Participants:
Series Code: AVGC
Program Code: AVGC210013S
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00:01 Music...
00:06 Hello Friends, we thank you so much for joining us 00:09 during this General Conference Global Camp Meeting 00:12 and today, we have a very, very special topic 00:15 that we're going to be discussing... 00:17 learning and growing in and that is, 00:19 we've entitled this: Operation Gen Z 00:22 that is: Operation Generation Z. 00:24 We're going to be talking about how to witness... 00:26 how to reach the hearts 00:28 of the younger generations of our time 00:31 with this post-modernist mentality 00:33 that has emerged and become so dominant in our time. 00:37 My name is Ryan Day. 00:38 I'm representing the 3 Angels Broadcasting Network 00:41 and it's a privilege and an honor 00:43 for me to join you at this time. 00:44 I have lots to discuss... lots... 00:46 many, many, many different points to go through today 00:48 but before we dive right into that, 00:49 I want to just have a quick word of prayer as we go to the Lord. 00:52 Let's do that now. 00:54 "Our Father in heaven, 00:55 Lord, we certainly need Your leadership and guidance 00:59 during this time... I know I do, Lord. 01:00 As we consider and contemplate 01:03 how we reach the hearts and minds of our youth 01:06 around the world, 01:07 Lord, we know You died for every single person 01:10 including the young people 01:11 and Lord, it seems like there has been a shift in mentality, 01:15 a shift in worldview in these emerging generations 01:19 as of recent 01:20 and Lord, we want to know how we can reach them on Your level, 01:24 not with our tactics... 01:25 not with our perceptions or our methods... 01:28 but Lord, we want to use Your method and Your method alone. 01:31 So, Father, help me now 01:32 and power me with the power of Your Holy Spirit 01:35 as we unpack and discuss these multiple points 01:37 and how we can reach the hearts and minds 01:39 of the youth of today, 01:40 we ask this in Jesus' holy name, amen... amen... " 01:45 Operation Gen Z. 01:48 As I was preparing for this, 01:50 I found a rather interesting quote 01:52 from a gentleman by the name of Peter Drucker 01:55 who wrote a quite-popular paperback in 1992 01:57 that was printed and published and it's entitled: 02:00 The Post-Capitalist World 02:02 and I want to read that right now. 02:04 Notice what he says... he says: 02:06 on screen... 02:44 Of course, because this is entitled: Operation Gen Z... 02:47 we're talking about this new emerging Generation Z. 02:51 In fact, I have a list of the different generations 02:55 from the 20th Century into the 21st Century 02:57 and you will see very clearly there 02:59 people born in the early 1900s there from 1910 to 1924, 03:04 you see it's entitled: The Greatest Generation 03:06 and then, of course, you have: 03:07 The Silent Generation that followed... 1925 to '45 03:11 then, of course, that famous Baby Boomer Generation 03:14 from 1946 to '64 03:16 and then you have those that were born in what's known as: 03:18 Generation X from '65 to '79 03:21 and then, of course, in recent times, 03:24 we've heard a lot of talk in news and... and... and... 03:26 and in all over about these Millennials... 03:28 the Millennial Generation which was born from 1980 to 1994 03:33 but then we have this new dominant... powerful 03:36 and very influential generation 03:38 because these are our teenagers 03:40 and even young adults by this time... 03:43 we're talking about our: iGen Generation 03:45 or, of course, Generation Z 03:47 which are those born between the years 1995 and 2012 03:52 and, of course, not necessarily at this point 03:55 a part of our conversation just yet, 03:58 but, of course, the newer generation 04:00 they've already dubbed as Gen Alpha 04:02 which are those born between 2013 and 2025. 04:06 My Friends, if you have lived in the world today 04:10 and you are a Christian and you have conversated... 04:14 you have communicated with different age groups... 04:17 from different generations, then you know that it seems 04:20 like it can be challenging 04:22 to reach the younger generation of today... 04:24 in fact, I think this has been an ongoing thing now, 04:27 probably for the past decade... decade and a half... 04:30 people are wondering: How can I reach my kids? 04:32 How can I reach my grandchildren with the gospel of Jesus Christ? 