 when in reality, we ourselves need the revival. 14:51 And we wonder why is it seems so hard for us 14:54 to connect on a personal level with our young people, 14:56 with our youth, with our young adults, 14:58 with our teenagers, with our adolescents? 15:00 Why doesn't it seem like they're interested 15:03 in spiritual things? 15:04 Many times, it's because they don't see 15:05 the real Jesus in you. 15:08 Now, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, 15:10 because I'm going to come back to these points 15:11 in a little while. 15:13 But, my friends, I want to take the time 15:15 to share with you some truths from God's Word as well 15:18 as the Spirit of Prophecy on God's attitude 15:21 towards the importance of giving time 15:24 and giving effort in the correct way 15:27 to reach out to our young people. 15:29 Because what we are seeing right now among us, 15:31 we have a catastrophe on our hands, 15:33 a massive exodus of youth, of young people, 15:38 of teenagers, of young adults that are pouring out 15:41 of the church like crazy. 15:43 And, my friends, if Jesus doesn't come back soon, 15:45 the church of tomorrow is going to be very thin. 15:48 If we do not by the power and the leading guiding power 15:51 of the Holy Spirit change our perspective 15:53 on how we reach out to our young people. 15:56 I would like to start 15:58 with Psalm 144:12 and 15. 16:03 Notice what the Bible says, Psalm 144:12 and 15. 16:06 Of course, I'm reading from the New International Version. 16:10 It says, "Then our sons in their youth will be like 16:12 well-nurtured plants, 16:14 and our daughters will be like 16:16 pillars carved to adorn a palace. 16:19 Blessed is the people of whom this is true, 16:23 blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. 16:27 My friends, is that you? 16:29 Are you that people that's blessed to be able to say 16:32 that my young daughter or my young son or my grandson 16:35 or my granddaughter, my young adult, 16:37 a loved one is in the church strong as a pillar 16:41 in God's house today, is that you? 16:43 If that's the case, praise God. 16:45 If it's not, if you're responding 16:47 to this now and saying, "No, it's not. 16:49 How do I get that to be the reality in their life 16:52 and in my life, so that I can see my young grandson 16:55 or granddaughter or daughter or son or loved one 16:59 come to the truth and get to know Christ 17:01 as I know Christ?" 17:03 Well, my friends, there is hope. 17:05 We need to consider some things first. 17:07 Notice what Jesus said, this is a passage in Mark Chapter 10. 17:10 We've read many times. 17:11 You've heard it many times, but let's consider it again. 17:14 Mark 10:13-16. Notice what the Bible says. 17:18 "Then they brought little children to Him, 17:21 that He might touch them, 17:23 but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 17:26 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased 17:29 and said to them, 17:31 'Let the little children come to Me, 17:33 and do not forbid them, 17:35 for of such is the kingdom of God. 17:38 Assuredly, I say to you, 17:39 whoever does not receive the kingdom of God 17:42 as a little child will by no means enter in it.' 17:47 And He took them up in His arms, 17:50 laid His hands on them and blessed them.'" 17:53 I love this scene 17:55 because you can just imagine the love and the compassion 17:57 that these children were experiencing from Jesus. 18:00 But yet the disciples thinking that they were doing 18:02 the right thing, go up to these people and say, 18:05 "Get going, get out of here. 18:08 Jesus isn't ready for you. 18:09 You don't need to be here, don't waste Jesus' time." 18:11 Then Jesus rebukes His own leaders, His own disciples. 18:14 He said, "What are you doing? 18:16 Don't forbid these little children to come unto Me." 18:19 Now, I understand that this passage 18:21 is referencing little children. 18:23 But, my friends, make no mistake, 18:24 these little children represent 18:26 each and every one of us, of all different ages. 18:29 God has children of all ages, all over this world. 18:34 And we should never forbid or keep anyone from any age, 18:38 from coming to Christ. 18:39 And that's the major point that should be taken 18:41 from this passage. 18:43 In fact, in the Desire of Ages, page 517. 18:46 Okay, this gets to the point. 18:47 So pay close attention to this quote here, 18:50 Desire of Ages, page 517. 18:52 Notice what it says referencing this passage 18:54 that we just read. 18:55 It says, "When Jesus told the disciples, 18:58 not to forbid the children to come to Him, 19:00 He was speaking to His followers in all ages, 19:04 to officers of the church, to ministers, helpers, 19:09 and all Christians. 19:11 Jesus is drawing the children and He bids us, 19:15 suffer them to come, as if He would say, 19:20 'They will come, if you, notice, 19:23 do not hinder them.'" 19:26 My friends, have you hindered 19:30 a young person from coming to the faith? 19:32 Maybe so, maybe not. 19:34 This isn't an hour in which we're pointing fingers. 19:36 We're simply taking some self inventory. 19:39 Well, I need to take some self inventory, 19:41 because Jesus regards the youth coming to Him 19:45 as ultimately important. 19:47 He loves His young people. 19:48 He wants to see His young people 19:50 come in communion and in harmony with His will 19:53 that He might transform their life, 19:55 that He might lead them and show them 19:57 on to the correct way of life. 20:00 And right here it says they will come 20:02 if you do not hinder them. 20:04 And I'm just going to put it out there, 20:06 I can tell you with absolute certainty 20:08 that some of us have hindered the youth, 20:12 the young people, 20:14 many young people from coming to Christ, 20:17 as He wills and as He plans. 