Friday, October 5, 2012

Torn Apart: Week 3 (I John 2:1-6)

Branch Parents

I hope that this week's blog post finds you each doing well.  We are continuing the really wonderful trend of having great attendance in WNL as we're averaging about 45 students per week now.  Holy cow, that's pretty incredible considering that the average hovered around 20 when I first came to Westbury.  In addition to that, we have 58 students signed up for the Fall Retreat in November!  God is blessing this ministry and seemingly adding to our number every week.  Amen.

Before I launch into the Word for this week, I just want to tell you that I think your children are phenomenal.  Here's why: I've watched the videos for the past two weeks of WNL and have come to notice that I'm pretty long-winded (surprised?).  Both sermons have been around 53 or so minutes...whew!  However, some of this is due to the fact that my sermons are composed of dialogue and not merely monologue.  In any case, I said that to say this: your students do a wonderful job of staying engaged and focused - much better than I would have done at their age.  They are forming the valuable character trait of being able to remain focused on something without needing a lot of bells and whistles.  And as a youth minister who is serious about the Word, that makes me very happy.  Great job, parents.  Here is the link to Branch's video page, where you'll find this past week's sermon and outline:

Branch Youth Ministry Video Page

These are the primary truths that I wanted your students to take home with them after WNL:
  • Christ took on Himself the punishment that our sins deserved so that we could be free to experience the fullness of God.
  • Christians should not be comfortable with sin; it doesn't make since to be saved from sin in order to return to it.
  • Forgiveness of sin is only the first step in a Christian's salvation; God then works through our obedience to make us more like Christ.
  • Our love for God is perfected by our obedience.
 Here are some questions for discussion and reflection:
  • Other than simply not going to Heaven, what would happen if Jesus didn't die on the cross for our sins?
  • What causes Christians to be comfortable with sin?
  • How can we work to not be comfortable with sin?
  • Do you show that you trust and love God through continual obedience or empty, short-lived promises.
  • If God changes our hearts through our continued obedience, then what happens when we don't obey?
  • Why do you think most Christians feel like, once they've been "saved", there isn't much more to the Christian except to die and go to Heaven?
  • Was your salvation about you or about God?
  • Do you think that God intends for our relationship with Him to be boring? Obligational?
  • Do you enjoy God?  I mean for real...
Alright parents, good luck.  I don't know about you, but I think these questions are great not only for discussion with your knuckleheads, but for self-reflection too.  God's Word is a double-edged sword, and I have a few deep lacerations in my hands right now!

sray

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Torn Apart: Week 2 (I John 1:5-10)

Parents

We moved on this week to I John 1:5-10.  I am so pleased about how the kids are connecting with the truth of God's Word.  I'm also excited about how wonderful attendance has been in Wednesday Night Live for past several Wednesdays.  Alright, so let's dive in.

In our scripture passage for the week, John points out the primary beliefs of his opponents and shows why those beliefs don't hold up in the light of the Gospel (go back a couple of posts if you want to know what all these opponents believed).  Again, we start with this truth: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all (I John 1:5). 

Now, take a look at the sermon and sermon outline here:
http://www.branchyouthministry.com/media.php?pageID=27

These are a few truths that we were trying to get across to your kids:

  • Christ’s death and resurrection wipes our sins away and initiates regeneration. Claiming to not have sin (or that you haven’t sinned) is basically saying you don’t need Jesus, not to mention it's calling God a liar.
  • People have always tried to avoid the reality of their sinfulness or sins, generally by either redefining sin, using their salvation as moral license, or outright denying it.  Almost every time, it’s so that they can continue in sin.
  • Acknowledging sinfulness (as well as specific sins) can be really uncomfortable – maybe even painful. However, God calls us to do so because it’s the first step in being forgiven and changed.
Ok, now for a few discussion questions:
  • Why is it dangerous to deny sinfulness?
  • What makes talking about sin so unpopular?
  • In what different have you ever tried to avoid the fact that you're sinful or have sinned?
  • Is confession for you or for God?
  • How do you feel after you've confessed something?
  • Why do you think focus a lot on forgiveness but not on regeneration (change)?
  • Confession to others is also important for accountability (James 5:16); who do you confess sin to in your life?
  • How are you committing to the process of regeneration that God is trying to bring about in you?
Good luck, parents.  Remember, you need to be just as transparent as you expect them to be.  You need to know that it's okay for your kid to know that you've made mistakes, too.  It's a great example in their learning how to open and confess their shortcomings.  God bless.

sray

Monday, September 24, 2012

Torn Apart: Week 1 (I John 1:1-5)


Parents:

Last week at Wednesday Night Live, we began the Torn Apart series in I John.  Unfortunately, our CD burner had a malfunction so I wasn't able to catch any of the recording for you.  But, hopefully this blog post will explain things pretty adequately.  Get your Bible out! 

