The Discipleship Need
When you stop and think about who was responsible for passing the faith on to you and for helping you to grow in your faith, how many people were involved?
How many of these people were older, wiser, and more mature?
What were the ways that they intentionally sought to help you trust in Jesus and grow in your faith?
How are YOU doing that for the next generation today?
As people age and change stages of life, it is natural to be drawn to others who are of the same age and stage of life.
However, this should not be to the exclusion of all others.
In his letter to Titus (2:1-8), Paul writes:
You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything, set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
Paul is saying that we are to pass on not only the message of the gospel, but also what it looks like to live out the gospel.
While the clear command in this passage is given to older women to disciple younger women, there is still the expectation that older men are doing the same for younger men.
We need more examples for the younger generation of what it looks like to live out the Christian faith.
Currently, in the youth ministry, we have a shortage of leaders, particularly female leaders, and leaders who are mature in their faith.
You might be reading this and thinking, “This all sounds good, but I just don’t have the energy to keep up with the young people.”
That’s ok. We have plenty of leaders who CAN keep up with the youth.
What we don’t have are many leaders who have experienced life and can share with these young people the wisdom of what they have learned.
We’re looking for those who can engage in conversation with kids sitting on their own…
We’re looking for those who can help these young people connect faith to life.
Research has shown that most young people need to have at least 5 stable adults regularly invested in their lives in order to thrive.
These people could be found outside the church.
However, why should we give up the opportunity to disciple, love, and raise up our young people?
Why should we entrust that to those who don’t share our faith in Jesus?
Yes, it might come at the cost of regularly giving up Friday nights.
However, the reward of journeying with young people (including the leaders) and seeing them claim and grow in their faith is beyond measure.
Whatever your age and stage of life, you have something that you can contribute to discipling the next generations.
This isn’t something that you do for a while and then you’re done. We are to ALWAYS and CONSTANTLY pass on the gospel to the generations to come.
If you’d be willing to be part of this in a more formal role within the youth ministry at Oasis Church, I’d love to grab a coffee (or other beverage) and chat with you.
You can contact me via email (youth@oasischurch.com.au) or hit me up one Sunday.
I’d love to hear from you!
Keep trusting Jesus,
Stephen