20:21 Notice what she says in Reflecting Christ, 20:25 page 373, powerful quote. 20:29 She says, "Those who love God 20:32 should feel deeply interested in the children and youth. 20:38 To them, God can reveal His truth and salvation. 20:42 Jesus calls the little ones that believe on Him, 20:45 the lambs of His flock. 20:47 He has a special love for and interest in the children. 20:53 The most precious offering 20:55 that the children can give to Jesus 20:57 is the freshness of their childhood." 21:02 But as I've mentioned before, my friends, we're in a dilemma. 21:05 There are more and more young people pouring out 21:08 of the church, like sand through an hourglass 21:11 or sand through fingers, 21:12 pouring out of the church in a mass exodus like 21:14 no other time before. 21:16 And we are finding it more and more difficult to connect 21:19 with these younger generations. 21:20 We're talking about Millennials, 21:21 we're talking about Gen Zers, 21:23 we're talking about this new and upcoming generation Alpha. 21:27 I don't think any adult is going to... 21:30 I don't think they're not going to admit the fact 21:31 that it's true that it's hard sometimes 21:33 to connect with young people. 21:34 It's hard to get them interested in spiritual things. 21:36 And I think, as I said before, much of this, 21:39 maybe not all, 21:40 but much of this has to do with our communication with them, 21:43 our methods, our tactics, 21:45 our approach and sharing with them 21:48 the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 21:51 Notice what is said in Education, page 271. 21:55 Again, we're just establishing some clear truths 21:57 and principles that are absolutely important 21:59 for this topic, for the understanding 22:01 of how important it is to witness to the youth today, 22:05 to give attention in special interest in our youth today, 22:08 because we certainly don't want this Youthanasia 22:11 to be a reality or to continue to be a reality in our church. 22:15 Education, page 271 says, 22:17 "With such an army of workers as our youth, 22:20 rightly trained, might furnish, 22:24 how soon the message of a crucified, 22:26 risen and soon coming Savior might be carried 22:31 to the whole world." 22:33 My friends, are you reading this with me? 22:34 Are you seeing how important it is for us to reach out 22:39 to in the appropriate way 22:40 and lead and guide our children, 22:42 our youth, our young people, 22:43 our teenagers, our young adults 22:45 and to graft them into the work in the mission of the church 22:48 so that they are in the faith? 22:49 Are you seeing how important this is? 22:52 In fact, that one I just read there 22:54 from Education page 271 says 22:56 that Jesus would come even quicker 22:58 if we would get our youth involved. 22:59 And I can hear some of you probably saying right now 23:01 to this television screen, "That's right, Ryan, 23:03 we want to get them involved. 23:05 That's our goal. 23:06 We want to graft them right into the mission of the church, 23:07 and we want to give them jobs, 23:09 and we want to put them out there as young people 23:11 bringing people to Jesus." 23:12 But yet even some of us, many of us 23:14 who are seeing these very words, 23:16 often are the ones who as she said earlier, 23:18 are hindering them from coming to Christ. 23:20 We got to do some rethinking, 23:22 some renovating and some overhauling of our thoughts 23:27 and our ideas so that we might be able to reach them 23:30 on their level more effectively. 23:33 Gospel Workers, page 279, this is powerful, 23:37 notice what it says. 23:38 It says, "Make the youth 23:40 feel that they are expected to do something. 23:44 The Lord chooses them because they are strong." 23:47 Are you hearing this? 23:49 And oftentimes we look at our youth and we say, 23:51 "Oh, they're just too young. 23:53 These little weaklings, you know, 23:55 they're still on the little bitty, 23:56 you know, little small little milk particles, 23:58 you know, they're way down there. 24:00 They're young." 24:01 But yet the Bible says they, excuse me, 24:02 in the Spirit of Prophecy says they are strong. 24:04 Do we believe that they are strong? 24:07 Do we believe that our young people are capable 24:09 of being mighty powerful youth for the Lord today? 24:13 That's why she says here that they, we need to feel, 24:15 that we need to make them expected to do something. 24:20 Gospel Workers, page 211, 24:22 these are powerful words, my friends. 24:24 Gospel Workers, page 211. 24:25 It says, "Youthful talent, 24:28 well organized and well trained, 24:30 is needed in our churches." 24:32 I could go on and on and on. 24:34 I found so many different quotes, 24:36 so many different Bible verses that illuminate 24:38 and they bring about the truth and the fact that God cares. 24:42 He's interested. 24:43 He's deeply interested in the youth 24:46 and the young people so that He might gather them up 24:49 as a strong and mighty army to go out 24:51 and play their part in co-laboring with God 24:53 in finishing this work, 24:55 this final work before Jesus comes back. 24:58 I read all of these to show you that God is interested, 25:01 He's invested in seeing the young people come to Him. 25:06 But as I said, the data, 25:10 as a statistics show that there is a mass exodus 25:13 of young people that has been happening 25:17 and that is continuing to happen as I speak. 25:20 I did some research 25:22 and I want to share some of these statistics with you 25:24 so that you can see the seriousness 25:26 and the reality of the situation 25:28 we're dealing with, my friends. 