"Got the Time? (youth ministry message) -Morgan Young 11.4.01
Last time we were here, a TON of you guys did one of the hardest things that I think anyone can do You said the salvation prayer OUT LOUD within hearing distance of the person next to you and then you did something truly tripped out you actually stood up to show yourself and others what you'd just done.
Some of you stood up because it was the very first time you accepted Christ. I would guess that some of you guys had prayed that prayer before, but you stood up because you felt like you needed to once and for all re-commit and REALLY give your life to Christ.
Well whatever the case is for you, after you say the prayer, you're kind of left with, "NOW WHAT?"
"I've got my Holy insurance policy--- I know I don't need my fireproof Sketchers any more but, the next day I didn't wake up with a whole new view of my life---or a whole new view of the world
Things around me are still like what they were and sorry to say, things about my personality that sucked before --- pretty much STILL SUCK --- only now maybe I feel more guilty about it!"
Saying a salvation prayer & inviting Christ into your life is like when I bought my first PC. (PPT pic)
It had a lightning fast 133 MHz Pentium UNO processor. It had a WHOPPING 16 megabytes of memory in it. The monitor was a all of 14 INCHES!
People told me things like,
"Manyou are going to LOVE this thing!
You'll have EMAIL and be able to CHAT and SURF the web!
It is going to CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
It is going to make your life SO MUCH EASIER!
You are going to have so much MORE POWER AND ABILITY to do things you thought you could never do in your home!
It is going to be SO MUCH FUN!
And, Your life WON'T BE THE SAME AGAIN!!"
Kind of like what people say about becoming a Christ follower. (go through it again)
But the DAY AFTER I got the PC --- life hadn't really changed. It was cool to sit there and look at, "Ha-halook at all this that I now have at my fingertips!"
But pretty soon after getting it, my PC kind of became frustrating
Because I didn't grow up with a computer, that little PC was NOT making my life easier --- the extent of FUN was playing an EXCITING & RIVETING game of solitaire --- All I knew about my new PC was how much I DIDN'T KNOW about it. I had WAY more questions than I had answers. It was like I was on the phone with my PC-literate friends more than I was on the computer
It's kind of the same deal with Christianity. After we "get it" --- it seems what we really know about it is how much we DON'T know about it. The next day we have WAY more questions than we have answers.
But here's what I know about computers: Since I've been using computers every day for several years now --- since I've been spending time on them and listening to advice, I know way more about computers now, compared to when I started. (Macintosh at work "Mac Daddy")
And I bet the same is true of you. (Hands) How many of you would say you know a decent amount about your computer?
How many of you who raised your hand, would say you've spent a lot of TIME on your PC to get where you are? (hands)
Check this --- what I know about computers is the same thing I know about Christianity:
Since I've been spending time in the things of Christianity, I know WAY more about God and the whole walk of a Christ follower than when I started. (repeat)
I don't know everything about my PC and my iMac and I sure don't know everything about God and Christianity, but in both areas I know WAY more than I used to because I've invested time into both.
Here's tonight's big deal: Christianity is a relationship. (repeat) Don't think of Christianity as a religion think of it as a relationship.
Let's do a quick experiment!
Everybody put your head down and close your eyes When I say a word, I want you to pay attention to what images or thoughts come to mind I'm going to say the word and give you a few minutes of silence to see what the pop-up video of your mind conjures up. Just chill & I'll tell you when to open your eyes.
The word is "religion""religion" (pause)
Alright --- what pictures came to mind?
A big cathedral or big old building come to mind?
Did anyone think of RULES ---- or that there's kind of BIG LIST of things that are APPROVED or NOT approved?
Perhaps when we think "religion" we think of MEN making up a bunch of rules---- that "religion" is more about "man's rules" than what God wants.
When you and me think of the word "religion", it's not uncommon to get this rigid --- rules-oriented ---- right & wrong, everything's black & white pop up video in our head.
I'm curious (hands)----- when I said "religion" did anyone think of the word "love" or "acceptance"--- or anything like that?.