Remember the background: John is writing this letter to churches he has planted in and around Ephesus.  He is confronting some false teaching that is being spread by people who were formerly leaders or influential members in some of these churches (for more on what they believed, see the previous post).  John jumps right into the body of the letter without even including the standard greetings that letters from that time normally included (check out any of Paul's letters, which all fall into this format: Author, Position, Recipient, Greeting, Body).

Now, on Wednesday, we did verses 1-5 of chapter one.  This is really the gist of what John is communicating to his churches:

Jesus has always co-existed with the Father.
Notice the very first thing John says in verse 1 - "that which was from the beginning".  And then in verse 2, he says the eternal life (Jesus) was "with the Father and made manifest to us".
  
Eyewitness testimony is superior to "Special Revelation"
As one of the twelve disciples, John's proclamation of the Gospel was based on his own personal experience with Jesus.  Over and over in the first three verses he says something like "which we have heard...which we have seen...which we have looked at...which we have touched with our hands".  By contrast, the group John is writing against claimed that their belief came from a special revelation given to them by God.

The Gospel doesn't exclude; it includes.  
John wants to make it clear that the heart of the Gospel is inclusion.  Check out verse 3 - "that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed, our fellowship is with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ".  John's opponents felt that their alleged "special knowledge" made them better than everyone else.  Accordingly, they actually separated themselves from the churches.

Living out the Gospel results in joy - joy that you'll want to share.
John's writing of this letter has a goal in sight: that those who read it will solidify their hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and experience the joy that comes with doing so.  In verse 4, John writes, "And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete".  To John, the joy that a person receives from living out the Gospel is magnified that much more when that person spreads it and others, too, come to experience that same joy.

God is the standard of holiness and does not tolerate/co-exist with sin.  
John wants to communicate to his churches that God is holy and righteousness and does not / will not co-habitate with sin or sinful people.  For those of us who have trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior, this isn't a problem since Jesus died on the cross as the payment for our sins and we are - in Him - a new creation.  But John's opponents denied their sinfulness in the first place and deliberately continued to sin because they believed that their "special knowledge" was proof that God has saved them (remember, they also believed that the soul was innately good and the body was innately evil and therefore what a person did with his/her body didn't matter because it couldn't affect his/her soul).            

So here's the deal.  From the start of the letter, John wants his churches to know that the Gospel is trustworthy.  Why is it trustworthy?  Because it's based on Jesus, who has always been with the Father.  And also because it's based on eyewitness testimony, not some unverifiable "special knowledge".  John is also claiming the Gospel's superiority over His opponent's belief because it includes people and results in joy that you want to share - not some special knowledge that excludes people and results in conceit.  Lastly, John wants his followers to know that God is holy and righteous.  Therefore, people who have been redeemed by their faith in Christ are called to pursue God and forsake sin - not continue to live in it.

Here's what I really wanted the kids to take home from this:

1.) It is important to have good theology (right belief). What we believe forms the foundation of authentic faith in Christ Jesus - which saves us.  But if the belief is wrong, then it's possible that faith is being put in something other than Christ....and only Christ can save.

2.) The Gospel as revealed in the Bible is trustworthy because, though it was written down by the hands of men and women, those men and women were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write what God knew would provide people with an accurate picture of who He is and His love for them expressed in the Gospel.

3.) The result of a truly living out the Gospel is joy and a deep desire to see others experience the same joy.  If you aren't compelled to share the Gospel with others, then you're probably not experiencing the joy you were meant to experience.  And if you're not experiencing the joy you were meant to experience, something is really wrong and needs to changed. 

Parents, here are some questions that can serve as conversation-starters with your kids.  Just a thought: you might spend some time answering these yourself before you chat with you kids about 'em.  Be honest with yourself AND with your kids when you talk with them.  Let these questions serve as a great opportunity for self-reflection, transparency, and - possibly - realization of the need for change.  Amen!
  • There are all kinds of religious claims out there.  How do we Christians know that we're right?
  • Even inside Christianity, there are a lot of variances of belief.  How can a person arrive at the right beliefs?
  • Why is it so important to have correct belief?
  • The Bible is old and has some really crazy stuff in it.  How can you trust it and know it's true?
  • What's wrong with the picture of a person who claims to believe in the Gospel but has no joy?
  • Do you think it's possible for a person to authentically believe in the Gospel but not experience joy (and love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness....)?
  • Do you think you're really living the joyful life that God meant for you?
  • If you consider yourself a Christian, but haven't really experienced any of the things that the Bible says Christians are supposed to experience (Galatians 5:22-23 for starters), then what should you do?
  • If you have experienced those things, then are you telling other about Jesus?  Why?  Why not?
  • What can I do to keep you accountable to spending time in God's Word or in prayer?
  • How can I be praying for you?
Happy hunting, parents.  Y'all da man!