25:30 Now, I did a lot of research trying to find a newer, 25:35 updated version of these statistics 25:37 for maybe 2020 or 2021. 25:39 I was unable to find that, but I was still able to find 25:41 some more recent statistics, that still would be 25:45 and would be applicable for our time today. 25:48 Of course, you can find this, these statistics on your own. 25:51 This is coming from the General Conference Secretariat 25:54 and more specifically, the official, 25:56 the Office of the Archives, Statistics and Research. 25:59 If you go to that website of the Office of the Archives, 26:04 Statistics and Research, you will see there 26:06 that there is an article, there was a work 26:09 that is compiled of statistics and data. 26:11 And it's actually called Data on Youth Retention, 26:14 Non-retention and Connectedness to the Church. 26:17 So I'll say that one more time. 26:19 If you look this up for yourself, 26:20 the title of this information, this data research 26:23 is called Data on Youth Retention, 26:25 Non-retention and Connectedness to the Church. 26:29 Now, the statistics were startling. 26:31 I'm just going to tell you. 26:33 At one point, I was surprised and another point 26:35 I wasn't because of what we are seeing happening 26:37 because of the difficulty it seems 26:39 to get our young people involved in spiritual things. 26:41 But nonetheless, this is the data. 26:43 Okay. There's a lot that I could share. 26:45 But for the sake of time, I'm going to give you 26:47 a simple juiced version. 26:48 So listen up very carefully. 26:50 Of, with inside this study that was done all the data 26:53 that was collected, in this study, 26:56 it talks about how we basically for every 10 people 27:01 that we win to the church, okay, 27:03 so notice this for every 10 people 27:06 that we win into the church in membership, 27:09 four people are walking out. 27:12 Now, that may not sound too bad, 27:14 because you go okay, ten and four, okay, well, 27:17 that we still, we were still retaining the majority. 27:20 But if you look at the research, 27:21 literally 40% of the overall membership 27:25 that we went into the church is walking out the back door. 27:28 Now, the question is what percentage 27:31 of the 40% are youth. 27:35 And they do openly admit in the study. 27:37 It says, we do not know for certain 27:39 because we do not currently collect 27:40 and report age data in statistical reports. 27:43 However, if you keep reading down the report, they say this. 27:47 But surveys reveal that young people make up 27:50 a very large portion of the 40%, 27:55 though it varies around the world. 27:57 So they're admitting that of the 40%, 27:59 in other words, if we're winning ten people 28:01 and four people are going out the back door, 28:03 that 40% that has left the church 28:06 or is leaving the church is a large portion 28:08 of that is made up of young people. 28:10 They don't have specific numbers, 28:12 but the data and the research and the surveys 28:14 that they have done is showing that 28:16 the vast majority of this is young people. 28:19 Now, here's what's interesting, 28:21 because if you look at the total age distribution 28:24 of the worldwide church, 28:26 okay, and we're talking about total age distribution 28:29 of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. 28:30 So, all of the different divisions considered in this. 28:35 Let me read you the statistics on this. 28:37 So ages 15 and under, 5.5% 28:42 of our worldwide church is age 15 and under. 28:45 This is a worldwide, keep that. 28:46 You're going to hear me say that a lot because I'm going 28:48 to remind you that. 28:49 22.85%, so almost 23% 28:53 is ages 16 to 25. 28:56 Not bad, okay. 28:58 32% is ages 29:01 26 to 40. 29:04 That's not bad either. 29:05 So ages 26 to 40 29:08 that makes up 32% of the worldwide membership 29:11 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 29:13 29.5% are represented in the 41 to 60 age range, 29:19 okay? 29:20 So for ages 41 to 60, 29:22 we have 29.5% worldwide. 29:27 And then, of course, over the age of 60. 29:30 So 60 and above, 10% basically. 29:33 So 10.22% 29:35 of the church is above the age of 60, okay? 29:39 So if you didn't, weren't unable 29:40 to get those statistics you can always watch this again later 29:43 when it posts on YouTube or on 3ABN+, 29:46 so go back and you can watch and get this data. 29:48 Now that's interesting, that's worldwide. 29:50 But now I'm going to just kind of when you're looking across 29:53 those major divisions, 29:54 you start to see a major difference, 29:59 a contrasting view 30:00 of the distribution of age, within the membership 30:04 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 30:05 when you start to look at the individual divisions 30:08 of the church. 30:10 Now, because I am in North America, 30:11 I'm going to be looking at the one 30:13 that's probably worse than all of them. 30:14 And that is the North American Division. 30:17 Now here's the statistics 30:19 of the age of church members in the North American Division. 30:23 Now, again, there are other divisions 30:24 that are very similar to this one. 30:26 But this is what the North American Division is, okay? 30:28 Get this, ages 25 and under, 30:33 25 and under represent 4.5% 30:39 of the North American Division membership. 30:42 Wow! 30:45 Okay, here it is, ages 26 to 40 30:50 represent 13.91%. 30:53 So we're going to say about 14% 30:56 of the North American Division membership 30:58 is ages 26 to 40. 31:03 Now, once you get north of 40, 31:05 this is where the numbers become staggering. 31:08 38% 31:12 of the North American Division membership 31:15 is ages 41 to 60, 31:19 41 to 60, 38%. 