04:36 It seems like they might not even be 04:38 you know, interested in spiritual things 04:40 where it seems like their interest in Biblical themes 04:43 or the Bible itself or Christianity 04:45 is just simply non-existent 04:47 but my Friends, I'm here to tell you 04:49 that there is hope. 04:51 In fact, just to kind of outline and identify 04:54 that there is such a great distinction 04:57 between what is known as Modernist 04:59 or the Modernist Mentality 05:01 which we would also dub as a traditional-Christian mindset 05:05 versus this new Generational Z Mentality 05:08 or what's known as: Postmodernist Mentality, 05:11 there is a direct difference... 05:13 there is a clear differentiation between the two 05:16 and I believe that probably better than anyone else, 05:19 Dr. Hyveth Williams who is an Andrews University Professor... 05:22 in her book: Nothing But the Best 05:24 in which she is basically instructing 05:27 how to preach properly using different preaching methods, 05:30 she has a chapter in which she deals with this 05:32 and I just brought this Section up, 05:34 I want to read it, it's a little lengthy 05:35 but I want to show you what she's... 05:37 she's making a differentiation between the transition 05:40 of the Modernist Mentality 05:41 to the Post-Modernist Mentality... 05:43 the yesterday's traditional approach to life in Christianity 05:48 and now this new emergent approach to Christianity 05:51 where truth is relative 05:53 and this is what she says as she's opening up 05:55 talking about that traditional Modernist Mentality. 05:57 She says, 05:59 "We" speaking of the traditional Christians... 06:01 on screen. 06:27 She's saying: This is what we were raised on 06:30 but she goes on to say, 06:31 on screen. 07:28 And, of course, as I'm reading through that, 07:31 I can relate to that... I can understand that 07:33 because in my ministry 07:35 and in my evangelistic ministry 07:36 as I've traveled along and around the world, 07:38 I have run into many young people who are of this mentality 07:41 and it seems like it takes a little bit of an extra effort 07:44 to get them interested and draw them to consider 07:47 spiritual things 07:49 but my friends, there is hope. 07:50 I want you to know that if you are at home right now... 07:52 you're a parent... a grandparent... 07:54 a family member... a friend... or just an acquaintance 07:57 and you are wanting to reach your youth... 07:58 you're wanting to reach the young people... 08:00 my Friends, Jesus died for them just like anyone else 08:02 but they have indeed grown up in a generation and in a culture 08:06 that is drastically different than yesterday 08:09 and instead of writing them off and saying, 08:11 "Oh, they are the lost generation... " 08:12 or "They're the generation that has grown up with no God 08:15 or no Christian morals or no Christian values... " 08:17 it just simply takes... 08:18 it takes time to work through the ideas of 08:21 how to approach this in a very tactful 08:24 and a methodical way and which... 08:26 you can indeed reach the hearts of these individuals. 08:28 So, the question, of course, I'm asking at this point is... 08:31 I'm going to begin to break down individual points 08:34 and how we can set ourselves up 08:37 for success in reaching the hearts of these Post-modernist 08:41 New-age thinkers... 08:43 I want you to just ask the question, 08:45 "How can we witness to 08:47 and reach someone of this mentality?" 08:50 I want to read this quote from the sixth volume 08:53 of the Testimonies page 471. 08:54 This comes from the Spirit of Prophecy 08:56 and this is what she had to say about the youth in general 08:58 and I love this because it brings hope to us, right? 09:01 It says, 09:08 on screen... 09:16 and I love this last line, 09:17 "The Lord will open ways before those 09:20 who will respond to His call. " 09:24 My Friends, what this is telling us 09:26 is it's not any method or mentality or approach 09:28 that we're going to come up with, 09:30 we just simply have to allow the Lord to use us... 09:32 the Lord will... as it says here 09:34 will open ways before those who will respond to His call. 09:37 The Lord will draw these young people 09:39 and he's going to use us in the process 09:41 to help draw them... to help bring them along the way 09:44 and lead them and guide them 09:45 and be a friend to them in the process. 09:47 So, I'm going to read this now, 09:50 this is something that I believe is the standard 09:52 for all evangelism... 09:54 it doesn't matter what age group you are witnessing to... 09:56 young or old... 09:57 this is... in my opinion... 