sray


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Torn Apart: the WNL Fall Series

Branch Parents

Tomorrow night, we will begin Torn Apart: a Study of First John, the sermons series that I'll be preaching through for the entire fall semester.  I am very excited about the series because I believe that your kids will really get a lot out of it in terms of knowledge and application.  In each part of the series, we will comb through the verses for that session and then discuss the truths presented in those verses.  Then, we'll talk about the similarities between our circumstances and the circumstances of those to whom the letter was written.  Lastly, we'll get into how the truths can be practically applied in our lives.  Allow me to give you a little background:

Tradition tells us that I John was written by John the Apostle, one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus Christ.  Toward the end of his life, John lived in a city in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) called Ephesus.  John had probably planted several churches in and around Ephesus.  Not long after these churches were established, several influential members from these churches began to proclaim a new belief system.  They believed that they possessed special spiritual insight and knowledge that "normal" believers were incapable of understanding.  Unfortunately, many of these beliefs were clearly contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that was the foundation of the churches in the first place.  Therefore, John writes this letter in order to confront this dangerous belief system (and the people proclaiming it) that is popping up in his churches - an issue that is putting the very salvation of people's souls at stake.


What exactly is this new belief system?  Well, we can tell a lot from what John writes (not to mention other historical sources that confirm what we know from John).  This new belief is probably an early form of Gnosticism, a system of belief that held that only certain people were able to receive this special knowledge (gnosis = "knowledge" in Greek).  Gnostics believed in a moral separation between the physical and the spiritual - everything that is spiritual was good; everything that is physical was evil.  Under the inspiration of this "enlightenment", these influential church members asserted several false beliefs.  I've summarized them for you:

1.) They couldn't sin (I John 1:8).  The fact that they had received this special knowledge was proof to them that God did not regard them as sinful, but rather perfect - like Him.  Therefore, they did not possess the ability to sin.

2.) They didn't sin (I John 1:10).  Since the only thing that really mattered to God was the soul (because the body - which is physical - was inherently evil), then it didn't really matter what you did with your body.  So...SIN PARTY!!!  WHOOO HOOOO!!!

3.) They were better than others ( I John 1:9-10).  Since they alone possessed this knowledge, what was the point of hanging out with a bunch non-enlightened chowder heads?

4.) Jesus didn't actually come in the flesh (I John 4:2-3).  If the body was evil because it was physical, then it is impossible that Jesus (who is God and, therefore, perfect and good) actually came in the flesh.  He likely only "appeared" to come in the flesh (this philosophy is known as Docetism, by the way).

Now, here's the question: why would I choose I John for a sermon series?  Answer: because the world our teens are growing up in is a LOT like the world of the Christians John was writing to!  The more I read through this book, the more I realized how much humanity hasn't really changed.  Still - 2,000 years later - our kids are surrounded by a culture that constantly downplays its sinfulness (and consequently, its need for Christ), considers the Gospel to be archaic and "old news" rather than the good news, and doesn't really believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God who came in flesh.

More to the point, our teens are growing up in a world that pressures them to accept a belief system that is more tolerant, more fun, more pleasurable, and more centered on self.  And honestly, it's way easier to accept that belief system than it is to accept the "Good News" of the Gospel - which sometimes seems like a death sentence for real life, to be honest.  However, in the end, the truth is that these new systems of belief are all the same: they are temporarily fun, ultimately empty, and cannot save.

Only Christ can save.

My hope and prayer is that, through this sermon series, our teens will:

...trust in the Gospel by recognizing their sinfulness and consequent need for Jesus Christ.
...identify and resist beliefs and philosophies that can't stand up to the Gospel.
...not abandon the truth of the Gospel because it's hard to hear/live sometimes.
...realize that real life in Christ is infinitely better than anything the world can ever give them.
...know that God is the embodiment of love.
...learn that loving God results in loving people.

I can't even express how excited I am, and I hope that you will join me in praying for your children and staying up to date with me as I continue to dialogue continually with you over the next several weeks about the important fruit that God's Word will bear in the lives of our teens.

Two thing you need to know:

1.) Each week, I'll provide you with a summary of what was taught as well as specific questions that you can ask your teens to initiate and encourage discussion.

2.) I'll also record the sermon for each WNL so that you can listen to it on your own time and hear exactly what your students heard if you desire.  I will post the sermons to the "MEDIA" section of the Branch website under "video".

Feel free to comment on this post or email me with any questions, suggestions, or comments.

in Him

sray