31:23 And then, over the age of 60, 31:26 so 60 and over, 43.28%. 31:31 So 43% of our church membership in North America 31:36 is over the age of 60, or 60 or older. 31:39 Okay, I'm not saying that's horrible, right, 31:40 in the sense that praise God 31:42 that we have our elderly people in the church, 31:44 praise God that we're retaining the ages of 60 31:47 and above and 41 through 60, praise God 31:50 that we're retaining these. 31:51 But if you look at it from the statistical perspective 31:54 or the numerical perspective, get this, 31:57 81.5% 32:02 of the North American Division membership of the church 32:07 is over the age of 40 or 41 or older. 32:11 In other words, the vast majority 32:14 of the membership in the North American Division 32:16 is ages 41 and above. 32:20 That means that only 18.5% 32:25 of the total statistical membership 32:28 of our church in North America, 32:31 18.5% 32:35 is below the age of 40. 32:38 Have mercy. 32:42 Again, praise God that we're retaining 32:45 our older generations that is vastly important. 32:49 But, my friends, they ask the question, again, 32:51 in this study, this recent study that was done 32:54 at the General Conference level. 32:56 "Where are the young people?" 32:57 They're asking, only 18.5%. And so this is what they say? 33:01 Young people are being born into the church 33:03 and some being won into the church. 33:05 So why are our demographics in some parts of the world 33:08 so tilted toward older people? 33:11 Here's their answer. 33:13 The young people have left. 33:16 That's not my words. 33:18 That's the General Conference, the young people have left. 33:22 And then they go on to say, and not only in the NADs. 33:25 We're not just going to throw the NAD under the bus, 33:27 not only in the NAD, but Japan Union 33:29 and other entities as well. 33:31 And they reference here in parentheses, in Europe, 33:34 with ageing memberships. 33:36 But it goes on to say, of the 40%, 33:39 that is the 40% that's leaving, okay? 33:41 We're winning, if we consider the 100%, 33:43 the 10 people we're winning into the church 33:45 and the four people that are leaving the 40%. 33:47 So they say, of the 40%, 33:49 who are leaving around the world, 33:52 the surveys of ex members show 33:54 that a large portion 33:56 are our youth. 34:00 Lord, have mercy on us. 34:03 My friends, we're in a dilemma. 34:05 And we need to be serious about the situation. 34:10 In fact, I did a little bit more digging into this research 34:12 and they came up with some surveys 34:14 that showed some of the reasons behind 34:17 why these ex members have left the church. 34:22 Okay. 34:23 And again, what did they say in regards 34:24 to all of those ex members? 34:26 The vast majority of them 34:27 or a large portion of them are youth. 34:29 Okay, so maybe not all but much of these numbers 34:32 and these reasons that I'm going to share with you now 34:34 is youth. 34:35 Okay, so here it is. 34:37 This is, again, they're asking the question, 34:38 why did you leave? 34:40 And the qualitative study on ex members, 34:42 given the most important reasons for why they left. 34:44 These are some of the top reasons 34:46 and the statistics connected to them. 34:48 So 28% of those ex members 34:50 who left the church actually owned up and said, 34:53 "It's no big issue. 34:54 I just drifted away." Okay. 34:56 Well, it is a big issue, right? 34:57 It's an issue that they drifted away. 34:59 We don't ever want to lose anyone, right? 35:00 We're willing to leave the 99 to go 35:02 with the one if we need to. 35:03 But at the end of the day, they said, 35:05 "I just drifted away." 35:06 So I appreciate that 20% who owned up and said, 35:08 "Look, it's really not anyone else's fault but my own. 35:10 I allowed myself to drift away." Okay? 35:13 25% says 35:15 lack of compassion for the hurting. 35:20 19% again, 35:21 opened up and said moral failure on my part, okay. 35:26 18% said, "I just did not fit in." 35:29 That's the reason why they left. 35:30 "I just didn't fit it." All right. 35:32 And you may not agree with these reasons. 35:34 You may be saying right now, 35:35 "Well, that's not a reason to leave the church. 35:37 And that's not a reason to leave the church. 35:38 And that's not a reason to leave the church." 35:39 You know, many of us may not agree with these reasons. 35:41 But nonetheless, my friends, 35:42 these are the reasons they left. 35:45 14% said too much focus on minor issues. 35:49 13% said conflict in the congregation 35:54 made me leave the church. 35:57 12% said moral failures of other members. All right. 36:01 And we can look at that and say, 36:02 "Look, just because someone else is failing morally, 36:04 should not be a reason why we leave God's church." 36:06 That is truthful. 36:08 But nonetheless, whatever that moral failure 36:09 was on the part of that other church member 36:11 or church members made some of these people 36:13 leave the church, 12% of these respondents. 36:17 11% said moral failures of leaders in the church. 36:22 Another 11% said 36:24 pressure from family 36:26 or friends caused them to leave the church. 36:28 And, of course, this last one really got me. 36:30 But it's a reality. It's the world we live in. 36:33 10% who left the church said that race, 36:39 ethnic and tribal issues caused them to leave the church. 36:42 And I look at that and while it's a reality, 36:44 I say have mercy on us. 36:46 These type of issues shouldn't even exist, right? 36:48 Racial issues caused you to leave, 36:51 ethnic issues or tribal issues. 36:53 Lord, have mercy on us. 36:55 But nonetheless, these are the real issues, 36:57 some of the real issues, maybe not all of them. 36:59 In fact, I did a little bit more digging. 