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Spiritual Families - by Benjamin Lee
Sermon
Texts:
Joel 2:28-29,
Titus
2:1-8,
Ephesians 6:1-4
Many times in recent years, that means somewhere since the 90s, I have heard the passage from the book of Joel preached in tandem with the idea of God using young people in the last days. That God was raising a Joshua Generation of Christian young people to spearhead and be His hand that moves across the world; reaching out to millions and changing the world for God.
Be part of the Joshua Generation. Don't be part of the Moses Generation. The disobedient and dead generation that has kind of lost its anointing and isn't really moving anymore. It is up to the youth of today to rise up and take our positions and be part of God's move. God is moving and He is pouring out His Spirit on the young people and we have to catch the vision, catch the fire, burn with the passion for God.
And so our youth look for the move of God... where things are happening, and there are lots to see, do, hear. They go for the conferences, the concerts; they look for the flashy; hundreds of youth, gathered in one place, jumping and screaming and waving their hands... where they are taught, if you're not doing that you're not giving exuberant praise.
Really? So giving God exuberant praise is jumping and screaming and waving your hands like the adoring fans of rock stars do at their concerts?
Ok, this is Youth Sunday. Why is the speaker knocking youth culture? Why is the topic entitled Spiritual Families?
Because I believe that youth is not a species of human beings that is separate from the adults and children. Parents and adults may claim that youth culture is so alien to them that youth might just be from another planet, and youth may think that the parentals and old fogies belong to the Neanderthal class of Homo sapiens because of the archaic rules and standards they adhere to...
But the bible teaches us that we are the family of God. And if we are one family unbroken, then every member of the family is to be valued, cherished and respected. It is not just the elders that need respect, the youth need it too. Youth and adults will always have differing views. That is the way we live and learn. We adapt to the changing situations that we grow up in. And in the last fifty years, there have been a lot of changes.
Preaching about the Joshua Generation is not wrong. Since Joshua was the one who entered the Promised Land while Moses and those who died in the 40-year wilderness walk didn't. However, it would be quite wrong to interpret it then that it is the youth who will then be the leaders and movers and shakers in the Kingdom of God. Let us not forget that while Joshua was the one who conquered the Promised Land, he was an understudy of Moses before he became the leader of Israel.
That leads us to a very important fact. Without Moses, there would not have been Joshua. Had not Joshua seen how Moses had walked with God; and how that helped him to lead the Israelites, he may not have been the great leader that he is. Joshua may be the son of none (Nun) but he did have a good Spiritual Father. A mentor, someone who showed him what it meant to follow God. Although Moses failed to reach the Promised Land himself, he did not fail to help Joshua go on.
Let's look at the scripture in Joel again.
And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
It mentions both sons and daughters. It mentions both men and women. God wants to use men and women, young and old alike. So catching the move of God is not the exclusive right of the young. It is the duty of every God-fearing Christian regardless of race, language or age.
Ok, so we've established that God wants to use young and old. What has that got to do with Parenting?
Youth need good role models
Much!
Because Proverbs 1:8 says - Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forget your mother's teaching.
Teaching our youth to be wise, to live wisely, to know what is Right, Just and Fair - in other words, to Fear the Lord - is the job of BOTH parents! Father's Instruction and Mother's teaching are both important to the development of the child, of the youth, of the adult and parent of the next generation.
Adults and parents cannot afford to be lassier faire about bringing up their children in the Lord. Proverbs 22:6 - Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. It is an important task that the Lord has given to us. Increasingly we find that children in Singapore are being brought up by domestic helpers. Unless you have a domestic help that fears the Lord and is fervent in her walk with Him, can you trust your child's spiritual health to her? That's ok, you say, we have Sunday School! And Youth Ministry!
Biblical input once a week versus the values of the world that bombard your child's mind when he is in playschool and kindergarten and primary school, secondary school, in front of the television, from the radio, internet, magazines, music. How much growth do we expect from them?
Then we have children and young people who come from single parent families. They have need for role models for the parent that they do not have. Are we who are adults in the church playing that role? Do we have a heart for these youth who may exhibit behaviour that we frown upon? Do we just say, See? He didn't have a mother or a father to teach him? or do we say then let's show him God loves him by loving him? Gently instructing and meeting his needs before expecting him to change his ways.
How do we become spiritual parents?
Being a spiritual parent doesn't mean we have to feed and clothe and take over the responsibilities of the youth or child from his natural parents. Although sometimes, we may be required to do so. It simply means we have to be an adult that they can respect and aspire to become. Someone they would like to grow up to be. More often than not, youth have an idea of who they DON'T want to grow up to be.
Ephesians 6:4 says: Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Often we find that adults approach youth with the idea that they have to take an authoritative stand. They make decisions for the youths and expect the youths to obey to the letter. They scold the youths and discipline them claiming to do it in love. But there is nothing loving about their methods.
