1 Corinthians 2 :1 And I, when I came to you, brothers ,did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
I am watching Christian youth today- I notice some interesting things:
They fall in love with the “ticklers”- cool talking and looking “bleeding hearts” who feel their pain and soothe their dissatisfaction. They feed off the scoffers which are found all throughout Christendom today. These “teachers” are very popular with our post-modern youth.
I think these thoughts when they speak:
“Bob Dylan did not change the world, but Bill Gates did.”
What type of believer do you want coming out of Christian Schools and Youth Ministries today?
One type is the “Christian Beatnik”- artsy hair and comfy. A real feeler. He has Eldridge and Romanowski on his bookshelf and has totally missed their point. Reads Christian books, but not the Bible. A mission trip junkie. He is suspicious of Christian anything (especially music) and dislikes any institution.
Another type is the ‘Reformer”- sharp and steely. Respected as a leader. Will compete with any avenue he pursues. Driven by excellence. A doer.
One who has great courage and is poised to take on the world for Christ.
How do we get the reformer?
1) Continue to push the Word of God. Teach it and hold it high.
2) Demand respect for authority. Make them respect “No”
3) Do not apologize about excellent appearance- Wall Street Still Runs the Marketplace
4) Develop leadership
5) Use loving confrontation
6) Rescue them from doting parents
I know I sound hard line and it makes me laugh. But we need to train… not coddle. We will have to give an account to Christ for our labor here.
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