37:01 And I found some responses from other surveys 37:03 that were done that were connected 37:05 to this particular issue of youth retention 37:08 and non-retention in the church. 37:10 And while I am not going to be able to read all of them 37:12 for sake of time, I wanted to read 37:13 at least one of them for you. 37:15 And this is just a response from a youth, 37:17 a young adult, that actually there's many young adults 37:21 that feel the same way as this young adult. 37:23 And there's many other reasons that they gave in words, 37:25 that they verbally made known 37:27 as to why they don't feel like they're in, 37:30 they like being in the church anymore 37:31 or part of the church anymore. 37:32 So notice this person here 37:34 and I can understand their sincerity as I read this. 37:37 This person says, 37:38 this is a young adult and then they say, 37:40 "As I grow older, 37:42 I am beginning to feel 37:43 that I am not important to the church. 37:46 Our Sabbath school is a joke." 37:48 That's their words. 37:50 "Because it's the department 37:51 that gets leftovers for teachers." 37:55 They go on to say, "When I'm home from school, 37:57 I just skipped Sabbath school 37:58 because it eliminates the frustrations I feel 38:01 when I tried to lead the teacher 38:02 into topics that really matter, but to no avail. 38:07 I know this sounds very silly and it is." 38:10 And they're admitting it sounds silly but you know, 38:12 it's the case that they say, 38:14 "But it is those little things that add up 38:17 and make people feel just a little less important. 38:22 Maybe it is a lot of little reasons 38:25 that make people want to leave the church. 38:27 And they say I'm an adult. 38:30 And I just wish my home church would treat me like one. 38:34 Is that too much to ask?" 38:35 They say, "And is it too much to ask 38:37 to have a meaningful lesson study?" 38:41 My goodness, one of the foundational aspects 38:44 of our church experience is Sabbath school. 38:47 And I can tell you 38:48 that this is not the only person that feels this way. 38:50 I have spoken to young people all over this nation around 38:53 the world who have said, "You know what, I just, 38:54 I don't I can't really connect with Sabbath school 38:56 because I want to talk about real things, 38:58 real issues that that we have to experience 39:00 as young people but we're more focused on other things." 39:03 And some teachers, they're going doing it, 39:05 don't get me wrong, there's great teachers out there. 39:06 There's great Sabbath School programs. 39:08 We're not throwing everyone under the bus. 39:09 But nonetheless, these are real issues 39:11 that are causing some people to rethink some things 39:13 and it's causing them to be discouraged in the faith. 39:17 Notice what Mrs. White says here in Testimonies 39:19 for the Church, volume four, page 70. 39:21 Testimonies for the Church, volume four, page 70. 39:24 She says, "Parents who can be approached in no other way 39:28 are frequently reached through their children. 39:31 Sabbath school teachers can instruct 39:34 the children in the truth, and they will, 39:37 in turn make it into the home circle. 39:39 But few teachers seem to understand the importance 39:43 of this branch of the work." 39:46 My friends, there's lots that can be said. 39:49 We don't want to make this whole sermon, 39:50 this just big negative breakdown. 39:52 But nonetheless, my friends, 39:54 we certainly want to get to the bottom of this issue. 39:56 This is a real issue. 39:58 We want to retain our young people. 39:59 We want to lead them to Christ, 40:00 but it's sometimes means that before we can reach them, 40:02 we first need to be reached, 40:04 we first need to do some self-examination 40:07 and take some self inventory, 40:08 some spiritual inventory in our life. 40:11 I want to read now just a few quotes and scriptures 40:14 that will try to, again communicate 40:16 the overall attitude and importance 40:18 of reaching our young people 40:20 from the perspective of our God. 40:21 Testimonies for the Church, volume six, page 471. 40:25 Notice what it says, "The youth are receptive, 40:28 fresh, ardent, hopeful. 40:31 When once they have tasted 40:32 the blessedness of self-sacrifice, 40:34 they will not be satisfied 40:36 unless they are constantly learning of the Great Teacher. 40:39 The Lord will open ways before those 40:41 who will respond to His call. 40:44 So the young people, they're receptive, 40:47 they're fresh, they're ardent. 40:49 I can speak with absolute certainty and experience 40:52 that is the case. 40:53 There are young people all over this world 40:56 that you may look at as, "Oh, 40:57 that person's not interested in spiritual things. 40:59 They're not interested in the Bible. 41:00 They're not interested in having 41:02 a relationship with God." 41:03 But I promise you, you don't know them well enough 41:04 to know that they're actually, 41:06 they are so spiritually malnourished. 41:08 They're starving for a relationship with God. 41:10 They're starving to understand who they are in Christ. 41:13 It's just sometimes we have to fix our perspective 41:16 and how we reach them. 41:18 It's a very delicate process. 41:20 Notice Ephesians 6:4, again, biblical counsel 41:23 that comes for such a time as this. 41:25 Notice what it says fathers 41:27 and I want to add in there even mothers. 41:28 "But fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, 41:32 but bring them up in the training and admonition 41:35 of the Lord." 41:37 Yes, we have a responsibility 41:38 to bring our children to the Lord. 41:40 And we're going to talk a little bit about that 41:42 in just a moment, a little bit more 41:43 but let me read you to this next quote. 