1 John 2:14 I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.”
William Moses Tidwell wrote: Passing through a country graveyard, I was struck by the inscription on a tombstone. The stone was by the side of the path where everyone could see it. It had been placed there in memory of a young man who died at the age of seventeen. It was, "Reader, stop and think; I am in eternity! and you are on the brink." In eternity! A young man, only seventeen years of age, in eternity! In a fixed, a changeless state, heaven or hell! And yet many have gone to hell before they were seventeen years of age.
Oh, the condition of today’s youth – it’s such a sad state! Yet the Apostle John speaks with hope about youth in the verse above. He speaks with a confidence in the zeal of youth – in the potential of youth – in the persistence of youth. Granted, there are many distractions around today that pull at young people. It seems that today’s young people grow up so much quicker than in the past. According to surveys in 1990, 65% of all H.S. Christian students are sexually active, 75% of all H.S. students cheat regularly, 30% of all H.S. students have shoplifted in the past 30 days, 45-50% of all teen pregnancies are aborted, 3.3 million teens are alcoholics, 1000 teens try to commit suicide daily, and 10% of H.S. students have experimented with or are involved in a homosexual lifestyle. Those are some staggering statistics – and they were from 1990.
But – has it occurred to you that the same God that sat on the throne a hundred years ago sits on the throne today? Has it occurred to you that Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever.”? Has it occurred to you that our God is all powerful, all knowing, and all wise? Do you think God is going to let the devil win the hearts and minds of our young people when his time on this earth is so close to being over? I don’t think so. Just as John had confidence in the young people of his day, we can have confidence in those of ours. Sure, they need guidance. Sure, they need direction. Sure, they need the gospel of grace. But with the proper preaching and teaching and focused attention, they will make us proud. They will carry on the torch of the gospel from now until Christ returns or takes them home to be with Him.
Teens, let me give you some pointers that Dr. Jimmy Robbins gave the teens in his church. He called these the Ten Commandments for Teenagers:
1. Don’t let your parents down – they brought you up.
2. Stop and think, and you won’t drink.
3. Be smart and obey – you’ll give the orders one day.
4. Show-off driving is juvenile – Don’t act your age.
5. Ditch dirty thoughts quick, or they’ll ditch you.
6. Pick the right friends to be picked for a friend.
7. Choose a date fit for a mate.
8. Don’t go steady until you’re ready.
9. Love God, your neighbor, and your church.
10. Live carefully; the soul you save may be your own.
Quote – “When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me.” – John Wesley