Is it any wonder why youth seem to be a rebellious lot? Because the world outside portrays the authoritative figure as someone who is mean, calculative, doesn't trust them to make decisions and therefore, someone to rebel against. So their role models are the heroes who have been beaten down but are now fighting back.
But that should not be the case in church. When youths look for role models, we who are in the church should be those that they look for. It would mean that in the way we treat each other, relate to each other, we need to model Christ-likeness. Living by example. Becoming like Paul who said Follow me as I follow Christ.
As Christians, we are to be Christ's ambassadors on the earth. We are to be models of Jesus for the world to see.
How can we hope to portray God as a loving father when we don't show love toward our own children?
There have been instances in churches where the adults make way for the young people to take over various ministries but instead of staying to guide and help, they pull out completely. Then when things don't go smoothly, the general sentiment is, things weren't like that when the older people were running it... We need to recognise that even if a young man or lady feels they have everything they need to run a ministry, there will be situations they have not faced. Experience is something earned through time, not learned from books or training. Therefore we adults must be sure to be available to advise, to lend a hand.
Just like in Titus 2:1-8
While I don't think many Christian women in Singapore are addicted to wine, most of what Titus is exhorted to teach, is appplicable to all of us today. Children and youth look at the adults of today, Christian and non-Christian alike, in the news reports, do they see good role models? When they look at the adults in the congregation, do they think Yeah, one day I will grow up and join the ranks of these men and women of God?
I have been blessed to have natural parents who are believers. They have done their best to try and bring me up in the way that I should go. It has not been an easy time for them. I may be standing here before you now, sharing with you from God's Word, but I had to choose to walk right before God, I had to decide that living my Christian walk was worth it. But they made sure I had a firm foundation in Christ so that during my wayward years, I did not forget God. Besides my own parents, there are many uncles and aunties in church who took time to listen to me, to speak into my life, to guide me and teach me. My grandfather taught me to play the guitar, Uncle Lennie, my sunday school teacher, honed my raw skills further and my uncle Andy, who was the youth pastor at the time, gave me the opportunity to serve in the music ministry. I only officially stepped down from the worship team recently, serving in both the youth and adult services since 1989. How did I pull through those years? It is largely because of the prayers of my parents and the adults who cared for me. There have been times when my parents have come into my room, late in the night, to pray for me while I slept.
At the very least, the best way for an adult to be a spiritual parent is to pray for our youth and children. Even though they may not be our own, but they belong to our congregation, they belong to our church, they belong to our Father in heaven. Don't know what to pray for? It's easy. Pray that they will walk closely with God, pray that they will excel in their learning (not just academic learning but life lessons as well). Pray for their safety, that no harm will befall them. Pray that they will find their calling, God's plan for their lives. Pray for their life-partners to be. A young person may get married and bring someone into the church, pray that he or she will be a blessing. Or, one of our own may marry and go to their spouse's church, pray that your young person will be a blessing to them.
That way, we will be a church that rightly represents God. That the world may see that Christians have something that's different. A genuine care and concern for each other because of the love of God.
Children obey your parents!
Now young people have a part to play in all of this too! Before you start thinking, "yeah, all these adults better care for us and help us grow and be nice to us!" a family doesn't just consist of the parents. The children have duties too.
You are to be a joy to your parents! Both spiritual and natural. Especially if your parents don't know Jesus. Ephesians 6:1-3 says Obey your parents in the Lord. How have you been obedient to your parents this week? or even today? Were you careful to finish your homework, make your bed or tidy your room? Did you sulk or throw a tantrum when you were not allowed to do something you wanted?
Youth, how have you honoured your fathers and mothers? Are you polite and respectful of your elders? Are you considerate of their feelings?
Proverbs 2:1-5 says:
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
IF you ACCEPT, if you STORE UP, if you TURN YOUR EAR, APPLY YOUR HEART, CALL OUT, CRY ALOUD, LOOK FOR, SEARCH FOR, these are all verbs. Doing words. Growing in the Lord does not happen if the adults in church decide to come alongside you and lead you by example. You must WANT to follow, you must want to change, you must want to accept the teaching and discipline that comes along with it.
Youth, a useful piece of clay that can be moulded is a piece that is soft and easy to shape. A rock hard piece of clay not only cannot be shaped, it is brittle and easy to break. Be teachable.
Conclusion
The time has come when society is breaking down. Look at how because of money issues, our country is opening itself up to gambling in even greater measure. The pressure is on us to be an example, the light and salt of the world. Let us start by being light and salt in our own families. Let us show that we are Christians by our love. Not just for the lost but even more for the family of believers. Let us not be weary in doing good for in due time we will reap the harvest. Church, let us be a family of God in word and deed. |
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Church of the Ascension, 13
Francis Thomas Drive, Singapore 359339 |