09:59 the only method that works in reaching the hearts of men. 10:02 Of course, if you are Seventh-day Adventist Christian, 10:05 you might already be familiar 10:07 with this quote that I'm going to read, 10:08 it's not going to come up on your screen 10:10 but just listen very carefully 10:11 because this quote is one that I have used 10:13 and I have implemented for many years now 10:15 and it is the only method that I have learned 10:17 that truly works in reaching the hearts and souls for Christ 10:22 and that is something that is known as: Christ's Method Alone, 10:25 okay, "Christ's Method" and I have to add that word "alone" 10:27 because there is no other method that works but this one 10:30 and this comes from the Ministry of Healing, page 143 10:33 and this is what she says, 10:35 she says, "Christ's method alone 10:37 will give true success in reaching the people... " 10:41 so, only Christ's method alone 10:42 will bring about true success in reaching the people. 10:45 "This Saviour... " and then she goes into how 10:48 this Christ's method must be implemented 10:51 and that is how Jesus done it 10:53 is the same way that we should do it as well 10:55 and she goes on to give a multiple-step process 10:57 and how that is to be done. 10:58 Number 1: The Saviour mingled with men 11:01 as one who desired their good. " 11:03 So, we're going to talk about that 11:06 and how this applies to this new millennial perspective, okay, 11:09 or this new Gen Z perspective, right? 11:12 "He showed sympathy for them... 11:15 He ministered to their needs 11:18 and He won their confidence. " 11:21 All of these are crucial 11:23 and once He was able to do those things 11:25 and win their confidence... their trust... 11:27 then He bade them, "Follow Me. " 11:30 So notice, Jesus didn't just show up to someone 11:34 whether young or old... 11:35 generation this or generation that... 11:37 He didn't just show up and say, 11:39 "Hey, follow me, I'm the Messiah... " 11:41 He proved Himself... He won their confidence... 11:44 He gained their trust in Him as a friend 11:46 and of course, all of those that I just listed... 11:49 He mingled with them as one who desired their good... 11:51 He showed them sympathy... 11:52 and of course, He ministered to their needs 11:54 and won their confidence. 11:56 All of these we have to take in consideration 11:58 when we're witnessing to anyone of any generation 12:00 and this new Millennial Gen Z Generation 12:03 is no different, my Friends. 12:05 And so, at this point, 12:07 I want to begin listing in the time that we have left, 12:09 I want to go through in a very methodical way 12:13 and list multiple points... 12:15 we many not be able to go into too much detail 12:17 but at least it will give you an idea 12:19 of some ways that we can open up and reach the hearts 12:23 of the younger generations of today. 12:25 I'm going to... first of all... 12:27 I didn't actually list this as one of my points 12:29 but then in the process of praying about this 12:31 and thinking of how I was going to present this, 12:33 I went back and I said, "Number 1... here it is... " 12:35 You got to pray... 12:36 I know we hear this all the time from Ministers 12:39 prayer is key... 12:41 I don't care who you're witnessing to... 12:43 I don't care what type of generation 12:45 you're trying to reach... 12:47 young or old... 12:48 my Friends, at the end of the day, 12:49 if you do not go into it with a prayerful mentality, 12:53 meditating on God's Word and praying and asking the Lord 12:56 to equip you to be able to conversate... communicate 13:00 and reach the heart of this person, 13:02 from the perspective of Christ... 13:04 then, you will not have success. 13:06 Our prayer should be simple and to the point 13:09 and that is, "Lord, help me to see this individual 13:12 through Your eyes... 13:13 help me to see Your children in the way that You see them... 13:17 help me to... to exemplify Your love... 13:20 help me to have and share and project the mercy and the grace 13:24 and the love of Jesus Christ to reach them 13:26 in the way that Jesus Himself reached the people... " 13:30 that should be our prayer... 13:31 that should be Number 1... at the top of our list. 13:34 But especially, 13:35 here's our Point Number 2 I guess you could say, 13:37 as we're going down this list, 13:38 Number 1: I think this is probably... 13:40 this is what we really have to start 13:42 with this younger generation... 