Step Up, Young People!

Today I have a message for the young people. You see, even though our society is functioning well now, if the next generation of people does not hold on to the fundamentals or built on the successes of the earlier generation, the society will quickly change its form or deteriorate. We already saw that happening in many countries and societies. For instance, the devaluation of traditional marriage, the easier and faster way of getting rich, the relentless pursuit of new excitements, or the choice to live individual and indifferent lives, I mean these are some of the new popular ethos and beliefs arising with this generation. Although the same can’t be said for everyone, the general sentiment is that societies are going through a liberal change, and young people, you will have to ask yourselves what kind of a world you will want to live in eventually.

Now, I don’t believe everyone thinks the same way, but I can sense that people who are liberal, people who wants a shift from the fundamentals are making the loudest noise. The medias in general are amplifying their views and perspectives.  

And I think as Christians, we have to look past the four walls of the church and ask ourselves: “How can sound and biblical principles be exercised in the way we and our families live, and how can these principles be extended and influence the society we live in?” So as one generation passes, the next generation has to pray through these matters. So today, I have 3 advices for young people Christians.

1) First, get the gospel right.
Read the Bible and be brought to an unadulterated faith. Avoid teachers which only teaches you to prosper in this life and never bring you to the reality of the afterlife. Avoid teachings that only help you feel good and improve your self-image but never teaches you what is truly doing God’s will in this life. Avoid those who teaches you to use the bible for self-benefits and advancements, but never exactly tell you that your whole life is to glorify God and seek the benefit of His kingdom. Now, I’ve been screaming about this all my life, because this is how Satan is getting at the fundamentals of the gospel. I like young people Christians to awake themselves to the truth, because that is the only way you can stand up against a delusive world.

2) Second, battle against an individualistic mind.
You see, the general tendency of many young people is: “I won’t care if it doesn’t affect me”. And this is especially so when life is comfortable and we tend to take a “live and let live” posture. The truth is if we only start reacting when we are affected, then it might somehow be too little, too late. 

So it is important that young people step up to be involved, both in the Church and societal context. For me as a pastor, it’s always a joy to see young people stepping up to take ownership of ministries and even offer suggestions as to how things can be done better. And if they follow through with their suggestions, it really gives me the sense of their maturity and a hope for the future. In fact, that’s how young people can contribute effectively. After all, they’ll take over the reins of the church leadership eventually.

Since young, I’ve been reminded of a striking encouragement given to the young Timothy by the Apostle Paul,

 <1 Ti 4:12> “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”.

You see, my young brethren. The Bible doesn’t look down on young people, but it encourages them to be proactive in setting a good example as believers. In fact, there are many ways that young people can bring encouragement to senior and elderly believers around them.

When a young person in the church shows himself to have spiritual maturity in the way he expresses himself, faithful in the way he serves, and pure in the way he lives his life, he will be a great influence to people around him. He will even earn the trust of the older people around him. So don’t let an individual mindset take root in you. Being passive isn’t what the Bible teaches. Understand that being humble and passive is altogether a different thing. Being humble is to be mindful of your position and status, and that’s the beauty of young people. But being passive doesn’t sound right. It often evolves into indifference, and not taking ownership of important things in life. That’s not in line with what the Lord has taught us about “loving and serving one another”.

So young men and women, to prevent yourselves from falling into passivism, you have to deliberately start engaging people whom you are unfamiliar with. Learn to engage, listen and express without being too self-conscious. And sometimes, you might need to intentionally put away your mobile device. In the societal context, I think being both a young person and a Christian, there is definitely an urgency for you to be sensitive to your surroundings. I would say, use your gift to influence people for the gospel. Don’t hide yourself in a closet. Be involved and open your eyes and ears to what is happening around the world.

3) Lastly, young people, my advice to you is keep learning.
Whether it is with the word of God or about the world around you, don’t stop learning. And when you learn, don’t just be carried away by the wind of change, or be brought over by existing ideas. Question the presupposition. Question what is widely accepted by the society at large.

A young lawyer who is an atheist once proudly commented to me that eventually, the whole Singapore will have to accept same sex marriage as legitimate marriage, because that’s how the whole world is heading now. Now, such a person is godless and he lives by sight. In fact, the bible has told us man can never be too sure of what he can foresee, as God says in <1 Cor 3:19>: “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight”.

And for sure, the pandemic is one big lesson God has given to those who trusted in what they could see. I remember everyone was so sure about globalization until the pandemic puts everything to a halt. So don’t be too quick to trust your senses. History always prove us wrong.

So young people, other than being God fearing, learn to question the existing beliefs and ideas if it deviates from the fundamentals. As I’ve always told Christians in my conferences, if the church starts to believe that by having flashy lights and cool music can draw in big crowds into the church, think twice. Don’t believe those superficial ideas. In fact, God is putting a stop to all these through the pandemic. Nothing can replace the true preaching of the gospel and genuine connections among brethren.

So young people, keep learning but be wary about what is ungodly and superficial. As you learn, gain true wisdom from God and take a stand against every arguments and pretension that set itself up against the knowledge of God. Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ <1 Cor 10:5>. If you start being wise and involved in such a way, the godless voice in this world will be put down. So I pray for you, young men and women in Christ, step forward in faith and step up to serve.