Basically when we think of Christianity as a "religion" we get a whacked view of what the walk of a Christ follower really looks like --- Like it's less about love & acceptance and more about playing by the rules.
But, when we say that Christianity is a RELATIONSHIP --- we all probably get a very different idea of what Christianity or the walk of a Christ follower really looks like.
In fact the phrase "Christianity is a relationship" does a lot to help us understand what it really is. If we can remember that it is a relationship, that can help us answer questions we have about Christianity. Let me show you what I mean:
I've got some of the questions you guy filled out a while back.
1. "Are you a 'non-believer' if you don't attend church on a regular basis?"
Here's the answer: Christianity is a relationship. You're a believer if you're IN a relationship with Christ through a salvation prayer.
2. "How is Christianity different from other religions or beliefs?"
The answer: Christianity is a relationship. In all other religions "God" is NOT referred to as our "friend", our "father", our "counselor"
In other religions there is not the relational, loving character that Jesus Christ provides to everyone. The RELATIONSHIP part of Christianity sets it apart from other faiths.
3. "I feel I understand Christianity for the most part. I just have a problem acting like a Christian at times."
The answer: Christianity is a relationship. So when we see that we aren't ACTING like a Christian, we need to look at the condition of our relationship with God. And I'll bet that if our actions are suffering, our relationship is probably slipping in some way.
4. Last question. "When you accept Jesus into your heart, how do you stay devoted to Him? What things should you do to stay truly devoted to Him?"
The answer is ("Duh")Christianity is a relationship. SO--- to answer this person's question, we have to ask another question---which is:
HOW do we work on a relationship? Or WHAT THINGS do we need to do to build a relationship?
Let's do a little audience participation case study on relationships.
(2 volunteers who do NOT know each other, illustration.)
(2 close friends, illustration)
Ending question:
--- How do you know so much about ________?
___________ and ____________ knew a lot about each other because they had spent a lot of TIME together.
TIME talking on the phone --- time together at school ---- time doing stuff together.
Do you know what the most valuable thing is that each of you has?
If you have a car --- it's not that. If you've been working at a job and socking away "Benjamins"--- it ain't that.
It's T-I-M-E! I'll guess you probably think it's money ----- You're probably concerned about finances and how much money you have or how much you DON'T have. But "Benjamins" won't effect your life like time can.
I'll show you what I mean: Think about the condition of your relationship with either your dad or your mom right now. I'll bet you that if you are thinking that your relationship with that parent is really good ---- that you spend a decent amount of time together or over the years, you have spent a lot of time together.
And I'll bet that if you don't feel very good about the state of your relationship with that parent---- that you DON'T spend a lot of time together --- or that over the years you haven't spent the kind of time together that you wished you would or could have.
And when it comes to school, you guys dole out some serious time to extra curricular activities.
How many people here are on athletic teams? (hands)
Anybody involved in cheerleading?
Science fair?
Debate or speech teams?
Anybody involved in band or music?
Anybody involved in school plays or musicals?
Anybody involved in building or skilled trades programs?
Some of you guys are to the point where are really getting good at whatever you're involved in. Maybe colleges are looking at you or will look at you in the next year or so.
Guess what? You're at the level you are because of the TIME you have put into it. Usually the people who shine, put in a tom of time. There's a few gifted people out there that just have unbelievable natural ability. But for the rest of us----usually the people who shine put in a ton of time.
All of the teams and organizations you are a part of are able to do what do because of the TIME that everyone puts in to make the whole thing rock.
Anything you're involved in that's worth ANYTHING is working because of the TIME you and others put into it.
TIME is your guys' MOST VALUABLE commodity. Time drives everything you're a part of ---- especially the most important things:
Your relationship with your parents.
Relationship with your friends.
Whatever level you're at with your skills or hobbies has a direct connection with how much TIME you put into it.
In a handful of years most of you will be young adults. And you'll wake up one day and clearly see that the things you love about yourself and your life have a long line of time attached to it
And likewise, the things in your life that will be most underdeveloped and lacking have little to no time attached to them.