41:45 This is from That I May Know Him, page 39. 41:48 That I May Know Him, page 39. 41:50 Notice what it says, 41:51 "How interestedly the Lord Jesus knocks 41:54 at the door of families, 41:56 where there are little ones to be educated and trained! 41:58 How gently He went, 42:00 He watches over their mothers' interest, 42:03 and how sad He feels to see children neglected. 42:06 In the home, notice, characters are formed." 42:09 It says, "Human beings are molded 42:10 and fashioned to be either a blessing or a curse." 42:14 My friends, what is your home life like? 42:17 Are you raising up children in the way of the Lord 42:19 in an appropriate manner leading your children, 42:23 leading your grandchildren, 42:24 leading each other to Jesus Christ 42:26 in the love and compassion and the Gospel of Jesus? 42:29 Or is it something else happening? 42:31 Even Proverbs 22:6, 42:33 this is one that we quote often, 42:34 especially when it comes to training 42:36 or raising children. 42:38 But Proverbs 22:6, we've heard it many times, 42:40 it says, "Train up a child in the way he should go 42:43 and when he is old he will not depart from it." 42:47 And as I read that scripture, 42:49 I'm sure many of the parents said, "Amen." 42:51 And you should say, amen, 42:52 because that's a powerful truth. 42:54 The only issue is many people take this scripture 42:57 and they misuse and abuse it. 42:58 They twist it into something that it's not. 43:03 You see much of our youth are not being led to Christ, 43:08 but rather pushed further away from Christ 43:11 because of religion. 43:13 Because many people 43:15 and I'm just going to go ahead and say it, 43:17 many parents, many family members, 43:19 even maybe many church officials 43:22 are simply spiritually waterboarding 43:24 our youth with religion. 43:27 We want them to be so holy. 43:28 We want them to be raised up in the way of the Lord. 43:30 We see it as our duty to raise them in righteousness 43:33 and make them good old 43:34 Seventh-day Adventist Christians. 43:36 But in reality, my friends, we are force feeding them 43:39 the rules and regulations, 43:40 instead of showing them the Ruler. 43:43 We're force feeding them the rules, 43:45 instead of leading them to the Lord of the Sabbath. 43:47 We're more focused on the rules and regulations 43:50 of the Sabbath. 43:51 It's putting a bad taste in our youth's mouth. 43:54 They're not being led into a passionate, loving, 43:57 wonderful relationship with their Lord. 43:59 They're not tasting to see if the Lord is good 44:02 because instead of Christ, they might be hearing over 44:06 and over a misuse and abuse of Ellen White says. 44:10 Ellen White says. Ellen White says. 44:13 Don't please don't run, shout at me and stone me for that. 44:15 Because you know, I believe in the writings 44:17 and the inspiration of Ellen White. 44:18 I'm using much of it right here in my own sermon. 44:21 But, my friends, we should be leading them 44:22 toward the saith the Lord. 44:24 We should be leading them to Jesus Christ, 44:25 not beating them over the head with the Gospel of Jesus 44:28 and not giving them every reason 44:29 to hate Christianity, hate the Bible, 44:32 hate the truth, 44:33 because every little single thought 44:35 or problem that they have, we say, you know what? 44:37 Ellen White says though. 44:39 We have to be careful 44:42 not to quench the spirit in a young person's life 44:45 or be an aid to the quenching of the spirit 44:49 in a young person's life because we misuse 44:52 and abuse this powerful message and truth that we have. 44:57 Yes, doctrines matter. 45:00 Yes, all of these powerful foundational truths, 45:04 that we believe in a Seventh-day Adventist, 45:06 they matter. 45:07 They're crucial. 45:09 They're pillars of our faith 45:10 that hold up the great sanctuary, 45:13 the great banner of Seventh-day Adventism. 45:16 But nonetheless, my friends, we have to also understand 45:20 that no one has ever been saved by the Sabbath. 45:26 No one has ever been saved 45:28 by the truth of the state of the dead. 45:30 No one has ever been saved 45:32 by any of these pillar doctrines 45:34 because those doctrines in and of themselves 45:36 cannot save, only Jesus Christ 45:39 and His shed blood and His love and His compassion 45:42 and His mercy that only Jesus Himself has to offer 45:46 and has to give to our young people. 45:47 Only He can save a soul. 45:50 Only He can turn a hardened heart into a soft, 45:53 loving, receptible vessel. 45:55 And our young people are no different. 45:57 Yes, there may be difficulties in connecting with them. 46:01 Yes, there may be a difference in ideology or mentality. 46:04 But if we think we're ever going to lead them to Jesus, 46:06 simply by taking the sword of truth and saying, 46:09 "Take it, take it, receive it, accept it, because it's truth." 46:12 That is not the way we lead our young people to Jesus. 46:17 Adventist Home, page 320, notice what it says, 46:20 "Parents make a most terrible mistake, 46:23 when they neglect the work of giving 46:25 their children religious training." 46:27 Okay, so we should give them religious training. 46:28 But notice, "Thinking that they will come out 46:31 all right in the future and as they get older, 46:34 will of themselves be anxious for a religious experience. 46:37 Cannot you see, parents, 46:39 that if you do not plant the precious seeds of truth," 46:42 and then she goes on to say, "and of love, 46:46 of heavenly attributes in the heart, 46:49 Satan will sow the field of the heart with tares?" 46:52 You see, there's always the two opposite extremes. 