The Church of Right Now

Introduction

Good morning. It has been such a pleasure to be here this weekend with the young people. And it’s also good to be with you this morning. So we can all come together as like-minded believers and to think about important things. And to sing these songs of praise and to pray to our Father. I’m so appreciative of your time here today that you’ve come to spend with me. It’s encouraged me greatly. You may not know a lot about me, and so I just want to start off this morning by telling you a little bit of something about me. I grew up in the church. In fact, I’m a fourth generation Christian. So this has been all I’ve ever known. In fact, every time the building doors are open, we were at church.

It was in a meeting or a singing or a young people’s lectureship, Bible study. We went to church. This is all I’ve ever done. We didn’t miss ever unless you were sick. And then you’d better be deathly sick. But I remember even in times going out of town to go to gospel meetings and debates. I remember my mom having people over. We lived in a college town. It wasn’t uncommon to be woken up and say, clean up your room, which was Francis Speak for Sub Everything Under the Bed. And we were to clean up our rooms and get ready because we were having people over for dinner. And I didn’t even know who they were, and in truth, my mom didn’t even know who they were.

She would just randomly pick people, which was interesting sometimes and frustrating at other times. But this is all I’ve ever known. And at 11 I became a Christian. It wasn’t long, I was waiting on the table. At 13, I started leading singing. I remember going to work days and digging ditches and raking leaves and all of the stuff that you do. And in the midst of all of that activity, I used to hear people say something to me as a young person. They would say things like, We’re sure thankful for the young people we have because they’re the church of tomorrow. You ever heard that before? When you hear that, what do you think about? I could tell you what I thought about as a 13-year-old that was leading singing and giving invitations sometimes on Wednesday night and going to church every time the doors that were open and showing up at work days when sometimes adults didn’t show up.

I could tell you what I thought about when I heard the words your church of tomorrow. I thought, what are you talking about? I’m a Christian. I thought I’m the church right now. I mean, what are we waiting for? And this morning I want to talk about, as we kind of focus on our young people, about the fact that they’re the church of right now. You know, the young Christians are not the church of tomorrow. I understand what we think and mean by that. What we mean by that is they’re the preachers and the song leaders and the elders and the deacons of tomorrow. And I understand that. But we do a disservice when we overgeneralize that concept by saying they’re the church of tomorrow. I’m afraid sometimes we treat our young people like the bullpen catcher.

You ever know what that is? I mean, in baseball, every team has a bullpen catcher. And he’s part of the team. In fact, he travels with the team. And every team that has won the World Series, their bullpen catcher has gotten a championship ring. He’s part of the team, technically. I don’t know any of you’re favorite teams. I know Brother JD here and I, we we share our favorite teams, the Braves. I can name a lot of Braves players. I have no idea who the bullpen catcher is. And you want to really impress me, you come up. I know Greg’s a Cubs fan. There’s always got to be a loser in the crowd. But you see, I guarantee you, Greg can’t even name the bullpen catcher for the Cubs unless his last name’s loser, which it probably is.

But at the end of the day, and if you want to impress me, you come up and tell me your favorite baseball, and don’t use your phones and Google it. You come up and tell me who the bullpen catcher is. Well, that’s how we teach treat young people. I mean, they’re kind of part of the church. And we know where their class is at, and we know where they sit, at least some of them. But we don’t know anything about them. We’ve never taken the time to really get to know them. And you know why not? Because they’re the church of tomorrow. No. They’re the church of right now. And I just want you to notice what the consequences of this church of tomorrow concept are.

The first of those is you have this kind of mindset, you’re going to view young people as having a lesser faith. You’re going to view them as not being as strong and as knowledgeable as us adults are. And I have to tell you, I know some teenagers who’ve got better faith and more knowledge than some of the adults I know. That’s more of a commentary, by the way, on us adults than it is the kids. You see, if we kind of view them as something that’s in the bullpen. And they’re waiting to come and to be a part of the church. We’re viewing them the wrong way. The backbone of what we do as Christians is faith. It’s part of being a child of God. We read Hebrews 11, we see those people who had faith.