Guess what? The quality of your walk as a Christ follower has a direct connection with how much TIME you put into it. (repeat)
I love it when Biblical stuff is really simple so even I can understand it --- there is nothing hard to grasp about the idea of making time for God. The only thing that's hard is letting loose of some of our most valuable commodity---TIME.
Think of the one person in your whole relational world that you know inside and out and who knows everything about you
Did that happen over night? Did you meet just a couple times for a few minutes or so and you found out everything you know about them?
No. That relationship probably kind of just happened --- after a while you just found yourselves being really close friends.
Our relationship with Christ our walk as a Christ follower --- WON'T "just happen." We HAVE TO MAKE TIME for it to happen (repeat).
And here's why: Do you want "life change" or "life same"? (repeat)
If we don't make time for our daily walk with Christ, then all we got with the Salvation prayer is cozy place to hang when we pass on.
Apart from God, we'll pretty much have the same mind --- same thoughts ---- and if we think the same, we'll act the same. Check out this verse:
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is." Romans 12:2
God transforms us when we make TIME for our relationship with Him.
A salvation prayer is NOT a magic potion that transforms our funky thoughts and our funky behaviors turning us into some kind of FUNK-FREE super Christian
Salvation gets us INTO a relationship with Christ. And if we'll MAKE TIME to BE with God to work on our new relationship in that process, just like the worship song says, "All He'll ever do is change the old for new."
As we walk with Him, THAT'S when the mysterious God-stuff slowly takes effect. As we hang out with Him in His Word, in quiet times, in prayer,as we seek Him we find Him and over time
He takes our funky stuff and switches it out for thoughts that are more admirable --- and behavior that lives up to our true potential.
For you athletes, over time your body has become very different than when you first started out in sports. Or for musicians, your ability is way improved over the time you first picked up a horn. Slowly over TIME, you have improved and become something different than you used to be.
The same thing happens when we work on our relationship with Christ over TIME, HE changes the old for new, and we become improved something different than we used to be. THAT is the walk of a Christ follower. (pause)
A lot of you guys have said the prayer But my sense is that a lot of you are kind of like I was when I got that first computer
You know you have something at your fingertips that's full of POWER and that can CHANGE YOUR LIFE in ways you can't imagine
But just like me with my new PC --- if you don't start spending some time getting to know how things work ----getting to know God you're going to become frustrated .
And over time, you're going to slip away from life CHANGE and slip back into life SAME.
And do you know what my heart is on this deal? I don't want one person here to MISS being what God wants them to be
God has big things in store for you He doesn't want you to struggle with the things that are killing you He doesn't want you to take this incredible life that you have, and SETTLE for a future that's any less than what He has for you..
He---Godthinks the WORLD of you so much so that if you'll just make time for Him little by little, He'll take your funky junk and trade it in for thoughts and actions that you'll be proud of. "All He'll ever do is trade the old for new." ///
In the weeks walking up to Christmas, we're going to talk about WHAT it is we do in our time with God.
But for tonight, I want you to know that Christianity is a relationship. And that the most important ingredient for any relationship is TIME. And I want you to simply make some daily time to BE with God this week --- starting in a just a few minutes.
We're going to end tonight a lot differently than we usually do. Everyone should have received one of these (handout) & a pen when you came in tonight.
In a second I want you to spread out in here sit anywhere - lay down on the floor if you want to. My only request is that nobody talks. Silence.
Just read through this listen to how God leads you in it ask Him to be with you ask Him to help you reveal honest answers about yourself and to show you what He wants.
When you leave in the foyer, we'll give everyone a week's worth of devotionals for young adults. I just want to urge you to do one of these either each morning or every night in a place that's quiet You're just making a little time each day to work on your relationship.
When you're done with tonight's quiet time devotional, If you want to leave, quietly slide out. If you want to stay & pray silentlythat's groovy --- Whatever you want to do in this personal quiet time with God goes as long is there's silence in here. Try to do 15 minutes of just thinking about the devotional or what I talked bout or pray silently. I'll see you next Sun.