13:43 I am speaking from experience 13:45 because I have spent quite a bit of time over the past few years 13:48 as a recent... Youth Pastor in recent times... 13:51 having worked with lots of different youth 13:53 over the last decade... decade and a half... 13:56 and I can tell you my Friends that this is vitally important 13:59 okay, so here it is: Listen. 14:02 Pause... 14:04 Listen to them. 14:06 Provide a genuine compassionate ear 14:10 to be able to give your time in listening to them. 14:15 That means approaching them with a non-judgmental communication. 14:19 Did you hear what I just said? 14:21 Non-judgmental communication is key 14:24 in reaching the hearts of these young people. 14:26 Just simply providing an ear... 14:29 being a person that they can come and open up to 14:31 and talk about... with things that perhaps they may not be 14:34 able to talk with with somebody else 14:35 or talk about with somebody else. 14:37 Listen to them... 14:38 listening makes room for people... 14:40 that's just a general rule. 14:42 In a culture... now we're speaking of this Generation Z... 14:45 this Millennial Generation 14:46 and even this upcoming generation Alpha 14:48 that we're going to see in a few years. 14:50 My Friends, in a culture that places high value on acceptance, 14:54 this is no small thing 14:55 and if you think you're going to reach the hearts 14:57 of these young people 14:59 and you think that you're just going to come full-fledged 15:00 you know, and not listen to them 15:02 and imposing your values... your thoughts... 15:04 your ideas upon them without hearing them out, 15:06 you'll never reach their heart. 15:08 When we make space... 15:10 don't... don't miss this next point 15:11 because I wrote this down and I want to make sure 15:13 that you're hearing this very clearly. 15:15 When we make space first for who people are 15:21 and then for what matters to them, 15:24 only then, can we know how to offer ourselves 15:28 and our faith to them. 15:30 If you're not invested in genuinely open and caring 15:36 about this person and how they feel about something 15:38 and what they think about something 15:40 and how they perceive something 15:42 according to the culture that they've grown up in, 15:44 then you'll never be able to open the door... 15:46 unlock the key to their heart 15:48 in reaching them with your thoughts... your ideas 15:50 or your faith 15:51 and of course in this pace and age 15:53 we often... in listening to young people 15:55 and... and I have made this mistake myself 15:56 but especially the older generations 15:58 because we grow up with that very strong moral principle 16:02 Christian perspective... 16:03 we often... sometimes we'll lend an ear to listen 16:07 but we're quick to... you know, to quickly respond 16:10 because we're more of a solution-type people, 16:13 you know, "You got a problem... 16:14 you got something you're sharing with me... 16:16 let me hear it... tell me about it... " 16:17 and then we want to quickly tell them how to fix those problems, 16:19 we want to quickly impose 16:21 our thoughts and our ideas upon them. 16:23 Do not lecture them... 16:24 do not impose your thoughts and ideas. 16:26 At this point in this relationship 16:29 in trying to reach them with the gospel of Jesus, 16:31 you have not won their confidence yet... 16:33 okay, you still need to win their confidence. 16:35 You're trying to be a friend to them. 16:36 You're trying to be a... a... a person that they can trust 16:39 and in this point, they just need someone to listen to them 16:43 and consider them and their thoughts 16:45 as a genuine person... as a genuine individual. 16:48 Number 2 Point... I know we're going through these quickly 16:50 because of time... 16:52 I see that clock and it's clicking away 16:53 and so, I want to be able to get all of these in. 16:55 Number two is key... going back to Christ's method alone, 16:58 this is crucial. 16:59 Show sympathy and genuine attentiveness 17:03 to the thoughts, ideas, and challenges 17:07 they may be experiencing. 17:09 This kind of is connected to Point Number one 17:12 but at this point... after you listen to them 17:15 and you're giving that ear to them 17:16 and creating that openness between them... 17:19 between you and them... 17:21 you need to be sympathetic, 17:23 you need to sympathize with a genuine attentiveness 17:26 to their thoughts and their ideas 17:28 and the challenges that they may be experiencing today 17:31 or... or in the past 17:32 or... or, you know, just what they're experiencing in general. 