And that’s in there for a reason. It’s to encourage us to have that same kind of faith. In Ephesians 2, it says that we’re saved by grace through faith, right? Faith is important. In Ephesians 4, 4 through 6, when it says all those seven ones, and there’s one Father, one Lord, one Spirit, one body, it also says there’s one what? Faith. The one faith ties us all together. And you know what? When we treat young people like they’re the church of tomorrow, what we’re really saying to them is, well, you don’t have the same kind of faith we do. Well, if there’s faith is based on the same Bible, word of God that mine is, and it’s the same kind of faith I have, isn’t it?

And if their faith is rooted in the belief in the same God and the same Savior, well, it’s the same kind of faith that I have. And if their faith is attacked by the same adversary as my faith is, well, it’s the same kind of faith that I have. You know what? Young people have the same faith we do. And that’s why they’re the part of the church of today. The other problem is when we do this, we kind of separate them into their own group. We’ve got the church, and then we got the young folks. And it’s amazing that sometimes people complain about church having clicks, and then we go off and die to make clicks happen. Because we kind of cram people into certain little age categories.

I want to remind you, Hebrews 12, 4 through 5 says we’re one body with many members. That same principle is found in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. One body, many members. The idea here is we are all one. And you know what? That idea of being united into one body, that includes differences in gender, differences in education, differences in race, and differences in age. We’re all the same. God wants all men to be saved, of every age. We’re all the same. And we shouldn’t declassify everybody into all these groups. The other thing it does is it neglects and ignores the young people.

1. Leadership Must Feed, Protect, and Train

And as a teenager, he thought he had something really profound. And so he spoke up. And the response, well, the response was much less than he expected. In fact, in his own words, he said the response wasn’t this is what they said, but it’s what they meant. What they really meant by the response was, you know, you really should be seen and not heard. Just don’t speak up and leave us adults take care of everything. Sometimes, if we’re not careful, that’s how we treat our young people. The church of tomorrow concept produces a lower class of Christian. We need to be careful of that. Well, what do we do about this? What do we do about the problem? Well, I tell you, the first thing is there’s a responsibility on leadership within the church to ensure that every member of the flock is fed and protected and trained.

And that includes our young people. 1 Peter 5 and verse 2. Elders are told to shepherd the flock. My understanding of shepherding based on passages like the 23rd Psalm is it’s the shepherd’s job to provide food for the sheep. And it’s the shepherd’s job to provide protection for the sheep. It’s the shepherd’s job to speak in such a way that the sheep follow them. To provide an example for the sheep, to train the sheep in the way in which they should go. Well, it’s leadership’s responsibility then to provide for all members, including young people, the food that is adequate and appropriate for them. 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 12 fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Shepherds have to be able to determine whether or not they’re ready and prepared for certain levels of spiritual intake.

There’s an implication in Timothy’s book in 1 Timothy 4 and verse 12, when Paul says, Let no one despise your youth, but set an example to the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. There’s actually an implication there to leadership, I think. And that is this create an environment where the youth aren’t despised. See, I think we have a responsibility, elders and others in leadership positions, that when we see somebody looking down on our young people, we need to go and not defend the people that are doing that. We need to step in and create an environment where that doesn’t happen. And I’m not suggesting that’s happening here. I don’t know. I just got here. I would assume since you had a weekend for the young people, that’s not true.

But if it is, it shouldn’t be. It’s our job in leadership positions to make sure that people are fed, trained, and protected. The brother read for us at the beginning, Matthew chapter 18, and those six verses there at the beginning of that chapter. What’s important is Jesus said, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven in verse 3. And then he said, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest of the kingdom of heaven. He goes on to say, whoever receives a child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, well, it’d be better for him to have a millstone fastened around his neck and him to be cast into the depths of the thing.