46:55 You have the one who's beating and force feeding, 46:58 beating the heads of the children with truth, 47:00 with the Bible and Ellen White. 47:02 And they're force feeding and waterboarding, 47:04 spiritually waterboarding our children with Adventism, 47:07 rather than with the love 47:09 and the compassion of Jesus Christ. 47:10 And then you have the opposite extreme. 47:12 You have those that are, you know, again, 47:14 claiming the name of Jesus, claiming to be raising, 47:16 you know, godly children in the Lord, 47:18 but yet they're left in letting them drift off 47:20 into any old thing the world has to offer. 47:22 There's no real guidance that's good, Christ led, 47:26 spirit led, spiritual training in the home. 47:30 It has to be balanced. 47:31 It has to be done in love. 47:33 And it has to be done with compassion and truth. 47:36 Notice what Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, 47:38 beautiful, beautiful passage. 47:41 Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, 47:42 "And these words which I command you today 47:44 shall be in your heart. 47:46 You shall teach them diligently to your children, 47:48 and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, 47:52 when you walk by the way, when you lie down, 47:54 and when you rise up." 47:55 Did you catch that, my friends? 47:57 You should talk of them and talk with them. 48:00 You know, there's not a lot of communication 48:01 going on in homes today. 48:04 Everyone's got some of the most powerful devices 48:07 of communication ever given to mankind 48:09 and ever made available for mankind, 48:11 cell phones and iPads and computers and oh, 48:14 the list goes on. 48:16 But yet inside the homes, 48:18 trying to live out the American dream, 48:21 seeking careers, that's keeping the families 48:23 and the parents busy. 48:25 And I'm certainly not saying careers are bad. 48:26 I'm certainly not saying you shouldn't have jobs. 48:28 We all have to eat, we all have to pay bills, but, 48:30 my friends, never, ever let those things be, 48:33 you know, causing neglect within the home and the family. 48:37 We need to be sitting down with our children talking with them. 48:40 And sometimes they may not want to talk about 48:42 the spiritual things you want to talk about. 48:44 "Well, I want my child to understand the sanctuary 48:48 and the 2300 years." 48:49 They may not be ready for that yet. 48:51 "Well they're 17 years old, they better be." 48:53 They may not be ready for that yet. 48:56 You have to meet them on their level. 48:59 If they're interested in spiritual things, 49:01 let them communicate and tell you 49:03 what they are interested in talking to rather than you 49:07 dictating what it is that they need to know. 49:09 Yes, we are to apply these biblical principles. 49:11 Yes, we are to train them up in the way 49:14 of the Word of the Lord and in the truth 49:15 and the principles of God's Word. 49:17 But it must come over time. 49:18 It must come in an appropriate, balanced process. 49:21 And it must be done in a very tactful, 49:23 methodical way that is going to day by day, 49:26 moment by moment, week by week, 49:28 year by year lead these youth, these teenagers, 49:32 these young people, these adolescents 49:34 and these young adults 49:35 to Christ in the appropriate way. 49:37 Adventist Home, page 320, 49:39 "From the earliest age of wise education in Christ's lines, 49:44 it is to be begun and carried forward 49:47 when the children's hearts are impressible, 49:50 they are to be taught concerning eternal realities. 49:54 Parents should remember that they are living, 49:57 speaking and acting in the presence of God." 50:03 As a parent, if you're watching this, 50:06 you don't realize how powerful 50:08 of a witness you are to your children. 50:11 Maybe you do. 50:12 I say that because many parents don't. 50:16 You are going to be first and foremost, 50:19 the gospel that your children and your grandchildren see. 50:24 Do they see Jesus in you? 50:27 Because you can give them the truth of God's Word 50:30 all day long. 50:32 And you can try to be that hero in their life, 50:35 that's going to introduce them to Jesus. 50:37 But if you yourself do not know the God of the Bible, 50:42 then how in the world are you going to lead someone else? 50:45 In this case, your children or your grandchildren 50:47 to the God of the Bible if you don't even know 50:50 the God of the Bible. 50:52 If they don't see the light of Jesus in you, 50:56 then how in the world are they ever going to come 50:58 to know the realities of the God, 51:00 the true real God that exists? 51:04 How do we reach our young people? 51:07 Let's get practical in these last few moments we have. 51:09 How can I reach the young people? 51:12 That's the question we're asking you at home, 51:15 everyone listening. 51:17 The key, I believe, is found in the Ministry of Healing, 51:20 page 143. 51:21 And by the way, this is a universal principle, 51:23 universal truth that applies for all witnessing, 51:26 no matter what the age, 51:28 no matter what generation, it applies to all. 51:31 It's called Christ's method alone. 51:34 The Ministry of Healing, page 143, here it is. 51:38 "Christ's method alone 51:41 will give true success in reaching the people. 51:45 The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. 51:50 He showed His sympathy for them, 51:53 ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. 51:59 Then He bade them, 'Follow Me.'" 52:03 Christ's method alone. 52:07 That's it, only the way of Christ, 52:10 only the method in which He used to win 52:13 souls to the gospel 52:14 and to be transformed by the gospel, 52:16 only His method works. 