My husband and I have been youth leaders for twenty years. Lately, we\u2019ve noticed that our youth have a bold, almost reckless, abandon for their faith. We \u201colder\u201d folks proceed with caution, while they are unashamed in their worship, fellowship, and witness.<\/p>\n
However, as we dig deeper into their faith, we find that the actual teachings of Jesus are not well known to them. They have their Bible knowledge and can quote Moses, David, and Paul. But when we ask them to quote Jesus, they freeze.<\/p>\n
Yes, these youth accept Jesus as Savior. They bend their knee at the cross where He gave His life in atonement. But they don\u2019t see any more than that \u2014 the sacrifice on the cross.<\/p>\n
Writing that sentence makes me argue with myself: Isn\u2019t the cross enough?<\/em> I hope to not take away from the cross or add to it. My concern isn\u2019t just for youth but for adults as well. If we don\u2019t know the message of Jesus \u2014 His words and deeds \u2014 something is wrong.<\/p>\n In the Great Commission Jesus instructs us to make disciples and teach them to do everything He commanded (Matthew 28:19, 20). But what if we, and the disciples we make, don\u2019t even know or do His commandments? This should concern us.<\/p>\n Jesus preexisted His virgin birth and is God in the flesh. If this is true, then everything He said and did is necessary to our lives. But do we know it?<\/p>\n I see the same lack of knowledge among adults in this political season. Many are loyal to the teachings of a political party or candidate, even over Christ himself. We know the candidates\u2019 positions, aspirations, and goals for the country on social and economic matters, and we align ourselves accordingly. Meanwhile, many adults don\u2019t know the positions, aspirations, and goals of Christ for the church (Matthew 5-7).<\/p>\n Is Jesus only Savior? Is He not also Lord? If Jesus is Savior and<\/em> Lord, must we not obey Him? John answers this question: \u201cFor this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments\u201d (1 John 5:3a).<\/p>\n Recently, a youth asked me why Adam and Eve sinned. \u201cThey had it so good,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n I pondered this statement. Did they have it so good? Then why did they sin? Adam and Eve\u2019s sin was not eating a forbidden fruit but failing to obey God\u2019s command \u2014 failing to submit. Instead they followed their own will. I concluded that we have a disconnect with Adam and Eve because we don\u2019t recognize that their sin is our sin.<\/p>\n Submission<\/em> has always been a negative word for me, creating an inner argument of rebellion and unwillingness. Submitting to someone else\u2019s will creates fear of abuse and of being misled.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t until I started reading the words of Jesus that I began to see submission as a positive thing: \u201cnot My will, but Yours, be done\u201d (Luke 22:42). Jesus himself submitted to His Father\u2019s will, even when He was tempted and afraid.<\/p>\n If my Savior submitted, then why can\u2019t I? \u201cLord, Your will, not mine, be done\u201d became my prayer (after thoughts of \u201cI don\u2019t want to,\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t like this,\u201d and \u201cLet me convince You why my way is better\u201d). I started to relinquish control with that prayer of surrender.<\/p>\n Writer Ray Vander Laan describes Jesus as Rabbi (teacher) and His disciples as talmudine<\/em> (students). In first century Jewish culture, the talmudine<\/em> not only followed the rabbi wherever he went but also copied him. This is why Jesus says, \u201cFollow Me\u201d and why John writes, \u201cHe who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked\u201d By imitating Jesus, we understand that an abundant life is one lived in obedience to His character and commands. Let\u2019s live that life. I bet our youth will follow too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My husband and I have been youth leaders for twenty years. Lately, we\u2019ve noticed that our youth have a bold, almost reckless, abandon for their faith. We \u201colder\u201d folks proceed with caution, while they are unashamed in their worship, fellowship, and witness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":2438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n(1 John 2:6).<\/p>\n