Should we be surprised when increasing numbers of young people see themselves - and others - as fundamentally worthless, when materialists tell them that there is no God, no spiritual realm, no after-life, no ultimate justice? Is it any wonder then that the most basic ache of the human soul - to find true meaning and purpose through a vital connection with our infinitely powerful and limitlessly loving Maker - remains painfully unsatisfied? Might this explain why certain "extreme" groups today are so appealing to young people? #is #isis #isil #suicide
Into a culture invaded by material-terrorists who poison the minds of the vulnerable with the heinous lie that we are all just the result of a random / spontaneous / uncaused / fluke vacuum fluctuation in gravity (#stephen_hawking) we now have a culture of rampant despair and disregard! For the past few weeks in one of my children's school classes, the government-funded educators have been telling their young students that morality is just a hang-over from the by-gone days of religious superstition. Neither your body nor your actions have any objective moral boundaries governing them. As my teen endured this government re-education training, she looked at many of class-mates and reflected on the connection between what they were yet again being told, and the tragic resultant scenarios being played out in their lives. Many (too many) of her fellow class-mates were now resorting to drugs to try and quell the persistant cry of the soul for a meaningful and significant existence in harmony with their Maker. Believing the destructive lies they are being told about their worth (that they are no more than a collection of molecules and that the notion that there is anything immaterial about them is just superstitious nonsense) these girls are often reduced to thinking and believing that they are essentially worthless unless they can be of some sexual worth to someone. Hence, many (too many) of these early-teen girls have lost something they can never get back and now no longer care that it's gone. #boysonlywantonething #ifeelworthless
¶ Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
First Thessalonians 5:23
There is a (not-so) silent cry arising from the deep recesses of this generation. It's a soul-chilling shriek that says, "I must be worthless!" Social researchers are bewildered at this. They merely look at the symptom and oversimplify the diagnosis: we have rising rates of depression. #duh One Tasmanian academic in his book, Born Bad, even blames Christianity for our current malais! He argues that Christians teach that the world is fallen, every person is born corrupted by inherited sin, therefore we are conditoned to feel worthless. But this gross misdiagnosis distorts the hope that the teaching of Christ's Word brings. This academic's criticism o Christianity fails to distinguish between worthless, and, the vastly different concept of, unworthy. No person - irregardless of their size, location, environment, or development-stage (SLED), is worthless. On the contrary! Every person - irregardless of their abilities, intellect, achievements or potential - is of immeasurable worth and always has a divinely appointed purpose from their Maker!
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
First Corinthians 15:9
As rampant as the poisonous lies to our young people are here, we have not yet succumb to the lie (that we are merely material beings) to the extent as some other parts of the Western world. There are towns where this evil deception has run its logical course and resulted in the inevitable flagrant disregard for the lives of fellow human beings. #usaschoolshootings But now we are seeing something strange. Some young people are embracing another lie: that God is utterly whimsical and unpredictable (He "abbrogates"), uncaring (He cares nothing for "infidels"), and offers those who kill these infidels eternal sexual bliss! Bewilderingly, this is being described by those unaware of the elementary teachings of these ideas as 'extremist' and 'not a reflection of this great religion of peace'. But to many young people who are told that they are worthless, these ideas give them purpose, and seem to satisfy the excruciating universal ache of the human soul for a pleasing connection with their Maker. But this god is made! Anything made (including an idea) cannot be The Maker - since The Maker made all things that were made.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Colossians 1:16
When we meet Sunday by Sunday for worship we are acknowledging our unworthiness and our Maker's limitless worth. When we worship Him we displaying to the world a powerful story - a story so deeply intrinsic to every human soul that it is written into our DNA from conception. It is a story of our first ancestors. It is a story that says they were created perfectly suited (as distinct from being created perfect) to the world in which our Maker placed them. It is a story that says an alien invader corrupted the moral integrity our First-Father and First-Mother and brought enmity between them and The Maker. It is story that says that the Maker, who eternally dwells in infinite loving divine community ( #trinity ), reached out in love to a now rebellious mankind, and sacrificed His eternal co-equal Son in our place. It is a story that says The Maker now offers forgiveness to all mankind so that each one can now be restored to a loving, peace-filled, guided relationship with Him. #jesus . Thus, when we assemble to worship we are telling a powerful and reminiscent story. When we worship our Maker we are ascribing great worth to Him, the lives He has given us, our fellow man, and the world in which He has placed us. When we desclare His worth-ship ( #worshipisworthship ) we are surrendering afresh to Him and declaring that He is uniquely worthy. Singing to Him is an act of worship. And as Victoria Osteen tried to say, God doesn't need our worship, but we need to worship Him!