52:18 And that's the method we must embrace. 52:20 That's the method we must practice. 52:23 Let me give you some practical ways 52:25 that you can reach your young people. 52:27 Again, these are just a few little pointers, 52:29 certainly not a complete list 52:31 because we would need a whole another series 52:33 to be able to communicate that. 52:34 But in the few waking moments we have here, 52:36 I want to communicate just a few pointers 52:38 that are absolutely crucial. 52:40 And applying 52:41 when you're reaching a young person today, 52:42 whether it be a Millennial, whether it be a Generation Zer 52:46 or whether it also be this Generation Alpha, 52:48 that's coming up. 52:49 Number one, so here it is, there's a few of these I think 52:51 there's five, so get ready to write them down. 52:52 Number one, listen. 52:56 Listen, 52:57 non-judgmental communication is key 53:02 when you're dealing with a young person. 53:04 Listening makes room for people and a culture 53:08 that places high value on acceptance, 53:11 this is no small thing. 53:14 When we make space first for who people are 53:18 and then for what matters to them, 53:21 only then can we know how to offer ourselves 53:24 and our faith to them. 53:27 Do not lecture or impose thoughts and ideas, 53:30 your own personal thoughts and ideas. 53:31 You haven't won their confidence yet. 53:33 Remember, you're trying to be a friend to them 53:35 as Jesus first became a friend to them. 53:38 Number two, 53:39 show sympathy and genuine attentiveness to the thoughts, 53:43 ideas and challenges they may be experiencing. 53:47 You will never become a person they trust unless 53:49 you show genuine care 53:51 and awareness in their real issues and ideas. 53:55 Okay, so notice this, doubt is not the enemy. 53:58 "But Ryan, my young daughter or son or granddaughter 54:00 or grandson, they're always doubting their faith 54:02 or doubting the existence of God." 54:04 Doubt is not necessarily the enemy. 54:06 In fact, we can often do more harm in trying to protect 54:09 or shield our youth from doubt rather than nurturing 54:13 that experience. 54:14 Study showed doubt is an important part 54:16 of the process of forming a healthy religious identity. 54:19 So get this, doubt by its very nature 54:22 leads to both a stronger belief in something 54:24 and unbelief in something else. 54:27 Therefore, the question is not whether doubt will lead 54:30 to unbelief but which beliefs will be strengthened 54:32 and which beliefs will be rejected. 54:35 On this note, it is essential 54:37 that we play more of a supportive, 54:40 yet facilitating role in helping to guide 54:43 not dictate our young people to the truth. 54:47 Number three, meet their physical, 54:50 emotional and spiritual needs. 54:53 So what do they need? Ask them, right? 54:56 Ask how you can help. 54:58 You know what they need more than anything? 55:00 They need you. 55:02 You know what your daughter and son needs more than anything? 55:04 They need you as a parent. 55:06 You know what your granddaughter 55:07 and grandson need more than anything? 55:09 They need you to be in their lives. 55:10 They need you to be there to support them. 55:12 Invest your time, your effort and your resources, 55:15 if necessary to meet whatever it is 55:17 they need in the moment or in general, 55:19 that's what Jesus did. 55:20 He met their needs first before He bade them to follow Him. 55:23 He became a friend to them, He became a supporter of them. 55:28 Number four, there's a lot I can say on that 55:29 one but I'm going to go on, we're running out of time. 55:31 Number four, upon winning their confidence 55:33 because now you've become a friend to them. 55:35 You've been spending time with them, 55:37 you're meeting their needs, you're meeting those physical, 55:40 emotional and spiritual needs, 55:42 you're spending time with them, you're getting to know them. 55:44 Number four, here it is, 55:45 upon winning their confidence now, 55:47 they will trust you with truth. 55:50 Why? 55:51 Why will they trust you with truth 55:53 because they have seen the truth in you. 55:56 They've seen Christ in you. 55:59 Christianity will no longer be a myth or a mystery. 56:02 It will be real, genuine and desired. 56:06 And so here, notice the last one, 56:08 number five, 56:09 in a very strategic yet methodical manner. 56:12 You lead them on a journey 56:14 and helping them to grasp their essential worth 56:18 and identity in Christ. 56:22 That's all they want to know. 56:24 Youth are open, they're open to truth. 56:27 Are you open to meet them where they are? 56:31 There's a mass exodus of young people, 56:33 my friends, in our church. 56:35 We got to do something about it before there is no church. 56:38 And we know the churches are going to fall. 56:40 We're been told that. 56:41 But we still have to remedy this 56:42 while we have an opportunity. 56:44 I leave you with this final quote, 56:45 Messages to Young People, page 25, powerful quote. 56:49 "The church is languishing for the help of young men 56:52 and young women 56:54 who will bear a courageous testimony, 56:56 who will with their ardent zeal stir up the sluggish energies 57:00 of God's people, 57:02 and so increase the power of the church in the world." 57:08 Will you lead them to Jesus? 57:10 Or perhaps maybe you need to be led to Jesus. 57:13 Whatever the case may be, my friends, 57:16 it's never too late. 57:17 It is not too late. 57:19 Whether it's you or your child or your grandchildren 57:23 or whoever it is, 57:25 just surrender yourself today to Christ. 57:27 Ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. 57:29 And He certainly will. Thank you, my friends. |
Revised 2022-01-27