17:35 You will never become a person they trust 17:38 unless you show genuine care and awareness 17:42 to their real issues and ideas 17:45 and this kind of goes back to again... 17:46 the idea of, you know, imposing your thoughts and ideas 17:49 just simply listening and... and showing sympathy 17:52 for what it is that they're dealing with 17:54 even if you disagree with them in your heart. 17:56 Let me give you an example. 17:57 Someone comes and says, 17:58 "You know, I want to talk to you about something, 18:00 I have a friend at school who is lesbian 18:03 and she's being made fun of... 18:04 she's being mistreated... 18:05 she's being bullied 18:07 and it really, really breaks my heart 18:08 and, you know, I just don't know how to deal with this 18:09 and I'm really struggling 18:11 because I'm hurting for my friend. " 18:12 Someone of a... kind of a modernist-traditional mentality 18:15 might approach that situation in a very non-sympathetic way 18:18 based on their moral convictions 18:20 of what the Bible says about those things 18:23 and oftentimes, we respond in such a way 18:25 that is judgmental 18:26 and which we push someone further away from Christ 18:29 further away from the truth... 18:31 further away from the Bible 18:32 rather than drawing them to Jesus Christ, 18:34 so, in that instance, 18:35 instead of saying, "Well, you know, 18:37 your friend is a lesbian... 18:38 you know what the Bible says this about this... 18:39 and you know, what? Gays and lesbians and homosexuals... 18:42 you know, that's an abomination to the Lord... 18:44 blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. " 18:45 You haven't won their confidence yet 18:46 to be able to share those things with them 18:48 in a way that they are going to receive 18:49 but yet sympathizing with them is just simply saying, 18:52 "You know what? 18:53 I hate that your friend is having to go through that 18:55 and I... my heart breaks for her as well. 18:57 I'm so sorry that you and your friend are experiencing this, 19:00 can I... can I pray with you? 19:02 can... would you like to talk about it more 19:03 and, you know, I'm here to listen... 19:05 I'm here to open up... " 19:06 sympathizing with them and showing them 19:08 that you genuinely care. 19:10 These are keys to this new generation 19:12 who has not been raised necessarily 19:15 on the moral principles 19:16 and the ideologies of Christianity and the Bible 19:18 but rather has been raised 19:20 by the cultural world views around them 19:22 by Media... by Streaming devices... 19:25 by iPhones and Computers 19:27 and all of the... the digital connectivity around them. 19:29 My Friends, we have to approach these things 19:31 in the appropriate methodical way 19:33 in order to reach the hearts of these individuals 19:35 with love and compassion and with the sympathy of Christ. 19:39 Oftentimes, these young people might express doubt... 19:43 they might be expressing doubt about their faith... 19:46 doubt about Christianity in general. 19:49 They may be questioning Biblical concepts 19:51 or maybe, expressing doubt in general 19:54 about the Bible itself 19:55 and these are hard things again for a parent to hear... 19:58 for a grandparent to hear... 19:59 for a friend or someone 20:00 who again is solidified very comfortably 20:02 in their Christian faith. 20:04 These are things that are often difficult to deal with 20:07 and when you hear someone you love express doubt, 20:09 we often... our... our natural response 20:11 is to come quickly with a solution 20:13 to pull them out of that doubt, right? 20:15 But let me express something to you here, 20:17 doubt is not necessarily the enemy... 20:20 that's right... doubt is not always a bad thing 20:24 now, can doubt lead to unbelief? 20:26 Of course it can 20:27 but doubt is not always the enemy. 20:30 In fact, we can often do more harm 20:32 in trying to protect or shield our youth from doubt 20:36 rather than nurturing that experience. 20:39 Studies show... doubt is an important part 20:42 of the process of forming a healthy, religious identity. 20:47 So, you know, doubt by it's very nature 20:51 leads to both a stronger belief in something 20:54 and an unbelief in something else. 20:57 Therefore, the ultimate question 20:59 is not whether doubt will lead to unbelief, 21:03 but which beliefs will be strengthened 21:05 and which beliefs will be rejected. 