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Witnessing To Teenagers
They are without doubt the strangest, most
challenging group of people you will ever try to
witness to. Here's the best part: we were all a
members of this group . Oh yes, you were too!!! You
were once a teenager.
Remember those difficult years? Your mind told you
that you were now an adult. The world around you
said "No Way!" Remember those condescending looks
you were given when told to go be about your
business? The adventure that is the teen years has
its share of frustration and pain.
Most of the teens we meet today who do not know
Jesus were in fact baptized as infants. Sadly, that
plan didn't go as it should have, and now they're
empty where they should be full, lonely when they
should never be alone, and thirsty with living water
all about them. Ah, but getting them to drink, that
is the task before us. Remember that baptism is the
Lord reaching to us to make fertile ground for faith
to grow in. They are thus as tilled ground waiting
for us to plant the seed. In no way should this
imply that an unbaptized child is to be passed over.
No one is unworthy of the message of Jesus Christ as
Savior. And because of that all are able to know
salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life. Biblically
we are commanded to preach the Good News without
reservation Matthew 28: 19- 20 says: Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you...."
Here are some things to consider, First, peer
pressure for a teen is about like carrying an anvil
on your chest uphill after an ice storm in January.
Homosexuality is being presented as normal in a
constant barrage to this generation, and pre-marital
sex is almost a required course for a high school
diploma. In this day of AIDS it's almost as if one
is lucky to "only be pregnant." After all, abortion
on demand is now a "right." Drugs are easily
accessible, and sometimes (like crack) almost
instantly addictive. These young people about us are
bombarded by Satan's ideas so much that they can be
pictured as virtually standing in the front line of
a battlefield. And the non-Christian is unarmed. We
must seek to dress our young people "in the full
armour of the Lord." We must pray. Pray hard. Pray a
lot. Our Father in heaven longs to hear from you and
"it pleases Him to give you the kingdom." Satan is
like a roaring lion, so don't become his feeding
ground. Pray for and allow the Holy Spirit to
protect you and lead you. He can and will put the
right words in your mouth. It will be a bumpy ride
but hold on!!! To quote Mother Teresa, "There is a
net of love by which you catch souls."
The key word to the whole process is LOVE. Love that
which is created by and in the image of God.
Remember Psalm 139, how God formed and knew you in
the womb. Well, He knew our teenagers too. He loved
and formed them as well; and you've been led into
their path by the Holy Spirit because of love. So,
keep this at the too of the chart. They may not
admit it, but they'll know it. It's only normal to
listen to someone who you believe really cares.
You've opened the door.
Now stick your foot in and say something positive.
"Children have more need of models than critics"
(French proverb). Reach out from a positive
attitude, not negative. Never begin with someone by
listing all they do wrong. Tell them something
you've noticed they do well and how that is pleasing
to God. Don't act like this time and conversation
with the teen is an obligation for you right up
there next to a root canal. "For even the Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve. . . ."
(Mark 10:45) Serve this child you're with well by
making her/him feel that God loves them just as they
are. Don't forget that "while we were yet sinners ,
Jesus out of love for us died on the cross." Once
you've gotten the point across that God loves them
you can then explain to them the positive proof of
God's love, love expressed by becoming man to be
crucified for our sins. That the pure love of the
Lord gives us eternal life through Jesus when we
repent. Of course, this means addressing sin. They
won't like this part. Well, do you? Emphasize
forgiveness first and foremost and then what needs
to be forgiven. Make sure that they understand that
there is no degree of sin, that all sin is an
offense to God's perfect righteousness, and that
sins are forgivable through the grace of Jesus
Christ.
To get through this you must be willing to listen!!
Teens need to be heard; they need us to talk to
them, not at them. Their lives are as important to
them as ours are to us and all of them are equal
before God. Dealing with a relationship where sex is
beginning to be forced on you is just as important
as getting the car payment in on time.
It's very important if they ask why and you don't
know the Biblical reference to give an exact answer,
SAY SO. You can get the facts from the Bible and go
back with the information. They will respect you
more for it. Remember they deal with teachers as
authority figures who insist on facts.
Think like Daniel 4:.2, "It is my pleasure to tell
You about the miraculous signs and wonders that the
most High God has performed for me." Don't be
ashamed to tell what God has done for you. Include
not only the really big miracles, like saving a
marriage, but also little things, like the oven that
always acts up making it through Christmas dinner
without a hitch. We want to teach our children that
God will hear them not only to help, let's say,
fight off the temptation of drugs, but will be there
for biology exams.
Lastly, the teen you're trying to reach needs an
example. You must act the way you tell them to act
-- like a Christian. Don't preach against foul
language and than curse out somebody for taking your
parking space. Don't tell them to be sexually moral
and then watch Playboy. Don't teach honesty and then
laugh when the sales associate forgets to charge you
for an item. Matthew 23: 27 says: "Woe to you....
you hypocrites!' You must practice what you preach
Be brave in the Lord, have faith in His
faithfulness!!!! And for the teen you may never know
you reached, I thank you for being obedient to God
and allowing Him to use you. Plead with the Lord of
the harvest to send out more laborers to help you,
for the harvest is so plentiful and the workers so
few." Luke 10:2
For Additional Information Contact
True Light Educational Ministry
P.O. Box 310
Shirley, NY 11967
Telephone (631) 395-4646
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TLEM