See. See, leaders, we’d better make sure we provide and take care of our young people. I don’t know if you thought of it this way, but you do need to realize that the young people around you today, while they’re the part of the church today, they are the leaders of tomorrow. And we have a responsibility to train them in leadership so they can fulfill our roles when that time comes. John Maxwell is known for his writings on leadership. I’ve lost count of how many books he’s written on leadership. But one of the things that Maxwell has said is that Moses’ greatest success in his entire life was Joshua. And the reason for that is that when Moses died, he had trained a leader to take his place.

You ever thought about that? You know, us preachers, we have a responsibility, Paul told Timothy, to find faithful men to entrust these things to also. Teach them how to teach. We have a responsibility to do that. Why? Because, you know what, one day, Brother Harkrider and myself and Adam and Greg, we’re not going to be here anymore. Who’s going to take our place? It’s our job, leaders, to provide for that. And you know where that’s done? That’s done with your young folks. And the way that’s done is not casting them off and telling them to wait until their time comes, but using them in every way possible right now. And I also think that older members need to realize that we can connect to the younger members.

We need to seek relationships with them. We need to get involved with them. We need to talk to them when we’re at the building. We need to spend time with them outside of the building. We need to know who they are. We need to know what their interests are. A friend of mine recently talked about at his congregation, there was a situation where they were getting ready for vacation Bible school. And this young lady came up and she said, you know, I’d really like to help out with a class. Can I assist with that? She was a teenager. And so they connected her with one of the teachers, and she helped out and she did a really great job. Spent a lot of hours there that summer preparing for that and teaching.

And she finally told the teacher, she said, you know what? I’ve asked to do this for about three years, and nobody would ever take me seriously and actually let me help them. I gotta tell you, that’s shameful. We have people that are young that want to be involved, and our response to them is just to ignore them. I don’t know why they did that, but here’s a couple reasons maybe I’ve thought of. Maybe they just didn’t want to try to train her. Maybe they just thought it was too much work. I mean, the reality is sometimes it’s just easier to do the work itself than it is to get somebody else to help you, isn’t it? And so sometimes we just look at that and we go, well, I’d rather not have to mess with that.

Because it may be just too inconvenient. And it could be that some people just didn’t take her seriously. Maybe sometimes we look at somebody that says things like that and go, well, they’re just being nice. They don’t really want to help. Because deep down in, we don’t really want to do it either. The elders have told us, and we’re just kind of locked into it. And so if I don’t want to really do all this work, why do I want somebody else to be doing all this work? Just remember a few things. Young Christians are part of the Lord’s body. And it is our job in Hebrews 10 24 for all of us to consider how we can stir one another up to love and good works.

And you know what? That includes adults and young people. And there’s a responsibility that we have to train other people. 2 Timothy 2 2. What you’ve heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who be able to teach others also. Titus 2 4. So train the young women. It goes on to list many things. We have a responsibility to train the younger generation. And we have to do that by connecting with them. Now, if you doubt the power of youth, let me remind you of a few young people in the Bible that did some amazing things. Josiah restored a kingdom. Daniel was a messenger in a foreign land. Samuel was given over to serve God and became a judge and a prophet.

Esther saved her people. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego taught a heathen king who God really was. And you can go on with Joseph and others and Timothy. The reality is the Bible talks about young people who do great things because God works through them. Just like he works through us. That promise that he can do more than we abundantly ask or think through us. Well, that applies to young people too, doesn’t it? Not just us. They have the same potential. They have the same potential. In Proverbs chapter 20 and verse 29. It says, the glory of younger men is their strength. And the splendor of old men is their gray hair. I have realized I am transitioning to the last part of that passage. And it’s probably because of the young 14-year old man in my family that’s making that happen.

But the reality is that youth are our strength. I got to tell you that the young people are the strongest group you have, whether you realize it or not, in things like evangelism. They’re your best weapon against Satan and the world. And we ought to use them. It’s a natural resource. Mark Sinter said if the church of tomorrow is to become the church of today, the vision for what we are all about must be forged and maintained together. The church is not yours or mine, it is ours, or more correctly, the Lord’s. It is the Lord’s church. And we are all part of it. All of us. Well, I do think we need to talk about what young people can do about this problem. After all, I was called here this weekend to speak to them mainly.

