BLOG POSTING #14
PREACH AND TEACH TO CHANGE LIVES
Step 4: FOCUS ON YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE (cont’d)
PREACHING TRACK: WHAT TO PREACH TO SPIRITUAL YOUTH
In our Blog Posting #13 we talked about what to preach to SPIRITUAL BABIES. In this posting we will talk about what to preach to SPIRITUAL YOUTH.
FOCUS: VICTORY
According to our preaching diagram, our FOCUS for this stage of SPIRITUAL YOUTH is VICTORY. This is drawn from the scripture description of this stage in 1 John 2:13, 14:
13 … I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one….
14 … I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.
Let’s note the following characteristics of the spiritual youth:
(a) They have overcome the wicked one;
(b) They are strong;
(c) The word of God abides in them.
The connection between these three characteristics is obvious. The spiritual youth is STRONG because the WORD OF GOD abides in them; as a result they have OVERCOME the wicked one. This is the ideal picture of a Christian at the spiritual youth stage. Our goal in preaching then is to help a BABY CHRISTIAN to grow up to the level of a YOUTH CHRISTIAN. We need to PREACH sermons on:
(a) The WORD OF GOD and what the Christian needs to do in order to have the Word of God ABIDE in him/her. In the Spiritual Baby Stage we already introduced the Christian to the five ways of taking in the Word of God: hear, read, study, memorize, meditate. In the Spiritual Youth Stage, we need to continue preaching at a deeper level on how to practice these disciplines. The goal of preaching at this stage is expressed clearly in Colossians 3:16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(b) The Spiritual Youth must learn to overcome (gain victory) over the enemy (the wicked one). Preaching at this stage must provide instruction on the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, and HOW of the enemy and his tactics. Two scriptures provide powerful starting points, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. The Old Testament scripture is obviously Genesis 3, regarding the temptation of Adam and Eve, the first representative human beings; the New Testament scripture, also obviously, is Matthew 4 (and parallel Gospel passages), regarding the temptation of Jesus, the second representative human being. Isn’t it very revealing that in both temptations relationship to the Word of God spelled the difference between defeat (in the case of Adam and Eve who did not have God’s Word abiding in them) and victory (in the case of Jesus who had God’s Word abiding in Him)? Isn’t it also very revealing that in both cases Satan used the three major areas of temptation: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life?
(c) Not only must the Spiritual Youth learn about the Enemy and his tactics; he/she also must learn about his/her all-sufficient, all-victorious Ally, the Holy Spirit. At this stage he/she must know about and consistently practice the Holy Spirit-filled life. Preaching at this stage must emphasize the person, work, and fruit of the Holy Spirit as they relate to the believer.
(d) Another way to differentiate the focus for the spiritual baby stage from the focus for the spiritual youth stage is as follows: the focus of the baby stage is primarily JUSTIFICATION; the focus of the youth stage (as well as the parent stage) is SANCTIFICATION. Sermons on justification deal with the basics of the Gospel and salvation; sermons on sanctification deal with the essentials of practical holy Christian living. We may describe these two truths (justification and sanctification) as “lenses”. When we use these two “lenses” to examine the apostolic epistles (both Pauline and general) to the churches, we will discover abundant texts and topics from which we can preach on either justification or sanctification. For example, Paul’s letter to the Romans divides roughly into GOSPEL & JUSTIFICATION TRUTHS (chapters 1-5) and SANCTIFICATION TRUTHS (chapters 6-8, 12-16). In many of the epistles we will find texts regarding the Word of God and regarding Satan and his tactics and how to overcome him.
KEY: HOPE
AREA OF CONFLICT: VALUES
MAJOR TEMPTATION: LUST OF THE EYES
For the spiritual youth stage, sermons for reproof, correction, and training will revolve around hope, values, and the lust of the eyes. We define lust of the eyes as the uncontrolled desire to be seen (admired) or to covet things that we see as valuable. One key scripture that exposes the root and essence of this temptation is Matthew 6:19-24:
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Another key scripture is Philippians 3:17-21:
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
To put the issue bluntly: For whom and for what are we living – God or Mammon, the kingdom of God or this transient world? Put in this way, you can see that essentially the spiritual youth will struggle with his/her COMMITMENT, which will determine his/her PRIORITIES. You can also see why HOPE is the virtue that strikes at the root of this issue, because hope anchors the Christian’s commitment in heaven, not on earth.
At the spiritual youth stage you will need to preach a lot of sermons to REPROVE Christians (make them stop loving this world), to CORRECT Christians (show them the way out of loving this world), and to TRAIN them in righteousness (how to start loving and serving God and His kingdom and righteousness first). Paul’s two letters to the Corinthians provide a lot of texts and topics for reproof, correction, and training, sermons that will help spiritual youth Christians to have God’s Word abide in them, to be strong, and to overcome the wicked one.
SEXUAL PURITY
We need to point out one fierce battleground for the spiritual youth, especially those who are literally in their physical age of youth. The apostle Paul warned his protégé Timothy about this:
2 Timothy 2:22: Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Bible commentators believe that at this time of writing Timothy was already a mature church leader, possibly close to forty years old, certainly no longer an adolescent or young adult. But Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to warn him against the pitfall of youthful lusts. This implies that no one ever gets too old to become immune to this temptation, as many sad and tragic real life stories prove; so many supposedly mature, even highly visible Christian leaders have fallen in this area. But most especially the adolescents and young adults.
Hence, we need to emphasize the need to preach and teach strongly and regularly on how to gain victory in this area.
NOTE: In our next blog posting we will talk about what to preach to SPIRITUAL PARENTS.
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