Worthy are You...
Revelation 5:9
In a world increasingly filled with hopelessness and despair where more and more young people are beguiled by the lie that they are worthless and life is meaningless, we have an opportunity to shine a different story. A story that is utterly different to the materialist's. Our story could not be more different to the story of the ones who claim that our Maker is actually the Moon-God ( #notethesymbolontopoftheirhousesofworship ) who sometimes shows love and mercy. What our Maker requires of us is love for one another - even with those who disagree us, and for those who refuse to believe. And every time we make the effort to assemble for worship and instruction in the ways of God, we are declaring to both the Materialist and the Moon-god-worshiper that our Maker is most worthy of worship and we are most unworthy of His grace. But our unworthiness is not the same as being worthless! #jesuslovesus #themeaningoflifeisJesus #createdinhisimage #theoldtestamentandthekoranbearnoresemblance
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Ps. Andrew
Too many times as a pastor I have seen a parent not take their spiritual responsibilities seriously enough. When this happens there is an almost predictable peril that creeps in. Such other lesser, but none the less still, serious matters are also treated flippantly. They begin to neglect their spouse and thereby cease taking their marriage vows seriously enough. They begin to neglect coming to the house of God together as a family seriously enough (note Hebrews 10:25) and instead thereby teach their children that God isn't really that important and His Word shouldn't be taken so seriously (Deut. 6:7; 11:19). They begin to compromise in ways that causes them to turn to self-made idols for comfort and to calm their nerves and thereby negate their witness to their neighbours and broadcast to the world that everything they had previously told them about God being their Saviour and Lord was just a joke (2Cor. 3:2; 2Tim. 4:2).
Have you ever beaten yourself up? You know, scolded yourself for being so far less than perfect? As a recovering auto-beater, I have a few tips for those who still practice self-beating. All of these tips are based on the words: do your best. The problem with this expression is that the perfectionist actually hears something unattainable which means they haven't heard it all!
Have you ever been afraid to start something or even trysomething because you thought you wouldn't be good enough? Chances are you a closet-perfectionist. Perfectionists need to understand: There is a world of difference between being the best and doing your best. We can't all be "the best". But we can do our best. And sure, we could always do better than what we've just done, but doing your best involves elements such as- at this time, with what you have, and according to what you know at the time. At a different time, you might do the same thing differently and perhaps better. But when you did it, you didn't have a different time at your disposal (those who sit exams know what I'm talking about). Similarly, when you did what you did, you did it with what you had at your disposal (remember your first car?). And, perhaps you know more now than you did at the time you did what you did. But most of life's actions were done by people who were exercising what they knew at the time rather than what they were going to know! (You might have to talk with a seasoned parent to understand what I'm talking about here.)
"He came to my desk with a quivering lip,
It's remarkable to survey the lives of outstanding people and notice how they finished their life-races. Some people live great lives and achieve great things but don't finish well (note King Hezekiah). Others, like the Apostle Paul, start off their race being legalistic and destructive. Despite Paul's Damascus Road experience it seems he was still a prickly character. He fell out with his mentor. He offended his travelling companions. His relationships with several ministry colleagues became so tense that wanted nothing further to do with and did all they could to slander him. Paul's return fire is recorded in the annuls of Scripture for all to read. But we observe something extremely unusual about this mysterious man. The older he became, the sweeter and softer he became. After beatings, betrayals, abondonments and slandering, he had every reason to be a grumpy old man.
As Paul got older it seems that his reverence for Christ grew. But something else was happening in the heart of Paul. In the earlier stages of his ministry he describes himself as-
From "Jesus" to "Christ Jesus our Lord". From "super-apostle to "foremost sinner". I can't help but think that these two trends are connected. The older Paul got the more he grew in his depth of relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord. As the depth of this relationship grew he invariably became increasingly aware of his true position before the One he would finally describe as King of kings and Lord of lords (1Tim. 6:15 - which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords).
Something transformational has happened in the heart of Paul. His estimation of Christ has grown immeasurably. As you get older, is yours? Secondly, he estimation of himself became more accurate. To the spiritually unfamiliar, it might sound like he suffered from an increasing lack of self-esteem and was sorely in need of a boost. But to those familiar with descent of maturing discipleship, it is perfectly inline with what happens with all who grow in their surrender to the Lord of Glory. For Paul, his lowering estimation of himself was not a bad thing or even a thing to be corrected, it was a fruit of his commitment to lay his down and "decrease" so that Jesus would "increase" in his life (John 3:30).