2. Be Obedient to the Gospel

And what do they need to do about this? Well, I’ll tell you the first thing that they need to do is they need to be obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And there may be some of you here that I’ve even met with this weekend that you’ve not made that decision. You know what? The church is filled with good kids. But I want to share a secret with our young people, in case you haven’t realized this. Good kids don’t go to heaven. Christians do. And you know what we need is we need Christians, not good kids. We need people who obey Christ. That’s all I’ve ever known. It’s my heritage, if you will. Well, the danger sometimes for people like me is to think that we just inherit our faith and our spirituality.

And I’m a good Christian. I’m a good guy. And so, you know what? I don’t have to do very much. No, you do. You have to obey the gospel. You have to be obedient. You do not inherit faith. It’s not something that is willed to you. You see, you may be here, and you may have grown up going here or growing the church, but you have to understand that if you’re not a Christian, you’re not part of the church. I mean, in reality, if you’re old enough to know the truth, and you’ve not obeyed it, you’re really just a visitor. We don’t like to speak in those terms. But that’s the reality of it. The way you become a Christian is you put on Christ. You recognize him as your Savior, believing in Him, and you change your will to match His will.

3. Submit to the Leadership of the Church

We call that repentance, and you confess Him as the Son of God, and you’re baptized. As many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. That’s how you become a Christian. And if you’ve grown up here but not done that, you’ve got to do that in order to be a child of God. Secondly, young people, you have to submit to the leadership of the church. Sometimes the greatest challenge for young people is submission. I have a 14-year-old son who has a little knowledge in actuality, but he knows everything. If you don’t believe that, just ask him. He’ll tell you. He will argue about everything. He is an expert in life. And sometimes that mentality causes a struggle among us as we try to be in submission to the leadership.

We looked at a proverb earlier that said that the glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is old men is their gray hair. The gray hair here is not a reference to your little literal hairs, but rather it’s a reference to the wisdom. And that treasured wisdom, young people, is something you ought to submit to. In Hebrews 13 and verse 17, there the Hebrew writer says, obey your leaders and submit to them for their keeping watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy, not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. You must submit to leadership. The problem is sometimes because young people think they know everything, and I know some of you are going to argue with me about that, but the reality is you sit there, and if it’s your parents or if it’s elders or whoever it is, they tell you to do something, and instead of doing something, you ask this three-letter question.

Why? As a child, I used to ask my father that question a lot. Why? And he had an answer. Because I said so. And I determined that when I had children, I would not do a disservice to them and explain why with because I said so. I have repented of that foolish determination as a child. Because I am repeatedly telling my children because I said so. Now, I will tell you that sometimes there’s a need to know why. And sometimes there’s a need to just submit. Because sometimes when it comes to the church or to your home, sometimes the reason you submit is because the one in authority over you has said so. And God says that that’s your responsibility. That takes humility, by the way.

4. Be an Example

Be humble. And submit to leadership. Thirdly, be an example. 1 Timothy 4 12, let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct and love and faith in purity. What was Paul’s suggestion to Timothy to keep older people from looking down on him? Be the person you’re supposed to be. Be an example. Be a disciple. Bear fruits of the Spirit. Walk as Jesus would have you to walk. You see, don’t play church, young people. Don’t be hypocritical. Don’t come here on Sunday and act one way and go to school Monday through Friday and act some completely different way. Because my mother used to tell me, your sins will find you out. And you know she was right as much as I pains me to say that.