21:08 So, on this note, 21:10 it is essential that we play a more of a supportive 21:15 yet facilitating role in helping to guide our youth 21:20 not dictate... but guide our young people 21:23 to the truth... that is... facilitate... 21:25 and I have some... some personal experience with this 21:28 even right here in our Thompsonville Church 21:30 here in Southern Illinois... 21:32 we have a rather large group here of young people... 21:34 smart, intelligent, loving, wonderful young people 21:37 and... but, you know, 21:39 there's still that generational disconnect 21:41 from the youth to the older generations 21:43 because, again, we're talking about Gen Zers... 21:46 we're talking about, you know, young millennials 21:48 who again are still questioning things... 21:50 they're asking "Why?" the "Why" question... 21:53 they're struggling with different concepts of, 21:55 you know, the faith in general 21:57 and sometimes, 21:58 you just have to come together as a group and say, 22:01 "Hey, let's talk about these difficult subjects... 22:03 let's toss a subject out there 22:05 and let's just sit in the group with a non-judgmental mentality 22:08 in a no-judgment atmosphere 22:10 and let's just discuss 22:12 and work our way through some of these issues 22:14 so, we came together with about 22:16 I don't know... 15 to 20 young people 22:18 and we sat together 22:20 and we took on some of these very controversial 22:21 cultural topics... such as, you know, 22:24 you know, the LGBTQ 22:26 and we talked about subjects like the racial... 22:28 the racial injustices 22:31 and the things that's going on around the world today... 22:33 some of the things that we're dealing with in Society today... 22:36 we talked about, you know, different concepts and themes 22:39 such as, you know, the modesty question 22:41 and how to dress and... 22:42 we took on many different topics 22:44 and what I did in that as kind of a... a leader... 22:47 is... I didn't comment then with, 22:48 you know, "What do you believe? 22:50 Show us... share with me what you believe... " 22:52 and then when they shared those ideas, 22:54 I wasn't there to go, "Oh, well, that's not how 22:57 Adventists are to think about things... " 22:58 or "That's not what Adventists believe... " 23:00 or "That's not a good Christian perspective... " 23:01 and shoot it down in a judgmental fashion 23:04 because it didn't fit my moral perception. 23:06 Sometimes, they might have shared things that... 23:09 in my heart and mind as a Christian, 23:11 I did not agree with 23:12 but instead of, you know, bashing them and shoving them 23:15 and pushing them away 23:16 and making them feel as if their opinion and their thoughts 23:18 didn't matter, I simply asked questions 23:21 and as a group... we all asked questions... 23:23 we gave opinions and we shared 23:25 and what I allowed myself to do is facilitate 23:28 and guide the conversation 23:30 in helping these young people come to a more decisive 23:33 understanding based on Biblical principles. 23:35 Sometimes you got to do things, you got to be patient 23:38 and you got to practice methods that are a little unorthodox 23:42 in order to help someone of a different cultural worldview 23:46 especially with the young people of this generation. 23:48 The worldview is different... 23:50 just as we read at the very beginning of this... 23:52 of this Presentation as the... the... 23:55 Brother Peter Drucker said, 23:57 "The worldview has drastically shifted... " 23:59 our grandparents and our parents' day... 24:02 it has passed... 24:03 we're living in a new time... 24:05 and the young people of this generation... 24:06 they're living in a different world with different perceptions 24:09 and different mentality 24:11 and so, we have to be... 24:12 we'll have to approach it sympathetically... 24:14 we have to approach it in a way that's going to reach the heart 24:17 in a non-judgmental way. 24:19 Number 3 here... actually this will be Point Number 4: 24:23 Meet their Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Needs. 24:27 What do they need? 24:29 Ask them... 24:30 communicate with them... 24:31 communication is key... 24:33 ask them. 24:34 You know what they need more than anything? 24:36 As a parent... they need you. 24:39 As a friend... they need you. 24:43 They need your support. 24:44 They need to know that they have someone 24:47 that they can rely on 24:48 to be transparent with... 24:50 to be raw with at moments 24:51 when they need to talk about something or express themselves 24:54 or work through a matter that they might be struglling with. 24:56 My Friends, they need you more than anything. 