Hey Andy, is the Bible relevant for today’s youth?
Hi, you know, one of the things that I like most about the Bible is that there is nothing that can happen today, or in the future, that has not already happened, and is recorded in the Bible. For example, one huge issue teens of every generation endures is identity, which is also what the Israelites were dealing with in the Old Testament, as well as the new Christians in the New Testament. These stories are not all successful in nature, but also reveal their struggles.
Ministering to Gang Bangers with Jephthah
Dr. Carl Ellis once talked about a time when he was ministering to a gang-banger, using the story of Jephthah in Judges 11 and 12. In his words, Jephthah’s son was a “big shot”, his dad (Gilead) was a “big-shot gang leader”, his mother was a “whore”, and his 2 half-brothers were “thugs”. Jephthah’s thug-brothers kicked him out of the house, so Jephthah formed his own tough gang. Amon was attacking Israel over a turf issue, so Jephthah’s brothers ask him back to lead, with the agreement that Jephthah would become Israel’s next leader. By God’s will, Israel won. Then soon after this battle, Ephraim (the land, not the person) “disrespects” Jephthah, so Jephthah “takes them out”, too. But it was all done because Jephthah followed God and carried out God’s will, not his own. Jephthah was a fighter for the Lord.
Another example: I knew a young man who was looking to the Bible for direction and understanding, but he didn’t understand how to read it (like the example of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch). But once he understood, he put it to practice in his own life, and now shares with others what he has learned.
Teaching about Discipleship
I showed a DVD to the youth, a “Nooma” CD by (the now-controversial) Pastor Rob Bell, about what it means to be a disciple – the background of being called, what Jewish teens endured, and how they literally copied everything their master did in order to become exact duplicates of them. Teens today also need to follow their Master (Jesus) in order to become like Him, and the curriculum for this training is in the Bible. Often times, they don’t know how to read the scriptures, which is why we, those who are mature in our faith, are in such a position to teach them what it means to be a follower of Christ, how one is supposed to behave, treat others, pray, worship, live through the means of the Bible, our own stories, and demonstration. And we learn from the Bible, too – it’s all in there. And because so many generations are recorded throughout the Bible, it’s relevant for teens in the past, today, and in the future.
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