5. Spend Time With Other Christians

I don’t know that I got away truly with anything as a child. It might have come out years later. I remember one time I was past curfew. I was all the way down the hall to my room, past her room. I was setting foot inside the door. And wouldn’t you know my obnoxious sister, who’s three years older than me, screamed out my name and woke up my mother. I never got away with anything. People find out when you don’t live the life you’re supposed to live. You can’t get frustrated if people talk about the young people if you, as a young person aren’t being who you’re supposed to be. Set an example. Next, spend time with other Christians. You see, I’m one of those people that thinks that my closest companions on earth ought to be people that believe the same way I do.

That just makes sense to me, doesn’t it, you? I’m not saying by that I can’t have friends in the community that aren’t members of the church and don’t share my faith. But I have to tell you, I get really concerned anytime I see young people who’d rather spend time with people who aren’t Christians than they would with people who are. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 33, it says, Do not be deceived. Bad company ruins good morals. If you associate with bad company, it has a way of influencing you. And yes, I have heard people tell me, well, I’m trying to be a good influence on them. Well, that’s a noble thing. Just make sure they don’t influence you more. That happens sometimes. I’ve already told you I’m a baseball fan.

There’s a guy by the name of Josh Hamilton that I really like. I like Josh Hamilton because of his story. He was the number one pick in the 1999 Major League draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He signed a contract with a $4 million signing bonus. He is what in baseball is referred to as a five-tool player. In fact, he could throw a 96 mile an hour fastball, and his back speed was 110 miles an hour. He’s one of those rare guys that when he was drafted, the Devil Rays didn’t know whether to make him a pitcher or a fielder. He was that good. But early in his career, Josh Hamilton got injured. And he’d never been injured before. And in the process of that injury, he began hanging out with the wrong people.

He failed after that at least four drug tests and was sent to rehab eight different times. He received suspensions from Major League Baseball totaling two years. Hamilton’s fall left him with seven wasted years. And 26 tattoos, by the way. Now, the tattoos are important for this reason. That’s where his downfall began. And this is what Hamilton said. He said in a Sports Illustrated article when I first got into drinking and using drugs, it was because of where I was hanging out and who I was hanging out with. You might not do it at first, but if you keep hanging around long enough, you’re going to start doing what they’re doing. Did you see that? Josh Hamilton said, if you hang around the wrong crowds long enough, you’re going to do what they do.

6. Grow Where You Are

Young people, don’t hang around the wrong crowd. Spend time with the right crowd. And finally, grow. What I mean by grow, young people, is you grow where you are, not where you want to be. Sometimes we look around and we get discouraged because we’re not getting to do what we want to do. Grow. Be patient. Philippians 4.11 tells us to be content in whatever state we’re in. You may see something you want to do and you’re not allowed to do. Instead of becoming bitter and discouraged about that, you grow where you’re at to fill that role when the time is ready. We have some young people at our congregation that really like to be involved in the teaching program. They’re not allowed to. You know why?

Because they need to be in class more than they need to be teaching class. Right now is when they need to be growing. So that when the time comes that we need them as teachers, they have the knowledge and wisdom and ability to teach. Grow. That goes back to submitting to leadership. A lot of times your leaders are doing things you may not understand because it is what will help you grow best. Grow. Don’t become frustrated because you’re not getting to do what you want to do. You are the church of right now. And there’s a lot of things you can do. But be content where you’re at and grow. And be strengthened and gain wisdom and knowledge that comes from God. So that you can fulfill your role as the church of today and the leaders of tomorrow.

Let’s pray. God, thank you so much for the time to be together, this good group of people that you’ve you’ve just blessed us with this opportunity, Father. Thank you for your son who died in order to save us from our sins and to give us this fellowship through his blood. We thank you so much for the opportunity to talk about our young people. We’re so grateful for them for the strength that they provide the church, for the great resource you’ve provided through them. We pray that you bless them and help them to be active and help them to grow and to be treated as a major part of this congregation. We pray that you will help them to step into those roles and to do the things they should do to best serve you and glorify you here in this community.

As we break from this session and go to classes, help us to put first things first and think about your word and the impact it should have on our lives. We pray all this through your son’s name. Amen.