God’s Rebel

Sunday Sermons

Mark Dunagan
10/14/07 - Sunday Morning

God’s Rebel

1 Timothy 4:12

“Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe”

There have been recent studies that indicate that the world is succeeding in the attempt of luring away young people who grew up in a denomination. Two research sociologists, Christian Smith and Melinda Denton found that among Roman Catholic teens, 57% believe in reincarnation, 46% believe in astrology, 48% in communicating with the dead, and 21% in psychics and fortune-tellers (Soul-Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers). The Barna Research Group recently suggested that 63% of America’s teens professing Christianity “do not believe that Jesus is the Son of the one true God, and 58% believe all faiths teach equally-valid truths”. Wayne Jackson notes that a professor of Bible at Harding University lamented that many of Harding’s students, upon leaving the university, elect to attend interdenominational community churches. The professor told of a test he recently gave which included a requirement that students discuss John 4:24 “God is Spirit: and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth”. He stated that in a class size of 63 students, 54 of them did not even mention “truth” in their papers (The Shocking New ‘Christian’ Generation, ChristianCourier.com). Yet, in this lesson, instead of talking about discouraging situations among American’s teens or even teens in liberal churches, I want to give our teens incentives to overcome the world, because we have no interest in following the above path.

Romans 12:2

“And do not be conformed to this world”

Prior to the 1800’s there were only three categories of age: childhood, adulthood, and old age. Adolescence is a man-made, artificial zone between childhood and adulthood - when you are told that you are no longer a child yet you supposedly do not have adult accountability either. You may have all the yearnings and feelings of an adult, but none of the freedoms or responsibilities. By contrast, the Bible says that you do have responsibilities to others and God (Ephesians 6:1; Ecclesiastes 12:1). May I suggest the following:

Get meaningful employment and, by your example, demonstrate that there are responsible and hardworking 15, 16, 17 and 18 year-olds.
Take charge of your education.
Have it straight in your own mind what the “important” subjects are or what the true mark of being educated is (Jeremiah 9:23-24; 8:9). Do not let the world tell you what you are, or are not, capable of learning. Remember, intelligence can be measured in different ways.
Accept the label that God has given you - that is, “made in the image of God” - and do not label yourself as “dumb” and lacking talents. A young person who can master computer languages, website design, or a thousand others things, can certainly become well versed in all subjects including the English language, Greek, Hebrew or Bible Doctrine.
Make the most of your teen years and avoid merely drifting toward adulthood or viewing your teenage years as a sort of vacation from responsibility.
By your example prove that someone 13 to 18 can behave in a responsible manner and equally, can carry on an adult conversation.
View your time as valuable and guard it carefully.
“Classrooms, TV shows, magazines, and websites are not only addressing us at the level of social expectations, but they are in fact dictating those expectations. They tell us how to act, think, and talk; they tell us what to dream, what to value, and what to hate. We are being squeezed into a mold where there is no room for Christian character or competence” (Eternal Perspectives, Fall 2007, “The Myth of Adolescence”, Alex Harris,
p. 5).
Rise above the low expectations of the world, show independence in your thinking, in your dress, in your speech, in your values, and in your relationships. Be an example, to 'adults', of what an “adult” should be like.

Consider History

The reason for the information in this section is that young people need to realize that many other young people in the past accomplished great things while young. Many of the restraints the culture places upon you - or those you have placed upon yourself (“I can’t do that.”, “I am no good at...”, “I could never learn...”) are illusionary. Let the examples of other young people in history, and those found in the word of God, reveal what you are capable of achieving.

George Washington began to master geometry, trigonometry, and surveying when he would have been a 5^th or 6^thgrader. At the age of 16 he was named official surveyor of Culpepper County, Virginia. By the age of 21, through his knowledge and income, he owned 2300 acres of prime Virginia land.
David Farragut, the U.S. Navy’s first admiral, became a midshipman on the warship Essex at the age of 10.
Thomas Jefferson began studying Latin, Greek and French at the age of 9 and entered William and Mary when he was 16. He wrote the Declaration of Independence when he was 33.

Consider Scripture

By the age of 17 Joseph was an independent spiritual young man who did the right thing regardless of the consequences (Genesis 37:2).
Daniel took a definite stand for God and His truth even though he was a young man, maybe even still in his teens (Daniel 1:8).
Timothy was selected by Paul to help him spread the gospel when Timothy was probably still in his teens as well (Acts 16:1ff).
Hezekiah was a godly and wise king at the age of 25 (2 Chronicles 29:2-3).
Josiah began to seriously seek God and change the Jewish nation for the better when he was 16 years old (2 Chronicles 34:1-3).

When Confronted with a Skeptic in Authority

When young believers go off to college, they often encounter a teacher or professor that is intent upon destroying their faith in God and Scripture. They may ridicule believers in the class, seek to undermine the biblical account, or continually work at undermining faith in God. When you encounter such a teacher and hear their criticisms, consider the following:

Is this person speaking as if they were all-knowing and infallible, the expert or the authority? Then:

Are they sinless? Have they ever been wrong about anything?
Are they an “expert” in the essential matters of life? That is, are they humble, honest, kind, a lover of the truth, grateful, and manifesting true love? (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
To what authority are they appealing? An absolute and final authority or the authority of feelings, preconceived ideas, human opinion, or human wisdom that is constantly changing?
If you choose to give up your faith, will they be able to back you up at the judgment day?
Can they offer an absolute guarantee that they are right?
Have they died and come back with conclusive evidence that God does not exist? How much real power do they have? Can they cure diseases? Can they control nature? Can they overpower Satan? Are they stronger than death?

If they claim that they have your best interest at heart then:

Would they die for your sins?
Have they watched over you from birth and provided for you?
Do they care whether you end up saved or lost?
How far would they go to help you? How committed are they to you?
Are they willing to listen to your worries, concerns and cares, '24-7' for the rest of your life?
Have they proven that they have your best, eternal, interest at heart?

If they are acting as if they have found a better way to live than that found in Scripture, then:

Are they successful in what really matters? Are they a good neighbor, a loving husband or wife, and a good parent? Do they serve others?
What is their answer for the fear of death, worry, anger, lust, and the problems of evil and why innocent people suffer?
What is their alternative to the Bible? What book or books do they want you to believe? Have they come up with a better way to treat our wives than Ephesians 5:22ff? Have they found a better family pattern than Ephesians 6:1-4? Or a better way to treat others than Matthew 7:12? Is their definition of love superior to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8? Is their standard of morality beyond, or even close to, Galatians 5:22-24?
What are their “commandments”? How do they stack up against what Jesus taught (Matthew 22:37-40).
What is their own personal level of happiness, peace, contentment, satisfaction, and meaning? How successful have they been in the face of evil? Are they unselfish? Is their “faith” working when it comes to the hardships and trials of life?

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017