25:00 Invest your time... your effort and your resources if necessary 25:04 to meet whatever it is they need 25:05 in the moment or just in general. 25:07 You know, they might need to get away... 25:09 they might just need a get-away vacation... 25:11 go take a road trip... 25:13 perhaps, maybe the lady that your daughter and the mother 25:15 and whoever... have a ladies' day out... 25:17 have a spa day, you know, 25:18 if you got a son that needs some time off, 25:20 go have a guys' day out... just get away... 25:22 if they need a couple of days off from school, 25:24 hey, give it to them... 25:25 we live in a very, very hardcore atmosphere 25:28 where our children and our youth... 25:30 they have lots of social and societal pressures on them 25:33 that can be very stressful 25:35 and in this case... 25:36 in order to reach their hearts sometimes, 25:38 they need you to invest your time and resources 25:40 and efforts in order to sympathize with them 25:43 in meeting their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. 25:46 Now, let's go into our Point Number 5: 25:51 Upon winning their confidence... 25:53 this is huge because as you're going through this process, 25:55 you're winning their confidence. 25:56 Eventually, you will gain their trust if you are that person... 26:00 that friend to them that they need. 26:02 You will gain their trust... they will learn to trust you. 26:05 Why is that? 26:07 Because they have seen truth in you... 26:11 because they have seen Christ in you. 26:16 Christianity will no longer be a myth or a mystery to them, why? 26:21 Because they've seen the genuineness of it in you. 26:25 It will be real... it will be raw... 26:28 it will be genuine 26:29 and, of course, by them it will be desired in the long run 26:33 which brings us to our last point: 26:36 In a very strategic yet methodical manner, 26:40 this will open up the door for you to lead them on a journey 26:45 in helping them to grasp their essential worth and identity 26:50 in Christ. 26:52 This is huge... 26:53 because we have an identity crisis on our hands 26:55 and, of course, this isn't going to happen overnight, 26:58 this is a process... 27:00 but God will lead you by the power of the Holy Spirit 27:04 to lead them to know who it is they are in Christ Jesus. 27:08 You are essentially facilitating and guiding them 27:11 through a shift in worldview... that's what's happening... 27:14 their world is being changed ever subtlety 27:17 but yet... their worldview is being changed in a way 27:19 where they see things 27:21 from the perspective of their Creator 27:23 and they're going to ask questions 27:24 and they're going to have questions 27:26 that need to be answered such as, you know, "Who am I?" 27:28 "How does the Media influence me?" 27:30 "What is my identity?" 27:32 "Where did I come from?" 27:34 "Where does my creativity come from?" 27:36 And, "How should I view others in light of the new knowledge 27:40 that I have received?" 27:42 They will come to know who their Creator is. 27:44 They will come to know who the God of the universe is. 27:47 They will come through you... the love... the compassion... 27:49 the mercy... the grace that you have shown... 27:51 the time that you have given... 27:53 the effort you have put forth 27:54 in being a spiritual friend to them. 27:56 They will come to know exactly the reality of Psalm 139 28:00 as well as Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10. 28:03 I want to read here, Psalm 139:13 and 14 28:06 as we prepare to close. 28:07 It says, "For You formed my inward parts; 28:10 You covered me in my mother's womb. 28:12 I will praise You, 28:13 for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 28:15 Marvelous are your works 28:17 and that my soul knows very well. " 28:20 My Friends, there is a way. 28:22 There is hope. 28:24 I know this has been a very juiced explanation 28:27 of how to reach 28:28 the Generation Zs and the younger Millennials 28:31 but my Friends, at the end of the day, 28:33 we have to lead them to Christ. 28:35 I challenge you... Operation Gen Z. 28:37 Let's jump on the bandwagon 28:39 and let's win our youth to Jesus Christ 28:41 in the right way... 28:43 in the only method that works: Christ's method alone... 28:47 reaching them with the only thing that matters 28:50 and that is: Love. |
Revised 2021-09-21